# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1956_S540
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

540 INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS
may have written them, or even now may be disposed to defend
them, might be exposed, distinctly repudiated, so that everyone
may be faithfully warned against the errors which are spread
here and there in the writings of some theologians, and no one
be misled in this matter by the reputation (authority) of any man”
(Formula of Concord, Concordia Triglotta, p. 857), and that this be
done “for the purpose of avoiding offense, without long and dan-
8erous digressions,” as the Preface to the Book of Concord states
(Concordia Triglotta, p. 25).

We hold, furthermore, that Synod has promised its member
congregations to follow the procedure indicated in God’s Word
and in the Lutheran Confessions to which it has pledged itself,
so that the following description of an orthodox church body be
and remain at all times a true and factual description of The
Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod: “We Missourians only then
consider a church body, as a body, as orthodox when the pure
doctrine is proclaimed from all pulpits and professors’ chairs and
in all writings that become public within the communion, and
when on the other hand every erroneous teaching is stopped
in the manner directed by God as soon as it makes its appearance.
We Missourians must and will be satisfied to be judged by that
doctrine which is held by our individual pastors, whether it be
in San Francisco or New York, St. Paul or New Orleans, whether
they be published officially or unofficially. If it were shown us
that even only one periodical were in the service of false doctrine
and we would not put a stop to this false doctrine, then we
would thereby have ceased being an orthodox synod, and we
would have become a unionistic fellowship. In short, it is the
earmark of an orthodox fellowship that throughout it only the
pure doctrine is not only officially recognized but actually also
prevails. It is on this that our whole church practice rests... .
Perhaps the reporter will say, these are utopian ideas regarding
doctrinal unity; such unity is impossible. Such unity can of
course by the grace of God be maintained only when doctrine is
diligently and unceasingly studied at pastoral conferences and at
synodical gatherings and when doubts or differences of opinion
which may arise are subjected to the light of God’s Word and
removed.” (Lehre und Wehre, a publication of the Missouri Synod,
Vol. 36, pp. 262ff.)

Since the synod to which our congregation belongs, and which
holds nothing more than an advisory position toward its sovereign
congregations, has asked that it be judged on the basis of the
above quotations from the Bible and from our confessional and
synodical writings, we have done that. For more than a decade

thi
thi
it

no
sel

ge
ce.
ce

Gx
pu
an
ag

Sy
sp

th
wl
to

th

fe
Ci

tr
st

Pl

ax
01
tr
01

,

fe
fr

Sa Amie mreeM te

Phgrpnemsnmaarrtate

Lee eAOAR RENE OMAN cee Rah iN HCO ER et apt sea

Pe MR IN REE

NEY: On Rates rH pm My