tion 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. 5, and XIX., Sec. 2. The Apostles' and Nicene Creeds are also universally
received by our churches. Hence any District Synod, connected with the
General Synod, may, with perfect consistency, adopt this Platform.

DOCTRINAL BASIS OR CREED.

Whereas it is the duty of the followers of Christ to profess his [sic]
religion before the world (Matt. x. 32), not only by their holy walk
and conversation, but also by "walking in the apostles' doctrines"
(1 Cor. xiv. 32), and bearing testimony "to the faith once delivered to
the saints" (Jude 3), Christians have, from the earlier ages, avowed
some brief summary of their doctrines or a Confession of their faith.
Such confessions, also called symbols, were the so-called Apostles'
Creed, the Nicene Creed, &c., of the first four centuries after Christ