In Congregational churches, discipline is adminis- tered by the Church. For the principles and meth- ods of Congregational discipline, see Punchard, View of Congreyaiionalism (1844), 177 sq. ; Dexter, On Con- ffregaUanalUm (1865), 259 sq.
In the Methodist Episcopal Church an accused member is brought to trial before a committee of not less than five, who shall not be members of the Quar- terly Conference. In the selection of the committee, the parties may challenge for cause. The pastor pre- sides at the triaL If the majority find him guilty, the pastor executes the sentence of expulsion. Ap- peals are allowed to the Quarterly and Annual Con- ferences (^DiadpUne, part iii, chap. i).
In the Constitutions of the Reformed churches of America (German and Dutch), the principles and rules of discipline laid down are very similar to that of the Presbyterian Church above cited. See Constitution of the German Reformed Church (1854), part iii, p. 32; ContiUution of the Reformed Dutch Church of North America (PhU. 1840), chap, iv, p. 82.
Literature, — On the discipline of the ancient Church, see, besides the authors already cited, Bingham, Orig, Eccki. bk. xvi, chap, i ; Schaff, H%$t. of the Chrigtian Churchy i, § 114 ; Neander, Church History (Torrey's), vols, i and ii ; Barrow, On the Pope^s Supremacy, Works, iii, 232 sq. (N. T. ed.) ; and the references under Pen- ance ; Penitektial Discipline.
On Church discipline in general, see Hooker, Eccks. Polity; Watson, Theological Institutes, ii, 572 sq. (N. T. ed.) ; Dwi^ht, Theology (New Haven, 1836), iv, 386 sq. ; Walker, Church I>iscipline (Bost. 1854, 18mo); Hill, PastorcU Function in the Church (Lond. 1855, chap, i) ; James, Church-members* Guide; Porter, Compendium of Methodism (N. T. 12mo) ; and works on pastoral and practical theology generally. See also Disci- pline, Book of ; Excommunication ; Ecclesias- tical POLITT.
Disoipline, Book of| in the Methodist Episco- pal Church, is a volume published quadrennially, after the sessions of the General Conference (q. v.), and entitled The Doctrines and DisdpHne of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It is divided into six parts : I, Origin, Doctrines, and General Rules; II. Gk>vem- ment of the Church ; III. Administration of Disci- pline ; lY. Ritual ; Y . Education and Benevolent In- stitutions ; YI. Temporal Economy. All but the con- stitutional portions (see Restrictive Rules, in pt ii, ch. i, § 1) are liable to change under the authority at the General Conference. For the modifications which the book has undergone, see Emory, History of Disc^ine (N. Y. 1860, 12mo) ; see also Baker, Guide to Admims- traOon of Discipline (N. Y. 16mo).
Discipline, First Book of (in the Scottish Church), was drawn up by the Scottish Reformers in 1560, and contained the order and government of the Church of Scotland. It was prepared by Knox, Win- ram, Spotswood, Rosse, and Douglas. Though ap- proved by the Assembly, it was not ratified by the Privy Council. — Eadie, Ecdes. Cyclopedia, s. v.
Discipline, Second Book of, was sanctioned by the Assembly in 1578. Though not then ratified formally by Parliament, it is regarded as the standard book of the Scottish Kirk, and is held in high estima- tion for its views of administration and order by all Presbyterians. The Second Book of Discipline was in- serted in the registers of Assembly, 1581, sworn to in the national covenant, revived and ratified by the As- sembly, 1638, and by many other acts of Assembly, and according to which the Church government is es-
tablished by law, A.D. 1592 and IG^— &£e,fi Cyclopcodia, s. v. Discipline of the Lash, or 8ooiixse.&i
given (from the instrument used) to penoasl m cation or flagellation, inflicted geaenUy **The oldest religious discipline on leoari amongst the Egyptians, who, when tb^ had an ox to Isis on the day of her grand fisdnt fe h siris, stuffed the carcass with fragrant gaas anik* and burned it. During the burning,'* oyt Ben« (ii^ 40), " they all beat themselves ;*' and agsa. i prodigions number of both sexes beat tboaiehs d wail during the sacrifice ; bnt I am not pn^aiii say in whose honor they beat themselvee." Tbt j fuurriyutots of the Spartans, in honor of DinaCia (the next earliest discipline with which ve ir t quainted), was by no means voluntary. The ^i u were compelled to submit toit at first were frn-ie afterwards, in wiser times, thej were sdecSei ^ among the children of slaves (Plot, de Msr. Laa. Cicero, who was a personal witneaa of this m^ » tom, has left a fearful account of the crarilr ef a tortures and the Ibrtitude of the boys, who somcb endured even to death (Tux. Queest. n, 14). f& stratus, in his life of Apollonins Tyanvos, hu i^ of certain philosophen who were aocusteori B 4 eipline themselves; Artemidoms mjra the tuattfl Thracians, and Apuleius of the Syriam. Tbt 9m LupercaUcL, in which the noblest matroei «9| submitted to the thong from the hope of feili^,! lingered in the Eternal City long after tbt tsa^ ment of Christianity, and it was not tSl tbe dw ' the fifth century that pope Gelasius snoaeied jo- polling this last remnant of paganism.
** Before the 11th century the discxpline ^tbeid had been confined to only a few severer ia£Ti^, but about that time the custom waa sanctkeed If » thority, and a code was framed estimatbs the ^ value of each separate infliction as a commettfiitk sin. A year of penance amounted to thrse tiiarf lashes ; and the celebrated ascetic, DowsaxMl^ tus, the cuirassed, so named because, except v^e > dergoing discipline, he always wore a shirt cf iJ next his skin, fk«quently performed a peaa^e tf IV years, and would continue flogging hinmif viM cessation while he repeated the Psalter twdtf ori over; * which,* says his fMend and bngrqib&.e^ nal Peter Damiano, * filled me with treml^B| udi* ror when I heard it.' The seU-ttsmeiitiBg ei>* ments of St. Dominic may be found in fleer, St Ecd. xiii, 96. His usual accompaniment to etd ■ gle psalm was 100 lashes ; so tluit the wbok T^ with 15,000 stripes, equalled five yean' peaaaeE. % Dominic's allowance, therefore, amounted to tk 1* years. If he was prevented by any aoddest £• flogging himself as he wished, he used to best )m Id and legs unmercifully."