nd on the other of avowing the unadulterated truths
of God's word?

1. Shall we _drop the practice of binding our ministers to any creed
except the Bible_, and refer in unofficial ways to the _Augsburg
Confession_, as in general a correct summary of our views of Bible
truth? This was the practice of the _fathers of our church in the Synod
of Pennsylvania from the beginning of this century, till within two or
three years_. It was practiced by that body whilst it was controlled by
_Drs. Helmuth, Schmidt, Muhlenberg_, of Lancaster, _Schaeffer_, of
Philadelphia, _Endress, Lochman, J. G. Schmucker, Geissenhainer_
subsequently of New York, _Muhlenberg_, of Reading, and the present
venerable Senior of the Ministerium, Rev. _Baetis_. This plan we always
regarded as too lax, and preferred the distinct avowal of the Augsburg
Confession as to the fundamental doctrines of the Bible, and were
ourselves instrumental in introducing its qualified recognition into
the General Synod's Theological Seminary in 1825, and her Constitution
for District Synods in 1829. Still we have recently been denounced as
unfaithful to the confession, by those unacquainted with the history of
our church during the last five and thirty years.

2. Shall we _adopt a new creed_, to supercede [sic] the venerable
Augsburg Confession? This is unnecessary, because the points regarded as
erroneous in it, are confessedly few and non-essential. When these are
erased, the great mass of Christian truth remains intact, and not one
of all the cardinal doctrines of the Reformation is affected.

3. Shall we adopt and publish the entire Augsburg Confession, _with a
list annexed to it, of those points believed by the majority to be
erroneous_, providing that they may be rejected by all who do not
believe them? This would be a contradictory procedure, first to publish
the whole, and then to reject a portion of it as not symbolic or
binding. If these supposed errors are not to be received, why
perpetuate their memory, and afford to the enemies of our venerable
church, a constant supply of material to fight against us, and render
the church odious in the popular eye?

4. Shall we remain satisfied with _the General Synod's doctrinal basis_,
of absolute assent to the _Bible_, and agreement with the _Augsburg
Confession_ as far as the _fundamentals_ of God's Word are concerned?

This pledge we always regarded as accordant with the principles of God's
Word, and sufficient for