at least the elders and those appointed to take care of the temporal concerns of that church, should come forward to their pastor and give him their right hand in token of cordial reception and affectionate regard.

1. A Pastoral Relation without Installment Recognized.

It appears evident to this Synod that Mr. Tennent having in all respects acted, and been esteemed, and looked upon, not only by this Synod, but also by the congregation, of Neshaminy, and particularly by the appellants themselves, as the minister and pastor of the people of Neshaminy, that he is still to be esteemed as the pastor of that people, notwithstanding the want of a formal installment among them; which omission, though the Synod doth not justify, yet it is far from nullifying the pastoral relation between Mr. Tennent and said people.-1736, p. 127.

CHAPTER XVII.

OF RESIGNING A PASTORAL CHARGE.

WHEN any minister shall labor under such grievances in his congregation as that he shall desire leave to resign his pastoral charge, the Presbytery shall cite the congregation to appear by their commissioner at their next meeting to show cause, if any they have, why the Presbytery should not accept the resignation. If the congregation fail to appear, or if their reasons for retaining their pastor be deemed by the Presbytery insufficient, he shall have leave granted to resign his pastoral charge, of which due record shall be made; and that church shall be held to be vacant till supplied again in an orderly manner with another minister; and if any congregation shall desire to be released from their pastor, a similar process, mutatis mutandis, shall be observed.

1. Whether the Relation shall be Dissolved at the Meeting where the Request is made left to the Discretion of the Presbytery. The Committee on overture No. 9, viz.: Advice asked respecting the following question of order by the Presbytery of Otsego, "Is it contrary to chapter xvii., of the Form of Government, for a Presbytery to dissolve the connection between a minister and his congregation at the time when he presents his request for his dissolution, and the congregation joins issue by commissioners duly appointed for that purpose?" made the following report, which was adopted, viz. :

Resolved, That it is not expedient for this Assembly to give a decided answer to the question, but to leave every Presbytery to act according to their own discretion in the premises.-1832, p. 373.

2. The Rule should be Rigidly Observed.

Also overture No. 24. A communication from the Rev. James Latta and others in relation to the hasty and irregular dissolution of the pastoral relation.

The Committee recommend the adoption of the following:

Resolved, That article xvii. of our Form of Government, in spirit and letter, should be rigidly regarded by all pastors and churches, and enforced by our Presbyteries.-1862, p. 622, O. S.

3. If the Parties are Agreed, the Relation may be Dissolved at the first Meeting.

Overture from the Synod of New Jersey, proposing the following query: "Is it the intent of chapter xvii., of the Form of Government, that a minister desiring to resign his pastoral charge shall in all cases first make his request known to the Presbytery?"

The Committee recommend that it be answered in the negative, for the reason that chap. xvi., sec. ii., provides that where the parties are prepared for the dissolution of a pastoral relation it may be dissolved at the first meeting of Presbytery. Adopted.-1866, p. 47, O. S.

4. A Meeting of the Congregation without the Presence and Cooperation of the Pastor Valid, he having Requested the Dissolution.

Case No. 4, the complaint of the Rev. W. P. Carson against Synod of Iowa, for dismissing his complaint against the Presbytery of Dubuque. The Presbytery, upon application both of the pastor and the congregation, dissolved the pastoral relation, and Mr. Carson complained to Synod, on the ground that the session and trustees united in calling the meeting of the congregation, without the presence or co-operation of the pastor, at which action was taken asking for the dissolution of the pastoral relation. The Committee recommend that the complaint be dismissed, there being no sufficient ground of complaint.

The report was adopted.-1868, p. 612, O. S.

