As no one of any note
at that day pretended to urge the adoption of the entire Augsburg
Confession, much less of all the symbolical books, there was no
necessity of dilating on the objectionable features of the Confession,
and we of course abstain from doing so. In this silence we would have
persevered to this day, had not a new generation of European symbolists
since then sought refuge on our shores, and carried on aggressive
operations, incessantly assailing the General Synod and her members, and
charging them with unfaithfulness to Confessions which they never
adopted, except as to fundamentals; thus compelling us to expose these
remnants of Romish error which they certainly do contain.
When, we turn to our _History of the American Lutheran Church_,
published in 1852, we find on pages 240, 241, the following statement:--
"The mass, that is, _the name and some of the ceremonies_ of the Romish
mass, were retained in the Augsburg Confession; although the errors in
doctrine, by which the Romish mass grew out of the Scripture doctrine
of the Lord's Supper, were rejected in that as well as subsequent
symbols." "Our churches," (says the Augsburg Confession, Art. XXIV.)
"are _unjustly_ charged with having rejected the mass, (messe.) For it
is publicly known that the mass is celebrated amongst us with greater
devotion and earnestness, than amongst our opponents.
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