“In the meantime we believe, though it is useful and beneficial that those, who are rulers of the Church, institute and establish certain ordinances among themselves….”
1. This article deals with the order and discipline of the church:
a. When it speaks of ordinances which rulers may establish among themselves, it does not refer to the Confession:
1) The Confession is not made by rulers among themselves.
2) But it is the organic expression of the faith of the church, and must arise out of the church as the body of Christ.
b. But with matters pertaining to the Church Order and discipline it deals:
1) The local congregation has its own institute, its officebearers and ministry. Hence, various questions arise with regard to the duty of the officebearers, their relation to one another, to the congregation; questions of worship, administration of sacraments, meetings, order of discipline, etc.
2) Still more questions arise when the local congregations enter into a certain church union on the basis of an existing unity of faith: questions pertaining to the larger assemblies, classis and synod, their time of meeting, their power, etc.
2. The rulers establishing such ordinances may not depart from the institution of Christ:
a. Rulers in the church are ministers of Christ, Who is our only Head and Bishop. They are not legislators, but simply must discover and express the laws of Christ as instituted for His church.
b. This implies:
1) Not that they may only establish those rules that are literally found in the Word of God.
2) But also whatever under the guidance of the Holy Spirit may be deduced from the principles of the Word.
3. Hence, believers in the church limit and determine in their confession also the church order:
a. They reject all human inventions and laws of men not founded on the Word of God.
b. And they admit only:
1) such ordinances as can tend to the preservation of the unity and concord of the church.
2) such as the church must have to keep all men in obedience to God. This last refers to the discipline in the church.
4. Excommunication, with the various circumstances belonging to it. To this the Church Order devotes articles 71-81, from which we quote article 77: “After the suspension from the Lord’s Table, and subsequent admonitions, and before proceeding to excommunication, the obstinacy of the sinner shall be publicly made known to the congregation, the offense explained, together with the care bestowed upon him, in reproof, suspension from the Lord’s Supper, and repeated admonition, and the congregation shall be exhorted to speak to him and to pray for him. There shall be three such admonitions. In the first the name of the sinner shall not be mentioned that he be somewhat spared. In the second, with the consent of the Classis, his name shall be mentioned. In the third the congregation shall be informed that (unless he repent) he will be excluded from the fellowship of the church, so that his excommunication, in case he remains obstinate, may take place with the tacit approbation of the church. The interval between the admonitions shall be left to the discretion of the Consistory.”