whereas,
according to its ministerial order, the Ohio Synod "must remain a
German-speaking ministerium." (65.) 3. Every meeting of the General
Synod would mean for them a traveling expense of $168. 4. As the
_Planentwurf_ was subject to change, union with the General Synod would
be tantamount "'to buying the cat in the bag,' as the proverb has it."
These scruples reveal the fact that the Tennessee Synod viewed the
General Synod as a body which was hierarchical in its polity and
thoroughly un-Lutheran in its doctrinal position, an opinion well
founded, even though the objections advanced are not equally valid.

93. General Synod's Constitution Criticized.--The critique of the
_Planentwurf_ was not devoid of fruit in every respect. Due to the
testimony of the Henkels, its hierarchical features were toned down
considerably in the constitution finally adopted at Hagerstown, Md.,
1820. Thus, _e.g._, the odious passage regarding the establishment of
new ministeriums and the validity of their ordinations was omitted.
Still Tennessee was far from being satisfied with the constitution as
amended. Moreover, a committee was appointed to draw up their remaining
objections, and the report submitted was appended to the minutes of 1821
and printed by order of Synod. It subjects the constitution to a severe
examination, and makes a number of important strictures. 1. The first
objection was raised against the words of the Preamble: "Whereas Jesus
Christ, the great Head of the Church, hath not given her any particular
prescriptions how church-government should be regulated, she therefore
enjoys the privilege in all her departments to make such regulations as
may appear best, agreeably to situation and circumstances." While
recognizing that Christ has given no prescriptions "for the regulation
of some things not essential to the Church," they objected to the
sweeping statement of the Preamble whereby the government of the Church
would be left to a majority of votes. Tennessee maintained that Matt. 18,
16 Christ prescribes to the Church how discipline is to be exercised;
that 1 Cor. 11, 4-11 sufficient rules with respect to public worship are
prescribed; that 1 Tim. 3, 1-3 the grades of ministers are described;
that 1 Tim. 5, 19-22 instructions are given how to receive an accusation
against an elder; and that 2 Tim. 2, 3-6 Paul shows that ministers
should not be entangled with the things of this world. "From these and
many more passages th