1. Chapters i.-xiv., Ritual, Worship, etc
the declaration that the Word of God
shall be the only norm (i. if.). It is
Ritual, affirmed in the passage concerning the
Lord's Supper
(iii.-iv.) that " Christ
is present in this supper, God and
man
"; provision is made for administration
of the sacrament under both kinds;
and the observance of the"
ritual which Martin
Luther has just written in German " (i.e.,
Die
deutsche Mesas,
1526) is ordered. The wearing of a mass gown, the lighting of candles,
and the use of a suitable cup are
recommended;
but the recitation of the canon of the mass
and of all prayers in which the terms "sacrifice"
and "host" occur, the invocation of the saints,
and the like are forbidden. It is also enjoined that
the organ be played not at all, or only very seldom,
because it ministers to the ear alone; and,
furthermore, that the pompous peal of bells be avoided.
At daily morning and evening service, held in the
native language, the Old and New Testament Scriptures are to be read (v.). Obligatory confession
and the avowal of separate sins (vi.), with fasting,
are repealed, but fast-days may be appointed by the
civil ruler and by the congregation; in the latter case,
however, not in the way of obligation (vii.). Chapter
viii., "Concerning Festivals," reduces their number,
and sets forth that for the faithful all days, properly
considered, are alike, save that Sunday and the
other festival days are sanctioned to the end that
God's Word may be freely heard by the whole congregation. The important social principle is declared
that on such days, apart from the hours of divine
service, and without scruple of conscience, it is
allowable to ply one's calling, since this is better
than idleness; but one has no right to compel hired
people to work at such times. No tolerance is socorded to images and altars in the churches--only
the altar from which the Lord's Supper is administered shall remain, and it shall be called not altar,
but table; it is temperately subjoined, however,
that these things are not to be removed by the civil
authority until the congregation may have neglected
to remove them, after, the Gospel shall have been
preached some considerable time (ix.). "Superstitious benedictions" of bread, wine, water, salt, etc.,
are forbidden, and in place of them grace at meals
is recommended, though not as :e matter of compulsion (x.). The passage on baptism (xi.), visitation
of the sick (xii.), form of burial (xiii.), and marriage
(xiv.) follow, and then come the provisions affecting
the congregational and ecclesiastical organization
(xv. sqq.), the clauses which have made this church
order famous.
2. Chapters xv.-xxviii., Organization and Government.
Their dominating ideas are as follows: The congregations of the faithful are the foundation of the
entire Church (xv.); and they are constituted by
means of a separation of the true brethren from
the
false. The organization of these congregations
shall be preceded by a more or less prolonged
proclaiming of the Gospel; and, furthermore, by
a preparatory season of one month, during which
the prospective organization shall be advertised
on Sundays and festivals. The hope is enter
tained that by virtue of this preaching a congregation
of the faithful may be formed in
advance of its actual organization.
The
latter shall then be effected by
Church the following process: on the duly
appointed day those who desire to be
reckoned in the number of the saints
make public announcement thereof,
and at the same time promise their
submission to Holy Scripture and
the
church discipline. One who by his man
ner of life or by his doctrine provokes offense
is not to be admitted among the number of
the faithful unless, within a period of two weeks,
he succeeds, by repentance, in removing the objections against him. Congregational activity
is to be exercised in assemblies and by means of
constituted officers. This assembling of the faithful
-women were allowed to be present, but not to
speak-should occur every Sunday, at a suitable
place. The faithful are particularly entrusted with
the election of bishops and deacons, and the exercise
of church discipline, but, with reference to bishops
(=pastors), the qualification is made that "for this
year, and until the congregations are instructed by
God's Word" they shall be called, installed, or deposed by the civil sovereign and the visitatores (see
below). The bishops' duties include administration
of Word and sacrament, cure of souls, and presiding
at conventions. Eligible as bishops are devout,
learned, and blameless men of every estate, but not
princes, lords, and government officials. Deacons
are of two kinds-those who assist the bishop, and
"deacons of the church," who care for the poor and
administer church property. Fervent interest is
manifested in behalf of the poor (xxvii.). Provision
is made for those who have been driven from home
for the sake of their faith (xxviii.). Besides the
episeopi. and diaeaai, seniores are mentioned (xii.,
xv., xx., xxi.), but only in the position of men of
trust in the congregation, not as officers. The permanent cause of rectitude in the congregation was
promoted by the church discipline, which could proceed as far as excommunication and was exercised
by direct naming of the guilty. Excommunication
consisted in exclusion from the weekly meetings and
from intercourse with the faithful, and if one who
had incurred it was overtaken by death impenitent
he should not be buried in the cemetery of the faithful
(xvi.).
