the North Carolina
Synod ministers put in his appearance, or made any official statement of
their reasons for not attending. Persons who had visited Rev. Stork
quoted him as having said: "Let them [the committee] come to our Synod,
which is the proper place to discuss these points." (R. 1827, 5.)
Stork's remark suggested the arrangement of a second debate in
connection with the prospective meeting of the North Carolina Synod in
St. Paul's Church, Lincoln Co., beginning May 7, 1827. The Tennessee
Report of 1827 records: "On the day appointed [November 4, 1826],
Messrs. Moser and Henkel attended [the meeting at the Organ Church]; but
none of the ministers whom they had invited. Whereupon sundry
respectable members of the Lutheran community [in Lincoln Co.] requested
the committee [of the Tennessee Synod, Moser and Henkel] to renew this
invitation, and to make another appointment. The same request was also
made by the Lutheran Joint Committee of this county [composed of members
of several Lutheran congregations in Lincoln County], at their session
on the 9th of last December [1826]. Accordingly, Messrs. Moser and
Henkel renewed the invitation, and proclaimed another meeting." (25.)
The request of the Lutheran Joint Committee reads as follows: "To
Lutherans. The Lutheran Tennessee Synod had appointed a committee for
the purpose of publicly debating some points of doctrine, which are in
dispute between the aforesaid Synod, and that which is commonly called
the Synod of North Carolina and adjoining States. Some members of the
latter were invited and notified by the committee to attend at Organ
Church, on the 4th ult., for the purpose of reciprocally discussing the
aforesaid points of doctrine. Two of the committee attended, but none of
the ministers of the North Carolina Synod. Whatever reasons they may
have had for not attending, we, the members of several Lutheran
congregations in this county, being assembled and constituting a joint
committee for the purpose of regulating the internal government of the
same, request said committee to proclaim another public meeting at a
convenient place for the aforesaid purpose, and to invite the members
of the North Carolina Synod to attend the same. We also hereby request
the members of the North Carolina Synod to meet the committee [of
Tennessee] in a friendly manner, in order to discuss the doctrines in
dispute." Moser and Henkel responded: "We . . . acquiesce in your
request, and deem