# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1888_S26
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

26 Proceedings of the twelfth convention

— including the weak in doctrine — is to be borne with. The bearing, however, takes place in such a way that one does not heartlessly cast them off and at once declare them non-Christians, but seeks to instruct them from God's Word in love and patience — not in such a way that one declares their error to be truth or a matter of indifference. That would indeed confuse the confused consciences still more. Let us pay close heed to Scripture! In Scripture we are often admonished to bear with the weak. But it is never said that we should tolerate errors in doctrine. On the contrary it says: "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." As for the heterodox communions in particular, they do not confront us as weak ones but as communions that hold fast to error against the public testimony of the truth and have separated themselves from the orthodox church.

Finally it is said that the demand for agreement in all articles of doctrine cannot be according to God's will, because the splintering of the church is the inevitable consequence of this demand. Our answer is: The outward splintering of the church is surely not the fault of those who, at God's command, assert the whole Word of God, but the fault of those who, against God's command, will not accept this Word. The accusation that those who press for acceptance of the whole teaching of Scripture are disturbers of the peace is as senseless as if our anarchists were to accuse of disturbing the peace those who will not allow them to violate the existing laws at will. In the church of God things are to go "according to the law and the testimony," that is, according to the revealed Word of God. God's Word is the imperial law of the Christian church. And those are the authors of the splintering who will not let the imperial law hold in its whole extent but intend to overthrow it at least in some parts. Whom does God's Word call disturbers of the peace? Not those who hold to the Word, but those who do not remain with the revealed doctrine. Rom. 16:17: "Mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned." According to Scripture, then, those who lead a doctrine other than the pure doctrine of God's Word are the people who cause division and offence in the church.

Some words of Luther may here find a place at the close, in which Luther insists that the church, because it is not mistress but only steward over the Word of God (Rom. 3:2), can surrender nothing of it or declare it indifferent. Luther: "The doctrine is not ours, but God's it is, who has called us only as servants and attendants over it; therefore we neither should nor can give away or let go the very least jot or letter of it." (On Gal. 5:9.)