# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1930_S30
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

30 Proceedings of the thirty-second convention

Gospel, the whole congregation of God, but especially the servants of the Word, as the leaders of the congregation of God, are bound, by virtue of God's Word, to confess the doctrine and what belongs to the whole religion freely and publicly, not only with words but also in deed and by action, and that in this case, therefore, they are also in such things indifferent not to yield to the adversaries, nor ought they to suffer the enemies to force these upon them, by force or by craft, to the weakening of the true worship of God and the planting and confirming of idolatry." (*Conc. Trigl.*, 828, 1054.)

The truly Lutheran Church has remained there to this day. And although one might be inclined to regret that the consequences of the Thirty Years' War and the influence of Rationalism (together with certain pietistic tendencies) have greatly diminished our liturgical heritage, this nevertheless changes nothing in the doctrinal standpoint. It would also be much to be wished that, in a further liturgical development of Lutheran worship, one would again go back to the principles which Luther laid down in his liturgical writings. But with all this the principle of the tenth article of the Formula of Concord stands.

One thought must, however, still be inserted here in accordance with our thesis, namely this, that circumstances can arise which compel us, as is also indicated in the Formula of Concord, to give expression to our confession also in churchly customs and ceremonies. Only two cases may be named here. Because the Baptists and the sects related to them hold the form of immersion in baptism to be the only right form and insist on it, it has become a confession in the Lutheran Church to abstain from this form of baptism. Because most Reformed sects hold it to be essential that the bread in the Holy Supper be broken, the Lutheran Church for that reason refuses to adopt this usage, and we use the hosts or wafers already customary in the ancient Church. In like manner we insist also in other cases on the freedom with which Christ has made us free, so that we do not let ourselves be entangled in the servile yoke of human ordinances. So Luther also, who in the first years strongly advocated immersion in baptism, especially of children, later took up a different position, in order not to have his freedom condemned through another's conscience. In this sense we are guided by the word of the Apostle, Rom. 14:19: "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."

5.

Syncretists and unionists of every kind offend against the unity of the Church.

The word *Sunkretismus* [syncretism; spelling as printed], used as a verb in classical Greek, designated at the beginning of the Reformation the standing together of parties that are indeed not united in all things, but want to form a closed front against a common stronger enemy. Although such groups are therefore aware of the points of difference, although these points more or less influence their position in doctrine and practice, they nevertheless let them rest, and indeed in an ecclesiastical-political interest. Since the time of the Reformation, and especially since the so-called syncretistic contro-