the continued support of the gospel through coming generations.-1843, p. 193, O. S.

b. Resolved, 2. That the Presbyteries be instructed to appoint Standing Committees on Manses, so that the subject may be brought regularly and statedly before them for consideration, and that information may be disseminated widely among the churches.

Resolved, 3. That ministers and elders be requested to press this matter upon the attention of the churches and people, and strive to create and extend a healthy state of mind and feeling on the subject, and stimulate them in the effort to provide manses, and, even in those churches where the way may not be clear to build at once, urge upon them the work of preparation by securing suitable lots of ground for building when the proper time may come, and that such provision of ground, whether in town or country, should be on a liberal scale.-1872, p. 37.

VII. But if any congregation shall choose to subscribe their call by their elders and deacons, or by their trustees, or by a select committee, they shall be at liberty to do so. But it shall, in such case, be fully certified to the Presbytery by the minister, or other person who presided, that the persons signing have been appointed for that purpose by a public vote of the congregation, and that the call has been in all other respects prepared as above directed.

VIII. When a call shall be presented to any minister or candidate, it shall always be viewed as a sufficient petition from the people for his installment. The acceptance of a call by a minister or candidate shall always be considered as a request on his part to be installed at the same time, and when a candidate shall be ordained in consequence of a call from any congregation, the Presbytery shall at the same time, if practicable, install him pastor of that congregation.

IX. The call, thus prepared, shall be presented to the Presbytery under whose care the person called shall be; that if the Presbytery think it expedient to present the call to him, it may be accordingly presented, and no minister or candidate shall receive a call but through the hands of the Presbytery.

X. If the call be to a licentiate of another Presbytery, in that case the commissioners deputed from the congregation to prosecute the call shall produce to that judicatory a certificate from their own Presbytery, regularly attested by the moderator and clerk, that the call has been laid before them, and that it is in order. If that Presbytery present the call to their licentiate and he be disposed to accept it, they shall then dismiss him from their jurisdiction and require him to repair to that Presbytery into the bounds of which he is called, and there to submit himself to the usual trials preparatory to ordination.

[To facilitate the business and avoid expense and delay, it has become common usage for the candidate to obtain a dismission to the Presbytery

within whose bounds is the congregation seeking his services; being received by that Presbytery, the proceedings are as in the case of their own candidates. See IX., above, M.]

XI. Trials for ordination, especially in a different Presbytery from that in which the candidate was licensed, shall consist of a careful examination as to his acquaintance with experimental religion; as to his knowledge of philosophy, theology, ecclesiastical history, the Greek and Hebrew languages, and such other branches of learning as to the Presbytery may appear requisite; and as to his knowledge of the constitution, the rules and principles of the government and discipline of the church; together with such written discourse or discourses founded on the word of God as to the Presbytery shall seem proper. The Presbytery, being fully satisfied with his qualifications for the sacred office, shall appoint a day for his ordination, which ought to be, if convenient, in that church of which he is to be the minister. It is also recommended that a fast day be observed in the congregation previous to the day of ordination.

1. Ordination on the Sabbath Discouraged, but at the Discretion of the Presbytery.

An overture was received from the Presbytery of Orange, requesting the opinion of the General Assembly on the question whether it be proper to ordain licentiates to the office of the gospel ministry on the Sabbath day. The General Assembly think it would not be for edification to adopt a uniform rule on the subject. In general they think it is not expedient that ordinations should take place on the Sabbath, yet that there may be cases in which urgent or peculiar circumstances may demand them. The Assembly, therefore, judged it best to leave it to the Presbyteries to act in this concern as they may judge that their duty requires.-1821, p. 10.

[For qualifications of the candidate in knowledge of and assent to the Confession, Catechisms, etc., see under Form of Government, chap. i., 11, 12 and 13.]

XII. The day appointed for ordination being come, and the Presbytery convened, a member of the Presbytery, previously appointed to that duty, shall preach a sermon adapted to the occasion. The same, or another member appointed to preside, shall afterward briefly recite from the pulpit, in the audience of the people, the proceedings of the Presbytery preparatory to this transaction. He shall point out the nature and importance of the ordinance, and endeavor to impress the audience with a proper sense of the solemnity of the transaction. Then, addressing himself to the candidate, he shall propose to him the following questions, viz.:

1. Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice?

2. Do you sincerely receive and adopt the Confession of Faith of

this Church as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures?

3. Do you approve of the government and discipline of the Presbyterian Church in these United States?

4. Do you promise subjection to your brethren in the Lord?

5. Have you been induced, as far as you know your own heart, to seek the office of the holy ministry from love to God, and a sincere desire to promote his glory in the gospel of his Son?

6. Do you promise to be zealous and faithful in maintaining the truths of the gospel and the purity and peace of the Church, whatever persecution or opposition may arise unto you on that account?

7. Do you engage to be faithful and diligent in the exercise of all private and personal duties which become you as a Christian and a minister of the gospel, as well as in all relative duties and the public duties of your office, endeavoring to adorn the profession of the gospel by your conversation, and walking with exemplary piety before the flock over which God shall make you overseer ?

8. Are you now willing to take the charge of this congregation, agreeably to your declaration at accepting their call? And do you promise to discharge the duties of a pastor to them as God shall give you strength?

The Assent Embraces the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.

