Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-23
BEFORE LUTHERAN SYNOD
PAPERS DISCUSSED BY DELE.
GATES THIS MORNING.
Ihirtieth Anniversary Of Grace
Church Celebrated-Sermon by
the General President.

The subject discussed before the Lutheran
synod, in session this morning at the Grace
Lutheran Church, 18th and Corcoran streets
northwest was The True Church in Its
Appearance" Rev. J. NJ. Senter Of Dallas.
| N. c., and vice president of the synod, pre-
sided. He explained that among the
Lutherans the only mark of the true church
| is fidelity to the revealed word of God. He
| said, further:
"Ceremonious forms Of government and
| liturgy may differ or exist in rudimentary
way, but all of these are legitimate ire
spective of form. unless at variance with
| the word of God. But when men form an
| association for the purpose of worshiping
God according to the pure Gospel, the
church appears in the form designed by its
founder. This does not mean indifference to
forms of worship and government All such
forms possess confessional character
Forms must embody underlying principles.
For instance. the Lutheran Church, while
recognizing the validity of immersion, does
not practice this form of baptism. because
| whole denomination confounds this par
ticular form, which is nowhere enjoined in
Gods word, with the substance of the sac
rament.
Church Membership.
Chrstianity cannot be ASSOCIATED from
membership in the church any more than
the normal condition of human life can be
ASSOCIATED from the body. The Christian
civilization we enjoy is the fruit which the
Christian church has borne, and the indif-
ferentist in regard to the church is the
enemy of the Christian civilization despite
high-sounding professions"
What Is the relation of the several
churches in Christendom to the Church of
Christ? WAS discussed by a large ajority
of the delegates. Another subject which
the synod considered was the query: Are
the several churches coordinate branches
Of the one Church of Christi" In this it
was explained that there are more or less
perfect expressions, as a church approx
mates the Ideal Of the one church and in
proportion as it presents the gospel free
from the alloy of human error"
Rev. r. f. Golladay, president of the
representative of that board. The session
adjourned for lunch after the allotment of
support which the several mission places
are to receive was discussed
The business before the synod this after
noon was the reports of the various COM
mittees. 1t is expected that the conven-
ton will adjourn tomorrow evening.
Services Yesterday.
Rev. DR.. c. H. L. Scheutte. general presi-
dent of the joint synod of Ohio preached
the sermon yesterday morning at the thir-
tieth anniversary exercises of the Grace
Lutheran Church. In the evening Rev. DR..
Hugh H. Ackler of Peru, w. Va. preached.
DR.. Scheutte in the course of his sermon
said: In these latter days it would APP
pear that the Hebrew and the Christian
religions are so far comprised that some
Jews looked upon as Christians and
the Christians are in some respects counted
Jews"
THE reformed Jews are today willing to
honor the Christ, inasmuch as He was
Jew, and to be proud of his place of nativ-
ity. Some Christians who once held that
the Christ was the God man now repudiate
their belief and recognize in Him only the
model human.
The Church of Jesus Christ is built upon
the person of Jesus Christ and that person
is not only the God-like racterstics
evinced in man. but the living God Himself.
And the church is also based upon the work
of Jesus Christ, which is not only patent in
the holy life, but in the atonement of
Christ"
The anniversary exercises began with the
opening of Sunday school. when Rev.
Sweetheart of Maryland addressed the chill
dren preparatory for holy communion. A
special musical program was rendered at
the morning services consisting of an
organ prelude, solo by Mrs. A. B. Phelps,
solo by Miss katherine Faethe of Balti-
more and IF Ye Love Me- by the choir.