LUTHERANS. 



443 



communicants. Under the patronage of the 

 Lutheran Church (all the ahove divisions taken 

 together) are 13 theological institutions, includ- 

 ing theological departments of colleges; 17 col- 

 leges; 8 female seminaries, and 12 academies. 

 There are also 15 orphans' homes, and other 

 eleemosynary institutions. Thirty Lutheran 

 periodicals are published, namely, 11 English, 

 14 German, 3 Swedish and Norwegian. 



The " General Synod " began its twenty-third 

 convention at Harrisburg, May 8, 1868. This 

 was the first meeting of the General Synod 

 since the formal withdrawal of three entire 

 synods (Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and the Eng- 

 lish Synod of Ohio), and of portions of three 

 others, all of which, in 1867, took part in the 

 organization of the "General Council."* In 

 other respects, the condition of the connection 

 was reported by the committee on the state of 

 religion as improved. The benevolent opera- 

 tions of the Church had been stimulated, and the 

 home missionary work had been prosecuted with 

 new energy, but the Foreign Missionary Society 

 had met with a comparatively feeble support. 

 The prospects of the Theological Seminary 

 at Gettysburg, Pa., were bright. Besides this, 

 five literary and theological institutions, and 

 one seminary, were reported to the General 

 Synod. The former had in the aggregate up- 

 Avard of 600 pupils, the last had about 90. A 

 new constitution for the General Synod was 

 adopted. It is to be submitted to the District 

 Synods for their approval. In addition, an 

 article explanatory or in reaflfirmation of doc- 

 trine was adopted, " to prevent all misappre- 

 hension and misrepresentation of the doctrinal 

 position of the Lutheran Church as represented 

 in the General Synod." It is as follows: 

 "That this General Synod, resting on the 

 Word of God as the sole authority in matters 

 of faith j on its infallible warrant rejects the 

 Romish doctrine of the real presence, or tran- 

 substantiation, and with it the doctrine of con- 

 substantiation ; rejects the Roman Catholic 

 mass, and all ceremonies distinctive of the 

 mass ; denies any power to the sacraments as 

 an opus operatum, or that the blessings con- 

 nected with baptism and the Lord's Supper can 

 be received without faith ; rejects auricular con- 

 fession and priestly absolution ; holds that there 

 is no priesthood on earth but that of all believers, 

 and that God only can forgive sins ; and main- 

 tains the Divine obligation^ of the Christian 

 Sabbath." An expression of " doctrine on 

 Christian communion and unity was adopted 

 in opposition to the close-communion doctrines 

 of some Lutheran Synods. They express the 

 spirit of Christian affection and fellowship 

 toward all evangelical pastors and churches; 

 welcome to communion all sincere followers 

 of the Lord Jesus Christ of good standing in 

 their churches, and promise hearty cooperation 

 with the Bible and Tract Societies, the Sunday- 

 School Union, Young Men's Christian Associ- 



* See ANNUAL AMEKICAN CYCLOPEDIA for 1867. 



ations, and similar organizations. A com- 

 mittee was appointed to correspond with the 

 Evangelical Alliance, and to act as a delegation 

 to the next (sixth) convention of that body. 

 Delegates were also sent to the National Tem- 

 perance Convention. The Synod determined 

 to regard the year ending October 31, 1868, as 

 a year of jubilee, in celebration of the seventh 

 semi-centennial of the Reformation, and to 

 solicit "jubilee offerings " for all the benevo- 

 lent enterprises and institutions of the Church. 

 The second session of the " General Council" 

 was held at Pittsburg, commencing November 

 12th. Delegates reported from the Ministeri- 

 ums of Pennsylvania and New York ; the Eng- 

 lish and the English District Synods of Ohio ; 

 the Pittsburg, Wisconsin, Michigan, Augus- 

 tana, Minnesota, Canada, Illinois, Iowa, and 

 Concordia Synods. A delegate applied also, 

 and was admitted, from the Texas Synod. 

 Four days were spent in discussing the " four 

 points " as a test for new membership, a ques- 

 tion on which danger of division of the council 

 had been apprehended. These four points are 

 the holding of Millennarian (Chiliastic) views, 

 the joining of secret societies, the exchange 

 of pulpits with ministers of other denomina- 

 tions, and the admission of members of other 

 religious denominations to the Lord's Supper. 

 A minority desired an explicit condemnation 

 of every form of Millennarianism (Chiliasm), 

 an earnest warning against secret societies, and 

 an absolute prohibition of fellowship with those 

 not Lutheran as regards exchange of pulpits 

 and admission to the Lord's Supper. It was 

 expected that, if the General Council would ac- 

 cede to these terms, it would be joined by a 

 number of the synods which are still independ- 

 ent. It was found, however, that only three 

 synods (Wisconsin, Minnesota, and New York) 

 were in favor of making all these four points a 

 test of membership, and a fourth synod (Iowa) 

 was in favor of the last three points. The ma- 

 jority agreed on the following declaration : 



1. As regards " CMiasm."l. This Council holds 

 firmly the doctrine of our Lord's coming, and the as- 

 sociated Articles touching the Last Things, as they 

 are set forth in the General Creeds and in the Augs- 

 burg Confession, in that sense of them which has 

 been undisputed among all who have made a credible 

 profession of unreserved acceptance of the Lutheran 



2. The General Council has neither had nor would 

 consent to have fellowship with any synod which 

 tolerates the "Jewish opinions" or " Chiliastic opin- 

 ions" condemned in the seventeenth Article of the 

 Augsburg Confession. 



3. The points on which our Confession _ has not 

 been explicit, or on which its testimony is not at 

 present interpreted in precisely the same way by per- 

 sons equally intelligent and honest and equally unre- 

 served, and worthy of belief in their professions of 

 adherence to the Confession, should continue to be 

 the subjects of calm, thorough, scriptural, and prayer- 

 ful investigation, until we shall see perfectly eye to 

 eye both as regards the teaching of God's Word and 

 the testimony of our Church. 



II. As regards "Secret Societies?' I. Though mere 

 secrecy in association be not in itself immoral, yet as 

 it is so easily susceptible of abuse, and in its abuse 



