SYLLABUS.

I.-FORM OF GOVERNMENT.

II.-BOOK OF DISCIPLINE.

III.-DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP.

2

SYLLABUS.

BOOK I.

FORM OF GOVERNMENT.

CHAPTER I.

PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES.

I. "God alone is Lord of the Conscience." The right of Private Judgment inalienable. The
Civil Power to aid only by way of Protection and Security.

II. The right of the Church to declare the Terms of Admission to its Communion and the
Qualifications of its Ministers and Members.

III. Christ hath appointed Officers to Preach the Gospel and Administer the Sacraments; also,
to exercise Discipline.

IV. Truth is in order to Goodness; is essential to Holiness. The connection between Faith
and Practice is inseparable.

V. All admitted as Teachers should be Sound in the Faith. But Charity is Duty where there
may be Difference of Opinion.

VI. Holy Scriptures define the Qualifications and Authority of Church Officers. But the
Election to the exercise of this Authority is in the particular Society in which it is to be
exercised.

VII. All Church power is Ministerial and Declarative simply. No Church Court may make
Laws to bind the Conscience. Their Decisions should be founded upon the Word of God.
VIII. Ecclesiastical Discipline moral in its object; has no civil effect, and derives its force
from its own justice and the blessing of God...

ADOPTION OF THE WESTMINSTER STANDARDS.

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1. The Overture laid over for a year. 2. The Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter
Catechisms of the Westminster Assembly adopted. 3. The "Directory for Wor-
ship, Discipline," etc., recommended. 4. Intrants and Candidates to adopt the Stand-
ards, a, b. 5. The Adopting Act to be inscribed in each Presbytery Book. 6. An
Act explaining the Adopting Act. 7. PLAN OF UNION of the Synods of New York
and Philadelphia, 1758. Declarations of the Synod-a, as to the mode of adopting
the Confession; b, as to the Directory; c, d, as to the authority of "Pardovan's Col-
lections." 8. THE CONSTITUTION as adopted in 1788: a, Form of Government and
Discipline, and the Confession of Faith, ratified; how they may be altered; b, The
Directory for Worship and the Catechisms amended and adopted. 9. Proof texts
added by order of the Assembly, a, b, c. 10. Authority of the Notes; the text alone
contains the Constitution. 11. Use and Obligation of the Standards. 12. Subscrip-
tion to them required in every case. 13. The Catechisms are an integral part of the
Standards, a, b, c, d, The Heidelberg Catechism approved; e, Subscription to the
Confession implies assent to the Catechisms. 14. Ministers who cannot adopt the
Standards not to be received. 15. The Assembly refuses to alter the language of
the Confession. RELATIONS OF THE OLD AND NEW SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES, 1838-
1870. 16. Committee of Correspondence appointed, a; The result, b. 17. Answers
to Overtures on Reunion, N. S. 18. O. S. 19. Correspondence between the Assem-
blies initiated, O. S., a; Response of N. S., b. 20. Action looking to Reunion; Com-
mittees appointed, a, b, 1866. 21. Report of the Joint Committee on Reunion;
terms proposed. 22. Action on this Report; Assemblies of 1867; a, the O. S.; b, the
N. S.; the Committee continued. 23. Second Report of the Joint Committee, 1868;

Proposed Terms of Reunion: a, Action of the Assembly O. S. approved and sent to

the Presbyteries; b, Action of the Assembly N. S. approved and sent down as an

Overture. 24. Report of Special Committee on the above Report, N. S. 25. Modi-

fication proposed, O. S., a; Answer, N. S., b. 26. Protest of E. P. Humphrey and

others, a; Answer of the Assembly, b. 27. Answers of the Presbyteries to the

Overture on Reunion: a, of the O. S.; b, of the N. S. 28. GENERAL ASSEMBLIES

OF 1869 AT NEW YORK: Committees appointed, a, b, by both Assemblies. 29. Re-

port of the Joint-Committee: I. Plan of Reunion; II. Concurrent Declarations;

