[American Lutheranism Vindicated; or, Examination of the Lutheran Symbols, on Certain Disputed Topics by Samuel Simon Schmucker]@TWC D-Link bookAmerican Lutheranism Vindicated; or, Examination of the Lutheran Symbols, on Certain Disputed Topics CHAPTER XII 7/29
The adoption of the name, _American Recension_, always notifies th reader of some revision, and precluded the charge of an attempt to pass it off for the unaltered Confession of the sixteenth century. The Synodical Disclaimer or List of these rejected errors, which is annexed to the Platform, can be dropped as soon as the churches are fully informed of the ground of our not receiving the other symbolical books, or if this be deemed unnecessary, it may be dropped at once.
By the adoption of either of the latter two methods, and especially of the last, by the individual District Synods, they would present to the world a clear profession of their faith, have a sufficient test for the admission of members, and the rejection of heretics, and could harmoniously labor together for the furtherance of the gospel.
We have thus in the fear of God and in the spirit of Christian love; but uninfluenced by the fear or favor of man, presented our deliberate convictions on the subjects now agitating the church, after six and thirty years of study of the Bible, and experience in the ministry of our divine Master.
And we close with the earnest prayer, that the Great Head of the Church, may employ these pages for the advancement of his glory, that he may conduct his beloved Zion onward in her march of development and progress, until she has attained her millennial features, and her world-wide extension, and until "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever." APPENDIX. DEFINITE PLATFORM; BEING THE DOCTRINAL BASIS OR CREED, CONTAINED IN PART I. OF THE DEFINITE SYNODICAL PLATFORM, REFERRED TO IN THE PRECEDING WORK, AND CONSTRUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRINCIPLES OF THE GENERAL SYNOD. PREFACE. As the American Recension, contained in this Platform, adds not a single sentence to the Augsburg Confession, nor omits anything that has the least pretension to be considered "a fundamental doctrine of Scripture," it is perfectly consistent with the doctrinal test of the General Synod, as contained in her Formula of Government and Discipline, Chap.
XVIII., Sec.
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