# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1896_S32
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

32 Proceedings of the sixteenth convention

directed to it, and work is done again and again toward this, that what God has said and set in regard to our church life not be disregarded or set aside. And further: where church practice also once experiences disregard, where this sin too occurs, care is taken again that from it there not follow a stubborn adherence to practice contrary to Scripture. We have the case now in the Synodical Conference [*Synodalconferenz*]. It was reported to us that in the place concerned it stands and goes quite defectively, indeed perversely, with practice. What have we done? Immediately steps were taken so that, if it really stands so there, a change be brought about, and indeed this has not been put off on the long bench, but it is to be seen to in all earnest as quickly as possible, and work is to be done toward this, that it become otherwise.

But someone might further remind us of the seventh article of the Augsburg Confession. There it stands, as in our own Confession: "For this is enough for the true unity of the Christian churches, that the Gospel be preached in conformity with a pure understanding and the Sacraments be administered in accordance with the divine Word. And it is not necessary for the true unity of the Christian churches that ceremonies, instituted by men, should be observed uniformly everywhere, as Paul says, Eph. 4: One body, one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism." Do we not go beyond this article of our Confession with our demand, for example, on the General Council, in that we insist that practice also be conformed to doctrine? Answer: No. We stand also with this demand wholly and fully on the ground of our Lutheran Confession. For the Confession does not say: "It is enough . . . that on the whole the Gospel be preached," but: "that the Gospel be preached in conformity with a pure understanding." To preach the Gospel according to a pure understanding means, however, first and in the first place and above all else, to preach it as God's Word and truth, so that whoever speaks it, speaks it as God's Word. To preach the Gospel according to the pure understanding does not mean to give dogmatic lectures and leave it to each person whether he will conform to it or not, whether he will believe it or not, as a rationalist, a De Wette for example, presents or thinks he presents Lutheran dogmatics. The Savior also does not say to His disciples: Teach them everything that I have commanded you. That would also be right; that we are also to do, we are to present the doctrine which Christ, the Lord, has given to His Church. But in His commission to His Church He says: Teach them to observe all that I have commanded you; when you teach, you are not merely to present the dogmatics, the doctrinal articles, as I have given them to you and as I will give them to you; but you are to set forth what you bring forward as binding on the conscience of all men and especially of all believers, as divine