of discipline with a church may be commenced by a pastor, or any member of that church; the first steps to be taken in private, but at the second step, one pastor and one member, from another church are to assist, before the offending church shall be cited to answer to any complaint before the consociation; Should the proper officer for calling the church refuse to do it, on written application stating the grievance, or should the church refuse to assemble, he or they are to be adjudged contumacious. In other consociations, no method is expressly provided by which a church can be brought before a council of the consociation without its own consent, except in the case of an appeal from its sentence of excommunication,

3. The Organ of communication with the Council. A person having a complaint against a minister is to bring his complaint, not directly to the consociation, (except in New London county) but to the associated pastors of the district through the moderator of the association. A reference, complaint, or appeal to the consociation, is to be put into the hands of the moderator of the last council, or of the pastor or pastors upon whom, in the case of his death or disability, it devolves to act in his stead.

4. Citation. It is the duty of the moderator, or of the person or persons acting in his stead, to examine the reference, complaint, appeal, or request, put into his hands, and if he finds that it is in order, and that the case is one in which, ac

cording to the rules of the consociation, a council is required, he is to issue not only letters missive convening the council, but also citations to the parties concerned, and if requested to the witnesses named by either party. The citation to a party complained of or appealed from, must be accompanied with a certified copy of the complaint or appeal, and ought to be presented, unless the consociation has some other special rule, at least eight days before the time appointed for the trial of the case. In Fairfield East, and Windham, a minister accused before the consociation must receive notice at least one month previous to the meeting of the consociation. In some consociations, usage permits either the moderator or the scribe to issue citations to parties or witnesses. And in some, as in Litchfield South, notice given to the church, or to the pastor, or moderator of the church by a party appealing, is sufficient notice to the church to appear before the consociation, at the next annual meeting, in answer to the appeal.

5. Limitation of the Right of Appeal. In Fairfield East, and Windham, every appellant is required to give the church notice in writing, of his intention to appeal, within one month after his conviction, and to prosecute the appeal before the council, within six months from the original trial. In Litchfield South, the appeal must be duly notified to the church

or to their Moderator within eight days after the sentence of the church is rendered.

6. Censure of scandalous Contempt. If any person or persons orderly complained of to a council, or that are witnesses to such complaints, (having regular notification to appear, shall refuse or neglect so to do, in the place, and at the time specified, in the warning given, except they or he give some satisfactory reason thereof, to the said council, they shall be judged guilty of scandalous contempt. (Sayb. Art. XI.) If any person thus guilty of scandalous contempt, be a member of a church, that church, ought to deal with him as an offender: otherwise, the church becomes partaker of his sin.

VII. Method of voting in a Council.

The rule according to which questions were anciently decided in councils of the consociated churches, was that nothing shall be deemed, an act, or judgment of any council, which hath not the major part of the elders present concurring, and such a number of the messengers present, as makes the majority of the council. (Sayb. Art. IV.) In the consociations of Litchfield county, and in that of New Haven East, this rule is still observed, with the modification that a majority of the elders must concur with

a majority of the messengers, to give validity to any act in reference to which, the application of the rule, is demanded by any member of the council. In New Haven West, two thirds of the votes are necessary to a decision.

VIII. Result or decision of the Council.

The result or decision of the council whether it be called advisory, as in some districts, or authoritative as in others, is in all cases to be a final issue. That is, no other council may be called to rejudge the matter and in all cases, the church is to give effect to the decision of the council, by accepting and acting upon it, or by submitting to it, as the case may require. And the council, having seen their determination or judgment, duly executed and attended, may put upon its records the evidence of the compliance of the church with the decision.

IX. The right of parties to be heard by counsel.

No person is permitted to appear as counsel for another, before any consociation, who is not a member of a congregational church, and in good standing. In the consociation of New

Haven West, no person practicing as an attorney at law, in the civil courts, is allowed to appear as counsel. In New Haven East, no person who has made the pleading of the law, his professional business is admitted as an advocate unless he be a member of a church, belonging to that consociation. In the consociation of New London, no person is permitted to appear as counsel, for any party; nevertheless, the consociation, when in its judgment the fair and full investigation of any cause, shall require aid, may designate one of its own members to present and examine witnesses in favor of one or both the parties.

X. The union of two Consociations.

There is no appeal from the determination pronounced by a council of the consociated. churches, in a district, to any other council or judicature. Yet if the matter brought before the counsel of any district shall be judged so great in the nature of it, or so doubtful in the issue, or of such general concern, that the said council shall judge best that it be referred to a fuller council, then they shall invite to their aid the churches of the other consociation, within the same county, (or of the next adjoining consociation of another county, if there be in it two