ing the grace of baptism, they believe from the heart on Christ, die unto sin daily, and lead a holj' life, and thus realize the full virtue of the incarnation and atonement.
13. The sacrament of the holy supper is the abiding memorial of the sacrifice of our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ for our sins upon the cross ; the seal of his per- petual presence in the Church b}' the H0I3' Ghost ; the mystical exhibition of his one offering of himself made once, but of force always to put away sin ; the pledge of his undying love to his people, and the bond of his living union and fellowship with them to the end of time. In the use of this sacrament believing commu- nicants do not only commemorate his precious death as the one all-sufficient vicarious sacrifice for their sins, but Christ himself also, with his crucified bodj' and shed blood, feeds and nourishes their souls to ev- erlasting life ; that is, by this visible sign and pledge he assures them that they are really partakers of his true body and blood, through the working of the Holy Ghost, as they receive by the mouth of the body these hoi}' tokens in remembrance of him.
14. The bread and wine of the holy supper are not tninsmuted into the very body and very blood of Ciirist, but continue to be natural bread and wine ; nor is the body and blood of Christ consubstantial, that is, in, with, and under the natural bread and wine ; but the sacramental transaction is a holy mystery, in which the full life-giving and saving virtue of Christ, mediated through his humanity, is really present by the supernatural power of the Holy Ghost, and com- municated to those who, by true faith, eat and drink worthily, discerning the Lord's body.
15. At death the righteous pass into a state of joy and felicity, and abide in rest and peace until they reach their consummation of redemption and bliss in the glorious resurrection of the last day.
16. The second advent of Christ to judge the world in righteousness will complete the objective order of redemption, and also the subjective process of life and salvation in his body, the Church ; when the last en- emy, which is death, shall be destroyed ; when the saints shall come forth from the dead in the full image of their risen Lord, and with him pass into heaven, the state of perfect blessedness ; and the wicked shall rise to the resurrection of eternal damnation.
We add a brief summary of doctrine on points not directly included in the foregoing formal statements.
The German Reformed Church denies that the will of God or the will of man is the principle of theology ; that Christianity is merely a system of doctrine or a rule of moral conduct; that the covenant is only a compact between God and man, or between the Father and the Son ; that there is a twofold eternal decree, electing some unto salvation and others unto damna- tion ; that the election of God unto eternal life in Christ becomes effectual outside of the economy of grace ; that the humanity of Christ, or the incarna- tion, is an expedient in order to make an atonement for sin ; that the Church is an association of converted individuals; that the Bible is the foundation of the Church ; that the relation of the contents of the Bible to the individual is immediate ; that the authority of the Church is subordinate to the private judgment of the individual Christian ; that the unconverted and ungodly may observe the holy communion ; that jus- tification consists in a forensic act of God imputing the righteousness of Christ ah extra, or that it is real- ized b}'an act of faith in the imputed righteousness of Christ ; that the faithful use of the ordinary means of grace is inadequate to the wants of the Church and the world ; that the Church of Rome is a total aposta- sy ; and that Protestantism has its ground immediately in the sacred Scriptures.
On the contrary, the Church'ajfirms that the person of Christ is the true princi])le of sound theology; that Christianity is a new life : that the humanity of Christ
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the liturgies of those sections of Germany or Switzer- land from which tliey emigrated. These continued in common use, particularly in the German congrega- tions, though preference was generallj' given to the Palatinate liturgy, until partially superseded by the book prepared at the direction of tlic synod by the Kev. Dr. ]Mayer, and adopted in 1840. This work had no historical basis, and never took root.
General dissatisfaction prevailed with this state of things. The groat christological movement deepened the sense of want; and there was an earnest demand for a liturgy answerable in spirit and cliaracter to the churclily and sacramental ideas which had been revived in the Church. A liturgical committee was accordingly appointed in 1849. Specific instructions were given in 1852. The book known as the Provi- sional Liturgy was reported to synod in 1857, and sub- mitted to the churches for trial. This liturgj' excited a controversj' Avhich continued until 18G4, when the Eastern Synod, in compliance with an cider of the General Synod of Pittsburg, referred tlie work for re- vision to a committee consisting of I!ev. Drs. Schaff, Nevin, "Wolff, Zacharias, Boniberger, Harbaugh, Por- ter, Fisher, Gerhart, and Apple ; and IMessrs. John Rodenma3'er, George Shafer, George C. Welker, and Louis H. Steiner, M.D. This committee reported a book entitled An Orde?- of Worship Jor the Reformed Church to the Sj'nod of York, 186G. After a long and animated discussion, a resolution was passed by a vote of 53 to 14, authorizing the optional use of the " Order of AA'orship" within the limits of the Eastern Synod, and referring the book for action to the General Sj'nod, which convened at Daj-ton, Ohio, Nov. 28, the same j-ear. The General Synod devoted three days to a calm and full discussion of the questions relating to doctrine and cultus, when certain resolutions disap- proving the book were lost by a vote of 55 to G6. Thereupon the book was approved " as an order of worship proper to be used in the congregations and unnilies of the Reformed Church" by a vote of G4 to 57. The opposition arose chiefly from ministers and churches in the West. Of the ministers and churches East a very large majority supported the " Order of Worship."