# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_April 1857_S117
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

...and it was pointed out from several quarters that the Pomeranian agenda likewise contains the baptismal formula: "I baptize you in the name of God the Father, of God the Son, and of God the Holy Spirit." One voice emphasized in particular that a confession of the triune God was especially needful in our time; but in the end the motion was set aside, and every pastor was left with the agenda he had once introduced.

Particular attention was also aroused by a formally submitted motion concerning the pronouncing of blessings over the dead. Much was said both against and for the use of the Aaronic blessing at funerals as well. On the former side it was noted: no Lutheran agenda contains anything about applying the Old Testament blessing-formula in that case. Indeed Dr. Linder, taking a historical view of the matter, stated outright that the blessing of the dead originated only in the age of Rationalism, and that provably the first to be so blessed were Freemasons' corpses, in the seventeen-nineties of the previous century. Mention was also made of what Dr. Kliefoth argues against this. On the other side it was pointed out, by way of emphasis, that in many regions where the blessing was customary, congregations would take offense if it were left out. Superintendent Pistorius likewise favored retaining it, and recalled that the body is indeed laid in the earth like a seed-grain against the day of the resurrection, and so may well be blessed; he further recalled the blessing of creation, which was likewise spoken over the unreasoning creature, over animals and earth, whereupon the president added also the word of faith spoken to the mountain: "Be thou removed into the sea!" and the word spoken to the dead man: "Lazarus, come forth!" The synod finally declared itself as follows: "It rejects every opinion according to which the word of God — apart from the case where it is spoken in the service of wonder-working faith — is effective according to God's will even when directed at an object that cannot in faith appropriate it to itself." *)

An important subject, one which in the present age indeed also frequently occupies secular legislation itself, likewise came before the General Synod for deliberation, namely this: how a pastor should conduct himself in cases of divorce and in marrying divorced persons. On this occasion there was satisfaction at the resolute stand found on this point even within the united state church, which wishes to return once more to the biblical ground. Yet it was not concealed that there was also a difficulty here, namely that one could not preempt secular legislation or lay down fixed canons (?). The synod therefore resolved as follows: to leave the individual case to the conscience of the pastor; but should he encounter particular difficulties and misgivings, he should then apply to the Oberkirchencollegium for...

*) Without doubt what is meant here is only the pronouncing of a blessing over the dead, not at the funeral procession itself, for this latter is an old Lutheran custom, as may be seen from Deylingius's Institutiones prudentiae pastoralis III, 10, 7, note. L. u. W.