Quest.  Where is the divine warrant for congregational sessions?

Ans.  From Matt, xviii. 15-18, where, in the Christian form of church discipline prescribed by the Church’s Head, the concluding expression, “Let him be unto thee as a heathen man and publican,” plainly alludes to the Jewish form of procedure in scandals.  They had rulers, and consequently courts in every synagogue, or worshipping congregation, Mark v. 35-39.  By virtue of letters from the high-priest to these, Saul had free access to punish the Christians in every synagogue, Acts ix. 1, 2.  To these congregational courts it pertained to cast out of the synagogue, and to order transgressors to be held for heathen men and publicans, John ix. 22.  Now Jesus, in alluding to these, intimates that similar courts should be in every Christian congregation.  In this form of discipline our divine Saviour shows his utmost aversion against private offences being unnecessarily published abroad:  and therefore the church, to which the offence is to be told, after private admonition is fruitless, must be understood in the most private sense of the word.  The following context evidences that it is a church, which may consist only of two or three met together in Christ’s name; yet, notwithstanding, a church having power to bind and loose from censure; that is, a church having the keys of the kingdom of heaven.  It cannot then be the whole congregation or body of the people, as they are in general far too numerous to conceal offences, and to them Christ has given no formal judicial power, Matt. xviii. 18-21.

Quest.  Where is the divine warrant for a presbytery?

Ans.  Timothy is expressly said to be ordained by the laying on of the hands of the PRESBYTERY, 1 Tim. iv. 14.  And the number of different Christian congregations governed by one presbytery, as at Jerusalem, Antioch, Ephesus, and Corinth, proves the divine right of this court.  It is shown in the xiii. chapter of the preceding treatise, that in each of these places there were more Christians than could meet in one worshipping congregation, for the enjoying of public ordinances:  and yet all these different congregations, at Jerusalem, are expressly said to have been one church, Acts viii. 1:  so those at Antioch, Acts xiii. 1:  so those at Ephesus, Acts xx. 17:  and those also at Corinth, 1 Cor. i. 2.  Now the question is, How were the different congregations in each of these places ONE CHURCH?  Not merely in union to Christ and mutual affection one to another; for in this respect all the saints are ONE, whether in heaven or in earth.  And therefore they are one church in virtue of conjunct government under ONE PRESBYTERY.  And in difficult cases, or where a single congregation is so divided into parties that it cannot act impartially; where the difference is between the pastor and the people, a superior court is necessary to obtain material justice.

Quest.  Where is the divine warrant for an ecclesiastical synod?