# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_November 1863_S348
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

348 Church and Contemporary History.

foundation of that common foundational deed, is imputed also only to this individual person as his own particular sinful deed, performed by him alone with consciousness and freedom.'"" Against this, however, the anticipation made "for the greater justification of divine punitive justice," reaching "into the doctrine of redemption," appears, despite all reservations, questionable in more than one respect: it leads, in my conviction, unavoidably to that Pelagian consequence of Mosheim and Seiler, and to entangled questions concerning the salvation of the heathen and of unbaptized children. I can regard the counsel of redemption only as having proceeded out of the absolutely free divine love."

Church and Contemporary History.

I. America.

The Scandinavian Conference in Chicago. Under this heading we read in the October number of the "Maanetstidende": "In accordance with an agreement, a conference took place on June 17 and 18 between the pastors of the Augustana Synod and those of our own (the Norwegian) [Synod], in the schoolroom of Pastor Pedersen's church in Chicago. From the Augustana Synod thirteen Swedish and nine Norwegian [pastors] were present; from our own, nineteen pastors. Pastor V. Koren was elected chairman, and Pastor T. M. Hasselqvist his deputy. Pastors C. Muus and A. Jackson were elected secretaries. It was agreed to take the doctrine of regeneration as the subject of the discussions, and Pontoppidan's exposition was laid as the foundation of the discussions. As to the nature and concept of regeneration, all the members of the conference spoke in agreement, and in accord with Pontoppidan's expression. As to the means by which regeneration takes place, however, no agreement could be reached. All the members of our Synod, as well as the greater part of the Augustana Synod, held firmly that both Word and Baptism, each for itself, are means of regeneration, while the other part could not agree to this, yet all declared themselves agreed that Baptism by itself is a means of regeneration. — Although sharp expressions were occasionally exchanged, the negotiations nevertheless proceeded the whole time in friendliness and love, and the assembly was certainly not without blessing. There was not time to deal with the sixth point, the marks of regeneration; it was agreed, however, God willing, to gather next year for a similar conference. Pastors E. Carlsen, C. J. Pedersen, H. A. Preus, and J. A. Ottesen were appointed a committee to determine more closely the time and place of the next conference, after which, by agreement reached, the doctrine of absolution is to be made the subject of the discussion." —

From the same number of the "Maanetstidende" we learn that the sum of the university fund of our dear Norwegian brethren already amounts to $27,888.                              C.

Church Divisions. Dr. Harkey, in the Lutheran Observer of September 11, complains bitterly of these, as they occur particularly here in the West among those who call themselves Lutheran. He writes, among other things: "Who is responsible for this state of affairs? Are not the men who have helped bring about these divisions, and who still keep propagating them, guilty of a great sin in God's eyes? It seems to us that this important point has been entirely overlooked. What does Paul mean when he says in Romans 16:17 and 18: '"I beseech you, brethren, mark those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them. For such do not serve the