# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1872_S7
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 7 —

despair of all our skill, wisdom and ability and renounce altogether any honor of our own in our work.

And what will, second, each individual synod of our federation do then? Each will then rejoice not so much that it itself, but that Christ's kingdom, receives an increase; and if this happens not through it but through others, it will say with Paul: "What then? Notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." Yes, if the salvation of souls is and remains above all the ultimate purpose of every synod of our federation, then each will even count it a lamentable loss if it indeed were to gain, but Christ were thereby to lose even one soul.

But what influence, third and finally, will it have on our dear congregations and their pastors and on their relationship to one another, if all recognize the salvation of souls as the One ultimate purpose of our common work? Then they will all draw at One yoke as peacefully as eagerly. Let all sorts of disputed questions arise in any case; the question "By what means is the salvation of souls best provided for?" will then always quickly give the right solution. How easily the fluid boundaries of each congregation will then be settled! Then our dear congregations will cry out to one another in all such cases, as Abraham once did to Lot: "Let there be no strife, I pray you, between me and you, and between my herdmen and your herdmen; for we be brethren. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left." Let that by which the most souls are won for Christ decide between us. How far, then, will a congregation and its pastor be from receiving with joy, as welcome deserters, those whom another congregation has placed under holy discipline for the sake of their souls' welfare! How far will we then be from wanting to impose on one another things that are free and that, without harm to salvation, may be one way or another!

In short, as long as our Synodical Conference [*Synodal⸗Conferenz*] makes the salvation of souls the ultimate purpose of its common work, so long will it also say from the heart after John the Baptist: "He must increase, but I must decrease"; and each of our synods, each of our congregations and each of our pastors will act on the principle of the holy Paul: "Though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." And so the poisonous worm of self-seeking will never gnaw at the tree of our union, and the Lord who planted it will let it blossom joyfully, grow and thrive, and bring forth fruits unto eternal life for many.