The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1877-03-14
FoR the CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
THE PRESENT AND THE REVISED BOOKS
OF DISCIPLINE COMPARED.
No l.

Of CHOPPERS Ninth, Feath, Eleventh.. and Toelfh.
The present Discipline it cannot be denied, is
very much confused in its account of what consti-
tutes a competent and what credible witness 1t
appears to the writer that the Revision in its CHAP
TER NINTH paragraph fcst. makes the whole mat
ter perfectly simple and clear.
In paragraph tenth of this chapter there is an
important provision for commission taking ties
timony from distance by written interrogstOries,
direct and cross.
In paragraphs thirteen aud fourteen few brief
words give to us the whole of what our present
B BOX put into its ninth chapter on New Testimony
| CHAPTERS TENTH and ELEVENTH of the New
Discipline treat of the IN fiction Of church censures
aad Of the removal Of ceaSareS. The present Book
contains nothing on this point, but the Directory
of Worship partially supplies this defect by chap
ter tout of place, evidently, there) on the mode o.
iafictin0 church cenSlres The first paragraph o
this chapter in the Directory is transferred to the
first chapter of the Revised Discipline, where il
forms paragraph fourth, being exactly in its pro
per place there and setting forth truly the nature
of church discipline.
The superiority claimed for the Revision in these
chapters is, first, that in addition to dcfaite sus
pension and communication, they cover, on the
one hand, the necessary ground of admonition and
definite suspension which the Directory does not
refer to at all ard that, on the other hand, they
also provide for proceedings in the case of depoSi
ition, which the Directory altogether omits. In
the second place, the Revision places excommuni
cation altogether in the hands of the Session. Ac
cording to our Directory of Worship, when it IN.
dertakes to regulate the discipline of excommuni-
cation, that ceusure cannot be removed except by
Presbytery. The Revision regards the po,oer to IN
ict to be fully equal to the pooer to remoue, and it
authorizes the Session to undo whatever it mag do
In this line as soon as it perceves good reason there
for.
10 the second place, the Revision provides for a
person under censure, who has removed to . dis.
lance from the court censuring him. but who re.
penis and desires restoration, to obtain the same
from any Session Tor Presbytery within whose
limits his new home is to be found. by the trans
mission of that Session Tor Presbyteryl of a cert-
fed COPY of the proceedings which were had against
him; aud the court receiving such certified infor
nation of the case may proceed with it as if it had
originated with itself.
Once more. the Revision enacts that no elder or
deacon absolved from the censure of deposition can
resume his cflce in the Church without reelection
by the people; al8o that the suspended or deposed
minister can be restored only by gradual steps
FIRST being admitted again to the Lords Supper
aud then allowed to preach for season on proba
ton after which he may be finally restored to his
Office.
CHAPTER TWELFTH of the New Book relates to
cases Uitkout process, that is, cases where it is
needless to 90 through the forms of regular trial
because the court is fully prepared for immediate
action. The present Discipline does not provide
for any such cases.
The first case is where person comes before the
court and makes known his offence. All that can
be done with any prOpriety in these circumstances
is to record the facts and render judgment.
The second is where a communicate confesses to
the church session unregenerae heart, but there
is no evidence of other offence. Such a case is
very peculiar, and it is also perhaps very rare. 1t
is not the case of one wilfully absenting himself
from the Lord s Table which would be an of
fence, the proper object of judicial prosecution.
Ii is not the case Of one under Satanic temptation
or transient darkness of spirit But it is the case
of an unconvertod person who has by mistake, on
his own part and also on the part of the Session,
been received into church fellowship, and who is
too candid and truthful to conceal the mistake be
has come to perceive was made He has commit
ted no deed that suitable for church discipline by
process, but he comes forward and makes
known to the Session their mistake and his. The
Revision prescrbes that without further process
his name shall be transferred to the roll of nom
members, with whom he shall then
be both faithfully warned and tenderly encouraged
aud statement of the case shall be made to the
church,