# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1896_S27
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1896. 27

Thesis IV.

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

The preceding thesis laid particular emphasis on the fact that the practice governed by God's Word can only be One, that two contradictory things cannot be right with regard to the same matter and in the same respect. There is never a time and nowhere a place where it would be right, indeed even commanded, to omit the exercise of the church practice commanded by God. There is no congregation that is released from the word: "Put away from among yourselves that wicked person." There is no congregation to which the word would not apply: "If he refuses to hear the congregation, let him be to you as a heathen and a publican." Therefore no congregation can say: We live in such circumstances that this word does not find application for us, so that the congregation could now set its mind at rest over the omission of church discipline in its midst. Rather, only this case can occur, and does occur, that in a congregation there are so few who have the right knowledge of the divine norm, or the right will to conform to it, that these few cannot prevail, that perhaps the pastor stands alone, and he is not the congregation and cannot, just now, bring the word, which indeed applies also to this congregation, to its due validity and execution. But his goal must now be this, if possible every day to come a little nearer to it, if possible at every opportunity to work toward this, that first one person, and then another, and then perhaps the board, and so more and more come to the right knowledge and are animated by the right will to act now also according to this knowledge. The congregation must be educated, and if a congregation will not let itself be educated, why, then it holds fast to the perverse manner contrary to Scripture which prevails in its midst. The same holds of the synod and of a union of synods. When we are told: We eastern synods are simply situated quite differently from you western synods; we must be content if we have the right doctrine, and that it is just so with us in practice and cannot be otherwise than with you, that is due to our circumstances, which you do not understand — that is quite wrongly spoken. They ought by no means to be content already if they have the right doctrine; they ought to be highly dissatisfied with themselves and with their churchly conduct as long as they do not also have the right practice. So long as it is lacking in any piece of practice among them, so long they ought to be sad and distressed about themselves in this piece and to this degree