# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1872_S66
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

[p. 66]

—a loving father takes care that his estate remains for his children after his death, so that they do not have to suffer bodily hunger and perish, how much more should we take care for the spiritual welfare of our children and grandchildren! That is indeed the very best inheritance we can leave them: the pure doctrine of the divine Word. — The thesis speaks with full right of great dangers. Regarding the time in which we live it is said [Revelation 12:12]: "Behold, Satan is come down unto you, having great wrath, for he knoweth that he hath but a short time." And: "We have this treasure in earthen vessels" [2 Corinthians 4:7]. We are weak and frail. How easily it could happen that faith dies within us, love grows cold, hope is extinguished. This also makes the danger greater still, because the falling-away can set in suddenly. — One might perhaps think earnest watchfulness not so necessary, because God has given our Synod such splendid gifts, and man is of course inclined to trust in the arm of flesh. One might therefore think: it may well be that this or that individual, or individual congregations, are threatened by the danger, but not the whole Synod as a particular church. There are indeed Lutherans who think that individual congregations could well fall away, but not an entire Lutheran church, basing this on the word: "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." But they fail to distinguish between the visible and the invisible church. To this belongs also the opinion of some in this country that the Lutheran church still has a great future here, that it will yet become the dominant church, fulfilling a great mission in the world. Through its doctrine, its outward organization, its forms of worship, it will draw the people to itself, even out of other churches. But whoever has open eyes can already see now that all such hopes are unfounded, and that rather the opposite is to be expected. We have to contend not only against the papacy, but also against the union among all the sects. And within the Lutheran church itself there will still have to be a hard struggle if the truth is to remain, precisely because the nets are spun so fine. There is *Iowa* [printed "Iowa"] with its open questions, and the whole Church Council. This body has stated, even if not officially, that we Lutherans need only hold to the confessional writings, and that the remaining teachings of the divine Word could not bind us. This is a very fine-spun net for beguiling and catching Christians. — In particular, we ought to reflect deeply on the thought expressed last: "partly from love for our children and descendants." We have indeed made a small beginning toward taking this love into account, but much more must still be done if we are to fulfill our duty. Let us not say: *post nos diluvium* [after us, the flood]. Others will come after us too. All too easily people fall into such selfish thoughts, and in many of our congregations this attitude really shows itself. People think and say: we have, after all, a—