Still we may fairly regard those confessional writings as symbolical, which have been prescribed by the government, and received and _practiced_ on by the churches.

Now, if the "Taufbuechlein," " Tract or Directory for Baptism," of Luther, _in which Exorcism is commanded_, was thus prescribed and received [tr.

note: there is a space here which could be meant to contain the word "by"] two or three principalities or provinces of Europe, the position of the Platform is vindicated; but the truth is, it was received by entire kingdoms and provinces, and retained in practice for centuries; so that the Platform is more than sustained.

Let us _first_ hear the testimony of the best authorities of Germany on the subject, and _then_ sum up the results.
(_a_) _Dr.Guericke, [Note 1] Professor of Theology at Halle, the author of a well-known Church History, testifies: "Moreover, the Smaller Catechism (of Luther) contained, even in the oldest known German edition, (Wittenberg, 1529,) several forms of prayer, the Family diretory [sic] or selection of Scripture passages on the duties of all orders and conditions of men, and the Directory for marriage and _baptism, all of which supplementary tracts were also received into the_ FIRST _authentic edition of the German "Book of Concord_." The baptismal directory was therefore received into the very first authentic edition of the symbolical books.
(_b_) _Dr.Koellner_, Professor of Theology at Goettingen, in his excellent "Symbolik," p.

501, states: "There was a Latin Directory for Baptism extant, (in the Romish church,) which Luther translated into German unaltered in 1523.