# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Januar 1864_S26
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

26 Church and Contemporary Affairs.

...dressed to it, a letter from the Rev. D. M. Gilbert, Lutheran pastor at Savannah, Ga., from which we take the following: The writer of the letter was himself present as a delegate at a General Convention of the Lutheran church in the Confederate States, held in May of last year at Concord, N. C. The number of delegates was not complete, on account of the unsettled times. About 25 ministers and deputies were present, representing 5 synods. Dr. Bachman was president, Dr. Bittle secretary. The General Convention constituted itself a General Synod, concerning which the writer reports as follows: "Without a single dissenting vote we adopted a constitution after a few insignificant improvements. After the discussion had been carried on, the vote was taken, amid solemn silence, by rising, and when it appeared that all the delegates were standing, we joined with the president upon our knees in thanksgiving to almighty God, and the General Synod of the Confederate States was complete. — After this transition from a convention into a synod, much important business was transacted which we believe will exert an influence for good in the church for all time. In accordance with a plan that had been put into the delegates' hands and commended to them in a series of articles which appeared last winter in the 'Southern Lutheran,' we have adopted a 'Book of Worship.' A year ago committees had already been appointed on liturgy, hymnal, catechism, church government and discipline, etc. These committees had faithfully discharged their duty. All their reports were received and, with some improvements, also adopted, and handed over to a committee, consisting of the presidents or vice-presidents of these several committees, to prepare and oversee the publication of the same in one volume, to bear the title 'The Book of Worship.' The book contains: 1) an order for morning and one for evening worship; 2) forms of worship for festival days, for days of penitence and fasting, etc.; 3) the Gospels, Epistles and lections for Passion Week; 4) family prayers for every morning and evening of the week; 5) forms for the performance of official acts, such as baptism, confirmation, etc.; 6) the Apostles', Nicene and Athanasian Creed; 7) the Augsburg Confession without notes and remarks; 8) Luther's Small Catechism in a literal translation without additions, alterations or explanations; 9) a form of church government and discipline; 10) the constitution of the General Synod; 11) a collection of hymns, about 450, containing the best from all available collections. — The General Synod is not merely a deliberative body, but is vested with sufficient authority to secure obedience to its ordinances. In all cases touching fundamental articles of doctrine, forms of worship, and church discipline, it is the highest court of appeal."

—

"Löheanism within the General Synod here." We have already recently remarked that the so-called American-Lutherans are in part faithful imitators of the extravagances that are coming to light nowadays in the so torn church of Germany. The very latest Löhean phase of development of modern Lutheranism as well — namely, that not everything is stated confessionally in the confessional writings — is already finding its echo in the "Lutheran Observer." Thus it says in the issue of Nov. 13 of last year, in an article bearing the heading "Lutheranism and Hyperlutheranism": "Some speculative propositions are merely touched upon in the Augsburg Confession. These are not confessional. [sic.] They are not found in the N. T. They are not essential parts of the system. They form no part of the golden chain. They are no planets in the heavenly system. They are merely nebulous satellites which the theologians of the Reformation begot out of their own brains and set to circling around some of the planets." — In what follows we then hear that among these "nebulous satellites," which are not found in the N. T., belong in particular the doctrines of regeneration through baptism and of the bodily presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper. Löhe, of course, does not go this far. But who does not see here how hard it is to check the stone once it has been set rolling? — E.