American Lutheranism vindicated

by S. S. Schmucker

CHAPTER XII. CONCLUDING REMARKS.

We have thus found the statements of the Definite Platform, as to the tenets taught in the Augsburg Confession and other Symbolical books, established by the most careful and conscientious investigation of the original sources. Such are the facts incontestibly [sic] proved. They are true, and will remain true, notwithstanding all the ill-advised efforts to hide them. The Augsburg Confession, and other symbols, do teach the tenets ascribed to them in the Platform, and, in the judgment of the great mass of American Lutherans, the Word of God rejects them, and inculcates the contrary. All the invective and vituperation, not of the author of the Plea but of multitudes of old-Lutherans, &c., cannot change the truth, for it is unchangeable and eternal; nor is it their duty to deny it, any more than it is ours.

The question then arises, what is our duty under these circumstances? What does God expect of us, in view of these facts, as men to whom the interests and management of a portion of his church are confided? As men to whom he has given his inspired oracles, as the sure word of prophecy, to which we are to give heed? As men who love Luther and his fellow-laborers much, but desire to love Christ more?

Does our duty call on us to deny the truth, and say, these doctrines are not taught in these books, when the most careful examination has assured us of the contrary? No honest man can affirm this.

Is it honest or honorable to avow, unconditionally, creeds containing errors, and then labor to gloss over or defend these errors, because they are there? This would be to descend to the level of corrupt politicians, who professedly defend every measure of their party, whether right or wrong.

Is it our duty to profess such creeds, then by arbitrary interpretations to explain away these errors, and thus endeavor to hide them from the public view? This would be injustice to the memory of their authors, and cast reproach on the principles of the Reformation, the essence of which was, that human errors must be rejected in favor of God's Word; and that the standards or professed doctrines of the church, must in every age be conformed to her views of Scripture truth.

Is it our duty, is it the Master's will, that we should try to believe those tenets of a creed which the Scriptures condemn? This would be treason to the Master, and be hearkening to the teachings of man rather than of God! Yet how many are there from whose lips the phrase confessional fidelity (Bekenntnisstreue,) is heard far oftener than fidelity to God's word (Bibeltreue)!

Is it our duty to renounce the Augsburg Confession altogether? This would be the case, if its errors were fundamental. But as they are few in number, and all relate to non-fundamental points, this does not necessarily follow. As nineteen twentieths of the creed are sustained by Scripture, and embody a rich and ample exhibition of divine truth, ten times as extended as that which was invested with normative authority in the golden age, the first three centuries of the Christian church, and used as a term of Christian fellowship, we may well retain the creed, after in some way disavowing its several errors. And the historical importance of the document, as the type of a renovated Christianity, authenticated by the blessing of Heaven, renders its retention desirable, as far as it has approved itself to the conscience of the church, after the increasing philological, exegetical, and historical light of three progressive centuries.

The position of those who maintain that genuine Lutheranism demands perpetual adherence to everything contained in this Confession, yea, as some affirm, to all the former symbolical books, is utterly untenable. In the first place, these brethren forget that the symbolic system, i.e., the practice of binding ministers to the so-called symbolical books, was not adopted at the organization of the Lutheran Church, nor at any time during Luther's life, nor until more than half a century after the rise of Lutheranism, and more than a quarter of a century after the noble Luther had gone to his heavenly rest. Symbolism is therefore no part of original Lutheranism. The efforts of Luther to reform the Romish Church began in 1517—the first regular organization of Lutheran churches was not made until some time after his excommunication by the Pope, in 1520. The first directory for Lutheran worship was published by Luther in 1523, in which, although private masses and the idea of the mass being a sacrifice had been rejected, the ceremonies of the mass, even the elevation of the host, (though not for adoration) were retained; another improved one in 1526; and the Augsburg Confession was presented to the Diet in 1530; but the full symbolic system contended for by some of our opponents, was not adopted until 1580, after the Lutheran church had existed more than half a century!! That system, historically considered, is not, therefore, Lutheran, but Post-Lutheran and Ultra-Lutheran, for it is after him in time, and goes beyond him at least in one point of doctrine, and far beyond him in the abridgement [sic] of ministerial liberty of doctrinal profession, and in exaction of uniformity on minor points. Again, these brethren forget that Luther thought it his duty to reform the church of his birth, and did not leave it until driven out by the Pope. The efforts of American Lutherans to reform and render more biblical the ecclesiastical framework of our church, is therefore, truly Lutheran in principle, indeed far more Lutheran, than to retain unaltered those symbols, when we believe that the progress of Protestant light and biblical investigation for three hundred years, has proved them to contain important errors.

Thirdly, they forget that Luther himself never saw, much less approved,
the most objectionable and stringent of these books, the Form of
Concord, the profession of which they would make essential to
Lutheranism.

Fourthly, they overlook the fact that entire Lutheran kingdoms, such as Denmark and Sweden, from the beginning rejected some of these books, and yet are everywhere acknowledged as Lutherans.

Fifthy, [sic] they forget that the Form of Concord itself professes to regard Confessions of faith only an exhibitions of the manner in which Christians of a particular age understand the Scriptures; implying that they were not supposed even by the authors of the symbolic system themselves to be unchangeable, although their incorporation with the civil law of the land, closed the door against all subsequent improvement.

A revision of our symbolic standpoint, is therefore perfectly consistent with primitive Lutheranism; and according to the Congregational or Independent principles of Lutheran church government, advocated by Luther, and hitherto practiced on by our American church, as well as avowed by the Constitution of the General Synod, each District Synod is competent to do this work for herself as long as she retains "the fundamental doctrines of the Bible as taught by our church."

How then can this important work be best accomplished, of releasing ourselves on the one hand from the profession of the errors contained in the Confession, and 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 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 adoption 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."