this prove fruitless, he should apply to the church-council, who shall proceed as specified in Chap. III. Sec. 5.

SEC. 3. If accusation be lodged according to Chap. III. Sec. 5. with the President within four months of the time of the next Synodical meeting, he shall defer the matter to said meeting; yet if the charge be one of drunkenness, lewdness, circulating fundamental errors in doctrine, or a higher crime, he shall immediately direct the accused to suspend all his ministerial duties until his case is decided. If such accusation is lodged with the President at an earlier date, he shall if the charge be one of drunkenness, lewdness, circulating fundamental error in doctrine, or higher crime, immediately give notice to all the members of the Conference district to which the accused belongs, to meet without delay at a suitable place, and institute a formal investigation of the case, according to the principles of this Formula. The Chairman of said Conference district shall immediately fix the time and place of the meeting, and give at least fifteen days' notice of the same to each minister in the district, and also to the parties concerned.

SEC. 4. If the Synod is not divided into Conference Districts, the President shall appoint a Committee of three ordained ministers, shall fix the time and place of their meeting, and give all the notices as above required of the Chairman of the Conference district.

SEC. 5. Any three members of the Conference or of the Committee above named, shall have power to proceed and hold a fair and impartial investigation of the case, and to take all such measures as may be just and necessary to determine the guilt or innocence of the accused.

SEC. 6. If the accused confess, and the matter be base and flagitious, such as drunkenness, lewdness, circulating fundamental error in doctrine, or a higher crime, however penitent he may be, he must immediately be suspended from the exercise of his office, and if thought expedient, a time be appointed for him publicly to confess to the congregation and the world his guilt and peni

tence.

SEC. 7. If a minister, accused of atrocious crimes, being duly notified refuses to attend the investigation, he shall still be immediately suspended from office.

SEC. 8. If the accused deny the charge, and yet on examination of the evidence is found guilty; the Conference or Committee shall nevertheless proceed to pass sentence on him.

SEC. 9. The highest punishment which can be inflicted by a Special Conference or Committee appointed as above specified, is suspension from clerical functions; and this sentence is to be reported to the next meeting of the Synod, and remains in force until reversed by the Synod or Ministerium, as the case may be.

SEC. 10. Any minister intending to appeal from the decision of a Conference or Committee, shall give notice of it to his accusers within three weeks of the time when the decision was made; that both parties may be prepared for a new trial.

SEC. 11. Special Conferences not specially convened for the purpose, may attend to any charges of importance against a minister within their bounds, if all the parties concerned are prepared and willing to proceed.

SEC. 12. If at any time, accusation be lodged with the President, according to Chap. III. Sec. 5. for a less crime than those above specified Sec. 3. he shall take no other steps in the case than to write a letter to the accused and accusers, exhorting them to mutual forbearance, and referring them to the next Synod.

SEC. 13. If accusation against a minister be made immediately to the Synod, and the Synod believe themselves in possession of all the evidence necessary to a just decision, the case may be immediately examined and sentence passed. But if the necessary evidence be not before them, and the crime be such as is specified in Sec. 3. they shall appoint a meeting of the Conference to which the accused belongs, or, if there be no Conference district, of a Committee who shall proceed as above specified.

SEC. 14. If a minister be found guilty of drunkenness, fundamental heresy, lewdness or higher crimes, his sentence of suspension shall not be removed until after some time of penitent, humble and edifying conduct. And he cannot be restored by any ju

dicatory but the Synod, or by the Ministerium, if his case was one of fundamental heresy.

SEC. 15. If the common report of a minister's guilt of any of the charges above specified, be such as seriously to injure the cause of religion, and his own churches do not proceed against him, it shall be the duty of any other minister or layman, having obtained two other signatures of credible men, to report the case to the President.

CHAPTER XIII.

Vacant Congregations.

SEC. 1. Vacant congregations which cannot be immediately supplied with a minister, are advised to assemble on the Lord's day, to select some member of the church, of suitable capacities and character, to conduct the exercises, and engage in the worship of God, as recommended in Chap. VII. Sec. 1.

SEC. 2. It is also recommended, that at these meetings, a portion of the Scriptures, of the prayers contained in the Liturgy, or some select sermon, such as are approved by the President of the Synod, be read.

CHAPTER XIV.

Of Missions.

As the blessed Saviour left to his followers the command: Go ye and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you;1 the Synods shall regard it as a sacred duty to adopt, from time to time, such measures as they may deem best calculated to execute this solemn injunction.

1 Matth 92. 10 90

CHAPTER XV.

Election of Delegates and Directors.

The election of delegates to the General Synod and of Directors of the Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, shall always be held by ballot, and a licensed candidate shall not be eligible to either of these offices.

CHAPTER XVI.

Special Conferences.

SEC. 1. It is earnestly recommended that each Synod divide itself into two or more districts, for the purpose of holding Special Conferences; which may be held either on a week-day or sabbath.

SEC. 2. It is desirable, where ministers do not live too far apart, that at least two Conferences should be held annually in each district. They ought to last two days, and the chief business to be performed at them is to awaken and convert sinners and to edify believers by close practical preaching of the gospel.

SEC. 3. The state of religion in the churches of the district ought to be enquired into, and at least an hour be spent by the Conference alone in conversation on subjects relating to pastoral experience.

SEC. 4. These districts ought to contain between five and ten ministers, and when the number becomes greater, a new district ought to be formed.

SEC. 5. These Conferences ought to be held alternately, in some congregation of each minister and licentiate belonging to the district.

SEC. 6. Special Conferences may examine into any business of congregations, which is regularly referred to them, and give their advice; but no Conference shall, under any pretext whatever, perform any business connected with the licensure or ordination of candidates for the ministry.

SEC. 7. Lay-delegates may also be sent to these Conferences, under the same regulations as to Synods, if it is thought advisable by the Synod.

CHAPTER XVII.

Ministerial Session.

SEC. 1. The clergy shall then hold a meeting consisting exclusively of Scripture elders, that is, preachers,' for the purpose of attending to those duties which Christ and his apostles enjoined upon them alone, viz. Examination, Licensure and Ordination of candidates for the ministry. This meeting is called the Ministerium or Presbytery,2 by which, in Scripture, is meant ministers alone.

SEC. 2. Licensed candidates may be present at the Ministerial meeting, unless requested to withdraw, and may take part in discussions, but have no vote.

SEC. 3. The Ministerium shall also be the proper body, by whom all charges of heresy against a minister, are to be examined and decided as also all appeals from the decision of a churchcouncil on a charge of heresy against a layman, or from the decision of a Special Conference on a similar charge against a minister.

SEC. 4. When ordained ministers of other religious denominations, make application for admission into connexion with a Synod, the Ministerium shall be the body to decide on the case.

SEC. 5. A majority of two thirds of the ordained ministers shall be required, either for the licensure of an applicant as well as the renewal of his license, or the ordination of a licensed candidate, or the admission of an ordained minister of another denomination.

SEC. 6. No minister or licentiate, coming from a Foreign Country, shall be received as a member of any Synod, until after a residence of two years in this country, and unexceptionable deport

1 Acts 20: 17. 28.

21 Tim. 4: 14.