HILL’S THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTES. 
against by any member of the congre- 
gation. If the objections be not valid, 
they are at an appointed time set apart 
to their office by prayer; having first 
declared their assent to all that is con- 
_ tained in the confession of faith. 
A presbytery is composed of an indefi- 
nite number of parishes; in some popu- 
lous districts of not less than thirty, in 
some. more remote of not more than 
four. This judicatory consists of the 
ministers of all the parishes within the 
district; of the protessors of divinity, 
if they be ministers, in any university 
that is within the same district; and of 
oné elder from each parish. A mode- 
rator, who must be a minister, is chosen 
twice a year. At present there are 78 
presbyteries in Scotland, 
Three or more presbyteries, as the 
matter happens to be regulated, com- 
pose a provincial synod. ‘There are at 
resent fifteen of these judicatories, most 
of which meet:twice in the year. This 
court is formed of every minister of all 
the presbyteries within the bounds of 
the synod, and the same elder who had 
last represented the kirk-séssion in the 
presbytery. 
The next and highest ecclesiastical 
court is the general assembly. It is com- 
posed in the following manner: All 
presbyteries consisting ot twelve parishes, 
_ or under that number, send two mini- 
sters and one ruling elder; all presby- 
teries consisting of eighteen or fewer, 
but above twelve, send three ministers 
and one ruling elder; all presbyteries 
consisting of twenty-four parishes, or 
fewer, but above eighteen, send four 
Ministers and two elders; all of above 
twenty-four, but under thirty parishes, 
send five ministers and two ruling elders; 
and all that consist of more than thirty 
parishes, send six ministers and three 
ruling elders. The sixty-six royal burghs 
of Scotland are represented in the ge- 
neral assembly by ruling elders: Edin- 
_ burgh sending two, and every other 
burgh one; and each of thie five univer- 
Sities-is represented by one of its mem- 
bers. The general assembly, therefore, 
is composed of two hundred ministers 
representing presbyteries, eighty-nine 
elders representing presbyteries, sixty- 
seven elders representing royal burghs, 
five ministers or elders representing uni- 
Versities: in all 361. In this assembly, 
the sovereign is represented by the lord 
high commissioner. This assembly meets 
annually in the month of May, and 
151 
continues to sit for ten days. But as it 
may be impossible, in that space of time, 
to decide all the questions that are 
brought before it, and circumstances 
may occur in the intervals between ge- 
neral assemblies requiring the interposi- 
tion of this supreme court, a commission 
is annually formed of the general assem- 
bly: which differs from the general as- 
sembly chiefly in not being honoured by 
the representation of the sovereign, and 
may be considered as a committee of 
the whole house. Thirty-one members, 
of whom twenty-one are always to be 
ministers, constitute a quorum, which 
meets four times in the year, or oftener, 
for the dispatch of business. 
These four courts are so constituted, 
that each inferior court is subject to the 
controul of its superior. ‘The power of 
the superior court may be exercised at 
its own pleasure, upon reference from 
an inferior court, and upon appeal or 
complaint. In matters purely ecclesi- 
astical, the civil power does not interfere 
with these spiritual courts; but in every 
question of a civil nature, such as respect 
glebes, &c. the decision of a presbytery 
1s cognizable by a civil judicatory. 
The judicial power of the church of 
Scotland appears in the infliction or re- 
moval of such censures as are thought 
to belong to a spiritual society. The 
objects of these censures are gross im- 
morality, heresy, and schism. The 
minister of the parish has no power of 
this nature, but as a member of the kirk- 
session: and he again is subject to no 
control less than that of the presbytery 
by whom he was ordained, and by whom 
alone he may be suspended or deposed. 
The nature of these censures, and the 
method of inflicting them, are defined 
in a code of laws, confessedly imperfect, 
called the form of process. 
General laws were formerly made and 
repealed by the general assembly alone. 
The barrier act enables an individual to 
propose to the presbytery new laws, or 
the amendment or repeal of old laws. 
Such proposals must be transmitted to 
the general assembly, and by them ate 
either dismissed, or sent to all the pres- 
byteries for their approbation. The 
result is returned to the next gentral. 
assembly, and passes into a standing 
law, if not less than forty presbyteries 
have approved. To prevent the delay 
which must thus be occasioned, the 
general assembly, if it thinks fity can 
order the proposed measure to be ob» 
