# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1872_S61
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

[p. 61]

—warned them always against pressing their congregations to join the Synod. On the contrary, we have always declared: our coming together in synod is in itself free. We have always advised congregations not to write into their constitution: our congregation shall always remain with the Missouri Synod. We have always said we did not like that; a congregation neither can nor should rely on any synod, not even on the Missouri Synod. We have never said: you must join the Synod, otherwise you do not stand right; rather we have said: examine the matter; if you recognize the benefit of a synodical connection, well then, you are welcome among us. The Synod is a free association, not commanded in God's Word; but we thought: what would become of things here if every congregation and every preacher stood alone? Who, to name only this one thing, would establish institutions for training preachers and schoolteachers? Nonetheless we have held fast to freedom on this point. If a congregation withdraws from our Synod, we therefore do not say: now it is no longer Lutheran. That is why our constitution does not state: everyone must remain in our Synod. Rather, anyone may withdraw on any day, and no one can punish him for it, as one would for something wrong in itself; for belonging to a synod is in itself neither good nor bad. So we have taught from the beginning, and so it shall remain. Woe to us if we should ever try to make a papacy out of our Synod! Congregations are to remain in our Synod only because they themselves recognize: it is beneficial for us to remain in it. We are thereby also outwardly bound together with many brothers in the faith. Much can be accomplished there for the kingdom of God that otherwise could not happen. But we say ourselves: should it ever happen that our Synod adopted false doctrine or unionistic practice, then separate yourselves from it without hesitation. — A factual proof that no compulsion of conscience has been used among us is our providing pastors even to congregations that do not belong to the Synod. To the enemies who cry out: you Missourians are a sect, you condemn everyone who is not Missourian, we can say: you speak against manifest truth. Hundreds of congregations are a factual refutation of you. We give them preachers even though they do not belong to our Synod. — The congregation in St. Louis at first did not want to belong to the Synod, because it feared that through it they might again come under priestcraft [*Pfaffenthum*] and under a "consistory." They were told: indeed, the Synod could become such a consistory. But it does not follow from this that you cannot join it. You are simply to help keep watch that it does not become a consistory. Only if you sleep is there danger.

It was thereupon resolved to add to the words "external political compulsion" the words "or compulsion of conscience."

Regarding the "earthly interest" spoken of in the thesis, it was said: when congregations applied to join—