Includes bibliographical references (pages 603-616) and index.

History and character of church government / Joseph H. Hall -- The pastoral and theological significance of church government / David W. Hall -- The Apostolic church : which is it? / Thomas Witherow -- Earliest textual documentation -- The institutes of the Christian religion / John Calvin -- Presbyterianism : the truly primitive and Apostolical constitution of the Church of Christ / Samuel Miller -- The second Helvetic Confession -- The register of the company of pastors of Geneva in the time of Calvin / translated by Philip E. Hughes -- Ecclesiastical discipline, 1559 -- Ecclesiastical ordinances, 1561 -- The French (Gallican) Confession, 1559 -- The outward administration of the church / Johannes Wollebius -- The Belgic Confession, 1561 -- The Church Order of Dort, 1619/Christian Reformed Church Order, 1914 -- The Reformed Church in America constitutions, 1792, 1833, 1874 -- The Book of Discipline, 1560 / John Knox -- The Scots Confession -- The second Book of Discipline, 1578 / Andrew Melville -- Book of Discipline, 1587 / Walter Travers -- The Westminister Assembly Directory for church government -- The minutes of the Westminister Assembly of divines / edited by A.F Mitchell.

The due right of Presbyteries / Samuel Rutherford -- The Church of Christ / James Bannerman -- Minutes of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, 1706-1788 / edited by Guy S. Klett -- The Adopting Act -- Constitutional history of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America / Charles Hodge -- Synod and Assembly rules of order -- Minutes of the First General Assembly of the PCUSA -- The ruling elder / Samuel Miller -- The old school/new school division extracts, 1834-1837 -- The church and its polity / Charles Hodge -- What is Presbyterian law? / J. Aspinwall Hodge --Baird's digest / Samuel J. Baird -- Presbyterian government : not a hierarchy, but a commonwealth / Robert J. Breckinridge -- The Westminister Confession and Creeds / Robert L. Dabney -- Theories of the eldership / Robert L. Dabney -- Church-boards and Presbyterianism / James H. Thornwell -- The powers of the several church-courts / Thomas E. Peck -- Bibliographical essay / David W. Hall.