# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Mai 1859_S149
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

On the History of American Chiliasm. 149

together with the ministers present, that it heartily agreed that a vacancy preacher from the Synod of Buffalo be installed here as soon as possible. In the time between now and the holding of the coming Synod at Buffalo, the congregation should have room to concern itself with examining the doctrine according to the Lutheran Symbols, and especially according to Luther's Catechism. In particular, however, it should send to the coming Synod its vacancy preacher, as well as one, two, or three deputies to the Synod, since the Synod, in accordance with its office and calling, would then examine, by God's Word and the Symbols of the Church, the new doctrine which Iowa is now bringing forward. Through this the whole congregation at Toledo would be put in a position to test the doctrine all the better by God's Word and the Catechism, and after such testing to decide thoroughly and properly whether it had cause to desire a separation from the Buffalo Synod. After all present had declared themselves in Christian agreement with this, the congregation remained united in this resolution. Thereupon the Senior of the Ministerium declared that it was to be hoped that within three weeks this congregation could be provided with a vacancy preacher, during which time the former pastor, Mr. Joh. Dörfler, might continue to attend to the office as vacancy preacher. The Senior of the Ministerium recalled here the agreement made with Pastor Dörfler, that we place trust in him, on the basis of his own declaration, that during this time in which he still performs the official acts, he will not here teach, spread, or preach the doctrine of the Synod of Iowa."

This latter arrangement was without doubt, quite apart from the danger into which many a soul might come, an extremely imprudent and risky one. For the visitors had indeed seen clearly enough that Mr. Dörfler regarded it as a matter of conscience not merely to hold fast to his fanatical notions but also to preach them, and that he had, as is the way of such spirits, chained the congregation to his own person and fanaticized it. So it happened that already on the very next day after the agreement had been reached, the board assembled, revoked the stipulation, and, in a letter addressed to the Ministerium — for which the same board collected and obtained signatures from house to house — requested "that their former pastor Dörfler be permitted to give two sermons and instructional and question hours on the Iowa-style chiliasm," otherwise they could not be convinced. After this letter had been handed to the commission, the latter departed and promised to answer it in writing from Buffalo. This took place on January 30. But instead of a satisfactory answer, on Feb. 22 the written report reached the Ministerium that the congregation, by a large majority of votes (five votes against), had resolved, for the sake of the chiliasm it recognized as biblical, to separate from the Buffalo Synod and join the Iowa Synod. Before the Ministerium could therefore take steps,