Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-19
The SYNOD SPLITS,
'ut Doesn't Quite Sever, on the Ques-
ton of a Mere Form.
COMMON SERVICE, Or OLD ONE!
hat is the Question That Agitated the
Lutheran Brethren.
PLACID EVENING SERVICE, HOWEVER

Altar the opening Of yesterdays lively session
Hthe Lutheran Synod at the Trinity Lutheran
-hrrch Rev. S. A. Holmes, secretary of the
BOARD of Publication, read the biennial report
,f tho hoard. 1t shows the net assets to be
5S 264 l6 and the sales S6S, ,394 46 for the year
.nd,np March 81 The aggregate sales of Sun
iav school periodicals for the two years was
lbout 100000 copies. Rev. Mr.. Leveringhaus
complained of the lack of consideration given
o the education Of German ministers during
;he past two years.
Dr. Baum claimed that the board was not
supported by authors, and that work that
should be done by the board went to other
printers. Then there was a sQuabble. DR.. Wolf
said that he was not to blame that New York
printers secured the contract for printing the
History of the Lutheran Church," the board
could have had it if they had worked for it.
The board recommended the appropriation out
Of the profits of the following amounts to
church organizations for furtherance of their
work: Board of Home Mission, 5000; Board
Of Foreign Missions, 81, 500: foreign missions,
for hospital, $500; Board of Church Extension,
1900; Parent Educational Society, $1,000;
Historical Society. $500; Board of Education,
$1,000; a total of IS. 500.
THEN IT WAS LIVELY.
given over to a controversy on the question as
to which service should be accepted as the au-
thorlzed one for general use in churches
throughout the Countrywide common service
or the old one. Each seemed to have its own
corps of admirers, with slight majority in
favor of the common, or new service, although
many clergymen advocate the authorizing OF
both, as the matter was largely individual IN
opinion. DR.. Ehrenfield claimed that the
a,N-1Oa fhaf IN
any part of it into direct Difference. He
wanted the old form placed on a level with the
common, and to allow a church to choose
whichever it preferred. He deplored the ex-
citement under which some members allowed
themselves to be placed, and hoped that all
would remember that they were one and not
allow anything unpleasant to occur toward dis
turbing kindly feeling.
Here DR.. Conrad, of Philadelphia, publisher
of the Lutheran Observer, demanded the right
to speak, and on being ruled out by the speaker,
be appealed to the audience; and, on the mat
ter being put to vote, he was allowed to pro-
ceed. The doctors speech was a denial of
many things that had been imputed to him,
and his discourse was frequently interrupted
by indignant members who appeared to take
great offense at his remarks. He was finally
persuaded to take his seat amid considerable
discord.
A NOTE OF WARNING.
Dr. Weigel, of Altoona, claimed that the &C.
ton of the Synod at Omaha took away the old
service He wished to say that unless the
present Synod could come little closer to-
gether and consider the matter more systemati-
cally, they would do the church incalculable
harm.
DR.. Wolf demanded that the Synod be more
careful He said: I'VE have been told that
the majority of churches would not accept the
common service; that some one had blundered
in proposing it. He prophesied that the COM
mon service would be repudiated.
A motion to limit the speeches to five min
uteS was here proposed and lost During DIR.
VOLTS address he was frequently interrupted,
and finally called upon the chair for protec-
tion, which was granted.
DR.. Fries called for halt III argument. He
claimed that the question had provoked con-
siderable bitterness and spleen. He did not
want it settled then, as he knew that a plot was
on foot to carry the vote for the adoption of
common service. He spoke bitterly of the
meddling editorials published in church papers
and claimed that he had never known what it
was to worship until he had tried the common
service"
Here motion to extend time for fifteen
minutes was lost, and. and after the reading of
several important notices, the meeting ad-
1ourned until evening.
The Secretary announced that there would
be music at evening meeting. which. he hoped,
would have soothing effect on some of the
members,
PERFECTLY PLACID LATER.
The evening session was taken up by Rev. s.
A. HOLMAN, who delivered address on the
benefits of the Publication Society. The
church was crowded, and as Rev. Mr.. Holman
is forcible talker he impressed his hearers
favorably. He pictured the society as the
strong right arm of the Lutheran Church.
The essential purpose of the society is the
distribution of religious knowledge and the
furnishing and circulation of religious lItera-
ture; and next in importance to the preaching
of the Gospel was the work of the Circulation