Discussions in Church Polity. Selected and arranged by the Rev. William Durant, with a preface by Archibald Alexander Hodge.

Notes:
(1) First published in this form in 1878, New York : Charles Scribner's Sons.
(2) Date of this edition is derived from the 2001 preface by the Rev. Alan D. Strange, page [11]
(3) The articles of this series appeared in the Princeton Review from 1835 to 1868, as listed in the 1878 Preface, pages ix-xi.

CONTENTS:
Preface.
List of Selections in the Order of Publication.

PART I. — PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES.
INTRODUCTORY NOTES TO "GENERAL ASSEMBLY" ARTICLES.
CHAPTER I. — IDEA OF THE CHURCH.
CHAPTER II. — THEORIES OF THE CHURCH.
CHAPTER III. — VISIBILITY OF THE CHURCH.
CHAPTER IV. — PERPETUITY OF THE CHURCH.
CHAPTER V. — PRINCIPLES OF CHURCH UNION
CHAPTER VI. — PROVINCE OF THE CHURCH.
CHAPTER VII. — RELATION OF THE CHURCH AND STATE.
CHAPTER VIII. — PRESBYTERIANISM.
CHAPTER IX. — CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND PRESBYTERIAN ORDERS.
CHAPTER X. — PRESBTTERIAN LITURGIES.

PART II. — APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES.
CHAP'fER XI. — HISTORY AND INTENT OF CONSTITUTION.

CHAPTER XII. — A PARTICULAR CHURCH.
I.- The Session says who are Church Members.
2.- Validity of Romish Baptism.
3.- Infant Members Subjects of Discipline.
4.- Terms of Communion:
— a. The Lord's Table for the Lord's People.
— b. Credible Evidence of Conversion alone required.
— c. Temperance Question.
— d. Marriage Question.
5.- Dismission of Members to other Churches.
6.- Withdrawal from the Communion.

CHAPTER XIII. — CHURCH OFFICERS.
I. - Title of Bishop.
2.- Who may vote in the Election of a Pastor.
3. - Support of the Clergy.
4. - Warrant and Theory of Ruling Eldership.
5. - Rights of Ruling Elders.
6. - Whether Ruling Elders may join in the Imposition of Hands when Ministers are ordained..
7. - Significallce of Laying-on of Hands.
8. - Installation not essential to Validity of Eldership.
9. - Right of Elders to exhort and expound the Scriptures.
10.- Relative Powers of Elders and Deacons.

CHAPTER XIV. — THE PRESBYTERY.
I. - Quorum of Presbytery.
2. - Ordination by less than three Ministers.
3.- Presbytery judges the Qualifications of Members.
4.- Length of Study before Ordination.
5.- Ordination sine titulo.
6.- Reordination.
7.- Adoption of the Confession of Faith.
— a. In Reply to certain Strictures.
— b. In View of the Reunion.
8. - Church Membership of Ministers.
9. - Ministers without Pastoral Charge.
10.- Demission of the Ministry.
11.- Commissions of Presbyteries and Synods.
12.- Supervision of vacant Churches.

CHAPTER XV. — THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
I. - Commissioners:
— a. Assembly judges the Qualifications of its Members.
— b. Disputed Elections.
— c. Irregular Commissions.
— d. Case of an Elder who had ceased to act.
— e. Commissioners excluded pending Investigation.
— f. Reduction of Representation.
2. - Manner of Conducting Business:
3. - Power to act by Commission.
4. - Decisions and Deliverances on Doctrines:
— a. General Remark.
— b. Testimony against Erroneons Publications
— c. Church Commentary on the Bible.
5. - Superintendence:
— a. Disposal of the Members of a dissolved Presbytery.
— b. Exclusion of the Synod of Western Reserve.
— c. Report on the Presbytery of Louisville.
— d. Power to remove 8entence.
6. - General Agencies:
— a. Voluntary 80cieties and Church Boards.
— b. Warrant for the Boards.
— c. Relations of Boards to Presbyteries.
— d. Board of Education may condition Aid on Length of Study.
— e. Parochial Schools.
7. - Correspondence with other Churches.

CHAPTER XVI. — DISCIPLINE.
1. - Revision of the Book:
— a. Need of Revision.
— b. Effective Methods for Revision.
2. - Citation of Judicatories.
3. - Appeals and Complaints:
— a. Appeals in Cases not Judicial.
— b. Review of a Decision that Appeals cannot lie except in Judicial Cases.
— c. Legitimate Grounds of Complaint.
— d. In favor of a Commission to try Appeals and Complaints.
4. - Decisions may confirm or reverse in part.
5. - Finality of the Assembly's Judicial Decisions.

INDEX.