{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/nethlit.htm","path":"chr/nethlit.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/nethlit.htm","text":"Liturgy of the Reformed Churches of the Netherlands\nForm for the Administration of Baptism\n1. To Infants of Believers\n2. To Adult Persons\nForm for the Public Confession of Faith\nForm for the Public Confession of Guilt\nForm for the Administration of the Lord's Supper\nForm of Excommunication\nForm of Readmitting Excommunicated Persons\nForm of Ordination of the Ministers of God's Word\nForm of Ordination of Elders and Deacons\nForm for the Installation of Professors of Theology\nForm or Ordination of Missionaries\nForm for the Confirmation of Marriage before the Church\nForm for the Administration of Baptism\nThe principal parts of the doctrine of holy baptism are these\nthree:\nFirst. That we with our children are conceived and born in sin,\nand therefore are children of wrath, in so much that we cannot\nenter into the kingdom of God, except we are born again. This,\nthe dipping in, or sprinkling with water teaches us, whereby\nthe impurity of our souls is signified, and we admonished to\nloathe, and humble ourselves before God, and seek for our\npurification and salvation without ourselves.\nSecondly. Holy baptism witnesses and seals unto us the washing\naway of our sins through Jesus Christ. Therefore we are\nbaptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the\nHoly Ghost. For when we are baptized in the name of the Father,\nGod the Father witnesses and seals unto us, that he does make\nan eternal covenant of grace with us, and adopts us for his\nchildren and heirs, and therefore will provide us with every\ngood thing, and avert all evil or turn it to our profit. And\nwhen we are baptized in the name of the Son, the Son seals unto\nus, that he does wash us in his blood from all our sins,\nincorporating us into the fellowship of his death and\nresurrection, so that we are freed from all our sins, and\naccounted righteous before God. In like manner, when we are\nbaptized in the name of the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost assures\nus, by this holy sacrament, that he will dwell in us, and\nsanctify us to be members of Christ, applying unto us, that\nwhich we have in Christ, namely, the washing away of our sins,\nand the daily renewing of our lives, till we shall finally be\npresented without spot or wrinkle among the assembly of the\nelect in life eternal.\nThirdly. Whereas in all covenants, there are contained two\nparts: therefore are we by God through baptism, admonished of,\nand obliged unto new obedience, namely, that we cleave to this\none God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; that we trust in him, and\nlove him with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our\nmind, and with all our strength; that we forsake the world,\ncrucify our old nature, and walk in a new and holy life.\nAnd if we sometimes through weakness fall into sin, we must\nnot therefore despair of God's mercy, nor continue in sin,\nsince baptism is a seal and undoubted testimony, that we have\nan eternal covenant of grace with God.\n1. To Infants of Believers\nAnd although our young children do not understand these things,\nwe may not therefore exclude them from baptism, for as they are\nwithout their knowledge, partakers of the condemnation in Adam,\nso are they again received unto grace in Christ; as God speaks\nunto Abraham, the father of all the faithful, and therefore\nunto us and our children (Gen. 17:7), saying, \"I will establish\nmy covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in\ntheir generations, for an everlasting covenant; to be a God\nunto thee, and to thy seed after thee.\" This also the Apostle\nPeter testifies, with these words (Acts 2:39), \"For the promise\nis unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off,\neven as many as the Lord our God shall call.\" Therefore God\nformerly commanded them to be circumcised, which was a seal of\nthe covenant, and of the righteousness of faith; and therefore\nChrist also embraced them, laid his hands upon them and blessed\nthem (Mark 10).\nSince then baptism is come in the place of circumcision,\ntherefore infants are to be baptized as heirs of the kingdom of\nGod, and of his covenant. And parents are in duty bound,\nfurther to instruct their children herein, when they shall\narrive to years of discretion.\nThat therefore this holy ordinance of God may be administered\nto his glory, to our comfort, and to the edification of his\nChurch, let us call upon his holy name.\nPrayer\nO Almighty and eternal God, Thou, who hast according to thy\nsevere judgment punished the unbelieving and unrepentant world\nwith the flood, and hast according to thy great mercy saved and\nprotected believing Noah and his family; Thou, who hast drowned\nthe obstinate Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, and hast led\nthy people Israel through the midst of the Sea upon dry ground,\nby which baptism was signified - we beseech thee, that Thou\nwilt be pleased of thine infinite mercy, graciously to look\nupon these children, and incorporate them by thy Holy Spirit,\ninto thy Son Jesus Christ, that they may be buried with him\ninto his death, and be raised with him in newness of life; that\nthey may daily follow him, joyfully bearing their cross, and\ncleave unto him in true faith, firm hope, and ardent love; that\nthey may, with a comfortable sense of thy favour, leave this\nlife, which is nothing but a continual death, and at the last\nday, may appear without terror before the judgment seat of\nChrist thy Son, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee\nand the Holy Ghost, one only God, lives and reigns forever.\nAmen.\nAn exhortation to the Parents\nBeloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, you have heard that baptism\nis an ordinance of God, to seal unto us and to our seed his\ncovenant; therefore it must be used for that end, and not out\nof custom or superstition. That it may then be manifest, that\nyou are thus minded, you are to answer sincerely to these\nquestions:\nFirst, Whether you acknowledge, that although our children are\nconceived and born in sin, and therefore are subject to all\nmiseries, yea, to condemnation itself; yet that they are\nsanctified in Christ, and therefore, as members of his Church\nought to be baptized?\nSecondly. Whether you acknowledge the doctrine which is\ncontained in the Old and New Testament, and in the articles of\nthe Christian faith, and which is taught here in this Christian\nChurch, to be the true and perfects doctrine of salvation?\nThirdly. Whether you promise and intend to see these children,\nwhen come to the years of discretion (whereof you are either\nparent or witness), instructed and brought up in the aforesaid\ndoctrine, or help or cause them to be instructed therein, to\nthe utmost of your power?\nAnswer. Yes.\nThen the Minister of God's Word, in baptizing, shall say,\n, I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the\nSon, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.\nThanksgiving\nAlmighty God and merciful Father, we thank and praise thee,\nthat Thou hast forgiven us, and our children, all our sins,\nthrough the blood of thy beloved Son Jesus Christ, and received\nus through thy Holy Spirit as members of thine only begotten\nSon, and adopted us to be thy children, and sealed and\nconfirmed the same unto us by holy baptism; we beseech thee,\nthrough the same Son of thy love, that Thou wilt be pleased\nalways to govern these baptized children by Thy Holy Spirit,\nthat they may be piously and religiously educated, increase and\ngrow up in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they then may\nacknowledge thy fatherly goodness and mercy, which Thou hast\nshown to them and us, and live in all righteousness, under our\nonly Teacher, King and High Priest, Jesus Christ; and manfully\nfight against, and overcome sin, the devil and his whole\ndominion, to the end that they may eternally praise and magnify\nthee, and thy Son Jesus Christ, together with the Holy Ghost,\nthe one only true God. Amen.\n2. To Adult Persons\nHowever children of Christian parents (although they understand\nnot this mystery) must be baptized by virtue of the covenant;\nyet it is not lawful to baptize those who are come to years of\ndiscretion, except they first be sensible of their sins, and\nmake confession both of their repentance and faith in Christ.\nFor this cause did not only John the Baptist preach (according\nto the command of God) the baptism of repentance, and baptized,\nfor the remission of sins, those who confessed their sins (Mark\n1 and Luke 3); but our Lord Jesus Christ also commanded his\ndisciples to teach all nations, and then to baptize them, in\nthe name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost\n(Matt. 28, Mark 16), adding this promise: \"He that believeth\nand is baptized shall be saved\". According to which rule, the\nApostles, as appears from Acts 2, 10 and 16, baptized none who\nwere of years of discretions, but such as made confession of\ntheir faith and repentance. Therefore it is not lawful now to\nbaptize any other adult person, than such as have been taught\nthe mysteries of holy baptism, by the preaching of the gospel,\nand are able to give an account of their faith by the\nconfession of the mouth.\nThat therefore this holy ordinance of God may be administered\nto his glory, to our comfort, and to the edification of his\nChurch, let us call upon his holy name:\nO Almighty and eternal God, Thou, who hast according to thy\nsevere judgment punished the unbelieving and unrepentant world\nwith the flood, and hast according to thy great mercy saved and\nprotected believing Noah and his family; Thou, who hast drowned\nthe obstinate Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, and hast led\nthy people Israel through the midst of the Sea upon dry ground,\nby which baptism is signified - we beseech thee, that Thou wilt\nbe pleased of thine infinite mercy, graciously to look upon\nthis person, and incorporate him by thy Holy Spirit into thy\nSon Jesus Christ, that he may be buried with him into his\ndeath, and be raised with him in newness of life; that he may\ndaily follow him, joyfully bearing his cross, and cleave unto\nhim in true faith, firm hope, and ardent love; that he may with\na comfortable sense of thy favour, leave this life, which is\nnothing but a continual death, and at the last day, may appear\nwithout terror before the judgment seat of Christ thy Son,\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy\nGhost, one only God, lives and reigns forever. Amen.\nSince therefore thou, , are also desirous of holy\nbaptism, to the end, that it may be to thee a seal of thine in-\ngrafting into the Church of God; that it may appear that thou\ndo not only receive the Christian religion, in which thou have\nbeen privately instructed by us and of which also thou have\nmade confession before us, but that thou (through the grace of\nGod), intends and purposes to lead a life according to the\nsame, thou are sincerely to give answer before God and his\nChurch.\nFirst. Do thou believe in the only true God, distinct in three\npersons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who has made heaven and\nearth, and all that in them is, of nothing, and still maintains\nand governs them, insomuch that nothing comes to pass, either\nin heaven or on earth, without his divine will?\nAnswer. Yes.\nSecondly. Do thou believe that thou are conceived and born in\nsin and therefore are a child of wrath by nature, wholly\nincapable of doing any good, and prone to all evil; and that\nthou have frequently, in thought, word and deed, transgressed\nthe commandments of the Lord: and whether thou are heartily\nsorry for these sins?\nAnswer. Yes.