# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1853_S258
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 258 —

...was that of our synod. It [the Synod of Buffalo] demands of us, as a
condition under which it is willing to confer with us, a prior
acknowledgment and abolition of a wrong of which we cannot convince
ourselves that we have made ourselves guilty. Is it not against every
rule of Christian fairness to want to force upon us an act against our
conscience? Does this not plainly amount to spurning the path of peace,
when the Venerable Synod of Buffalo will enter into a *Colloquium*
[formal doctrinal conference] with us only on condition that we perform
something that violates our conscience? We, by contrast, asked of the
Venerable Synod of Buffalo something it could unhesitatingly fulfill
without any violation of conscience. Although we were fully convinced of
the scriptural soundness of our doctrine and the unscriptural character
of the Buffalo Synod's doctrine, we did not, as a condition for holding
a colloquy, first demand its prior assent to our doctrine, nor an
admission of the hierarchical practice we charged the Buffalo Synod
with, still less the prior reinstatement of those whom we regarded as
unjustly banned by it; rather we asked simply for nothing more than a
meeting in which, first of all, the disagreement in doctrine that had
caused the resulting schism should be resolved. Nor have we refused to
answer the Venerable Synod of Buffalo's accusations; indeed we are
ourselves willing to recognize and abolish any wrong shown to us,
provided only that it is actually shown to us. We also ask the Venerable
Synod to consider that, if a decision on the individual cases in which
it accuses us of wrong were made without a prior agreement in doctrine,
an understanding on that point would prove impossible for as long as we,
given the difference in our doctrine, would necessarily also judge these
cases differently. If the Venerable Synod of Buffalo harbored any real
willingness toward reconciliation, how could it not have gladly accepted
our wish?

From all this the Venerable Synod of Buffalo will see that the Synod of
Missouri could not accept the conscience-burdening conditions imposed on
it; yet it again testifies to its willingness for a free, Christian
colloquy, and asks the Venerable Synod of Buffalo, for the love of our
Lord Jesus Christ and for the peace of his poor Church, to give its
conduct toward us thus far renewed and serious reconsideration.

With due respect,

Cleveland, Ohio, June 11, A.D. 1853.

The German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other
States.

Signed in its name,
Fr. Wyneken, currently President.

Public Answer.

The Church Ministerium of the Synod of the Lutheran congregations
emigrated from Prussia issues its public declaration in response to the
last, unreconciled answering letter of the Venerable Synod of Missouri
of June 11, 1853.