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Constitution
| Form of Government and
Book of Discipline | ¶18-36: Assemblies,
Session, Deacons' Council, Presbytery, Synods
Assemblies
for Church Government
18.
Christ hath instituted a government, and governors
ecclesiastical in the church. To that end, the apostles
did immediately receive the keys from the hand of
Jesus Christ, and did use and exercise them in all
the churches of the world upon all occasions. And
Christ hath since continually furnished some in his
church with gifts for government, and with commission
to exercise the same, when called thereunto, and has
promised his presence to be with them to the end of
the world. The Scripture doth hold out an assembly
of elders in a church, which assembly consisteth of
ministers of the word, and elders who labor not in
the word and doctrine, who are to join with the ministers
in the government of the church. And to take away
all occasion of tyranny, Christ wills that they should
rule with mutual consent and equality of power, every
one according to his functions. It is lawful, and
agreeable to the word of God, that the church be governed
by several sorts of assemblies, which are congregational,
classical and synodical.
19.
It is lawful, and agreeable to the word of God, that
the several assemblies before mentioned have power
to convene, and call before them any person within
their several bounds whom the ecclesiastical business
which is before them doth concern, either as a party,
or a witness, or otherwise, and to examine them according
to the nature of the business. They have power to
hear and determine such causes and differences as
do orderly come before them. It is lawful, and agreeable
to the word of God, that all the said assemblies have
some power to dispense church censures. It pertains
to the eldership to take heed that the word of God
be purely preached within their bounds, the sacraments
rightly ministered, the discipline maintained, and
the church property distributed without corruption.
20.
It is most expedient that, in these meetings, one
whose office is to labor in the word and doctrine,
do moderate in their proceedings, who is to vote as
well as the rest of the members; to begin and end
every meeting with prayer; to propose questions, gather
the votes, pronounce the resolves; but not to do any
act of government, unless in and jointly with the
assembly whereof he is moderator. All the members
of these assemblies, respectively, are to attend on
the appointed days of their meetings, or to send the
reason of their absence, to be judged by the assembly
where they ought to meet. The final resolutions shall
be by the major part of the votes of those members
who are present. An assembly may appoint committees
of its number for the more careful and minute consideration
of these portions of business which seem to require
such appointment, it being understood that the committees
are to report to the assembly, who will record their
own judgment upon the subjects of the several reports.
No judicatory shall appoint a commission to determine
judicially any case whatever.
21.
An assembly appoints a clerk, whose duty it is to
write regular minutes of the assembly's procedure,
to engross the same in a permanent record, and to
take charge of all assembly papers, books and documents.
Before proceeding to any other business, an assembly
ought, at each meeting, to hear the minutes of last
sederunt read; and the judgment of the assembly, approving
of said minutes or correcting them, ought to be recorded.
The approval or correcting of the minutes does not
imply any power to alter the actions of the meeting;
the only question is the correctness of the minute
as a true account of what was done. The clerk should
be cautious in giving extracts from the records without
the authority of the court. It is needful that an
accurate roll of the members of an assembly be kept
by the clerk, and that it be corrected regularly on
the occurrence of changes.
The
Session
22.
The ruling officers of a particular congregation,
namely the pastor or pastors and the ruling elders,
constitute the session. They have power, authoritatively,
to call before them any member of the congregation,
as they shall see just occasion. To inquire into the
knowledge and spiritual estate of the several members
of the congregation. To admonish and rebuke. Which
three branches are proved by Hebrews 12:17 and I Thessalonians
5:12-13.
23.
Authoritative suspension from the Lord's table of
a person not cast out of the church is agreeable to
the Scripture: First, because the ordinance itself
must not be profaned. Secondly, because we are charged
to withdraw from those that walk disorderly. Thirdly,
Because of the great sin and danger, both to him that
comes unworthily, and also to the whole church. The
ruling officers of a particular congregation have
power authoritatively to suspend from the Lord's table
a person not cast out of the church: First, Because
those who have authority to judge of, and admit, such
as are fit to receive the sacrament, have authority
to keep back such as shall be found unworthy. Secondly,
Because it is an ecclesiastical business of ordinary
practice belonging to that congregation.
24.
