CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS…..13 Religious Controversy. Plea of Rev. Mann. Apostolic Church. Authority of Creeds. Apostles' Creed. Augsburg Confession-altered by Melancthon.
CHAPTER II. REPLY TO THE GENERAL OBSERVATIONS OF THE PLEA…..24 Augsburg Confession the only universal symbol of the Lutheran Church. Definite Platform liberal. The Episcopalians, Presbyterians and Methodists, altered their European Creeds in this country. Creeds subordinate, to Scripture. Progressive light of Scripture. Human creeds fallible. Drs. Lochman, Endress, F. C. Schaeffer, Hazelius, Bachman, &c. Origin of the Definite Synodical Platform. Dr. Kocher on Creeds.
CHAPTER III. DISADVANTAGES UNDER WHICH THE AUGSBURG CONFESSION WAS PREPARED…..47 Diet of Augsburg. Alarm of Melancthon-his complaints to Luther-his letters to Camerarius, remarkable letter to Campegius. Luther checks Melancthon's Concessions.
CHAPTER IV. POSITIONS OF THE DEFINITE SYNODICAL PLATFORM ESTABLISHED…..57 The Reformers progressive. Rigid Symbolic System rejected in Germany. Reinhard, Knapp, Storr, Olshausen, Tholuk, Hengstenberg, &c. Analysis of the American Recension of the Augsburg Confession, it is almost the entire Augsburg Confession.
CHAPTER V. SYNODICAL DISCLAIMER…..63 Luther on the Elevation of the Host. Ceremonies of the Mass. Drs. Murdock, Fuhrman. Import of the term Mass among Romanists, and amongst the Reformers whilst in the Romish Church. Testimony of Luther in his Treatise on the Mass, in his letters to Spangler, to Duke George, in the Short Confession, letter to Justus Jonas, &c. Testimony of Melancthon, in his letter to Luther during the Diet. Testimony of other Reformers, Aurifaber, Spalatin. Testimony of the Romish Refutation of the Augsburg Confession. Internal evidence from the Augsburg Confession itself. Separate captions and articles for Mass and the Lord's Supper. The two kept distinct in Melancthon's translation; if you exchange the words the articles make nonsense. The Romanists understood the Confession to mean mass proper. Melancthon in the Apology to the Confession so understands it. Refutation of the proofs. Reference to the author's former works, the Popular Theology, the History of the American Lutheran Church.
CHAPTER VI. PRIVATE CONFESISONAND ABSOLUTION…..97 Import of the phrase. Dr. Funck's early Lutheran Directories for Worship. Formularies for private Confession and Absolution, Luther's, that of Wolfgang, &c., in 1557. Proof that this rite is inculcated in the Augsburg Confession. Siegel, Prof. Jacobsen. Augsburg Confession admits the want of Scripture authority for it. God alone can forgive sin.
CHAPTER VII. DENIAL OF THE DIVINE INSTITUTION AND OBLIGATION OF THE CHRISTIAN SABBATH…..107 Proofs of the Charge, Drs. Rucker, Hengstenberg, Walter, Murdock. Ground taken by the Plea. The same opinion taught by Luther in his Commentary, Larger Catechism, &c., and by Melancthon, in Loci Communes, or system of Divinity, &c., in Augsburg Confession, and in his Apology to it.
CHAPTER VIII. GENERAL NATURE OF THE SACRAMENTAL INFLUENCE…..121 Doctrine of the Plea-not fully developed. Scriptural view of Sacramental Influence. Man a sinner by nature and practice, Divine truth the grand instrumentality of the Spirit in our spiritual renovation. The stage of progress in this renovation, morally requisite for pardon, is that of living faith, or entire surrender to God. Evidence of this pardon or justification, is internal; peace, love, joy, testimony of the Spirit, fruits of the Spirit, and not any outward rite-Sacraments therefore only mediate and not immediate conditions of pardon-proofs, Mosheim, Reinhard, Knapp.
CHAPTER IX. BAPTISMAL REGENERATION…..135 Is taught in Symbolical books and by the Reformers and early Theologians, Hunnius, Gerhard, Buddeus. Influence of this doctrine on the pulpit-proofs against it.
CHAPTER X. THE LORD'S SUPPER…..148 Extracts from the Symbols. Arguments. Supposed Sin-forgiving Power of the Eucharist.
CHAPTER XI…..155 EXORCISM. Altered interpretation of this rite. Proofs that it was regarded as symbolic and was practised in different parts of the Lutheran Church. Testimony of Drs. Guericke, Koellner, Baumgarten-Crusius, Augusti, Siegel, Sigismund, Baumgarten. At some periods regarded as a test of orthodoxy.
CHAPTER XII. CONCLUDING REMARKS…..161 What is our duty under these circumstances? Erroneous reasonings of the rigid Lutherans. Four different remedies considered—the true one.