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 Testainent, 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 Epis

copalians 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 exclude1 unworthy ones, to restore penitents, &c. &c. It is

5

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 (aigɛTxov, 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 are

worthy of notice that the plan proposed by that eminent divine, the Rev. Dr. Alexander of Princeton, for the reorganization of the Presbyterian church, on occasion of the recent convulsions of that body, and complaints of its unwieldy bulk and excessive power, is exactly similar in all its principal lineaments to the above Lutheran system as practised' in this country, by the Synods connected with the General Synod.

IV. Officers of the Church.

The officers in the Lutheran church are ministers, ruling elders, and deacons, who taken together constitute the church council.

Of Ministers.

The views of the Lutheran church touching the ministerial office, may be embraced in the following features:

a) This office was instituted by divine authority, and all Christians are bound to regard faithful ministers as servants of Christ and messengers of God.2

spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness. See also on the form of process, Matth. 18: 15-17.

1 See Biblical Repertory for 1832. The grand features proposed to be altered in the present structure of the Presbyterian church are, that their General Assembly shall have only advisory power, and their Synods there proposed have each for its own district, that final judicial power now possessed by the General Assembly.

2 Matth. 28: 19. 12. Go ye therefore and make disciples (μantevσUTE) of all nations, &c. Acts 20: 28. Take heed therefore (ye elders of Ephesus) unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you bishops (εлισxолоνs, the same word as in Philip. 1: 1. and elsewhere,) to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. John 20: 21. Then said Jesus unto them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even So I send you. Acts 14: 23. Eph. 4: 11. 13. 1 Tim. 3: passim.

2 Tim. 2: 2.

b) All the incumbents of this office are, by divine appointment, of equal rank. The parity of ministers by divine right is a doctrine which Luther strenuously and triumphantly maintained against the Papal hierarchy; and his views were adopted by all the other principal reformers. Even in those portions of our church, such as Sweden and Denmark, in which some imparity is practised, it is advocated only on the ground of human expediency, whilst the primitive parity is unhesitatingly admitted. The arguments which place this doctrine beyond all doubt, are 1. That the word of God contains not the least intimation of diversity of rank among the standing ministry of the New Testament. Those officers who were endowed with miraculous gifts, and whose instrumentality Christ employed in the first formation of his church, were extraordinary and of temporary standing. We hear not a word in the oracles of God of such a being as a pope nor of diocesan bishops. 2. The different names applied to ministers, such as bishops, elders, &c. are used as convertible terms, and therefore must imply equality of rank. Thus in Acts 20: 17, we are told that at Miletus Paul convened the elders (лоεσßντEOUS) of Ephesus, and in v. 28. he admonishes them to take heed of the church of God, which he purchased with his blood, and over which the Holy Ghost had made them bishops (εлioxoпovs). For the Greek word which is here incorrectly translated overseers, is the same which in other passages is translated bishop,1 and ought to have been so rendered in the case before us, as it also is in the excellent translation of Luther. 3. In the instructions given by Paul to Timothy and Titus,3 for the appointment of ministers, in every place where they established churches, and the qualifications requisite for the office, he gives them directions for only one order of ministers,

1 Philip. 1: 1. 1 Tim. 3: 2. Tit. 1: 7. 1 Pet. 2: 25.

21 Tim. 3. 2 Tim. 2: 2.

3 Tit. 1: 5.