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. 8. 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.1 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 restore2 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 trustees 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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CHAPTER V.

Of Church Members.

SEC. 1. The members of any particular church are all those members of the visible (see Chap. II. Sect. 1.) church, who are associated together under some form of Christian government and discipline, for divine worship and the better attainment of the objects of the Christian institution.

SEC. 2. Every church member is amenable to the council, and must appear before them when cited, and submit to the discipline of the church regularly administered.1

SEC. 3. It is the duty of every church member to lead a Christian life that is, to perform all the duties required of him or her in scripture. Thus it is the duty of adults to perform all the Christian duties, not to neglect the public worship of God; 2 nor the participation of the Lord's Supper 3 whenever an opportunity is afforded. It is the duty of parents to educate their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,4 to teach them the doctrines of the church, and to subject them to the ordinances of the same.5 And when young members reach the years of maturity and have attained the natural ability to partake of the Lord's Supper in the manner commanded, it is their duty to be worthy communicants at the Lord's table.

SEC. 4. Any member being dissatisfied with the decision of the church-council relative to himself, may appeal to the Synod. But in every such case, the applicant shall give notice to the churchcouncil of his intention, either immediately, or within two weeks of the time when the sentence was made known to him; and shall specify to them the reasons of his dissatisfaction and the ground of his appeal.

SEC. 5. It is recommended, that when a member of one of our churches moves into the bounds of another, and wishes to be admitted to the privileges of the church, he shall bring with him a certificate of good standing from his former pastor.

SEC. 6. It is recommended as accordant with the principles of the New Testament, that the members of the church ought not to prosecute each other before a civil tribunal, until they have first made an attempt to settle their point of difference through the mediation of their Christian brethren.

CHAPTER VI.

Of Elections.

SEC. 1. All congregational elections must be published by the church-council to the congregation at least two weeks before the election.

SEC. 2. The council may publish a congregational meeting for any lawful purpose when they shall deem it necessary, and they shall be compelled so to do when required by one third of the lawful electors of the church.

SEC. 3. The electors of any particular church in our connexion, are all those who are in full communion with the same, who submit to its government and discipline regularly administered, and who contribute according to their ability and engagements to all its necessary expenditures.

SEC. 4. At all elections for Elders or Deacons, no person may be elected to either of said offices who is not a member in full communion with said church.

SEC. 5. When an election is held in a vacant congregation for a pastor, two thirds of all the electors shall be necessary to an election, and if the votes were not unanimous, it is recommended that the presiding officer shall invite the minority to concur in the decision. He shall give the members a certificate, signed by himself, of the election. This certificate, with a statement of the sup