# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1896_S7
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1896. 7

Theses on Church Practice.

Thesis I.

Church practice is the totality of the functions and institutions which belong to the church's life as such.

Thesis II.

Church practice is partly governed by God's Word and partly left to the free discretion of the Christian congregation.

Thesis III.

Insofar as church practice is governed by God's Word, the unity of the divine norm also requires uniformity of church practice as a divine demand upon the whole Church.

Thesis IV.

Insofar as the disregard of the divine norm in church practice involves an open denial of the truth, the stubborn adherence to practice contrary to Scripture, like adherence to false doctrine, is church-dividing.

Thesis V.

Insofar as church practice is left to the free discretion of the Christian congregation, uniformity of church practice also cannot and may not be made a divine demand upon the Church.

Thesis VI.

Insofar as church life is carried on first of all as the life of the Christian local congregation, the congregation, in its free arrangements regarding church practice, must first take account of its local circumstances and the churchly interests of its members.

Thesis VII.

Insofar as the church life of a congregation and its members also takes shape as a life in fellowship with other congregations and their members, the congregation and its pastor must also take account of this fellowship, first of all by conscientiousness in the practice governed by God's Word.

Thesis VIII.

The fellowship of the church life of the congregations with one another is also given effect by the greatest possible uniformity in church practice, also with regard to church matters indifferent [Mitteldinge, adiaphora].