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1. Their Doctrines.
IN most Points they agree with the Calvinists, as may be seen in their Confessions; except, that they hold that Christ is consubstantially in the Sacrament; and some of them agree not with the Calvinists in the Point of Absolute Predestination, nor in the Abolition of Saints days, &c.
2. Discipline and Worship.
1. They retain Bishops; but shorten their Re∣venues, in Germany, Denmark, Swedeland, but not in England.
2. They use Forms of Prayer, Kneeling at the Sacrament generally; keep some Holy-days of Saints, in many places use Instrumental Musick.
particularly, 1. In Swedeland.
1. Their number of Parish-Churches are 42000, all covered with Copper.
2. In all of them there are Organs, in some two or three pair; and Bells in all their Churches.
3. There are in that Kingdom 64 Provinces, 12 or 14 Bishops, one Arch-bishop, residing at Ʋpsal.
4. The Bishop, with all the Priests of his Pro∣vinces, hears Causes, and Excommunicates.
5. Their Elders are for Life, and their Office to take care of the Church-repairs, and the Poor.
6. Two or three Chaplains belong to every Church, at least.
7. Three times a day they go to Church, ex∣cept on Fasting-days, for then four Ministers preach successively, and the People go not out from Morning till Night; their Order of Service thus,
1. The Morning for Servants, when there is
2. The middle Service, for Masters of Families, &c. in which there is the same order as before, ex∣cept, that the Text is taken out of the Gospel, and the Gospel read before the Altar.
For they have an Offering every Lord's day, and a Sacrament after the second Sermon; the People coming to Church on Saturday to be pre∣pared for the Sacrament, and receiving a Ticket, for which they pay a Fee.
3. Their last Service is from one till five a clock.
All their Weddlings are in Church. Mr. Derick Reynes a Native.
2. In Livonia, an Inland adjoyning to the Bal∣tick Sea, now under the King of Swedeland;
1. Its Government is by an Arch-bishop residing at Riga, and Bishops (or Superintendants) at Reuel, &c.
2. Their Doctrine is according to the Auspurg Confession.
3. Their Knowledge and Devotion very little, and mixt with much Superstition and Sorcery; for there is hardly a Village, but hath a Church and Minister, and yet the People so poorly instructed, that it may be said, Baptism excepted, they have not any Character of Christianity; they very sel∣dom go to Sermons, and never almost commu∣nicate, unless forced and driven to it by other oc∣casions. D. of Holstein's Ambass. Travels into Muscovy, &c.
3. In Germany.
1. Their Government is by Bishops and Super∣intendants, &c.
2. Their Doctrine differs a litlte but not in the substantial part of it, as may be seen in the Har∣mony of Confessions.
3. They have a Sermon every day (saith Dr. Brown) at Hamburgh, as in other Lutheran Cities. In his Travels, p. 176.
4. They retain Pictures in their Churches. The Lutherans at Frank ford have built a new Church, called S. Catherines, in which there is as much Painting, as ever I saw in any Popish Church; and over the High Altar is a huge carved Crucifix, as there are Painted ones in other places of their Church, Dr. Burnet's Letters.
5. At Strasburg they bow when they name the Holy Ghost, as well as the Name of Jesus, Idem.
6. I was in their Church, saith the Reverend Author, where, if the Musick of their Psalms pleas∣ed me much, the Irreverence in singing (it being free to keep on, or put off, the hat) did appear very strange to me, Idem, ibid.
7. They have not (as Strasburg) the same Cere∣monies, that the Lutherans of Saxony have, which Mr. Bebel, their Professor of Divinity, said, was a great Happiness; for a similitude in outward rites might dispose the ignorant People to change too easily, ibid.
8. The Lutherans, for the greatest part, retain their Animosities almost to an equal degree, both against Papists and Calvinists, ibid.
9. The Lutheran Churches are handsome, and their Pulpits exeraordinary Noble, and richly set off, as I observed through all Saxony, Noremberg, and where they are Masters of the places, &c. Dr. Brown's Travels.
In the Palatinate, the Order of their Service is thus, as I received it from the hand of one Herman Graff••ing of Keysart Lautern, a Native of the Pa∣latinate.
On Sundays, Morning-Service.
1. On a Sledge in the Porch is notified what Psalms are to be sung.
2. When they are come into Church, the Clerk begins to sing, the people all joyning with him pre∣sently, every one having his book, and the Scho∣lars generally being taught at School to sing by Notes, the melody is pleasant.
3. The Minister prays in the book, one prayer, concluding always with the Lord's Prayer.
4. Then follows a short Hymn, to this sense;
O God, that art our Father through Jesus Christ, give us thy Spirit in general, that may lead us into the Truth, hear us in this hour; Open the mouth of thy Servant, that the word may be pure, and freely explained: O Lord, graciously open our hearts and ears, that we may hear it with all diligence, and keep it truly, so that we may plentifully declare thy praise.
5. After this Hymn is sung, the Minister prays in short Extempore, with respect to his Sermon.
6. Next, he preacheth, and after he hath divided his Text, and disposed his Sermon into parts (which he doth without book, the Minister being bare, or using only a Cap upon his head, but the people covered) He makes a short Prayer, and ex∣horts them to attention and charitableness to the poor, &c. the people all standing up, and putting off their Hats: Whereupon the people sit down a∣gain, and he proceeds on with his Sermon, and the Church-warden goes about from Pew to Pew with a long Staff, and a Purse and Bell at the end of it, to gather the Alms; and this is done every Lord's Day, and the Purse laid upon the Communion-Ta∣ble.
7. Then the Minister prays again, concluding with the Lord's prayer.
8. After which they sing another Psalm, and conclude with the Blessing.
Afternoon-Service.
1. At one a clock, the Bell rings, and calls to Catechism, which is begun with a Psalm, and pray∣er, and concluded with a prayer also, the minister in the rehearsal of it standing before the Commu∣nion-Table.
2. Then the Bells ring again for the Evening-Service, which is much what in the same manner with the Morning-Service.
Note, that in some Churches they have Organs, in others none.