# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1876_S11
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 11 —

The *Synodalconferenz* [Synodical Conference] has taken this seriously too. Cases were mentioned in which certain congregations that stood right in the confession but bore a false name were nevertheless turned away, although they applied most urgently for admission into the synodical body, until they had made the necessary change of name. Even if the church property should really be at stake, one should rather let it go than the confession of the truth. And what an offence the admission of such a congregation, Unionist in name, would give to every orthodox synod!

The final unanimous declaration of the Synodical Conference on this point reads: It is wrong that a congregation be received into the body of a synod belonging to the Synodical Conference which will not bear the name of an Evangelical Lutheran congregation, although it otherwise has the Lutheran doctrine.

Let us now turn again to the proof of our thesis. According to God's Word the Church shall be united in faith. There can be no doubt of that. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 1:10: "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our LORD Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." Eph. 4:5 says: "One faith." The Acts of the Apostles writes of the believers: "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul" (chap. 4:32). Scripture also punishes quite decisively when a congregation does not have such unity, for example the congregation at Pergamos, which tolerated among itself those who held the doctrine of Balaam and of the Nicolaitans.

Let no one say: Of course, such doctrines one may not have, but others are permitted. No, all errors are something terrible and a hideous sin, indeed, if wilfully held fast, a battle against God. Whatever kind of error it may be, it shall not be tolerated in a Christian congregation. That is therefore a Unionist congregation in which the heterodox person has the right of membership. This right he does not have in our congregations. It may well happen that there are some among us who, from lack of knowledge, do not stand right in the doctrine, or have obscure and confused notions in some doctrinal points, but who, as soon as they are rightly instructed, accept it gladly. It is different, however, when a Zwinglian comes to us who wants to remain Reformed. If a congregation receives such a one, it acts ungodly, for it releases the man from obedience to the divine Word. There is no word in human language to express how dreadful it is to say: God has indeed given his Word, that we should accept and believe it, but here with us dispensation is made from it, here you may act against God's Word. In our sad time one finds this, alas,