USA > Ohio > Richland County > Mansfield > A history of the Wittenberg Synod of the General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1847-1916 > Part 3
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9 Minutes 1901, pp. 20-21.
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(A) Boundary Lines Defined
(I) The boundary line between the East Ohio and Wittenberg Synods shall extend from the South- east corner of Knox County, northward along the Knox County line to the north corner of said county. thence westward along the County line to the south- west corner of Ashland County; thence northward along the county lines of Ashland, and Richland, and Huron Counties, and the western line of Lorain County, to Lake Erie.
(2) The boundary line between the East Ohio and Miami Synods shall extend from the southeast corner of Knox County southward along the Mus- kingum and Licking Rivers, and the Muskingum and Perry County lines to the northwest corner of Morgan County ; thence eastward along the Muskingum and Morgan County line southeastward along the line of Morgan and Noble Counties, thence eastward along the northern line of Washington County to the Ohio River.
(3) The boundary line between Miami and Wittenberg Synods shall extend from the southeast corner of Knox County, westward along the Knox and Licking County lines to the Delaware County line, thence north to the Morrow County line and thence westward along the Southern line of Morrow County. and then in a direct line with said county line crossing Delaware County to the Union County line ; thence southwestward crossing Union County to the south- east corner of Logan County, thence westward along the lines of Logan and Champaign, Shelby and Cham- paign, Shelby and Miami Counties and in a direct
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line with the Shelby and Miami County line to the state line.
Exceptions
These boundary lines shall not at any time affect the Synodical connection of the Mifflin Church, Grace Church of Perrysville, and the First and Second Churches of Springfield, Ohio.
(B) Rules Governing Said Boundaries
That these boundary lines may not in any way impede the work of our Synods nor become a hind- rance to the organization of new congregations along said boundaries, we agree to the following :
(1) The pastor of a charge on or near any of these boundary lines finding an opening for a new congregation contiguous to said charge, but in the territory of the adjoining Synod, may organize such congregation making it a part of said charge and of the Synod to which said charge belongs, provided he first obtains the consent of the adjoining Synod or of its President.
(2) If said congregation in time be constituted a pastorate by itself, or a pastorate in connection with other churches, within the same synodical territory, it shall revert to the Synod within whose bounds it is located unless by a special act of that Synod it be per- mitted to retain its former Synodical connection.
(3) No minister belonging to one Synod shall organize a new pastorate within the bounds of another Synod without the knowledge and consent of the offi- cers of the Synod on whose territory it is located, and then only for the purpose of making it a part of said Synod.
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CONFESSIONAL BASIS
It is to be noted here that in the organization of this and of other Synods in the middle west, 10 state- ment of doctrine was placed in their written constitu- tions indicating their confessional basis. This was not because they were indifferent to the doctrinal position which they would occupy, but because the doctrinal basis of the General Synod had not yet been clearly and fully defined. Dr. J. W. Richards, in the Lutheran Quarterly of October, 1895, on the "Confessional His- tory of the General Synod," says, "In the first consti- tution of the General Synod no mention is made either of the Word of God or of any Lutheran confession, and as further evidence of the low condition of the Lutheran consciousness, it was resolved at the first meeting under the constitution (1821) "to compose a catechism in English. Luther's small Catechism which for nearly 300 years had been a standard in popular instruction was completely ignored. The stream could not rise higher than its source. And so it was said in a review of the organization of the General Synod given by the Tennessee Synod that "a body indeed may call itself Evangelical Lutheran and yet not be such. The constitution does nowhere say that the Augsburg Confession of Faith or Luther's Catechism or the Bible shall be in the foundation of the doctrine and discipline of the General Synod."
With such a basis it is not surprising to learn that movements were mentioned and even projected looking to a closer union of all churches and a perfect union of the Evangelical Lutheran and the Evangelical Re- formed Churches, and the publishing of an Evangelical
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paper and a liturgy common to both churches. Several conventions were held, before it was determined to take a stand for an independent existence of the Lutheran Church in America and for a distinct con- fession of a positive faith. At first, the Augsburg Confession, as the symbol of a true Lutheran catho- licity was but timidly and feebly endorsed, and its constitution required its candidates for ordination to "believe that the fundamental doctrines of the Word of God are taught in a manner substantially correct in the doctrinal articles of the Augsburg Confession."
