B. M. Schmucker

“ If a pastor of our congregation, should give occasion for serious offense, scandal or injury to the congregation, either in doctrine, or in life and conversation, or by violation of this church constitution; then the degrees of admonition shall be impartially followed, in the manner here described: (1.) The Elders, or two-thirds of them, shall lay before such Pastor, with gentleness, the offense in doctrine of life which have been evident, or which have been sustained by two or three indisputably credible witnesses, and if he prove to be guilty, admonish him to amendment. ”

“ If the church councilmen observe all these regulations, continue steadfast in the pure doctrine of the faith and lead holy lives as children of God; if they rule well their own houses and families and serve as examples to the flock: to the best of their ability, by the grace of God, do their part that the holy gospel be perpetuated to our latest posterity, Satan and the world may indeed make sport of them, but God will be their shield and their great reward here on earth and hereafter forever. ”

“ Whosoever will preach, or minister in any way, in our church must either have been sent by our fathers and benefactors in Europe, or be in connection with our united congregations and ministers, and have been examined to see that he holds the true Evangelical doctrine and leads a Christian life, for this church has been established and consecrated for this doctrine and for no other. ”

“ The elders and Vorsteher are so much alike that the care of the purity of the church is attributed more to the one, and that of the poor more to the other, but it is a distinction with little difference. The trustees were required by the law of that time and are no integral part of the plan. The elders and deacons are the representatives and agents of the congregation and their office rests only on the right of the congregation to act, and its ability to deputize some to act for all. ”

“ They shall strive, as they hope for their soul's salvation, that the Evangelical doctrine, according to the foundation of the apostles and prophets and our symbolical books, be ever more fully apprehended by their own souls, and that it may be adorned by their godly conversation, to the end that they not only rule well their own households but also be examples to the whole congregation. ”

“ His large mental powers, his force and energy of purpose, his self-forgetfulness and power of endurance, his consuming zeal and devotion of his whole faculties to his work, his tender sympathy and ardent love of souls, together with his admirable judgment and prudence, made him a born ruler of men. ”

“ The congregation demanded a fuller control of its own affairs, Handschuh and his elders sternly resisted the demand, and were convinced that the world would fall if the whole congregation were allowed to usurp the control which could only be wisely exercised by a few selectmen. The peril and strife grew so great, that after a long struggle it became an unavoidable necessity that Muehlenberg should be recalled to his office as chief pastor, and a new constitution prepared and adopted. ”

“ The interests at stake grew constantly larger, and the powers entrusted to the elders could scarcely be so exercised that dissatisfaction should not arise. The Elders elected the Pastor, they filled all vacancies in their own number, they selected the Deacons, they decided all questions of the purchase of property, and the incurrence of debt, and in all these matters the congregation had no control. It was an almost inevitable result that the pastor and schoolmasters should try to keep in friendly relations to the elders, and thus they arrayed against themselves all who were dissatisfied. ”

“ This Amsterdam constitution is one of the most carefully prepared, well digested instruments of the kind ever produced, very full in all needed provisions for the adminstration [tr. note: sic] of the affairs of the congregation, and pervaded by a devout spirit; sound in the faith and watchful of the life of Pastors, Officers and members. It well deserves the prominent place it holds among the sources of Lutheran organization in the New World. ”

“ If any man has aught against a church councilman, and hesitates about speaking to him of it, in love he may report it discreetly to the pastor, who will speak to him of it kindly. And so when any man has aught against the pastor, he may tell it to such councilman as has most fully his confidence. ”

“ The regular pastor and the church councilmen shall take care that no strange preacher outside of our communion, let him bear what name he will, shall preach or administer the sacraments in our Augustus church or school-house, that the congregation may not be thrown into strife. ”

“ The new constitution was prepared by Muehlenberg in consultation, of course, with Handschuh and the elders, and pre-eminently with the Swedish Provost Wrangel. Months were spent in its preparation. The local difficulties and wants received the most careful consideration and some few of its provisions were temporary, and made in view of the previous arrangements. Thus the old elders were retained for life as trustees, but after their death the elders who took their place were to be duly elected by the congregation, and in the revision after the incorporation the name of trustee was removed. ”

“ When any important and weighty matter arises in the congregation, of whatsoever kind, whether within or without the church, whether it concerns the parsonage or school-house, the church yard or the burial place, it shall not be decided by the Pastors alone, nor by the other Trustees alone, nor by the Elders alone, nor by the Vorsteher alone ”

“ The Candidate, if previously a Pastor, must present testimonials from his previous charge of his irreproachable life and of his adherence to the pure doctrine of our Confession and our Symbolical Books, or if unordained be fully examined and approved, and his ordination promised by the proper authorities, and he must subscribe and obey this constitution with all its provisions. Provision is made for the trial of all charges against a Preacher. The widow of a Pastor receives his salary for nine months after his death. Chapter 3. Of the Call and Office of the Deputy Elders. ”

