'*Thus recognising the unity of the Church of Christ in all the world, and knowing that we are but one branch of Christ's people, while adhering to our peculiar faith and order, we extend to all believers the hand of Christian fellowship upon the basis of those great fundamental truths in which all Christians should agree. With them we confess our-£sith in God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the only living and true God ; in Jesus Christ, the incar- nate Word, who is exalted to be our Redeemer and king; and in the Holy Comforter, who is present in the Church to regenerate and sanctify the soul.
" With the whole Church, we confess the common sinfulness and ruin of our race, and acknowledge that it is only through the work accomplished by the life and expiatory death of Christ that believers in him are justified before God, receive the remission of sins, and through the presence and grace of the Holy Com- forter are delivered firom the power of sin, and per- fected in holiness.
**We believe also in the organized and visible Church, in the ministry of the Word, in the sacra^ ments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, in the resur- rection of the body, and in the final judgment, the issues of which are eternal life and everlasting punish- ment.
*' We receive these truths on the testimony of God, given through prophets and apostles, and in the lifSa, the miracles, the death, the resurrection of his Son, our Divine Bedeemer — a testimony preserved for the Church in the Scriptures of the Old and the New Tes- taments, which were composed by holy men as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
" Affirming now our belief that those who thus hold *one faith, one Lord, one baptism,' together constitute the one catholic Church, tJie several households of which, though called by difierent names, are the one body of Christ, and that these members of his body are sacredly bound to keep *the unity of the spirit in the bonds of peace,' we declare that we will co-operate with all who hold these truths. With them we will carry the Gospel into every part of this land, and with them we will go into all the world, and * preach the Grospel to every creature.' May he to whom 'all power is given in heaven and earth' fulfil the promise which is all our hope: 'Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world.' Amen."
2. In Europe, — ^The doctrines of the English Con- gregationalists were set forth in 1659 in the Savoy Confession. As now stated, they are presented in the
'daration of the Congregational Union, hi articles of
a Calvinistic type, but not presenting " a aoiioUwfic «r critical confession of faith." While able writets have vigorously maintained the great doctrines of the cvaa- gdUcal churches, speculations upon doctrine do est seem to have been carried on as extensively as in the American churches, and the peculiarities of tlie **Kcw England theology" have not been pmadnaittj dis- cussed.
III. GoYEBimsNT.—l. In America^ — The -mbek administration d Congregationalism grows out of the two cardinal principles of (1) the complctaKV of the local church for its own government, mud (2) the necessary fellowship of the churdies. In all bsI- ters concerning the indhichtal church ahme, no otiis body is necessary to complete or sanction its actios, and hone has power to revise or overrule H. Kit m all matters concerning the dkurchei mfeUotak^ e t whole, those churches properly convoaed express tbnr opinions and determine their course; and altboegli their decision is of force only in such churchea as adopt it,.yet the moral wei^t of such dectsions geaer- ally secure acquiescence. The two princqiles mea- tioned limit each other.
(1.) Of ike local Chwrch.—The church is compoeed only of persons supposed to be regenerated, unttad hf a covenant which recognises duty to God and to taA other, meeting for worship, sacraments, and disdpliae. The government is strictiy democratic, so fax as girin; the right of voting to all ^ult males, and with ns power of veto in the pastor. By vote of the brother- hood members are admitted or dismissed, allegi^ o^ fenders tried, and censures passed, and all officers elect- ed. The permanent officers are pastor (or bishop) and deacons, with derk and such committees as the Choit^ finds desirable. The pastor is necessarily an ordazsed minister or elder, and, ftom. his position, *' Usbofw"' He is chosen by the Church, and may be dismisKd lij the Church ; but the usual alliance of the Church with an incorporated civil society gives tibe pastor a Itffl relation to that society (by whidi he haa also beea chosen in concurrence with the Church) widch the Church cannot touch. This alliance is a variatioB from pure Congregationalism, which some churdMS do not practice ; but inasmuch as members of the ChurA usually compose the far larger part of the crvil ooqte- ration, harm seldom ensues.
(2.) Ofihn FeUomthip qftke Ctervftst.— .AH diunics stand in a sisterly rels^on to each other, and are bound to fulfil its duties. This communion is manifested ia mutual recognition ; in admitting members of ooe church to the communion of another ; in temporuy interchange of ministers ; in the rt»gmii^qii and reo^ tion of members; in giving and receiving advice ; m giving and receiving help ; in consultation and co-op- eration in the edification of a particular cburdi, or matters of general welfi&re ; and in giving and recei^ ing admonition. These principles Ihnit the independ- ence of the local church, and are embodied in the de- cisions of councils, which are the churches of a greater or less locality, represented each by pastor and dde- gate, and convened for special occasions. The Unit- ing efiect may be seen thus : believers in a given lo- cality may organize a Church, but it is not ncogmted as in fellowship until a council of churches has exam- ined the need of it, its material, and its doctrine, and approved of its recognition. A Church may settle a pastor, but he is not in fellowship with other chnrdieB until those churches in council have considered and approved his doctrinal and religious fitness. A Church may excommunicate a member, and no power outside can replace him in that Church ; but inasmuch as the effect of that excommunication is to cut him off frtaa the communion of all churches, the other churches have a right (and under certain circumstances it is their duty) to examine the case, and if the Chuidi ap- pears to have erred, recommend his restoration ; in die- ilinlt of which they determine that his fellowship with