# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Juni 1864_S188
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

188 Church-Contemporary History.

...should be free to draw up new confessions; that the Lutheran confession stands firm, and that the General Synod itself has no power to alter it.' C.

Admission of the Franckean Synod; Protest and Withdrawal of the Delegates of the Pennsylvania Synod. Under this heading, the paper already mentioned contains, in its number of May 19, a further report on the course of the matter touched on above, which is certainly of great interest to all faithful Lutherans. It reads as follows: "The subject that occupied almost the entire time of the synod from Thursday until Monday noon was the petition of the Franckean Synod for admission into the General Synod. This petition was fiercely opposed by those who believed that the Franckean Synod was not a Lutheran body, either in practice or in disposition, and that it had no regard or respect for the confession of the church. The arguments urged against the admission of this synod were so strong and numerous that, by unanimous vote, this petition was, on Friday, deferred until such time as the Franckean Synod should confess its agreement with the Augsburg Confession and its high regard for it. Yet — the matter was later reconsidered, and the Franckean Synod was admitted as an integral part of the General Synod. By this act the General Synod violated its own constitution, at least in the judgment of a large number of its members, both of the ministerial and the lay estate, who, after the resolution on admission had passed, lodged their formal protest against it. The scene was a very solemn and moving one, when on Tuesday morning the Reverend Dr. C. W. Schaeffer, in the name of the protesters, amid the deep silence of the solemn moment, read out, in a clear, distinct voice that could be heard throughout the whole building, the document they had drawn up, containing the three grounds that had driven them to this step, which read, in substance, as follows: 1) that the General Synod violated its constitution by receiving into its body the Franckean Synod, which, for reasons clearly set forth in the course of the debate, was not a properly organized Lutheran synod; 2) that the General Synod, by this act, burdened the consciences of those who cannot extend synodical fellowship to such brethren as refused to declare their agreement with the confession of the church, and that it thereby also violated its constitution, which forbids laying such a burden upon consciences; 3) the constitution of the General Synod makes the acceptance of the Augsburg Confession a prerequisite for admission to this body, whereas, by the resolution adopted above, the Franckean Synod was admitted under the promise that it would recognize the Augsburg Confession at some future time. — At the same time, Dr. Schaeffer presented another document, signed by all the delegates of the Pennsylvania Synod, who now formally withdrew from the General Synod, being bound to do so by a standing resolution of their own synod, inasmuch as the General Synod had, in their judgment, violated the principles upon which the Synod of Pennsylvania had consented to unite with it. — The reading of these documents, and the joint departure of the large delegation of the Synod of Pennsylvania, caused deep emotion, and it was very evident that the matter was regarded with earnest concern by all thoughtful friends of the unity of the church. — However much I might be inclined to censure every attempt at the crumbling and tearing apart of the church, I can nevertheless only admire the resolute and conscientious manner in which these brethren, and those who signed the protest with them, have taken their stand upon the confession of the church as the declaration of their faith. I am inclined to believe that this action of the delegates of the Pennsylvania Synod will have a weighty influence on the future history of the Lutheran Church of this country. If, as a consequence of this step of the General Synod, the Synod of Pennsylvania should ultimately dissolve its connection with it, other synods and ministers, who admire the spirit of faith and love that characterizes the old mother synod, may well follow her. Now, we must look hopefully into the future, mindful that, as has been repeatedly told me, the Pennsylvania Synod has not left the General Synod, but that, for the present, it rather appears that the General Synod has left