All Articles For Decency and Order

Previous article in this series: November 15, 2010, p. 86. “These articles, relating to the lawful order of the church, have been so drafted and adopted by common consent that they (if the profit of the churches demand otherwise) may and ought to be altered, augmented, or diminished. However, no particular congregation or classis shall be at liberty to do so, but they shall show all diligence in observing them, until it be otherwise ordained by the general synod.” Church Order, Article 86.

Previous article in this series: September 1, 2010, p. 464. “Churches whose usages differ from ours merely in nonessentials shall not be rejected.” Church Order, Article 85. The Same, but Different Article 85 of the Church Order prohibits the Protestant Reformed Churches from rejecting other churches and denominations “whose usages differ from ours merely in nonessentials.” Churches that differ from us in essentials are to be rejected. But churches that differ from us only in “nonessentials” are to be received. And with such churches official relationships are to be established. The mandate of Article 85 arises out of the marvelous...

Previous article in this series: July 2010, p. 422. “Churches whose usages differ from ours merely in nonessentials shall not be rejected.” Church Order, Article 85. Introduction Article 85 of the Church Order of the Protestant Reformed Churches arises out of the marvelous truth of the catholicity of the church. This article was included in the Church Order because the Dutch Reformed churches desired to acknowledge the Reformed churches found in other lands. With the church of all ages, they confessed “an holy, catholic church.” This “holy church,” according to Article 27 of the Belgic Confession of Faith, “is not...

Previous article in this series: May 15, 2010, p. 371. “No church shall in any way lord it over other churches, no minister over other ministers, no elder or deacon over other elders or deacons.” Church Order, Article 84. Introduction The “Anti-Hierarchical Article,” as it has often been called, has a long and honorable history in the Dutch Reformed churches. It was the very first article of the Church Order drafted by the very first regular synod of these churches, the Synod of Emden, 1571. For logical reasons, it was later moved to the section of the Church Order dealing with...

Previous article in this series: July 2009, p. 423. “Furthermore, to the poor, removing for sufficient reasons, so much money for traveling shall be given by the deacons as they deem adequate. The consistory and the deacons shall, however, see to it that they be not too much inclined to relieve their churches of the poor, with whom they would without necessity burden other churches.” Church Order, Article 83. Article 83 of the Church Order is closely related to Article 82. Article 82 concerns transfer of membership from one congregation to another congregation within the denomination. Those who transfer from one...

Prof. Cammenga is professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. “To those who remove from the congregation, a letter or testimony concerning their profession and conduct shall be given by the consistory, signed by two; or, in the case of letters which are given under the seal of the church, signed by one.” Church Order, Article 82. Transfer of Membership Article 82 deals with the transfer of membership from one congregation to another within the church federation. The article provides for the transfer of membership by means of the granting of a “letter or testimony concerning...

Prof. Cammenga is professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Previous article in this series: October 1, 2008, p. 11. “The ministers of the Word, elders, and deacons shall before the celebration of the Lord’s Supper exercise Christian censure among themselves, and in a friendly spirit admonish one another with regard to the discharge of their office.”  Church Order, Article 81. Introduction The practice of censura morum is longstanding in the Reformed churches. From the beginning of their existence, the Protestant Reformed Churches have followed the practice. Last time we began our consideration of Article 81 by tracing...

Prof. Cammenga is professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. “The ministers of the Word, elders, and deacons shall before the celebration of the Lord’s Supper exercise Christian censure among themselves, and in a friendly spirit admonish one another with regard to the discharge of their office.” Church Order, Article 81. Introduction Article 81 mandates the practice commonly known as censura morum. This is the practice of mutual censure among the officebearers within a church council, which practice is to be implemented at the council meeting immediately before the administration of the Lord’s Supper. Censura morum...

Prof. Cammenga is professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. “Furthermore, among the gross sins which are worthy of being punished with suspension or deposition from office, these are the principal ones: false doctrine or heresy, public schism, public blasphemy, simony, faithless desertion of office or intrusion upon that of another, perjury, adultery, fornication, theft, acts of violence, habitual drunkenness, brawling, filthy lucre; in short, all sins and gross offenses as render the perpetrators infamous before the world, and which in any private member of the church would be considered worthy of excommunication.” Church Order, Article...

Prof. Cammenga is professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Previous article in this series: March 15, 2008, p. 279. “When ministers of the divine Word, elders, or deacons have committed any public, gross sin which is a disgrace to the church or worthy of punishment by the authorities, the elders and deacons shall immediately, by preceding sentence of the consistory thereof and of the nearest Church, be suspended or expelled from their office, but the ministers shall only be suspended. Whether these shall be entirely deposed from office shall be subject to the judgment of...