ich had met since 1793, led to the
organization of the Synod of Maryland and Virginia at Winchester, Va.,
by ten pastors and nine delegates. Nine years later the Virginia Synod
was organized; and the Southwest Virginia Synod, September 20, 1841.

SPECIAL CONFERENCE IN VIRGINIA.

83. Minutes of 1805.--In the first decade of the nineteenth century a
Special Conference was organized in Virginia: "Specialkonferenz der
Evang.-Luth. Prediger (Lehrer) und Abgeordneten im Staat Virginien." At
the meeting held on Sunday, October 7, 1805, in the newly built church
at Millerstadt (Woodstock), five lay delegates (among them Doctor
Solomon Henkel) and the following ministers were present: Chr. Streit,
W. Carpenter, Paul Henkel, J. Foltz, A. Spintler. Streit delivered a
touching sermon (eine ruehrende Rede) in the Lutheran church on Matt.
28, 20. In the afternoon Paul Henkel preached in the Reformed church on
2 Cor. 4, 5; in the evening, Carpenter on 1 Cor. 1, 23, also in the
Reformed church. Monday morning they met in the schoolhouse. At 12
o'clock Spintler preached in the Reformed church on Eph. 1, 7. In the
afternoon it was decided that an address to the congregations be added
to the minutes "on better bringing up of the children and better order
of the youth." On motion of Solomon Henkel it was resolved to add to the
minutes also the 21 articles of the Augsburg Confession. Furthermore it
was resolved that after the sermon the children should be instructed in
the catechism. It was also approved to abolish as far as possible the
custom of saying the individual lines of the hymns in public worship
(die Lieder zeilenweise vorzusprechen). The address added to the minutes
says, in part: "If children are to grow up well-bred and be reared to
the honor of God, then the teachers in the churches, the schoolteachers
in the school-houses, and the parents in their dwellings must perform
their various duties toward the young plants in the vineyard of the
Lord." "Generally men care for the bodily welfare of their children,
which in itself is not wrong; why, then, should we not also, and indeed
much more so, be concerned about their everlasting and eternal welfare?"
"O parents, parents! seek to save yourselves and, as much as is in you,
also your children! Do not spare any trouble or expenses to have your
children instructed in the fundamental truths of our holy religion. Send
them, according to your ability and the circumstances, to school
r