“If all Christianity were to take its first start to-day;-to-morrow already interpretations and confessions would spring up like mushrooms in a hot-bed.” p. 11.  This idea is expressed rather too strongly for the claims of history; as it is certain that during the golden era of Christianity, the first three centuries, no other creeds were employed by the churches generally, than the so-called Apostles’ and the Nicene Creeds.  It is chiefly since the period of the Reformation, that the church of the Redeemer has been cut up into so many denominations, professing different and some of them very extended creeds.

“Every denomination has an individual life, and the law of self-preservation ought, to teach her, that she is throwing herself away, if she, is not determined to stand by her banners and to defend her position.” p. 11.  Whatever definition we may adopt of the indefinite and cloudy term “life” in this passage, our reply is, the life of every Christian church ought to be the life of the Gospel, and the life of the church as established and conducted by the inspired apostles.  Every thing in the life of any church inconsistent with this, must be wrong.  It is true, since the formation of the different Protestant denominations, each one of them has a different creed, and is characterized by some peculiarities of government or worship, and if these peculiarities are intended by the “peculiar life” of a denomination, we judge it would be equally wrong for the members of any church, to lay it down as a rule in every case to defend them.  It would bear some resemblance to the corrupt, political motto, so justly denounced by all good men:  Our Country right or wrong.  Had Luther adopted this rule, it would have required him to defend all the errors of Rome, which had been fully sanctioned by that church.  But his judgment taught him differently, and he gradually rejected every one of those elements of the peculiar life of Romanism, which he found hostile to the life of the [sic] God’s word.  But if it be replied, that by “peculiar life” is intended those peculiarities of our church, which are accordant with the Gospel; we fully assent to the position.  This is precisely the principle, on which we endeavor to act. We defend and retain every peculiarity of the church of our fathers, which we find taught in the word of God, or consistent with its spirit; whilst we deem it a privilege and duty to labor at the improvement of our church and her ecclesiastical framework or platform, by removing from it every thing which, after a life of prayerful study, we are persuaded is offensive to God, because opposed to His word.  Even the Form of Concord affirms the principle for which we here contend, by representing creeds as exhibitions of the sense in which Christians of a particular age understood the Bible; and never, until the duty of the church in every age to conform her standards to the word of God, is conceded; can she as a whole become more united, more pure and scriptural, and the kingdom of Christ be extended throughout the earth.