# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1850_S138
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 138 —

2. "How does the pastor deal with congregation members who, for
some insufficient reason, are prejudiced against the preacher's person
and therefore take no part in worship services,
but otherwise punctually satisfy the requirements of the congregational
order?" The conference answers: that in such cases the persons
concerned are first to be instructed and admonished privately by the pastor,
but if they nevertheless persist in their unchristian conduct,
they are to be excluded from the congregation as unrepentant, after the
prescribed stages of admonition have been applied.

3. the conference discussed the following question: "How does the pastor exercise
the evangelical office of discipline in unruly congregations, when he wishes to keep his conscience
free and yet, as far as can humanly be foreseen, not
scatter the congregation?" and answered: that the public ban, under
Article IX of the Smalcald Articles, need not necessarily be exercised
when there is just cause to fear that the congregation would thereby be
destroyed. In all cases, however, and under all circumstances, it is
nonetheless the pastor's duty, according to Matthew 7:6, not to cast the holy thing before
swine, and therefore to turn away impenitent sinners from Holy Communion
after prior fruitless admonition, and otherwise
always to exercise, faithfully and fearlessly, the office of warning according to Ezekiel 33:6–9.

4. the conference answers the question: "On which passages of Holy
Scripture can and should one base oneself, when the godparent's answer
'in place of, and out of the soul of, the child being baptized' is attacked?" —
to the effect that, while no particular Bible passages can be cited on this point, this
practice nonetheless rests especially on the fact that, a., the Church is, according to
God's Word, firmly assured of the faith of children, and that, b., Holy
Scripture expressly requires an oral confession of faith. Regarding the latter
point, reference is made especially to the story of
Philip and the eunuch, at whose baptism the former expressly required a confession, and to the following Scripture passages: Psalm 116:10: "I believe,
therefore I speak." Matthew 10:32: "Whoever confesses me," etc. Romans 10:10:
"For with the mouth one confesses," etc.

5. The conference spoke of the lack of a work — the need for which becomes quite
apparent in confirmation instruction — in which the
principal false doctrines of the sects here would be briefly set out and refuted,
and resolved to undertake the composition of such a work, though only for its own
use. As the main sects were then distributed among the
conference members for particular attention in preparing this work, it was
further resolved to strive especially for brevity and to take
Graul's exposition as a model, as well as to follow
the order of the Small Catechism. The work is to be
presented at the next conference.

6. the conference gave closer attention to the private study that, according to Paul's
exhortation, is necessary for every preacher, and made it the duty of each of
its members to diligently pursue, above all, the study of Holy Scripture, both for
their own edification and for instruction for their office.
All members also agreed that the study of the symbolical
books must be earnestly recommended, both with regard to the wholesome
doctrines contained in them and with regard to the appropriation and use of the
churchly language employed in them.