\nThirdly. Do thou believe that Christ, who is the true and\neternal God, and very man, who took his human nature on him out\nof the flesh and blood of the Virgin Mary, is given thee of\nGod, to be thy Saviour, and that thou does receive by this\nfaith, remission of sins in his blood, and that thou are made\nby the power of the Holy Ghost, a member of Jesus Christ and\nhis Church?\nAnswer. Yes.\nFourthly. Do thou assent to all the articles of the Christian\nreligion, as they are taught here, in this Christian Church,\naccording to the Word of God; and purpose steadfastly to\ncontinue in the same doctrine to the end of thy life; and also\ndo thou reject all heresies and schisms, repugnant to this\ndoctrine, and promise to persevere in the communion of the\nChristian Church, not only in the hearing of the Word, but also\nin the use of the Lord's Supper?\nAnswer. Yes.\nFifthly. Has thou taken a firm resolution always to lead a\nChristian life; to forsake the world and its evil lusts, as is\nbecoming the members of Christ and his Church; and to submit\nthyself to all Christian admonitions?\nAnswer. Yes.\nThe good and great God mercifully grant his grace and blessing\nto this thy purpose, through Jesus Christ Amen.\nThanksgiving\nAlmighty God and merciful Father, we thank and praise thee,\nthat thou hast forgiven us and our children all our sins,\nthrough the blood of thy Son Jesus Christ, and received us\nthrough thy Holy Spirit, as members of thine only begotten Son,\nand adopted us to be thy children, and sealed and confirmed the\nsame unto us by holy baptism. We beseech thee, through the same\nSon of thy love, that thou wilt be pleased always to govern\nthis baptized person by thy Holy Spirit, that he may lead a\nchristian and godly life, and increase and grow up in the Lord\nJesus Christ, that he may acknowledge thy fatherly goodness and\nmercy, which thou hast shown to him and to us, and live in all\nrighteousness, under our only Teacher, King, and High Priest,\nJesus Christ; and that he may manfully fight against and\novercome sin, the devil and his whole dominion, to the end that\nhe may eternally praise and magnify thee, and thy Son Jesus\nChrist together with the Holy Ghost, the one only true God.\nAmen.\nForm for the Public Confession of Faith\n(Before or after the sermon the minister requests those who\nintend to make public confession of their faith to arise and\nreply to the following questions:)\n1. Do you acknowledge the doctrine of our church, which you\nhave learned, heard, and confessed, to be the true and complete\ndoctrine of salvation, conforming with the Sacred Scriptures?\n2. Do you promise, by the grace of God, to continue steadfastly\nin the profession of this doctrine and to live and die in\naccordance therewith?\n3. Do you promise, at all times to conduct yourself conformably\nto this doctrine, faithfully, honorably, and beyond reproach,\nand to adorn your confession with good works?\n4. Do you promise that you with submit to admonition,\ncorrection, and church discipline in the event (which God\nforbid) that you may become delinquent either in doctrine or in\nlife?\nAnswer: Yes.\nForm for the Public Confession of Guilt\n(Before or after the sermon, the minister requests those who\nintend to make public confession of their guilt to arise and\nreply to the following questions:)\n1. Do you confess before God and His holy congregation that you\nhave sinned against the ... commandment?\n2. Do you acknowledge that this transgression grieves you?\n3. Do you promise to forsake this sin and the world, and live\nin a Christian way in the future?\nAnswer: Yes.\nForm for the Administration of the Lord's Supper\nBeloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, attend to the words of the\ninstitution of the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ, as\nthey are delivered by the holy Apostle Paul. 1 Cor. 11:23-30.\n\"For I have received of the Lord, that which also I delivered\nunto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was\nbetrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he brake\nit, and said, Take, eat; this is my body which is broken for\nyou, this do in remembrance of me. And after the same manner\nalso, he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is\nthe new testament in my blood; this do ye, as oft as ye drink\nit in remembrance of me; for as oft as ye eat this bread, and\ndrink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come.\nWherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup\nof the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood\nof the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat\nof that bread, and drink of that cup; for he that eateth and\ndrinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself,\nnot discerning the Lord's body.\nThat we may now celebrate the Supper of the Lord to our\ncomfort, it is above all things necessary,\nFirst. Rightly to examine ourselves.\nSecondly. To direct it to that end for which Christ has\nordained and instituted the same, namely, to his remembrance.\nThe true examination of ourselves consists of these three\nparts:\nFirst. That every one consider by himself, his sins and the\ncurse due to him for them, to the end that he may abhor and\nhumble himself before God: considering that the wrath of God\nagainst sin is so great, that (rather than it should go\nunpunished) he has punished the same in his beloved Son Jesus\nChrist, with the bitter and shameful death of the cross.\nSecondly. That every one examine his own heart, whether he does\nbelieve this faithful promise of God, that all his sins are\nforgiven him only for the sake of the passion and death of\nJesus Christ, and that the perfect righteousness of Christ is\nimputed and freely given him as his own, yea, so perfectly, as\nif he had satisfied in his own person for all his sins, and\nfulfilled all righteousness.\nThirdly. That every one examine his own conscience, whether he\npurposes henceforth to show true thankfulness to God in his\nwhole life, and to walk uprightly before him; as also, whether\nhe has laid aside unfeignedly all enmity, hatred, and envy, and\ndoes firmly resolve hence forward to walk in true love and\npeace with his neighbour.\nAll those, then, who are thus disposed, God will certainly\nreceive in mercy, and count them worthy partakers of the table\nof his Son Jesus Christ. On the contrary, those who do not feel\nthis testimony in their hearts, eat and drink judgment to\nthemselves.\nTherefore, we also, according to the command of Christ and\nthe Apostle Paul, admonish all those who are defiled with the\nfollowing sins, to keep themselves from the table of the Lord,\nand declare to them that they have no part in the kingdom of\nChrist; such as all idolaters, all those who invoke deceased\nsaints, angels or other creatures; all those who worship\nimages; all enchanters, diviners, charmers, and those who\nconfide in such enchantments; all despisers of God, and of his\nWord, and of the holy sacraments: all blasphemers; all those\nwho are given to raise discord, sects and mutiny in Church or\nState; all perjured persons; all those who are disobedient to\ntheir parents and superiors; all murderers, contentious\npersons, and those who live in hatred and envy against their\nneighbours; all adulterers, whoremongers, drunkards, thieves,\nusurers, robbers, gamesters, covetous, and all who lead\noffensive lives.\nAll these, while they continue in such sins, shall abstain\nfrom this meat (which Christ has ordained only for the\nfaithful), lest their judgment and condemnation be made the\nheavier.\nBut this is not designed (dearly beloved brethren and sisters\nin the Lord), to deject the contrite hearts of the faithful, as\nif none might come to the supper of the Lord, but those who are\nwithout sin; for we do not come to this supper, to testify\nthereby that we are perfect and righteous in ourselves; but on\nthe contrary, considering that we seek our life out of\nourselves in Jesus Christ, we acknowledge that we lie in the\nmidst of death; therefore, notwithstanding we feel many\ninfirmities and miseries in ourselves, as namely, that we have\nnot perfect faith, and that we do not give ourselves to serve\nGod with that zeal as we are bound, but have daily to strive\nwith the weakness of our faith, and the evil lusts of our\nflesh; yet, since we are (by the grace of the Holy Spirit)\nsorry for these weaknesses, and earnestly desirous to fight\nagainst our unbelief, and to live according to all the\ncommandments of God: therefore we rest assured that no sin or\ninfirmity, which still remains against our will, in us, can\nhinder us from being received of God in mercy, and from being\nmade worthy partakers of this heavenly meat and drink.\nLet us now also consider, to what end the Lord has instituted\nhis Supper, namely, that we do it in remembrance of him. Now\nafter this manner are we to remember him by it:\nFirst. That we are confidently persuaded in our hearts, that\nour Lord Jesus Christ (according to the promises made to our\nforefathers in the Old Testament) was sent of the Father into\nthe world; that he assumed our flesh and blood; that he bore\nfor us the wrath of God (under which we should have perished\neverlastingly) from the beginning of his incarnation, to the\nend of his life upon earth; and that he has fulfilled, for us,\nall obedience to the divine law, and righteousness; especially,\nwhen the weight of our sins and the wrath of God pressed out of\nhim the bloody sweat in the garden, where he was bound that we\nmight be freed from our sins; that he afterwards suffered\ninnumerable reproaches that we might never be confounded; that\nhe was innocently condemned to death, that we might be\nacquitted at the judgment-seat of God; yea, that he suffered\nhis blessed body to be nailed on the cross - that he might fix\nthereon the handwriting of our sins; and has also taken upon\nhimself the curse due to us, that he might fill us with his\nblessings: and has humbled himself unto the deepest reproach\nand pains of hell, both in body and soul, on the tree of the\ncross, when he cried out with a loud voice, \"My God, my God!\nwhy hast thou forsaken me?\" that we might be accepted of God\nand never be forsaken of him: and finally confirmed with his\ndeath and shedding of his blood, the new and eternal testament,\nthat covenant of grace and reconciliation when he said: \"It is\nfinished.\"\nSecondly. And that we might firmly believe that we belong to\nthis covenant of grace, the Lord Jesus Christ, in his last\nSupper, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it,\nand gave it to his disciples and said, \"Take, eat, this is my\nbody which is broken for you, this do in remembrance of me; in\nlike manner also after supper he took the cup, gave thanks and\nsaid, Drink ye all of it; this cup is the new testament in my\nblood, which is shed for you and for many, for the remission of\nsins, this do ye as often as ye drink it in remembrance of me\":\nthat is, as often as ye eat of this bread and drink of this\ncup, you shall thereby as by a sure remembrance and pledge, be\nadmonished and assured of this my hearty love and faithfulness\ntowards you; that, whereas you should otherwise have suffered\neternal death, I have given my body to the death of the cross,\nand shed my blood for you and as certainly feed and nourish\nyour hungry and thirsty souls with my crucified body, and shed\nblood, to ever lasting life, as this bread is broken before\nyour eyes, and this cup is given to you, and you eat and drink\nthe same with your mouth, in remembrance of me.\nFrom this institution of the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus\nChrist, we see that he directs our faith and trust to his\nperfect sacrifice (once offered on the cross) as to the only\nground and foundation of our salvation, wherein he is become to\nour hungry and thirsty souls, the true meat and drink of life\neternal. For by his death he has taken away the cause of our\neternal death and misery, namely, sin, and obtained for us the\nquickening Spirit, that we by the same (who dwells in Christ as\nin the head, and in us as his members), might have true\ncommunion with him, and be made partakers of all his blessings,\nof life eternal, righteousness and glory.