# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1892_S35
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1892. 35

to work the coming and the faith, but that does not make the matter more explicable. For the question arises: Why do some come and others not? On this the

Formula of Concord [*Concordienformel*] II, page 716 (57), says: "Likewise, when we see that God gives his Word in one place and not in another, takes it away from one place and lets it remain in another. Likewise, one is hardened, blinded, given over to a perverse mind, another, equally guilty, is converted again, etc. In these and similar questions Paul sets us a certain goal, how far we are to go, namely that in one part we are to recognize God's judgment. For they are well-deserved punishments of sins when God punishes the contempt of his Word in a land or people in such a way that it goes on to the descendants, as may be seen in the Jews; thereby God shows his own, in certain lands and persons, his seriousness, what we all would well have deserved, would be worthy and deserving of, since we behave badly toward God's Word and often grievously grieve the Holy Spirit; so that we may live in the fear of God, and recognize and praise God's goodness, without and contrary to our merit, in us and with us, to whom he gives and leaves his Word, whom he does not harden and reject.

"For since our nature is corrupted by sin and worthy and guilty of God's wrath and damnation, God owes us neither Word, Spirit nor grace, and when he gives it out of grace, we often thrust it from us and make ourselves unworthy of eternal life. Acts 13. And such his just, well-deserved judgment he lets be seen in certain lands, peoples and persons, so that we, when we are held against them and compared with them, may learn all the more diligently to recognize and praise God's pure, undeserved grace in the vessels of mercy.

"For those are not wronged who are punished and receive the wages of their sins; but in the others, where God gives and maintains his Word and through it people are enlightened, converted and preserved, God praises his pure grace and mercy without their merit.

"When we go thus far in this article, we remain on the right path, as it is written in Hosea 13: Israel, that you perish, the guilt is yours; but that you are helped is purely my grace.

"But what in this disputation wants to run too high and out of these bounds, there we should with Paul lay the finger on the mouth, think and say: Who are you, O man, that you would contend with God?"

From of old there have been people in the Church who would recognize no mystery in this but have explained the matter rationally, at least as far as those come into consideration who stand under the sound of the Gospel; admittedly at the expense of the truth. Some say that God does not will to give those who are lost faith and the gift of the