# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1900_S36
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

36 Proceedings of the eighteenth convention

indeed such an office not commanded to oxen or horses, but to us human beings. Where, then, is one to take human beings for it, if not from those who have children? If you will not bring up your child for it, and that one neither, and so on, and no father or mother will give his child to our God for this, where then is the spiritual office and estate to remain? The old ones who are in it now will not live forever, but die daily, and there are no others in their place. What will God say to this at last? Do you think he will have any pleasure in this, that we so shamefully despise his divinely instituted office, so dearly purchased for his glory and honor and for our salvation, and let it fall into decay and go under with such ingratitude?" (St. Louis Edition, X, 425.)

In the same sermon he calls to all Christian parents: "If God has given you a child fit and suited for such office (the ministry), and you do not bring him up to it, but look only at the belly and temporal food, then take before you the register set out above (of the high works of the pastoral office) and run through the same in its listed good works and wonders, and you will see and find what a little saint and little herb you are. For as much as in you lies, you rob God of an angel, a servant, a king and prince in his kingdom, a savior and comforter of men in body and soul, in goods and honor, a captain and knight against the devil, and you promote his kingdom, so that he keeps the souls in sin, death and hell, and brings many more in daily, and prevails on every side, the world remains and daily grows worse in heresy, error, discord, war and strife; besides, God's kingdom, the Christian faith, the fruit of the suffering and blood of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, the Gospel and all divine service go under, and all devil's service and false belief get the upper hand. All of which might have been left undone and prevented, and besides improved, if your child had been brought up and come to it." (Loc. cit., p. 432.)

How do things stand now in our circles with the growth of the congregational school? If we make statistical comparisons, the noteworthy fact lies before our eyes that our schools have by far not grown in the same measure as the congregations. From of old the progress of the congregational schools has been wave-like. Now, quite evidently, after a time of flowering for our schools, a time has come again which we must designate a time of standstill, indeed, if we look at the growth of our congregations, perhaps even a time of decline. Let us not close our eyes to the danger which threatens from this very quarter the existence of our Lutheran church! If help is to be given here, we must become clear about the causes of the relative decline of our congregational schools, so that we may take hold of the evil at the root. A chief cause is in any case the ever more prevalent indifference toward God's Word and the disparagement of heavenly and eternal goods compared with temporal and earthly treasures and honors. One