Articles on Church Polity:
Most of the articles linked below are presented as pdf files, in order to retain original formatting and so to allow the reader both to reference and to cite from these articles as if from the original document.

1859
Dabney, R.L. [1820-1898]
"The Changes Proposed in Our Book of Discipline," The Southern Presbyterian Review 12.1 (April 1859): 36-83.
Our concern on this page is church polity. However, in this particular article, Dabney's sad arguments regarding slaveholding, at the top of page 43, prompt us to direct the reader to compare Dabney's statements with the strong Biblical arguments against slaveholding presented by Dr. Alexander McLeod, in his 1802 work, "The Practice of Holding Men in Perpetual Slavery Condemned" [also titled "Negro Slavery Unjustifiable"]. Dr. McLeod proves clearly that Scripture does consider slaveholding to be an offence, or more fully, a sin. Moreover, contrast the success of the Reformed Presbyterian denominations in making slaveholding a bar to communion (beginning in 1800 !), with Dabney's presumptive claim.

Ramsay, Rev. James Beverlin, "The Deaconship," The Southern Presbyterian Review 12.1 (April 1859): 1-24.

1867
Adger, John Bailey
"Report of the Committee on Revision" in "The General Assembly at Memphis" The Southern Presbyterian Review 18.1 (July 1867): 114-121.

First draft of the PCUS Form of Government [pdf file only, providing a close replication of the original document]

First draft of the PCUS Canons of Discipline [pdf file only, providing a close replication of the original document]

1869
Second draft of the PCUS Book of Church Order [a pdf file inclusive of both the Form of Government and the Canons of Discipline]

1875
Boggs, Rev. William Ellison, "The Deacon’s Office in the Church of the New Testament," The Southern Presbyterian Review 26.3 (July 1875): 421-461.

1885
Adger, J.B., J.L. Girardea and W.E. Boggs, "The Third Revision of the Directory of Worship" The Southern Presbyterian Review 36.2 (April 1885): 343-366.

1889
Smith, Samuel M., "The Presbyterian Pastorate" The Presbyterian Quarterly 3.2 (April 1889): 256-261.

1890
Jacobs, Ferdinand, "On the Examination of Ministers" The Presbyterian Quarterly 4.2 (April 1890): 289-294.

1891
English, T.R., "On Licensure" The Presbyterian Quarterly 5.1 (January 1891): 100-107.

1894
Campbell, W.A., "The Power of the People in the Government of the Church" The Presbyterian Quarterly 8.3 (July 1894): 404-415.

1898
Palmer, Benjamin Morgan, "The Ancient Hebrew Polity" The Presbyterian Quarterly 12.2 (April 1898): 153-169.

1901
Lapsley, R.A., "Has the Southern Presbyterian Church Any Distinctive Principles?" The Presbyterian Quarterly 15.3 (July 1901): 414-430.
This is an interesting article on several levels. Regrettably it reflects the segregationism of that era, in a brief comment on page 416. Curiously however, that same comment also makes it clear--at least in Lapsley's view--that segregationism was not a distinctive of the Southern Presbyterian Church.
But the main point of Lapsley's article has to do with a comparison of PCUS and PCUSA polity, and it is for this latter reason that the article is being presented here.

1960
Robinson, William Childs
"What Is An Offence?" The Presbyterian Journal 18.38 (20 January 1960) 13.

2007
Taylor, L. Roy
• "Status of in thesi Statements"
• "The Presbyterian Church in America: Non-hierarchal Presbyterianism"

Girardeau, Rev. John L., "The Diaconate," Part I, The Southern Presbyterian Review 30.1 (January 1879): 1-32.
Girardeau, "The Diaconate," Part II, The Southern Presbyterian Review 31.1 (January 1880): 117-160.
Girardeau, "The Importance of the Office of Deacon," The Southern Presbyterian Review 32.1 (January 1881): 1-29.
Lefevre, Rev. Jacob Amos, "The Presbyterian Diaconate," The Southern Presbyterian Review 32.2 (April 1881): 343-354.
Lefevre, "The Diaconate of Scripture," The Southern Presbyterian Review 32.2 (April 1881): 355-368.
Girardeau, "The Diaconate Again," Part I, The Southern Presbyterian Review 32.4 (October 1881) 628-664

General materials on the office of the deacon--
1869 - James M. Willson, The Deacon: An Inquiry into the Nature, Duties and Exercise of the Office..
___________Chapter 1: The Deacon a Standing Church Officer (argument from Scriptures; deacons in early church, etc.)
___________Chapter 2: The Nature of the Deacon's Office (care of poor and management of finances, etc.)
___________Chapter 3: Of the Substitutes for the Deacon (contra Boards of Trustees)
___________Chapter 4: The Relations of the Deacon. The Deacon is Subordinate to the Ecclesiastical Courts.
___________Chapter 5: Conclusion and Appendix
1840s - Anonymous, "The Scriptural Office of the Deacon," in Presbyterian Tracts, vol. 6, tract no. 94, 16 pp.
1855 - Stuart Robinson, "The Office of Deacon," The Presbyterial Critic 1.6 (June 1855): 271-277.
1855 - Stuart Robinson, "Trustees of Church Property--Their Functions and Relations to the Deacons of the Church," The Presbyterial Critic 1.11 (November 1855): 490-497.
New: 1880 - Rev. W.H. M'Millan, "The Diaconate a Scriptural Office," Evangelical Repository 57.1 (June 1880): 15-20.
1882 - J. Aspinwall Hodge, What Is Presbyterian Law?, Chapter 6--Of Deacons
1884 - Report on the Diaconate, by John L. Girardeau, Robert L. Dabney and Thomas E. Peck
1892 - T.E. Peck, Notes on Ecclesiology, Chapter 19--Deacons
New: 1903 - R.C. Reed, "The Deacon," The Union Seminary Magazine 15.2 (1903): 215-224.
1978 - Diaconal Principles of the NAPARC Churches [Report, Sixth PCA General Assembly, Minutes, Appendix D]

Exegetical and historical consideration or debate regarding deaconesses--
1889 - B.B. Warfield, "Presbyterian Deaconesses"
1945 - PCUS Actions regarding deaconesses, 1880-1926
1976-1978 - RPCES studies on the Role of Women in the Church
1977 - Gordon H. Clark, "The Ordination of Women" [written in response to the 1976 RPCES study. An early draft of this article, with annotations, is found among the Gordon Clark Papers at the PCA Historical Center. The included explanatory preface was added later and is found in subsequent reprints of Clark's works by The Trinity Foundation.]

Larger Issues -- Discussion of Office, Ordination, etc.
1854 - John G. Shepperson, "Authority of Ecclesiastical Rulers," Part I, Southern Presbyterian Review 8.1 (July 1854).