# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1873_S9
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 9 —

in America things now stand, God be thanked, somewhat differently and better. Yet we know only too well, unfortunately, how hostile the General Synod is toward the confession of the Lutheran Church, and how, on the other hand, the General Council shows no honest earnestness with regard to Lutheran doctrine and sound church practice. As for ourselves, the faithful God has given us grace that we are in real earnest about our work in God's Church. We do not want merely to confess the old truth of the divine Word with the mouth, nor to use the confession of the Lutheran Church as a mere signboard. But we ought now, ever more, to be in earnest about right practice as well, so far as that is not already being done. The theses and their discussion are to stir us powerfully to this. In doing so we keep our eye solely on our own circumstances here, even if individual cases from other regions of the Church may be cited by way of example.

While the immediate purpose of the "Preliminary Remark" is, to be sure, merely to determine more exactly in what sense of the word "church fellowship" the theses treat it, we may well take occasion from the explanation given there of the wider meaning of the term to emphasize anew that, although the enthusiasts [*Schwärmer*, fanatics] and all who hold false belief are, as such, certainly not the Church of God, nevertheless the Lord has His children, His Church, everywhere that God's Word is still essentially present and parts of the saving doctrine are current. For believers are there, because the Word of God, so far as it is still there, always and everywhere has its begetting power to bring forth anew and so to awaken faith, in spite of all the harm to be found in such church fellowship. For the sake of the believing children of God thus hidden in it, this fellowship is also still rightly called "church." These communions also confess the Apostolic Symbol [Creed]. But this is the Church's answer to the pure preaching of the divine Word. Whoever still confesses this Symbol belongs to the visible Church in the widest sense of the word: to the company of the called. — As proof that the Lord has His Church wherever God's Word is still essentially present, the following two

Testimonies

serve:

Luther: "Therefore the Church is holy everywhere, even in the places where the enthusiasts and factious spirits rule, provided they do not altogether deny and reject the Word and Sacrament. For those who deny these things entirely and completely are no Church any more. But where Word and Sacrament remain essentially, there also remains a holy Church, and it matters not that the Antichrist also rules there, who sits not in a devil's stable, nor in a pigsty, nor in an unbelieving mob, but in the most noble and holiest place, namely in the temple of God, 2 Thess. 2:4.