port' which they promise him, shall be a legal call to the pastor therein specified.

SEC. 6. At elections for members of the church-council, the existing council shall nominate twice as many persons as are to be elected, and the church may nominate half as many more, from whom the officers may be chosen.

SEC. 7. If from any cause, a vacancy occurs in the council in the interval between the stated elections, it shall be filled without delay by a special election, and the person thus elected shall serve until the regular expiration of the time of the member in whose place he was elected.

CHAPTER VII.

Of Prayer Meetings, &c.

SEC. 1. As Prayer is one of the most necessary duties of a Christian, and as Prayer-meetings have been of the utmost importance and usefulness, it is therefore most earnestly recommended to the different churches in our connexion, to establish and promote them among our members. These meetings may be held in the church, school-house, or in private houses; and their object is the spiritual edification of the persons present; but the utmost precaution must ever be observed, that God, who is a Spirit, be worshipped in spirit and in truth-that they be characterized by that solemnity and decorum which ought ever to attend divine worship; and that no disorder be tolerated, or any thing that is calculated to interrupt the devotions of those who are convened, or prevent their giving the fullest attention to him who is engaged in leading the meeting,―in short, that according to the injunctions of the Apostle, all things be done "decently and in order."

SEC. 2. It is solemnly recommended to all church-members,

1 1 Tim. 5: 8. 1 Cor. 9: 14. Luke 10: 7.

2 1 Thess. 5: 17. Luke 18: 1. Col. 4: 2.

and more especially to the members of the council, to make daily worship in their family a sacred duty.1

SEC. 3. It is recommended that no one shall be permitted in future to act as a sponsor, unless he or she be in full communion with the Christian church.

SEC. 4. It is expedient that no person be permitted to preach in any of the churches in our connexion, except by consent of the pastor and council of said church, and in the absence of the pastor, by permission of the council.

CHAPTER VIII.

Of Synods.

SEC. 1. It was found necessary and profitable in the primitive church, to have an occasional meeting of different individual churches, for the purpose of consultation and mutual encouragement, in preserving their purity and promoting their welfare. 2 This apostolical custom is retained in the Lutheran Church, under the name of Conference, Synod and General Synod.

SEC. 2. A Synod consists of all the ministers and licensed candidates, and an equal number of lay-delegates, within a certain district.

SEC. 3. The number of lay-votes can never exceed that of the ordained clergyman and licentiates and if a lay-delegate be present from a district from which there is no minister present in the Synod, he shall have a seat and the liberty of speech, but no vote.

SEC. 4. It shall be the duty of each Synod, to see that the rules of government and discipline prescribed in this Formula, are observed by all the congregations and ministers within their bounds, to receive appeals from decisions of church-councils, and of Special Conferences when regularly brought before them, and

1 Acts 2: 44. Eph. 6: 4. Acts 10: 12. Jer. 10: 25.

2 Acts 15: 2. 6. 22. 23-28. Acts 11: 22. 30. 21: 17. 18. Acts 6:

review and reverse or confirm the decisions to which they refer ; to examine and decide on all charges against ministers and licentiates, that of heterodoxy alone excepted; to form and change ministerial districts; to attend to any business relating to their churches, which is regularly brought before them, to provide supplies for destitute congregations, and to devise and execute all suitable measures for the promotion of piety and the general prosperity of the church, not otherwise disposed of in this Formula.

SEC. 5. To this end the Synod and Ministerium shall have power to cite any church-members within their bounds to appear before them; and to endeavour to obtain other witnesses, when the case may require it.

SEC. 6. If any congregation, hitherto in connexion with a Synod, should refuse to observe the resolutions of said Synod, or the provisions of this Formula, it shall be excluded from connexion from said Synod during the time of its refusal; nor shall any other Synod, nor any Lutheran minister or licentiate, take charge of it without special permission of the President. Provided, however, that if the charter of an incorporated congregation be at variance with any articles of this Formula, said charter shall have precedence of those articles with which it is in conflict.

SEC. 7. Any congregation may become connected with the Synod within whose bounds it is situated, by acceding to the provisions of this Formula, and making some annual contribution towards defraying the necessary expenses of said Synod. For this purpose an annual collection ought to be held in each congregation.

SEC. 8. At least one meeting of each Synod shall be held every year, at such time and place as may have been determined on. SEC. 9. No minister or licentiate shall be absent from the meeting of the Synod without the most urgent necessity. In case of his absence, he shall, if possible, send to the Synod a written apology, for his absence. Voluntary ministerial engagements shall not be regarded as a sufficient excuse. Any minister or licentiate violating the provisions of this section, shall be called to account by the President at the next meeting.

SEC. 10. These written apologies, as well as all other letters and papers intended for the Synod or Ministerium, ought to be addressed to the President.

SEC. 11. The minister of the place in which the Synod is held, with the church council, shall endeavour to provide for the entertainment of the ministers, candidates and lay-delegates, by Christian friends.

SEC. 12. All the members of the Synod shall endeavour to assemble on the evening preceding the day appointed.

SEC. 13. Divine worship shall be celebrated, during the meeting of the Synod, as often as may be convenient, and consistent with the business of the Synod.

SEC. 14. Ministers in good standing in other Synods, or in any sister churches, who may happen to be present, or who appear as delegates from said bodies, may be received as advisory members, but cannot vote in any decisions of the Synod.

CHAPTER IX.

Officers of the Synod.

SEC. 1. The officers of each Synod shall be a President, Secretary and Treasurer, who are also the officers of the Ministerium.

SEC. 2. All these officers are annually chosen by ballot, from among the ordained ministers regularly belonging to the Synod, by a majority of the votes of the ministers, licentiates and lay-delegates present. The same persons shall not be eligible for more than three successive years.

PRESIDENT.

SEC. 3. The President shall deliver a synodical discourse at the meeting of every Synod: and he shall, in connexion with the pastor of the place, appoint the other individuals who are to preach during the session.

SEC. 4. He shall at the beginning of every Synod, make a written report of all the official business transacted and letters received by him since the last meeting, and of all the important events which have occurred relating to his Synod, and may recommend for their consideration any measures, which he may deem necessary or calculated to promote the cause of God. This report shall be laid on the table, and dealt with as with all other papers coming before the body.

SEC. 5. He presides at all the meetings of the Synod and Ministerium.

SEC. 6. The President has a right to take part in the discussions as well as any other member. When the house is equally divided on any question, he has the casting vote. In all other cases he has no suffrage, except when an election is made by ballot, and then he has not the casting vote.

SEC. 7. The President shall preserve order, not suffer more than one member to speak at a time, secure to each person liberty to speak without interruption from others, and shall prevent a speaker from deviating from the subject before the house.

SEC. 8. The President shall take care that each subject be duly considered before a decision be made. He shall distinctly rehearse each motion, when no one has any further observations to offer, and take the votes of the house on the same.

SEC. 9. When the votes are called for, they are to be given simply by Yea and Nay, and no further observations are then admissible.

SEC. 10. The President has the appointment of all committees which are not to be elected by ballot, or otherwise and every motion for the formation of a committee shall specify in what way it is to be formed.

SEC. 11. It is an important part of his duty to give council to every member of the Synod when he deems it expedient, and particularly to admonish and advise every erring brother. If accusation has been lodged against any member of this body according to Ch. III. Sec. 5. or if he has reason to believe that any minister or licentiate is living in any material violation of the