the pastoral office without the presence and concurrence of the council of the consociation, such pastor cannot be obtruded upon the churches of the district as a standing member of the council without their first obtaining, by examination, or otherwise, as they shall see fit, satisfaction respecting his fitness for the work.

2. The brotherhood of each consociated church is to be represented in the council by one or more messengers or delegates, chosen for that purpose by themselves, according to the rules and usages of each particular church, (Sayb. Art. IX.)

III. The officers of a Consociation.

1. Every council elects its moderator, to direct the debates and preserve order, and its scribe or scribes to write the minutes of the proceedings.

2. The only standing officer of a consociation, is the register who keeps the records, and transcribes into a book the minutes of each council as written down by the scribe or scribes.

3. In the consociation of New London county, the officers are a Moderator, Clerk, and Treasurer. The Moderator is chosen annually; the Clerk and Treasurer hold their of fices during the pleasure of the consociation.

IV. Meetings of the Council.

1. In each consociation, an annual meeting is held at a time and place previously agreed on. In this annual council, the pastors and the messengers of the churches meet without being summoned by special letters missive.

2. The minister who was chosen at the last session of any council to be moderator, shall with the advice and consent of two or more elders, (or in case of the moderator's death, any two elders of the same consociation) call another council within the circuit when they shall judge there is need thereof. (Sayb. Art. X.)*

V. Business belonging to the Council.

1. In the districts of New Haven, Fairfield,

To this rule prescribed in the Platform, there are, in practice, these exceptions. In New London county, the moderator, or in case of his death or disability, the senior pastor, is empowered to convene the council at his own discretion whenever he is orderly applied to for that purpose. In Fairfield East, the moderator may convene the council with the consent of one pastor, and must convene it at the request of two. In Litchfield North, the moderator on application from five members of the consociation, and in Litchfield South, the moderator on application from five members of any consociate church, is required to convene the council. In New Haven West, the senior pastor, is authorized, in case of the death of the moderator, to act in his stead.

and Litchfield counties, the rules and usages of the consociations, require a council of all the consociated churches to be called at the settlement or dismission of a pastor. In Hartford North, each church, when settling or dismissing a pastor, calls a council at its own discretion. In Hartford South, Windham, and Tolland, the majority of the council, on such occasions, must be of the consociations. In Middlesex all the members of such councils, must be of the consociation.

In New London county, a particular rule exists, viz. "When any particular church and society shall present to the moderator, documents preparatory to the ordination or dismission of a minister, the moderator shall, by letters missive, convoke such ministers and delegates from their respective churches, (not less than six of each) as said church and society shall request, which ministers and delegates, together with himself and a delegate from his church, shall constitute a council for the above purpose. In the case of ordination, the church and pastor elect shall have the privilege of inviting one or two pastors and delegates of churches without the consociation, but in fellowship with it, to act in concert with the consociation."

2 At the annual meeting, the council inquires into the state of religion in the churches of the district, enters into deliberations and

gives advice concerning matters of common interest, and when orderly applied to, gives advice to a particular church, or to individual members of the churches.

3. In case any difficulties arise in any of the churches, which cannot be issued without considerable disquiet, that church in which they arise, may before proceeding to sentence therein, or at any stage of the proceedings, apply to the council of the consociated churches of the circuit to which the said church belongs, who, if they see cause, shall thereupon convene, hear, and determine such cases of difficulty. (Sayb. Art. VII, VIII.)

4. When a consociated church has proceeded to the sentence of excommunication against a brother charged with any offence, such offending brother has liberty to call a council of the churches of the consociation to hear and determine in his case. (Sayb. Art. VII, VIII.)

VI. The form of proceeding in cases of difficulty.

1. The case of an offending Pastor. In some districts, as New Haven West, and Fairfield East, no complaint is entertained against a pastor, except on the presentation of the associated pastors of the district. (Sayb. Art. XIII.) In others, as Litchfield South,

if an elder has been complained of to the associated pastors, and they have refused to bring the matter before the council, the aggrieved brother may complain directly to the consociation. In New London, a complaint against a pastor may be brought by any other pastor, or by a church, directly to the council without any interposition of the associated pastors. In New London, none but a pastor, or a church, of that consociation, and in Litchfield North, none but a pastor, can commence a process of discipline with a pastor.

2. The case of an offending Church. In the consociation of New London county, any minister or church of the consociation, being aggrieved with unscriptural profession or deportment of any of the churches in that connection, and having used all those private means which the Gospel proposes for reforming the erring member, may present a complaint to the consociation. In Litchfield South, if the body of the church shall be guilty of heresy or scandal, an aggrieved brother shall use his endeavors to have a church meeting regularly convened; at which meeting he shall lay before the church their apprehended errors; and if they give not christian satisfaction, he shall regularly bring his complaint to the consociation: Or if the church refuse to meet and hear such complaint of an offended brother, he may directly, thereupon, bring his complaint to the consociation. In Litchfield North, a process