by different names, as a bishop, presbyter or elder, &c.1 indicative of the duties of the office. All these are by divine right of equal rank,2 and their duties are principally these: to expound the word of God, to conduct the public worship of God,3 to administer the sacraments of the church, and to admonish men of their duties,5 as well as by all proper means, public and private, to edify the church of Christ.

SEC. 2. Those other officers who were endowed with miraculous gifts, and whose instrumentality Christ used in first forming the church, were extraordinary and of temporary standing.

SEC. 3. Pastors are amenable for their conduct to the Synod to which they belong; and that Synod is the tribunal which has the entire jurisdiction over them: excepting in those cases where a regular appeal is obtained to the General Synod, agreeably to Art. III. sec. 5. 1, 2. of the Constitution of General Synod.

SEC. 4. No minister shall knowingly grant to a member of another congregation any privileges of the church, which would be denied to said member by his own pastor.

SEC. 5. It is the sacred duty of every minister so to conduct himself, that his life shall present to his congregation an example of true Christian propriety of deportment: And should any minister of our church be guilty of an open vice, (which may God in mercy prevent!) it shall be the duty of the church-council earnestly to exhort him several times to reformation, and if this should prove ineffectual, or if the case be such as to bring disgrace upon the church, to report him to the Synod.

OF ELDERS AND DEACONS.

SEC. 6. The other officers of the church are Elders and Deacons, who are elected by the members of the church, as their agents to perform some of the duties originally devolving on themselves. The principal duties of Elders are to aid the pastor or pastors in administering the government and discipline of the

church; to endeavor to preserve peace and harmony in the church; to visit the congregational schools, and promote the religious education of the children of the church; and to visit the sick and afflicted, and aid in the performance of such other duties as are incumbent on the church-council.

The duties of the Deacons' office are principally these: to lead an exemplary life as commanded in Scripture, to minister unto the poor,2 extending to their wants and distributing faithfully amongst them the collections which may be made for their use; to assist the pastor in the administration of the Eucharist, to attend and render all necessary service at stated worship; to see that their minister receives a just and adequate support according to the commands of our Lord; to administer the temporal concerns of the church; and to aid in the performance of such other duties as are incumbent on the church-council. Both these officers are elected by the people, and it is their duty to feel the deepest interest in the advancement of piety among the members of the church, and to exert their utmost influence to promote it.

SEC. 7. The elders and deacons are the representatives of the whole church, and each church shall determine the number of their officers and the term of their duration in office; yet in no case shall they serve less than two years, nor more than eight, unless re-elected.

SEC. 8. When persons have been elected to the office of elder or deacon, they shall be inducted into their office according to the form prescribed by the church. Those congregations which have been in the habit of having trustees, may, if they deem it expedient, still retain them, and continue to them such privileges as they may deem expedient.

1 1 Tim. 8: 13. and others.

* Vide "Liturgy," &c.

2 Acts 6: 2.6.

CHAPTER IV.

Of the Church-Council.

SEC. 1. The Church-council is the lowest judicatory of the church consisting of the pastor or pastors and all the elders and deacons of a particular church.

SEC. 2. The pastor, together with half the other existing members of the council, and in the necessary absence of the pastor, two thirds of the remaining members of the council, shall constitute a quorum.

SEC. 3. But no business connected with the government or discipline of the church, shall be transacted without the presence of the minister, unless his absence is unavoidable or voluntary, or the church be vacant. And when present the pastor shall be ex officio chairman.

SEC. 4. The church-council shall have the superintendence of the temporal concerns of the church, and shall see that they are administered with wisdom, faithfulness and justice. They shall also elect a deputy to represent them at the annual synodical meeting.

SEC. 5. It shall be the duty of the council to admit to membership adults, who shall make application, and whom, on mature examination, they shall judge to be possessed of the qualifications hereafter specified. They shall be obedient subjects of divine grace-that is, they must either be genuine Christians, or satisfy the church-council that they are sincerely endeavouring to become such. Also to admit to the communion of the church, all those who were admitted to church-membership in their infancy, and whom on like examination, they shall judge possessed of the above mentioned qualifications. No one shall be considered a fit subject for confirmation who has not previously attended a course of religious lectures, delivered by the pastor on the most important doctrines and principles of religion; unless the pastor should be satis

1 1 Thess. 5: 12. 13.

2 Mark 16: 16. John 3: 5. Acts 8: 12. 16: 14. 15.

fied that the applicant's attainments are adequate without this attendance. And when adults are admitted to membership, their baptism shall if possible be performed publicly before the church : and when members who were baptized in their infancy are admitted to full communion, they shall in the same public manner confirm their baptismal vows according to the form of confirmation customary in the church.

Sec. 6. It is recommended to the church-council to keep a complete list of all the communing members of the church.

Sec. 7. If any member of the church-council should conduct himself in a manner unworthy of his office, he may be accused before the council, and if found guilty, his case shall be referred to the whole church for decision.

SEC. . It shall be the duty of the council to administer the discipline of the church, on all those whose conduct is inconsistent with their Christian profession, or who entertain fundamental errors. To this end they shall have power to cite any of their church-members to appear before them; and to endeavour to obtain other witnesses when the case may require it. It shall further be the duty of the council, when any member offends, first privately to admonish him, or if necessary to call him to an account, and when they shall deem these measures ineffectual, to suspend or ex-communicate him; that is to debar him from the privileges peculiar to church-membership, according to the precepts of the New Testament laid down in this form. It shall also be their duty to restore those subjects of suspension or excommunication, to all the privileges of the church, who shall manifest sincere repentance. Every act of ex-communication or of restoration may be published to the church, if deemed necessary by the majority of the council.

SEC. 9. The church-council may at any time be convened by the minister; and it shall be his duty to call a meeting when requested by two members of the council, or by one fourth of the electors of the church, or when directed by the Synod.

SEC. 10. It shall be the duty of the church-council to watch

1 1 Cor. 5: 7.13.

2 2 Cor. 2: 7. Gal. 6: 1.

over the religious education of the children of the church, and to see that they be occasionally collected, for the purpose of being taught the Catechism of the church, and instructed in the duties and principles of the Christian religion. The council of every church shall have the management of the school-house attached to that church, and shall be ex-officio trustces of the same. They shall endeavour to obtain pious, well qualified and faithful teachers, and to see that the children of the church, as far as practicable, attend this school, and that they be there also taught the Catechism of the church, and in general the duties of religion. In all places where there is not yet a school-house attached to the church, they shall encourage the people and endeavour to have one erected. And no person shall teach in any of our congregational school-houses without the permission of the church-council.

SEC. 11. The church-council shall keep a record of their proceedings, of all the baptisms and marriages, and of persons admitted to sacramental communion; an abstract of which shall be annually sent to the Synod for inspection.

SEC. 12. In all cases of appeal from the decisions of the church-council, the council shall take no further measures grounded on their decision until the sentence has been reviewed by the Synod. But if the decision appealed from be a sentence of suspension or ex-communication, it shall immediately take effect and continue in force until reversed by the Synod. And in every case of appeal, the church-council shall send a detailed and correct account of their proceeding in the case, and of the charges and evidence on both sides.

SEC. 13. Any vacant congregation also may send a delegate to lay its concerns before the Synod: And the church-councils of each clerical district may annually send to the Synod as many lay delegates as there are ministers present at the Synod from said district.

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