# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Juli 1862_S217
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Church News of the Day.    217

concerning the points in dispute between Lutherans and Reformed" and a "short outline of the principal unsound religious tendencies." That is indeed a pity, true as it is that the little book also forms a unity in this way. Still, we are glad to see the good Dr. Graul's able work circulated in the English language as well, and heartily wish the little book many readers and good success. C.

Church News of the Day.

I. America.

The "Lutheran and Missionary" on the recent General Synod. In the issue of that paper of May 22 there appears an article headed "The Recent General Synod," of an evidently apologetic intended character. Unfortunately it has turned out so badly that its vacuous feebleness is itself about the most telling testimony to the vacuous character of the reverend assembly it represents. It opens with a hair-raising account of the two extremes — the stiffest symbolists and the most immoderate New-Measures people — who, as rumor had it, were supposed to be represented at this convention, and comforts itself with the assurance: "Even these extremes, if such were present, were united in the feeling that never did a more charming small city (than Lancaster, the seat of this year's convention), a friendlier and lovelier congregation, receive the General Synod into its bosom." To be sure, it must then admit that there were points which were not viewed alike by all, and that in particular the election of Dr. Benjamin Kurtz as president of the Synod was very sharply criticized. But even that can of course be excused. It was, after all, only "a tribute of kindly regard toward an old and influential minister of the Word." It did not mean to endorse the doctor's "theology, his periodical (the Observer), his institute, his platform, or his organic principle of synodical life." To be sure, the "good president" evidently conducted the course of the proceedings mostly according to the principles and standing usages of a lively "protracted meeting," and at times everyone seemed to be talking and no one listening. But — "the best of spirits prevailed nonetheless." And "everyone said what he pleased, when he pleased, and as often as he pleased," even though "nothing but the wise arrangement that stopped the mouths of the deliberating members could save the synodical business from being swept off the face of the earth by a flood of words." To be sure, the hope was vain that "the General Synod would, so far as possible, express itself with some unanimity concerning the accusations, widespread in the church, against the Augsburg Confession." And it is most lamentable "if the reason nothing was done in this matter touching the very life of our church's confession was that brethren distrusted one another." Yet "such feelings, insofar as they exist, are of recent date. There was a time, and it is not long behind us, when mutual trust prevailed even where opinions differed." So the pious wish remains: "may this spirit return in its fullness." Finally it is remarked: "Much of what the General Synod has accomplished will please the church. The steps taken toward founding a mission in China, the interest shown in the good work in Africa, the measures for furthering the work of home missions, the resolutions on the state of the country — all these were the right things, done in the right way. Should one say our General Synod might have done more, one may on the other hand urge that it has after all done something; should one say some of its actions might have been better done, it may with equal truth be maintained that something good was nonetheless accomplished, and that