III. Recommendation of a Day of Prayer. 30. The Report adopted: a, by the O. S.,

b, by the N. S. 31. The adjourned meetings at Pittsburg, November, 1869: a, Re-

port of the Stated Clerk Ó. S.; b, Report of the Stated Clerk N. S. 32. Report

of the Joint-Committee of Conference. 33. The Reunion declared as of binding

force. 34. The Reunion Convention. 35. The "Memorial" Resolution. 36. Plan

of the Memorial Contribution. 37. Report of the Committee on the Memorial

Fund

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CHAPTER II.

OF THE CHURCH.

I. The Church is the Kingdom of Christ. II. The Universal Church. III. Consists of

many Particular Churches. IV. A Particular Church defined. 1. New Churches, how

organized: a, Ordinarily by application to Presbytery; b, Mode of Procedure;

c, Entering into Covenant; d, Election of Elders and Deacons; e, Reported to Pres-

bytery, and taken under its care; f and g, Imperfectly organized congregations.

2. Who are the constituent members of the Church, a, b, c, d. 3. Of Trustees and

Charters, a, b. 4. Control of Trustees over a House of Worship. 5. Respective

Rights of Trustees and Sessions, a; to be decided by local laws, b. 6. Congregations

acting through their Trustees not responsible to the Presbyteries. 7. Decision of

U. S. Supreme Court as to the relative rights of Trustees and Sessions....... 107

8. Respective Rights of Sessions and Trustees as to the Use of Church Property.
9. Churches organized without Elders to complete their Organization, and no such
Churches to be hereafter received. 10. "Committee Men" are not Elders........ 475

CHAPTER III.

OF THE OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH.

I. The Extraordinary and Temporary. II. The Ordinary and Perpetual. See under

Chaps. IV., V., VI.........

CHAPTER IV.

OF BISHOPS OR PASTORS.

..........

112

The Pastoral Office, its dignity, duties and titles. 1. Stated Supplies have not a Pastoral

Relation: a, the Relation discouraged; b, The Pastoral Relation enjoined; c, d, The

system of Stated Supplies unknown to our system; e, Churches having Stated Sup-

plies represented as if vacant; f, Presbyteries should decline to ordain to serve as

a Stated Supply. 2. Fidelity in Pastoral Duties enjoined, a, b, c................................... 112

3. Stated Supplies, their Rights and Relations to the Church: a, They have not the
Rights of a Pastor; b, They have such only as may be expressly conferred by Pres-
bytery; c, They may not Preach in the Pulpits of a Presbytery without its consent;
d, a Pastor Elect is not, ipso facto, a Stated Supply. 4. The Pastoral Relation Em-
phasized and Encouraged. 5. Ministerial Rights are not affected by being Honor-
ably Retired......

CHAPTER V.

OF RULING ELDERS.

476

Ruling Elders are the Representatives of the People. a, Assistants to aid the Minister.

1. The Eldership Essential to the Existence of a Presbyterian Church. 2. Elders

must be duly elected and set apart. 3. A Ruling Elder without Charge has no seat

in a Church Court. 4. He cannot hold office in two Churches at the same time;

5. Nor adjudicate in a Church in which he is not an Elder. 6. He has the same

Right to sit in Synod as in Presbytery. 7. Restoration after suspension from

Church Privilege does not Restore him to Office. 8. Elders are not to participate

in the Ordination of Ministers, by the Laying on of Hands, a, b, c, d. 9. They may

not Administer Sealing Ordinances. 10. May Explain the Scriptures and Exhort,

in the Absence of the Pastor. 11. Are amenable to Presbytery, when the Session is

Incompetent to Act........................ .............................................................................................

114

CHAPTER VI.

OF DEACONS.

