# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S1140
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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580 INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS

Church — Missouri Synod, which confession in, i
with the Constitution of the Missouri Synod, art snd Sec ecb
sents the true saving doctrine of God's Word, but also in “defn,
unmistakable language points out and rejects all errors c te
to the true doctrine; and onirary
Wuereas, No reference is made in the “Common Confession”
Scriptural lodge practice and doctrinal discipline; therefore ‘i .
Resolved, i

. 1. That The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod declare th
‘Common Confession” inadequate as a true confession of the d °
trines of Holy Scripture; ne
2. That this “Common Confession” be referred back to th
Committee of Doctrinal Unity for the purpose of including definite
antitheses, rejecting specific errors with reference to election and
conversion; (such as election in view of faith, contrary to Acts
13:48; Rom. 8:28-30, failure to distinguish between God’s eternal
decree of election and the universal plan of salvation, etc.); th
Scriptural distinction between the invisible Church and Visible
church groups; and include the demands of God’s Word. which
eaches us to avoid religio i i i
teach false doce gious fellowship with such as continue to
3. That in the revision of the “Common Confession” the cor-
rect teaching of Rom. 16:17, as stated in Synod’s Constitution (Art.
III, Sec. 1) and as stated in the Brief Statement, Par. 28, be main-
tained as part of the “Common Confession”; and be it further
Resolved, ;

_ 1. That among the congregations of the Missouri Synod, Synod
insist on practice in conformity with Rom. 16:17 and permit no fel-
lowship with adherents of false doctrine, be it even in detail of
doctrine, and to deal with such as persist in unionism according
to Art. XIII, Sec.1, of Synod’s Constitution;

2. That no fellowship can be maintained with.the American
Lutheran Church as long as specific errors, taught heretofore, are
not repudiated, and as long as the American Lutheran Church re-
tains membership in the National Lutheran Council and tolerates
religious fellowship contrary to.the demand of God's Word, as
stated in Rom.16:17 and in the Constitution of ‘The Lutheran’
Church — Missouri Synod in Art. VI, Sec. 2, and as long as Scrip-
tural lodge practice and doctrinal discipline are not put into effect.

E. A. Laass G. H. Naumann
Pau. G. Kocu A. V. Kuster
Watrer M. Ave-Lattemant M. F. KRerzMANN
_ Pau L. Krerzmann
Plymouth, Ind., March 23, 1950 _

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 581

Decline the “Common Confession” of Faith as Basis
for Fellowship
(Memorial 605)

The document beginning with the words “This common con-
fession of faith” and submitted to the synods by the two commit-
tees, The Committee on Doctrinal Unity of The Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod and The Committee on Fellowship of the American
Lutheran Church, shall be called in this memorial This Common
Confession of Faith according to its first five words as quoted above.

The writing of the Formula of Concord had the aim and the
purpose to cover and allay matters in controversy throughout some
thirty years. Procedure for the document This Common Confession
of Faith should have been as at that time, in this way, that every
teaching called into question between the two church bodies or
the one-time individual synods be stated in simple words, if true,
and if in error be noted as false. This is not doctrinalism, or love-
lessness, or the spirit of separatism, but the duty and obligation of
parties concerned for the truth and with love for all mankind.

Thus it was done openly, frankly, and candidly in the writing
of the Formula of Concord according to the following excerpts
taken from the Formula of Concord:

Triglotta: Page 837, 22: “This is the brief and simple explana-
tion of the controverted articles, which for a time have been
debated and taught controversially among theologians of the Augs-
burg Confession. Hence every simple Christian, according to the
guidance of God’s Word, and his simple Catechism, can perceive
what is right or wrong, since not only the pure doctrine has been
stated, but also the erroneous contrary doctrine has been re-
pudiated and rejected, and thus offensive divisions that have
occurred are thoroughly settled (and decided).”

Triglotta: Page 1095, 94—-95: “So much concerning the contro-
verted articles which have been discussed for many years already
among the theologians of the Augsburg Confession, in which some
have erred and severe controversiae (controversies), that is, reli-
gious disputes, have arisen. From this our explanation, friends
and enemies, and therefore every one, may clearly infer that we
have no intention of yielding aught of the eternal, immutable truth
of God for the sake of temporal peace, tranquillity, and unity

(which, moreover, is not in our power to do). Nor would such
peace and unity, since it is devised against the truth and for its
suppression, have any permanency. Still less are we inclined to
adorn and conceal a corruption of the pure doctrine and manifest,
condemned errors. But we entertain heartfelt pleasure and love
for, and are on our part sincerely inclined and anxious to advance,
that unity according to our utmost power, by which His glory