# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1930_S25
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1930. 25

that one Word of God is all and again all the words of God are one; they would know that all articles of our Christian faith are one, and again that one is all, and that if one lets one go, the others will certainly all, one by one, fall after it in time; for they all hang together and belong together. . . . Therefore have no doubt of it: if you deny God in one article, you have certainly denied him in all. For he does not let himself be divided piecemeal into many articles, but is wholly and entirely in each one and in all together one God. . . . Therefore we should learn to hold the majesty and glory of the Word in high and great esteem; for it is not such a small and light matter as the fanatics of this time suppose, but one single tittle is greater and more than heaven and earth. Therefore we ask here nothing about Christian unity or love, but use straightway the judgment seat; that is, we curse and condemn all those who falsify and displace the majesty of the Word even in the very least, for 'a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.' But if they leave us the Word whole and undisplaced, we are ready not only to have love and unity with them, but offer that we will gladly be their servants and do everything that we ought." Cf. also Luther's writing "Daß diese Worte Christi 'Das ist mein Leib' usw. noch feststehen wider die Schwarmgeister" [That These Words of Christ, "This is my body," etc., Still Stand Firm against the Fanatics] (XX, 762 ff.); likewise Walther's *Kirche und Amt*, 113 ff.

In accordance with this Scripture doctrine, as it is set forth in the testimonies cited above, the Church has also always practiced. The same Paul who proceeds so carefully and in particular protects the weak in faith with all decisiveness takes, with respect to the Judaizing sneaks and generally the false teachers of his time, a quite different standpoint. Not only in the Epistle to the Galatians does he rebuke them with unsparing sharpness, but also in the last chapters of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. Even the doubt concerning the doctrine of the resurrection gives him occasion to reject such aberrations decisively, 1 Cor. 15:12 ff., and as for Hymenaeus and Philetus, who had erred concerning the truth and said that the resurrection was past already, he opposes them with all sharpness, 2 Tim. 2:17, 18. — The same holds also for the age of the Reformation. The same Luther who, as we have seen, could exercise much patience and forbearance, who could even take up the cause of a Tetzel and of a Carlstadt when they were in need of such kindness, who could also for years negotiate with the South German theologians, with Bucer at their head, of which the Wittenberg Concord is a testimony, had to proceed, for the sake of the truth, with all sharpness against the Romanists and later against the Zwinglians, since otherwise his conduct would have amounted to a surrender of the truth. — The whole question of separatism with its evil practical consequences is to be treated in the last thesis.

4.

Although uniformity of ceremonies is not necessary for the true unity of the Church, such uniformity nevertheless has confessional value and under certain circumstances must be demanded.

This thesis has been inserted for the sake of completeness. For although churchly ceremonies belong to things indifferent [*Mitteldinge*] and therefore for this reason alone do not impair the unity of the Church