# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1898_S16
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

16 Proceedings of the seventeenth convention

another opinion, not to admit them, but properly to turn them away with good discretion."

"Because it can also happen that persons who have doubts about some articles of faith, when asked to be godparents, are driven away from holy baptism and thereby are the more embittered against the pure doctrine of the Gospel, whereas, if they are admitted, through the working of God the Holy Spirit not only their own conversion but also that of other misled people might result from it; and since the ordinance of godparents is not a divine command but was ordained by men for good and substantial reasons, therefore the pastors and ministers in such a case shall act reasonably and prudently, and not at once [reject] someone who has not held holy baptism in blasphemous contempt of God and his Word, but remember Christ's saying where he says: He that is not against us is for us; and accordingly be content for the first time that such persons by their presence acknowledge in deed our holy baptism as Christian, yet at the same time not fail to deal with such persons with all gentleness about their error, to instruct them, to warn them against it and dissuade them, and so to observe the grades of admonition." (Altenburg Church Order.)

Luther writes in the preface to the Baptismal Booklet: "Therefore it is also quite right and proper that one not let drunken and rough priests baptize, nor take loose people as godparents, but fine, decent, serious, devout priests and godparents, of whom one may be assured that they handle the matter with earnestness and right faith."

"Nor shall anyone be admitted to sponsorship who is of an unchaste and dishonorable life, who despises or blasphemes our doctrine and has never been to the Sacrament; for the godparents carry the child on behalf of the whole Christian church, and answer and confess the faith on the child's behalf; therefore they must have good understanding and be true Christians." (Goslar Church Order of the year 1531.)

"No one shall ask as godparent, or be admitted, anyone who is not such a person as understands Christian faith and life, who with understanding and devotion asks grace for the children and could help to bring them up to a rightly Christian life; and above all no one shall ask as godparents those who do not hold all Christian fellowship with the church, also at the holy Supper." (Kassel Church Order of 1539.)

The second item with respect to which the commonality of Christian and churchly life in the congregations is also to show itself in the unity of the practice determined by God's Word is the practice of the Lord's Supper [*Abendmahlspraxis*].