“ At the election the Preachers, Elders, former Elders, Deacons, former Deacons, and the contributing members of the congregation, in this order, present their votes, and those who receive most votes are chosen. The elders elected must present themselves before the congregation, answer publicly the questions as to their confession of faith, promise faithfully to fulfill the duties of their office, and be installed, with the laying on of hands and prayer. ”

“ In matters of doctrine, where we have the Word of God, the Preachers alone shall decide according to the same (after consultation with the Elders, 1682) , but in matters of government the majority shall decide. In matters of great importance, as the calling of the Preacher, all former Elders, and also the Deacons, shall be called to take counsel and the majority of all votes shall decide (1682 all former Elders, called Oudste Raeden, and all former Deacons) . Occasions of discipline of Preachers, Elders, Deacons, or other members were subject to action by the Consistory. ”

“ In the Public Worship, the administration of the Holy Sacraments as well as all other ministerial acts and ministrations, the Pastors shall conform to the Agenda and usage, which have been introduced, until such time as the United Ministerium and the congregation shall deem it necessary and profitable to make a better. ”

“ Above the Classis was the Synod, which met annually, composed of pastors and elders. A general Synod of representatives, four pastors and two elders, from the Synod of each province united the whole. We cannot but think that Muehlenberg's familiarity with these arrangements in Mark Brandenburg was a part of the training which influenced him in the organization of the church here. And in Halle itself, Spener had earnestly advocated the advantages of such arrangements. He fervently desired and commended the above peculiar provisions, so unfamiliar to the Lutheran Church generally in Germany. ”

“ When letters in common are to be sent to our reverend fathers and benefactors in Europe, or to other congregations, or our members desire testimonials for naturalization, the church councilman should not hesitate to sign them. ”

“ Fabritius was sent out from Amsterdam as the first settled pastor of the Dutch Lutheran congregations in New York. If those congregations were not fully organized before he came, they were certainly organized by him, and in either case after the type of that at Amsterdam. Fabritius founded the Swedish congregation at Philadelphia, and it is very possible that he may have given it a constitution like that of New York and Amsterdam. I do not know whether the congregations in Sweden have any such arrangement as is found in the churches on the Delaware. ”

“ Should any person elected as Elder or Vorsteher, decline, without sufficient reason, to accept the weighty office, he shall not go free without paying a considerable donation into the treasury; and then the person who received the next highest number of votes shall be presented. If the vote for several persons be a tie, the Church Council shall decide the case.
6. In the above described manner the Church Council is constituted of Trustees, Elders and Vorsteher. ”

“ The congregation is exhorted on the Sunday before election to pray God that pious and devout men may be chosen. The Preachers, Elders and Deacons select twice the number of persons to be elected, whose names are publicly presented to the congregation, and any who have well-founded objection to make against any one proposed, is exhorted to present it. ”

“ The congregation at the Swamp, New Hanover, was the earliest German congregation in America, begun in 1703 by Justus Falckner, but whatever the form of organization which it may have received from him, or his immediate successor, no record of it is known to exist, and the first written constitution now known is in the hand-writing Muehlenberg. ”

“ Brunnholtz had died, 1757, and Heintzelman had preceded him in 1756, and the elders had elected Handschuh as pastor, who, though a devout and earnest man, had the most sickly pietism of any of the Halle men, and was the weakest of all the Philadelphia pastors, before or since; he was subject to very great prejudices and strongly inclined to build up an ecclesiola of his own type within the congregation. ”

“ The regular pastors, as faithful stewards of the mysteries of God, shall, at proper times, administer the Holy Sacraments to those who apply for them in the appointed way, and who are fit, worthy and well prepared to receive them, at least in so far as external evidence shows ”

“ They shall also order and direct all their preaching to the edification of the congregation, in such wise that the Word of God may be taught purely and clearly, the true doctrine be distinguished from the false and the true doctrine be urged on the people so that they may understand how to guard themselves against false teaching and teachers. ”

“ The above arrangement continued in force until, in 1765, Provost Wrangel prepared a new constitution and secured a charter. In the new instrument the officers of the congregation are styled Rector, Church Wardens and Vestrymen, after the Anglican style. This constitution was wrought out by Wrangel in conference with Muehlenberg, and the mode of selection of officers is almost precisely the same as in the German Constitution of 1762: twice the number are nominated by those in office, and the election is by a majority of votes of the congregation. ”

“ Under its influence the Lutheran Church had largely adopted the same system. The Lutheran KO in force in Muehlenberg's time says: "Each Congregation shall have its own Elders and Vorsteher, who with the Pastors of the place constitute a Presbytery or Consistory. There were to be four or six Elders, one half elected each year by the Presbytery. Those going out of office could nominate their successors." ”

“ The members shall also be reminded that they also should attend and learn how the accounts of the congregation stand.
"7. As often as necessary the pastor shall, through the vorsteher, call the church councilmen together, or himself invite them at a public service, to the end that together they may consider, consult and decide when there is need to build or to repair, to resolve or to execute.
"8. No one of the church councilmen shall have authority to do anything which requires a decision by all, but what is needful to be done shall be considered and decided by all in common. ”