# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1875_S26
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 26 —

gregation, what matters is that I not be forced thereby to take part in a sinful thing. There are indeed congregations with an orthodox confession in which the practice does not yet agree with it, in which case the call may well be accepted. Something quite different it is with actually united [unirten] congregations, where church fellowship with those of false belief is demanded of the preacher and thereby the false practice is raised to a confession; there a Lutheran preacher cannot accept the call. It may be that a calling congregation does not yet want the right thing at all; then the preacher is just called to convert the people, and by accepting the call he does not share in their unconverted state. But if the congregation stands in fellowship with those of false belief and the pastor, by accepting the call, must enter the synod of false belief, then he indeed takes part in the unionism of his congregation. And if one wished to say that a congregation might well stand right in doctrine and confession and yet belong as a member to a church-mixing synod, but from lack of understanding not see how this its practice contradicts its confession, the reply is: It is not true that such a congregation stands right; rather it is actually united. A confession of the mouth is worth nothing at all if the confession in deed does not accompany it. It is a great difference, to enter a united fellowship and to have to leave it. The first must not happen at all; in the latter case, depending on circumstances, a shorter or longer remaining for the purpose of testimony against the error may be necessary.

It is of the greatest importance that we be consistent in carrying out our principles. If we wanted to assert that the so-called Lutherans in the Union are true Lutherans, the Synodical Conference [*Synodalconferenz*] would give great offense to the faithful Lutherans who look to us as representatives of true Lutheranism. But someone might object: The Lutherans in the German Union themselves say: We are united, whereas the General Council calls itself Lutheran. To this it is to be answered: The former are still honest, but the Council calls itself Lutheran and is yet in truth nothing other than united.

After adoption of the eighth thesis, the ninth thesis was taken up for discussion, which reads:

Thesis 9.

This contradiction occurs further when, as before, members of their congregations are also members of the secret societies, and the pastors concerned neither raise a thorough public testimony in the sermon against these societies and bring their contrariness to Scripture and faith into clear light, nor take the individual lodge brothers into special pastoral instruction and care.