PCA HISTORICAL CENTER
Archives and Manuscript Repository for the Continuing Presbyterian Church


The Historical Development of the Book of Church Order

Chapter 35 : Evidence
Paragraph 9 : On the Validity of Testimony

 

Paragraph 9 :

35-9. In like manner, testimony taken by one court and regularly certified shall be received by every other court as no less valid than if it had been taken by itself.

DIGEST : With only differences of punctuation, the wording of the current PCA text otherwise remains that of the earliest PCUS drafts. The 1858 Thornwell/Hodge draft for the PCUSA Rules of Discipline is distinguished by its consist use of the term "judicatory" where "court" is used in the later PCUS and PCA editions.

BACKGROUND AND COMPARISON :
PCA 1973, 9-9, Adopted text, as printed in the Minutes of General Assembly, p. 150
Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, 9-9, Proposed text, p. 49
PCUS 1933, IX, § 235
PCUS 1925, IX, § 235
In like manner, testimony taken by one court, and regularly certified, shall be received by every other court as no less valid than if it had been taken by itself.

PCUS 1879, IX-9

In like manner, testimony taken by one court and regularly certified, shall be received by every other court, as no less valid than if it had been taken by itself.

PCUS 1869 draft, IX-9
In like manner, testimony taken by one court and regularly certified, shall be received by every other court as no less valid than if it had been taken by itself.

PCUS 1867 draft, IX-9
In like manner, testimony taken by one court and regularly certified, shall be received by every other court as no less valid than if it had
been taken by itself.

Northern Tradition :
PCUSA, 1859 draft, VII-11
In like manner, testimony taken by one judicatory, and regularly certified, shall be received by every other judicatory as no less valid than if it had been taken by themselves.

UPCNA 1867, 7-

OPC, 1988, IV.
Any

Other:
ARP, 1958, §V-

COMMENTARY :
F.P. Ramsay, Exposition of the Book of Church Order
(1898, p. 218), on IX-9 :
In like manner, testimony taken by one court and regularly certified, shall be received by every other court, as no less valid than if it had been taken by itself.
It may not have the same weight, but is no less valid
.

Chapter Index [links are to Paragraph 1 in each chapter]:
FoG..
1
2
4
6
7
8
9
I. King & Head of Church
.§1.
RoD
II. Preliminary Principles
DfW
[FoG = Form of Government ; RoD = Rules of Discipline ; DfW = Directory for Worship]

©PCA Historical Center, 12330 Conway Road, St. Louis, MO, 2017. All Rights Reserved.