\nBesides, that we by this same Spirit may also be united as\nmembers of one body in true brotherly love, as the holy Apostle\nsays, \"For we, being many, are one bread and one body; for we\nare all partakers of that one bread.\" For as out of many grains\none meal is ground, and one bread baked, and out of many\nberries being pressed together, one wine flows, and mixes\nitself together, so shall we all, who by a true faith are in\ngrafted into Christ, be altogether one body, through brotherly\nlove, for Christ's sake, our beloved Saviour, who has so\nexceedingly loved us, and not only show this in word, but also\nin very deed towards one another.\nHereto assist us, the Almighty God and Father of our Lord\nJesus Christ through his Holy Spirit. AMEN.\nThat we may obtain all this, let us humble ourselves before\nGod, and with true faith implore his grace.\nPrayer\nO most merciful God and Father, we beseech thee, that Thou wilt\nbe pleased in this Supper (in which we celebrate the glorious\nremembrance of the bitter death of thy beloved Son Jesus\nChrist) to work in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, that we\nmay daily more and more with true confidence, give ourselves up\nunto thy Son Jesus Christ, that our afflicted and contrite\nhearts, through the power of the Holy Ghost, may be fed and\ncomforted with his true body and blood; yea, with him, true God\nand man, that only heavenly bread; and that we may no longer\nlive in our sins, but he in us, and we in him, and thus truly\nbe made partakers of the new and everlasting covenant of grace.\nThat we may not doubt but Thou wilt forever be our gracious\nFather, nevermore imputing our sins unto us, and providing us\nwith all things necessary, as well for the body as the soul, as\nthy beloved children and heirs; grant us also thy grace, that\nwe may take up our cross cheerfully, deny ourselves, confess\nour Saviour, and in all tribulations, with uplifted heads\nexpect our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, where he will make\nour mortal bodies like unto his most glorious body, and take us\nunto him in eternity.\nOur Father which is in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy\nkingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.\nGive us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as\nwe forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but\ndeliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power\nand the glory, for ever.\nStrengthen us also by this Holy Supper in the catholic\nundoubted christian faith, whereof we make confession with our\nmouths and hearts, saying:\nI believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and\nearth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was\nconceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered\nunder Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried, he\ndescended into hell: the third day he rose again from the dead,\nhe ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the\nFather Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick\nand the dead.\nI believe in the Holy Ghost; I believe a holy catholic\nchurch; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the\nresurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.\nThat we may be now fed with the true heavenly bread, Christ\nJesus, let us not cleave with our hearts unto the external\nbread and wine, but lift them up on high in heaven, where\nChrist Jesus is our Advocate, at the right hand of his heavenly\nFather, whither all the articles of our faith lead us; not\ndoubting, but we shall as certainly be fed and refreshed in our\nsouls through the working of the Holy Ghost, with his body and\nblood, as we receive the holy bread and wine in remembrance of\nhim.\nIn breaking and distributing the bread, the Minister shall say:\nThe bread which we break, is the communion of the body of\nChrist.\nAnd when he gives the cup:\nThe cup of blessing, which we bless, is the communion of the\nblood of Christ.\n(During the communion, there shall or may be devoutly sung, a\npsalm, or some chapter read, in remembrance of the death of\nChrist, as the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, the 13th, 14th, 15th,\n16th, 17th, and 18th chapters of John, or the like.)\nAfter the Communion the Minister shall say:\nBeloved in the Lord, since the Lord has now fed our souls at\nthis table, let us therefore jointly praise his holy name with\nthanksgiving, and every one say in his heart, thus:\nBless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless\nhis holy name.\nBless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.\nWho forgives all thine iniquities; who heals all thy\ndiseases.\nWho redeems thy life from destruction, who crowns thee with\nloving kindness and tinder mercies.\nThe Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and\nplenteous in mercy.\nHe has not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us\naccording to our iniquities.\nFor as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his\nmercy towards them that fear him.\nAs far as the East is from the West, so far has he removed\nour transgressions from us.\nLike as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities them\nthat fear him.\nWho has not spared his own Son, but delivered him up for us\nall, and given us all things with him. Therefore God commends\ntherewith his love towards us, in that while we were yet\nsinners, Christ died for us; much more then, being now\njustified in his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through\nhim: for, if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God\nby the death of his Son; much more being reconciled, we shall\nbe saved by his life. Therefore shall my mouth and heart show\nforth the praise of the Lord from this time forth forever more.\nAMEN.\nLet every one say with an attentive heart:\nThanksgiving\nO! Almighty, merciful God and Father, we render thee most\nhumble and hearty thanks, that Thou hast of thy infinite mercy,\ngiven us thine only begotten Son, for a Mediator and a\nsacrifice for our sins, and to be our meat and drink unto life\neternal, and that Thou give us lively faith, whereby we are\nmade partakers of such great benefits. Thou hast also been\npleased, that thy beloved Son Jesus Christ should institute and\nordain his Holy Supper for the confirmation of the same. Grant,\nwe beseech thee, O faithful God and Father, that through the\noperation of thy Holy Spirit, the commemoration of the death of\nour Lord Jesus Christ may tend to the daily increase of our\nfaith, and saving fellowship with him, through Jesus Christ thy\nSon, in whose name we conclude our prayers, saying:\nOur Father which is in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy\nkingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.\nGive us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as\nwe forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but\ndeliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power\nand the glory, for ever. Amen.\nForm of Excommunication\nBeloved in the Lord Jesus Christ; it is known unto you, that we\nhave several times, and by several methods declared unto you\nthe great sin committed, and the heinous offense given by our\nfellow-member , to the end that he, by your christian\nadmonition and prayers to God, might be brought to repentance,\nand so be freed from the bonds of the devil (by whom he is held\ncaptive), and recovered by the will of the Lord. But we cannot\nconceal from you, with great sorrow, that no one has yet\nappeared before us, who has in the least given us to understand\nthat he, by the frequent admonitions given him, (as well in\nprivate as before witnesses, and in the presence of many), is\ncome to any remorse for his sins, or has shown the least token\nof true repentance. Since then he daily aggravates his sin,\n(which in itself is not small), by his stubbornness, and since\nwe have signified unto you the last time, that in case he did\nnot repent, after such patience shown him by the Church, we\nshould be under the disagreeable necessity of being further\ngrieved for him, and come to the last remedy; wherefore we at\nthis present are necessitated to proceed to this\nexcommunication according to the command and charge given us by\nGod in his holy Word; to the end that he may hereby be made (if\npossible) ashamed of his sins, and likewise that we may not by\nthis rotten and as yet incurable member, put the whole body of\nthe Church in danger, and that God's name may not be\nblasphemed.\nTherefore we, the ministers and rulers of the Church of God,\nbeing here assembled in the name and authority of our Lord\nJesus Christ, declare before you all, that for the aforesaid\nreasons we have excommunicated, and by these, do excommunicate\nfrom the Church of God, and from fellowship with Christ,\nand the holy sacraments, and from all the spiritual blessings\nand benefits, which God promises to and bestows upon his\nChurch, so long as he obstinately and impenitently persists in\nhis sins, and is therefore to be accounted by you as a heathen\nman and a publican, according to the command of Christ (Matt.\n18), who says, that whatsoever his ministers bind on earth,\nshall be bound in heaven.\nFurther we exhort you, beloved Christians, to keep no company\nwith him, that he may be ashamed; yet count him not as an\nenemy, but at all times admonish him as you would a brother. In\nthe meantime let every one take warning by this and such like\nexamples; to fear the Lord, and diligently take heed unto\nhimself, \"If he thinketh he standeth, lest he fall\"; but having\ntrue fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ,\ntogether with all faithful Christians, remain steadfast therein\nto the end, and so obtain eternal salvation. You have seen,\nbeloved brethren and sisters, in what manner this our\nexcommunicated brother has begun to fall, and by degrees is\ncome to ruin; observe therefore, how subtle Satan is, to bring\nman to destruction, and to withdraw him from all salutary means\nof salvation: guard then, against the least beginnings of evil,\n\"and laying aside,\" according to the exhortation of the\napostle, \"every weight and the sin which does so easily beset\nus, let us run with patience the race that is set before us,\nlooking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; be\nsober, watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. Today,\nif you will hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts,\nbut work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;\" and\nevery one repent of his sins, lest our God humble us again and\nthat we be obliged to bewail some one of you; but that you may\nwith one accord, living in all godliness, be our crown and joy\nin the Lord.\nSince it is God who works in us, both to will and to do of\nhis good pleasure, let us call upon his holy name with\nconfession of our sins, saying:\nO! Righteous God and merciful Father, we bewail our sins before\nthy high majesty, and acknowledge that we have deserved the\ngrief and sorrow caused unto us by the cutting off of this our\nlate fellow-member; yea, we all deserve, should Thou enter into\njudgment with us, by reason of our great transgressions, to be\ncut off and banished from thy presence. - But O Lord, Thou art\nmerciful unto us for Christ's sake; forgive us our trespasses,\nfor we heartily repent of them, and daily work in our hearts a\ngreater measure of sorrow for them; that we may, fearing thy\njudgments which thou executes against the stiffnecked,\nendeavour to please thee; grant us to avoid all pollution of\nthe world, and those who are cut off from the communion of the\nChurch, that we may not make ourselves partakers of their sins;\nand that he who is excommunicated may become ashamed of his\nsins; and since thou desires not the death of a sinner, but\nthat he may repent and live, and the bosom of thy Church is\nalways open for those, who turn away from their wickedness; we\ntherefore humbly beseech thee, to kindle in our hearts a pious\nzeal, that we may labour, with good christian admonitions and\nexamples, to bring again this excommunicated person on the\nright way, together with all those, who, through unbelief or\ndissoluteness of life, go astray.