Every session has a right and is bound to elect one
of the ruling elders belonging to their number, as
a representative to the superior judicatures of the
bounds. The minister of the word cannot be liable
to the censure of the session, but to the superior
judicatures of the church. The session do not stand
to the pastor or minister in the relation of his spiritual
rulers. He is not responsible to the session for the
discharge of his own functions, although, if he seem
to neglect these, or to encroach upon the session's
functions, they can petition the presbytery against
his procedure. The minister is specially responsible
to the presbytery for the mode in which all the parts
of public worship are conducted. It is the function
of the session, with concurrence of the minister,
to fix the times and hours of public worship on the
Lord's Day, to appoint fast days, and to authorize
the administration of the sacraments. When there are
more fixed ministers than one in a congregation, it
is expedient that they moderate by course in that
eldership.
25.
The session is legally convened by authority of the
moderator, or by command of a superior court, either
through public intimation from the pulpit, or through
personal citation to all the individual members. Two
members of session form a sufficient quorum to enable
the meeting to proceed to business, provided one of
the members have the status of ordained minister.
The meetings of session are not usually open to the
public, or even to the congregation. The session clerk
is not at liberty, in any instance whatever, to give
extracts from the minutes without the sanction of
the session. No congregational meeting which can be
recognized as valid for ecclesiastical acts can be
held, except by the authority of the session, or of
a superior court; and at every such meeting the minister
of the congregation, if present, must preside.
26.
No one can be admitted to the privilege of the Lord's
Supper, without satisfying the session that he possesses
these qualifications, viz.: (1.) A confession of faith
in accordance with the word of God and the standards
of the church. (2.) A life and conversation becoming
the gospel, in so far as can be outwardly seen. (3.)
A competent knowledge of religious truth, and of the
nature and meaning of Christian ordinances. It is
the approved practice for the minister to exhort the
applicants with respect to all the more hidden qualifications
which the word of God requires, and of which they
themselves alone can judge. It is necessary that an
accurate roll of the members of the congregation be
kept by the session clerk among the sessional documents.
The
Deacons' Council
27.
The pastor or pastors of each congregation, along
with the ruling elders and the deacons, constitute
the deacons' council. The higher office scripturally
includes the lower. The pastor and ruling elders are,
therefore, not excluded from the exercise of the deacon's
function. The deacons' council attend to the temporal
wants of the poor connected with the congregation.
The session may entrust the deacons' council with
charge of the whole property belonging to the congregation,
making the distribution of all the congregational
funds subject to the regulation of the deacons' council,
in the exercise of their allowed discretion.
28.
The deacon's council is convened by citation from
the pulpit, or by personal notice to the members.
It is called by authority of the minister, or at the
requisition of any two members. The minister in a
congregation always presides in the deacons' council
when he is present. In his absence any other member
of the court may be chosen to preside. The quorum
of deacons' council is the same as that of the session,
except that the presence of a pastor as one of the
quorum is not necessary. Every meeting of deacons'
council is both opened and closed with prayer. The
deacons' council are required to appoint a clerk.
The clerk is required to keep a separate record for
the minutes of its procedure, and to take charge of
such papers, books and documents as are not entrusted
to the custody of a treasurer. Before proceeding to
other business, the deacon's council ought, at each
meeting, to hear the minutes of last sederunt read;
and the judgment of the deacons' council approving
of the minutes or correcting them, ought to be recorded.
After each change in the membership of the deacons'
council, a revised roll of the members ought to be
recorded in the minute. Any member of a deacons' council
may enter his dissent from any part of their procedure
of which he disapproves. And his dissent must be dealt
with in the same manner as a simple dissent is dealt
with by a session.
The
Presbytery
29.
When congregations are divided and fixed, they need
all mutual help one from another, both in regard of
their intrinsical weakness and mutual dependence,
and also in regard of enemies from without.
30.
The Scripture doth hold forth that many particular
congregations may be under one presbyterial government.
The presbytery is the radical court of the church,
or that from which the whole Presbyterian government
derives its form. A classical presbytery is made up
of ministers of the word, and other ruling officers
belonging unto several neighboring congregations,
and doth ordinarily consist of all the pastors and
teachers belonging to the several congregations so
associated, and of one of the other ruling officers,
at the least, from every of these congregations, to
be sent by their respective presbyteries. An equal
number of the elders of each session shall be eligible
to participate in the deliberations and actions of
the presbytery, the number being in no case larger
than the number of elders on the session which is
numerically the least. All ministers of the word shall
be members of a presbytery. Professors of Theology,
for the training of the ministry, are appointed by
the highest court of the church; no one can be appointed
a Professor of Theology who is not a minister of the
Presbyterian Reformed Church.