It was not until 17 years of the General Synod's history had passed that at its convention in York, Pa., in 1864, it made a positive and unequivocal affirmation of its Lutheranism by declaring in its revised constitu- tion the "Word of God as contained in the canonical scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the only infallible rule of faith and practice and the Augs- burg Confession a correct exhibition of the funda- mental doctrine of the Divine Word and of the faith of our Church founded upon that Word."
Four years later, (1868), this basis was reaffirmed at Harrisburg, Pa., with entire unanimity, by a rising vote. Thus the General Synod, step by step, in lan- guage at once clear and decisive, placed itself squarely and fully on the great and universal confession of our Lutheran Church,-its historic Magna Charter-the Unaltered Augustana. By the regular process required in the constitution, this formula became in time the confessional basis of all the district Synods connected with the General Synod. These things being true, it is not to be wondered at that the district synods in their organization either omitted entirely from their
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constitutions any declarations concerning a doctrinal basis or else embodied in their declarations some state- ments requiring revision. So it came about that under certain influences, Wittenberg Synod along with others, adopted as its doctrinal basis the Definite Platform, or the American Recension of the Augsburg Confession. This review of our Augsburg Confession was designed to settle certain discussions in the Lutheran Church in this period relating to doctrine and practice and to conform our Church doctrine and usage to Puritan standards. We may note in a semi-historic sense several causes which contributed to this modification : First, Unfamiliarity with the Augsburg Confession it- self. In none of our English Theological schools were the doctrines and usages of our historic Lutheran Church made prominent from textbooks such as Schmidt's Dogmatics, or Dr. Krauth's Conservative Reformation. No emphasis was placed on practices distinctly Lutheran, and our own ministers knew no distinctive peculiarities of doctrines or worship that differentiated them from any other Protestant Denom- ination and in consequence there was but little uni- formity of doctrine, worship, or practice. Secondly, We name another cause for such action to be, The mistaken notion that in order to be American we must be and become less Lutheran. Lutheranism,-if any one then chanced to know what that term included .- was thought to be good enough for Germans and Scan- dinavians and Danes, but English or American Luther- ans must be like other good Protestant Christians, "Exemplary in walk and conversation and living in peace with brethren of all faiths and in good will to all mankind." The historic Lutheran symbols of the
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Church were made prominent among those nationali- ties in their own languages : American Lutherans made prominent the Word of God and were ignorant of these symbols or denied their importance to the Church. From some such distinctions between Old Country Lutheranism and the new American type, the designation "Old Lutherans" presumably originated. Likewise the expression designating the usages and methods of church activity as "Old Measures" and "New Measures." That Lutheranism, rightly under- stood is not for Lutherans only, but, a system of doctrine broad enough and strong enough for the whole world and for all time, did not enter their minds.
A Third cause we name, was, The strong belief that the Augsburg Confession contained doctrinal errors that ought to be rejected.
It seems proper here to insert the entire action of Wittenberg Synod relating to this subject, and also to present the whole of the preamble and resolutions of The Definite Platform, which is now difficult to obtain, but which, at the time of which we are now writing, made a distinct impress on the Lutheran Church of our country. It marked a striking but ephemeral chapter in the history of American Luther- anism. Following is the action above referred to :
10 "Your Committee respectfully reports that the busi- ness referred to it, pertaining to the Synod, is a document, prepared and published by consultation and co-operation of ministers of different eastern and western Synods, con- nected with the General Synod, containing a 'Definite Plat-
10 Minutes of Wittenberg Synod, 1855, pp. 20-23.
4
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form, Doctrinal and Disciplinarian for Evangelical Luth- eran District Synods, constructed in accordance with the principles of the General Synod."
This document supplies a great want in our church. It exhibits definitely the meaning of the question in our formula: "Do you believe that the doctrines of the Sacred Scriptures are set forth in a manner substantially correct in the Augsburg Confession?" and affords a precise and satisfactory answer to all who ask what are the doctrines and practice of the American Lutheran Church. The adop- tion of it will relieve our Synod of all responsibility in the sight of God and man, for any teaching and practice which they consider unscriptural and injurious to the souls of men. It will enable us when our members remove from our charges, to dismiss them with confidence in the teach- ing and practices of our Lutheran Churches, with which they may become connected in distant places. It will be a security to those who cast in their lot with us, because they know that we have practically repudiated the errors here contemplated, against the fear, that under other auspices, or in other places, they or their children, might be brought under their influence.
Your committee respectfully recommend the reading and adoption of the Platform and the publication in the minutes of the preamble and resolutions accompanying it, in order that our people may fully understand the nature of this action.
S. SPRECHER, J. W. GOODLIN, T. D. BIDDLE, C. JORDAN.
DEFINITE PLATFORM, ETC.
"WHEREAS, It is the duty of the followers of Christ to profess his religion before the world (Matt. 10:32) not only by their holy walk and conversation, but also by 'walking in the Apostles' doctrines' (1 Cor. 14:32) and bearing testimony 'to the faith once delivered to the saints' (Jude, 3) Christians have, from the earliest ages, avowed
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some brief summary of their doctrines or a confession of their faith.
Such confessions, also called symbols, were the so- called Apostles' Creed the Nicene Creed, etc., of the first four centuries after Christ.
Thus did the Lutheran Reformers of the 16th century, when cited by the Emperor to appear before the Diet at Augsburg, present the Confession, bearing the name of that city, as an expose 'of their principal doctrines; in which they also professedly reject only the greater part of the errors that had crept into the Romish Church.' (See conclusion of the 'Abuses Corrected'). Subsequently, Luther and his coadjutors still further changed their views on some subjects in that Confession, such as the Mass; and seven years later taught purer views in the Smalcald Articles.
Again, a quarter of a century after Luther's death, these and other writings of Luther and Melanchthon, to- gether with another work which neither of them ever saw, the Form of Concord, were made binding on ministers and churches, not by the church herself, acting of her own free choice, but by the civil authorities of certain kingdoms and principalities. The majority of Lutheran kingdoms however, rejected one or more of them, and the Augsburg Confession alone has been acknowledged by the entire Lutheran Church. (Hutterus Red. p. 116.)
WHEREAS, The entire Lutheran Church of Germany has rejected the symbolical books as a whole, and also abandoned some of the doctrines of the Augsburg Con- fession, among others the far greater part of them the doctrine of the bodily presence of the Saviour in the Eucharist, and our fathers in this country more than half a century ago, ceased to require a pledge to any of these books, whilst they still believed and in various ways avowed the great fundamental doctrines contained in them: and,
WHEREAS, The General Synod of the American Luth- eran Church, about a quarter of a century ago, again in- troduced a qualified acknowledgment of the Augsburg Confession, in the Constitution of our Theological Semi-
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nary, and in her Constitution for District Synods, at the ordination and licensure of ministers without specifying the doctrines to be omitted, except by the designation that they are not fundamental doctrines of Scripture: and
WHEREAS, A general desire has prevailed amongst our ministers and churches, to have this basis expressed in a more definite manner, and the General Synod has left this matter optional with each district synod ;
Therefore we regarded it due to the cause of truth, as well as to ourselves and to the public, to specify more minutely what tenets of the Augsburg Confession and of the former symbolic system are rejected, some by all. others by the great mass of ministers and churches of the General Synod, in this country.
Accordingly, the following AMERICAN RECENSION OF THE AUGSBURG CONFESSION, has been prepared, by con- sultation and co-operation of a number of Evangelical Lutheran ministers of eastern and western Synods belong- ing to the General Synod, at the special request of western brethren, whose churches particularly need it, being inter- mingled with German churches which avow the whole mass of the former symbols. In this revision, not a single sentence has been added to the Augsburg Confession, whilst those several aspects of doctrine have been omitted, which have long since been regarded by the great mass of our churches as unscriptural, and as remnants of Romish error. The only errors contained in the Confession (which are all omitted in this Recension) are -
1. The Approval of the Ceremonies of the Mass.
2. Private Confession and Absolution.
3. Denial of the Divine Obligation of the Christian Sabbath.
4. Baptismal Regeneration.
5. The Real Presence of the Body and Blood of the Savior in the Eucharist.
.With these few exceptions, we retain the entire Augs- burg Confession, with all the great doctrines of the Ref- ormation.
