# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1874_S40
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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4. That we herewith respectfully invite all Evangelical Lutheran bodies which confess the Unaltered Augsburg Confession without reservation to unite with us in arranging the necessary preparations for such a colloquium, and we herewith request each such body to appoint a number of persons whose duty it shall be to work together for this purpose with the persons appointed by the other Lutheran church bodies.

5. That we now elect seven ministers and seven delegates who, with all such as may be appointed for the same purpose, are to make the necessary preparations for the holding of such a colloquium.

6. That we send these resolutions, as our answer, to the General Synod, and that the corresponding secretaries of the General Assembly [*Allgemeine Kirchenverſammlung*] be charged to submit these resolutions to the presiding officers of the aforementioned bodies, that is, to the General Body, as well as to the synods that belong to none of them.

Also a committee was elected (by ballot) consisting of seven ministers and seven delegates, which has the commission to make, with like committees of other Lutheran bodies, all necessary preparations for the holding of such a colloquium. This committee consists of the following persons: the Pastors Krotel, Krauth, Schmucker, Seiß, Hasselquist, Passavant and Laird, and the Messrs. Peter P. Keller, L. L. Haupt, H. H. Mühlenberg, F. Schack, H. Lehmann, Col. Armor, Th. H. Lane.

The secretaries were charged to communicate these resolutions to the General Synod, as well as to the other Evangelical Lutheran church bodies named in the report."

This letter made a thorough discussion necessary, which took up two sessions. For in the first point the General Assembly recommends "the holding of a colloquium . . . . in which all Lutherans who confess the unaltered Augsburg Confession may come to an understanding about this confession." On the other hand, in order to make the necessary preparations for such a colloquium, only those "Evangelical Lutheran bodies which confess the Unaltered Augsburg Confession without reservation are respectfully invited" etc.

The question therefore arose: Is this expressed so differently unintentionally, or are individuals, who as Lutherans confess the Unaltered Augsburg Confession in any way whatever, invited to the colloquium, while to the Arrangements Committee only the committees of Evangelical Lutheran bodies which confess the Unaltered Augsburg Confession without reservation are invited?

All present inclined to the former, that different expressions were used in points 1 and 4 without intention. It was assumed that the expression "without reservation" is to be supplied in point 1 also. The other interpretation could not be attributed to the General Council. For if all those who want to be Lutherans are to come together at the colloquium, where is one then to begin the proceedings? That would be, it was said, a Polish Diet! Then it would be