552 



LUTHERANS. 



inittee, however, reports the work of the Swe- 

 dish Augustana Synod. The English Commit- 

 tee reported fifteen stations, with seven mis- 

 sionaries, in Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota, and Da- 

 kota. Their expenditures were $4, 106.93. The 

 German Committee reported that their work, 

 like that of the English Committee, was in- 

 creasing so rapidly, the field extending so enor- 

 mously, and the demands on the committee 

 were so many, that the means at hand were 

 totally insufficient. The first seven candidates 

 from the institution at Kropp, Germany, ar- 

 rived during the year, and places were assigned 

 them. The contributions for the German work 

 amounted to $5,923.07, of which the committee 

 expended $5,792.09. At the same time the 

 report of the Proseminary at Rochester, N. Y., 

 was submitted, showing that institution to be 

 doing a great and important work ; also a re- 

 quest from Lutheran pastors in Bavaria, Ger- 

 many, desiring to establish an institution for 

 the preparation of young men to enter the 

 Philadelphia Seminary and engage in the Ger- 

 man work in America. 



The Swedish Committee reported a large 

 number of missions in nearly all the Western 

 States and Territories and in the New England 

 States. The contributions for this work, dur- 

 ing the year, amounted to $11,015.82. The 

 report also called attention to the fact that aid 

 is required from the Council to establish Eng- 

 lish missions among the Swedes. In prosecut- 

 ing their work, the three committees expend- 

 ed, during the year, $20,914.84. This, togeth- 

 er with the expenses of carrying on the work 

 in India, makes a total for missions of $35,- 

 938.35. 



Among other matters of importance brought 

 before the Council were reports on ministerial 

 acts and common order of service for English- 

 speaking Lutherans. The common order of 

 service, after a thorough discussion, was unani- 

 mously adopted, as far as the joint committee 

 had prepared it, and the committee was con- 

 tinued, with instruction to complete the work 

 as soon as possible. Of the ministerial acts, the 

 forms for infant and adult baptism, confirma- 

 tion, and confession, were adopted. 



The work of the Ministerium of Pennsylva- 

 nia of erecting larger buildings in West Phil- 

 adelphia for the Theological Seminary was 

 heartily approved, and the synods were urged 

 to do all in their power to secure the speedy 

 completion of this work. A happy incident 

 connected with this convention of the Council 

 was the choral service under the title of the 

 "Church Year," given by Lutheran choirs, in 

 the church of the Holy Communion, Broad and 

 Arch Streets. The ancient vesper service of 

 the Church, with its antiphons, psalmody, les- 

 sons, and canticles, formed the main part of 

 the service, short Scripture lessons connect- 

 ing the different sections and announcing the 

 theme for each season of the church year, from 

 Advent to the last things in the last Sundays af- 

 ter Trinity. The musical selections used belong 



partly to ante-Reformation times and partly to 

 the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. 



Synodical Conference. This body held its tenth 

 Biennial Convention in 1884. (See " Annual 

 Cyclopaedia " for 1884.) The next convention 

 will be held in Detroit, Mich., August, 1886. 

 This body embraces five district synods, and 

 1,030 ministers, 1,482 congregations, and 273,- 

 259 communicant members. It has under its 

 control three theological seminaries at St. Lou- 

 is, Mo., 99 students ; Milwaukee, Wig., and 

 Springfield, 111. ; five colleges, six academies, 

 and twelve benevolent institutions. 



Order of Service. In 1879 the General Synod 

 (South) proposed to the General Council the 

 propriety of the preparation of an order of 

 public worship for the use of all English-speak- 

 ing Lutherans. The General Council consent- 

 ed to co-operate in this work, " provided that 

 the rule which shall decide all questions aris- 

 ing in its preparation shall be, the common con- 

 sent of the pure Lutheran liturgies of the six- 

 teenth century, and, when there is not an en- 

 tire agreement among them, the consent of the 

 largest number of those of the greatest weight. 1 " 

 The General Synod (North) was also invited 

 to co-operate. Committees were appointed by 

 the three bodies to prepare suitable orders of 

 service. The representatives of the three com- 

 mittees held a meeting in Charleston, S. C., 

 April 17 to 21, 1884, and "unanimously agreed 

 in the determination of the constituent parts, 

 and the order of a full normal Lutheran serv- 

 ice." The joint committee met in the Phila- 

 delphia Seminary, May 12 and 13, 1885, to 

 consider and take final action on the general 

 principles agreed upon and the order outlined 

 a year ago. 



The result of the labors of the joint committee 

 must be reported to the general bodies represented in 

 it. No order of service can be made binding on the 

 congregations, and no part of a service should be used 

 any longer tnan it serves to edification. The full 

 Lutheran service shall be furnished, with all its pro- 

 visions, for all who wish to use it. If at any time or 

 place the use of the full service is not desired, it is in 

 entire conformity with good Lutheran usage that a 

 simpler service may be provided and used, in which 

 only the principal parts of the service, in their order, 

 are contained. 



The following was agreed to be the order of the va- 

 rious parts of the morning service, by the general con- 

 sent of the largest number and most influential of the 

 Lutheran liturgies of the sixteenth century, to which 

 the committee propose various additions as being 

 suited to the wants of the Church in our time. The 

 titles in italics indicate the normal Lutheran service ; 

 those in Koman the additions proposed by the com- 

 mittee : Hymn of Invocation. The Invocation : 1 

 the name of the Father, etc. The Confession of Si 

 and Absolution. Introit. Kyrie. Gloria in Excd- 

 sis, or hymn. Collect. Epistle. Alleluia, or hymn. 

 Gospel. Creed. Hymn. Sermon. General Prayer. 

 Hymn. Preface. tSanctus and Hosanna. Exhort 

 tion to Communicants. Words of Institution. Lord s 

 Praver. Agnus Dei. Distribution. Collect of Thank 

 giving. Benediction. For the evening service u 

 old vesper service was adopted. The outline is as 

 follows : Hvmn of invocation, or other hymn, 

 side. Psalm. Scripture lessons. Sermon. Hymn. 

 Canticle. Prayer. Benedicamus, or hymn. Bene 

 diction. 



