CHAPTER XV.

Election of Delegates and Directors.

The election of delegates to the General Synod and of Directors of the Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, shall always be held by ballot, and a licensed candidate shall not be eligible to either of these offices.

CHAPTER XVI.

Special Conferences.

SEC. 1. It is earnestly recommended that each Synod divide itself into two or more districts, for the purpose of holding Special Conferences; which may be held either on a week-day or sabbath.

SEC. 2. It is desirable, where ministers do not live too far apart, that at least two Conferences should be held annually in each district. They ought to last two days, and the chief business to be performed at them is to awaken and convert sinners and to edify believers by close practical preaching of the gospel.

SEC. 3. The state of religion in the churches of the district ought to be enquired into, and at least an hour be spent by the Conference alone in conversation on subjects relating to pastoral experience.

SEC. 4. These districts ought to contain between five and ten ministers, and when the number becomes greater, a new district ought to be formed.

SEC. 5. These Conferences ought to be held alternately, in some congregation of each minister and licentiate belonging to the district.

SEC. 6. Special Conferences may examine into any business of congregations, which is regularly referred to them, and give their advice; but no Conference shall, under any pretext whatever, perform any business connected with the licensure or ordination of candidates for the ministry.

SEC. 7. Lay-delegates may also be sent to these Conferences, under the same regulations as to Synods, if it is thought advisable by the Synod.

CHAPTER XVII.

Ministerial Session.

SEC. 1. The clergy shall then hold a meeting consisting exclusively of Scripture elders, that is, preachers,' for the purpose attending to those duties which Christ and his apostles enjoined upon them alone, viz. Examination, Licensure and Ordination of candidates for the ministry. This meeting is called the Ministerium or Presbytery,2 by which, in Scripture, is meant ministers alone.

SEC. 2. Licensed candidates may be present at the Ministerial meeting, unless requested to withdraw, and may take part in discussions, but have no vote.

SEC. 3. The Ministerium shall also be the proper body, by whom all charges of heresy against a minister, are to be examined and decided as also all appeals from the decision of a churchcouncil on a charge of heresy against a layman, or from the decision of a Special Conference on a similar charge against a minister,

SEC. 4. When ordained ministers of other religious denominations, make application for admission into connexion with a Synod, the Ministerium shall be the body to decide on the case.

SEC. 5. A majority of two thirds of the ordained ministers shall be required, either for the licensure of an applicant as well as the renewal of his license, or the ordination of a licensed candidate, or the admission of an ordained minister of another denomination.

SEC. 6. No minister or licentiate, coming from a Foreign Country, shall be received as a member of any Synod, until after a residence of two years in this country, and unexceptionable deport

1 Acts 20: 17. 28.

21 Tim. 4: 14.

ment during that time. Excepting only, that if an ordained minister comes well recommended for piety and learning, by a Consistorium, or a number of individuals known to the Ministerium as orthodox and evangelical, and if the Ministerium believe they can safely confide in the testimonials, they may receive him for twelve months, after which the vote for his permanent reception as a regular member shall be taken, and the case decided according to Sec. 5.

SEC. 7. All business not specifically entrusted to the Ministerium in this Formula, shall belong to the Synod.

SEC. 8. The order of business in the Ministerium may be as follows:

1. After the session has been opened with prayer, the Presi dent shall communicate any business which he may have to report or propose.

2. The licentiates shall hand in their licenses, sermons, and journals, which ought if possible to be read by the licentiate before the whole body. If want of time renders this inconvenient, Committees ought then to be appointed to examine and report on them. 3. Applicants for licensure are examined.

4. After the examination of the applicants and of the sermons and journals of licentiates, the applicants and licentiates may be desired to withdraw, and the question of their licensure and renewal of license or ordination, be discussed and decided.

5. The licensure and ordination may be performed either in the Ministerium, or at an appointed hour, before a promiscuous assembly.

6. Promiscuous matters relative to Ministerial business may then be attended to.

7. Some time then shall be spent in conversation on pastoral experience.

8. The session closed as directed Ch. XII. Sec. 2.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Examination and Licensure of Candidates.

SEC. 1. The examination shall be conducted by an Examining Committee of two or more ordained ministers, appointed for the purpose at the meeting of the previous year, or by a Committee ap pointed at the time. As these examinations may be highly interesting and useful to the whole Ministerium, and will be more faithfully performed if public, it is earnestly recommended that they be performed before the whole body.

SEC. 2. After the examination by the Committee is ended, every member of the Ministerium has the right to ask the applicant any additional questions.

SEC. 3. The examination shall embrace at least the following subjects, viz. Personal piety and the motives of the applicant for seeking the holy office, the Greek and Hebrew Scriptures, the Evidences of Christianity, Natural and Revealed Theology, Church History, Pastoral Theology, the rules of Sermonizing, and Church Government.

SEC. 4. No Ministerium shall, in any case whatever, license an individual whom they do not believe to be hopefully pious. Nor shall any applicant, extraordinary cases excepted, be licensed, whom the Ministeriun do not find possessed of a competent acquaintance with the subjects named in Sec. 3. the Hebrew language alone excepted.

SEC. 5. The Ceremony of Licensure shall be performed as follows: viz. after an address from the President as prescribed in the Liturgy, he shall read the duties and privileges of licentiates in Ch. 10. Sec. 6.-10. and then propose to him the following questions :

1. Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the word of God and the only infallible rule of faith and practice ?1

2. Do you believe that the fundamental doctrines of the word of 12 Tim. 3: 16. Eph. 2: 20.

God are taught in a manner substantially correct in the doctrinal articles of the Augsburg Confession ?1

3. Do you promise, by the aid of God, faithfully to perform all the duties enjoined on you in this Formula, and to submit yourselves to its rules of Government and Discipline, so long as you remain a member of a Lutheran Synod ? 2

SEC. 6. These questions being answered in the affirmative, the President offers up a suitable prayer, delivers him his license, and concludes with a short address as directed in the Liturgy.

SEC. 7. All licenses shall extend to the time of the next annual meeting of the Ministerium, and shall be renewed as a matter of course, whether the licentiate be present or not, unless satisfactory reasons are known to the Ministerium, which render a renewal inexpedient. And if for any reason, no meeting be held at the appointed time, the licenses granted by said Ministerium shall remain in force, until revoked at a subsequent meeting.

SEC. 8. If a licentiate after some time of probation, does in the judgment of the Ministerium, prove himself unqualified for the duties of the ministry, his license shall be withdrawn.

CHAPTER XIX.

Ordination.

SEC. 1. Whenever the Ministerium has decided that an individual shall be ordained, the ceremony may be performed, either at the time by the assembled Ministerium, or if preferred, in the church by which he has been called, by the Special Conference, or by a Committee appointed for the purpose by the President.

SEC. 2. The Ceremony of ordination, wherever performed, shall be as follows: viz.

1. A sermon shall be preached by a person previously ap

12 Tim. 1: 13.

2 2 Pet. 5: 5.