Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father, which is in heaven. [Matt. x. 32, 33.] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. [Rom. x. 10.] Dearly beloved, called of God to be His children through Jesus Christ our Lord, you are here that, in the presence of God and His people, you may enter into the fellowship and communion of His Church. You do truly repent of your sins; you heartily receive Jesus Christ as your crucified Saviour and risen Lord; you consecrate yourselves unto God and your life to His service; yon accept His Word as your law, and His Spirit as your Comforter and Guide; and, trusting in His Grace to confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, you promise to do God's holy will, and to walk with this Church in the truth and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accepting, according to the measure of your understanding of it, the system of Christian truth held by the churches of our faith and order, and by this Church into whose fellowship you now enter; you join with ancient saints, with the Church throughout the world, and with us, your fellow-believers, in humbly and heartily confessing your faith in the gospel, saying: I BELIEVE in God the FATHER Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in JESUS CHRIST, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the HOLY GHOST, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; the third day He rose from the dead;* He ascended into heaven; and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the HOLY GHOST; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen. [Then should baptism be administered to those who have not been baptized. Then should those rise who would unite with the Church by letter. To them the minister should say:] *[The clause of the descent into Hades or the realm of departed spirits is omitted, probably from dislike of the misleading popular mistranslation Hell, and on the ground of its omission in the early Roman form of the Apostles' Creed. But the article contains the important truth of the universal bearing of Christ's work of redemption, and marks the transition from the state of his humiliation to the state of his exaltation. See Vol. II. p. 46, note 2.-ED.] Confessing the Lord whom we unitedly worship, you do now renew your self-consecration, and join with us cordially in this, our Christian faith and covenant. [The members of the Church present should rise.] We welcome you into our fellowship. We promise to watch over you with Christian love. God grant that, loving and being loved, serving and being served, blessing and being blessed, we may be prepared, while we dwell together on earth, for the perfect communion of the saints in heaven. "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." [Heb. xiii. 20, 21.] [Jude 24, 25 is proposed as an alternative benediction.] On this result, reached after full and prolonged deliberation, the Commission invoke the kindly consideration of their brethren, and the blessing of Almighty God. JULIUS H. SEELYE, Amherst, Mass. ALEXANDER MCKENZIE, Cambridge, Mass. JAMES GIBSON JOHNSON, Rutland, Vt. GEORGE P. FISHER, New Haven, Conn. NEW YORK, Dec. 19, 1883. GEORGE L. WALKER, Hartford, Conn. GEORGE T. LADD, New Haven, Conn. SAMUEL P. LEEDS, Hanover, N. H. DAVID B. COE, New York, N. Y. WILLIAM M. TAYLOR, New York, N. Y. LYMAN ABBOTT, Cornwall-on-the-Hudson, N. Y. AUGUSTUS F. BEARD, Syracuse, N. Y. WILLIAM W. Patton, Washington, D. C. JAMES H. FAIRCHILD, Oberlin, O. ISRAEL W. ANDREWS, Marietta, O. JAMES T. HYDE, Chicago, Ill. ALDEN B. ROBBINS, Muscatine, Ia. CONSTANS L. GOODELL, St. Louis. Mo. RICHARD CORDLEY, Emporia, Kan. INDEX TO VOL. III. Absolution, 206, 825. A. Altar, sacrament of the, 90. See Lord's Anabaptists condemned, 13, 17, 18, 173, 291, Antitrinitarians condemned, 179. Apostles' Creed, exposition of, 77, 314, 518, Articles of Religion of the Church of England, Articles of the Evangelical Alliance, 821. Assurance of grace and salvation, 637. berg, 307; Luther's, 74; Westminster Celibacy of priests, 30, 202, 304, 507. Christ, 9, 215, 314, 751; alone the giver of Church, 11, 218, 271, 458, 499, 538, 657, 419. Civil government, 747. Communion of Saints, 659. Community of goods, 303, 513, 813, 826. Concord, Formula of, 93. Confession, 13, 40, 825; the Augsburg, 3; Scotch (First), 437; Scotch (Second), 480; Congregational Creeds, 707, 910. Conversion of man, 262, 564, 586. H. Helvetic Confession, 211, 233. Heresies and sects, 173. Holy days, 201, 298. Councils, General, 239, 465, 500, 539, 668, Heretics and schismatics, 228. Covenant, God's, with man, 616; the Nation- Holy Spirit, true and eternal God, 324, 394, Election, 252, 401, 444, 745, 777, 820. F. Faith, 218, 262, 532, 744, 753, 817; right- 489, 751, 766, 784, 807, 815; faith in the, Idols, 241. I. Immortality of the soul, 246, 459. J. Judgment, last, 433, 543, 671, 756. K. Knowledge, true foundation of, 789. L. Law and the Gospel, 126, 746. Law, ceremonial, abolished, 412; perfection Liberty of conscience, 643, 719, 720, 748, 797. Fall of man, 247, 398, 530, 564, 586, 615, 743, Light, saving and spiritual, 792. Gallican Confession, 356. God, 7, 213, 240, 383, 439, 606, 749; one in Good works, 20, 121, 200, 218, 268, 410, Goods, Christian men's, 813, 826. Lord's Prayer, exposition of, 80, 351, 520, Lord's Supper, 13, 29, 135, 181, 187, 225, 291, 332, 428, 505, 542, 663, 741, 747, M. Magistrates, 16, 203, 229, 305, 432, 474, 512, 536, 652, 720, 741, 797, 812, 826. Meats, choice of, 298; distinction of, 42. Grace, extent of, in gospel, 718; in regenera- Ministry of the. Church, 10, 278, 538, 755, 795. |