\nGive thy blessing to our admonitions, that we may have reason\nthereby to rejoice again in him, for whom we must now mourn,\nand that thy holy name may be praised, through our Lord Jesus\nChrist, who has taught us to pray:\nOur Father which is in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy\nkingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.\nGive us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as\nwe forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but\ndeliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power\nand the glory, for ever. Amen.\nForm of Readmitting Excommunicated Persons\nBeloved in the Lord, it is known to you, that some time ago our\nfellow member , was cut off from the Church of Christ; we\ncannot now conceal from you, that he, by the above mentioned\nremedy, as also by the means of good admonitions and your\nchristian prayers, is come so far, that he is ashamed of his\nsins, praying us to be readmitted into the communion of the\nChurch.\nSince we, then, by virtues of the command of God, are in duty\nbound to receive such persons with joy, and it being necessary\nthat good order should be used therein, we therefore give you\nto understand hereby, that we purpose to loose again the\naforementioned excommunicated person from the bond of\nexcommunication, the next time when by the grace of God we\ncelebrate the Supper of the Lord, and receive him again into\nthe communion of the Church; except any one of you, in the\nmeantime, shall show just cause why this ought not to be done,\nof which you must give notice to us in due time. In the\nmeantime, let every one thank the Lord, for the mercy shown\nthis poor sinner, beseeching him to perfect his work in him to\nhis eternal salvation. Amen.\nAfterwards, if no impediment be alleged, the Minister shall\nproceed to the readmission of the excommunicated sinner, in the\nfollowing manner:\nBeloved Christians, we have the last time informed you of the\nrepentance of our fellow-member to the end, that he\nmight with your foreknowledge be again received into the Church\nof Christ: and whereas no one has alleged anything why his\nreadmission ought not to take place, we therefore at present\npurpose to proceed to the same.\nOur Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 18), having confirmed the sentence\nof his Church, in the excommunicating of impenitent sinners,\ndeclares immediately thereupon, \"that whatsoever his ministers\nshall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven\"; whereby He\ngives to understand, that when any person is cut off from his\nChurch, he is not deprived of all hopes of salvation; but can\nagain be loosed from the bonds of condemnation. Therefore,\nsince God declares in his word, that he takes no pleasure in\nthe death of a sinner, but that he turn from his wickedness and\nlive, so the church always hopes for the repentance of the\nbackslidden sinner, and keeps her bosom open to receive the\npenitent; accordingly the apostle Paul (1 Cor. 5), commanded\nthe Corinthian (whom he had declared ought to be cut off from\nthe Church) to be again received and comforted, since being\nreproved by many, he was come to the knowledge of his sins: to\nthe end that he should not be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow\n(2 Cor. 2).\nSecondly. Christ teaches us in the aforementioned text, that\nthe sentence of absolution, which is passed upon such a\npenitent sinner according to the Word of God, is counted sure\nand firm by the Lord; therefore, no one ought to doubt in the\nleast, who truly repents, that he is assuredly received by God\nin mercy, as Christ says (John 20), \"Whosesoever sins ye remit,\nthey are remitted unto them.\"\nBut now to proceed to the matter in hand: I ask thee, ,\nwhether thou do declare here with all thine heart before God\nand his Church; that thou are sincerely sorry for the sin and\nstubbornness, for which thou has been justly cut off from the\nChurch? Whether thou do also truly believe, that the Lord has\nforgiven thee, and does forgive thy sins for Christ's sake, and\nthat thou therefore are desirous to be readmitted into the\nChurch of Christ, promising henceforth to live in all godliness\naccording to the command of the Lord?\nAnswer. Yes, verily.\nThen the Minister shall further say:\nWe then, here assembled in the name and authority of the lord\nJesus Christ, declare thee, , to be absolved from the\nbonds of excommunication; and do receive thee again into the\nChurch of the Lord, and declare unto thee that thou are in the\ncommunion of Christ and of the holy sacraments, and of all the\nspiritual blessings and benefits of God, which he promises to\nand bestows upon his Church: may the eternal God preserve thee\ntherein to the end, through his only begotten Son Jesus Christ.\nAmen.\nBe therefore assured in thy heart, my beloved brother, that\nthe Lord has again received thee in mercy. Be diligent\nhenceforward to guard thyself against the subtlety of Satan,\nand the wickedness of the world, to the end, that thou may not\nfall again into sin: love Christ, for many sins are forgiven\nthee.\nAnd you, beloved Christians, receive this your brother, with\nhearty affection; be glad that he was dead and is alive, he was\nlost and is found; rejoice with the angels of heaven, over this\nsinner who repents: count him no longer as a stranger, but as a\nfellow-citizen with the saints, and of the household of God.\nAnd whereas we can have no good of ourselves, let us,\npraising and magnifying the Lord Almighty, implore his mercy,\nsaying:\nGracious God and Father, we thank thee through Jesus Christ,\nthat thou hast been pleased to give this our fellow-brother\nrepentance unto life, and us cause to rejoice in his\nconversion. We beseech thee, show him thy mercy, that he may\nbecome more and more assured in his mind of the remission of\nhis sins, and that he may receive from thence inexpressible joy\nand delight, to serve thee. And whereas he has heretofore by\nhis sins offended many, grant that he may, by his conversion,\nedify many. Grant also that he may steadfastly walk in thy ways\nto the end: and may we learn from this example, that with thee\nis mercy, that thou mayest be feared; and that we, counting him\nfor our brother and coheir of life eternal, may jointly serve\nthee with filial fear and obedience all the days of our life,\nthrough Jesus Christ, our Lord, in whose name we thus conclude\nour prayer:\nOur Father which is in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy\nkingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.\nGive us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as\nwe forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but\ndeliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power\nand the glory, for ever. Amen.\nForm of Ordination of the Ministers of God's Word\nThe sermon and the usual prayers being finished, the Minister\nshall thus speak to the congregation:\nBeloved brethren, it is known unto you, that we have, at three\ndifferent times, published the name of our brother , here\npresent, to learn whether any person had aught to offer\nconcerning his doctrine or life, why he might not be ordained\nto the ministry of the Word. And whereas no one has appeared\nbefore us, who has alleged anything lawful against his person,\nwe shall therefore at present, in the name of the Lord, proceed\nto his ordination; for which purpose, you , and all those\nwho are here present, shall first attend to a short declaration\ntaken from the word of God, touching the institution and the\noffice of pastors and ministers of God's Word; where, in the\nfirst place, you are to observe, that God our heavenly Father,\nwilling to call and gather a Church from amongst the corrupt\nrace of men unto life eternal, does by a particular mark of his\nfavour use the ministry of men therein.\nTherefore, Paul says, that the Lord Jesus Christ has given\nsome apostles and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some\npastors and ministers; for the perfecting of the saints, for\nthe work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of\nChrist. Here we see that holy apostle among other things says\nthat the pastoral office is an institution of Christ.\nWhat this holy office enjoins, may easily be gathered from\nthe very name itself; for as it is the duty of a common\nshepherd, to feed, guide, protect and rule the flock committed\nto his charge; so it is with regard to these spiritual\nshepherds, who are set over the Church, which God calls unto\nsalvation, and counts as sheep of his pasture. The pasture,\nwith which these sheep are fed, is nothing else but the\npreaching of the gospel, accompanied with prayer, and the\nadministration of the holy sacraments; the same word of God is\nlikewise the staff with which the flock is guided and ruled,\nconsequently it is evident, that the office of pastors and\nministers of God's word is,\nFirst. That they faithfully explain to their flock, the Word\nof the Lord, revealed by the writings of the prophets and the\napostles; and apply the same as well in general as in\nparticular, to the edification of the hearers; instructing,\nadmonishing, comforting and reproving, according to every one's\nneed; preaching repentance towards God, and reconciliation with\nhim through faith in Christ; and refuting with the Holy\nScriptures, all schisms and heresies which are repugnant to the\npure doctrine. All this is clearly signified to us in Holy\nWrit, for the Apostle Paul says, \"that these labour in the\nWord\"; and elsewhere he teaches, that this must be done\n\"according to the measure or rule of faith\"; he writes also,\nthat a pastor \"must hold fast and right divide the faithful and\nsincere word which is according to the doctrine\": likewise, he\nthat prophesieth (that is, preacheth God's Word), speaketh unto\nmen to edification, and exhortation and comfort. In another\nplace he proposes himself as a pattern to pastors, declaring\nthat he has publicly, and from house to house, taught and\ntestified repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord\nJesus Christ. But particularly we have a clear description of\nthe office, and ministers of Gods Word (2 Cor. 5:18, 19, 20),\nwhere the apostle thus speaks, \"And all things are of God, who\nhas reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and has given to\nus (namely, to the apostles and pastors) the ministry of\nreconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the\nworld unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them,\nand has committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then\nwe are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by\nus we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.\"\nConcerning the refutation of false doctrine, the same apostle\nsays (Titus 1:9): \"That a minister must hold fast the faithful\nWord of God, that he may be able by sound doctrine, both to\nexhort and convince the gainsayers.\"\nSecondly. It is the office of the Ministers, publicly to call\nupon the name of the Lord in behalf of the whole congregation;\nfor that which the apostles say, we will give ourselves\ncontinually to prayer and to the ministry of the word, is\ncommon to these pastors with the apostles; to which St. Paul\nalluding, thus speaks to Timothy: \"I exhort therefore, that\nfirst of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving\nof thanks be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are\nin authority,\" etc. (1 Tim. 2:1 and 2).