t bear upon their hands? What a constant tax is hereby
imposed upon the congregations! How frequently the ministers or
church-council must admonish the people to cast their mites into the
general fund, lest it should be exhausted! There would be no end to
begging and expostulating with the people for money. Howbeit, it is said
that no person is compelled to contribute towards the general fund. We
grant it in one sense, but not in another; for such as did not freely
contribute would be viewed with a contemptible eye, and frequently
reproved as avaricious, hardened wretches, so that at last they would
find themselves obliged to contribute. Such widows and orphans who by
some misfortune are rendered unable to support themselves generally find
benefactors, in addition to those means civil government hath already
provided." (33.) The "Remarks" to the Third Article of the constitution
conclude as follows: "Can it be believed that the majority of the clergy
of the day are true shepherds? and that they do not cherish the most
aspiring views? Why are there so many attempts made to identify the
Church with the State? Why are so many petitions sent to legislative
bodies for incorporation? Why is there such an insatiable thirst for
creating funds of immense sums for churches under incorporation acts, if
the clergy of the day did not cherish the most aspiring views, and did
not wish to acquire a spiritual dominion blended with civil power?"
(1853, 24.) It was in keeping with these views on general funds when
Tennessee, in 1841, resolved not to participate in the Lutheran
centenary jubilee advocated by the General Synod, also for the reason
that they were opposed to the plan of collecting $150,000 as an
endowment fund for its literary and other institutions. (15.)

122. Doctrinal Peculiarities.--Evidently at the time of its
organization, the views prevailing in the Tennessee Synod concerning
"The Last Things" were not as yet sufficiently clarified. They believed
that by the organization of the General Synod the way was prepared for
"the great falling away," spoken of in the Bible, when "the
_ Antichrist_ prophesied 2 Thess. 2 would set himself in the temple of
God." In the "Conclusion" of his "Objections" to the constitution of the
General Synod, David Henkel said: "We do not expect finally to prevent
the establishment of this General Synod by publishing our objections,
because we believe, agreeably to the divine predictions, that the