# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1872_S83
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 83 —

Three virtues are required for unity: first, humility, so that a man does
not stubbornly insist on his own opinion; second, one must have patience
with the failings of others; third, one must show gentleness and not let
oneself become embittered. That preachers be united is a matter of the
highest importance. Luther says: "Unity among preachers is one of the
highest gifts of God." He would not take the Turkish empire itself in
exchange for unity among preachers. Some preachers are, in their
behavior toward others, altogether unbearable; one must simply swallow a
good deal from them if one wants to remain on friendly terms with them;
one simply has to bear their burden. If only for the sake of the
congregations, so as to give them no offense, one should strive to remain
united with one's fellow ministers and to stand in a brotherly relationship
with them. What can one demand of congregations, if preachers cannot
even treat one another as brothers? Would that preachers might preserve
a heartfelt concord among themselves, for God's sake and out of love for
the church, which ought not to be given offense!

It is further stated that a preacher should carry on no "side
occupations." There are all sorts of favorite pursuits. With regard to
these, one should be quite on guard and not give oneself over to them in
such a way that one's office and one's study suffer harm from it — to this
category belong especially profit-making side occupations. If any side
occupation keeps preachers from studying, it is always reprehensible. A
preacher, however, who devotes his time to profitable side occupations
ought rightly to be reproved by his congregation and by his fellow
ministers. The pursuit of such business makes him contemptible in the
eyes of other people. Even farming should be undertaken by a preacher
only as a matter of necessity, if he is dependent on it, at his congregation's
direction, for his livelihood; whoever does it without necessity acts in a
highly reprehensible way. — Rural congregations, for their part, should
also make this as easy as possible for their preachers, by having most of
such business done by the congregation itself on the preacher's behalf.
The brethren, however, should consider that their time and their strength
belong first of all to their congregations and to their congregation's school
and its children. Some deprive their teaching office of time and strength
by giving too many private lessons. It is said that some teachers, even
before the start of their school day, give private lessons instead of
preparing for the lessons they are to teach.

Truly an evil also is the doctoring and quackery practiced by some
preachers and teachers, and naturally also by congregation members who
are not physicians — especially when they take money for it. In general,
our forefathers always understood "pursuing a worldly trade for
disgraceful gain" to mean engaging in worldly trade when profit is sought
by it without necessity.

So that the blessing that has come to us not be buried, no reckless
"change of office" should be undertaken either. That alone is