Overture No. 1. The following inquiry from members of the Presbytery of Nashville: "When ministers and other officers are ordained in the Presbyterian Church, and give an affirmative answer to the question, Do you sincerely receive and adopt the Confession of this Church as containing the system of doctrines taught in the Holy Scriptures? are such ministers and officers to be understood as embracing and assenting to the doctrines, principles, precepts and statements contained in the Larger and Shorter Catechisms in the same unqualified sense in which they are understood to embrace and assent to the doctrines, principles, precepts and statements contained in other parts of the Confession of Faith?"

The Committee recommended that the question be answered in the affirmative; and the recommendation was adopted.-1848, p, 18, O. S.

XIII. The candidate having answered these questions in the affirmative, the presiding minister shall propose to the people the following questions:

1. Do you, the people of this congregation, continue to profess your readiness to receive whom you have called to be your

minister?

2. Do you promise to receive the word of truth from his mouth with meekness and love, and to submit to him in the due exercise of discipline?

3. Do you promise to encourage him in his arduous labor, and to assist his endeavors for your instruction and spiritual edification?

4. And do you engage to continue to him, while he is your pastor, that competent worldly maintenance which you have promised, and whatever else you may see needful for the honor of religion and his comfort among you?

XIV. The people having answered these questions in the affirmative, by holding up their right hands, the candidate shall kneel down in the most convenient part of the church. Then the presiding minister shall by prayer, and with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery, according to the apostolic example, solemnly ordain him to the holy office of the gospel ministry. Prayer being ended, he shall rise from his knees; and the minister who presides shall first, and afterward all the members of the Presbytery in their order, take him by the right hand, saying, in words to this purpose, "We give you the right hand of fellowship to take part of this ministry with us." After which the minister presiding, or some other appointed for the purpose, shall give a solemn charge in the name of God, to the newly ordained bishop, and to the people, to persevere in the discharge of their mutual duties; and shall then by prayer recommend them both to the grace of God and his holy keeping, and finally, after singing a psalm, shall dismiss the congregation with the usual blessing. And the Presbytery shall duly record the transaction.

XV. As it is sometimes desirable and important that a candidate who has not received a call to be the pastor of a particular congregation should, nevertheless, be ordained to the work of the gospel ministry, as an evangelist, to preach the gospel, administer sealing ordinances and organize churches in frontier or destitute settlements; in this case the last of the preceding questions shall be omitted, and the following used as a substitute, namely:

Are you now willing to undertake the work of an evangelist; and do you promise to discharge the duties which may be incumbent on you in this character as God shall give you strength?

1. Ordination as an Evangelist to Labor in Feeble Churches. Is it or is it not in accordance with the principles of the Presbyterian Church to ordain evangelists to labor in fields having feeble churches which are not able to support a pastor, and are too remote conveniently to secure the services of an ordained minister?

To ordain evangelists under the specified circumstances is in accordance with the practice of the Church, and is no infraction of any of its laws.1850, p. 454, O. S.

2. Ordination of a Licentiate who Proposed to Continue Teaching. The Presbytery of Philadelphia submitted to the Assembly for their decision the case of Mr. John Jones, a licentiate under their care, who at their last sessions had requested that the Presbytery would take measures to ordain him sine titulo. The Presbytery stated that Mr. Jones had been a licensed candidate for a number of years; that he had always sustained a good and consistent character; that he was engaged in teaching an academy, and was so circumstanced that his being ordained might render him more extensively useful. The Assembly having considered the case, Resolved, That the Presbytery of Philadelphia be permitted and authorized to ordain Mr. Jones to the work of the gospel ministry sine titulo, provided the Presbytery, from a full view of his qualifications and other attending circumstances shall think it expedient so to ordain him.-1807, p. 386.

3. Presbyteries should not Ordain the Candidates of other Presbyteries.

1. That it be earnestly recommended to all our Presbyteries not to ordain sine titulo any men who propose to pursue the work of their ministry in any sections of the country where a Presbytery is already organized to which they may go as licentiates and receive ordination.

2. That the several bodies with which we are in friendly correspondence in the New England States be respectfully requested to use their counsel and influence to prevent the ordination, by any of their councils or consociations, of men who propose to pursue the work of the ministry within the bounds of any Presbytery belonging to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, and that the delegates from this Assembly to those bodies respectively be charged with communicating this resolution.1834, p. 428.

4. Ordination sine titulo.

a. The Synod would bear testimony against the late too common, and now altogether unnecessary, practice of some Presbyteries in the north of Ireland, viz., their ordaining men to the ministry sine titulo immediately before they come over hither, thereby depriving us of our just rights, viz., that we, unto whom they are designed to be co-presbyters, and among whom they design to bestow their labors, should have just and fair inspecting into their qualifications; we say it seems necessary that the Synod bear testimony against such practice by writing home to the General Synod, thereby signifying our dissatisfaction with the same. . . . The Synod do agree that no minister ordained in Ireland sine titulo be for the future received to the exercise of his ministry among us until he submit to such trials as the Presbytery among whom he resides shall think proper to order and appoint. And that the Synod do also advertise the General Synod in Ireland that the ordaining any such to the ministry sine titulo, before their sending them hither, for the future will be very disagreeable and disobliging to us.-1735, p. 119.

b. A question was proposed, Whether it be proper to ordain to the ministry sine titulo, except for some particular mission? The consideration of which is deferred till our next sederunt.-1762, p. 314.

The question, Ought ministers to be ordained sine titulo?-i. e., without relation or probable view had to a particular charge-resumed, and after further deliberation, we judge as follows: