# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1916_S7
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1916. 7

has come and is devastating the countries of Europe. It seems as if the fourth centennial celebration over there in the old fatherland is to be a sad, very sad celebration. — It is different in our fatherland, here in America. To be sure, when the third jubilee was celebrated, things were very sad here too for the Lutheran Church. Just as in Germany, so here too Rationalism and Unionism ruled. (See: A. Gräbner, *Geschichte der lutherischen Kirche in Amerika* [History of the Lutheran Church in America], Vol. I, p. 647 ff.) But it did not remain so. Toward the middle of the last century God brought our fathers into this land and led these dear men to a knowledge of the pure Gospel, especially also through the study of Luther's writings. Through their testimony our Church here has come to great flourishing. It has spread far and wide and still keeps what has been entrusted to it. God has preserved his Word to us down to this day, despite all our ingratitude, despite all our lukewarmness and sloth.

When we survey this span of four hundred years and consider how wonderfully God has led his Church until at last it found a place in this land, then we shall truly recognize what high cause we in particular have to celebrate the approaching jubilee with great rejoicing, with heartfelt thanks to the faithful God. Among us in particular it should be said: "Know that the Lord is God! It is he that has made us, and not we ourselves, to be his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise; give thanks to him, praise his name!" (Ps. 100:3, 4.)

But our thanks must not consist only in words; above all it must show itself in this, that we hold fast what we have, the pure Gospel of the grace of God in Christ Jesus. But if we want to hold fast this Gospel, we must also fight for it; for many enemies want to rob us of it. And the mightiest among these enemies is without doubt still today the papacy at Rome. We prove our thanks for what God has done for us by rousing ourselves anew to earnest struggle against this arch-enemy of the Church of Christ, against the Antichrist at Rome. It may therefore be quite fitting that just at this time we occupy ourselves especially with this struggle, that we make clear to ourselves what a necessary and serious struggle has been commanded us, and how we can wage it rightly.

I.

The struggle that we must wage against the papacy at Rome and the Roman Church, in order not to lose the high treasures of the Reformation, is a very necessary and important one, especially in our time. The papacy is not only still today the same bitter and dangerous enemy of Christ and his Gospel,