# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1896_S17
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1896. 17

which by its very institution belongs not to church life but to civil life, into church life as well, and indeed perhaps through a solemn betrothal with the participation of the pastor, as often happens, or through the church wedding, into church life as such. — Now God in His Word has also established right and wrong with regard to the contracting of marriage and to divorce, has determined who is to take a spouse and who not, and where in a congregation marriages take place and are approved on the congregation's part which ought not to take place according to God's Word, there we have a piece of ungodly, perverse practice contrary to Scripture with regard to marriage. — Further, God's Word has established rules for how it is to be managed that the fourth commandment is not violated through the sixth commandment. If therefore in a congregation a marriage is contracted against the fourth commandment and the congregation takes part in it through its pastor, or else in such a way that it approves and blesses this marriage, then in this congregation a false marriage exists as lawful, where people take each other in marriage against the will of the father and mother. — God's Word has further determined that marriage is to be contracted as a bond for the whole life, and that what God has joined together man shall not put asunder, unless the one party has given a cause for divorce which Jesus recognizes as a cause for a lawful divorce, namely that he has become one flesh with another person. If therefore in a congregation a divorce took place, and this divorce were approved by the congregation, or if even the pastor had given advice to this divorce, and what has happened is not undone, then there exists in this congregation, with regard to this matter, a false practice concerning marriage as lawful. We know indeed that in a large part of the Church perverse practice in all these matters is exercised, and that this perverse practice brings us the greatest distress and unspeakable heartache. What is then held up to us when we refuse to marry a man to his deceased wife's sister? The practice in Germany, where this is allowed to happen as a permitted or even very good thing. And further, what distress the lax practice can cause us which is exercised in the American churches and sects with regard to the wedding ceremony! One says: "These can marry such people, why can't you? They are Christians too!" Then it is necessary, in spite of all the tribulation that may arise from it for the individual, in spite of all the trouble and distress that arises from it for the preachers, always to keep in mind and conscience that here it is a matter of a piece of practice that is divinely governed and from which we therefore cannot depart without departing from God's Word. — That a lawful betrothal before God is a marriage, we know from God's Word; but where is it practiced accordingly? Perhaps in Germany? That is the pity of it, that the people