5. Where a Synod on Appeal Dissolves the Pastoral Relation on the Petition of a Minority, it is Sustained.

The Rev. George S. Mott, chairman, presented the report of the commission on Judicial Case No. 2, which was adopted, and is as follows:

The commission appointed by the Assembly to issue Judicial Case No. 2 makes the following report:

This case originated in a petition presented to the Presbytery of Ohio, December 27, 1866, asking the dissolution of the pastoral relation existing between the Rev. William Hunter and the church of Hopewell. The reasons of this petition were based upon troubles in the congregation which arose out of a state of things upon which Presbytery and Synod had already acted. This petition was signed by a minority. A counter petition was presented from a large majority of the congregation, begging the continuance of the pastoral relation. Presbytery refused by a small majority to dissolve the relation. The case was then taken by a complaint of the minority of the congregation to the Synod of Pittsburg. Synod sustained the complaint by a vote of 50 yeas to 11 nays, and by a unanimous vote directed the Presbytery of Ohio to dissolve the pastoral relation. From this action of Synod an appeal is made to the Assembly by Joseph Connell, of the church of Hopewell, for the following reasons:

1. Because the pastoral relation between the Rev. William Hunter and the congregation is ordered to be dissolved on the petition of less than onefourth of the members of the congregation, greatly against the will of the congregation and to our injury, and in contravention of our Christian and constitutional rights.

2. Because the petitioners were not only a small minority, but because some of them were not members of the congregation; and those who were members had lost their status, they having for more than a year neither communed in the church nor contributed their just proportion of the expenses of the congregation.

3. Because the decision of Synod is highly injurious to the pastor as well as to the congregation, and hurtful also to the cause of truth, righteousness and equity, as taught in the holy Scriptures and assured to congregations and pastors by our Church standards.

All the papers and records relating to the case were read before the commission, and all the parties desiring a hearing were heard.

It appeared that the principal cause, if not the origin, of these difficulties, was the use of harsh and intemperate language on the part of Mr. Hunter toward some of his parishioners. This led to charges and a trial before the Presbytery, the result of which was an admonition to Mr. Hunter to "restrain his temper and cultivate a meek and quiet spirit." In connection with this trial the request of petitioners for the removal of Mr. Hunter was granted and the pastoral relation dissolved. From this act of dissolution Mr. Hunter appealed to Synod, who sustained his appeal on account of deficiency in the records.

A new application for the dissolution of the pastoral relation was then made to Presbytery by the discontented minority, based upon the existing troubles, which was refused, as already stated, by a small majority of Presbytery, but granted by a unanimous vote of Synod.

The facts and statements of the parties satisfied your commission that, while a majority of the congregation clung to Mr. Hunter, he had taken such a course as to alienate a part of the people and seriously to impair his usefulness in that congregation. The matter has been for two years before Presbytery, and they have sought to secure a reconciliation by sending Committees to confer with the people, but to no purpose. the case has become so complicated in Presbytery as to divide that body about equally. When Synod came to decide upon the merits of the case, their judgment was unanimous against the continuance of the pastoral relation.

And

Your commission had this case several days before them, and bestowed upon it careful consideration, and have unanimously determined to report to the Assembly that the sense of this commission is that the interests of the church of Hopewell require the dissolution of the pastoral relation, and that they agree with the decision of Synod, and they recommend the following minute:

This Assembly recognizes the right of each congregation to decide whether a pastor is acceptable to them, and the wishes of a majority are. to be set aside only for weighty reasons; yet such a state of things may exist between the pastor and a portion of his people as shall require, for the fair name of religion, that the relation be dissolved; and for this reason the appeal and complaint of Joseph Connell against the Synod of Pittsburg is not sustained.—1868, pp. 648, 649, O. S.

CHAPTER XVIII.

OF MISSIONS.

WHEN vacancies become so numerous in any Presbytery that they cannot be supplied with the frequent administration of the word and ordinances, it shall be proper for such Presbytery, or any vacant congregation within our bounds, with the leave of the Presbytery, to apply to any other Presbytery, or to any Synod, or to the General Assembly for such assistance as they can afford. And when any Presbytery shall send any of their ministers or probationers to distant vacancies, the missionary shall be ready to produce his credentials to the Presbytery or Presbyteries through the bounds of which he may pass, or at least to a Committee thereof, and obtain their approbation. And the General Assembly may of their own knowledge send missions to any part to plant churches, or to supply vacancies, and for this purpose may direct any Presbytery to ordain evangelists or ministers without relation to particular churches, provided always that such missions be made with the consent of the parties appointed, and that the judicatory sending them make the necessary provision for their support and reward in the performance of this service.

