# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_April 1857_S120
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

120 The General Synod of the Lutheran Church in Prussia of the Year 1856.

formal and official statement concerning our origin and our present
ecclesiastical condition, whereby the same body would at the same time call
upon the named governments to enter with us into a possible union, so that
the common confession might be maintained (respectively restored) among all
of us, and worship and discipline might be practiced in the fullest possible
agreement." The chairman expressed himself on this as follows: "Such a
letter would, in all probability, be without effect, yet it would still be a
testimony. Already in the early church the impulse toward a shared activity
proceeded from individual bishops; given the divergence of the Lutheran
territorial churches, a shared effort can hardly be expected in our time
without an initiative from one of these churches. One church must address
another in time of need, and so we wished to declare our readiness for joint
steps against the dangers of unionism and romanism, which presently threaten
the church as a whole. Should the reproach be made against us on account of
such a declaration — what business is it of yours, who are of so recent a
date? — the simple answer would be: among us the church comes to expression
more unhindered than is possible under your constitution; and so we could
approach the Lutheran territorial churches in all humility." — Many voices,
however, were raised against the motion. Consistorial Councillor Lasius
refers to the proceedings of the previous synod, Synodal Resolutions p. 245,
and holds that it would now be very difficult to determine to which
territorial churches this letter should be addressed, since the state of
their confession is in some cases quite questionable. — Superintendent
Pistorius likewise rose against the motion. — Dr. Lindner does not reject
every letter from us to Evangelical Lutheran territorial churches, but
insists that it must not come with complaints about the union character
within them, although a union tendency does run through them; rather it
should contain, on our part, a request for strengthening in the struggle
appointed to us. — The commission's reporter, Pastor Löfflad, spoke
decidedly in favor of the motion and sought to point out that now might
perhaps be a favorable time and hour for such a letter. Whether Mecklenburg,
Lauenburg, Hanover, Saxony, and Bavaria would wish to enter into a league
with us for the defense against common dangers could be discovered through
such a letter. And it is proper for us to take the initiative, within a
league of the Lutheran church, against the dangers threatening them all. —
Dr. Kahnis spoke most warmly in favor of the motion. 1) There is no lack of
grounds, on our part, for speaking to the conscience of the Lutheran
territorial churches. 2) If the Kirchentag (that bathing-resort society of
ecclesiastical notables who swim about in their good works) took it upon
itself to write to all the authorities of Germany, then it would much more
befit the Lutheran Church of Prussia to assert its calling — to exert a
purifying influence upon the other Lutheran churches — through the proposed
letter, and thereby to strengthen the faithful Lutherans. In the occasions
already now present