And, I. From the _Augsburg Confession_, Art. XXVIII.
"And what are we to believe concerning _Sunday_ (the Lord's day,) and
other similar ordinances and ceremonies of the church? To this inquiry
we reply, the bishops and clergy may make regulations, that order may be
observed in the church, not with the view of thereby obtaining the grace
of God, nor in order thus to make satisfaction for sins, nor to bind the
consciences, to hold and regard this as a _necessary_ worship of God, or
to believe that they would _commit sin_ if they _violated_ these
regulations without offence to others. Thus St. Paul to the Corinthians
(1 Cor. xi. 5,) has ordained that _women shall have their heads_ covered
in the congregation; also, that ministers should not all speak at the
same time in the congregation, but in an orderly manner, one after
another.
"It is becoming in a Christian congregation to observe such order, for
the sake of love and peace, and to obey the bishops and clergy in these
cases, and to observe these regulations so far as not to give offence
to one another, so that there may be no disorder or unbecoming conduct
in the church. Nevertheless, the consciences of men must not be
oppressed, by representing these things as _necessary to salvation_, or
_teaching that they are guilty of sin, if they break these regulations
without offence to others;_ for no one affirms that a woman commits sin
who goes out with her head uncovered, without giving offence to the
people.
Pages:
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152