sed to and fro, and
carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of man and
cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive_."

It is to assist them to such an understanding and appreciation of
the truth as it is in Jesus, and is confessed by our Church, that we
have written these pages. If they have strengthened any who are weak
in the faith, removed any doubts and perplexities, established any who
wavered and made any love the Church and her great Head more, we are
more than repaid.

Whatever may have been the effect of reading these chapters, the
writing of them has made the Church of the Reformation, her faith and
practices, more precious than ever to the writer. He has become more
and more convinced that what Rome stigmatized as "Lutheranism" is
nothing else than the pure and simple Gospel of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ.

Let us take a rapid backward glance. We see that the Lutheran
Church grasps fully and accepts unreservedly the whole sad and
unwelcome doctrine of _sin_. She believes all that is written as
to the deep-going and far-reaching consequences of sin--that every
soul comes into this world infected with this fearful malady, and,
therefore, unfit for the kingdom of God, and under condemnation. She
believes therefore that every human being, down to the youngest
infant, must have its nature changed before it can be saved. The
necessity of this change is absolute and without exception.

In the very beginning, therefore, we see that no Church places
the necessity of personal renewal and salvation on higher ground than
does the Lutheran Church. She believes that our blessed Saviour has
appointed a means, a channel, a vehicle, by and through which His Holy
Spirit conveys renewing Grace to the heart of the tender infant, and
makes it a lamb of His flock. She believes that where Christ's
Sacrament of holy Baptism--which is the means referred to--does not
reach a child, His Spirit can and will reach and renew it in some way
not made known to us.

She believes that the beginning of the new life in a child is a
spiritual _birth_; that this young and feeble life needs
nourishment and fostering care for its healthy development; that it is
the duty of Christian parents to see to this; that the Sunday-school
and catechetical class are helps offered to the parents by the Church.
She believes that by this nourishing of the divine life in the family
and Church, "_w