# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1896_S5
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1896. 5

Doctrinal Proceedings.

Church Practice.
Presenter: Prof. A. L. Gräbner.

The subject which is laid before the Synodical Conference [*Synodalconferenz*] for discussion this time is church practice. It is surely worth the effort, indeed it is surely necessary, that we as a Synodical Conference should for once deal with this subject in its connections. Unity in doctrine is certainly the first and chief matter which a church body has to strive for where it does not yet have it, and to preserve faithfully where God has given it to it. To us God has now shown the great grace that He has given us the chief matter, unity in the truth, in the doctrine of the Word of God, the rare grace that in our orthodox American Lutheran Church the pure, clear Word of God has now for more than half a century been taught, heard and believed. But however much it must matter to us to preserve this jewel, and however terrible the responsibility that would await us if we lost this jewel through our own fault, we must nevertheless guard against supposing that when doctrine is right and pure in our pulpits, in our schools, in our church papers, in our synodical assemblies, then everything has been done that could be done, then we would have everything that we ought to have. We know of a congregation to which an apostle wrote, from the Holy Spirit, as follows: "I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God which is given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you are made rich through Him, in all doctrine and in all knowledge, as indeed the preaching of Christ has become powerful in you, so that you lack no gift, and wait only for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 1. But to the same congregation the same apostle says from the same Holy Spirit: "Your boasting is not good." It was matters of practice on account of which it has been said, for all times until the Last Day, of the whole congregation: "Your boasting is not good." And so it can happen today also that a synod, or a circle of synods, such as the Synodical Conference, is rich in everything, in all doctrine and in all knowledge, and lacks no gift in anything, and yet comes to the point that it must be said of it: "Your boasting is not good."

Precisely in our days the danger is great that it might come to this with us also. It is true, as long as pure doctrine on the