the Augsburg Confession:" and the Platform is an unaltered copy of
these articles of that confession, only omitting those parts, which we
know by long acquaintance with American Lutherans, to be generally
regarded by them not only as nonfundamental, but _erroneous_. The
Definite Platform, therefore, retains _even more_ of the Augsburg
Confession than the General Synod's pledge requires; for it contains
some specifications of the Augsburg Confession, which though true, are
not fundamental. The Platform is, therefore, more symbolic than the
General Synod's doctrinal basis, though the contrary opinion has
repeatedly been expressed, by those who have not carefully examined.
Had both parties in this discussion exhibited more christian comity,
and abstained from personalities, levelling their logical artillery
against opinions instead of the persons entertaining them; the effect
upon the church would, we think, have been favorable, and unity of
sentiment might have been promoted. That a different impression has
been made on many minds is, doubtless, owing to the human infirmity
and passion that mingled in the contest. Which party exhibited the
largest amount of this weakness, we will not undertake to decide,
although we doubt not, that here as in most other cases, the judgment
of the Leyden cobbler would be found correct, who was in the habit of
attending the public Latin disputations of the university, and when
asked whether he understood Latin, replied, "No, but I know who is
wrong in the argument, by seeing _who gets angry first_." Nevertheless,
christian truth has often been defended in a very unchristian way, and
doubtless more depends on the natural temper and the manners of the
disputants, as well as the extent to which divine grace enables them to
subdue their passions. The disposition occasionally evinced, to frown
down discussion by invective and denunciation, is not only illogical,
as it proves neither the affirmative nor negative of the disputed
question; but in this free country, where we acknowledge no popes, and
in the judgment of free Americans, who think for themselves, it must
always reflect unfavorably on its authors.

The same topic, so closely connected with the prosperity of our beloved
church, is to engage our attention on the present occasion, in reply to
an interesting, christian, and gentlemanly pamphlet, from the pen of
the _Rev. Mr. Mann_, of Philadelphia, who controverts some of the
positions of