# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1908_S14
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

14 Proceedings of the twenty-second convention

fellowship that joins together all who believe in Christ. We must hold fast: whoever in his heart, through the working of the Holy Spirit, believes in Christ as his Savior is a member of the Christian Church, even if outwardly he is in an erring communion. Whoever in his heart does not believe in Christ as his Savior is no member of the Christian Church and will not be saved, even if as to outward fellowship he is in the orthodox church. There is simply no other entering into the Christian Church and no other remaining in the Christian Church than through faith in Christ, the one Mediator between God and men. It says in John 1:12-13: "As many as received Him (Christ), to them gave He power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on His name, which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." And to the Gentiles who had become believers and wanted to grow proud toward the Jews, the Apostle calls out in warning: "Because of unbelief they were broken off; and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear! . . . Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in His goodness; otherwise thou also shalt be cut off," Rom. 11:20, 22.

Formula of Concord: "As to the condemnationes . . . as to what . . . must be set down, . . . it is our will and meaning not that thereby are intended the persons who err out of simplicity and do not blaspheme the truth of the divine Word, much less whole churches within or outside the Holy Empire of the German Nation, . . . inasmuch as we make no doubt at all that many pious and innocent people are to be found also in the churches which until now have not altogether agreed with us." (Preface to the Book of Concord of 1580. Müller, 16.) — The Formula of Concord impresses that according to God's order and will the Church should be harmonious in all articles and doctrines; yet it confesses alongside this that there are also servants of Christ in erring communions.

Luther: "We must nevertheless confess that the enthusiasts [Schwärmer] have the Scripture and God's Word in other articles; and whoever hears it from them and believes it will be saved, although they are unholy agitators and blasphemers of Christ." (Letter on Rebaptism, of the year 1528. St. L. XVII, 2675.) — "I say that under the Pope is the true Christendom, indeed the very choice flower of Christendom (non solum christiani, sed praestantissimi christiani sub papa reperiuntur), and many pious great saints. . . . Hear for yourself what St. Paul says in 2 Thess. 2:4: The Antichrist will sit in the temple of God. Now if the Pope is (as I do not believe otherwise) the true Antichrist, then he shall not sit or rule in the devil's stall, but in God's temple. No, he will not sit where nothing but devils and unbelievers