Henry Boyer Brumbaugh

“ I pray thee for Christ's sake to forgive whatever I have done wrong to-day, and keep me safe all night while I am asleep. Bless all my dear friends, [here the child may mention father, mother, and other relatives] , do them good at all times, and may we all be happy and useful while we live, and dwell in heaven together after death. Hear me, O Lord, for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son. ”

“ We believe it to be wrong, according to the letter and spirit of the Gospel, to conform to the vain fashions, maxims and customs of the world. "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." ”

“ In short, the church now invests you with all the rights and authority belonging to the eldership, you being equal with all the elders; this phrase nevertheless, in the apostolic injunction, "Ye younger, submit yourselves to the elder," still applies to you; and should you manifest an arbitrary, self-willed and domineering spirit, the church will hold you subject to her councils, and suspend you, and take from you all the authority she now gives you, and again reduce you to the laity, or even expel you from membership, if necessary. ”

“ And we pray thee to accept this, our tribute of praise, for all thy mercies shown.
And now, we pray thee to take us into thy tender care for this day. Let thy blessing be upon us, and grant that all we do may be done in a way that will please thee, and in some way redound to our own good and to thy glory. Bless us in our business, in our labors, and in all things in which we are concerned; give to us those things which thou knowest will be best for us, and we pray thee to give us wisdom to use the gifts bestowed upon us to the glory of thy name and for the promotion of thy cause. ”

“ In public and in family worship we may go to prayer, and pass through the form, while our hearts and thoughts may be wholly given to something else. But not so in private prayer. To be alone with God is too solemn to admit of any other feeling than that of deep reverence and true worship. Christian parents should urge upon their children and give them every possible encouragement to have their time and place for secret or private prayer. It becomes to them a means of grace that has much to do in moulding their Christian character. ”

“ We believe that in his death he conquered sin and its power, rose triumphant from the grave, and ascended to the right hand of the Father to make intercession for us; that he will come again to judge the world in righteousness; that he will raise the dead, receive his own to himself, and banish the disobedient and wicked forever from his presence. ”

“ He is an infinite Spirit, self-existent, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, good, wise, just and merciful; he is the Creator, Preserver, and Sovereign of the universe; he is inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all honor, confidence, and love. ”

“ Children, early in life, should be taught to pray, even though they do not, at first, fully comprehend the nature of God and of going to him in prayer. In this way a religious habit is formed that, if properly guided, will grow into a spiritual understanding that will prove a safeguard to them in their after-life and be a means of bringing them into a relation with God that could be done in no other way. ”

“ The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. ”

“ Order is correctly said to be heaven's first law, as, without it, there could be nothing but confusion. In all deliberative bodies, to avoid confusion and economize time, there must be some rules of order. ”

“ When common report charges a crime against a member, it shall be the duty of the one hearing it to report it to the elder, who shall have the member visited or informed of the report, and if there is reason to believe that it is true, to have the most judicious steps taken to ascertain its correctness, and then lay the report and its evidence before the church for action in the case. ”

“ The true family consists of husband, wife, and children. And that the family may be a home, union and peace must dwell there. To have this, religion must be the prevailing spirit of the family. Anything and everything that tends to keep alive and promote this, should be used and encouraged, and there is nothing that has a more happy tendency in this direction than regular and stated family worship. Therefore family worship ought to be established in every Christian home. There are three different kinds of prayer that should be observed in the home. ”

“ With us, we pray thee to remember our friends, our neighbors, the poor and needy, the sick and afflicted, the ungodly and the sinner. We also pray thee in mercy to remember the rulers of our land and nation. ”

“ It will be your duty to faithfully preach the Word, and to care for the wants of all the membership, being yourself an example to the church in all holiness and purity of heart, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. It will be your duty in all the affairs of the church to counsel with your official brethren and with the church; taking the oversight not by constraint, but willingly ”

“ It shall be the duty of the teachers to prepare themselves thoroughly for their work; be regular and punctual in their attendance; maintain order in their respective classes; prevent unnecessary going out of doors during school; visit their scholars regularly, and especially when they have been sick or absent from school; attend the teachers' meetings and prayer-meetings; provide substitutes, or at least give the superintendent due notice, in case of unavoidable absence; and co-operate with the officers in all measures for the promotion of the good of the Sunday-school. ”

“ Let everything be done decently and in order, applies to religious meetings of all kinds, as well as to other things, and any one who has sufficient executive ability to preside over deliberative bodies, can, by a little study, gain a sufficient knowledge of the common rules of order to conduct a meeting in an orderly manner. ”

“ We believe that in regeneration a new life principle is begotten in the soul of man by the Holy Spirit, through the Word of Truth, producing a disposition to joyful obedience to Christ and to holy conduct in life. ”

“ After the body has been placed in the grave, and before filling, an appropriate Scripture may be read. We suggest the following:
"There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. ”