\nThirdly. Their office is to administer the sacraments, which\nthe Lord has instituted as seals of his grace: as is evident\nfrom the command given by Christ to the apostles, and in them\nto all pastors: \"Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of\nthe Son, and of the Holy Ghost.\" Likewise: \"for I have received\nof the Lord, that which also I delivered unto you, that the\nLord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed,\" etc.\nFinally, it is the duty of the Ministers of the Word, to keep\nthe Church of God in good discipline, and to govern it in such\na manner as the Lord has ordained; for Christ having spoken of\nthe Christian discipline, says to his apostles, whatsoever ye\nshall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. And Paul will\nhave the ministers to know how to rule their own house, since\nthey otherwise neither can provide for, nor rule the Church of\nGod. This is the reason why the pastors are in Scripture called\nstewards of God, and bishops, that is, overseers and watchmen,\nfor they have the oversight of the house of God, wherein they\nare conversant, to the end that everything may be transacted\nwith good order and decency; and also to open and shut, with\nthe keys of the kingdom of heaven, committed to them, according\nto the charge given them by God.\nFrom these things may be learned what a glorious work the\nministerial office is, since so great things are effected by\nit; yea, how highly necessary it is for man's salvation, which\nis also the reason why the Lord will have such an office always\nto remain. For Christ said when he sent forth his apostles to\nofficiate in his holy function, Lo, I am always with you, even\nunto the end of the world; where we see his pleasure is, that\nthis holy office (for the persons to whom he here speaks, could\nnot live to the end of the world) should always be maintained\non earth. And therefore Paul exhorts Timothy, to commit that\nwhich he had heard of him, to faithful men, who are able to\nteach others, and he also, having ordained Titus minister,\nfurther commanded him to ordain elders in every city. (Titus\n1:5.)\nForasmuch, therefore as we, for the maintaining of this office\nin the Church of God, are now to ordain a new minister of the\nWord, and having sufficiently spoken of the office of such\npersons, therefore you , shall answer to the following\nquestions, which shall be proposed to you, to the end that it\nmay appear to all here present, that you are inclined to accept\nof this office as above described.\nFirst. I ask thee, whether thou feelest in thy heart that thou\nart lawfully called of God's Church, and therefore of God\nhimself, to this holy ministry?\nSecondly. Whether thou dost believe the books of the Old and\nNew Testament to be the only Word of God and the perfect\ndoctrine unto salvation, and dost reject all doctrine repugnant\nthereto?\nThirdly. Whether thou dost promise faithfully to discharge thy\noffice, according to the same doctrine as above described, and\nto adorn it with a godly life: also, to submit thyself, in case\nthou shouldest become delinquent either in life or doctrine, to\necclesiastical admonition, according to the public ordinance of\nthe churches?\nAnswer. Yes, truly, with all my heart.\nThen the Minister, who demanded those questions of him, while\nhe and other Ministers who are present, shall lay their hands\non his head, shall say:\nGod our heavenly Father, who has called thee to his holy\nministry, enlighten thee with his Holy Spirit, strengthen thee\nwith his hand, and so govern thee in thy ministry, that thou\nmayest decently and fruitfully walk therein, to the glory of\nhis name, and the propagation of the kingdom of his Son Jesus\nChrist. Amen.\nThen the Minister shall, from the pulpit, exhort the ordained\nMinister, and the congregation in the following manner:\n\"Take heed, therefore, beloved brother, and fellow-servant in\nChrist, unto thyself and to all the flock, over which the Holy\nGhost has made thee overseer, to feed the Church of God which\nhe has purchased with his own blood: love Christ and feed his\nsheep, taking the oversight of them not by constraint, but\nwillingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, neither\nas being lord over God's heritage, but an example to the flock.\nBe an example of believers, in word, in conversation, in\ncharity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Give attendance to\nreading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that\nis in thee, meditate upon those things, give thyself wholly to\nthem, that thy profiting may appear to all; take heed to thy\ndoctrine, and continue steadfast therein. Bear patiently all\nsufferings, and oppressions, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ,\nfor in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that\nhear thee. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, thou shalt\nreceive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.\"\n\"And you likewise, beloved Christians, receive this your\nminister in the Lord with all gladness, 'and hold, such in\nreputation.' Remember that God himself through him speaketh\nunto and beseecheth you. Receive the Word which he, according\nto the Scripture, shall preach unto you, 'not as the word of\nman, but (as it is in truth) the Word of God.' Let the feet of\nthose that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings\nof good things, be beautiful and pleasant unto you. Obey them\nthat have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they\nwatch for your souls, as they that must give account; that they\nmay do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is\nunprofitable for you. If you do these things, it shall come to\npass, that the peace of God shall enter into your houses, and\nthat you who receive this man in the name of a prophet, shall\nreceive a prophet's reward, and through his preaching,\nbelieving in Christ, shall through Christ, inherit life\neternal.\"\nSince no man is of himself fit for any of these things, let\nus call upon God with thanksgiving.\nMerciful Father, we thank thee that it pleaseth thee by the\nministry of men, to gather a Church to thyself unto life\neternal, from amongst the lost children of men; we bless thee\nfor so graciously providing the Church in this place with a\nfaithful minister; we beseech thee to qualify him daily more\nand more by the Holy Spirit, for the ministry to which thou\nhast ordained and called him; enlighten his understanding to\ncomprehend thy holy Word, and give him utterance, that he may\nboldly open his mouth, to make known and dispense the mysteries\nof the gospel. Endue him with wisdom and valour, to rule the\npeople aright over which he is set, and to preserve them in\nchristian peace, to the end that thy Church under his\nadministration and by his good example, may increase in number\nand in virtue. Grant him courage to bear the difficult ties and\ntroubles which he may meet with in his ministry, that being\nstrengthened by the comfort of thy Spirit, he may remain\nsteadfast to the end, and be received with all faithful\nservants into the joy of his master. Give thy grace also to\nthis people and Church, that they may becomingly deport\nthemselves towards this their minister; that they may\nacknowledge him to be sent of thee; that they may receive his\ndoctrine with all reverence, and submit themselves to his\nexhortations. To the end that they may, by his word, believing\nin Christ, be made partakers of eternal life. Hear us, O\nFather, through thy beloved Son, who has taught us to pray:\nOur Father which is in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy\nkingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.\nGive us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as\nwe forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but\ndeliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power\nand the glory, for ever. Amen.\nForm of Ordination of Elders and Deacons\nWhen ordained at the same time. But if they are ordained\nseparately this form shall be used as occasion requires.\nBeloved Christians, you know that we have several times\npublished unto you the names of our brethren here present, who\nare chosen to the office of elders and deacons in this Church,\nto the end that we might know whether any person had aught to\nallege, why they should not be ordained in their respective\noffices; and whereas no one has appeared before us, who has\nalleged anything lawful against them, we shall therefore at\npresent, in the name of the Lords proceed to their ordination.\nBut first, you, who are to be ordained, and all those who are\nhere present, shall attend to a short declaration from the word\nof God concerning the institution and the office of elders and\ndeacons.\nOf the elders is to be observed, that the word elder or\neldest (which is taken from the Old Testament, and signifies a\nperson who is placed in an honorable office of government over\nothers), is applied to two sorts of persons who minister in the\nChurch of Jesus Christ: for the apostle says, \"the elders that\nrule well, shall be counted worthy of double honour, especially\nthey who labour in the Word and doctrine.\" Hence it is evident\nthat there were two sorts of elders in the Apostolic Church,\nthe former whereof did labour in the Word and doctrine, and the\nlatter did not. The first were the ministers of the Word and\npastors, who preached the gospel and administered the\nsacraments; but the others, who did not labour in the Word, and\nstill did serve in the Church, bore a particular office,\nnamely, they had the oversight of the Church, and ruled the\nsame with the ministers of the Word. For Paul, Rom. chap. 12,\nhaving spoken of the ministry of the word, and also of the\noffice of distribution or deaconship, speaks afterwards\nparticularly of this office, saying, \"he that ruleth let him do\nit with diligence\"; likewise, in another place he counts\ngovernment among the gifts and offices which God has instituted\nin the Church: 1 Cor. 12. Thus we see that these sorts of\nministers are added to the others who preach the gospel, to aid\nand assist them, as in the Old Testament the common Levites\nwere to the priests in the service of the tabernacle, in those\nthings which they could not perform alone: notwithstanding the\noffices always remained distinct one from the other. Moreover,\nit is proper that such men should be joined to the ministers of\nthe Word in the government of the Church, to the end, that\nthereby all tyranny and lording may be kept out of the Church\nof God, which may sooner creep in, when the government is\nplaced in the hands of one alone, or of a very few. And thus\nthe ministers of the Word, together with the elders, form a\nbody or assembly, being as a council of the Church,\nrepresenting the whole Church; to which Christ alludes when he\nsays, \"Tell the Church\" which can in no wise be understood of\nall and every member of the Church in particular, but very\nproperly of those who govern the Church, out of which they are\nchosen.\nTherefore, in the first place, the office of elders is,\ntogether with the ministers of the Word, to take the oversight\nof the Church, which is committed to them, and diligently to\nlook, whether every one properly deports himself in his\nconfession and conversation; to admonish those who behave\nthemselves disorderly, and to prevent, as much as possible, the\nsacraments from being profaned: also to act (according to the\nChristian discipline) against the impenitent, and to receive\nthe penitent again into the bosom of the Church, as does not\nonly appear from the above mentioned saying of Christ, but also\nfrom many other places of Holy Writ, as 1 Cor. chap. 5, and 2\nCor. chap. 2, that these things are not alone intrusted to one\nor two persons, but to many who are ordained thereto.