As regards doctrine, the synod declared their adhe- sion to the Westminster Confession ; but they did not accept that confession in regard to discipline, but pro- ceeded to construct a platform, of which we give the fbllowing abstract : It declares that the /orm of Church government is one, immutable, and prescribed in the
Word of God. The Church in general oonsista of tlw whole company of the redeemed, but the state of the visible Church militant, walking in order, was befovs the law economical, or in femilies ; under tiie law, na> tional ; since Christ, only oongregationaL "The mat- ter of the visible Church in quality consists of saints by calling ;" and in quantity "a church ou^t not to be of greater number than may ordinarily meet togeth- er conveniently in one place, nor fewer than can con- veniently carry on church work." The saints mnst have a visible political union among themselves, and this form is the visible covenant whereby they give themselves up to the Lord, to the observing of the or- dinances of Christ together in the same society. The Mipreme power in the Church belongs to Jesus Christ; subordinate power, as extraordinary, to apostles, etc ; as ordinary, to every particular church. The ^jCoert in a church are necessary to its well-being, but not to its existence. The extraordinary, as apostles, are tem* porary; the ordinary, which are elders (or bishops) and deacons, are perpetuaL There is a difference be- tween teaching and ruling eiden. The ruling ddor is to assist tiie teaching elder in ruling. The deactmU office is confined to temporalities. Church offioen are elected by the church in which 'they are to minister, and the church may depose, as well as elect them, though the advice of neighboring churches in such case should be sought. Church officers are to be ordained after their election by the church; ordination k the solemn putting a man into his place, but does not coii- stitute an officer. As the people may elect, they iokj also ordain ; though, where there are elders, these, as representing the chinch, are to perform the service of imposition of hands. In respect to Christ, the bead, the Church is a monarchy ; in respect to the brother- hood, the body, it resembles a democracy ; hi respect to the Presbytery, it is an aristocracy. Churdi govern- ment or rule is i^aced by Christ in the officers of the church, who are subject to the power of the church, and who pronounce sentence with consent of the church.
In a right administration, all church acts proceed after the manner of a mixed administration. There are rules also for the support of church officers, ad- mission and dismission of members, excommunication, etc., all based on the preceding principles ; and it is declared that churches, though distinct and equal, ought to preserve church communion with each other, Ist, by way of mutual care; 2d, by way of consulta- tion ; 8d, by way of admonition ; 4th, by way of par- ticipation in acts of worship, etc. ; 5th, by way of rec- ommendation ; 6th, by way of relief and succor. In gathering a church, this communion should always be attended to.
Synods according to the pattern of Acts xv, thougji not neeessary to the being, are useftil for the well-be- ing of the churches. They are constituted by the churches sending forth elders and other messengers to meet together in the name of ChrisL A magistrate has power to call a synod, but the constituting of a synod is a church act Synods are not to exercise church censures by way of discipline, but to debate and determine the principles on which such acts are based, and, so far as consonant with God's Word, they are to be received with reverence and submission. Synods are not permanent ecclesiastical bodies. An article on the power of civil magbtrates in matters ecclesiastical com- pletes the platform.— Savage's IFmeArop, vol. ii ; Bos- ton ed. Cambridge and Sagbrook Piaiforma; Shedd, Hia, of Dootrmu^ ii, 482. 8^ Conobeoatioiialists.
Camb^ses (Kaftpiaric, a Grasdzed form of the old Persic Kdbujiya, a **bard," Rawlinson, fferodotus^ iii, 455), the second Persian monarch of the name, was the son of Cyrus the Great (but by what mother is dis- puted), whom he succeeded, B.C. 580. In the fifth year of his reign he invaded Egypt, taking offence, ac- cording to Herodotus (iii, 1), at the refosal of Amasis, the father of Psammenittu, the then reigning E^ptian
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king, to give bim his dAaghter in marriage; but tbe nal cause of the campaign (oomp. Heiodotna, i, 77) wu the ambition of Csmbyses (see Dahbnann, Herod, p. 148) to accomplish the design of his fatljer in re- covering this portion of Nebuchadnezzar's oonqnests (see Jer. xliii ; zlvi ; Ezek. xxix-xxxii ; comp. New- ton, On Ae Prophecies^ i, 867). See Ctbus. Egypt was sabdned, according to Ctesias, throngh treachery ; according to Pantienus (vii, 9), by intrigue ; but ac- cording to Herodotus, in a pitched battle, after which the whole country, as also the Cyrenians and Barcans, sabmitted to him. He proceeded to execute his de- sign of reducing Etliiopia also, but was compelled to letreat for want of provisions, his attaclc on Carthage baring likewise fSailed through the refusal of his Phcs- nidan allies to co-operate with him against their own colony. He was thus defeated in lUs plans, which donbUess contemplated the securing to Persia the car- avan trade of the Desert (Herod. ii,l; iii, 1-26; Cte- sias, Pen. 9 ; Justin, i, 9 ; comp. Heeren's AJHcan Na^ tutu, i, 6). Diodorus says, indeed, that he penetrated as fiur as Merofi, and even founded that ci^, naming it after his mother ; but this statement is equally in- correct (see Strabo, p. 790) with that of Josephus, who sajB be changed its name to Merod in honor of his sis- ter (Ant, ii, 10, 2). The conduct of Cambyses after this exhibited the darlLest character of tyranny to soch an extent that the Egyptians, whom he ruled with an iron sway (comp. Isa. xix, 4), attributed to bim madness as the punishment of his impiety, and evoi the Persians ever after styled him the *' despot" (fwrdn^, Herod, iii, 89). Indeed, he appears to have been subject to epileptic fits from his birth (Herod, iii, 8), and his behavior evinced a violence of temper bor- dering upon frenzy. He is said to have manied his own sisters, and to have brutally killed one of them for bewailing the execution of his own brother Smer- dis by his order. His atrocities provoked an insur- rection, headed by one of the Magian priests, who as- somed the name of the murdered prince *' Smerdis" (q. V.) ; and, as Cambyses was marching to put down the pretender, he died at Ecbatana of an accidental wound in the thigh, B.C. 521, leaving no heir (Herod, fd, 61 sq. Ctesias, £xcerpt, Pers.^ gives a somewhat different account of his end, and also makes his reign eighteen years ; but Clemens Alexandrinus, Strom, i, 895, says he reigned ten years). See Persia. He is named Kdbujijfa on the Persian tablet of the Behistun inscription (Bawlinson, Herod, ii, 492, 493). See Cu- 5EIF0BX IiiscBiPTioKS. His name also appears on the Egjpdan monuments in a royal cartouch. See