# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S1158
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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614 INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS

Issues Raised by “A Statement”
(Memorial 618)

Wuereas, The resolution to adopt the five doctrinal statements
found on pages 401 and 402 of the 1947 Reports and Memorials was
ruled out of order by the chairman, because he held that such
resolution conflicted with a previous resolution of the Chicago
convention to study the questions at issue (cf. Proceedings, 1947,
_p. 523); and

Waereas, This ruling of the chairman, sustained by the con-
vention, can only mean that until a study of these matters has been
completed, Synod does not know what God actually teaches on
these five points; and

Wuereas, Such action is a suspension of the Scriptural position
consistently held by Synod and a deplorable failure to confess the
truth of God; and

Wuereas, Synod, being a confessional fellowship, at all times
owes to its member congregations and its individual members a
clear and unmistakable definition of its doctrinal position and con-
fession; and .

Wuereas, The Preface of the Book of Concord specifically warns
that “The result of these things, at length, is that the pure doc-
trine is obscured and lost, and nothing is transmitted to posterity
except academical opinions and suspensions of judgment” (Tri-
glotta, p. 23); now therefore be it

* Resolved, That we petition our sister congregations in conven-
tion assembled at Milwaukee to adopt the five doctrinal statements
found on pages 401 and 402 of the 1947 Reports and Memorials,
to wit:

“1. In conformity with its position on church fellowship ex-
pressed in A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Evan-
gelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, para-
graphs 28 and 29, Synod rejects as antiscriptural any assertion that
there are details of doctrine which are not divisive of church fel-
lowship though they conflict with or add to the teachings of
Scripture and are persistently advocated. \

“2. In conformity with its position on unionism, which is de-
fined in Paragraph 28 of the Brief Statement as ‘church fellowship
with the adherents of false doctrine,’ Synod rejects as untenable
any opinion that unionism does not take place unless those who

_ participate in joint religious work or worship with persistent error-

ists explicitly deny the truth or approve of error by positive word
or action, because such an opinion disregards the Scriptural truth

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INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 615

at . 2 . ith
aoe this teaching that every act of church fellowship wi
etistent adherents of false doctrine is in itself forbidden by

See pecause the Scriptural principles governing church fellow-
chi govern also public prayer and prayer fellowship, Synod rejects
ay assertion which condones public joint prayer with Christians
who persistently advocate false doctrine.

“4, Synod holds that the errors referred to in points 1, 2, and 3,
if persistently advocated, are divisive of church fellowship. Rom.
16:17-18; Titus 3:10; Matt. 7:15.

“s Since every doctrine or teaching of Holy Scripture is clearly
and directly taught in a specific passage or passages, Synod holds
that to be ‘apt to teach’ within Synod one must be able to expound
the Scriptural teaching which prohibits church fellowship with all
persistent errorists, Christian or non-Christian, on the basis of
such passages as directly forbid such fellowship.

(Signed) (Rev.) W. F. Roxr, St. James, Minn.

Signature attested by (Rev.) H. D. MENsING
Tinley Park, Ill, April 5, 1950

Issues Raised by “A Statement” — President to Exercise
Doctrinal Discipline
(Memorial 619)

Wuereas, The “Agreement” entered into by the President of
Synod with the signers of “A Statement” has had the effect of
keeping those who still uphold the former official doctrinal posi-
tion of Synod busy studying and correcting the material submitted
by the President, while the signers of “A Statement,” unhindered
by the officials of Synod, continue to uphold and carry out the
unscriptural principles advocated by “A Statement”; and

Wuereas, The President of Synod has again and again appointed
to key positions in Synod those who uphold the unscriptural prin-
ciples of “A Statement”; now therefore be it

Resolved, That we petition Synod to put an end to this in-
tolerable situation and to state in plain and unequivocal words
what it regards as the teaching of Scripture in the issues raised
by “A Statement”; and be it furthermore

Resolved, ‘That we petition Synod to declare that it will not
tolerate the contrary teaching and practice in its midst; and be
it furthermore .

Resolved, That we petition Synod to remind all synodical

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