side; and notice of the time and place of such election shall be published at least two Sabbaths, in the church or usual place of worship, previous to the election.

SEC. 4. The manner of choosing Elders and Deacons in churches already organized, shall be as follows: A double number may be nominated by the Consistory, out of which the members of the church in full communion, may choose those who shall serve.-Or, all the said members may unite in nominating and choosing the whole number without the interference of the Consistory.Or, the Consistory, for the time being, as representing all the members, may choose the whole, and refer the persons thus chosen, by publishing them in the church, for the approbation of the people. This last method has been found most convenient, especially in large churches, and has long been generally adopted. But where that, or either of the other modes has for many years been followed in any church, there shall be no variation or change, but by previous application to the Classis, and express leave first obtained for altering such custom.

SEC. 5. The Elders and Deacons shall be chosen to serve two years, except when chosen to fill a vacancy or vacancies occasioned by death, removal out of the congregation, resignation, or dismission from office, by the sentence of the Consistory; in either of which cases, the person or persons chosen to fill such vacancy or vacancies, shall serve for the residue of the term only.

SEC. 6. In order to avoid the inconvenience of an entire change at one time, the first Elders and Deacons of new congregations shall, at the first meeting of the Consistory after their ordination, be put into two classes, and the classes be marked Numbers 1 and 2, and the names to be put into each class shall be determined by ballot, and the term of service in Consistory of those in the first

class shall expire at the end of the first year, so that one half of the whole number of Elders and Deacons may be elected annually. The same course shall be pursued by all the Consistories when they shall deem it requisite to enlarge the number of their Elders and Deacons, so far as relates to the additional number of members chosen by them. But this does not forbid the liberty of immediately choosing the same persons again, if from any circumstances it may be judged expedient to continue them in Consistory by a re-election.

CHAPTER II.

OF ECCLESIASTICAL ASSEMBLIES.

ARTICLE I.

Of Ecclesiastical Assemblies in general. SEC. 1. The Ecclesiastical Assemblies which shall be maintained, are,

1. Consistorial.

2. Classical.

3. Synodical.

SEC. 2. In these assemblies ecclesiastical matters only shall be transacted, and that in an ecclesiastical manner. A greater assembly shall take cognizance of those things alone which could not be determined in a less, or that appertain to the churches or congregations in general, which compose such an assembly.

SEC. 3. The transactions of all Ecclessiastical Assemblies shall begin and conclude with prayer.

SEC. 4. Those who are delegated to attend the assemblies shall bring with them credentials, signed by those who send them; and such only shall be entitled to a vote.

SEC. 5. In all assemblies there shall be a President and Secretary. The business of the Secretary shall be to keep a faithful record of all the proceedings. The office of the President is to state and explain the business which is to be transacted; to preserve order; and in general to maintain that decorum and dignity becoming a judicatory of the Church of Christ.

SEC. 6. A Classis has the same jurisdiction over a Consistory, which a Particular Synod has over a Classis, and a General Synod over a Particular.

SEC. 7. Any individual conceiving himself to be personally aggrieved or injured by the decision of a lower Judicatory, may appeal therefrom to the judgment of an higher Judicatory; and any lower Judicatory, as a Consistory or Classis, esteeming itself aggrieved by the judgment or censure of a higher, enjoys the same privilege; but in such case the appeal must be made by the Judicatory as such when regularly convened, and not by any individuals belonging to it. Every individual appealing, is bound to give his appeal, with the reasons thereof, in writing, to the Judicatory appealed from, or to the President thereof, at the most in ten days after notice of his intention; which notice is to be given at the time when he conceives himself aggrieved; and on default his appeal falls. The appeal of a Consistory or Classis may be made after the session of the Judicatory at which the decision appealed from was given, but it must be made known and the reasons of it stated in writing to the President, a reasonable length of time before the next meeting of the higher Judicatory to which the appeal is made. If the appellant give notice and satisfactory reasons to the President of the Judicatory to which the appeal is made that he cannot attend at their next stated meeting, his appeal shall lie over to their next following stated meeting; but if no such notice and reason be given, and he does not appear to prosecute his appeal, it

shall be considered as relinquished. It shall be the duty of the several lower ecclesiastical assemblies, from whose acts, proceedings, or decisions any appeal is made, to transmit a certified copy of the act, proceeding, or decision so appealed from, signed by the President, and countersigned by the Clerk, together with the appeal and reasons accompanying the same to the assembly appealed to at the next regular meeting thereof.

SEC. 8. No member of an ecclesiastical assembly shall be allowed to protest against any of its acts; any member who dissents from any such acts, shall have a right to require the names of all the members present, who vote for or against the same, to be entered in the minutes, and published therewith for the information of all concerned.

SEC. 9. In order to prevent vexation and delay in the judicial proceedings of any ecclesiastical assembly by means of successive appeals in the progress of any trial or investigation, the party who may consider himself aggrieved by any decision, upon any incidental question which may arise before a final sentence is pronounced, may state his objections to such decision, and require to have the same noted in the minutes of the proceedings, to the end that he may avail himself thereof on an appeal from the final sentence, without arresting the progress of such investigation or trial. And in such cases every decision objected to, as well as the objections, shall be distinctly stated in the minutes of such assembly, and sent up with the appeal to the appellate Judicatory for review.

SEC. 10. Individuals who have voted in a lower court upon a case which is carried up by appeal, shall not be at liberty to vote upon the trial of the appeal in the higher courts.

SEC. 11. In any decision or adjudication of an ecclesiastical court which the minority, or any member of the minority may regard as injuriously affecting the interests of truth, or of vital godliness,

they may present the same to the Classis, Particular or General Synod, by way of complaint, for their examination and supervision.

SEC. 12. This complaint, if entertained, brings the whole proceedings in the case under the review of the superior Judicatory.

SEC. 13. No person shall be admitted to a seat in any of our ecclesiastical assemblies as an advisory member.

ARTICLE II.

Of Consistories.

SEC. 1. The Elders and Deacons, together with the Minister or Ministers, if any, shall form a Consistory, and the Minister shall preside at all consistorial meetings; but in the absence of a Minister, the Consistory may appoint one of the Elders to be their president pro tem., and it shall be competent for the several Consistories to prescribe the mode and time of calling their meetings. If there be a plurality of Ministers, they shall preside in rotation.

SEC. 2. The Elders, with the Ministers of the word, constitute what in the original Article of Church Government is properly called the Consistory. But as the Deacons have always in America, where the congregations were at first very small, (See Synod Dord. Art. 38.) been joined with the Elders; and wherever charters have been obtained are particularly named, as forming with them one Consistory, it is necessary to define their joint as well as respective powers. From the form of their ordination, it is evident, that to the Elders, together with the Ministers of the word, is committed the spiritual government of the church; while to the Deacons belong the obtaining charitable assistance, and the distribution of the same, in the most effectual manner for the relief and comfort of the poor. When joined together in one board, the