PART FIRST. OF CHURCHES. 1. The completeness of particular Churches. THE rights, powers, and duties of particular churches are the basis of our ecclesiastical constitution. To none but the elder or elders of a particular church with the consent of the brethren of the same, does it belong to exercise church discipline, to open and shut, to receive and reject, to excommunicate and to absolve from excommunication. (Heads of Agreement I; 6, 7. Saybrook Articles I.) II. The Communion of Churches. 1. Although churches are distinct, and equal, yet all the churches ought to preserve church communion, one with another; and all ought to be most willing to give account of their church proceedings to each other, when desired, for preventing or removing any offences that may arise among them. (Heads of Ag. IV, 6.) 2 The churches confederated under our ecclesiastical constitution, do not by their confed eration cease to be Congregational churches; nor do they part with any of the rights, powers and duties, which belong to them by Christ's institution. They only consent and covenant to exercise towards each other, under certain forms, that mutual communion which is their duty as churches of Christ; and particularly, first, by way of mutual care in taking thought for one another's welfare,-secondly, by way of consultation one with another in cases which require the judgment and counsel of other churches, and thirdly, by way of admonition, to wit, in case any public offence be found in a church, in which case, if the church that lieth under offence be found obstinate, after due means used for its recovery, by a council or synod of neighboring churches, those neighboring churches approving and accepting the judgment of the council, are respectively to declare the sentence of non-communion concerning the offending church.* * These and other particular instances of church cominunion, were distinctly defined by the synod at Cambridge, in 1648. Such responsibility of churches to each other was well known and practically recognized in Connecticut long before the Saybrook Platform was framed. See Camb. Platf. XV: 2. PART SECOND. OF CONSOCIATION. 1. The matter of a Consociation. 1 A CONSOCIATION consists of the churches neighboring to each other within a certain district, which is ordinarily either a whole or a part of a county, with the elders or pastors, agreeing to practice church communion, by affording to each other such assistance as may be requisite upon all occasions ecclesiastical. (Sayb. Art. II.) 2. A church proposing to unite with the consociation, may be required to give satisfaction to other churches respecting the conformity of its faith and order to the pattern of the scriptures. (Heads of Agr. VIII.) II. The members of a Council of the Consociated Churches. 1. Every pastor of a consociated church is a member of the council of the consociation. (Saybr. Art. II.) Nevertheless, if a pastor of a consociated church has been introduced into |