Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1954, Page 39

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Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America, 1954 39

A Defense of the “Common Confession” in Order to
Preserve the Wonderful Gift of the Fellowship of
Faith as Found in the Synodical Conference
These Many Years

Essayist: Tueo. F. NIcKEL, Chicago, Il.

In 1908 the Synodical Conference met in New Ulm, Minn.
The essayist at that time was Dr. Francis Pieper. The title of his
essay was “The Wonderful Gift of the Fellowship of Faith.” Our
Fathers on that occasion unanimously accepted his presentation
with thanks. Therein they joined the essayist in his warning call
against any form of separatism or schism or indifference to doctrine.
In a sense they speak to us through the words of this essay today.

We read: “There is no honorable reason for schism or for
separating oneself from the orthodox church. All such reasons lie
in the realm of the flesh. The most honorable reason of all is
ignorance, as St.Paul says concerning himself, ‘agnoén epoiésa
en apistia,’ ‘I did it ignorantly, in unbelief’ (i.e., set myself apart
from the church of Christ).”

In the following paragraphs of this essay Dr. Pieper calls
attention to the fact that it is the general history of schism and.
of indifference to doctrine that they have their origin in the flesh;
and that the Scriptures describe the motives of all schismatics and
indifferentists as fleshly. Thereupon he continues to say:

“Tet us hear what Luther in connection with Eph. 4:1-6 has
to say on this point. He says: ‘To cause dissension and division
in doctrine is the church’s greatest and most destructive deathtrap
(Aergerniss) of all; something which Satan also presses to the
utmost. It usually originates with a few arrogant, headstrong,
and ambitious persons (Koepfe) who desire to be something great,
contend for honor and renown; cannot tolerate anyone as an equal;

greater intellectual acumen — something they actually do not
possess — than others; refuse to give honor to another, even though
they can see at once that he possesses the greater gifts. Out of
envy, wrath, hatred, or vengeance they likewise also seek to get
the people to turn against others and to cleave to them.’” So far
Luther.

Dr. Pieper continues: “If we would remain protected against
this terrible sin of disturbing the fraternal fellowship of faith, then
let us hold watch over our carnal, resentful, haughty, and stubborn
heart. On this point let no one be presumptuous [hier sei niemand
sicher]. He who says, ‘That cannot happen to me,’ does not as yet
know aright his wicked heart. Experience teaches that people who
from no mere sham, but with forthrightness had once ‘confessed
the truth and contended against false doctrine, have [on occasion]
become personally embittered. On yielding to this disposition they
soon thereupon became defenders of false doctrine and adversaries
of the pure [doctrine].” (Proceedings of the Synodical Conference,
1908, pp.’33, 34.)