< ot the Lutheran Church, are not in 

 harmony with tlio pure doctrines of the "\V..nl 

 <>f (Jo*!, as it is confessed and taught in the 

 ( 'lnircli ? The Council gives the following an- 



,-uvr: 



1. The General Council, with the Confessions and 

 theologian* of our Church, diatinguiahet between 

 - which ure fundamental to the existence 

 -tiunity that i. " essential to true knowledge 

 of Christ, ana faith in Him," without which the hope 

 of salvation is precluded; and doctrines which are 

 fundamental to the complete integrity of Christianity 

 thnt is, to the full and absolute perfection of Chris- 

 tian doctrine, without which, in the judgment of 

 charity, it may still bo possible for persons to be 



^. In regard to the question referring to "funda- 

 mental errorists," the committee submits the follow- 

 ing : (a.) Although the General Council holds the dis- 

 tinctive doctrines of our Evangelical Lutheran Church 

 as in such sense fundamental, that those who err in 

 tin-in err in fundamental doctrines ; nevertheless, in 

 employing the terms " fundamental errorists," in the 

 declarations made at Pittsburg, it understands not 

 those who are are the victims of involuntary mistake, 

 but those who wilfully, wickedly, and persistently 

 desert, in whole or in part, the Christian faith, es- 

 p-cially as embodied in the Confessions of the Church 

 Catholic, in the purest form in which it now exists 

 on earth, to wit, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, 

 and thus overturn or destroy the foundation in them 

 ooni'i'ssod; and who hold, defend, and extend these 

 errors in the face of the admonitions of the Church, 

 and to the loading away of men from the path of 

 life. (6.) The particular application of these principles 

 and distinctions in the narrow sphere in which alone 

 conflict of opinion on this subject is still possible, as 

 already measurably decided by the declarations made 

 at Pittsburjr, the Council leaves, where it must needs 

 be left, to the conscience and judgment of our faith- 

 ful pastors and congregations, as the cases arise. 



The Council adjourned on "Wednesday even- 

 ing, November 9th, to meet in Rochester, N. Y., 

 in November, 1871. 



LUXEMBURG, a grand-duchy of Europe, 

 connected with the kingdom of Holland in tho 

 person of the sovereign. The grand-duchy 

 in times of war derives its importance from the 

 Htrategical advantages its possession would give 

 either Prussia or France. The vicegerent or 

 stadth older (since February 5, 1850) is Prince 

 Henry of the Netherlands, brother of the King, 

 bom Juno 18, 1820. The area comprises 999 

 square miles ; population, on December 3, 1867, 

 199,958, ofw.hom 100,307 were males,and 99,651 

 females. The city of Luxemburg had, in 1867, 

 14,634 inhabitants. The ecclesiastical statistics 

 show the population to consist of 199,013 Ro- 

 man Catholics, 361 Protestants, 665 Jews, 

 and 19 members of other sects. The inhabitants 

 are almost exclusively of Gorman extraction. 

 In 1867 the French-speaking population was 

 estimated at from 3,000 to 4,000. According to 

 the budget for 1869, the revenue consisted of 

 $995,293 ; expenditure, $856,546. The public 

 debt consists of two loans, contracted exclu- 

 sively for railroad purposes, and amounting 

 altogether to $2,280,000 ; $114,000 of which 

 are annually reduced by amortization. The 

 length of railroad in operation, in 1868, was 

 107 miles. 



461 



At the outbreak of tho war between France 

 ami ( ifrmany, the representative of Luxemburg 

 at Paris vainly attempted to obtain a recogni- 

 tion of its neutrality from tho French Govern- 

 ment, although Prussia had declared her readi- 

 ness to recognize and respect its neutral posi- 

 tion, provided that Franao was willing to mako 

 a similar declaration. 



On October 28d Prince Henry arrived at 

 Luxemburg, and was waited upon by the city 

 authorities, who declared that the people of 

 the grand-duchy firmly adhered to the princi- 

 ple of neutrality, and wished to see the indepen- 

 dence of their country respected. The prince re- 

 plied by assuring the people that their indepen- 

 dence was in no way endangered, and that their 

 neutrality was secured by the Treaty of London. 

 A permanent committee was Appointed to 

 watch over the neutrality of the duchy. 



On December 3d, Prussia informed the Gov- 

 ernment of the Grand-Duke that, as it had 

 allowed a violation of the neutrality of the 

 grand-duchy by the French, Prussia was no 

 longer bound to respect the neutrality of the 

 territory of Luxemburg. The following was the 

 text of Count Bismarck's note, of which copies 

 were transmitted to the European powers: 



Prussia, at the outbreak of the war, declared that 

 she would respect the neutrality of Luxemburg pro- 

 vided France did the same. If Luxemburg had sin- 

 cerely endeavored to remain neutral, Prussia would 

 have scrupulously observed a strict neutrality, but 

 neither France nor Luxemburg has done so. The 

 hostile feelings of the population of the duchy are 

 shown in the treatment of all German officials. Prus- 

 sia did not hold that Government responsible for 

 the bad conduct toward her of individuals, but she 

 thought that efforts should have been made to repress 

 the reprovisioning of Thionville through trains from 

 Luxemburg. Such a flagrant breach of the neutrality 

 laws could not, however, have taken place without 

 the connivance of the Government officials. Prussia 

 lodged a complaint with the Government of Luxem- 

 burg, pointing out the consequences to which such a 

 proceeding would inevitably lead, but her warning 

 was unheeded. 



After the fall of Metz numbers of French soldiers 

 and officers passed through Luxemburg to evade the 

 German troops, and to rejoin the French army north 

 of the town of Luxemburg. The resident French 

 consul was at the office of the railway station to assist 

 fugitives in reaching France. Two thousand soldiers 

 thus reenforced the French army, and the Govern- 

 ment of Luxemburg did nothing to prevent it. This 

 undoubtedly constitutes a gross violation of neu- 

 trality. The conditions on which Prussia bases her 

 neutrality therefore ceased to exist, in consequence 

 of which Prussia declares on her part that she con- 

 siders herself no longer bound to regard the neutrality 

 of Luxemburg. She reserves to herself the right to 

 claim compensation from the duchy for losses sus- 

 tained by Prussia consequent on the non-observance 

 of her neutrality, and will take the necessary^ steps to 

 secure herself against tho recurrence of similar pro- 

 ceedings. 



The King of Holland assured the Government 

 of Luxemburg that he would defend the treaty 

 of 1867, and the honor and independence of the 

 duchy, and at the same time approved its 

 course of action. The Prussian Government 

 semi-officially announced that it had no de- 

 signs against the grand-duchy, but was in- 



