# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1857_S352
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 352 —

Resolved: That we stand unalterably by the proposal we made to the
Synod of Buffalo from the beginning and repeated since, that to settle
the dispute pending between us and the said Synod, a colloquy on the
existing doctrinal differences be held first of all.

But since the Synod of Buffalo publicly claims that persons it has
rightfully banned have been received by members of our ministerium
and are being served with Word and Sacrament — a claim by which that
Synod evidently intends to lay the possible offenses of individuals
upon all of us and so to burden and trouble the conscience of every
one of us again and again, knowing very well that it is simply
impossible for every member of our Synod to have full certainty, in
every single case, about the lawfulness of a member's conduct — it is
therefore hereby further unanimously

Resolved: That we call upon the Synod of Buffalo to bring the stated
accusation against particular members of our ministerium before their
respective ecclesiastical superiors, to pursue the accused there in
Christian order, and to name the individual instances in question
(which, admittedly, have never yet been proven), so that the
ecclesiastical superiors concerned may investigate the matter and call
the respective guilty parties to account.

Since, finally, the Synod of Buffalo, through proposals of this kind
for settling our dispute with it — proposals which we cannot, in good
conscience, agree to — keeps seeking to create the appearance that it
earnestly seeks peace while we hate and hinder peace, it is therefore
further unanimously

Resolved: That we hereby reject in advance, and once and for all, any
further peace proposal from the side of the Buffalo Synod that does
not aim at a peace grounded in agreement in doctrine, as a proposal
for a false peace displeasing to God. —

The above declarations and resolutions were, by resolution of the
Synod, communicated to the Buffalo Synod in a letter of October 26. —

Resolved: That the Synod confesses with its whole heart that
Professor Walther, as editor of "Der Lutheraner," has not represented
private opinions in the dispute with the Synod of Buffalo, but has
throughout acted entirely in the Synod's own sense.

Resolved: That a report on the negotiations conducted with the Synod
of Buffalo be sent to Pastor Grossmann, S. M. [Senior Ministerii,
senior minister], in reply to his letter.

Amendment of the Provision in Our Synodical Constitution
Concerning the General President's Office of Visitation.

(See the 2nd report of the Eastern District Synod of 1856, p. 26.)

At its convention last year, the Eastern District Synod had, among
other things, had submitted to it for deliberation a petition
recommending an amendment to the provision in our synodical
constitution [Synodal-Constitution] concerning the general
president's office of visitation [Visitatoramt], and the said District
Synod had resolved to submit this matter to the general Synod for
deliberation and, as the case may be, resolution.