“ We believe that justification is an act of God, wherein he accepts as righteous the sinner, to whom is imputed the perfect righteousness of Christ, on the condition of faith in and obedience to the truth as revealed in the Scriptures. ”

“ ANOINTING THE SICK.
We believe the anointing of the sick to be an appointment of the Lord, and that it was intended to be perpetuated in his church, and should be attended to, at the request of the sick, by the elders of the church. "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." ”

“ In all history, examples, both positive and negative, have been accumulating to prove that the highest interests of humanity center in the family. It is an institution of most sacred importance, and therefore should be entered into understandingly, having in view all the sacred obligations belonging to it. The minister of the Gospel, in performing the ceremony, should try to impress upon the minds of those entering the marriage relation, the sacredness of the institution and the grave responsibilities that they assume as they enter the new relation. ”

“ They become to us a precious and private communication between ourself and our Heavenly Father. We go to him as a child goes to its parent. We open out our hearts to him and tell him what we want and need as no other can. It is a closer approach to God than can be made in any other way. ”

“ We believe that man was created in holiness, but through temptation and voluntary transgression, fell from that holy and happy state and thus fell under condemnation, in consequence of which all mankind are sinners (Rom. 5: 19) , and need salvation.
6. We believe that the salvation of sinners can be obtained alone through the merits of the Son of God, who, by the will of the Father, freely took upon him our nature, yet without sin ”

“ And it is thought good that the elder and older ministering brethren should be liberal in giving you liberty to preach, and not always confine you to the closing services, or you may not soon learn to be a "workman of God, that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth." ”

“ You have also no authority to preside in the council-meetings of the church in which official members of the church are to be dealt with. You have no authority to go into the acknowledged territory of any organized church to make appointments for preaching, unless called by the elder or council of said church. It is an assumption of authority for an ordained elder to do so. ”

“ To every child of God there ought to be a time and place for private prayer, a personal communication with the Lord. When families have their family worship in the morning, the evening, before retiring, is a suitable time for private prayer. ”

“ The church authorizes you to exhort and to preach as an assistant to the elder and older ministers, as they may give you liberty to do. It is your duty, however, faithfully to attend the meetings of the church, and, when liberty is given, to exhort or preach, and do it humbly, and willingly, and faithfully, as the Lord will afford you grace to do. ”

“ In the Godhead there are three persons — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, who are one in the divine nature and one in will and purpose, but who execute distinct yet harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. ”

“ No organization is necessary except the appointing of a foreman, whose duty it is to have a general oversight of the meetings, appoint some one to lead, and make selections or announce subjects for the meetings. A change in the appointment of a leader is made each week, so as to give all an opportunity of exercising in religious work.
The meetings are opened in the usual way, by singing, prayer, and reading the chapter of Scripture containing the lesson for the evening. ”

“ For the church visit there is no direct Scriptural authority, but it has always been a practice in the church as a means to an end. The end desired is that all the members may be in unity and peace, so that they may participate in the Communion services in a worthy manner. ”

“ Question of order, motion for the reading of papers, withdrawal of a motion, suspension of a rule, amendment of an amendment; (3) Subsidiary Questions: Motion to lie on the table, postpone to a day certain, commitment, amendment, postpone indefinitely.
These motions are arranged in their order of precedence among themselves.
31. A motion to adjourn, unqualified, takes precedence of all others, and is always in order, except: (1) When a member is speaking; (2) when the meeting is voting; (3) when no business has been transacted since a motion to adjourn has been decided in the negative. ”

“ First the applicants shall be visited by two or more brethren whose duty it is to examine them as to their convictions, their faith in Christ and their agreement with the doctrines of the church as taught in the Scriptures, such as the ordinances, as we practice them, non-resistance, non-swearing, non-conformity and the avoiding of secret, oath-bound societies. ”

“ Before a motion has been stated or read, it is competent for the mover to withdraw or modify it without any motion for the purpose.
21. When a motion is regularly before the meeting, no other motion can be received unless it is privileged.
22. No motion can be made without rising and addressing the Chair, and being called to by the Moderator.
23. When a question has been decided, a motion to reconsider it cannot be made before some other motion or business has intervened. ”

“ No person, in speaking, shall be allowed to mention a member then present by his name; but shall describe him as the member who spoke last, or last but one, or on the other side of the question, or by some other equivalent expression.
28. No person shall digress from the matter of the question under debate, to fall upon the person of another, and to speak reviling, nipping, or unmannerly words of, or to, him.
29. All motions, resolutions, etc., are debatable, except: (1) A motion to adjourn; (2) a motion to lie on the table; (3) a motion for the previous question ”

“ In the Bible, which should be your constant companion, you will find all needed instructions as to your duties toward each other. As you have now presented yourselves before me for the purpose of being united in holy matrimony, in token of your decided choice for each other, as partners for life, you, — — and — — , will please join right hands. ”