rial and declarative". They poffefs the right of requiring obedience to the laws of Chrift; and of excluding the disobedient and disorderly, from the privileges of the church. To give efficiency, however, to this neceffary and fcriptural authority, they poffefs the powers requifite for obtaining evidence and inflicting cenfure: They can call before them any offender against the order and government of the church; They can require members, of their own fociety, to appear and give teftimony in the caufe; but the higheft punishment to which their authority extends, is to exclude the contumacious and impenitent, from the congregation of believers.

heritance with me. And he faid unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? John 18. 36. My kingdom is not of this world.

d see and confult Acts 15. from the Ift to the 32d verse.

e Matt. 18. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Moreover, if thy brother fhall trefpafs against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone; if he fhall hear thee, thou haft gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witneffes, every word may be established. And if

I

he fhall neglect to hear them,
tell it unto the church: but if
he neglect to hear the church,
let him be unto thee as an hea-
then man, and a publican. Ve-
rily I fay unto you, whatsoever
ye fhall bind to earth, fhall be
bound to heaven: and what-
foever ye fhall loofe on earth,
fhall be loofed in heaven.
Cor. 5. 4, 5. In the name of
our Lord Jefus Chrift, when
ye are gathered together, and
my fpirit, with the power of
our Lord Jefus Chrift,
deliver fuch an one unto Satan,
for the deftruction of the flesh,
that the fpirit may be faved in
the day of the Lord Jesus.

To

CHAP. VIII.

Of the Congregational Assembly, or Judicatory, usually styled The Church Session.

Sect. I.

Conftituent

the Church

THE

HE church feffion confifts of the minifter, or minifters, and Members of elders of a particular congregation": of Seffion. whom three Elders, if there be that number in the Congregation, with the Minister, thall be a quorum to do business.

Sect. II. The church feffion is competent

to the spiritual government of the con

Its Power. gregation: For which purpofe, they

have power to inquire into the knowledge and chriftian conduct of the members of that church"; to call before them the offenders and witnesses, being members of their own fociety, and to introduce witnesses from other societies or denominations, where it may be neceffary, to bring the process to iffue; and, when they can be procured to attend, to admonish, to rebuke, to fufpend, or exclude from the facraments, thofe who are found to deferve the cenfures of the

I. a I Cor. 5. 4. In the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, when ye are gathered together, and my fpirit, with the power of our Lord Jefus Christ.

II. b Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the rule over

you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your fouls, as they that muft give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief. 1 Theff, 5. 12, 13. and Tim, 5.17.c Ezek. 34. 4.

church; to concert the the best measures for promoting the spiritual interefts of the congregation, and to appoint delegates to the higher judicatories of the church.

Sect. III. The minister hath a right to convene the feffion when he may judge it How to be requifite. And he ought, in all cafes, to convene them, when requested by

convened.

any two or more of the elders.

Sect. IV. We think it proper, that every church feffion keep a fair register, of Regifters to births, of baptifms, of marriages, of perfons admitted to the Lord's table, of deaths in the fociety, and of other removals.

be kept.

CHA P. IX.

Of the Presbyterial Assembly.

Sect. I. Neceflity of the

THE

THE church being divided into many feparate congregations, Prefbytery. these need mutual counsel and af

di Theff. 5. 12, 13. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you. And to efteem them very highly in love, for their work's fake, and be at peace among yourselves. See also 2 Theff. 3. 6, 14, 15. I Cor. II. 27. to the end.

eActs 15. 2. When there

fore Paul and Barnabas had no small diffention and difputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, fhould go up to Jerufalem unto the apoftles and elders about this question. 6. And the apostles and elders came together for to confider of this matter.

III. f Acts 20. 17.

fiftance, in order to preferve foundness of doctrine, and regularity of discipline; and to enter into common measures, for the promoting of knowledge and religion, and for the preventing, of the encroachments of infidelity and error". Hence arife, the importance and usefulness of prefbyterial and fynodical affemblies.

Sec. II. A prefbytery confifts of all the minifters, and one ruling elder from Conflituent, Mem- each congregation, within a certain difric.

bers thereof.

Sect. III. Every congregation, which has a fettled paftor, has a right to be reprefented in prefbytery, by one elder; and every collegiate church, by two or more elders, in proportion to its minifters. Where there are two or more congregations united, under one paftor, all fuch con

I. a The church of Jerufalem confifted of more than one, as is manifeft both before and after the difperfion, from Acts 6. 1, 6. Acts 9. 31.

Acts 21. 20. Acts 6. 2. Thefe congregations were under one prefbyterial government, proved from Acts 15. 24, 28. Acts 11. 22, 30.-Acts 21. 17, 18.--As 6 chap. That the church of Ephefus had more congregations that one under a prefbyterial government, appears from Acts 20. 31. Chap. 19. 18, 19, 20. 1 Cor. 16. 8, 9, 19. compar. ed with Acts 18, 19, 24, 26.

Acts 20. 17, 25, 28, 30, 36, 37: Rev. 2. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. joined with Aas 20. 17, 18.

b 1 Tim. 4. 14. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the prefbytery. Acts 15. 2. -Verfe 4. And when they were come to Jerufalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. Ver. 6. And the Apostles and elders came together for to confider of this matter.

gregations fhall have but one elder to reprefent them. Every congregation, which has no fettled minifter, and is able and willing to fupport one, fhall be entitled to be reprefented, by a ruling elder, in this judicatory. And where there are two or more fuch congregations, united for the maintenance of the gospel, and, in their united state are of the defcription aforefaid, then fuch: united congregations may be reprefented by one elder. Every elder, not known to the prefbytery, fhall produce a certificate of his regular appointment, from the church which he reprefents. Sect. IV. Any three minifters, and as many

a

elders as may be prefent belonging Quorum of the to the prefbytery, being met, at the Prefbytery. time and place appointed, fhall be a judicatory, competent to the dispatch of business ; notwithstanding the abfence of the other membersa.

Sect. V. The prefbytery hath cognizance of all things that regard the welfare of the particular churches within their bounds, which are not cog

Powers of the
Prefbytery, &c.

III. c Acts 15. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 1 Cor. 14. 26, 33, 40. Let all things be done to edifying. -For God is not the author of confufion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the faints. -Let all things be done decently, and in order.

IV. d Acts 14. And thence

failed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended by the grace of God, for the work which they fulfilled.And when they were come and had gathered the church together, they rehearfed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith