# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1930_S26
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26 Proceedings of the thirty-second convention

should, nevertheless misunderstandings readily arise in connection with them, so that even in the Lutheran Church an adiaphoristic controversy is on record, which contains much important instruction for us. In the first three theses it has been set forth, namely, what suffices for true unity of the Church. With that it should really have its end. All Christians ought to be able to agree on the words of the eighth article of the Augsburg Confession, where it says: "For this is enough for the true unity of the Christian Church, that the Gospel be preached in conformity with a pure understanding of it, and the Sacraments be administered in accordance with the divine Word. And it is not necessary for the true unity of the Christian Church that uniform ceremonies, instituted by men, be observed everywhere, as Paul says, Eph. 4:5, 6: 'One body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism.'" (*Conc. Trigl.*, 46.) This is further set forth in the Apology (Art. VII and VIII, § 30, 36; *Conc. Trigl.*, 236, 240): "The adversaries also condemn this passage of the seventh article, where we have said that it is enough for the unity of the Church that one and the same Gospel and the same Sacraments be administered, and that it is not necessary that human traditions be uniform everywhere. These points they thus concede, that it is not necessary for the unity of the Church that *traditiones particulares* [particular traditions] be alike. But that *traditiones universales* [universal traditions] be alike, that, they say, is necessary for the true unity of the Church. . . . To the same unity, we now say, it is not necessary that human traditions, whether they be *universales* or *particulares*, be alike everywhere. For the righteousness that avails before God, which comes through faith, is not bound to outward ceremonies or human traditions. For faith is a light in the heart that renews and quickens the hearts; outward ordinances or ceremonies, whether universal or particular, help little toward it. . . . For this is Paul's meaning [on Col. 2:16, 17]: Faith in the heart, whereby we become righteous, is a spiritual thing and a light in the heart, whereby we are renewed, gain another mind and courage. Human traditions, however, are not such a living light and power of the Holy Spirit in the heart, are nothing eternal; therefore they do not make eternal life, but are outward, bodily exercises that do not change the heart. Therefore it is not to be held that they are necessary for the righteousness that avails before God." (Cf. Art. XV of the Apology.) Also in the twelfth article of the Smalcald Articles it is said: "For thus the children pray: 'I believe one holy Christian Church.' This holiness does not consist in choir-shirts, tonsures, long robes and their other ceremonies, devised by them beyond [going beyond] the Holy Scripture, but in the Word of God and right faith." Finally the matter is also rightly set forth in the tenth article of the Formula of Concord, to which we shall yet return.

In these various statements of our Confessions the principle that is to be observed is set forth briefly and correctly. Whenever and wherever churchly customs and ceremonies are observed in the sense and spirit as if they had any relation to the justification of a poor sinner before God, they are then to be condemned. The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, also not the lighting of candles, putting on of vestments, altars, pulpits, pictures or the like, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. This is above all to be held fast in this question.