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The other errors rejected in the second part of this doctrinal Platform, such as Exorcism, etc., are contained, not in the Augsburg Confession, but in the other former symbolical books, and are here introduced as among the reasons for our rejection of all the other books except the Augsburg Confession.
At the same time while we will not admit into our synod any one who believes in EXORCISM, PRIVATE CONFES- SION AND ABSOLUTION, or the CEREMONIES OF THE MASS, we grant liberty in regard to the other omitted topics, and are willing, as heretofore, to admit ministers who receive them, provided they regard them as non-essential, and are willing to co-operate in peace and harmony with those who reject them and subscribe to this Platform. Therefore,
1. Resolved, That this. Synod hereby avows its be- lief in the following Doctrinal Platform, viz .: The so- called APOSTLES' CREED, the NICENE CREED, and the AMERI- CAN RECENSION OF THE AUGSBURG CONFESSION, as a more definite expression of the doctrinal pledge prescribed by the General Synod's Constitution for District Synods, and as a correct exhibition of the Scripture doctrines discussed in it; and that we regard agreement among brethren on these subjects as a sufficient basis for harmonious co- operation in the same church.
2. Resolved, That we receive the General Synod's Formula of Government and Discipline, contained in her Hymn Book, as our Directory; and that any additions or alterations we may desire, we will embody in by-laws; so that our beloved Church may possess and exhibit to the world entire harmony in the reception of one Doctrinal and Disciplinarian Platform.
3. Resolved, That we will not receive into our Synod any minister who will not adopt this Platform, and faith- fully labor to maintain its discipline in his charge."
Following are the names of those who voted in favor of the adoption of this report :
Revs. J. Crouse, S. Sprecher, D. D., I. Culler, J. W. Goodlin, G. N. H. Peters, Geo. Walker, Prof. H. R. Geiger, S. Fenner, A. R. Brown, J. G. Beckley, Thos. Hill, R. F
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Delo, J. Schauer, D. Summers, M. Officer, A. F. Hills, A. R. Howbert.
Following are the Lay Delegates :
A. F. McConaughy, Christian Miller, Jos. Kirkpatrick, J. G. Biddle, James Gillman, James Pepple, Esq., Charles E. Jordan, Solomon Fieroved, G. Rule, Jos. Donaldson, D. C. Boyer, Peter Weikert.
Some of the brethren favorable to the report, were compelled, in consequence of sickness, to return home be- fore the vote was taken.
This action called forth from several Synods, east and west, severe criticisms. In reference to these, the President of Synod, one year later, (1856), made the following recommendation in his annual report : 11
"WHEREAS, At our last convention, Synod adopted the Definite Synodical Platform as her doctrinal basis, hereafter; and
"WHEREAS, Several sister synods have charged this body with rashness and hasty action in a matter of so great importance; and
"WHEREAS, We have had time since the adoption of said 'Platform' to see and feel either the good or bad effects of our doing; therefore,
"I recommend that if Synod believes it has done wrong in adopting said Platform, then she should recant her action, and if Synod believes she has done right, then to re-adopt said Platform, and recommend it for adoption by the churches within our bounds."
A letter from one of these Synods (East Pa.), was read in open session. It expressed 12 "unqualified disapprobation of this most dangerous attempt to change the doctrinal basis and revolutionize the exist-
11 Min. 1856, p. 247 Protocol.
" Hist. Luth. Ch., Dr. Neve, p. 127.
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ing character of the Lutheran Churches united in the General Synod."
The committee on President's report presented the following resolutions :
13 "WHEREAS, This Synod, at our last convention adopted the 'Definite Synodical Platform' as her future doc- trinal basis; and,
WHEREAS, Several sister synods have charged this body with hasty action, etc .; and,
"WHEREAS, Some brethren who cordially reject the five errors specified in the Platform, are not willing to sub- scribe to the same because it employs the language in the preamble, 'the only errors contained in the Confession, are, etc.,
"Therefore Resolved, That the phrase 'the only errors contained,' etc., be changed to read, 'the only errors believed by some to be taught in the Confession, and regarded by others as not contained in it, but which, whether taught or not, we reject, are the following, etc.'
"Resolved, That we continue to believe that some such movement is necessary in order to promote the doctrines, practices, zeal, union and prosperity of the American Luth- eran Church, and we believe no other document so suitable as the 'Platform' including as it does, the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Augsburg Confession with the errors omitted.
"Resolved, That we regret that even the necessity ex- ists, of incurring the unmerited censure of sister synods, trusting, however, that such censure does not arise from sympathy with the 'five errors' but from the lack of an im- partial and careful examination of the Platform.
"Resolved, That the charge of proscription preferred against us is evidently made by those who never even care- fully read the Platform with the preamble attached, in which the following language is used: 'Whilst we will not admit into our Synod any one who believes in Exorcism, Private
13 Min. 1856 P. 257 Protocol.
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Confession and Absolution, or, the Ceremonies of the Mass, we grant liberty in regard to the other omitted topics, and are willing, as heretofore, to admit ministers who receive them, provided they regard them as non-essentials, and are willing to co-operate in peace and harmony with those who reject them and subscribe to this Platform,' and in the spirit of which the resolutions attached are to be explained.
"Resolved, That it affords us pleasure to note the adoption of the Platform by four other Synods; viz., The English Synod of Ohio; The Olive Branch Synod; the Northern Indiana Synod; and the Kentucky Synod; the rejection of the 'five errors' and adoption of the Augsburg Confession in the spirit of said rejection by the Miami Synod; the commendatory resolutions passed by a number of Conferences; the reception of it by many of the ministry and the laity; and the influence which it exerted in the Pittsburg Synod, causing the adoption of a platform which, on the one hand, to some extent, withdraws it from the sympathy of Symbolism, and which, on the other hand, por- trays clearly the necessity of retaining our present position."
Five years later, (1861), when a sharp stricture was passed by one of the western Synods, ( Northern Ill.), on the doctrinal position of Wittenberg Synod, the following was adopted in response :
14 "Resolved, That in adopting the Definite Platform, Wittenberg Synod adopted no new doctrinal basis, but only expressed what had always been our basis, and that there- fore the statement made in another synod is incorrect, and that the action of that body in this case falls short of ecclesiastical courtesy."
One thousand copies of the Definite Platform were ordered printed for distribution among the Synods and congregations, and many people rejoiced
14 Min. 1861, p. 14.
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in what was thought to be a decided advantage gained for the prosperity of the Lutheran Church.
Meantime, throughout the passing years there were marked developments toward a Lutheran con- sciousness among all the churches of the General Synod, and when in 1864 and again in 1868 its con- stitution was amended settling its doctrinal basis fully upon the "Unaltered Augsburg Confession," and sent its amended constitution down to the district Synods for adoption, these Synods with the others, acquiesced with approving resolutions, and Wittenberg Synod adopted it, section by section, and finally with the preamble, as a whole, with however the appended resolution :
15 "That, in the adoption of Section III of Article II of the amended constitution of the General Synod, we do so believing that this act will not disturb our cherished posi- tion upon the 'Definite Synodical Platform.'"
Thus it appears that Wittenberg Synod in her action was only moving in harmony with the general body to which she belonged; and if she was somewhat tardy in progress along Lutheran lines, she at least is shown to be in agreement with the trend and con- sciousness of general Lutheran development.
Regrettable as were the liberal tendencies among a few of our brethren in these eventful years, it must be said in justice to their memory and in honor to these noble men who did such a notable work in these formative times, that their opportunities for reading and study apart from their abundant labors in the
15 Min. 1868, p. 10.
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field, and their acquaintance with a sound and attrac- tive Lutheran literature was so limited that the great wonder is that the harm done to our beloved Church was not even much greater.
The literature by which the religious life of our ministers and people was nourished, was, often, and to a great degree, prejudiced against our church and its doctrines, many of which were greatly misunder- stood. But our pastors were sincere and humble- minded men, ready to hold to the truth as they dis- covered it, and though its disclosures often went against their cherished beliefs, they were not slow to accept it.
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