# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1930_S29
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1930. 29

years 1523 and 1526. Shortly after Luther's death, however, a reversal came, to the disadvantage of the Church of the Reformation. In two ordinances of the year 1548, namely in the so-called Augsburg and the Leipzig Interim, the Romanists wished to introduce the old ceremonies again. The Augsburg Interim, to be sure, composed by the papal bishops Pflugk and Helding and the unscrupulous nominal Lutheran Johann Agricola of Eisleben, which indeed permitted the Lutherans priestly marriage and the Lord's Supper in both kinds, but in return demanded of them submission to the Pope as supreme bishop, imposed the reintroduction of many papal customs, and in important articles of doctrine horribly mixed truth and error together, was so universally hated that it prevailed little, although one sought with the full force of imperial authority to procure full validity for it. The Leipzig Interim of the 22nd of December 1548, on the other hand, was in a certain sense far more dangerous, because it had been approved by the Wittenberg professors under Melanchthon's leadership. Most dangerous in this document also were the passages which gave an ambiguous presentation of the disputed points and demanded submission to the rule of the papal bishops. But in scarcely lesser degree objectionable were also those passages which sought to reintroduce all sorts of ceremonies and customs that had been abolished because of the papal leaven adhering to them. Many of these customs were now in fact in and of themselves things indifferent [*Mitteldinge*] and could also have been regarded and treated so henceforth, if they had not in the course of more than two decades become on the papal side a confessional act which identified the participants in these ceremonies with the Papal Church. But just because these customs were designated by Melanchthon and those of like mind with him with preference as Adiaphora (things indifferent), so that even Bugenhagen, Paul Eber and Georg Major joined in the quite general assertion that in things indifferent one may indeed yield also to the enemies, indeed should yield for the sake of the peace and continuance of the orthodox Church, the adiaphoristic controversies arose. In this controversy the discussion finally came to a head in the question whether, at the enemies' insistence for peace and unity, one could and should yield to the opponents of the pure doctrine in things indifferent and so enter into a kind of union, with which the other question was connected, whether, at the emperor's command, one might refrain from the accusation that the Pope is the Antichrist. (Cf. Walther, *Der Konkordienformel Kern und Stern* [The Formula of Concord, Kernel and Star], 14 ff., 25. *Lehre und Wehre*, 75, 327 ff.)

The adiaphoristic question was settled in the Lutheran Church by the Formula of Concord, in Article X, where it is said plainly and clearly: "We believe, teach and confess that the congregation of God in every place and at every time has, according to its occasion, good right, power and authority to change, to diminish and to increase the same [church customs in things indifferent], without levity and offense, in an orderly and becoming manner, as at all times it is judged most useful, profitable and best for good order, Christian discipline and decency, evangelical propriety and the edification of the churches. How one may also yield and give way with a good conscience to the weak in faith in such outward things indifferent, Paul teaches in Rom. 14 and proves it by his example, Acts 15 and 21; 1 Cor. 9. We believe, teach and confess also that at the time of confession, when the enemies of God seek to suppress the pure doctrine of the holy