# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1853_S271
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 271 —

...societies are not plantings that God has planted; he pulls in a
foreign yoke with unbelievers, for these secret societies consist of all
sorts of people — Jews and heathens, the indifferent and blasphemers.
We Christians already have enough to do defending ourselves against the
temptation that comes upon us under the civil order; we would indeed be
severely tempting God if we joined ourselves with unbelievers without
God's command.

4) Matt. 5:33-37 forbids us to swear by any creature of God, or by
anything at all; but whoever joins the Odd Fellows or other secret
societies must promise on his honor to keep the secrets of the order,
and so acts against God's Word. To this is added that these secret
societies carry the Bible about with them and observe all sorts of
worship-like ceremonies, which amount to an abominable idolatry, because
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ can never be worshiped by a
fellowship made up of Jews and heathens of every kind. Thus the holy
First and Second Commandments are transgressed by members of secret
societies.

5) Matt. 6:25-34 is transgressed by everyone who joins the secret
societies, for by not shrinking from fellowship with unbelievers for the
sake of support, he declares that it is not God who provides for him and
his in need and death, but human associations and their mammon. What
Christian would want to sin so gravely against the holy First
Commandment?

These teachings of God's Word — to which many others could still be
added — testify that whoever joins the Odd Fellows or other secret
lodges, or holds to them, whether or not he attends the regular
meetings, denies God, our most-praised Savior, and tramples God's Word
underfoot. The Synod therefore warns all its members, and all Christians
generally — especially the dear fellow believers now immigrating —
against those secret societies, and takes it for granted, as a matter
of course, that in the Christian congregations proceedings will be
taken, according to the Lord's rule in Matt. 18:15ff., against anyone
found to belong to such secret societies. At the same time, however, the
Synod addresses to all its members, and to Christian congregations
generally, the heartfelt request that they provide, within their
fellowship, for Christian care of the poor and the sick after the
pattern of the ancient Christian congregation, and in this way ease for
their members the struggle against the ever more widely spreading
temptation of secret societies.

Besel's Pamphlet on "Little Baptism."

The Synod has had to convince itself, to its regret, that the little
tract by Pastor Besel on infant baptism which has come into its hands
did not turn out, in style, content, and presentation, in such a way
that it could endorse it. It regrets that Pastor Besel sent it to press
so hastily, without consulting even one of the experienced brethren
about it, and it must earnestly wish that all those brethren who know
themselves not skilled at literary work would not put the Synod in the
position of having, in the end, to declare publicly that it does not
stand behind their literary efforts.