# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1906_S33
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1906. 33

quenched." — "Of such disruption in the Church and of all the ruin of souls that results from it, those self-willed, factious heads are guilty who do not stay with harmonious doctrine nor keep the unity of the Spirit, but for the sake of their own conceit, honor and vindictiveness seek and set up something new and thus load upon themselves a far more terrible and intolerable damnation than others. . . . Therefore Christians should guard against giving cause for separation or dissension, and with all diligence and care, as St. Paul here exhorts, help to keep the unity. For it does not go so easily that one preserves it. There also arise among Christians many and various causes which easily move them to ill will, anger and hatred. So the devil also seeks causes, stirs up and fans the flame wherever he can. Therefore they must take care that they do not give room to such provocation as the devil or their own flesh stirs up in them, but fight against it, and do and suffer all that they should, be it a matter of honor, goods, body or life, so that, as far as lies with them, they do not let the unity of doctrine, faith and spirit be divided." (Kirchenpostille, 17th Sunday after Trinity, St. Louis edition XII, 897.)

The exhortation to preserve the unity in the Spirit stands in intimate connection with the chief exhortation. It says: "Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, in that ye endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit." This belongs, therefore, directly to our Christian calling. Consider also that Paul limits that other exhortation: "Live peaceably with all men" by the addition: "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you." Here, however, no limitation is made; nothing should be more self-evident than that those who are united in doctrine are bound together by the firmest bond of love and peace. We can bring no greater disgrace upon Christianity before the world than by quarreling with one another and tearing and rending at the bond of peace. Whoever makes himself guilty of this sin does not walk worthy of the Christian calling.

In this connection we want to point to some provisions that we have made in the course of the years within the Synodical Conference [Synodalkonferenz], so that we may remain bound together by the bond of peace. The Synodical Conference already has a history behind it, it is now already over 25 years old, and we were from the beginning bent on using this connection to the end that the unity in the Spirit be maintained and promoted. Experience taught us that we had to make individual provisions little by little, by which we wanted to abide in order to avoid strife. We have told ourselves openly and kept in mind that by nature we are inclined to quarreling and strife, to biting and devouring, for we know that in our flesh dwelleth no good thing. Therefore it says in the first paragraph