to comply with the advice of thofe, who from their numbers and influence in the congregation, may be fupposed to speak the language of the people, and to know what will be most for edification and peace.

ART, XXX.

An office, the object of which folely respects keeping in repair the churches, the parfonage, and schoolhoufes,and executing the orders which the confiftory from time to time, may make in regard to them, has, in moft congregations, been appointed by the title of Church-Mafters,. Thefe are annually elected by the confiftory, and may be continued where it has been customary, and is approved; or the confiftory may appoint two or more of their own body, as a standing committee for that purpose, at their own difcretion, and as they shall find to be most convenient.

I I,

OF

ECCLESIASTICAL ASSEMBLIES.

A

ARTICLE XXXI.

LL ECCLESIASTICAL

ASSEMBLIES

poffefs a right to judge and determine upon mat. ters within their respective jurifdictions, and which are regularly, and in an ecclefiaftical manner, brought before them. As every individual, who judges him. felf aggrieved, has a right of appealing from the decifion of a lower affembly to an higher; fo it is permitted to lower affemblies, when difficult or important cafes are brought before them, to poftpone a final determination, until they have laid the whole, before an higher ffembly. In all fuch references from a lower affembly to an higher, the latter may remit the cafe, with proper advice, back to the former, to be there decided; or, if it hall appear to be very important, and what may affect in its confe

3

quences, the general welfare of the churches, the higher affembly may take the cafe under its own immediate cognizance, and proceed in the fame, either de novo, or upon the evidence produced in the records of the lower affembly.

I.

Of CONSISTORIES.

T

ARTICLE XXXII.

HE particular fpiritual government of the congregation is committed to the confiftory. It is therefore their duty at all times to be vigilant, to preferve difcipline, and to promote the peace, and fpiritual intereft of the congregation. Particularly,

before the celebration of the Lord's Supper, a faithful and folemn enquiry is to be made, by the prefident of the confiftory; whether to the knowledge of thofe prefent, any member in full communion has departed from the faith, or in walk or converfation has

behaved unworthy the Chriftian profeffion? that fuck as are guilty may be properly rebuked, admonished, or fufpended from the privilege of approaching the Lord's Table, and all offences may be removed out of the Church of Christ.

ART. XXXIII.

Every confiftory fhall keep a record of its own acts and proceedings. And in every congregation a diftinct and fair regifter fhall be preferved by the minifter, of every baptifm and marriage there celebrated, and of all who are received as members in full communion.

ART. XXXIV.

Confiftories poffefs the right of calling ministers for their own congregations. But in exercising this right they are bound to use their utmost endeavours, either by confulting with the great consistory, or with the congregation at large, to know what perfon would be moft acceptable to the people.

ART. XXXV.

A neighbouring minifter (if there is none belonging to the confiftory) must be invited to fuperintend the proceedings, whenever a confiftory is defirous of

making a call. The inftrument is to be figned by all the members of the confiftory, or by the prefident, in the name of the confiftory; and if the church is incorporated, it is proper to affix the feal of the corporation. When the call is completed, it must be laid by the confiftory before the claffis, and be approved by the fame, before it can be presented to the perfon called*. And if the call be accepted, the approbation of the people muft be formally obtained by the consistory, (agreeably to art. iv. of the Church Orders,) before the minister may be ordained.

ART. XXXVI.

The forms of calls have hitherto varied. In many it has been cuftomary to enumerate all the particular duties to be performed by the Minifter: but as those duties are sufficiently ascertained; it is judged unneceffary to burthen the inftrument with a repeti

* In the United States of America, where civil and religious liberty are fully enjoyed, and where no ecclefiaflical establishments can be formed by civil authority; the approbation of magiftrates in the calling of Minifters, is not required or permitted. It was therefore, judged proper in the tranflation of the Church orders, to omit every paragraph which refered to any power of the magiftrate, in ecclefiaftical affairs, as a matter merely local and peculiar to the European establishments.

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