454 



LUTHERANS. 



A letter was presented from the Rev. Henry 

 N. I'.ililnianti. chairman of the Committee of 

 the General Lutheran Synod on Ecclesiastical 

 Correspondence, stating that his committee 

 had been instructed by the Synod "to com- 

 municate with, other Evangelical Lutheran 

 bodies in the United States, inviting inter- 

 change of correspondence, and fraternal greet- 

 ings with the General Synod, by exchange of 

 delegates," and offering a formal invitation to 

 tbe General Council to participate in such 

 interchange. The letter stated that some of 

 the district synods, in connection with the 

 General Council, had already such corre- 

 spondence ; " as the Maryland synod with the 

 Pennsylvania^ and tbe New York and New 

 Jersey Synod with the New York Ministe- 

 rium." 



A reply to this communication was adopted 

 by the General Council, with directions that it 

 be sent to the General Synod, and to "all 

 other bodies in the United States laying claim 

 to the Lutheran name." In this reply, the 

 propriety of establishing closer relations be- 

 tween the various Lutheran bodies, and the 

 best methods of bringing about that object, 

 were discussed at length. After expressing a 

 strong hope for the eventual union of the Lu- 

 theran bodies, this paper suggested that an 

 interchange of delegates was not adapted to 

 bring it about, because, it recites, "as it seems 

 to be understood and acknowledged on both 

 sides, the two bodies, as such, do not sustain 

 the same relation to the confession of the 

 Church whose name both bear, and the separa- 

 tion that has taken place is the result of this 

 difference of opinion and conviction. An ex- 

 change of delegates would therefore be a mere 

 matter of form and politeness, and would in- 

 volve not only an evasion and ignoring of the 

 important points on which we differ, but a 

 formal and distinct recognition by each body, 

 of the position of the other, while in reality 

 each body at heart condemns the position of 

 the other." The belief was, however, ex- 

 pressed that the time had come to take 

 some steps toward bringing about a better un- 

 derstanding among all who bear the common 

 name, which might lead to an ultimate union, 

 but that this should be effected, " not by the 

 polite anil t'ormal exchange of delegates, bnt 

 by a candid and fraternal comparison of views, 

 so that all may clearly ascertain the points of 

 difference, and by God's grace be brought to 

 greater unity of spirit." For this purpose, the 

 General Council recommended that a collo- 

 quium be held at some time and place to be 

 hereafter determined, "in which all Lutherans 

 who accept the unaltered Augsburg Confession 

 may compare views in regard to that Con- 

 fession; " that this colloquium should bo siin 

 ply for the comparison of views, and that those 

 who take part in it should not be looked upon 

 as binding themselves, or the synods to which 

 they might belong; and that it should be held 

 from time to time, as often as might be agreed 



upon. All Lutheran bodies which unreserv- 

 edly accept the unaltered Augsburg Confession 

 were invited to join in making arrangements 

 for holding the colloquium. A committee of 

 seven ministers and seven laymen was appoint- 

 ed to represent the General Conncil in making 

 such arrangements. 



III. SOUTHERN GKXKH.M. $YXOD. The 



(Southern) General Synod in North America 

 met at Salem, Va., May 22d. The Synods of 

 South Carolina, Virginia, .Southwest Virginia, 

 and Georgia, were represented by fifteen cleri- 

 cal and fourteen lay delegates. The Kev. .). 

 F. Campbell was elected president. Reports 

 were presented showing the number of 

 churches within the bounds of this body to be 

 145; of ministers, 91 ; of communicants. 1 1,765. 

 Three literary institutions are sustained by its 

 people: Roanoke College, with 160 students; 

 Newberry College, with 100 students; and the 

 Stanton Female Seminary, with twenty-four 

 students. There is also a theological seminary 

 at Lexington, S. C. It was established in 1830. 

 It had a small but valuable library, and had 

 been attended during the year by six students. 

 The Synod of South Carolina had proposed to 

 support one professor, so soon as the other 

 synods interested in the institution should 

 provide for another. The Synod of Georgia 

 was contemplating the establishment of a clas- 

 sical academy of a high grade, The retiring 

 president, the Rev. Prof. S. A. Rcpass, pre- 

 sented a report in which he recommended in- 

 creased effort in the work of home missions, 

 with especial reference to the increasing ex- 

 tent of German and Scandinavian emigration 

 to the South, called attention to the neglect 

 of foreign missions by the General Synod, and 

 urged the endowment and provision of the 

 needed buildings for the theological seminary. 



IV. STNODICAL CONFERENCE. The Synod'i- 

 cal Conference of North America met at Fort 

 Wayne, Ind., in July. The Synods ot' Missouri, 

 Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota, and 

 the Norwegian Synod, were represented in it 

 by delegates. Prof. W. F. Lehman, of Colum- 

 bus, ( ).. was chosen president. A resolution 

 was adopted in favor of seeking the establish- 

 ment of German papers, to be edited as reli- 

 gious papers, in all the large cities. The 

 Emigrant Mission, previously sustained by the 

 Missouri Synod, was made the common work 

 of the whole Conference. The following theses 

 were adopted in definition of church fellow- 

 ship: 



Thai* 1. The only Internal bond of fellowship be- 

 tween the indiviilual Lntboran conpropntions among 

 various peoples and tongues is tnii . . ana 



Having fnith in thn I,r<l .Tcsus Christ, which em- 

 braces and hold* fust with Mm and in him also his 

 most holy and perfect nn 



TtaiMS. The only extcrnnl hond of fellowship 

 between the individual Lutheran congregationi 

 among the various peoples and tongues is the un- 

 altered Augsburg Confession. 



TTiftuH. Because the unaltered Anprsburtr Confes- 

 sion, which is as well historically piniinihir in its 

 origin as it U (ecumenical in its doctrinal contents, 



