Hence, cases may occur in which, as in the case of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, it may be proper to baptize a person who does not expect immediately to connect himself with any particular church. But inasmuch as it was the obvious intent of the Saviour that all his disciples should be associated in local churches, and inasmuch as we cannot obey one of his commandments, that requiring us to remember him at his table, without such connection: therefore, your Committee believe that in no ordinary circumstances can a person give good evidence of a readiness to obey Christ in all things, who, having the opportunity, does not connect himself with some particular branch of the visible body of Christ. In the practice of our Church, and according to her standards, baptism is manifestly regarded as a part of the general profession of faith in, and obedience to, Christ, which constitute his initiation into the visible Church, and into some particular branch of it; and in no ordinary case ought the several parts of this solemn profession to be separated.-1860, p. 244, N. S. [See Form of Government, chap. ix., sec. vi., 5.]

2. To Admit to Sealing Ordinances belongs Exclusively to the Session. Forms of Admission.

Overture No. 38, from the Presbytery of Brooklyn, on the methods of receiving members to the communion of our churches and urging the importance of uniformity in these methods, as well as calling attention to serious and hurtful evils" growing out of a disregard of the teachings of our standards on this subject.

The following answer is recommended by the Committee:

1. That the admission of persons to sealing ordinances is confided, by the Form of Government, really and exclusively to the church session.

2. That any forms, for publicly recognizing those who have been thus admitted to sealing ordinances, should keep in view the principle thus declared, and should give effect to the distinction, so clearly laid down by our standards, between admitting the children of the Church to the Lord's table, and the unbaptized to membership in the Church.

3. That it be referred to a Committee of five, to report to the next General Assembly, whether it is desirable to propose uniform methods of publicly recognizing these classes of persons respectively, and, if they deem it desirable, to prepare such forms as may seem to them most appropriate. Adopted.-1872, p. 89.

The Committee reported, and the further consideration of the report was referred to the next Assembly.-1873, p. 549.

CHAPTER XI.

OF THE MODE OF INFLICTING AND REMOVING CENSURES.

I. The power which Christ has given the rulers of his Church is for edification, and not destruction. When, therefore, a communicant shall have been found guilty of a fault deserving censure, the judicatory shall proceed with all tenderness, and restore the offending brother in the spirit of meekness, its members considering themselves, lest they also be tempted. Censure ought to be inflicted with great solemnity, that it may be the means of impressing the mind of the delinquent with a proper sense of his sin; and that, with the divine blessing, it may lead him to repentance.

II. When the judicatory has resolved to pass sentence suspending a communicant from church privileges, the moderator shall pronounce the sentence in the following form:

"Whereas, you have been found guilty [by your own confession, m by sufficient proof, as the case may be] of the sin of [here mention the particular offence], we declare you suspended from the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, till you give satisfactory evidence of repentance."

To this shall be added such advice, admonition, or rebuke, as may be judged necessary; and the whole shall be concluded with prayer to Almighty God, that he would follow this act of discipline with his blessing. In general, such censure should be inflicted in the presence of the judicatory only; but, if the judicatory think it expedient to rebuke the offender publicly, this solemn suspension may be in the presence of the church.

III. After a person has been thus suspended, the minister and elders should frequently converse with him, as well as pray for him in private, that it would please God to give him repentance. And, particularly on days preparatory to the dispensing of the Lord's Supper, the prayers of the church should be offered up for those who have shut themselves out from this holy communion.

IV. When the judicatory shall be satisfied as to the reality of the repentance of any suspended member, he shall be allowed to profes

his repentance, and be restored to fellowship in the presence of the Session, or of the church.

V. When a suspended person has failed to manifest repentance for his offence, and has continued in obstinate impenitence not less than a year, it may become the duty of the judicatory to excommunicate him without further trial. The design of excommunication is to operate upon the offender as a means of reclaiming him, to deliver the church from the scandal of his offence, and to inspire all with fear by the example of his punishment.

VI. When a judgment of excommunication is to be executed, with or without previous suspension, it is proper that the sentence be publicly pronounced against the offender.

The minister shall, therefore, at a regular meeting of the church, make a brief statement of the several steps which have been taken, with respect to the offender, announcing that it has been found necessary to excommunicate him.

He shall begin by showing (from Matt. xviii. 15, 16, 17, 18; 1 Cor. v. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) the power of the church to cast out unworthy members, and shall briefly explain the nature, use, and consequences of this

censure.

Then he shall pronounce the sentence in the following or like form -viz.:

"Whereas, A. B. hath been, by sufficient proof, convicted of [here insert the sin], and after much admonition and prayer, refuseth to hear the church, and hath manifested no evidence of repentance; therefore, in the name and by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pronounce him to be excluded from the communion of this church."

