# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1888_S34
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

34 Proceedings of the twelfth convention

ever greater conscientiousness, and our readers must be guided to seek in our publications not interesting spiritual entertainment reading but nothing other than purity, thoroughness and decisiveness in teaching and defending, no whoring with the spirit of the age, no flirting with false doctrine, no respect of persons. Our synodical watchmen, however, our presidents [*Präſides*], must continue to be, not so much watchmen of human orders as rather watchmen over the purity of doctrine and knowledge." (From "Reine Lehre und Erkenntniß eine freie Gabe der göttlichen Gnade" [Pure Doctrine and Knowledge a Free Gift of God's Grace], sermon on 1 Cor. 1:4–5.)

If we want to preserve the unity in faith, we may of course give up no part of the revealed doctrine. But now it is further well to note that the Apostle says, Eph. 1:3 [sic]: "Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." The unity in the Spirit can be preserved only by the bond of peace. If those who stand in unity of faith are not truly peaceable but quarrelsome in disposition, if they do not let love prevail in everything that does not concern the faith, the unity in faith will not last long. Luther: "Where love is not, doctrine too cannot remain pure." In what chiefly shall love prove itself? We are not to quarrel about words. This admonition of the Apostle is much misused in our time. People call it quarreling about words when we want to hold fast to all words of God. In this sense we are willing to quarrel about words, so that our Savior may some day give us the praise that we held his Word high. But we do not want to contend about things that are not required in God's Word and are in so far matters of indifference.

Further, when we have to criticize one another, we want not to do so in a wounding manner. Faithfulness to God's Word can very well be combined with loving consideration. If we practice loving criticism of one another, then by God's grace this will be a means of preserving the unity of faith. If we practice criticism of one another in a wounding, inconsiderate manner, then this will be a means of destroying our unity in faith. Church history supplies proofs enough that heresies were raised up by those who were at first only personally embittered. Our flesh is very wicked and the devil is ever intent on making capital out of it. If we have been hurt by a brother and our heart has turned away from him, we are inclined to look for all sorts of things in him, to affirm what he denies, to deny what he affirms. Thus the ground is already prepared for false doctrine and divisions. The Apology says: "Many heresies have grown up from preachers having become embittered against one another."

With all care to avoid offences, these will not wholly fail to come. We all still have the flesh with us. But when offences come, we ought not at once to give room to distrust, but