and extensively useful have certainly been the American Bible Society, the American Education Society, and the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, which are sustained by the joint liberality of several denominations.

ARTICLE VII.

OF THE CHURCH.

They likewise teach, that there will always be one holy church. The church is the congregation of the saints, in which the gospel is correctly taught, and the sacraments are properly administered. And for the true unity of the church nothing more is required, than agreement concerning the doctrines of the gospel, and the administration of the sacraments. Nor is it necessary, that the same human traditions, that is, rites and ceremonies instituted by men, should be every where observed. As Paul says:

"One faith, one baptism, one God and

father of all," &c.

ARTICLE VIII.

WHAT THE CHURCH IS.

Although the church is properly a congregation of saints and true believers; yet, as in the present life, many hypocrites and wicked men are mingled with them, it is lawful for us also to receive the sacraments, when administered by unconverted men, agreeably to the declaration of our Saviour, "that the Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat," &c.

In the seventh Article, the Confessors, without entering into the division of the church into visible and invisible, state that there will always be one true church, and that it consists of all true believers, however they may differ as to their peculiar human ceremonies. By this catenation of statements, they wished to prove to the emperor, that, although they had rejected many of the human rites and ceremonies of the Romish church, they were still members of the one true church of Christ, and justly entitled to his protection. In the eighth Article they oppose the error of the Donatists and others, who forgetting the difference between the visible and invisible church, denied the validity and efficacy of the ministerial acts of unconverted clergymen.

The grand principles adopted by the Lutherans in general is, that the Head of the church, designing his religion for all nations of every variety of civil government, did not prescribe any "entire and specific form of Government and Discipline," but fixed only

its radical features, which are equally admissible under all civil governments; and left Christians of every age and country to adopt such additional regulations as they may judge best. Adhering to this principle, the organization and government of the Lutheran church is in some respects different in the different kingdoms of Europe. In the succeeding remarks we shall exhibit the views which we deem most accordant with the spirit and precepts of the New Testament, and which are with few modifications received by our church in this country.

I. The name. The words used both in the Old and New Testament to designate church, signify merely an assembly of persons, and are applied indiscriminately to secular as well as to religious convocations. In the New Testament, the word church signifies 1. the whole Christian church, as in Matth 16: 18. Thou art Peter, (a rock, and on this rock the faith professed by thee) I will build my church, &c. 1 Cor. 10: 32. Give none offence neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God, and ch. 6: 4. 15: 9. 2. A particular church. Acts 8: 1. the church at Jerusalem. 9: 31. 1 Cor. 1: 2.

II. The head of the church is: not the pope of Rome; nor the king, or any other civil ruler of a country. But the head of the church is none other than our blessed Lord himself. "Christ is the head of the church." Eph. 1: 22. 5: 23.

III. Government and Discipline of the church. Christians differ in opinion on the question, whether Christ has left on record any entire system of ecclesiastical government, which is obligatory on the church in all ages. Those maintaining the affirmative, are sometimes called High-churchmen, (jure divino,) however they may differ in opinion as to what is the precise system taught in the scriptures. Such are some Episcopalians and a very few Presbyterians.

Those on the con

trary are denominated "Low-churchmen," who do not believe

any system taught in the sacred volume in all its features, and adopt on the ground of expediency, such additional regulations as they deem most consonant with the genius of the civil government under which they live, best calculated to advance the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom. To this class belong most Protestants and especially the entire Lutheran church in the whole world.

The several systems of government actually adopted in the Christian church, may be reduced to the following; a) The Papal system, which aims at subjecting the whole church in the world, ultimately to the dominion of one man, the pope of Rome, and to reduce the civil governments of the earth to subjection to that individual and his court. This system, though constructed with all the wisdom and cunning of the most politic civil establishments, is doubtless the grossest deviation from the simplicity of the apostolic church, and is that form of ecclesiastical corruption against which the Reformers felt constrained to take the field. b) The Episcopal, which acknowledges the bishops as a distinct and superior order of clergy. c) The Presbyterian, which maintains the parity of ministers, the cooperation of ruling elders, and the union of all its churches ultimately under one judicatory of review and control, called the General Assembly. d) The Independent or Congregational, which in addition to the parity of ministers, holds that all power of government and discipline is possessed by the members and pastors of each individual church, and that the jurisdiction of each church over itself is final. And e) The Lutheran, as found in the United States. This, in reference to the systems before mentioned, is Eclectic in its nature. It embraces all those principles and precepts, of permanent obligation, which are contained in the New Testament, and such other regulations dictated by reason, best adapted to the genius of our free republican institutions, and calculated most successfully to advance the cause of Christ. The fundamental features of this system are

the following, viz. 1. Parity of ministers, 2. Cooperation of ruling elders as representatives of the church, 3. Union of the churches within the limits of a Synod for the regular purposes of review and government, 4. Special Conferences for the purpose of holding stated protracted meetings. These Conferences are subdivisions of Synods, embracing from five to ten ministers each, who are annually to hold several protracted meetings within the bounds of each district. "The chief business to be performed at them is to awaken and convert sinners, and to edify believers by close practical preaching." 5. An advisory union, of all the different Synods in one General Synod. In the government of individual churches and of Synods the Lutheran church in the main resembles the Presbyterian. The power of the General Synod is however exclusively advisory, and therefore bears most analogy to the Consociations of the Congregational churches of New England. The details of this system. as practised in the Synods connected with the General Synod, may best be learned from the Formula of Government annexed to this volume. The whole church as a body, that is, the minister and all the members of each individual church in some cases personally, and in others by the church council as their representatives, possess the power to execute church government and discipline, that is, to receive new members, to censure3 or exclude unworthy ones, to restore penitents,5 &c. &c. It is

1 See the formula annexed to this volume, Chap. XVI. § 2.

22 Cor. 2: 6. 10. Sufficient unto such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many. v. 10. 1 Cor. 5: 12. Do not ye (Corinthian Christians) judge them that are within ?—therefore put away from among you that wicked person.

31 Tim. 5:20. Them that sin rebuke, before all, that others also may fear.

4 See note 2. and Titus 3: 10. A man that is an heretic (aigetixov, one who excites factions or divisions) after the first and second admonition, reject.

5 Gal. 6: 1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye who ara