\nSecondly. Since the apostle enjoins, that all things shall be\ndone decently and in order, amongst Christians, and that no\nother persons ought to serve in the Church o\u00a3 Christ, but those\nwho are lawfully called according to the christian ordinance,\ntherefore it is also the duty of the elders to pay regard to\nit, and in all occurrences, which relate to the welfare and\ngood order of the Church, to be assistant with their good\ncounsel and advice, to the ministers of the Word, yea, also to\nserve all Christians with advise and consolation.\nThirdly. It is also the duty particularly to have regard unto\nthe doctrine and conversation of the ministers of the Word, to\nthe end that all things may be directed to the edification of\nthe Church; and that no strange doctrine be taught, according\nto that which we read, Acts 20, where the apostle exhorts to\nwatch diligently against the wolves, which might come into the\nsheepfold of Christ; for the performance of which, the elders\nare in duty bound diligently to search the Word of God, and\ncontinually be meditating on the mysteries of faith.\nConcerning the deacons: of the origin and institution of their\noffice we may read, Acts 6, where we find that the apostles\nthemselves did in the beginning serve the poor, \"At whose feet\nwas brought the price of the things that were sold: and\ndistribution was made unto every man according as he had need.\nBut afterwards, when a murmuring arose, because the widows of\nthe Grecians were neglected in the daily ministrations\" men\nwere chosen (by the advice of the apostles who should make the\nservice of the poor their peculiar business, to the end that\nthe apostles might continually give themselves to prayer, and\nthe ministry of the Word. And has been continued from that time\nforward in the Church, as appears from Rom. 12, where the\napostle, speaking of this office, says, \"he that giveth, let\nhim do it with simplicity.\" And 1 Cor. 12:28 speaking of helps,\nhe means those, who are appointed in the Church to help and\nassist the poor and indigent in time of need. From which\npassage we may easily gather, what the deacon's office is\nnamely, that they in the first place collect and preserve with\nthe greats fidelity and diligence, the alms and goods which are\ngiven to the poor: yea, to do their utmost endeavours, that\nmany good means be procured for the relief of the poor.\nThe second part of their office consists in distribution\nwherein are not only required discretion and prudence to bestow\nthe alms only on objects of charity, but also cheerfulness and\nsimplicity to assist the poor with compassion and hearty\naffection: as the apostle requires, Rom., chap 12; and 2 Cor.,\nchap. 9. For which end it is very beneficial, that they do not\nonly administer relief to the poor and indigent with external\ngifts, but also with comfortable words from Scripture.\nTo the end therefore, beloved brethren, , that every\none may hear, that you are willing to take your respective\noffices upon you, ye shall answer to the following questions:\nAnd in the first place I ask you, both elders and deacons,\nwhether you do not feel in your hearts, that ye are lawfully\ncalled of God's Church, and consequently of God himself, to\nthese your respective holy offices?\nSecondly. Whether ye believe the books of the Old and New\nTestament to be the only Word of God, and the perfect doctrine\nof salvation, and do reject all doctrines repugnant thereto?\nThirdly. Whether ye promise, agreeably to said doctrine,\nfaithfully, according to your ability, to discharge your\nrespective offices, as they are here described? ye elders in\nthe government of the Church together with the ministers of the\nWord; and ye deacons in the ministration to the poor? Do ye\nalso jointly promise to walk in all godliness, and to submit\nyourself, in case ye should become remiss in your duty, to the\nadmonition of the Church?\nUpon which they shall answer: Yes.\nThen the Minister shall say:\nThe Almighty God and Father, replenish you all with his\ngrace, that ye may faithfully and fruitfully discharge your\nrespective offices. Amen.\nThe Minister shall further exhort them, and the whole\ncongregation, in the following manner:\nTherefore, ye elders, be diligent in the government of the\nChurch, which is committed to you, and the ministers of the\nWord. Be also, as watchmen over the house and city of God,\nfaithful to admonish and to caution every one against his ruin;\nTake heed that purity of doctrine and godliness of life be\nmaintained in the Church of God. And, ye deacons, be diligent\nin collecting the alms, prudent and cheerful in the\ndistribution of the same: assist the oppressed, provide for the\ntrue widows and orphans, show liberality unto all men, but\nespecially to the household of faith.\nBe ye all with one accord faithful in your offices, and hold\nthe mystery of the faith in a pure conscience, being good\nexamples unto all the people. In so doing you will purchase to\nyourselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith,\nwhich is in Christ Jesus, and hereafter enter into the joy of\nour Lord. On the other hand, beloved Christians, receive these\nmen as the servants of God: count the elders that rule well\nworthy of double honour, give yourselves willingly to their\ninspection and government. Provide the deacons with good means\nto assist the indigent. Be charitable, ye rich, give liberally,\nand contribute willingly. And, ye poor, be poor in spirit, and\ndeport yourselves respectfully towards your benefactors, be\nthankful to them, and avoid murmuring: follow Christ, for the\nfood of your souls, but not for bread. \"Let him that has stolen\n(or who has been burdensome to his neighbours) steal no more:\nbut rather let him labour, working with his hands the things\nwhich are good, that he may give to him that needeth.\" Each of\nyou, doing these things in your respective callings, shall\nreceive of the Lord, the reward of righteousness. But since we\nare unable of ourselves, let us call upon the name of the Lord\nsaying:\nO Lord God and heavenly Father, we thank thee that it has\npleased thee, for the better edification of thy Church, to\nordain in it, besides the ministers of the Word, rulers and\nassistants, by whom thy Church may be preserved in peace and\nprosperity, and the indigent assisted; and that Thou hast at\npresent granted us in this place, men, who are of good\ntestimony, and we hope endowed with thy Spirit. We beseech\nthee, replenish them more and more with such gifts as are\nnecessary, for them in their ministration; with the gifts of\nwisdom, courage, discretion, and benevolence, to the end that\nevery one may, in his respective office, acquit himself as is\nbecoming; the elders in taking diligent heed unto the doctrine\nand conversation, in keeping out the wolves from the sheepfold\nof thy beloved Son; and in admonishing and reproving disorderly\npersons. In like manner, the deacons in carefully receiving,\nand liberally and prudently distributing of the alms to the\npoor, and in comforting them with thy holy Word. Give grace\nboth to the elders and deacons, that they may persevere in\ntheir faithful labour, and never become weary by reason of any\ntrouble, pain or persecution of the world. Grant also\nespecially thy divine grace to this people, over whom they are\nplaced, that they may willingly submit themselves to the good\nexhortations of the elders, counting them worthy of honour for\ntheir work's sake; give also unto the rich, liberal hearts\ntowards the poor, and to the poor grateful hearts towards those\nwho help and serve them; to the end that every one acquitting\nhimself of his duty, thy holy name may thereby be magnified,\nand the kingdom of thy Son Jesus Christ, enlarged, in whose\nname we conclude our prayers, saying:\nOur Father which is in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy\nkingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.\nGive us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as\nwe forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but\ndeliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power\nand the glory, for ever. Amen.\nForm for the Installation of Professors of Theology\nBeloved brethren, it is known unto you that our brother in the\nholy ministry, , has been called by our last Synod to the\nimportant office of professor of theology at our Theological\nSeminary. To our joy he has accepted this call and we are now\nassembled to install him in office. For which purpose we\nrequest thee, brother , to arise and to listen to that\nwhich belongs to this office, and is placed by the Lord and the\nChurch in thy charge.\nSince our God, who is rich in mercy, has chosen in his great\nlove a Church unto himself for the inheritance of eternal life,\nand will gather this Church through his Spirit and Word to the\nfellowship of his Son, in the unity of true faith, and to the\nincrease of the knowledge of his will, so it pleases him to\ncall men by his Holy Spirit, who as ministers of the Word are\nto preach the glad tidings of salvation among those who already\nbelong to the Church and among those outside, who are yet\nwithout the knowledge of God's ways.\nThe first messengers of peace in the days of the New\nTestament were immediately taught by our Lord Jesus Christ, and\nwere by him personally trained and sent. After the outpouring\nof the Holy Spirit he gave them great diversities of\nextraordinary gifts and knowledge of the mysteries of salvation\nof sinners and the up building of saints. Because these\nextraordinary methods, however, lasted only as long as the Lord\njudged them to be necessary for the founding of his Church\namong the nations, the necessity was soon felt of training\nyouths and men for the holy ministry under the ordinary\ndispensation of the Spirit by the regular methods of education.\nAnd this especially in virtue of what Paul wrote in 2 Tim. 2:2,\n\"And the things which thou hast heard from me among many\nwitnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be\nable to teach others also.\" The Apostle here points to what he\nhad himself done and what he required of his disciple Timothy.\nIn obedience to this apostolic direction this training was\noriginally done by learned and capable overseers of the Church.\nLater the schools of Alexandria, Antioch, and other important\ncities were especially engaged in this work. And when towards\nthe end of the middle ages and in the sixteenth and seventeenth\ncenturies universities arose in various places, theology was\nnot incorporated merely as a faculty with other faculties, but\nusually recognized as Queen of Sciences. This was the more\neasily done because the Church. both Roman Catholic and\nProtestant, exercised authority over or concerned itself with\neverything.\nAs long as a university is founded on the basis of Holy\nScripture, accepts the confession of a certain denomination,\nand this denomination has part control in the appointing of\nprofessors of theology, it cannot be disapproved of that future\nministers of the Word should receive their education at such an\ninstitution.\nSince, however, Paul in Rom. 3:2 expressly declares that the\nChurch of the Old Dispensation, and therefore also the Church\nof the New Dispensation, was given the special prerogative that\nto her were intrusted the oracles of God, it follows therefore\nthat the Church has a divine mission to proclaim the word of\nGod, to collect from the Word of God her standards of faith, to\nstudy theology according to these words, and further to advance\nwhat is in direct connection with this study.\nConscious of this calling our Church has also established a\nTheological School and called the reverend brother to\ndevote his talents to this School.