Our Savior’s Lutheran Church

Chicago, Illinois

June 16-23, 1893

To the esteemed Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod of America.

It is my duty as president to give a report concerning the state of the synod since the last general convention. However, before I provide the actual report I wish to preface it with more general thoughts concerning the synod.

“A true witness delivers souls,” the Holy Ghost says (Pr. 14:25). In order to save our souls God has sent his only-begotten Son to the earth. In order to deliver them from sin, death and judgment, Jesus Christ has sacrificed himself on the accursed tree, become the propitiation for the sins of the whole world and completed our redemption.

Through the Gospel of the Cross, through the Gospel of salvation in Christ, the Holy Ghost works saving faith in the crucified Savior in the contrite sinner, makes him a disciple of Jesus, and preserves him in faith unto a blessed end. To be hearers of this life-giving Word, to be witnesses of salvation in Christ, to be his instrument and colaborer for saving souls, Christ calls all his disciples, all Christians who become spiritual priests through regeneration.

Thus, when our orthodox Lutheran congregations in this country formed a synod forty years ago the chief purpose for this association of churches was “to deliver souls” to the glory of God. Through all its teaching and practice, through its resolutions, agencies and institutions it was to have the salvation of souls in mind and thus be “a faithful witness.” Our synod wanted to be a witness of Christ. It wanted to give a clear and distinct sound on its trumpet. Through its testimony it wanted to work and help toward every individual congregation in it being faithful in the laying down of the testimony and every individual Christian in the congregation, lay or learned, becoming “a faithful witness,” who through teaching and life showed himself a faithful witness who delivers souls.

Now, has the Norwegian Synod also been and shown itself as such a faithful witness in the almost half-century it has existed in this country? In spite of all the imperfections, shortcomings and weaknesses which have held it back and still hold it back, we dare, to the praise of the grace of God, answer “Yes” to this question. At the synod’s preliminary meeting in Muskego in 1852, over toward the Grundtvigian leaven which was smuggled in in the draft of the constitution, it showed that it was its earnest intent to hold fast to the Lutheran Scripture Principle and to make Scripture the sole source, rule and guide for its doctrine and life. It wanted to do that because with all the orthodox fathers it believed that Scripture is the inspired Word of God and therefore clear, powerful and complete, “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” (2 Ti. 3:16), a complete rule and guide.

During its later development this strict adherence of the Synod to the Scripture Principle soon brought it into controversy with false Lutheran church bodies which to be sure formerly professed the same principle but did not set about earnestly to carry it through in practice. But through it the synod has received grace from God to remain with the truth which God revealed, not only in the controversies concerning the preaching of laymen, slavery and Sunday, but above all concerning the Gospel, absolution and justification. And here, we will always remember with thanks to God the faithful help and support which the Lord gave us in the older, much experienced, Missouri Synod.

When the Synod fought so long and hard for this article concerning a poor sinner’s justification by the grace of God alone through faith in Jesus Christ, without wanting to yield a hand’s breadth, this article of faith by which the Lutheran Church stands or falls, this so-called Material Principle, then the reason was surely also this, that here above all it involved preserving the doctrine and faith pure and unadulterated which alone could give the poor sinner comfort and peace in life and death, consequently, to save souls.

That it is also this chief article, this material principle of the church which forms the deep rift between our synod and the United Church in spite of its formal profession of it, became clear as day during the doctrinal controversy of the last years concerning election and conversion which our synod has had to wage against the Anti-Missourians whose shibboleth, as you know, was, “that people’s attitude must in one or another respect be the cause of their conversion and election” and that people’s conversion and salvation do not depend on God alone, but also on man. It has also become apparent during the controversy that only by mutilating the Scripture Principle in a rationalistic way have our opponents been able to fall into such an error which is destructive of the very essence of Christianity.

Where synergistic leaven has come in, there it is sure that it traces back to a denial of Scripture as the only rule and guide for faith. This denial of or break with the Scripture Principle has its deeper foundation in the fact that a person does not live in acknowledgement of Scripture as the sole source for faith and the life of faith. But this lack in turn reveals that in actuality a person does not hold fast to and carry through on the conviction that all Scripture is inspired by God. Where this Scripture Principle is thus fixed for a person’s entire mindset and life of faith, there a person will search Scripture as the only source from which a vital faith and a true life of faith can alone spring and be nourished, and there a person will also bow to Scripture as the only perfect norm and rule because it is the Word of the living God, the Lord’s speaking to the children of men.

