Constitution | Form of Government and Book of Discipline | Table of Contents and Index

Table of Contents

The Form of Church Government
The Church
The Officers of the Church
Pastors and Teachers
Elders
Deacons
Particular Congregations
The Officers of a Particular Congregation
The Ordinances of Worship in a Particular Congregation
Assemblies for Church Government
The Session
The Deacons' Council
The Presbytery
Synodical Assemblies
The Subordination of Assemblies
Admission to Ecclesiastical Office
The Directory for the Ordination of Ministers

Book of Discipline
Offenders who before Excommunication Manifest Repentance
Excommunication
Absolution
Censure of Ministers

Index of The Form of Government and Book of Discipline
The index refers to the numbered paragraphs of the document.

Absolution, 75, 94-96.
Accused, 70, 72, 99, 100.
Admission to the Lord's Supper, 26.
Admonition, 13, 22, 31, 75, 77, 81-83, 86, 97, 101.
Appeal, 31, 37, 43, 44, 79, 80.
Assemblies explain procedure to complainers and appellants, 43.
Assemblies for church government, 18-21.
Assemblies have power to summon, 19, 21.
Assemblies may nullify judgment of inferior assembly, 37, 39, 79.
Assemblies subordinate to superior assemblies, 37, 39, 42-45, 79-80.
Assessor elders, 32.
Authorized King James Version, 17.
Basis of Union, 49.
Blessing by the pastor, 9.
Call dissented from, 57.
Call must be sustained by presbytery, 57.
Call of pastor of another congregation, 62, 63.
Censure by suspension continues until repentance, 84.
Censure by suspension for fornication and adultery, 84.
Censure cases may begin with preliminary investigation, 72.
Censure cases renewed, 74.
Censure in progressive degrees, 75, 81-86.
Censure not determined by commission, 20.
Censure not for every kind of sin, 69, 91.
Censure of erroneous doctrines, 31, 101.
Censure of minister, 33, 97-103.
Censure published to a limited circle, 75.
Censure removed, 76.
Censures dispensed by assemblies for government, 19, 31, 36, 37, 69.
Censures' purpose, 68.
Church power granted to office bearers, 2, 12, 18.
Church power regulated by Scripture, 3, 45.
Citation, 70, 72, 98, 100.
Clerks, 21, 25, 28, 39-43.
Committees of assemblies, 20, 38.
Complaint, 42, 43, 79, 80.
Congregational meetings, 25, 32, 56.
Congregations formed or admitted, 35.
Constitutional principles cannot be contravened by legislation, 49.
Contumacy, 70, 88, 89, 100.
Deacons, 7, 14, 52-54.
Deacons entrusted with church property, 14, 27.
Deacons to act in accord with judgment of elders, 14, 19.
Deacons' Council, 27, 28.
Deposed minister restored, 103.
Deposition of minister, 99, 100.
Deposition of ruling elders or deacons, 54, 77, 78.
Dissent, 28, 41.
Election of minister superintended by presbytery, 56.
Election of officers, 50, 52, 75.
Evidence in censure case, 70, 71, 80, 86.
Examination of candidates for Lord's Supper, 13.
Examinations for office, 31, 52, 55, 59-61.
Excommunication, 31, 36, 75, 76, 78, 81, 85, 88-93, 100.
Head of the church, 1.
In hunc effectum meetings of assemblies, 38.
Interim moderator, 32, 56.
Legislative function of highest court, 45-49.
Libel in censure case, 70, 72, 75, 80, 83.
Licensing to preach, 55.
Members liable to censure are all baptized persons, 70.
Membership of particular churches, 6.
Minister not liable to censure of session, 24.
Minister of the Word, 7-11, 58-67.
Minister or probationer admitted from another denomination, 55.
Minister pronounces sentence of censure, 11.
Minister without charge eligible as ruling elder, 51.
Ministers are members of presbytery, 30.
Ministers are members of synods, 36.
Minutes, 21, 25, 28, 39, 41, 43, 67, 71.
Minutes sent annually to superior assembly, 39.
Moderators, 20, 24, 25, 28, 32, 38-40, 53, 55, 56, 66.
Motions, 40.
Objection before ordination or admission, 52, 59, 64.
Officers of the church, 7, 8, 12, 14-16, 18, 50.
Ordinary meetings of assemblies, 38, 48.
Ordination or admission of minister of the Word, 58-67.
Ordination or admission of ruling elder or deacon, 52, 53.
Overture from highest court, 45-48.
Overture to highest court, 44.
Particular congregations, 15.
Petition, 44.
Poor cared for, 9, 14, 27.
Prayer by the pastor, 8.
Preaching, 9-10.
Presbyters govern on a parity, 4, 18.
Presbytery, 24, 29-35, 46-48.
Pro re nata meetings of assemblies, 38.
Professors of Theology, 30.
Public confession of sin, 87.
Qualifications for officers, 51, 59-60.
Quorum, 25, 28, 38.
Reading of Scripture publicly, 8.
Rebuke, 22, 75, 82-84.
Reference for advice from superior assembly, 44, 80.
Resignation of pastoral charge, 33.
Resignation of ruling elders or deacons, 54.
Roll of members of assemblies, 21, 28.
Roll of members of congregation, 26.
Ruling elder in every judicature and committee, 38.
Ruling elders, 7, 12, 13, 16, 18, 52-54.
Ruling elders to inspect different portions of a congregation, 16.
Ruling elders to visit families, 16.
Sacraments administered by minister, 10.
Schism, 31, 36.
Scottish Metrical Psalter, 17.
Session, 22-26.
Session may petition against minister, 24.
Session represented in higher courts, 24, 30, 36.
Session to be satisfied before admission of officers, 50, 52.
Students of theology, 55.
Subscription formula, 35, 49, 53, 55, 66.
Suffrage in election of officers, 52, 56, 75.
Suspended minister loosed from pastoral charge, 99.
Suspension from office while charges not yet proved, 78.
Suspension from privileges while charge not yet proved, 76.
Suspension from the Lord's table, or lesser excommunication, 23, 31, 75, 76, 78, 82, 84, 85, 88, 89, 100.
Suspension of minister, 99.
Suspension of minister until libel disposed of, 98.
Suspension or deposition of ruling elder or deacon by session, 77.
Synods, 36.
Vacancy in the pastoral office, 32.
Visitation of congregations by presbytery, 34, 102.
Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms, 49.
Westminster Directory for the Public Worship of God, 49.
Witnesses in censure case, 70-72, 80.
Worship ordinances, 17, 24.
Worship ordinances given to church visible, 5.