Absolution of sinners is to be granted
before the entire congregation, upon public confession of sins, and subject .to open repentance
(xvii.). The congregations become incorporated as
a part of the Hessian State Church by the action of
a synod to be convened annually at Marburg, regularly on the third Sunday after Easter, for which
a session of three days at the longest was prescribed
(xviii.). The synod was to be composed of the
bishops, the congregational delegates---each congregation electing one delegate from its own mem
bers-the princes, counts and lords (nobilea). It
devolved on the synod to pass upon all matters of
administering and ordering the Church according to
the Word of God, which is the only binding canon;
all decisions rendered by the synod are but so many
interpretations. To cover the interval between the
several synods, an executive committee of thirteen
members was to be chosen by the synod from its
members, and this committee had charge of
instituting and directing the synods, and of devising
provisional arrangements to be duly submitted to the
synod itself. The synod, furthermore, was to electthree vi&itatorm
(xxii.),
upon whom it devolved to
visit all the Hessian congregations once a year; to
test, with a view to their fitness, those elected as
bishops; to confirm the worthy and remove the unworthy; to support the congregations and bishops
agreeably to the Word of God; and to inculcate
respect for the Word of God and the synod's resolutions. In urgent matters the committee should.
confer with the inspectors for joint action. Very
significant of the spirit of this church order is the
declaration (xxvi.) that none of the church officials,
neither the executive committee nor the inspectors,
neither bishops nor deacons, hold priority of rank;
while any striving to that end was to be punished
with forfeiture of office; provision is made for rotation of office to be observed in the synods.
3. Chapters xxix.-xxxiv., Instruction.
After church organization comes the matter of
instruction. It is declared (xxix.) that nothing shall
be taught at the new university (universale stadium) which it was proposed
to found at Marburg "which may be
prejudicial to the interests of the kingdom of God." Schools for boys are to
be erected in the various towns and villages (xxx.);
likewise, schools for girls (xxxi.), if possible,
in
the
country as well, to train up capable housekeepers.
The
Reformatio
closes with provisos .affecting
cloisters and monks (xxxiv.); provision shall be
made for all who withdraw, while in the main
tolerance is the portion of those that stay behind,
though they are subject to serious limitations of
their freedom. In the case of vacated cloisters,
either schools are to be inaugurated or, if the congregation so decides, they shall be applied to church
or public objects.
4. The Church Order Never Ofcially Adopted.
Forasmuch as the
Reformatio
had not been
formally accepted by the Homberg Synod, but was
only the draft of a committee serving by the synod's appointment, there
was need of some
special act of legislatibn to secure official validity in Hesse
for this private labor. Such recognition,
however, was never conceded.
Landgrave Philip accounted it advisable to submit the same to the great
Reformer for a judicial opinion. In a communication
dated Jan. 7, 1527, Luther counseled not to
circulate the constitution in printed form, but first
to supply the parishes and schools with good and
worthy incumbents, and furnish them with very
brief directions. He advised not to begin with
the promulgation of finished laws, which people
could not carry out; on the contrary, let the laws
grow out of practical experience and usage. This
letter settled the fate of the church order. It not
only did not appear in print, but, as the sole two
manuscripts which have been hitherto discovered
prove, it was evidently kept discreetly in the background. The formerly much-agitated question as
to whether it was at least provisionally in legal
operation, is decided negatively. by the instructions
to the visikttores at Pentecost, 1527, wherein with
express reference to the Homberg
Constitution it is
declared that no other rule shall be valid than the
Word of God, and that no other scheme of regulations shall be expected.
