gh faith. 2.) Should this not
avail, he shall again be admonished by the Pastor, in the presence of
the Elders and Vorsteher. 3.) Should this fail, he shall be excluded
from the congregation, in the presence of the Church Council or by its
action, and he shall have neither part nor will, until by the goodness
or the severity of God, he has been led to repentance and ask
forgiveness of the congregation for the offenses committed, which shall
be done through the Pastor, without mention of the name. In such case he
shall be received again and acknowledged as a member, if his life and
conversation prove the repentance and amendment to be sincere.

This constitution as a whole and in all its parts, shall be held
inviolate in our Evangelical Lutheran congregation of St. Michael's
Church and dependencies, and shall hold good and continue in force,
until the whole Church Council and congregation, or at least two-thirds
of both, to wit, of the Council and of the communing members, shall
deem it necessary and useful to amend, or to add, or to exclude anything
in the same; all of which is certified by our signatures; done at
Philadelphia, Oct. 18, 1762.

This constitution was with few modifications accepted by the united
congregations, one after another. It was the basis of the new
congregations formed. It was carried by the minister's throughout the
wide limits of Pennsylvania and adjacent States. It was inherited by new
Synods formed out of the Penna. Ministerium. It was carefully studied
and its main features adopted by the preparer of the Formula of
Government and Discipline of the Synods of West Pennsylvania, Maryland
and Virginia, and then became that of the General Synod. The great body
of the congregations in this country, outside the bounds of recent
German Synods in the West, are organized on its plan.

As to its character, it bears marks on its surface of Reformed
influence. It contains the Reformed provision of elders and even the
characteristic Calvinistic designation, Ruling Elders. The determination
of its character was undoubtedly influenced by Reformed forces. The
Swedish Constitution in this country in Wrangel's time, and before, was
probably brought from the Dutch Church at New York, and may even have
already felt the power of the Reformed Church of England. The Church of
Amsterdam undoubtedly was greatly influenced by the organization of the
Reformed Churches of the Netherlands. The Lutheran Churches in New Y