The Second Helvetic Confession
CHAPTER XXII
Of Religious and Ecclesiastical Meetings
WHAT OUGHT TO BE DONE IN MEETINGS FOR WORSHIP. Although it is permitted all
men to read the Holy Scriptures privately at home, and by instruction to edify
one another in the true religion, yet in order that the Word of God may be
properly preached to the people, and prayers and supplication publicly made,
also that the sacraments may be rightly administered, and that collections may
be made for the poor and to pay the cost of all the Church’s expenses, and in
order to maintain social intercourse, it is most necessary that religious or
Church gatherings be held. For it is certain that in the apostolic and
primitive Church, there were such assemblies frequented by all the godly.
MEETINGS FOR WORSHIP NOT TO BE NEGLECTED. As many as spun
such meetings and stay away from them, despise true religion, and are to be
urged by the pastors and godly magistrates to abstain from stubbornly absenting
themselves from sacred assemblies.
MEETINGS ARE PUBLIC. But Church meetings are not to be
secret and hidden, but public and well attended, unless persecution by the
enemies of Christ and the Church does not permit them to be public. For we know
how under the tyranny of the Roman emperors the meetings of the primitive Church
were held in secret places.
DECENT MEETING PLACES. Moreover, the places where the
faithful meet are to be decent, and in all respects fit for God’s Church.
Therefore, spacious buildings or temples are to be chosen, but they are to be
purged of everything that is not fitting for a church. And everything is to be
arranged for decorum, necessity, and godly decency, lest anything be lacking
that is required for worship and the necessary works of the Church.
MODESTY AND HUMILITY TO BE OBSERVED IN MEETINGS. And as we
believe that God does not dwell in temples made with hands, so we know that on
account of God’s Word and sacred use places dedicated to God and his worship are
not profane, but holy, and that those who are present in them are to conduct
themselves reverently and modestly, seeing that they are in a sacred place, in
the presence of God and his holy angels.
THE TRUE ORNAMENTATION OF SANCTUARIES. Therefore, all
luxurious attire, all pride, and everything unbecoming to Christian humility,
discipline and modesty, are to be banished from the sanctuaries and places of
prayer of Christians. For the true ornamentation of churches does not consist
in ivory, gold, and precious stones, but in the frugality, piety, and virtues
of those who are in the Church. Let all things be done decently and in order in
the church, and finally, let all things be done for edification.
WORSHIP IN THE COMMON LANGUAGE. Therefore, let all strange
tongues keep silence in gatherings for worship, and let all things be set forth
in a common language which is understood by the people gathered in that place.
CHAPTER XXIII
Of the Prayers of the Church, of Singing, and of Canonical
Hours
COMMON LANGUAGE. It is true that a man is permitted to
pray privately in any language that he understands, but public prayers in
meetings for worship are to be made in the common language known to all.
PRAYER. Let all the prayers of the faithful be poured
forth to God alone, through the mediation of Christ only, out of faith and love.
The priesthood of Christ the Lord and true religion forbid the invocation of
saints in heaven or to use them as intercessors. Prayer is to be made for
magistracy, for kings, and all that are placed in authority, for ministers of
the Church, and for all needs of churches. In calamities, especially of the
Church, unceasing prayer is to be made both privately and publicly.
FREE PRAYER. Moreover, prayer is to be made voluntarily,
without constraint or for any reward. Nor is it proper for prayer to be
superstitiously restricted to one place, as if it were not permitted to pray
anywhere except in a sanctuary. Neither is it necessary for public prayers to
be the same in all churches with respect to form and time. Each Church is to
exercise its own freedom. Socrates, in his history, says, “In all regions
of the world you will not find two churches which wholly agree in prayer” (Hist.
ecclesiast. V.22, 57). The authors of this difference, I think, were those
who were in charge of the Churches at particular times. Yet if they agree, it
is to be highly commended and imitated by others.
THE METHOD TO BE EMPLOYED IN PUBLIC PRAYERS. As in
everything, so also in public prayers there is to be a standard lest they be
excessively long and irksome. The greater part of meetings for worship is
therefore to be given to evangelical teaching, and care is to be taken lest the
congregation is wearied by too lengthy prayers and when they are to hear the
preaching of the Gospel they either leave the meeting or, having been exhausted,
want to do away with it altogether. To such people the sermon seems to be
overlong, which otherwise is brief enough. And therefore it is appropriate for
preachers to keep to a standard.
SINGING. Likewise moderation is to be exercised where
singing is used in a meeting for worship. That song which they call the
Gregorian Chant has many foolish things in it; hence it is rightly rejected by
many of our churches. If there are churches which have a true and proper sermon
but no singing, they ought not to be condemned. For all churches do not have
the advantage of singing. And it is well known form testimonies of antiquity
that the custom of singing is very old in the Eastern Churches whereas it was
late when it was at length accepted in the West.
CANONICAL HOURS. Antiquity knew nothing of canonical
hours, that is, prayers arranged for certain hours of the day, and sung or
recited by the Papists, as can be proved from their breviaries and by many
arguments. But they also have not a few absurdities, of which I say nothing
else; accordingly they are rightly omitted by churches which substitute in their
place things that are beneficial for the whole Church of God.
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