# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1916_S39
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1916. 39

said: If you believe in Christ and have everything in him that is needed for salvation, yet it is nothing and all in vain unless you hold me for your God and are subject and obedient to me. This point shows mightily that he is the true End-Christ or Antichrist, who has set and exalted himself above and against Christ, because he will not let Christians be saved without his power, which is nothing, not ordained or commanded by God. That means properly to set oneself above and against God, as St. Paul says in 2 Thess. 2:4. Even the Turk and the Tartar do not do this, great enemies of Christians as they are, but let anyone believe in Christ who will, and take bodily tribute and obedience from the Christians." (M., pp. 307, 308.) And in the Appendix to these Articles our Church confesses: "So all the vices that are prophesied in Holy Scripture about the Antichrist agree with the Pope's kingdom and its members. For Paul, when he paints the Antichrist in 2 Thess. 2, calls him an adversary of Christ, who exalts himself above all that is called God or worshipped, so that he sits in the temple of God as a god and gives out that he is a god. Here Paul speaks of one who rules in the Church, and not of worldly kings, and calls him an adversary of Christ because he would devise another doctrine, and would claim this for himself as if he did it by divine right. Now first, this is true, that the Pope rules in the Church and under the appearance of spiritual power has gained such dominion for himself; for he grounds himself on these words: 'I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.' Second, the Pope's doctrine is indeed contrary to the Gospel. Third, that he gives out that he is God is to be noted in three points: first, that he presumes he may change the doctrine of Christ and right services, instituted by God himself, and wants his doctrine and his own invented services to be kept as if God himself had commanded them; second, that he presumes the power to bind and loose not only in this temporal life here, but also in that life; third, that the Pope will not suffer the Church or anyone else to judge him, but his power is to go above all councils and the whole Church. But that means to make oneself God, when one will suffer neither Church nor anyone's judgment. Finally, the Pope has also defended such errors and ungodly practices with unrighteous force and murder, so that he has had killed all who did not hold with him in every respect. Since this is so, all Christians should most carefully guard against making themselves partakers of such godless doctrine and blasphemy and unjust fury, but should depart from the Pope and his members or followers as from the Antichrist's kingdom and curse it, as Christ 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: 'Do not pull at a strange