# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1908_S28
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

28 Proceedings of the twenty-second convention

idol Dagon cannot stand beside the ark of God, but must fall down before it, 1 Sam. 5. Christianity is by its nature very inclusive: Christ is the Savior of all men, He has bought all with His blood; but for that very reason Christianity is also strictly exclusive. Christ tolerates no Savior beside Himself, but says, John 8:24: "If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." So Christ also does not recognize any man's word beside His Word in the Christian Church as having equal rights, but says, John 8:31-32: "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." To His Church He gave the command: "Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you," Matt. 28:20. The concept of parity Christ does not know. Whoever concedes parity to false belief cannot himself believe Christ's Word in earnest.

Smalcald Articles: "Since this is so, all Christians should most diligently guard against making themselves partakers of such ungodly doctrine, blasphemy and unjust fury, but should withdraw from the Pope and his members or adherents as from the kingdom of Antichrist, and curse it, as Christ has commanded: Beware of false prophets! And Paul commands that false preachers be avoided and cursed as an abomination. And in 2 Cor. 6 he says: Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath light with darkness? etc. It is hard to separate from so many lands and people and to maintain a separate doctrine. But here stands God's command, that everyone should guard himself and not be of one mind with those who lead false doctrine or intend to maintain it with fury." (Müller, 336, § 41 f.)

Thus, according to our Confession, fellowship among brethren in the faith is limited to those who confess the pure doctrine of the divine Word and avoid false teachers.

Apology: "The adversaries quite approve the Eighth Article, in which we say that hypocrites and the ungodly also are found in the Church, and that the Sacraments are not without power on that account if they are administered by hypocrites; for they administer them in Christ's stead and not for their own person, as the saying goes: He that heareth you heareth me. Yet false teachers are not to be accepted or heard, for the same are no longer in Christ's stead, but are anti-Christs. And Christ has commanded clearly concerning them: Beware of false prophets; and Paul to the Galatians: If anyone preach any other gospel unto you, let him be accursed!" (Müller, 162, § 47, 48.)

Against Luther the Sacramentarians raised, among others, the reproach that he was "too stiff and obstinate" and "severed all love and unity in the Christian Church" by his