the necessities of the church. Amid the recent
progress of more rigid symbolism, and symbolic sympathies, it has,
however, been disparaged by some connected with the General Synod. We
still believe it sufficient, _provided all_ the Synods embraced in the
General Synod will adhere to it; and those who have recently adopted the
entire symbolic system, will return to it. But if District Synods of
symbolic tendencies, will adopt the obligation to the mass of symbolic
books; New School Lutherans are compelled, in self-defence, also to
define their position more minutely, that the christian public may not
hold them responsible for the errors of the former symbols, nor their
supposed adherence to them tend to give them currency. If, therefore,
Old School Synods adhere to their recent pledge to all the symbolical
books, we prefer the following course for other District Synods.

5. The best plan by far in our judgment is to _retain the great body of
the Confession unaltered, and simply to omit the few sentences
inculcating the disputed or erroneous topics_. The remainder is believed
by all, and can be subscribed by all, whether they believe the omitted
topics or not.

This is precisely the thing done by the American Recension of the
Augsburg Confession. _It's [sic] principle is to omit the
disputed points and, retain unaltered the remainder, on which we all
agree_. On the three disputed points which alone are believed by any
amongst us, namely, baptismal regeneration, the real presence of the
Saviour in the eucharist, and the denial of the divine appointment of
the Christian Sabbath, entire freedom is allowed. As to the others,
private confession and absolution, the ceremonies of the mass, and
exorcism, which was taught not in the Augsburg Confession, but in the
Appendix to Luther's Smaller Catechism,--they are not received by any
one within the pale of the General Synod, and are so distinctly
semi-Romish that they are prohibited by the Platform. 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 adop