Brick Union Church Official Record Book Established 1796 page 3

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Part of Official Record Book of Brick Union Lutheran Church

Title: Brick Union Church Official Record Book Established 1796 page 3
Description: 13. It is agreed that when the congregation has a regularly-called Minister no other minister shall preach in our congregation, much less baptise children, without the knowledge and consent of the Minister of the Congregation because such only caused irritation and annoyance and division in the congregation as sad experience has already taught us. But when an itinerant unfortunately comes then we will refer to him to our Pastor, who will receive him charitably and if he is acceptable will allow him to preach in our congregation and thus peace and unity will remain.

14. When the congregation issues a Call to a Minister everything shall be done orderly and by a majority vote of the regular congregation and the supporting members of the congregation shall elect. Also so long as a majority vote is for the Minister he may not be dismissed

15. It is decided that all who begin their marriage with unchastity and whoring shall not have their children baptized, nor shall the parents be admitted at the Lord’s Supper until they first have publicly confessed their sins publicly before the congregation for he who is not ashamed to sin must also not be ashamed to confess his sins before God and his congregation. Also all those who begin their marriage with dancing or other disorderly conduct or otherwise attend at dancing or pass their noble time of mercy with joking, clowning, singing of worldly songs and such like shall not have any part in any sacrament nor shall they be accepted as God-parents until they confess their errors before the Church Council or at least before the Minister alone and promise to to better for the Holy Sacraments are Children’s bread which one should not cast before dogs or swine, according to Matt. 7:6 and 15:26, but should be given only to the children.

16. It is decided that all who force us (through their sins) to proceed to the sad and heart-rending action to exclude them from the Congregation of Christ, they shall not be accepted until we notice clear signs of a true and heartfelt repentance of their sins in them and they confess their sins publicly before the congregation, and ask the congregation for reacceptance. Meanwhile we do not want to have any communion with their works of darkness, but we do nevertheless love their souls dearly, pray diligently for their conversion and admonish them at every occasion with love and devotion and try through a holy mode of life to bring such lost sheep again to the flock of Christ which will give God, all Saints in Heaven and all children of God on earth, a true joy. Amen!

17. In order to prevent all disorders at each and every occasion, we are firmly resolved to work with all seriousness, by word and deed, to completely abolish the corrupt and sinful practice of taking Strong drink to a Funeral Service, (for it is obvious that the Devil is hereby served more than God.)

18. It is decided that all unmarried persons, be they confirmed or not confirmed, will continually (as long as they are unmarried) go to Sunday School and if they refuse, they shall be excluded from the Holy Lord’s Supper, no matter who they may be.

These articles and regulations we all sign in our own hand and are firmly resolved through the Mercy of God and the assistance of the Holy Spirit to persist in them until death. Done in the Town of Fincastle the 27th day of January in the year of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 1796.

Johan Georg Bottler
Jacob Kessler
Nicholas Carper
David Neidig
Friedrich Baumgartner
George Höbler
Adam Fizer
Stoffel Shmidt

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