\nIn behalf of our Church the Curators charge thee, esteemed\nbrother, with the task of instructing and establishing in the\nknowledge of God's Word the students who hope once to minister\nin his Church. Expound to them the mysteries of the faith;\ncaution them in regard to the errors and heresies of the old,\nbut especially of the new day; seek to explain how they not\nalone as teachers are to instruct but also as pastors are to\nshepherd the flock of the Lord. Assist in maintaining order and\ndiscipline among the disciples, that our Seminary may continue\nto enjoy the respect, the support, the appreciation, the love\nand the prayer of the Church. Be a good example to the\nstudents, that they may not only profit from thy learning, but\nalso find in thee a living illustration of the power and\npractice of true godliness.\nBe engaged in all of this according to the measure of the\ngifts God gave thee, in dependence on the Lord's help and the\nlight of the Holy Spirit.\nAnd that it may now publicly appear that thou, highly\nesteemed brother, art thus disposed, thou art to answer the\nfollowing questions:\nFirst. I ask thee, dost thou feel in thy heart that thou art\nlawfully called of God's Church and therefore of God himself to\nthis office?\nSecondly. Dost thou believe the books of the Old and New\nTestament to be the only Word of God? Dost thou reject all\ndoctrine repugnant thereto, and dost thou accept the doctrinal\nstandards of this Christian Church as the truest expression of\nthe doctrine of salvation?\nThirdly. Dost thou promise faithfully to discharge thy office\naccording to the same doctrine above described, and to adorn it\nwith a godly life?\nFourthly. Dost thou promise to submit thyself, in case thou\nshouldest become delinquent, either in life or doctrine, to the\nordinance of the Church, and if necessary, to Church\ndiscipline?\nAnswer: Yes, with all my heart.\nForm or Ordination of Missionaries\nBeloved in our Lord and Saviour and all here present. It is\nknown to you that our brother , called by the ... as\nmissionary minister of the Word among the Heathen (Dispersed),\n(and recently examined by the Classis of ...) is now to be\npublicly ordained (installed) as missionary. We, therefore,\nrequest thee, beloved brother , to arise and to attend to\na short declaration touching the office of missionary ministers\nof the Word.\nSince our God, according to his infinite mercy, has chosen a\nChurch unto everlasting life, and gathers it by his blessed\ngospel, out of every nation, and of all tribes and peoples and\ntongues, unto the fellowship of his Son, in unity of the true\nfaith, therefore our risen Saviour has ordained an office and\nhas called men, to carry the message of salvation to all\npeoples, commanding his apostles, and in them all lawful\nministers of the Word: \"Go ye into all the world, and preach\nthe gospel to every creature.\" Mark 16:15. For he that ascended\nfar above all the heavens, that he might fulfill all things,\ngave some to be apostles; and some prophets; and some\nevangelists; and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting\nof the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building\nup of the body of Christ. And the Apostles, responding to this,\nwent forth into the world declaring the whole counsel of God,\nparticularly repentance, and remission of sins, through faith\nin Jesus Christ, testifying: \"for God so loved the world, that\nHe gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him\nshould not perish, but have eternal life.\" John 3:16. \"But all\nthings are of God who reconciled us to himself through Christ,\nand gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation: to wit, that\nGod was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not\nreckoning unto them their trespasses; and has committed unto us\nthe word of reconciliation. We are ambassadors, therefore, on\nbehalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we\nbeseech you on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God.\" 2\nCor. 5.\nWithout this word of reconciliation, faith in Christ and\nconsequently salvation, is and remains forever impossible, for\nHoly Scripture says, Acts 4:12: \"And in none other is there\nsalvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven,\nthat is given among men, wherein we must be saved\"; and\nelsewhere: Rom. 10:14, 15, 17: \"How shall they believe in him\nof whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a\npreacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent? So\nthen, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.\"\nAlthough all ministers of the Word have in common, that to\nthem is committed the preaching of the Gospel, the\nadministration of the Sacraments, the government of the Church,\nand the maintenance of christian discipline, yea, all, that,\naccording to the Word of God belongs to the office of pastor\nand teacher: and although from the difference of field of\nlabour no difference is resulting, concerning office, authority\nor dignity, since all possess the same mission, the same office\nand the same authority, yet not withstanding this, it is\nnecessary that some labour in the congregations already\nestablished, while others are called and sent to preach the\nGospel to those without, in order to bring them to Christ. And\nlet each man abide in that calling wherein he was called by the\nChurch of God and consequently by God himself and whereunto\neach has received gifts, until it pleases the Lord to lead him\nalong a lawful way to a different field of labour.\nUnto the Heathen\nThat unto the Heathen also these glad tidings must be brought\nappears plainly from Matt. 28:19, \"Go ye therefore, and teach\nall nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of\nthe Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all\nthings whatsoever I have commanded you.\"\nThe same was revealed to Peter by showing him as it were a\ngreat sheet let down by four corners upon the earth, wherein\nwere all manner of beasts, and thereupon commanding him to go\ndown to the Gentile Cornelius, saying: \"Arise, and get thee\ndown, and go with them, nothing doubting; for I have sent\nthem,\" Acts 10:20. Likewise he spoke to Paul in a vision in the\ntemple: \"Depart: for I will send thee forth far hence unto the\nGentiles.\" Acts 22:21.\nThis divine charge was also carried out by the church of\nAntioch, when they, after fasting and prayer, laid their hands\nupon Barnabas and Saul and sent them away to preach the gospel\nalso unto the Gentiles, Acts 13. And when they on their first\nmissionary journey had arrived at Antioch in Pisidia they\ntestified to the contradicting Jews: \"Lo, we turn to the\nGentiles. For so has the Lord commanded us, saying: I have set\nthee for a light of the Gentiles; that thou shouldest be for\nsalvation unto the uttermost part of the earth.\"\nAnd besides all this it is evident that the work of missions\nis the task of the Church since the Lord Jesus himself calls\nhis Church the salt of the earth, and says: \"Ye are the light\nof the world. A city on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men\nlight a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand.\"\nMatt. 5.\nUnto the Dispersed\nThat unto the Dispersed also these glad tidings must be brought\nis plainly inferred from what God says in Ezekiel 34:11-16:\n\"For thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I myself, even I, will\nsearch for my sheep, and will seek them out. As a shepherd\nseeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep\nthat are scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I\nwill deliver them out of all places whither they have been\nscattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out\nfrom the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will\nbring them into their own land; and I will feed them upon the\nmountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the\ninhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good\npasture, and upon the mountains of the height of Israel shall\ntheir fold be: there shall they lie down in a good fold, and on\nfat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I\nmyself will feed my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down,\nsaith the Lord God. I will seek that which was lost, and will\nbring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that\nwhich was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick. I\nwill feed them in judgment.\"\nThat the Lord does this by means of his servants, is clearly\nshown by the way wherein God, in the same chapter, rebukes the\nunfaithful shepherds: \"Neither have ye brought again that which\nwas driven away,\" and expresses his holy indignation because:\n\"My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every\nhigh hill: yea, my sheep were scattered upon all the face of\nthe earth; and there was none that did search or seek after\nthem.\" Ezek. 34:4, 6.\nThe same also follows from the fact that Jesus who Himself\nwas sent \"to the lost sheep of the House of Israel,\" calls the\nChurch the salt of the earth, while besides all this, the\nexample of the Apostle Paul teaches us plainly that it is our\nhigh calling to bring the bread of life to our dispersed\nbrethren after the flesh everywhere, and therefore certainly\nfirst of all in our own country, to gather them, if possible,\nas congregations of our Lord.\nAnd since thou, beloved brother, are now called and are now\nbeing sent to labour among the Heathen (Dispersed), thou are to\nconsider which important duties, are thereby devolving upon\nthee:\nIn the first place thou are to bring to their attention by\nall fit and lawful means, the glad tidings that Jesus Christ\nhas come into the world to save sinners. All thine actions, thy\nspeaking and thy silence, yea, all thine influence is to\ncooperate to recommend the gospel of Christ. Let thy\nconversation be without covetousness; abhor that which is evil;\ncleave to that which is good, that thou mayest be able to say\nwith the Apostle Paul, 1 Cor. 9: 19, 22, 27: \"For though I was\nfree from all men I brought myself under bondage to all, that I\nmight gain the more. ... I am become all things to all men,\nthat I may by all means save some. I buffet my body, and bring\nit into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached\nto others, I myself should be rejected.\"\nSecondly, thou are holden, if it pleases Gods to make thy\nwork fruitful unto the gathering of a church, to administer the\nSacrament of Holy Baptism according to the institution of the\nLord and the requirement of the covenant.\nFurthermore, thou are called wherever it is necessary and\npossible to ordain elders and deacons even as Paul charged\nTitus, chapter 1:5, saying; \"For this cause left I thee in\nCrete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that were\nwanting, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave thee\ncharge.\" But lay hands hastily on no man.\nMoreover, there is committed unto thee, as minister of Christ\nand steward of the mysteries of God, the administering of the\nHoly Supper of the Lord according to the institution of Christ.\nBesides this, there is commended unto thee the maintaining of\nchristian discipline in the midst of the congregation, by\nfaithful use of the keys of the Kingdom, as our Lord Jesus has\nspoken: \"Go, show him his fault, between thee and him alone,\"\netc. And afterwards: \"Verily I say unto you, what things soever\nye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven.\"\nAnd finally, beloved brother, be a faithful servant of Jesus\nChrist, and a careful shepherd of the flock. \"Preach the Word,\nbe urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort,\nwith all longsuffering and teaching, ... be an example to them\nthat believe, in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, in\npurity.\" ... \"Give heed to reading, to exhortations, to\nteaching. Neglect not the gift that is in thee.\" ... \"Be\ndiligent in these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy\nprogress may be manifest unto all. Take heed to thyself, and to\nthy teaching. Continue in these things; for in doing this thou\nshalt save both thyself and them that hear thee.\" (2 Tim. 4:2\nand 1 Tim. 4:12b, 16.)