# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1873_S11
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 11 —

...church [continuing "Particularkirche" from the foot of the previous page], know how to value rightly the importance of our present doctrine of the Church: that of the pure doctrine, that the Church in the proper sense of the word has its members among all Christian denominations. And we should now also pursue this doctrine diligently in our congregations, not only because some will not concede that, for example, even in the so-called Catholic Church, on account of the children of God hidden in it, the Church truly exists, but generally because, when we bear witness in full earnest against each and every false doctrine, wherever it may be found, we learn to understand more and more that we abhor an exclusiveness [*Excluſivität*] by which all members of other communions would be condemned, and that our dear parishioners thus acquire, in the right sense, a truly wide heart.

On the first thesis: One must note here the contrast that a person may well belong to the Lutheran Church outwardly, as indeed many belong to it only in this way, because outwardly one makes its confession one's own, yet without any inner connection with true Lutherans, because the true, justifying and saving faith is lacking. That this faith, and this alone, conditions the inner church fellowship is stated, among many others, by the following

Testimony:

Baier: "The form of the Church (what makes the Church the Church) consists in the union of the truly believing and holy with Christ through true and living faith. This (union) is not an outward and local (union) of bodies, but an inward and spiritual bond of souls. For although the believers also hold local holy assemblies, these are nevertheless not essential to the Church." (Compend. III, 13, 9.)

Baier testifies here that what is essentially necessary for Christian and also for Lutheran inner fellowship, what binds Christians with Christ, Christ with Christians, and so also Christians with one another inwardly, is faith. And indeed faith is the only inner bond of fellowship. Apart from it there is no second, as for instance Delitzsch posits, as such a second, the baptismal grace once obtained, even if afterward forfeited again. We should and will maintain that only those are Christians, and therefore also only those can be true Lutheran Christians, who stand in justifying faith. The only inner bond of fellowship is this faith; for where it is lacking, no inner fellowship with the Church of God takes place; where this bond is torn, no second holds it together any longer. So the Lord Christ says in His high-priestly prayer, expressly to His heavenly Father, John 17:20, 21: "I pray not