not to prevent their union; especially as many of the present members have entered into the ministry since the time of the aforesaid religious appearances.

'Upon the whole, as the design of our union is the advancement of the Mediator's kingdom, and as the wise and faithful discharge of the ministerial function is the principal appointed mean for that glorious end, we judge that this is a proper occasion to manifest our sincere intention unitedly to exert ourselves to fulfil the ministry we have received of the Lord Jesus. Accordingly, we unanimously declare our serious and fixed resolution, by divine aid, to take heed to ourselves that our hearts be upright, our discourse edifying, and our lives exemplary for purity and godliness; to take heed to our doctrine, that it be not only orthodox, but evangelical and spiritual, tending to awaken the secure to a suitable concern for their salvation, and to instruct and encourage sincere Christians, thus commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God; to cultivate peace and harmony among ourselves, and strengthen each other's hands in promoting the knowledge of divine truth, and diffusing the savor of piety among our people.

"Finally, we earnestly recommend it to all under our care, that instead of indulging a contentious disposition, they would love each other with a pure heart fervently, as brethren who profess subjection to the same Lord, adhere to the same faith, worship, and government, and entertain the same hope of glory. And we desire that they would improve the present union for their mutual edification, combine to strengthen the common interests of religion, and go hand in hand in the path of life; which we pray the God of all grace would please to effect, for Christ's sake. Amen.

"The Synod agree, that all former differences and disputes are laid aside and buried; and that no future inquiry or vote shall be proposed in this Synod concerning these things; but if any member seek a Synodical inquiry or declaration about any of the matters of our past differences, it shall be deemed a censurable breach of this agreement, and be refused, and he be rebuked accordingly."-Minutes, 1758, p. 285, 288.

8. Constitution Amended and Adopted.

[In 1787, preparatory to forming the General Assembly, the Synod ordered a thorough revision of the standards, altering the articles excepted to in the Adopting Acts, and making such amendments as were found necessary. The Constitution as thus amended was adopted.]

Form of Government and Discipline, as Amended, Adopted.

"The Synod having fully considered the draught of the Form of Government and Discipline, did, on review of the whole, and hereby do, ratify and adopt the same, as now altered and amended, as the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in America, and order the same to be considered and strictly observed as the rule of their proceedings, by all the inferior judicatories belonging to the body. And they order that a correct copy be printed, and that the Westminster Confession of Faith, as now altered, be printed in full along with it, as making a part of the Constitution.

"Resolved, That the true intent and meaning of the above ratification by the Synod is, that the Form of Government and Discipline, and the Confession of Faith, as now ratified, is to continue to be our Constitution, and the Confession of our Faith and practice unalterable; unless two-thirds of the Presbyteries, under the care of the General Assembly, shall propose alterations or amendments, and such alterations or amendments shall be agreed to and enacted by the General Assembly."-Minutes, 1788, p. 546.

Directory as Amended Adopted. Larger and Shorter Catechisms Ratified as the Catechisms of the Church.

"The Synod having now revised and corrected the draught of a Directory for Worship, did approve and ratify the same, and do hereby appoint the said Directory, as now amended, to be the Directory for the worship of God in the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. They also took into consideration the Westminster Larger and Shorter Catechisms, and having made a small amendment of the Larger, did approve, and do hereby approve and ratify the said Catechisms, as now agreed on, as the Catechisms of the Presbyterian Church in the said United States. And the Synod order, that the said Directory and Catechisms be printed and bound up in the same volume with the Confession of Faith and the Form of Government and Discipline; and that the whole be considered as the standard of our doctrine, government, discipline, and worship, agreeably to the resolutions of the Synod at their present session."-Minutes, 1788, p. 547.

9. Proof Texts added by Order of the Assembly.

The committee appointed to consider the expediency of a new im

pression of the Confession of Faith, Form of Government and Discipline of this Church, reported that another impression appeared expedient, in which, if the Scripture proofs were inserted at length, it would become more acceptable, and might be of greater utility to the churches; and proposed that a committee be appointed properly to select and arrange the Scripture texts to be adduced in support of the articles in the Confession of Faith, Form of Government and Discipline, and prepare the same to be laid before the next General Assembly.

"Resolved, That Dr. Robert Smith, and Messrs. Mitchell and Grier, be a committee to carry the above into execution.”—Minutes, 1792, p. 59.

"A letter was received and read from Mr. Mitchell, one of the members of a committee appointed by the Assembly of 1792, to revise and prepare for publication an edition of the Confession of Faith, Catechisms, and Form of Government and Discipline of this Church, informing this Assembly that considerable progress had been made in the business, but that it was still incomplete. Whereupon the business was recommitted, and the Moderator [the Rev. James Latta], added to the committee in the place of the Rev. Dr. Robert Smith, deceased, and they were directed to report to the Assembly in 1794.”—Minutes, 1793, p. 66. [The letter was as follows:]

"UPPER OCTORARA, May 14th, 1793.

