Southern District of the County of Litch- ADOPTED BY THE CONSOCIATION, AT THEIR SES- LITCHFIELD: PRINTED BY JOSHUA ARRITT. 1829. CONSTITUTION. The elders and churches, in the Southern District in Litchfield County, being sensible that there are benefits arising from that particular connexion in churches, for the purposes of ecclesiastical discipline, which accrue from the formation of Consociations, agreeably to what has been, for a long time, the usage of the churches in Connecticut,-Do mutually agree to form themselves into a Consociation, to be governed by the following Rules and Regulations, viz: ARTICLE I. That there shall be a Consociation in said district, to consist of the Elder and one delegate from each church, for the purpose of mutual advice, assistance, and edification; but not to claim any juridical power, right or authority, any farther than shall, from time to time, be explicitly submitted to them, by the agreement of the parties concerned, in any mat ter of difficulty or dispute, that may happen to arise; except in case of an elder, as hereafter provided. ART. II. That no cases shall be admitted to have a hearing before the Consociation, but those in which the first and second steps shall have previously been taken, as directed in Mat. xviii. excepting, as in the fourth article. ART. III. It is the duty of the respective churches to call to account and discipline their offending members: And all members prosecuted in any particular church, and by them censured, shall have a right of appeal to the next Consociation: Provided such appeal be duly notified to the church, or to their moderator, within eight days, next after the sentence of the church shall be rendered;-which notification shall be sufficient notice to the church to appear by their delegate or committee before said Consociation, accordingly; which it shall be their duty to do, -otherwise, the Consociation shall have power to proceed to a hearing, without their appearance. And said church shall furnish such appellant with all copies necessary for the purpose of prosecuting his or her appeal. And if it be requested, by any offender, when prosecuted in any par ticular church, he or she shall have a right (by the consent of the church) to an advisory counsel, to be mutually chosen by any such church and offender, previously a hearing and judgment, by such church; unless, by mutual consent of the parties, such case shall be immediately referred to the Consociation, ART. IV. If the body of a 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, who shall hear, judge, and advise thereupon. Or, if the church refuse to meet and hear such complaint, of an offended brother, he may directly, thereupon, bring his complaint to the Con sociation. ART. V. If a Presbyter shall be guilty of heresy or scandal, an aggrieved brother, after having taken the requisite previous steps, shall exhibit his complaint to the Association, and they, having looked into the matter, and having found sufficient cause for complaint, may and ought to bring it forward to the Consociation for |