the word discipline, standing alone, implies only litential, and not punitive dbcipline. [II. In the Modem Church.— The exercise of puni- 9 discipline in the modem Church is found to be Mssible, or nearly so, in state churches. In the arch of England, and the Protestant state churches the Continent of Europe, it is almost unknown, lere citizens, as such, are ipso facto Church mem- |8, to punish the Church member is to affect a man's izenship.
On the other hand, in Free churches, whether in rope or America, discipline by reproof, censure, (pension, or excommunication is not only possible, t is actually practiced very generally. The foUow- J passage contains principles on which the Free otestant churches of modem Christendom generally i with regard to discipline.
" Godly discipline has ever been regarded as one of 3 notes or marks of a true Church. Our Protestant •efathers charged the Church of Rome with being eatly wanting in this, and scarce deserving the name Church by reason of such want. Discipline relates II.-F F p
to the laws of any society, and the penalties of disobe- dience. All institutions must have laws in order to good government. Christ's kingdom has its laws and penalties. Many of them were expressly appointed by Christ himself. Others, in conformity with the same, have f^m time to time been added by the Church. To obey the powers ordaiued of Grod, whether civil or ecclesiastical, when exercised according to his reveal- ed will, is a bounden duty. Ministers, at the time of their ordination, promise fiuthful obedience to those who are placed ovef them, and who exercise their au- thority according to proscribed rules. A due respect also is required to their godly admonitions and judg- ments. 'This obedience and respect are to be shown not merely to those with whom we may agree in sen- timent or sympathize in theological views, but to those also from whom we differ ; and this may be done with- out any improper sacrifice of Christian liberty or right of private judgment. As to the rules and regulations of the Church, whether the observance be specially required by rulers or not, the trae Christian will hold himself bound to render it. He wOl not select such of them as he most approves, or as most accord with his doctrines, and scrupulously observe these, making such observance a test, and denouncing those who differ flpom him ; but he will resolve to obey them all, out of respect to the authority enjoining them. And yet, since God himself, preferring mercy to sacrifice, al- lows even his holy Sabbath to be violated as to its letter, and sacrifices and offerings to be withheld, so a wise discretion has ever been conceded to God's ministers in the observance of inferior rules, or in regard to things become obsolete, having due refer- ence to times, places, and circumstances. Wherever such discretion has not been allowed or exercised, the result has been that men have strained at the gnat and swallowed the camel; have tithed mint, anise, and cummin, and neglected the weightier matters of the law. It should always be remembered that, as the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath, so rubrics and canons were made for the Church, and not the Church for them" (Bishop Meada, TVue Churchman).
In Presbyterian churches, discipline is exercised by the Session (q. v.), an appeal lying to the Presbytery, and thence to Synod and Genera^ Assembly. In the *'Fonn of Government" of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (book ii), the general principles of dbcipline are laid down as follows : *' I. Discipline is the exercise of that authority and the ap- plication of that system of laws which the Lord Jesus Christ has appointed in his Church. II. The exercise of discipline is highly important and necessary. Its ends are, the removal of offences ; the vindication of the honor of Christ; the promotion of the purity and general edification of the Church ; and also the bene- fit of the offender himself. III. An offence is any- thing in the principles or practice of a Church mem- ber which is contrary to the word of God, or which, if it be not in its own nature sinftal, may tempt others to sin, or mar their spiritual edification. IV. Noth- ing, therefore, ought to be considered by any judica^ tory as an offence, or admitted as matter of accusation, which cannot be proved to be such from Scripture, or from the regulations and practice of the Church, founded on Scripture, and which does not involve those evils which discipline is intended to prevent. V. The exercise of discipline in such a manner as to edify the Church requires not only much of the spirit of piety, but also much prudence and discretion. It becomes the rulers of the Church, therefore, to take into view all the drcumstances which may give a different char- acter to conduct, and render it more or less offensive ; and which may, of course, require a very different mode of proceeding in similar cases^ at different times, for the attainment of the same end. YI. All baptized persons are members of the Church, are under its care,
DISCIPLINE, BOOK OF 818 DISCIPLINE OF THE LAffl
and subject to its government and discipline; and when they have arrived at the years of discretion, they are bound to perform all the duties of Church mem- bers. YII. Offences are either private or public, to each of which appropriate modes of proceeding be- long."