CONGREGATIONALISTS 481 CONGREGATIONALISTS
«8i ought to contfame, and thej mdyise may Church to liich he may apply to receiye him. A Church may Bcome erroneous in doctrine, or scandalous by its con- act, and no power can reverse its actions ; but inas- inch as the scandalous conduct injures all the church- B, they have a right to remonstrate and admonish, ad, if that fiils, withdraw fellowship from the offend- ig Church. The general principle, therefore, is, that rMle no external power can interfere with any act of Church whose result is confined to itself, yet if that ct, in its effect and influence, goes beyond and affects be body of churches, those churches have full right 0 consider such external effsct and influence. The iractical result of the working of these principles has leen to secure both the rights of local churches, and he harmony, stability in doctrine, and united action if the denomination.
(3.) Of the Minittry,^*^ The ministry," says the Na- ional Council of 1865, ** includes all men called to that rork, and orderly set apart by ordination. When or- lination of a pastor is to be performed, the church in vhich he is to bear office invite a council to examine IS to fiuth, grace, and ability, that, if he be approved, hey may extend the hand of fellow^p. If the or- llnation be in view of any other sphere of labor, the request for a council ought to come from the church j( which he is a member. A pastor dismissed does aot cease to be a minister, but he cannot exercise any official act over a church until orderly replaced in of- fice, except when particularly invited by a church." Congregationalists acknowledge but one grade of min- isters ; regarding the apostolic office as extraordinary, and to have ended with the death of those mentioned in the Scriptures. In the early histor>' of American Congregationalism no ministry was recognised except that of a pastorate. But when it became necessary* to preach the Gospel where there were no churches, as in mlssioDary work, "evangelists" were ordained, but with no distinction in permanent character or authori- ty from other ministers. A ftirther modification of the original view has taken place. Until "now, all the Congregational churches,*' says Dr. Leonard Bacon, ** acknowledge the difference between a minister of the Gospel and a pastor of a church. The former has no official power in any church or over any Christian. He is only a man set apart to preach the Gospel where God in his providence may call him." In the ordina- tion of a pastor a distinction is now generally recog- nised between (1) the act of setting him apart as a minister of the Gospel, and (2) the act of his installa- tion as pastor of the particular church. Ordinations without pastoral charge are now frequent, but never except in view of some particular sphere of labor.
Sifhods and Councils.— There are no standing bodies to hear appeals, give evidence, or declare the opinions of the denomination. But bodies to hear, determine, uid advise are held to be involved in the fellowship of the' churches, and are always called when the occa- sion is seen to demand them. They are more or less extensive, according to the number of churches affect- ed by any matter to be considered. In all cases they •w meetings of the churches, represented, however, bj pastor and delegate. Only four general synods, as s^&ted above, have been held in the United States, tfatteis affiscting only a limited territory cause the convening of a limited councU, as in Connecticut in 1709; while matters of merely local interest are the ^'^icvtion of local councils, or those made up of a few contigoons churches, such as for the ordination of a pMtor or the hearing of a case of 'alleged grievance. ^«ie convened on the motion of a Church or church- ^ but no Church is obliged to participate. The pro- Ponl of the National Council of 1865 was first made ma local association; was recommended by the Convention of the North-west;" was submitted to aU tile state bodies, and approved by all save one, ^^ afterwards, however, was represented; and was II.— H H
called, in behalf of the various churches represented in the state bodies, by a joint committee composed fhnn each body assenting. Local councils are fluent, being called to advise npon the recognition of new churches, the ordination or dismissal of pastors, the complaint of alleged grievance, and fbr advice to any Church desiring it. In calling a council, a Church must always be a party ; the only apparent exception twing that wherehi, on complaint of injury to a mem- ber, the Church ought to be a party by assenting to his request for a council, but unreasonabfy refuses. In the latter case the member may call one himself, with a statement of the grounds and of the unreasonable refus&l of the Church, in which case the council is known as ex parte, but is entitled to all the respect of a mutual one. If the Church and member (or, in sim- ilar circumstances, the Church and pastor, if there be differences between them) unite in the call, it is a mU' tual council. A council is composed of those church- es invited, a list of which is given to every Church called, and cannot add to or diminish the number. It can act only on the matters presented in the docu- ment calling it, which is known as the ** letters-mis- sive." When it has examined the case, it puts its opinion in a ^'result," which is communicated to all parties, and then dissolves. Refusal to adopt the re- sult does not prejudice the standing of a Church ; if the refrisal is a grave offence, and such as should af- fect fellowship with that Church, as in cases of doc- trinal error, then new proceedings would be necessary for admonishing the offending Church. But the adop- tion of the results of council by one party in difference is held to justify that party, and in legal matters, such as relate to the contract of a pastOr and parish, will be sustained by courts. The legal decisions on ecclesi^ astical matters have been numerous in Massachusetts. But the courts merely declare what the usafres of Con- gregationalism are in referenced any contract in dis- pute, and they refuse to go behind the declaration of facts made by a council properly convened and prop- erly conducted. The system of occasional councils is varied from only in Connecticut, where most of the churches are united in local consociations, in which system all matters which could elsewhere be referred to a special council, originated for the purpose, are referred to a fixed and recorded list of churches united in the consociation, which have bound themselves to constitute a mutual council whenever needed. Any Church may withdraw from a consociation without affecting its standing.