ART. LXVI.

In times of war, peftilence, famine, fevere perfecution of the church, and other general calamities, the minifters of the churches, fhall petition the civil rulers, that by their authority, and command, days of public fafting, and prayer, may be fet apart, and fanctified.

ART. LXVII.

Befides the fabbath day, the congregations fhall likewife obferve Christmas, Eafter, and Whitfuntide, with the day fucceeding each: and whereas in most of the cities, and provinces of the Netherlands, it is moreover cuftomary to obferve the day of the circumcifion, and afcenfion of our Lord, the minifters where fuch practice has not been adopted, fhall endeavour to prevail with the civil authority to establish a conformity with the other churches,

ART. LXVIII.

Every minifter fhall in the ordinary afternoon fervice on the Lords day, briefly explain the fyftem of the christian doctrine comprehended in the catechifm, adopted by the reformed churches; fo that if practicable the explanation may be annually com

pleted, according to the fections made for that purpose in said catechiẩm.

ART. LXIX.

The 150 pfalms of David; the ten commandments; the Lords prayer; the 12 articles of the chriftian faith; the fongs of Mary, Zachariah, and Simeon verfified, only, fhall be fung in public worship. The churches are left at liberty to adopt, or omit that entitled, "O thou, who art our Father God." All others are prohibited, and where any have been already introduced, they fhall be discontinued as foon as poffible.

ART. LX.

In matters relating to matrimony, the churches fhall abide by thofe ufages, which they have hitherto obferved, conformably to the word of God, and former ecclefiaftical ordinances, at least until the civil government fhall inftitute fome general ordinance for that purpose.

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ARTICLE LXXI.

S CHRISTIAN DISCIPLINE is fpiritual, and exempts no person from the judgement and punishment of the civil power, so it is requifite that without any reference to civil punishment, ecclefiaftical, or fpiritual cenfure fhould be exercised, in order to reconcile the delinquent with the church, and with his neighbour, and that offences may be removed out of the church of Christ.

ART. LXXII.

When any Perfon offends either against purity of doctrine, or of morals, and fuch offence is private,

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and has given rife to no public scandal; in fuch cafe the method shall be pursued which is pointed out by our Lord, in the 18th. chapter of Matthew.

ART. LXXIII.

Secret Sins fhall not be brought before the Confiftory, when the offender has difcovered proofs of repentance, on being admonished by a single perfon in private, or before two, or three witnesses.

ART. LXXIV.

If any perfon guilty of a private offence hall reject the friendly admonition given him before two, or three witneffes, or fhall have committed a crime publickly known, the fame shall be reported to the Confiftory.

ART. LXXV.

The fatisfaction for fuch offences which are in their own nature public, or are become notorious by the contempt of ecclefiaftical admonitions, fhall, when evident proofs of repentance are given, be made in a public manner, at the difcretion of the Confiftory. In the country, and in villages where there is but one minifter, the fatisfaction fhall be made with the