"THE REVEREND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

“Reverend FATHERS AND BRETHREN: The task assigned the Rev. Dr. Robert Smith, Mr. Grier, and myself, by the last General Assembly of our Church, was divided by your committee in the following manner: Doctor Smith undertook to adduce Scripture testimony in proof of the Larger Catechism, Mr. Grier the Shorter, and Mr. Mitchell the Confession of Faith and Church Government. Doctor Smith's remove from serving any longer in the Church militant, has left his part unfinished, and uncorrected (if correction it requires). I send his manuscript, and the printed book, which was the Doctor's property. Mr. Grier will inform the Reverend the General Assembly what progress he has made on his part. Your correspondent has completed the proofs for the Confession of Faith, and made some progress on Church Government, the first twelve chapters; but a severe pain in my right arm, attended with a paralysis in my hand, prevented me from finishing what I had inconsiderately undertaken. I hope I shall not tire nor repent of any poor

service I may be called to perform to the Church of Christ; but this was a herculean labor for the time assigned to do it in.

"The General Assembly will perceive my method, which was to mention the chapter in the Confession, with its title and the several sections it contains; then insert the small letters of the Roman alphabet in the printed copy, and these serve to direct to those texts of Scripture adduced to prove the subject, or any part of it, where they are placed. Those texts that appear to me to be the most adequate and suitable to the design, I have wrote out in full. Where I have viewed them as serving either as parallel, or corroborating, I have only set down book, chapter, and verse in figures. There may be lapsus pennce, which can be corrected when reviewed and examined. But these, with many other things, I submit to the Assembly's correction and inspection. Had it been pardonable, I should have taken the liberty to have altered some of the terms and phraseology in our translation, as more correspondent to the original; but to depart from established customs in religious matters is dangerous. I would also have abridged the proofs; but this would have raised a clamor among the people at large, that we had departed from the ancient faith. The printed copy belongs to the General Assembly, and accompanies my manuscript papers, together with the Scripture proofs on Church Government. May the great Head of the Church, the Lord Jesus Christ, be in the midst of you, to direct and assist you in all your consultations and deliberations for his glory and the prosperity of Zion. So prays your brother in the Gospel of Christ.

"A. MITCHELL.” Minutes, 1793, p. 66.

"The committee appointed to prepare the Scripture proofs in support of the doctrines of the Confession of Faith, the Catechisms, &c., of the Presbyterian Church, submitted their report, which was read, examined, and approved as a specimen of the work. Whereupon Dr. Green, Messrs. John B. Smith, James Boyd, William M. Tennent, Nathaniel Irwin, and Andrew Hunter, were appointed a committee to compare the proofs prepared by said committee, and now reported to the General Assembly, with the proofs annexed to the Westminster Confession of Faith, Catechisms, and Directory; to revise the whole, prepare it for the press, to agree with the printer for its publication, and to superintend the printing and vending of the same."—Minutes, 1794, p. 88.

10. Authority of the Notes. The Text alone contains the Constitution.

The committee to which was referred an inquiry, proposed to the Assembly by the Presbytery of Philadelphia, relative to the notes found in the book containing the Constitution, reported. Their report was adopted, viz.:

"That the book referred to was first published with nothing but the simple text, without any Scripture proofs, or any notes of any description whatsoever. This is evident not only from the minutes of the General Assembly, but from the numerous copies of this first edition of the standards of our Church which are now in existence. It is also equally evident, from examining the records of the General Assembly, that not a single note in the book has been added to or made a part of the Constitution of the Church, since it was first formed and published, in the manner above recited. Several alterations and additions have been made by referring them, when contemplated, to the Presbyteries for their decision thereon, in the manner pointed out in the Constitution itself. But among all the points thus referred, there is not found a single note which now appears in the book containing the Constitution of our Church. Hence it follows, beyond a doubt, that these notes are no part of that Constitution. If, then, it be inquired how these notes obtained the place which they now occupy, and what is the character, as to authority, which they possess, the answer is this: When a second edition of the standards of our Church was needed, it was thought by the General Assembly, that it would be of great use in itself, highly agreeable to the members of our Church generally, as well as conformable to the example of the Church of Scotland, from which we derive our origin, if the Scripture proofs were added in support of the several parts and clauses of the Confession of Faith, Catechisms, and Form of Government. A committee was accordingly appointed by the Assembly to select the Scripture proofs, and to prepare them for being printed in the second edition of the book. The work of this committee was, the following year, referred to another, and ultimately the committee charged with preparing the Scripture proofs reported, along with these proofs, the notes which now appear in the book, and which were approved by the General Assembly, and directed to be printed with the proofs, in the form in which they now appear. These notes, then, are explanations of some of the principles of the Presbyterian Church, given by the General Assembly, and which, of course, the General Assembly may modify or altogether ex