# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1872_S62
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

[p. 62]

—applied to join, never promised them anything; we did not promise that we would help build their churches or support their preachers. We said: see to it yourselves how you get by. We have rarely accepted requests for such support in the *Lutheraner* [the Synod's newspaper]. That has happened only in a few cases. Why? Congregations should not join the Synod thinking: in the great Synod there is a great treasury. Our principle is: every congregation should provide for itself. A congregation that needs a church and a school can also build one. We depart from the principle of not supporting any congregation in its church-building and the like only when a congregation must build a church not merely for itself but also for a large body of people. Otherwise we promise our congregations nothing except that vigorous collections will be taken. We tell them: consider, there are so many institutions to maintain, teachers to support, and so on. That costs a great deal of money. Who is to pay it, if you do not? It is your own property. But of course: we cannot and will not impose any compulsion on you. If you do not wish to give voluntarily, we leave that to your conscience. Our enemies, among whom revolution breaks out whenever they set up a common treasury, say: among the Missourians the people are exploited. And it is indeed really true. One need only look at the *Lutheraner* and note the sums in the treasuries. All the money that flows into them comes from the pockets of the congregations. But where does this generosity come from? — We simply preach to them the sweet Gospel and make them certain of their salvation, and in this certainty they show their love and gratitude through generous giving.

Second Continuation of the Discussion of the Guiding Theses.*)

Since it was recalled that almost all the sermons preached in these days had already dealt with the divine blessing spoken of in theses 3–7, and that time was pressing, and that the second and third parts chiefly required closer consideration, the Synod resolved, while recommending the said theses for private reflection, to proceed at once to the question: "What are the dangers of squandering this blessing?" To demonstrate the general dangers of all ages, the passage Acts 20:29–30 is cited: "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." These are the words of the apostle Paul in his address to the bishops at Ephesus. They are remarkable, since he speaks both of dangers that come from without and of those that would arise from within. Of the former he says: "grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock." Of the latter: "but also of your own selves shall men arise,"

*) Composed by Pastor Beyer.