# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_November 1859_S336
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

336 From the General Synod.

Finally, we will report to our readers only this further point from Deacon Hochstetter's essay: that in it he has also expressed anew the godless doctrine that outside the visible Lutheran Church*) no one can be saved! He writes: "Therefore I too know only One Church in which one is saved, and this, to distinguish it from the sects, is called the Lutheran; whether in former times it was also called the Israelite, Athanasian, and catholic [church], it is nevertheless always the same, the true, catholic, and apostolic Church." It is, to be sure, to be assumed that Mr. H. does not grasp the consequence of this doctrinal proposition, nor perceive the contradiction in which he entangles himself when he adds: "I know of only One Christ who saves, and that is the Lutheran one!"**) Nevertheless, that doctrinal proposition, in the sense it is meant to bear, contains a dangerous and damnable Donatist error, a fruitful mother of spiritual pride, carnal security, harsh priestly tyranny, and fanaticism. To ascribe this disgraceful doctrine to the old, faithfully Lutheran Conrad Dietrich is to dishonor him even in his grave.

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(Submitted by Conr. G. Schick.)
From the General Synod.
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In the Observer there is found a report on the proceedings of the Northern Illinois Synod, which took place in September at Chicago. It is of interest as a piece of contemporary history in that it shows anew how matters stand with the confession, and with unity in faith and doctrine, in the General Synod. After it has been reported there what the committee for conference with the delegates of the Synod of Wisconsin, Pastors Mühlheuser and Streissguth, communicated concerning that synod's intended establishment of a German professorship at the Illinois State University at Springfield, the discussion thereby occasioned is described as follows:

"This report gave occasion to a very lengthy, lively, and exciting debate, which ranged very widely, but the chief point of the discussion was the General Synod's position with respect to doctrine.

*) For whenever the Buffalonians speak of the Church, or of the true Church, they mean, as is well known, the visible one.

**) For if no one outside the Lutheran Church can be saved on the ground that there is only One Christ, who is preached in the Lutheran Church, then by this can simply be meant only the invisible Church of all believers. Only an utter lack of all logic can prevent one from seeing this consequence, and can mislead one into referring the "Extra ecclesiam nulla salus" ["outside the church there is no salvation"] to the visible orthodox church, and thereby overturning the fundamental doctrine of Christianity, the doctrine of justification by faith.