The Revised Book of Discipline [pp. 692-721]

The Revised Book of Discipline.
has no right to arrest its operation. There are, however,
other than judicial cases, in which the evil would be incapable
of redress, unless the execution of the decision of the judicatory
were arrested. If a pastor, for example, should be dismissed
from his congregation against his own will, or the will of the
people; if the decision of the presbytery could not be arrested
by an appeal, the pastor might be dismissed, the congregation
be declared vacant, another minister called and installed, no
matter how great the injustice or hardship, before the case
could be reviewed in a higher court. So also if the proposition
be to divide a congregation. Should the division be effected,
two churches constituted, pastors called and settled, neither
complaint, nor review and control affords any redress. Here
again the right of appeal is secured to the aggrieved party, and
to it alone. They only are exposed to injury by the execution
of the decision of the judicatory. It would be unreasonable
to give to a captious member, to an impracticable minority of a
court, the right to prevent, in cases of this kind, the execution
of the will of the majority. When, therefore, there are two
parties interested in a case, as in the dismissal of a pastor, or
division of a church, either party, whose interests would be
injuriously affected by the decision, has the right to interpose
with an arrest of the proceedings by an appeal. There are,
however, cases in which there is, properly speaking, no aggrieved
party, where the decision of a court would work irreparable injury if carried out; injury, not to particular individuals, but to
the church in general. Should a presbytery, for example, from
party, or other corrupt motives, resolve to ordain one, five, or
ten men, sine titulo, who were unsound in the faith, it is clear
that unless such action could be arrested, irreparable injury
might be occasioned. Such men in times of conflict might
decide the fate of the church. Things very like this have been
done. It is for such emergencies the right of appeal is recognized as belonging to "any minority of the judicatory." It is
not on every occasion, nor from every decision of a church
court, that the minority have the right to appeal. This would
be a power too liable to abuse. Any one member may. tie the
hands of a session or a presbytery for a year, and from one
year to another. It is only when the act contemplated, if done,
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