most carefully taught concerning the faith and assurance of absolution, about which, before this time, there was profound silence. Our people are taught that they should highly prize the absolution, as being the voice of God, and pronounced by His command. The power of the Keys is commended, and we show what great consolation it brings to anxious consciences; that God requires faith to believe such absolution as a voice sounding from Heaven, and that such faith in Christ truly obtains and receives the forgiveness of sins. In the Order for Private Confession and Absolution, the person is instructed to make "confession in the presence of the Minister," in these words: I confess before you, and before Almighty God, that I have greatly sinned against His holy commandments, in thoughts, words and deeds, and that I am by nature sinful and unclean, and deserve everlasting condemnation. On this account my heart is troubled. I sincerely lament that I have offended the Lord my God, and earnestly pray Him for Christ's sake graciously to forgive me, and by His Holy Spirit to create in me a new heart, according as I believe and trust in his word. And inasmuch as you have command from the Lord Jesus, as a Minister of the Church, to absolve all that are truly penitent, I entreat of you to instruct and comfort me out of God's Word, to declare unto me in the Name of Jesus Christ the forgiveness of my sins, and to admit me to the Sacrament of His Body and Blood for the strengthening of my faith, as I purpose, with the help of God, to amend and better my sinful life. There is an alternate form that may be used, which is shorter and less pronounced. The words used by the Minister as he gives the Absolution, are these: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, is merciful and gracious, and ready to forgive thee all thy sins, for the sake of His Son Jesus Christ, Who suffered and died for thee; therefore in His Name, in obedience to His command, and by virtue of His words: "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them," I declare thee, being penitent, absolved and free from all thy sins. They are forgiven, as abundantly and completely as Jesus Christ hath merited by His sufferings and death, and commanded to be preached by the Gospel throughout the world. Take to thyself, then, for thy comfort and peace, the assurance which I now give thee in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and believe without doubt that thy sins are forgiven thee, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. The peace of the Lord be with thee. The Order for Public Confession and Absolution is arranged with Hymn, Exhortation, Versicle, 51st or 32nd Psalm, Questions and Answers, General Confession, Absolution, Lord's Prayer, Collect for Peace, Versicle, Concluding Prayer and Benediction. In The Solemnization of Marriage, a rubric reads that The Seasons of Advent and Lent, from of old, have been regarded by the Church as unsuitable times for Marriages." Another reads: "When Marriage is solemnized in the Church a hymn of invocation of the Holy Ghost may be sung, and Psalm 127, or 128, may be sung or said, ending with the Gloria Patri." Two rings may be used, the Minister saying, "Exchange rings as a pledge and token of wedded love and troth.' The Visitation of the Sick, on twenty-eight pages, is a wide range of Exhortations, Lessons from Scripture, Sentences, Prayers, Versicles, Absolution, Psalms and Litanies. The Burial of the Dead is also a varied and elaborate service, occupying sixteen pages. It is made up of Versicles, Lessons, Prayers, Hymns, Antiphones, Responsories and Canticles. The other special services added to the "Church Book," are, The The Ordination of Ministers, The Installation of a Pastor, Installation of a Church Council, The Laying of a Corner-Stone, The Consecration of a Church and the Opening and Closing of Synods. The Hymns are increased to 650 in number, and the Church Book" now in use has a total of 941 pages. THE PRAYER BOOKS OF THE GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH. ABOUT the year 1850 a Committee of twelve members, appointed by the Eastern and Western Synods of the German Reformed Church, proceeded to compile a Liturgy. The compilers were representative men, including such names as those of Rev. Drs. Schaff, Zacharias, Heiner, Nevin, Gerhart and Harbaugh. The result of their labors appeared in 1858, in a volume issued by Lindsay & Blakiston, of Philadelphia. The book measures 8 by 51⁄2 inches, and may be called a large duodecimo or a small octavo. The title page reads: "A LITURGY: or, ORDER OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. Prepared and published by the direction and for the use of THE GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH in the United States of America. Philadelphia: Lindsay & Blakiston, 1858." The reverse of the title page states that the book was stereotyped by J. Fagan, and printed by C. Sherman & Son. |