# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1874_S45
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 45 —
confesses the Augsburg Confession without reservation, he is admitted to the colloquium; to ask for anything further is not our business. Of course we must not forget that here it is a matter, first of all, only of a formal acknowledgment.

As to the second point, the question was raised: what different meaning does the word "without reservation" have in the first and the second point of the proposal? To this it was answered: in the first point we speak only of individual persons; these can personally confess the Augsburg Confession without reservation, although their synods do not do so. We wish to come to an understanding with individual men who mean it honestly, but perhaps nevertheless are still stuck in many kinds of errors.

Against the third point objection was raised by a few members of the Synodical Conference [*Synodalconferenz*], because they thought that the Synodical Conference would only compromise itself by adopting this point. For the third point the following substitute was therefore proposed: "The Synodical Conference appoints a committee of three persons to negotiate, with the committees which may have been or are to be appointed for this by other church bodies, about the necessary preparations for the proposed conference."

In favor of this substitute it was said that it is not to be seen why one should not take part in such a simple business committee. Perhaps because a churchly recognition might be inferred from it? With much more right the acceptance of the invitation itself could then be interpreted as a churchly recognition! Against this it was repeated that by appointing a co-arranging committee we should, for example, make the already censured false position which the Council has taken toward the General Synod in this matter our own, and, if as a consequence offenses, more discord than peace, and the like should arise, load a grave complicity upon ourselves. For a right appreciation of the third point, moreover, the fourth point must be taken with it. Time and place may be left to the others without being unfair. That requires no special expenditure of time or money. For that, therefore, quite apart from everything else, it is not at all necessary to appoint a mixed committee. But to give to a committee elected by ourselves authority to settle more than that would hardly be advisable. Or may the participants let their hands be tied beforehand? So the substitute for point 3 was rejected, and all four points were adopted unchanged in the above wording by a majority of votes.

Finally it was further resolved that what had been adopted on this subject, officially certified by the president and the secretary of the Synodical Conference, be sent to the corresponding secretary of the General Council.