Scripture Warrant for the Office. 1. Deacons have no Juridical Power, a. Their Func-

tions and Duties, b, c. 2, The same Person may hold the Office of Elder and of Dea-

con, if necessary. 3. The appointment of Deacons Enjoined. 4. The Deacons alone

have control of Funds Collected for the Poor of the Church. 5. The Session may

determine whether the Deacons shall Officiate on Sacramental occasions. 6. Dea-

cons may not Represent the Church in its Courts........
118

7. Deacons may distribute the Bread and Wine at Communion; a, b, A Deacon may be
also an Elder...

CHAPTER VII.

OF ORDINANCES IN A PARTICULAR CHURCH.

The Ordinances Enumerated. See, also, Directory for Worship........

CHAPTER VIII.

478

OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT AND THE SEVERAL KINDS OF JUDICATORIES.

I. The Necessity of Definite Form in Government. Our Church Governed by Congregational,

Presbyterial and Synodical Assemblies.......

120

II. The Power of these Assemblies is wholly Moral and Spiritual. It is Ministerial and

Declarative. They possess the right-To require obedience to the laws of Christ; To exclude

the Disorderly; To obtain Evidence and inflict Censure. The highest Penalty they can

inflict is Exclusion of the Impenitent and Contumacious. 1. Union of Church and State

Disavowed; Relations of the Church to the State Defined. 2. The right of any Ju-

dicatory to bear Testimony against erroneous and injurious Publications.......
....... 120

3. Judicial Authority cannot be granted to Bodies other than those established by the

Constitution........
479

CHAPTER IX.

OF THE CHURCH SESSION.

I. The Members of the Session. The Pastor and Elders of that Particular Congregation.

1. A Session formed of Elders, not of that particular Congregation, is unconstitu-

tional and its acts void, a, b, c, d. 2. An Elder may not adjudicate in any other

Church than that of which he is an Elder. 3. A Minister may not sit as a corre-

sponding member; nor be assigned as Counsel. 4. Elders must be ordained before

they can act judicially; otherwise, the Decision is invalid. 5. An Elder dismissed,

and Returning his Letter unused, is reinstated in Office................

II. Quorum of Session. The Pastor must always be one, with two Elders, if there be so many.

1. A Minister, with one Elder, may be a Quorum, a, Where there is but one,

b, c, Where Refusal to act or Incapacity leaves but One. 2. Less than a Quorum

are incapable of any Organic Act......
124

3. Where an Elder is Incompetent, or Refuses to Act. 4. Official Acts of Session can

be performed only when it is Regularly Convened, and making due Record. Prayer

in Opening and Closing recommended. 5. Prayer at the Closing of the Meetings

of Session.....

480

III. The Moderator of the Session. Ordinarily the Pastor. For Special Reasons the Session

may invite any other Minister belonging to the Same Presbytery to Preside. [See under

IV., below].........

125

A Pastor Elect is not Moderator by virtue of the Call in Progress.....

IV. When a Church is without a Pastor. The Moderator may be the Minister appointed by

the Presbytery for that purpose; or One of the Same Presbytery (see iii., above), or a

Member of the Session. 1. Where a Minister is the Accuser, a Minister should Pre-

side. 2. Who may Moderate the Session in the Absence of a Pastor, a. b, Only a

Member of the same Presbytery, in cases contemplated in Sections III. and IV.,

Chap. IX. c, The Session to judge when it is Impracticable to obtain a Mod-

erator

125

V. Where there are more Pastors than One, they should Preside Alternately..................................................... 127
VI. The Duties and Powers of the Church Session: To Maintain the Spiritual Government
of the Congregation. 1. The Session has Original Jurisdiction over the Members of
the Church, a, b, c, d. 2. Jurisdiction over a Suspended Member is in the Court
which Suspended him. 3. A Church Member may not be Excommunicated on Con-
fession. Confession may Shorten Process, but does not Dispense with Trial. 4. To
Receive Members to the Church. The vote of the Session admits the Members to the