# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1877_S33
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 33 —

error, since Scripture shows that John's baptism was the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and Christ instituted no other baptism.

But heresy is not yet when someone once departs from a clear word of Scripture; rather he is a heretic who, on contradicting clear teachings, has been admonished repeatedly and again and again and convinced, and nevertheless persists in his error.

Yet one should of course also fight, for example, against one who holds John's baptism to be a mere outward ceremony; for differences of such kind can become very dangerous. And it is certain that one who, when his attention is drawn to the clear words of Scripture, then says: Oh, what does it matter to me what Luke says! — that such a one is then no longer to be counted among those who err from weakness; for here there plainly emerges a foundation-overturning error against the inspiration of Holy Scripture.

One will also certainly speak very earnestly to the conscience of one who denies the complete annihilation of the world, since Scripture in its whole manner of expression about the end of the world plainly teaches that the world will pass away entirely.

The principle stated here is also not to be applied to such teachings as seem harmless but nevertheless in their deepest ground undermine the foundation of faith. Thus in Germany people cry out about our intolerance with regard to the doctrine of ordination. They think it quite a matter of indifference whether one regards ordination as a divine or human institution, and cannot understand at all that we say it was not instituted by God, and yet on the other hand hold so strictly to it. But the error in this point is not so harmless as it seems. If I hold ordination to be a divine institution, it follows that, if a non-ordained person administers the means of grace, these are then not effective and valid. How uncertain I become then about absolution, since I can never know whether a rightly ordained man is giving it to me.

On this occasion the question was raised how to behave in differences over marriage with a deceased wife's sister [*Schwägerin⸗Ehe*]. But since the matter is of such exceedingly great importance and of grave consequences, the Conference thought it better to draw up special theses on it, in order, if possible, to achieve unity on this point. At the same time it was reported that a question on precisely this had been submitted and that the committee concerned could present suitable proposals to the Conference.

Thereupon the following casuistic case came up: In a congregation, when the church was built, the altar was placed in the west instead of the east. This offends a member who lives near the church so much that he goes to a Lutheran church 5 miles away, where the altar happens to be in the east