# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1878_S10
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 10 —

Once the Synod's organization was completed, the Right Reverend General
President [*Präses*] read the following opening address and the presidential
report.

Opening Address [*Synodalrede*].

In the name of the LORD, who is great in counsel
and mighty in deed! Amen.

Reverend and beloved fathers and brothers in the LORD!

The history of the church indeed reports that, as often as the Gospel came
forward again in its purity and fullness within Christendom, it was always
received with great joy and kindled the fire of a burning love; but the history
of the church also teaches at the same time that this fire of first love has
always been of only short duration, and that, once it had gone out and
satiety and weariness had set in and every kind of worldliness had gained a
place in the church, then as a rule no struggle of the LORD's faithful servants
for the pure Gospel, however earnest, could preserve it — indeed, that an
even greater darkness has always followed upon that blessed light in the end.

As proof of this claim I need only recall the history of the ancient church and
of the church of the Reformation.

With what joy was the pure Gospel received in the time of the apostles, and
what a fire of fervent love and of a new, divine life did it kindle! Of the first
Christian congregation at Jerusalem we read: "And all that believed were
together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods,
and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing
daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house,
did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and
having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily
such as should be saved." (Acts 2:44–47.) It was similar at first in the church
at Galatia. The Apostle himself reminds its members, in the letter addressed
to them, of this once so glorious state of theirs, testifying to them: "Ye
received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Where is then the
blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible,
ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me."
(Gal. 4:14–15.) But how short-lived this glorious state proved to be, even in
many apostolic congregations! Thus Paul, for example, cries out to the
Corinthians: "Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings
without us." (1 Cor. 4:8.) And to the congregation at Laodicea the LORD
himself has it written: "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold