# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1860_S58
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— Page 58 —

...would arise, and the more people would come to seek comfort in
private absolution. — Our congregations, however, should not think
that the time has now come for us to throw a net over them just
because we so freshly and joyfully commend private absolution to
them; no — rather, the reason we want to speak and preach of it so
freshly and joyfully is, on the one hand, that it belongs to the
proclamation of the whole counsel of God, and on the other hand so
that, once we are dead and our congregations at last come to
recognize the great treasure of private absolution, they cannot say:
our pastors, here in this free republic, were too afraid to offer us
this treasure.

To the question, "Is private absolution a means of grace of equal
rank with the sacraments?" the Synod answered: Yes, but it is not
coordinate with the Gospel, but subordinate to it — that is, it is
not something alongside and outside the Gospel, but flows out of it.
The Smalcald Articles speak of five ways of "counsel and help against
sin": first, through preaching; second, through baptism; third,
through the Holy Sacrament of the Altar; fourth, through the power of
the keys; and fifth, per mutuum colloquium et consolationem fratrum
(through the mutual conversation and consolation of the brethren) —
and gather all these together under the heading "Of the Gospel."

The first point of the thesis was now agreed to unanimously, and the
second point was taken up: that private absolution is
not necessary for obtaining the forgiveness of sins in
such a way that without it no forgiveness would take
place. On this it was remarked: this clause is proof that the
greatest care must be exercised in presenting to people the
difference between private absolution and general absolution. One
must not present it to them as though the same treasure given in
private absolution were not also given in general absolution. It is
certainly true that the general confession does not have the
advantages that private confession has, but one must not present the
matter as though the same forgiveness obtained in private confession
were not also obtained in the general confession. Even in the general
confession, as we practice it before the Holy Supper, there occurs,
in a certain sense, a personal confession and a personal
appropriation; for there one has before oneself a definite number of
Christians who confess their sins, desire grace, and receive
absolution; it therefore offers something more, with respect to
personal appropriation, than general preaching does, and in preaching
one must take great care not to touch God's sanctuary improperly.
Even speaking disparagingly of the general confession is already
dangerous; I may not belittle the one in order to exalt the other —
rather, let both retain their high and glorious worth.

The third point of the sixth thesis, concerning the
particular value and use of private absolution, having
already been discussed in advance under the first point, was
accepted without further debate, and with that the discussion of the
doctrine of absolution was concluded for this time.