# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1908_S19
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1908. 19

which is the assembly of all believers, among whom the Gospel is purely preached and the holy Sacraments are administered according to the Gospel." (Müller, 40.) On this Carpzov rightly remarks that the Church is here defined as she must be in reality and in her natural state. ("Definitur hoc in loco ecclesia, non prout saepe esse solet, sed prout in re et naturali suo statu esse debet, quando sc. non premitur a persecutoribus nec turbatur ab haereticis." Isag., p. 306.) It is unnatural that Christians, instead of following Christ alone, also follow false teachers. Both the inner nature of Christians, because they are regenerated, and Christ's command press for pure doctrine citra errores admixtos [without admixed errors].

Luther: "The Church of God on earth, when one speaks of the outward fellowship, is a gathering of those who hear, believe and confess the right doctrine of the Gospel of Christ, and have among them the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies them and works in them through the Word and Sacrament, among whom nevertheless some are false Christians and hypocrites, who yet unanimously hold the same doctrine and have fellowship of the Sacraments and other outward offices of the Church." (Erl. 14, 211.)

Formula of Concord: "Among the truly free adiaphora or things indifferent there shall not be counted such ceremonies as have the appearance, or by which, to avoid persecution, people would give the appearance, as if our religion were not far from the papistic, or as if it were indeed not highly opposed to us, or when such ceremonies are intended, required or adopted to that end, as if by them and through them the two opposed religions were reconciled and made one body, or again an approach to the papacy and a departure from the pure doctrine of the Gospel and true religion were to occur or readily result from it. For in this case that must and shall apply which Paul writes, 2 Cor. 6: Be not yoked with an alien yoke." (Müller, 698, § 5.) — Even the mere appearance of church fellowship with the erring is therefore to be avoided.

Luther: "The first article, in which peace is promised to those who have signed the Confession and Apology presented at Augsburg (or the defense of it), and freedom from all danger, provided they begin nothing new from now on, and in which those who, enlightened by divine grace, wanted to accept the true doctrine of the Gospel were not to be received and protected, is by no means to be approved. For it concerns faith and confession. And if one wanted to object that the Emperor is now dealing with the Elector of Saxony and his co-religionists, but not with those who might join them in the future, and that the Elector of Saxony has not to care for others, and he or his