# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1908_S37
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1908. 37

screaming, which, when it attacks a Christian, thinks it has subdued him, so that no one can help or rescue him; just as it boasted and exulted over Christ himself when he hung on the cross. Behold, this is the unity of Christians, which Christ has described with these words. But one cannot come to it in any other way than by God's keeping us (as he has said) in his name, that is, if we abide in the Word which we have received from Christ. For the Word holds us together, so that we all remain under one Head and cling to him alone, seeking no other holiness or anything that is to count before God, except in him. In sum, through the Word we are incorporated into Christ, so that all that he has is ours, and we can take him up as our own body, and in turn he too must take up all that befalls us, so that neither world, devil nor any misfortune can harm or overwhelm us. For there is no power on earth so great as to be able to do anything against this unity. But the devil is busy with this, that he sever this bond for us and by his wiliness and craft tear us from the Word. Where that happens, he has already won. For apart from the Word there is no unity any more, but only division, countless sects and factions, which he casts together through his nets and snares, that is, human doctrine, where each one seeks a special holiness in his own works, etc. . . . How could anyone wish for anything more blessed than that he should come into this fellowship or brotherhood and become a member of this body, which is called Christendom? Which is such a body that has given God to itself with all his goods. In sum, a mighty lady and empress in heaven and on earth, at whose word both devils and world, death and hell must fall at her feet. For who will detract from or harm a person who has such defiance? Seeing that he knows, if he suffers the least pain, both heavens and earth, all angels and saints must cry out. If a sin assails him, which would frighten, bite and oppress the conscience and threatens with the devil, death and hell, then God says with the whole host: Dear sin, leave him unbitten, death, unstrangled, hell, undevoured. But faith is needed for that; for it appears quite otherwise to the eyes and reason of the world, indeed just the opposite." (St. Louis ed. VIII, 806 ff. 831.)

We therefore carefully avoid every disturbance of the fellowship of brethren in the faith, and rather cultivate it with all our strength "to the honor of God and the highest benefit of the world and the Church." Concerning the glorious purpose of the fellowship of Christians in the faith and the harmfulness of disturbances of it, Scripture speaks in many places. In the high-priestly prayer Christ pleads for his Church "that they in us" (in the Father and in the Son) "may be one,