By the merger of the anti-Missourians with the United Church, whose grandiose aim was the unification of the several so-called Norwegian Lutheran church bodies into one Lutheran Church, they have also naturally taken their doctrinal position, and with it also these errors of theirs.

If by the grace of God the Norwegian Synod also in the future will remain faithful to its lofty task: to be a faithful witness for delivering souls, then it will never be able to enter into any union of churches with a church body which will not purify itself of such gross errors, even if a person wants to attempt to build the union over a many-sided, deep ditch which was supposed to cover over differences of belief.

And how is the synod doing now? Has it also been and shown itself a faithful witness who delivers souls, on this score? We answer here also: To the praise of the grace of God, yes, we have tried to be, but to our shame we have to add: We have been far from what we should have been. But the proclamation of the truth not only gives enlightenment and instruction for a proper Christian life and the ability to live it, but it is also itself a part of such a life. Likewise the struggle for the good confession which I just discussed is a part of the life of a faithful witness, and that, an essential part. Where a church body, congregation, or a Christian is lacking this part, there the essentials for being a faithful witness for delivering souls are lacking because it is only the truth which makes free. However, contending for the truth is not the entire witness which is to be presented. It is, as I said, only one part of the life of a faithful witness. Christ says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven,” Mt. 5:16.

A faithful witness will also try to deliver souls by striving to live a life of love in the fear of God and in holiness. A church body, a congregation will therefore demonstrate itself a faithful witness through agencies for the furtherance of the kingdom of God, for the relief and remedy of temporal and spiritual need, as well as by practicing Christian discipline, just as the individual member in the same regard will proclaim the death of him who led him from darkness into his marvelous light, through a life of self-denial and sacrifice.

Then, unfortunately, we must humbly confess to our shame that extremely much is neglected, little is done as it ought to be, and that the synod and its individual members taken in their entirety have far from demonstrated themselves as the faithful witnesses the Lord could expect them to be according to the grace of which he has allowed them to partake.

Here, however, attention can be called to how our synod’s circumstances at the beginning in certain respects resembled those of the Church at its founding. Just as then, the first pastors worked more as evangelists for spreading the kingdom of God than as pastors for the individuals or with building up and strengthening the newly founded congregations, so did the first beginnings and activity here through the years have to be a work of missions in order to gather the Norwegian Lutherans into congregations so that they should not be carried off by the sects or lost in worldliness.

However, here too we can well call attention to some evidence, without self-praise, to the glory of God alone. It has been our custom at our synod meetings to spend a considerable amount of time on discussions partly about doctrine, partly about such matters as have purely practical aims in view. From the beginning its efforts have been directed toward the founding and developing of schools of higher learning, above all for the training of pastors and teachers, after that, also of Christian youth for other positions in life. We dare say that not a little has been done in that direction in proportion to the economic conditions in many congregations. Much has been done for missions among immigrants and countrymen, here and in Australia, as well as among Jews, Negroes, (American) Indians, and other heathen, even if with far less zeal and vigor than is required where the salvation of so many souls is concerned. Likewise, the synod has been interested in orphaned children and has provided them both a spiritual and a physical home. Further, from its beginning the synod has striven to enlighten them and their teachers about the general and special Christian duties which are incumbent upon them, and has encouraged them through visitations and visits in the congregations by the president and others to a diligent discharge of these duties.

But precisely in this area we have been much in arrears. Much has been neglected here of the witness which ought to have been given in and outside of the congregations, or it has been done in great weakness, to the detriment of the salvation of souls. And for this we ought all, synod and congregations and every individual Christian, repent and ask God for grace to correct this so that the Lord shall not need to remove the candlestick from its place and hand us over to darkness and errors because of our unthankfulness.

