# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1875_S13
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 13 —

named and in the midst of the true Lutheran church. Tilemann Heshusius writes: "If it happens that other people who do not belong to our parish are sitting under the antichristian papacy or under false teachers, such as Calvinists, Synergists, Majorists, Adiaphorists, Schwenkfeldians, from whom a Christian must guard himself, or are burdened against their conscience by their tyrannical pastor . . . or otherwise need comfort and want to strengthen their conscience by the use of the sacraments, desire our service and seek the sacraments from us, then in such and similar cases it is free for us preachers to impart the sacraments to any person, whether he comes from the rising or the setting of the sun (provided he repents rightly and believes the Gospel), by virtue of the saying John 16: 'The Holy Spirit will punish the world,' that is, the kingdom of Christ and the holy preaching office extend over the whole circle of the world and are bound to no place, person or time." (Dedek. Thesaur. II, 438.)

It does not at all rob a truly Lutheran synod of the character of orthodoxy if practice contradicting the confession still shows itself in its midst, provided it grants such practice no justification or toleration, but, as soon as such practice comes to its knowledge, proceeds against it with earnest discipline according to God's Word. Quite otherwise, however, it stands, for example, with the General Council. In it false doctrine and practice, pulpit exchange with those of false belief, altar fellowship with the erring, and the godless lodge system are not only tolerated but even taken under protection, and faithfully Lutheran congregations are destroyed. This happens also in the individual synods of the General Council; for example, the New York Ministerium, as such, tolerates false practice; no doctrinal discipline is exercised, no testimony is given against the secret societies, and even if some witnesses rise against it, they cannot get through. This makes our position difficult and undermines our congregations. Of the Michigan Synod too it was testified that it exercises no doctrinal discipline.

To the question whether one can therefore regard the General Council as holding false belief, since it professes our Symbols, the answer was: We do not hold the General Council to be confession-faithful, nor truly Lutheran. The confession serves it as a shop sign. Its practice gives the confession the lie. Anyone who cannot see the theory must convince himself from the practice and the life that such a confession of the mouth is only deception. With such false Lutherans we may not have church fellowship. The position of the General Council is more dangerous than open rejection of the confession and of the theory, as occurs in the General Synod. No one who wants to be Lutheran will go to the General Synod, but the General Council deceives many Lutherans with its confession. With joy greeted