synod. 3. The equal power and authority exercised by all those members.
4. The way and method of ordinary synodal proceeding. 5. The juridical
acts of power put forth by the synod; with the issue and consequent of
all upon the churches.

First, Here was a proper ground and occasion for a juridical synod. For
thus the text expressly declareth, that "certain men which came down
from Judea, taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised
after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved; when therefore Paul and
Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they
determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go
up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question," Acts
xv. 1, 2, compared with ver. 5--"But there rose up certain of the sect
of the Pharisees, which believed, saying, that it was needful to
circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses;" and with
ver. 23, 24--"The apostles, and elders, and brethren send greeting unto
the brethren which are of the Gentiles, in Antioch, and Syria, and
Cilicia: Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from
us, have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must
be circumcised and keep the law." In which passages these things are
evident:

1. That false doctrine, destructive to the doctrine of Christ in his
gospel, did arise in the Church, viz: That circumcision and keeping of
the ceremonial law of Moses was necessary to salvation, ver. 1, 5, 24;
and this false doctrine promoted with lying, as if the apostles and
elders of Jerusalem had sent forth the false teachers with directions to
preach so, as their apology ("to whom we gave no such commandment," ver.
24) seems to import. Here is corruption both in doctrine and manners fit
for a synod to take cognizance of.