31.
It belongeth unto classical presbyteries, to consider
of, to debate, and to resolve, according to God's
word, such cases of conscience, and other difficulties
in doctrine, as are brought unto them out of their
association, according as they shall find needful
for the good of the churches. To examine and censure,
according to the word, any erroneous doctrines which
have been either publicly, or privately, vented within
their association, to the corrupting of the judgments
of men; and to endeavor the converting of any in error
or schism. To put a stop to schismatical contentions.
To take cognizance of causes omitted or neglected
in particular congregations, and to receive appeals
from them. To dispense censures in cases within their
cognizance by admonition, suspension, or excommunication.
To examine, ordain and admit ministers for the congregations
respectively therein associated. It is held to be
the duty of presbyteries to deal with the members
in a friendly manner with respect to their shortcomings,
so as to avert, by timely admonition, the necessity
of more formal procedure at a future date. It is the
duty of the brethren to stir one another up in the
common faith.
32.
In the event of a vacancy in the pastoral office of
a congregation, a minister who is a member of presbytery
is appointed by the presbytery to act as moderator
of session; and in the event of there being no ruling
elders, or only one, the presbytery may appoint one
or more assessors from their own body to act as members
of session, until a new election of a ruling elder
or of ruling elders shall have taken place. The interim
moderator possesses the authority and executes all
the functions of the stated pastor; he is to preside
at all congregational meetings that may be held during
the vacancy. It is the duty of the presbytery to see
that ordinances are duly administered and discipline
upheld in any congregation that may be vacant, and
to carry out the laws of the church as to filling
up the vacancy.
33.
A minister who wishes to resign his pastoral charge,
from ill-health, old age, or other circumstances not
affecting his ministerial character, must tender his
resignation to the presbytery under whose jurisdiction
he is placed. The presbytery deal with him as to the
reasons of the proposed resignation. If the presbytery
find the alleged reasons unsatisfactory, or if any
circumstance or public report be made known to them
which requires investigation, they cannot accept of
the resignation until it be ascertained that there
is no ground for bringing their brother under the
censures of the church. But if nothing objectionable
appear with respect to his procedure, and they find
him continuing to be conscientiously persuaded that
it is his duty to follow out his intention, it is
their duty to accept of his resignation, and to take
immediate steps for declaring the pastoral charge
of his congregation vacant.
34.
It is desirable that presbyteries examine by visitation
into the state of every congregation within their
bounds once, at least, in five years. The object of
presbyterial visitation is to strengthen the hands
of the ministers, elders, and deacons, and to give
the benefit of special advice and counsel to the congregation
as well as to the office-bearers; presbyteries are
to have special regard to the work of the minister
and office-bearers and the spiritual state of the
membership. Apart from this general system of presbyterial
visitation, it is competent, and may sometimes be
extremely desirable, for a presbytery to appoint a
special visitation of a particular congregation, when
circumstances calling for such visitation have been
forced upon their notice.
35.
After a presbytery has formed an opinion in favor
of the formation or admission of a congregation, it
shall record and transmit its opinion, along with
a full statement of the case, for the consideration
of the highest court of the church, which alone shall
have the power of sanctioning a formation or admission.
The ruling elders and deacons of a congregation seeking
admission shall be examined by the presbytery as to
their qualifications in doctrine and life. When the
highest court of the church has determined to admit
a congregation to the Presbyterian Reformed Church,
the presbytery shall demand of the congregation's
ruling elders and deacons the questions in the formula
of subscription for office bearers, set forth in the
Basis of Union.
Synodical
Assemblies
36.
The Scripture doth hold out another sort of assemblies
for the government of the church, beside classical
and congregational, all which we call synodical. These
assemblies have ecclesiastical power and authority
to judge and determine controversies of faith, and
cases of conscience, according to the word. They may
also lawfully excommunicate, and dispense other church
censures. Synodical assemblies may lawfully be of
several sorts, as provincial, national and ecumenical.
The provincial and national assemblies are made up
of the ministers of the word belonging to the presbyteries
of the bounds, and one of the ruling elders of each
session of the bounds. Ecumenical assemblies were
appointed and called together specially when a great
schism or controversy in doctrine did arise in the
church, and were convened at the command of the godly
emperors, for the avoiding of schism within the universal
church of God.
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