# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1857_S318
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 318 —

if these two brothers, with their congregations, were working together in
heartfelt harmony, in one spirit and with burning zeal, in a city where the
false Lutheranism of the General Synod has its headquarters and hearth?
That good fortune is not to be ours. On the contrary: preachers and
congregations lie in conflict with one another, to the great scandal of
the weak and the unbelieving and to the shame of our common confession —
a conflict which, God knows, has unfortunately even come into the public
eye through the press. May the God of peace curb every occasion of
offense, and trample Satan under our feet.

To render a verdict on the right and wrong of the contending parties is
of course not mine to do, nor would I be able to. Only with regard to the
establishment of confessionally faithful English congregations in general
can I not refrain from publicly voicing the wish of my heart here: that
God, in his grace, would prevent the Synod, on this occasion once again
presenting itself to the church, from taking upon itself the guilt with
which, unfortunately, the Lutheran Church of this land burdened itself in
part in earlier times — namely, that thousands and hundreds of thousands
of English-speaking descendants of German Lutherans were neglected and,
out of short-sightedness or a narrowness of heart utterly contrary to the
spirit of the Lutheran Church, abandoned as welcome prey to the sects or to
unbelief. If we boast, and rightly so, by God's grace, of the pure
confession of the truth, then God will surely demand it of us doubly if,
out of an unevangelical narrowness of heart, we neglect the children of
the church who, through the circumstances of this land, have unfortunately
been deprived of the ability to speak and understand the precious mother
tongue, but who are not for that reason to be deprived of the treasures of
the church. Would to God we could preach in all the tongues of the world
and gather, for our precious confession, congregations out of all the
peoples that flow together here in this land. May he grant us also the
grace to find the way pleasing to him of settling this vexatious quarrel,
to the joy of the church and especially of the congregations concerned,
and to the devil's chagrin, and of bringing about a heartfelt harmony
between the brothers.

The remaining matters that lie before the Synod for deliberation and,
respectively, for resolution, are indeed also of great importance; but I
do not believe it necessary to mention them already here. May the Lord,
above all things, put his fear into our hearts in all our deliberations;
for such have the promise that he will look upon them, and be near them
with his help. For the Lord takes no delight in the strength of the horse,
nor pleasure in the legs of a man; the Lord takes pleasure in those who
fear him, who hope in his goodness! Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise
your God, O Zion. For he strengthens the bars of your gates, and blesses
your children within you. Psalm 147:10–13. Hallelujah, Amen! —

Report.

In presenting to the Reverend Synod the report required by the
Constitution, I cannot help mentioning the heavy loss which the Synod, by
the Lord's unsearchable counsel, has suffered in the years now past. Three
faithful, zealous preachers and two schoolteachers have, we hope through
his mercy, been taken by the Lord from the toilsome field of labor into
everlasting rest. Why the