eater eldership or presbytery; and Gillespie
admits they were not distinguished in the primitive church, though he
holds that both were needed in Scotland to do the work which the one
presbytery did in the primitive church (_infra_, pp. 230-233).

[201] [The Book of Common Order distinguishes between the weekly meeting
of the ministers and elders in their assembly or consistory, and the
weekly meeting of the congregation for the interpretation of the
Scriptures (Dunlop's Confessions, ii. 411-413; Laing's Knox, iv.
177-179). For the nature and object of the exercise see _infra_, pp.
170-173.]

[202] [The bull, which is printed in Concilia Scotiae, ii. 3, is dated
"xiiij kalendas Junij pontificatus nostri anno nono," _i.e._, the 19th
of May 1225.]

[203] See Schenkel's article, "Kirche," in Herzog's Real-Encyklopaedie.

[204] Dunlop's Confessions, ii. 68; Laing's Knox, ii. 110.

[205] See Calvin's Institutes, book iv. chap. ii.--"As no city or
village can exist without a magistrate and government, so the Church of
God stands in need of a spiritual polity of its own. This is altogether
distinct from the civil government, and is so far from hindering or
impairing it, that it rather does much to aid and promote it."

[206] Dunlop's Confessions, ii. 413; Laing's Knox, iv. 203.

[207] Dunlop's Confessions, ii. 414-417; Laing's Knox, iv. 204-206. If
this humanity is not observed in private as well as in public, there is
danger lest instead of discipline we fall into a kind of Gehenna, and
instead of correctors and educators become executioners of the brethren
(Calvin).

[208] The form of absolution then appointed to be used was, with consent
of Henderson, modified by the Westminster divines into the shape in
which it appears in their Directory for Church Government and
Excommunication, and as modified was afterwards inserted in our Form of
Process of 1707.

[209] La France protestant, deuxieme edition, iii. 530.

[210] Book of Common Order, in Dunlop's Confessions, ii. 412; Laing's
Knox, iv. 179.

[211] Dunlop's Confessions, ii. 587-589; Laing's Knox, ii. 242, 243.

[212] Dunlop's Confessions, ii. 590, 591; Laing's Knox, ii. 244, 245.

[213] Dunlop's Confessions, ii. 547; Laing's Knox, ii. 209.

[214] Dunlop's Confessions, ii. 548-550; Laing's Knox, ii. 209-211.

[215] Dunlop's Confessions, ii. 561; Laing's Knox, ii. 220, 221.

[216] [Dr Mitchell seems to have thought that _handlings_ should be read
_haldings