After which prayer shall be made for the conviction and reformation of the excommunicated person, and for the establishment of all true believers.

But the judicatory may omit the publication of the excommunication, when it judges that there is sufficient reason for such omission.

VII. When an excommunicated person shall be so affected by his state as to be brought to repentance, and desires to be readmitted to the privileges of the church, the Session of the church which excommunicated him, having obtained, and placed on record, sufficient evidence of his sincere repentance and deep contrition, shall proceed to restore him, recording, in explicit terms, the grounds on which such conclusion has been reached.

The sentence of restoration shall be pronounced by the minister, at a regular meeting of the church on the Lord's day, in the following words:

"Whereas, A. B. has been excluded from the communion of the church, but has now given satisfactory evidence of repentance; in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by his authority, I declare him absolved from the sentence of excommunication formerly pronounced against him; and I do restore him to the communion of the church, that he may be a partaker of all the benefits of the Lord Jesus, to his eternal salvation."

After which he shall be commended to God in prayer.

VIII. Censures, other than suspension from church privileges, or excommunication, shall be inflicted in such mode as the judicatory may direct.

CHAPTER XII.

OF THE SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGE.

I. MARRIAGE is not a sacrament; nor peculiar to the Church of Christ. It is proper that every commonwealth, for the good of society, make laws to regulate marriage; which all citizens are bound to obey.

II. Christians ought to marry in the Lord; therefore it is fit that their marriage be solemnized by a lawful minister; that special instruction may be given them, and suitable prayers made, when they enter into this relation.

1. Marriage Solemnized by Licentiates.

That while our Form of Government does not recognize licentiates as ministers of the gospel, yet this Assembly do not consider them as violating any rules of the Church by solemnizing marriage in those States where the civil laws expressly authorize them to do it.-1844, p. 377, O. S.

2. Marrying in the Lord Defined.

It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry who are able with judgment to give their consent, yet it is the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord. And, therefore, such as profess the true reformed religion should not marry with infidels, papists or other idolaters: neither should such as are godly be unequally yoked, by marrying with such as are notoriously

wicked in their life, or maintain damnable heresies.-Confession of Faith, chap. xxiv., iii.

3. Marriage of Heathen Converts.-The Presbyteries to Judge. A memorial from the Presbytery of Ningpo, in China, asking for advice from this General Assembly on the subject of the marriage of professing Christians with the heathen.

The Committee recommended that it be answered as follows:

In performing the work of missions among the heathen, many difficulties will arise which will require great wisdom and forbearance, and which can only be overcome by a wise application of scriptural rules. Of this kind are the cases respecting marriage, which will frequently occur so long as the great majority of the people are heathen. And this application of these rules must be made with a sound discretion, and be very much modified by particular circumstances. That the apostolical direction, "be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers," is the advice of the Lord by the apostle, and is to be observed carefully in all cases, as far as practicable, is true. But like other divine injunctions, it must be applied in all cases with due consideration of circumstances. It is not, therefore, in the circumstances stated in the overture, to be regarded as sinful universally and necessarily for a Christian to marry a heathen; nor is a Christian to be subjected to discipline on this account, unless the circumstances show criminality and require the infliction of censure, of which circumstances the missionaries are the best judges. [The overture was] referred back to the Presbytery of Ningpo.-1850, pp. 458, 482, O. S.

III. Marriage is to be between one man and one woman only: and they are not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity prohibited by the word of God.

Marriage is to be between one man and one woman; neither is it lawful for any man to have more than one wife, nor for any woman to have more than one husband at the same time.-Confession of Faith, chap. xxiv., i.

1. Questions of Marriage of Divorced Persons. Adultery or fornication, committed after a contract, being detected before marriage, giveth just occasion to the innocent party to dissolve that contract. In the case of adultery after marriage, it is lawful for the innocent party to sue out a divorce, and after the divorce to marry another, as if the offending party were dead.-Confession of Faith, chap. xxiv., v. 2. A Minister, having Married again, Required to Cease Officiating until Proof is Furnished of the Death of his Wife. The business concerning Mr. Van Vleck and his people again taken into consideration.

It was concluded that after the Presbytery had examined the several evidences brought in relation to the crime of bigamy, alleged against Mr. Van Vleck, as also the exceptions offered by the said Van Vleck against the evidences and in vindication of himself, the Presbytery not finding the evidences clear and positive enough to prove the crime against him, and yet Mr. Van Vleck's vindication not sufficient to take off the scandal wholly, do therefore, till such time as Mr. Van Vleck bring satisfying proof of his first wife's death, for the honor of the gospel, advise that he