In 1873 the Assembly, on the recommendation of the Committee on the Centennial Anniversary of the Independence of the United States, ordered that six historical discourses should be prepared, by persons duly appointed, on different periods of our history and methods of our church work, and that on the first Sabbath of July, 1876, the Pastor of each church under the jurisdiction of the Assembly shall deliver a history of his church, and transmit a copy of said history to the Historical Society "for arrangement and for such other disposition of it as the General Assembly or the committee appointed to have charge of the subject may direct." On the same day collections were ordered to be taken in all the churches for the purpose of the erection of a suitable fireproof building in which to preserve the valuable records, books, pamphlets and manuscripts belonging to the society.* In 1877 a valuable report was presented, setting forth the value of the library of the society, and pleading for the means needed for the erection of the fireproof building. The Assembly renewed its recommendations, urging those Pastors to send in their historical discourses who have not yet done so, and that collections be taken for the building and the Endowment Fund. In 1878 the "General Assembly rejoiced in the success of the Presbyterian Historical Society in their securement of $20,000 for the safe housing of their precious historic treasures; and recommended every Pastor who has failed to do so to prepare and transmit to the society a history of the church under his charge." "The Assembly earnestly commended the objects of the society to the attention and liberality of the * Minutes G. A. 1873, p. 490. † Ibid., 1877, p. 537.

churches."* This recommendation was repeated in 1879 and 1881. It has now 10,000 volumes and 30,000 pamphlets, many of which are invaluable.†

CHAPTER XIX.

OF MODERATORS.

I. What is a Moderator?

The presiding officer of a meeting for transaction of business is called the President or Moderator. The latter is the title given to the presiding officer in our church courts. A Chairman directs the meetings and work of a committee or commission, and is generally chosen by the court appointing the committee, the first one named being the Chairman. The committee may, however, choose its own Chairman. The Moderator of a court is determined according to the rules of the court. "It is equally necessary in the judicatories of the Church, as in other assemblies, that there should be a Moderator or President, that the business may be conducted with order and despatch."

II. What authority has the Moderator?

"He is to be considered as possessing, by delegation from the whole body, all authority necessary for the preservation of order, for convening and adjourning the judicatory, and directing its operations according to the rules of the Church." He is a ministerial officer with delegated authority, and servant of the body over which he presides.§"He is to propose to the judicatory every subject

*Minutes G. A. 1878, p. 120.

† Ibid., 1879, p. 560; 1881, p. 577.

See pp. 126, 488. Presbyterian Digest, p. 460; New Digest, p. 542.

of deliberation that comes before them. He may propose what appears to him the most regular and speedy way of bringing any business to issue. He shall prevent the members from interrupting each other, and require them in speaking always to address the Chair. He shall prevent a speaker from deviating from the subject and from using personal reflections. He shall silence those who refuse to obey order. He shall prevent members who attempt to leave the judicatory without leave obtained from him. He shall at a proper season, when the deliberations are ended, put the question and call the votes. If the judicatory be equally divided, he shall possess the casting vote. If he be not willing to decide, he shall put the question a second time; and if the judicatory be again equally divided, and he decline to give his vote, the question shall be lost. In all questions he shall give a concise and clear statement of the object of the vote; and, the vote being taken, shall then declare how the question is decided. And he shall likewise be empowered, on any extraordinary emergency, to convene the judicatory by his circular letter before the ordinary time of meeting." He may speak to points of order in preference to other members, rising from his seat for that purpose, and shall decide questions of order, subject to an appeal to the judicatory by any two members. He shall appoint all committees, except when the court Ishall decide otherwise. He may vote with the other members when they vote by ballot; and give a casting vote when the body is equally divided. He cannot have a double vote. While in the chair he cannot take part in any debate, but may leave the chair for that purpose. In judicial cases he has the right to administer oaths to the witnesses. His authority to do so is not derived from the judicatory over which he presides, nor from the Gen

eral Assembly, but from the constitution, or articles of compact, which our churches have adopted, and by which they have agreed to be governed as a Christian community. Oaths prescribed by ecclesiastical authority in no respect interfere with our relations to civil society, nor are they a violation of those laws of the State which prescribe the manner in which civil oaths shall be administered.*

Must the Moderator be a member of the judicatory?

Not necessarily so, though generally he is. The Moderator of the Session is generally the Pastor of the church. But under certain circumstances the Session may invite a Minister of the Presbytery to preside, and the Presbytery may appoint a Moderator when there is no Pastor. The Minister thus presiding does not become a member of the Session, although he may give a casting vote, according to the provisions of this chapter.†

The Moderator of our General Assembly presides during the organization of the next Assembly and until a Moderator is elected, although he may not be a member of that body. In case he be absent, the last Moderator present, or if there be none, the senior member present, shall take the chair. The "last Moderator present" may be interpreted (1) according to the decision of the Assembly of 1835, to mean present, although not a member (the N. S. Assembly reaffirmed this in 1861) or (2), according to the deliverance of the O. S. Assembly in 1843, that it is the deliberate judgment of the General Assembly that no person is authorized to open the session of the Assembly or preside at the opening of the said session except the Moderator of the Assembly

*Presbyterian Digest, pp. 204, 205, 460, 530; Book of Discipline, ch. vi., sect. ix. See p. 491. † See p. 126.

immediately preceding, or in his absence a commissioner to the Assembly.* In 1880, the Moderator of the preceding Assembly being absent, Rev. J. Eells, D. D., the Moderator in 1877, preached the opening sermon and presided until the new Moderator was chosen. He was not a commissioner, and no objections were made. But the Assembly some days later resolved to change Rule II. of the General Rules for Judicatories † by inserting the words, "being a commissioner," after the words, "the last Moderator present."

Must the Moderator ever vacate the chair?

If the Moderator be a member of the inferior court from whose decision an appeal or complaint is made, he should during the trial vacate the chair, and the last Moderator, being a commissioner, present, or some other Minister, should preside. §

III. How are Moderators chosen?

If the church be vacant, the Presbytery should appoint one of its Ministers to be Moderator of the Session. If the congregation call a Pastor, and he becomes Moderator of the Session by the act of Presbytery installing him Pastor, if at any time he be sick or absent, or if it be thought best for prudential reasons that the Pastor should not preside, the Session may invite a Minister of the same Presbytery to take his place, or if this be "impracticable without great inconvenience," they may select one of their own number to preside. ||

"The Moderator of the Presbytery shall be chosen from year to year, or at every meeting of the Presbytery, as the Presbytery may think best." This is understood as au

p. 281.

*See p. 278. Presbyterian Digest, pp. 201, 460; Assembly's Digest, † See p. 490. Minutes G. A. 1880, pp. 3, 45. ? Presbyterian Digest, p. 587. p. 128.

See