success of which involves the interests of the churches at large. "A pastor may be removed from his people," say the before-mentioned PROPOSITIONS, "in case his translation be found necessary for the common good. The welfare of the catholic church, in the general edification of a community, should be of such weight, as to make any particular churches give way thereunto. But, yet it becomes not any minister, to seek his own translation, by first offering himself unto it." § 128. Other occasions, authorizing a minister's departure.. There are other circumstances or occasions of departure, such as the ill health of the minister, personal persecution, a failure of temporal supplies, &c." There are some other things," say the PROPOSITIONS, "which dissolve the vinculum pastorale between a pastor and his people; and in case those disasters happen, he may be removed. Thus if a minister have a tolerable subsistence, wherewith he may after a Christian manner provide for his own, denied him; or, if a minister have no way to avoid a storm of purely personal persecution, but by fleeing from one city to another; a remove may be justified. And the dissolution of a church gives the like liberty to him, that had been the shepherd of the now scattered flock." And again it is stated; "Although a pastor should be willing to encounter many difficulties and infirmities with his people; yet, in case that chronical diseases, which evidently threaten his life, might hopefully be relieved by his removal, it should then, on all hands, be allowed and advised. Mercy is to be preferred before sacrifice, and so we find it was in the primitive churches accordingly." 129. Advice of a Council necessary in the removal of a minister. Although the causes, which have been mentioned, viz. alienation of the people's affections, failure of health, insufficient support in temporal things, a scattered and disabled state of the particular church, and the prospect of greater usefulness to the church in general in some other situation, are considered good grounds for dissolving the pastoral connection; still it is not according to Usage for a minister to leave his people, without the advice and order of a Council. Accordingly it was determined in the Cambridge PROPOSITIONS as follows;-"That the will of our Lord, about the removal of any pastor from his people, may be understood, it is requisite, that the minister do not entirely assume to himself the judgment of his own call to remove, but a great regard must be had unto the direction of the churches of our Lord in the neighborhood."-This regard to the neighboring churches is shown in the usual way; viz. by inviting them to attend and express their opinions, on the subject of the proposed removal and the reasons of the same, by means of their pastors and delegates. § 130. Further testimonies in favor of the preceding principle. The principle, however, that a Council is requisite in the removal of a minister, does not rest solely on the authority, which has been mentioned. It is expressly recognized in the doings of the Synod, assembled at Boston in 1662; who mention, as one of the acts of the communion of churches, the seeking and accepting of help from each other in the ordination, translation, and deposition of ministers. The principle is fully stated and maintained in the ancient Ratio Disciplinæ, (Art. Ix.) and in Dr. Increase Mather's Testimony to Good Order in the Churches. In 1719 the question of a minister's removal without Council was proposed to the Congregational ministers of Boston on an occasion of importance. The answer, signed by the well known names of Increase Mather, Cotton Mather, Wadsworth, Colman, Sewall, Prince, and Cooper, was this; “We plainly and solemnly profess and declare, That we would not have this remove, [alluding to a minister's leaving a church with consent of the same but without Council,] to be quoted as an example or precedent, to encourage the like for time to come; because we look on such removes of ordained ministers, as directly tending to unsettle and disquiet the churches, and greatly to hurt the interest of religion in the land.”* § 131. Of the calling and the nature of the Council. Councils, in the case of a removal, are composed, as on other occasions, of pastors and delegates. The Council is called by the church by Letters Missive, sent in their name; but the minister, being an equal party to the business to be settled, has a right, if he chooses to exercise it, to name half of the churches sent to. In that case, it is technically called a Mutual Council. First. Although, according to Congregational Usage, the minister can not of himself call a Council in the first instance, it is according to Usage and manifestly just, that he should be allowed, in common with the Church, *The principle, that a Council is necessary, at the Dismissal of a minister, is abundantly obvious. Cases, nevertheless, of ministerial removal sometimes occur in disregard of it. The existence of such instances is alluded to in Mather's Account of the New England Discipline, Art. Ix. though not as a matter to be justified;"Sometimes, but rarely, a pastor and a people have with mutual agreement more privately parted with one another; and no further words have been made about it." to judge of the propriety and necessity of that procedure. He can, therefore, being satisfied that there are adequate reasons for so doing, request the church to call a Council; either a Mutual Council, or one composed of such churches, as they choose.-So long as the principle is maintained, that a Council is requisite in the removal of a minister, the church, whenever he thinks there are good reasons for his removal, have no right to refuse such a request. In case they do, he is entitled, both on the principles of common practice and of common justice, to an Ex Parte Council. Second. The Church also have a corresponding right. If they think, that the interests of their own body or the interests of religion in general require the dismissal of their pastor, it is their duty in the first instance, to introduce the subject to his personal notice, accompanied with the proposition of a Council to be mutually chosen. If. he objects to their views and their proposed method of proceeding in the case, and they still remain of opinion that his removal is for adequate reasons desirable, they have the same right as he has, to call an Ex Parte Council. §132. Proceedings of the Dismissing Council. It may further be stated, that the church itself, independently of the advice and assistance of neighboring churches, is considered competent to assume the initiatory task of inquiring into the particulars of the case, if they see fit, and even to vote a Dismission; subject, however, before being carried into effect, to the revision and the approval, of a Council. In the view of the Council, such a vote, when it is adopted in concurrence with the opinions of the Pastor, as under certain circumstances it may be, would probably be considered desirable; because the Council could hardly mistake as to their duty, when the two immediate parties to the contract concur in the justness and necessity of its dissolution. Nevertheless, if the parties take different views of the subject and are at variance, the Council are bound to act solely from a a sense of duty; whatever unpleasant feelings may be caused in the minds of some, who are concerned. A want of firmness and of inflexible integrity in Councils can hardly fail to lead to unhappy results. They are the regularly constituted guardians both of ministerial rights and of the rights of the churches. And it is their duty to weigh seriously and carefully all the circumstances of the affair, proposed for their consideration ; not only those, which have occurred, but those, which are prospective. "If much scandal,(say the PROPOSITIONS,) will certainly ensue, upon the removal of a pastor from his people, that should weigh down many circumstances, which would rather invite such a removal.” § 133. Recommendation of pastors regularly dismissed. We have already seen at § § 68, 117, 118, that the churches are interested to know, and have a right to know, who are introduced into the ministry, and in what manner they sustain its responsibilities. But the influence of the ministry is great, whether a man be limited to one spot or labor from place to place, through the whole circuit of Christ's vineyard. Hence some security to the churches is as necessary at the Dismissal of a minister, as when he was first licensed, or was settled. It is not enough, that the churches were consulted, either directly or indirectly, on the two latter occasions; since the mere circumstance of a minister's Dismissal has occasioned a new state of things, by attaching to him, (what otherwise might not have existed,) a fear, that he may have come short of the duties of his station. Hence it is usual for the Council, for the satisfaction |