may be one as He and the Father are one," and consequently to oppose
such regulations as tend to sever the bonds of union among God's people,
and cause divisions in the household of Christ. Such means for
defending the faith, are creeds which inculcate only those doctrines
clearly taught in Scripture; such hindrances to union and apples of
discord, are creeds embracing many minor points, not clearly decided in
Scripture, on which true Christians differ, and which are not necessary
for cordial co-operation among the children of God.

Within the last few months, a discussion on creeds has occupied the
religious papers of our church in this country, the specific subjects
of which were the merits of the "_Definite Synodical Platform_"
recently adopted by several of our Western Synods, and the import and
scriptural truth of some portions of that venerable document, the
_Augsburg Confession_. In these discussions we took part, in a series
of articles over the initials of our name, in the Lutheran Observer, in
vindication of the Definite Platform, which we hold to be a faithful
and definite exhibition of the import of the _generic_ doctrinal pledge
of the General Synod. That pledge includes, in connection with absolute
assent to the Word of God, as the only infallible rule of faith and
practice, the belief "that the fundamental doctrines of Scripture are
taught in a manner substantially correct in the doctrinal articles of
the Augsburg Confession:" and the Platform is an unaltered copy of
these articles of that confession, only omitting those parts, which we
know by long acquaintance with American Lutherans, to be generally
regarded by them not only as nonfundamental, but _erroneous_. The
Definite Platform, therefore, retains _even more_ of the Augsburg
Confession than the General Synod's pledge requires; for it contains
some specifications of the Augsburg Confession, which though true, are
not fundamental. The Platform is, therefore, more symbolic than the