\nAnd that now everyone present may hear, beloved brother, that\nthou art willing, and ready to undertake the ministry of the\nWord among the Heathen (Dispersed), thou art requested to\nanswer sincerely the following questions:\nFirst. I ask thee whether thou feelest in thy heart that thou\nart lawfully called of God's Church and therefore of God\nhimself, to this holy ministry?\nSecondly. Whether thou dost believe the books of the Old and\nNew Testament to be the only Word of God, and the perfect\ndoctrine unto salvation, and dost reject all doctrines\nrepugnant thereto?\nThirdly. Whether thou dost promise faithfully to discharge\nthine office, according to the same doctrine as above\ndescribed, and to adorn it with a godly life; also, to submit\nthyself, in case thou should become delinquent either in life\nor doctrine, to ecclesiastical admonition, according to the\npublic ordinance of the churches?\nAnswer: Yes; truly, with all my heart.\nThen the Minister, who demanded those questions of him, while\nhe and other Ministers who are present, shall lay their hands\non his head, shall say:\n\"Go then, beloved brother, and teach all nations, baptizing\nthem in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy\nGhost. God our heavenly Father, who has called thee to his holy\nministry, enlighten thee with his Holy Spirit, strengthen thee\nwith his hand and so govern thee in thy ministry, that thou\nmayest do gently and fruitfully walk therein, to the glory of\nhis Name, and the propagation of the Kingdom of his Son Jesus\nChrist.\" Amen.\nForm for the Confirmation of Marriage before the Church\nWhereas married persons are generally, by reason of sin,\nsubject to many troubles and afflictions; to the end that you\nand , who desire to have your marriage bond\npublicly confirmed, here in the name of God, before this\nChurch, may also be assured in your hearts of the certain\nassistance of God in your afflictions, hear therefore from the\nWord of God, how honorable the marriage state is, and that it\nis an institution of God, which is pleasing to him. Wherefore\nhe also will (as he has promised) bless and assist the married\npersons, and on the contrary, judge and punish whoremongers and\nadulterers.\n1. In the first place you are to know, that God our Father,\nafter he had created heaven and earth, and all that in them is,\nmade man in his own image and likeness, that he should have\ndominion over the beasts of the field, over the fish of the\nsea, and over the fowls of the air. And after he had created\nman, he said, \"It is not good that man should be alone, I will\nmake him a help meet for him. And the Lord caused a deep sleep\nto fall upon Adam, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs,\nand closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib which the\nLord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her\nunto the man. And Adam said, this is now bone of my bone, and\nflesh of any flesh: she shall be called woman, because she was\ntaken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father, and\nhis mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they two shall\nbe one flesh.\" Therefore ye are not to doubt, but that the\nmarried state is pleasing to the Lord, since he made unto Adam\nhis wife, brought and gave her himself to him to be his wife;\nwitnessing thereby that he does yet as with his hand bring unto\nevery man his wife. For this lesson the Lord Jesus Christ did\nalso highly honour it with his presence, gifts and miracles, in\nCana of Galilee, to show thereby that this holy state ought to\nbe kept honorably by all, and that he will aid and protect\nmarried persons, even when they are least deserving it.\nBut that you may live godly in this state, you must know the\nreasons, wherefore God has instituted the same. The first\nreason is, that each faithfully assist the other, in all things\nthat belong to this life, and a better.\nSecondly. That they bring up the children, which the Lord\nshall give them, in the true knowledge and fear of God, to his\nglory, and their salvation.\nThirdly. That each of them, avoiding all uncleanness and evil\nlusts, may live with a good and quiet conscience.\nFor, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife,\nand every woman her own husband; insomuch that all, who are\ncome to their years, and have not the gift of continence, are\nbound by the command of God, to enter into the marriage state,\nwith knowledge and consent of parents, or guardians and\nfriends; so that the temple of God, which is our body, may not\nbe defiled; for, whosoever defileth the temple of God, him\nshall God destroy.\n2. Next, you are to know, how each is bound to behave\nrespectively towards the other, according to the word of God.\nFirst. You, who are the bridegroom, must know, that God has\nset you to be the head of your wife, that you, according to\nyour ability, shall lead her with discretion; instructing,\ncomforting, protecting her, as the head rules the body; yea, as\nChrist is the head, wisdom, consolation and assistance to his\nChurch. Besides, you are to love your wife as your own body, as\nChrist has loved his Church: you shall not be bitter against\nher, but dwell with her as a man of understanding, giving\nhonour to the wife as the weaker vessel, considering that ye\nare joint heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers be not\nhindered. And since it is God's command, \"that the man shall\neat his bread in the sweat of his face,\" therefore you are to\nlabour diligently and faithfully, in the calling wherein God\nhas set you, that you may maintain your household honestly, and\nlikewise have something to give to the poor.\nIn like manner, must you, who are the bride, know how you are\nto carry yourself towards your husband, according to the Word\nof God. You are to love your lawful husband, to honour and fear\nhim, as also to be obedient unto him, in all lawful things, as\nto your Lord, as the body is obedient to the head, and the\nChurch to Christ. You shall not exercise any dominion over your\nhusband, but be silent: for Adam was first created, and then\nEve, to be a help to Adam; and after the fall, God said to Eve,\nand in her to all women, \"your will shall be subject to your\nhusband.\" You shall not resist this ordinance of God, but be\nobedient to the word of God, and follow the examples of godly\nwomen, who trusted in God, and were subject to their husbands;\n\"as Sarah was obedient to Abraham, calling him her lord\": you\nshall also be a help to your husband in all good and lawful\nthings, looking to your family, and walking in all honesty and\nvirtue, without worldly pride, that you may give an example to\nothers of modesty.\nWherefore you and you , having now understood that\nGod has instituted marriage, and what he commands you therein;\nare you willing thus to behave yourselves in this holy state,\nas you here do confess before this christian assembly, and\ndesirous that you be confirmed in the same?\nAnswer. Yes.\nWhereupon the Minister shall say:\nI take you all, who are met here to witness, that there is\nbrought no lawful impediment.\nFurther to the married persons.\nSince then it is fit that you be furthered in this your work,\nthe Lord God confirm your purpose, which he has given you; and\nyour beginning be in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and\nearth.\nHereupon they shall join hands together, and the Minister speak\nfirst to the bridegroom.\nDo you acknowledge here before God and this his holy\nChurch, that you have taken, and do take to your lawful wife,\n, here present, promising her never to forsake her; to\nlove her faithfully, to maintain her, as a faithful and pious\nhusband is bound to do to his lawful wife; that you will live\nhomily with her; keeping faith and truth to her in all things\naccording to the holy gospel?\nAnswer: Yes.\nAfterwards to the bride.\nDo you acknowledge here before God, and this his holy\nChurch, that you have taken, and do take to your lawful\nhusband, , here present, promising to be obedient to him,\nto serve and assist him, never to forsake him, to live homily\nwith him, keeping faith and truth to him in all things, as a\npious and faithful wife is bound to her lawful husband\naccording to the holy gospel?\nAnswer. Yes.\nThen the Minister shall say:\nThe Father of all mercies, who of his grace has called you to\nthis holy state of marriage, bind you in true love and\nfaithfulness, and grant you his blessing. Amen.\nHear now from the Gospel, how firm the bond of marriage is, as\ndescribed, Matt. 19:3-9:\n\"The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying\nunto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every\ncause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read,\nthat he which made them at the beginning made them male and\nfemale, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and\nmother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be\none flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh.\nWhat therefore God has joined together, let not man put\nasunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give\na writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto\nthem, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you\nto put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so.\nAnd I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except\nit be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth\nadultery: and whose marrieth her which is put away does commit\nadultery.\"\nBelieve these words of Christ, and be certain and assured,\nthat your Lord God has joined you together in this holy state.\nYou are therefore to receive whatever befalls you therein, with\npatience and thanksgiving, as from the hand of God, and thus\nall things will turn to your advantage and salvation. Amen\nPrayer\nAlmighty God, Thou, who dost manifest thy goodness and wisdom\nin all thy works and ordinances; and from the beginning hast\nsaid, that it is not good that man be alone and therefore hast\ncreated him a help meet to be with him, and ordained that they\nwho were two should be one, and who dost also punish all\nimpurity; we pray thee, since Thou hast called and united these\ntwo persons in the holy state of marriage, that Thou wilt give\nthem thy Holy Spirit, so that they in true love and firm faith\nmay live holy according to thy divine will and resist all evil.\nWilt Thou also bless them as Thou hast blessed the believing\nfathers, thy friends and faithful servants, Abraham, Isaac and\nJacob; in order that they as coheirs of the covenant which Thou\nhast established with these fathers, may bring up their\nchildren, which Thou wilt be pleased to give them, in the fear\nof the Lord, to the honour of thy holy name, to the edification\nof thy Church and to the extension of the holy gospel. Hear us,\nFather of all mercy, for the sake of Jesus Christ, thy beloved\nSon, our Lord, in whose name we conclude our prayer:\nOur Father which is in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy\nkingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.\nGive us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as\nwe forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but\ndeliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power\nand the glory, for ever. Amen.\nHearken now to the promise of God, from Psalm 128: \"Blessed is\nevery one that feareth the Lord, that walketh in his ways. For\nthou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be,\nand it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful\nvine by the sides of thine house; thy children like olive\nplants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man\nbe blessed that feareth the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out\nof Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days\nof thy life; yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and\npeace upon Israel.\" The Lord our God replenish you with his\ngrace, and grant that ye may long live together in all\ngodliness and holiness. Amen.\nEnd of liturgy","title":"Nethlit","type":"page"}