# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1849_S91
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 91 —

it is indeed true that church tradition bears witness to and testifies
to the authenticity of the Scripture of the Old and New Testaments; but no less
true is it that Holy Scripture judges and rules over all tradition, and not
the reverse, tradition over Scripture; — and it is certain that the
divine credibility of Holy Scripture does not depend on tradition,
but rests on its own internal and external proofs of its
divinity.

The conference asks whether something could not be done to bring the
various synods of the Lutheran Church (naturally on the basis of doctrine) closer
to one another — and holds that 1. a gentler polemic, 2. the distribution
of suitable writings, 3. perhaps a colloquy, 4. friendly courtesy
in personal dealings, etc., might be suitable means to that end.

To this the Synod remarks that it is not aware of having failed, in its
polemic against other Lutheran synods of this country or their members, to
keep the commandment of Christian love — and that only so far may
everything that could increase the opponents' bitterness be avoided
as can be done without harm to the truth. It also believes it has
cause to doubt that the hostility of the synods in question stems merely
from ignorance, since the confessional writings of the
Lutheran Church are in part in their hands or at least within their reach —
and since, among others, those synods that form the so-called General
Synod have publicly and officially declared that they do not accept the unaltered
Augsburg Confession in all its articles — and have even sent
a confession over to Germany in which they declare that they
stand on the position of the united churches. — Whether a colloquy
would bring that goal any closer can scarcely be hoped, since church
history shows that such colloquies have almost without exception proven
to be fruitless attempts.

The conference wishes that the Synod would see to it that unbelief
and immorality, particularly in the larger cities, be combated through
smaller publications, and that, if possible, a political newspaper be
founded to counteract the poison scattered abroad in the public German
newspapers.

The Synod intends to give thought to the former; but however desirable
such a good political newspaper might appear to it, it is by no means willing
to take part as the promoter of such a paper — though it is willing to
support one through active participation.

Finally the conference answers the following further questions: whether
Christians may accept the oath formulas customary here? — Answer:
There is no concern in this, since the taking of an oath relates only
to the faith of the one who swears, not to that of the one who
administers the oath, etc. — and finally: whether our confession is the confession
only of a particular church, or of the church universal? — Answer:
In form and origin it is the confession of a particular church, but
in content it is the confession of the church universal.

Division of the conference districts.

1st Dist. St. Louis: Walther, Bünger, Fürbringer, Schieferdecker,
Birkmann, Scholz, Best, Lange, Müller, Kalb, Wege, Fick, Francke, Jo-
hannes, Flessa.

2nd Dist. Chicago: Keyl, Selle, Brauer, Hoffmann.