du wollest uns erhören, lieber | Hear us, gracious Lord and God; Herr und Gott! Und uns mit der vollendeten Ge- And keep us in everlasting felmeine, und insonderheit mit deinen lowship with our brethren, and dieses Jahr über heimberufenen Die with our sisters, who have entered nern und Dienerinnen, in ewiger Ge- into the joy of their Lord; meinschaft erhalten, und uns dereinst bei dir zusammen ausruhen lassen von unsrer Arbeit. Amen. Sein Augen, seinen Mund Also with the servants and handmaids of our Church, whom thou hast called home in the past year, and with the whole Church triumphant; and let us rest together in thy presence from our labors. Amen. They are at rest in lasting bliss, To live with him forever. Lord, grant me thy protection, Da wir so fest d'rauf bauen, Wenn ich einst werd' erblassen Das wird auch mein Gebeine Ehre sei dem, der da ist die Auferstehung und das Leben! Wer an ihn glaubet, der wird leben, ob er gleich stürbe. Ehre sei ihm in der Gemeine, die auf ihn wartet, und die um ihn her ist! Von Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit. Die Gnade unsers Herrn Jesu Christi, und die Liebe Gottes, und die Gemeinschaft des Heiligen Geistes, sei mit uns Allen. Amen. And glorious resurrection, When I resign my breath: Ah! then, though I be dying, 'Midst sickness, grief, and pain, I shall, on thee relying, Eternal life obtain. Glory be to him who is the Resurrection and the Life; he was dead, and behold, he is alive for evermore; And he that believeth in him. though he were dead, yet shall he live. Glory be to him in the Church which waiteth for him, and in that which is around him: Forever and ever. Amen. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with us all. Amen. METHODIST ARTICLES OF RELIGION. A.D. 1784. [The Twenty-five Articles of Religion were drawn up by JOHN WESLEY for the American Methodists, ad adopted at a Conference in 1784. They underwent some changes, chiefly verbal, and Art. 23d, knowledging the sovereignty of the people of the United States, was adopted by the Methodist piscopal Church in 1804. They are a liberal and judicious abridgment of the Thirty-nine Articles f the Church of England, the Calvinistic and other features being omitted (Arts. 3, 8, 13, 15, 17, 18, 20, 1, 26, 29, 31, 33, 34, 36, and 37). The text is taken from the official manual of The Doctrines and Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church, ed. by Bishop HARRIS, New York, 1872.] I. OF FAITH IN THE HOLY TRINITY. There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body or parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the Maker and Preserver of all things, visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. II. OF THE WORD, OR SON OF GOD, WHO WAS MADE VERY MAN. The Son, who is the Word of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took man's nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin; so that two whole and perfect natures—that is to the Godhead and manhood-were joined together in one person, say, never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God and very man, who truly suffered, was crucified, dead and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for the actual sins of men. III. OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again his body, with all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature, wherewith he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth until he return to judge all men at the last day. IV. OF THE HOLY GHOST. The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God. VOL. III.-F F F V. THE SUFFICIENCY OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES FOR SALVATION. The Holy Scriptures contain all things necessary to salvation; so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scripture we do understand those canonical books of the Old and New Testament of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church. The names of the canonical books are— Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, The First Book of Samuel, The Second Book of Samuel, The First Book of Kings, The Second Book of Kings, The First Book of Chronicles, The Second Book of Chronicles, The Book of Ezra, The Book of Nehemiah, The Book of Esther, The Book of Job, The Psalms, The Proverbs, Ecclesiastes or the Preacher, Cantica or Songs of Solomon, Four Prophets the greater, Twelve Prophets the less. All the books of the New Testament, as they are commonly received, we do receive and account canonical. VI. OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. The Old Testament is not contrary to the New; for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both God and man. Wherefore they are not to be heard who feign that the old fathers did look only for transitory promises. Although the law given from God by Moses, as touching ceremonies and rites, doth not bind Christians, nor ought the civil precepts thereof of necessity be received in any commonwealth, yet, notwithstanding, no Christian whatsoever is free from the obedience of the commandments which are called moral. VII. OF ORIGINAL OR BIRTH SIN. Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk), but it is the corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and of his own nature inclined to evil, and that continually. VIII. OF FREE WILL. The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he can not turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and works, to faith and calling upon God; wherefore we have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will. IX. OF THE JUSTIFICATION OF MAN. We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore, that we are justified by faith only is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort. X. OF GOOD WORKS. Although good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification, can not put away our sins, and endure the severity of God's judgments; yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and spring out of a true and lively faith, insomuch that by them a lively faith may be as evidently known as a tree is discerned by its fruit. XI. OF WORKS OF SUPEREROGATION. Voluntary works-besides, over, and above God's commandments -which are called works of supererogation, can not be taught without arrogancy and impiety. For by them men do declare that they do not only render unto God as much as they are bound to do, but that they do more for his sake than of bounden duty is required: whereas Christ saith plainly, When ye have done all that is commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants. XII. OF SIN AFTER JUSTIFICATION. Not every sin willingly committed after justification is the sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable. Wherefore, the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after justification: after we have received the Holy Ghost, we may depart from grace given, and fall into sin, and, by the grace of God, rise again and amend |