# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1874_S23
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 23 —

It is therefore not quite correct when it was said that without territorial delimitation a preacher can also know which souls are committed to him. Consider only those who keep newly arriving from Europe and from other congregations and states here. Should a preacher not be able to say to such persons: Dear friend, you live in my parish, you therefore belong to me also, for here the dear God has entrusted all the souls to me; if you now wish to be an upright Lutheran, you cannot run over into my neighboring colleague's parish, but must regard me as your pastor set over you by God? According to the opposite theory one would have to say: Well, pick out for yourself among us the preacher after your taste. This consequence we certainly would not wish to draw. Therefore the theory is not correct either. For as soon as I notice that something follows from my assertion by correct inference which I must reject, I can no longer hold my assertion.

We would also, by sanctioning our present neighborhood, which is admittedly not well ordered, train the people precisely to go by which preacher pleases them. By territorial delimitation, however, we declare: Here, this man is set over you by God as pastor. Even if he only stammers the pure Gospel haltingly from the pulpit, even if his sermons are not so finely arranged, he does not speak so brilliantly, not in so fine a language as the neighboring colleague — be assured of this: precisely this man is to lead you to heaven according to God's will. For God has set him over you, and God is no tempter to evil. Do not believe that over there in the other parish you receive more blessing. There you have the most blessing, where you live, provided that a preacher of the pure Gospel stands there. And if you really have more knowledge than this your preacher, you should know that you are appointed by God to be this man's pillar and support.

And is it not a fact, according to the fourth reason, that through lack of a boundary line enclosing the congregation the wholesome discipline, demanded by God's honor and the salvation of the weak and unbelieving, is, if not made impossible, yet often hindered and made difficult? Has that not often happened, happened even where an upright preacher stood? Such facts cannot be disputed away. Whoever therefore acknowledges the Thesis cannot well renounce the four reasons either. Ask yourselves once: Would it not be half a heaven if, supposing it were possible, we could be well ordered and territorially delimited today or tomorrow, so that every preacher knew: this is my district entirely alone, and all congregations said: here we belong? Would we not greatly rejoice?

And on the other side let the Christian who does not [live] within terri-

[Vertical pencil lines in the right margin beside several lines; in the print "Parochie empfängſt du mehr Segen" ("parish you receive more blessing") is underlined by hand.]