hereby directed to inquire of the different Sessions, whether a proper pastoral care be exercised over baptized children in their congregations; that they learn the principles of religion, and walk in newness of life before God; and that said Presbyteries do direct all Sessions that are delinquent in this respect, to attend to it carefully and without delay."-Minutes, 1809, p. 431.

To be Instructed as to their Duties.

b. "Resolved, That the General Assembly recommend, and they do hereby recommend to the pastors and Sessions of the different churches under their care, to assemble, as often as they may deem necessary during the year, the baptized children, with their parents, to recommend said children to God in prayer, explain to them the nature and obligations of their baptism, and the relation they sustain to the Church.". Minutes, 1818, p. 691.

Catechetical Instruction.

C. "The following resolutions on the subject of catechetical instruction were unanimously adopted, viz. :

"1. Resolved, That this General Assembly considers the practice of catechetical instruction as well adapted to the prosperity and purity of our Zion.

"2. Resolved, That this Assembly view also with deep regret the neglect, on the part of many of our churches, of this good old practice of our fathers, a practice which has been attended with such blessed results to the cause of pure and undefiled religion.

"3. Resolved, That the institution of Sabbath-schools does not exonerate ministers and parents from the duty of teaching the Shorter Catechism to the children of the Church.

"4. Resolved, That this Assembly earnestly and affectionately recommend to all the ministers and ruling elders in its connection to teach diligently the young of their respective congregations the Assembly's Shorter Catechism."-Minutes, 1849, p. 181.

6. Discipline of Baptized Children.

a. “How far, and in what sense, are persons who have been regularly baptized in infancy, and have not partaken of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, subject to the discipline of the Church?

"Resolved, That the public standards of this Church contain a sufficient answer to the question stated in the above reference."-Minutes, 1799, p. 171.

b. [The Book of the Synod of Kentucky] "contains a reference from said Synod to this Assembly of a case relative to the disciplining of bap tized persons arrived at maturity, not in communion.

"This reference was committed to Dr. Clark, Messrs. Nathan Grier and Picton, who were directed to report to the Assembly on the subject."-Minutes, 1811, p. 468.

"The committee

brought in their report; which was read, and

the subject indefinitely postponed."-Minutes, 1811, p. 475.

"Resolved, That Drs. Miller and Romeyn, and Rev. James Richards, be a committee to prepare and report to the next Assembly a full and complete answer to the following overture from the Synod of Kentucky, viz.:

"What steps should the Church take with a baptized youth, not in communion, but arrived at the age of maturity, should such youth prove disorderly and contumacious."-Minutes, 1811, p. 480.

"The committee appointed by the last Assembly to report to this Assembly on the subject of disciplining baptized children, reported, and the report was recommitted to the same committee for revision and publication; and it was

"Resolved, That the Assembly, without expressing any opinion on the principles it contains, recommend it to the serious consideration of all the Presbyteries and ministers, that in due time a decision may be had on the important subjects discussed in the report."-Minutes, 1812, p. 509.

c. [In 1814, the matter came up again, and it was]

"Resolved, That the whole subject be referred to a committee, to consider and report to the Assembly, what shall appear to them to be the correct method of procedure to be adopted relative thereto, in the circumstances in which it is now before the Assembly; and that Drs. Green, Woodhull, and Wilson, and Messrs. Caldwell and Connelly, be the committee."-Minutes, 1814, p. 543.

"The report on the subject of disciplining baptized children, which had at a former session of this Assembly been laid on the table, was again read, and recommitted to the same committee, with the addition of Drs. Griffin and Blatchford, and Messrs. Blackburn, Fisher, and Haslett."-Ib. p. 551.

"On motion,

"Resolved, That the committee appointed to report to the Assembly a correct method of procedure to be adopted relative to a report made by a former committee, on the subject of disciplining baptized children, be discharged.

"And they were accordingly discharged, and the subject was indefinitely postponed."—Ib. p. 567.

d. “A reference from the Presbytery of Fayetteville, on the subject of excommunicating a person who had been baptized, but had not been received into full communion with the Church, was overtured, and was committed to Dr. Miller, Messrs. Finley, Freeman, Cook, and Haslett.". Minutes, 1815, p. 578.

"The consideration of the report of the committee to which had been committed the reference of the Presbytery of Fayetteville, concerning the proper construction of the first article of the first chapter of the forms of process, relative to persons who have been baptized, but have not been admitted to the Lord's table, was resumed. After a long discussion of the subject, a motion was made and seconded for an indefinite postponement. The question being taken, was determined in the affirmative; and therefore the farther consideration of the subject was indefinitely postponed."-Ib. p. 589.

7. Mode of Baptism.

The committee to whom were referred Overtures 4 and 5, from the Synod of West Tennessee, made the following report, which was adopted, viz.: That two distinct questions are presented by the Synod:

1. "Is it expedient in the present state of the Church for a Presbyterian minister to baptize by immersion in any case?

2. "Is the baptism of the children of non-professing parents to be regarded as valid baptism?"

In relation to the first inquiry, the Confession of Faith, chap. xxviii, sec. 3, page 121, teaches as follows, viz.: "Dipping of the person into water is not necessary; but baptism is rightly administered by pouring or sprinkling of water upon the person." Your committee see no cause for adding anything to the doctrine of the Confession on this subject.

For a reply to the second inquiry, your committee refer to the Digest, part iv, chap. ii, sec. 1, on page 94, where the judgment of the Assembly in relation to it is fully recorded.-Minutes, 1834, p. 433.

[See ante, chap. iv, sec. 1, 3.]

8. On Baptism on a General Profession of Faith in Christ.

"The Committee on the Polity of the Church reported an answer to the following inquiry:

"Is it forbidden by our standards to baptize adult converts upon a general confession of faith in Christ, previous to their being received into a particular church, and assenting to its articles of faith?' as follows, viz. :

"A profession of faith in Christ and obedience to Him is all that is required in our standards of those who are out of the visible church, in order to their being baptized. (See Con. of Faith, chap. xxviii, sec. 4; Larger Cat., quest. 166; Shorter Cat., quest. 95.) 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."-Minutes, 1860, p. 244.

SECTION 2.-THE LORD'S SUPPER.

1. Administration permitted where there is no organized church.-2. Not ordinarily to be administered within the bounds of a congregation without the consent of the minister and Session.

1. Permitted where there is no organized Church.

"It was moved that the restriction laid by the last General Assembly on our missionaries, which confines them to administer the ordinance of

the Lord's Supper in such places only where there are church officers regularly appointed, be repealed, and it was repealed accordingly."Minutes, 1798, p. 146.

2. Not ordinarily to be administered within the bounds of a Congregation without consent of the Minister and Session.

"The committee to which was referred the appeal of the Rev. R. B. Dobbins, from the decision of the Synod of Kentucky, affirming a decision of the Presbytery of Ebenezer, in the cases of the Rev. William L. McCalla, and the Session of the Church of Augusta, reported, and the report being read, was adopted, and is as follows, viz.:

"While the Assembly, as a general principle, disapprove of the administration of the sacraments by one of their ministers within the bounds. of a congregation with which he is not connected, without the consent of the minister and Session of said congregation; yet under the peculiar local circumstances of the people, among which Mr. McCalla occasionally administered ordinances, the Assembly cannot decide that he deserves censure; therefore,

"Resolved, That the decision of the Synod of Kentucky, affirming a decision of the Presbytery of Ebenezer in regard to the complaint of the Rev. Mr. Dobbins, against the Rev. Mr. McCalla, be, and it hereby is, affirmed."-Minutes, 1824, p. 124.