29-4. Private offenses are those which are known only to a few persons. Public offenses are those which are notorious.

DIGEST : The current PCA text remains unchanged from that of the PCUS 1867 draft. The 1858 PCUSA draft revision of the Book of Discipline was similar, but had "to one or a few persons" instead of the more succinct "to a few persons".

BACKGROUND AND COMPARISON :
1. PCA 1973, RoD, 3-4, Adopted text, as printed in the Minutes of General Assembly, p. 146
2. Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, RoD, 3-4, Proposed text, p. 40
3. PCUS 1933, RoD, III-§176
4. PCUS 1925, RoD, III-§176
5. PCUS 1879, Rules of Discipline, III-4
6. PCUS 1869 draft, Canons of Discipline, III-3
7. PCUS 1867 draft, Canons of Discipline, III-3
Private offences are those which are known only to a few persons. Public offences are those which are notorious.

PCUSA 1858, Revised Book of Discipline, II-3
Private offences are those which are known only to one or a few persons. Public offences are those which are notorious.

COMMENTARY :
F.P. Ramsay, Exposition of the Book of Church Order (1898, p. 181), on III-4:
155.--IV. Private offences are those which are known only to a few persons. Public offences are those which are notorious.
The offender cannot plead that his offence should be overlooked because it is of either sort.