RULES
OF ORDER
AND
RULES
OF DISCIPLINE.
I.
Style
of the Church.
This
Church shall be styled, ‘The first Church of Chist in Ipswich.
II.
Of the
Members of this Church.
This
Church consists of all those, who have, by a public profession of Religion,
connected themselves with it; or regularly removed from other Churches, and
become united to this, together with all their baptized children.
III.
Plan of its
Government and Discipline.
The
Plan of Government and Discipline of this Church shall in general correspond
with that laid down in the Cambridge Platform: And the Church consider it
proper, and for their edification, that the following Rules of Order, and Rules
of Discipline, be observed in particular.
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I.
RULES OF
ORDER.
I.
Meetings of
the Brethren.
There shall be stated quarterly meetings of the Brethren of this Church,
for transacting its concerns, on
the last Monday evenings in December, March, June and September, at the house of
the Pastor; or at such other place, as the Brethren by vote shall appoint.
The
Brethren, at these meetings, shall appoint, if they judge proper, meetings of
Prayer and Conference of the Church, or of the Brethren; --appoint evening
meetings for religious purposes, and regulate the same, as exigencies may
require, --fix the time and place of these
meetings; also the time and place of celebrating the Lord's Supper; choose, by
written votes, such officers as
are requisite; fill all vacant
offices in the same manner; and attend to such other concerns, as shall orderly
be laid before them. Each Brother
shall be present at each quarterly meeting, unless prevented by special and
urgent reasons.
The
Pastor may call a special meeting of the Brethren, when he may judge it
necessary, and shall always call one, when requested so to do by any two of the
Brethren.
Should
the Brethren be requested to tarry after public worship on Lord's-day, or
Lecture-day, such tarrying shall be deemed a special meeting, and record shall
be made accordingly.
II.
Of
the
Deacons.
There
shall be two or more Deacons, whose duty it shall be to provide for and serve
the Lord's-Table, receive and distribute the alms, and in general be the
Treasurers of the Church, making their report yearly; at the meeting of the
Brethren, on the last Monday evening in December.
III.
Of
the Pastor.
The
Pastor shall be the stated Moderator of all meetings of the Brethren, and when
present shall officiate as such. In his absence the Senior Deacon present shall
preside.
Each
meeting shall be opened and closed with prayer by the Moderator, or by one of
the Brethren at his request. The Moderator shall see, that all the concerns of
each meeting are transacted with propriety and expedition, and that proper
record is made of all the proceedings.
IV.
Of
the Clerk.
There
shall be a Clerk, whose continuance shall be during the pleasure of the
Brethren; who shall assist the Pastor in keeping a fair record of the acts of
the Brethren.
V.
Of the
Admission of Members.
None
shall be admitted to this Church, but such as;
in the judgment of Charity, are experimentally acquainted with repentance
towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Persons,
who may be desirous of making a public profession of Religion, and of becoming
connected with this Church, when they shall have been examined and approved by
the Brethren at a regular meeting – (at which meeting the Candidates shall be
present, except when in the judgment of the Brethren circumstances shall justify
their absence) and shall have been admitted by a vote of the Brethren at such
meeting; and publicly proposed for public admission two weeks, at the expiration
of which time, no objections having been made to their public admission; they,
after consenting publicly to the Confession of Faith and Covenant, shall
be members of this Church.
The
sisters shall be privileged to attend the meetings of the Brethren, when
candidates are examined for admission to the Church.
VI.
Of
Corresponding Members.
Brethren in good standing with Sister Churches, when attending the
meetings of the Brethren, shall be invited to
sit, as corresponding members; and shall have the privilege of taking part in
all the deliberations of the Brethren, but not of voting.
VII.
Of
the Reception of Members from other Churches.
Persons
in regular standing with other Churches, who may wish to become connected with
this Church; on being examined and approved by the brethren,
and accepted by their vote; and on having consented to the Confession of
Faith and Covenant, before them, shall be members of this Church.
Members
of other Churches, residing within the bounds of this, and continuing to ,
commune_with this Church for twelve months,
will be expected to remove their relation, and become connected with this
Church; or assign a sufficient reason to the Brethren for not removing their
relation, otherwise they are to commune no longer with the Church.
VIII.
Transfer
of Members to other Churches.
This
Church will cheerfully recommend its members, when they request it, and
circumstances will justify it, to the fellowship of other Churches.
II.
RULES OF
DISCIPLINE
I.
General
Principles.
1.
Discipline is the exercise of that authority, and the application of that system
of Laws, which the Lord Jesus Christ has appointed in his Church. It is designed
to remove offences, vindicate the honor of Christ, purify the Church, and
benefit offenders, and is to be exercised with all humility and meekness.
2. An offence is any thing
in the principles or practice of a Church member, which is contrary to the word
of God, or which, if it be not in its own nature sinful, may tempt others to
sin; or mar their spiritual edification.
Offences
are either Private or Public, to each of which appropriate modes of proceeding
belong.
II.
Of
Private Offences.
Private
offences are such as are known only to an individual; or, at most to a very few.
When
any member has reason to think any other is offended with him, he shall go and
labor to be reconciled to his brother, by confessing his fault, if guilty; or by
convincing his brother of his innocency, agreeably to Matt. v. 23, 24.
If
any brother be offended with any other, he shall go and tell him his fault, in a
private, humble, Christian manner, agreeably to Matt. xviii. 15; and if this
step be not successful, he shall take with him one or two brethren, and labor
for a Christian settlement of the difficulty, previously to any public steps of
discipline in the case by the Church, as there directed, agreeably to Matt.
xxiii. 16, 17. And the Church shall hear no case of a private offence before the
two previous steps be regularly taken.
Disaffection
towards any member of the Church; or conduct in any supposed to deserve censure,
is not regarded by this Church, as a sufficient reason for one to absent himself
from the holy communion.
III.
Of
Public Offences.
A
public offence is that which is very criminal, or scandalous, and is generally
known.
In
a case of offence of this kind, the Church, without such gradual process, as in
private offences, may proceed to suspend, or cast out the offender from their
communion.
IV.
Of
the Restoration of Penitent Offenders.
Members
of this Church who may have been censured, suspended, or excommunicated, shall
be restored to the communion and fellowship of the Church, whenever they give
satisfactory evidence of penitence. *
CONCLUSION.
The foregoing
Rules shall not be amended; or altered; except by the consent of two thirds of
the Brethren, at a regular meeting, when as many as two thirds of those living
in town and able to attend are present.
*Plat. chap. 14. 3, and Presbyt. Con. Book II, chap. 3.