[For a full account of the earlier missions of the Church, and of the origin and progress of the work culminating in the present Board of Home Missions, see New Digest, pp. 319-341, and annual minutes, N. S., from 1861 to 1869; also, Assembly's Digest, Baird's Collection, Rev. Ed., pp. 321-360, with annual minutes, O. S., from 1858 to 1869.]

1. The Standing Committee of Missions Appointed.

Resolved, 1. That a Committee be chosen annually by the General Assembly to be denominated the Standing Committee of Missions; that the Committee shall consist of seven members, of whom four shall be clergymen and three laymen; that a majority of this Committee shall be a quorum to do business; that it shall be the duty of this Committee to collect, during the recess of the Assembly, all the information in their power relative to the concerns of missions and missionaries, to digest this information and report thereon at each meeting of the Assembly; to designate the places where and to specify the periods during which the missionaries should be employed; to correspond with them if necessary and with all other persons on missionary business; to nominate missionaries to the Assembly and report the number which the funds will permit to be employed; to hear the reports of the missionaries and make a statement thereon to the Assembly relative to the diligence, fidelity and success of the missionaries, the sums due to each, and such parts of their reports as may be proper for the Assembly to hear in detail; to ascertain annually whether any money remains with the trustees of the college of New Jersey which ought to be used for missionary purposes, agreeably to the last

will of James Leslie, deceased; that they also engage a suitable person annually to preach a missionary sermon on the Monday evening next after the opening of the General Assembly, at which a collection shall be made for the support of missions, and superintend generally under the direction of the Assembly the missionary business.

2. That although this Standing Committee shall be elected annually, yet each Committee shall continue in office till the end of the sessions of that Assembly which succeeds the one by which the said Committee was chosen.

3. That this Standing Committee of missions, in addition to the duties. above specified, shall be and they hereby are empowered to direct the trustees of the General Assembly, during the recess of the Assembly, to issue warrants for any sums of money which may become due in consequence of contracts, appropriations or assignments of duty made by the Assembly, and for which orders may have not been issued by the Assembly, and on this subject the Committee shall report annually to the Assembly.-1802, p. 258.

In 1805, p. 345, the number of the Committee resident in or near the city of Philadelphia was increased to ten, and one other member added for each Synod, making in the whole seventeen. In 1816 the Committee was enlarged, and the title changed to

2. The Board of Missions.

1. That the style of the Committee be changed for that of the "Board of Missions, acting under the authority of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States."

2. That the Board of Missions be enlarged by the addition of the Rev. John B. Romeyn, D. D., Samuel Miller, D. D., and Messrs. Samuel Bayard, Robert Ralston, Robert Lenox, John R. B. Rodgers, John E. Caldwell, Divie Bethune and Zachariah Lewis.

3. That, in addition to the powers already granted by the Committee of Missions, the Board of Missions be authorized to appoint missionaries whenever they may deem it proper, to make such advances to missionaries as may be judged necessary, and to pay balances due to missionaries who have fulfilled their missions, whenever in their judgment the particular circumstances of the missionaries may require it.

4. That the Board be authorized and directed to take measures for establishing throughout our churches auxiliary missionary societies, and that the General Assembly recommend to their people the establishment of such societies to aid the funds and extend the operations of the Board.

5. That the members of the Board of Missions be annually chosen by the Assembly, and that they continue in office until the rising of the next General Assembly, when they are to be succeeded by the persons chosen for the current year.

The Committee further report, that while deliberating on the subject referred to them, they at first thought it would be expedient for this Assembly to present to the consideration of their churches the importance of foreign missions, and to direct the Board to take measures for commencing and carrying on such missions, but on mature reflection they are inclined to believe that the union of foreign with domestic missions would produce too great complexity in the affairs of the Board, and render the pressure of business too severe and burdensome. And this consideration is strengthened by the belief which they indulge that a new society for conducting