The first thing I want to mention here is the Norwegian-English parochial school in the old form, or, as a boarding school. There has been no lack of laying its importance and necessity upon the hearts of the congregation through discussions and addresses, but what good has it done? In most places none. And I believe that in most instances the blame is as much the pastors’ as the congregations’. This is perhaps the last time that I speak to our synod from this platform.²⁹ Let my last word to the congregations and pastors then be: Strive with all your powers toward establishing regular parochial schools! Set about seriously to give the children a Christian education! The growth of the Lutheran Church, yes, its existence depends on it to a considerable degree, because the future belongs to the coming generations. And the eternal salvation of how many thousands of children may not depend on it? And to what accountability do we not expose ourselves by continued indolence and indifference in this matter!

In connection with this I also want to mention the diligent use of the Word of God in the home, the neglect of which is certainly most often the cause of many a fall, and of the small progress we complain about. The Word of God is and remains, however, the cure-all for every spiritual defect and imperfection because it not only gives us light and makes the simple wise, but it strengthens faith, gives the heart comfort and joy and thereby makes it zealous to every good work. The same thing applies with respect to the diligent use of absolution and the Sacrament of the Altar, which last, in many places is neglected to a considerable degree, especially by the youth.

The means which the Word of God points out to us for the preservation and internal growth of the congregation is church discipline. It is of course only one of the ways appointed by the Lord for applying the Word of God. Both in the synod and in many congregations the proper practice of evangelical church discipline has been discussed. Its great importance for the sound development of the congregations and the salvation of souls has been held forth, and the congregations, with their pastors, have been earnestly admonished not to neglect this duty of love toward the brethren. Unfortunately, there are altogether too many facts substantiating the fact that in many congregations it has been neglected, at any rate in its final step. What can be said about the State Church because of laws, locale, and the extent and size of the congregations as an excuse for such neglect, cannot apply in a church free of the state. And since the pastors’ parishes are confined within reasonable boundaries it ought also be better in this matter.

However, I am not going to detain myself longer on this side of things. Every enlightened and conscientious Christian will easily recognize other shortcomings and neglect which certainly are found here and there. We have in this Word of God the powerful means through which all shortcomings can be remedied, all negligence be corrected with the help of God. On the other hand, it can be beneficial to take this opportunity to dwell a little on some of the temptations and dangers which threaten our church body, and of the struggle through which it most certainly will have to go. May our dear synod also prove itself a faithful witness to the delivering of souls in the face of them!

At this moment an extremely dangerous current is flowing through the various church bodies nearly everywhere in the world. It is a current which even if not always intended by its leaders and their followers, yet, however, by the instigator, Satan, the tempter, aims at nothing less than emancipating from the absolute, divine authority by the rejection of the doctrine of God’s Word concerning the inspiration of Scripture, that is, that all Scripture is inspired by God and is therefore the Word of God. As you know, at the present time not one theological seminary is to be found in “Lutheran” Germany which holds on the old Lutheran doctrine of inspiration. Similarly, unfortunately, it is discussed among leading theologians in the church of our dear fatherland as a theory abandoned long ago by everyone capable of forming an opinion. It is true, a clear testimony on the other side is heard in Germany from one or another old-Luth-eran pastor, just as in Norway there surely are also found many among the older clergy who do not want to be along in this apostasy from the Lutheran Church but who hold fast to its doctrine in this chief point.

And this current is not only flowing through the Lutheran Church, but also in the various Reformed church bodies in England, Scotland and America large crowds are being carried along with it under the direction of several of their most prominent teachers. Newspapers and periodicals in this country have been full of reports of their errors and of the proceedings before the various ecclesiastical tribunals, and Norwegian newspapers have appealed to the authority of those bright will-of-the-wisps over against the old Lutheranism. We see that the error is advancing upon us right into our life and the spiritual atmosphere which surrounds the people of our churches on all sides is full of its poisonous germs.

That with the denial of the inspiration of Scripture the Scripture Principle also falls, is obvious, because in that way Scripture is subjected to the judgment of reason and the propositions of men take the place of the divine articles of faith. The foundation of Christianity and of Scripture, which is precisely the prophets and apostles, with Christ as the Chief Cornerstone, is then undermined, justification by grace alone becomes a problem, uncertainty and doubt spun instead of divine certainty of faith, and with that, comfort and peace are deprived the sinner. This is going to be set forth and developed further through our doctrinal discussions, as well as the question of the inspiration of Scripture itself, which has of course been the subject of thorough discussions at the synod meetings these last years. The synod has thereby already shown what weight it places on this doctrine of Scripture. But if there is any point where it is worth standing firm, it is here. May our Synod then remain faithful to its past on this point! Together with the remaining orthodox Lutheran synods, may it stand as a dam, as a faithful witness for the saving of souls against this stream of unbelief which threatens to inundate Christianity!

The danger which there was for a time for hasty union efforts, I believe, has been considerably diminished by the attempt which the United Church has made for building church fellowship on a unionistic foundation of disunited elements. However, the danger is always present since the times are pregnant with unionistic tendencies, and they are pleasing to the flesh. This, however, must not hinder us from the work which is well pleasing to God of attaining unity in faith through gently convincing them who gainsay, at the same time as we guard ourselves well against all kinds of unionistic principles, for example, through pulpit exchange or joint church work with people who believe otherwise.

Until recent times the church in this country has been able to rejoice in the enjoyment of the freedom authorized by the nation’s constitution. The signs of the times do not bode well for the future. From a two-fold point of view there is danger to fear of mixing of state and church to the harm of both.

In several states people have been trying to force school laws through through which the natural authority of the parents and the religious freedom authorized by the constitution would be violated and the existence of Christian parochial schools exposed to danger. In some states the governor’s veto has prevented carrying out of these laws, in other states an impassioned school fight has swept them out. But all danger is not thereby removed. The enemy is not sleeping but merely waiting for a favorable opportunity.

Again, there are far-reaching societies which in well-meant religious interests are working partly for getting a profession of Christ and of the Bible added to the constitution of the United States, and partly for getting a so-called non-sectarian moral instruction introduced into the public school.

On the other hand the Catholic Church is reaching out its arms for the spoil. Its efforts for getting the public school into its clutches are generally known. In the teeth of the constitution, it obtains by underhanded means where it can, state funds for its church schools and is striving to come into possession of political power in order, when the time has come, to use it in the service of the papal church. Woe to the Protestant community if it should succeed! because even now the papal church thirsts after the blood of “heretics.” Over against these dangers the synod has to be at its post and warn the people, and that so much more as the Lutheran Church has both the right understanding of the relation in which state and church stand to each other and the right weapons for combating the papal church.

Furthermore the synod has to face the secret societies and other associations more or less contending against the Gospel which exert their powers in order to make proselytes, especially among church members. For many of these societies which carry “compassion” as a banner, surely the most crass selfishness is the leading principle, and insofar as life insurance is allied with them, it is as a rule the hazard which entices people to them. Participation in them feeds on distrust of God’s fatherly care, just as a rule, it springs from such mistrust. Christians, who stay away from such societies in confidence in God’s support are ridiculed and condemned for “Honor and Righteousness,” as a circular from the New York Insurance Company recently shows.

Actually, the same distrust in the Lord’s guidance and care is on the one hand, just as on the other hand, the ever increasing inclination to amusements, is the cause of all the schemes by means of which people obtain money for religious purposes. The apostle says, “Our weapons are not carnal, but spiritual” 2 Co. 10:4. We pastors are most responsible where irregularities in this matter take place.

Last but not least, the synod wants to be a faithful witness also over against the growing worldliness, the pursuit of riches and addiction to sensual pleasures. Our times are materialistic. People want to have something to look at, something they can grasp and feel. The older generation among us which is now dying off, was, because of an habitual lifestyle and habits from the fatherland and its isolation here, not exposed in the same degree to many of these temptations as the younger generation which is journeying outside in the midst of an unbelieving humanity for whom the world’s goods and pleasures are its all. Here is the greatest danger for the church’s temporal usefulness, that is, that the church becomes of the same form and of the same mind as the world which “lies in the wicked one.” But if that happens, then it is written, “But if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is therefore good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men,” Mt. 5:13.

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29 It was, in fact, the last address Preus was to give to the synod; he died a year later, July 2, 1894, at the age of 69.