# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_M rz 1862_S68
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

68 Critique of the Report of the Seventh Synod of the [Church] Emigrated from Prussia, etc.

carried such conditions in their hearts, would with all their might have to, indeed must, set themselves against such a representation of the heads. But we, thank God, live here in America, where these thoroughly dreadful German conditions do not obtain. Our congregations are Christian congregations (not worldly national churches with a few Christians mixed in), in which the Word of God rules; no scoffer, no despiser of the Word is tolerated. Such congregations, however, also naturally have their "opinions," their gifts and their shortcomings, their bright sides and their shadow sides, as did the congregations at Corinth, Galatia, and so on. Gifted members of the congregation know how to put these opinions and conditions into words, and such persons are then usually chosen by "the heads" as deputies. How, indeed, could they come to choose others? The head of such a deputy then, quite properly, represents the heads of those who send him. Now when such a deputy comes to the synod, what is he to do? Is he suddenly to represent something other than what he himself is? How is he supposed to manage that?! It is sheer nonsense to demand that a representative should not represent those whom he represents! — It would also be a great harm to the church if the deputies did not represent their congregations, that is, their heads and opinions. For we in Missouri, at least, hold our synods for the sake of our congregations, and it therefore matters greatly to us to know their conditions, opinions, etc. as exactly and clearly as possible, so that we may either be strengthened by their sound faith and rejoice with them, or refute their errors and remove in good time any bitter roots that may be springing up. What good are the most carefully framed, most firmly fixed synodical-church-court resolutions, if the congregations, "the heads," refuse to follow them, or comply with them only outwardly, with inward resistance? What service is thereby done to the kingdom of God? Truly! As "the heads" are, so is the church. Good synodical resolutions and bad heads make for humbug synods, of which, unfortunately, there are a good many here. —

Why Grabau now sets himself so strongly against "the heads" is not, in fact, very hard to understand. He must experience that, in some heads of his synod, even among the reverend clergy themselves, the true biblical and symbolical doctrine concerning authority in the church, concerning matters indifferent [adiaphora], concerning the ban, etc., wants to break a path for itself. Now Grabau's own head, as is well known, calls the pure doctrine false, "Missourian," etc.; but he fears that the heads holding the pure doctrine will seriously oppose his head, and that he does not want — his head alone is to prevail. That is the real secret behind this whole story of "the heads."

To the question of who is to carry out what the synod has resolved, Grabau answers: "the Christian government/authority" — "the same, so long as it is believing, does not rule in the church with the sword, but only protects and cares for it against the works and children of unbelief. And this it does as a member of its own estate within the church, not as a worldly ruler over the church." "The Christian government is to do its part in carrying out Christ-