# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1924_S16
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

16 Proceedings of the twenty-ninth convention

says: "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven," Matt. 18:3. They teach, on the contrary, that a child must first become an adult before he is able to be baptized and become a Christian. This disobedience against the one Master, who commands His disciples to baptize all nations, and who wants baptism limited to the adults of a nation, is the cause of the separation from the Church, which also in this point abides by the express words of the Lord of the Church. And again: What was the cause of the separation of the synergistic Lutherans from the Lutherans of the *Synodalkonferenz* [Synodical Conference]? It was the disobedience of their leading men, who refused to accept and to teach the Word of the Lord when He says: "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you," John 15:16, and against the passage where the Lord teaches through His Apostle that God has predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, Eph. 1:5. They ascribe to man's choice what is to be ascribed to God's grace alone. This disobedience caused the lamentable, sad and harmful separation of the synergistic Lutherans from the faithful Lutherans of this country. —

But what if a church fellowship permits us to preach the truth, but at the same time demands of us that contrary views also be permitted in some matters, as for example the Evangelical Synod in the question of the real presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper? Through such disobedience and such unfaithfulness, in that a church fellowship arrogates to itself the authority not only to preach the opposite of the pure doctrine of the Lord of the Church but also to permit others to do likewise, it necessarily tears the unity of the Church and allies itself with people who are against Christ. Its offer that it shall be permitted also to preach the words of Christ does not make the matter better; for Christ and His disciples do not ask for permission, but teach the truth without anyone's permission. But to grant equal rights to their error is not only disobedience but also an attack on the sovereignty of Christ. It is rebellion against the Lord of the Church. God forbid that we should forsake Him and join the rebels and insurgents!

Is there a church that is faithful and obedient to the Lord, that proclaims God's Word purely and nowhere departs from it? Thank God, God has in mercy preserved such a church. It is the church that confesses the whole truth of God as it is taught in Scripture and set forth purely and clearly in the unaltered Book of Concord of the year 1580. In this country this church is known as the Synodical Conference, to which we also belong, a union of synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. If it is called pride or Pharisaism that we gratefully acknowledge as such the pure doctrine given to us by God's grace and rejoice over it, then it is also pride and Pharisaism when a healthy person thanks God for his health. Yes, then Paul, Peter, John and James would have been Pharisees; then all true, faithful teachers would be proud, puffed-up people; for they all have laid claim to being faithful teachers of the Word of God. And if not even faithful adherence to God's Word preserves us from error, then Christ's words are not true: