Assembly to be established as standing rules shall be obligatory on the churches, it shall be necessary to transmit them to all the Presbyteries, and to receive the returns of at least a majority of the Presbyteries, in writing, approving thereof.' Standing rules in this section can refer only to one of the following objects: 1st. To articles of the Constitution which, when once established, are unalterable by the General Assembly; or 2d. To every rule or law enacted without any term of limitation expressed in the act. The latter meaning would draw after it consequences so extensive and injurious as forbid the Assembly to give the section that interpretation. It would reduce this Assembly to a mere committee to prepare business upon which the Presbyteries might act. It would undo, with few exceptions, all the rules that have been established by this Assembly since its first institution, and would prevent it forever from establishing any rule not limited by the terms of the act itself. Besides, standing rules, in the evident sense of the Constitution, cannot be predicated of any acts made by the Assembly and repealable by it, because they are limited, in their very nature, to the duration of a year, if it please the Assembly to exert the power inherent in it at all times to alter or annul them, and they continue to be rules only by the Assembly's not using its power of repeal. The law in question is no otherwise a standing rule than all other laws repealable by this Assembly."Minutes, 1799, p. 179.

SECTION 2.-OF THE PARTICULAR CHURCH.

1. A "Particular Church" defined.-2. How new Congregations are to be organized.-a. Application must be made to the Presbytery.-b. Order of proceeding in constituting a Church-c. Covenant to be entered into.-d. Ruling Elders and Deacons to be elected and ordained.—e. The newly formed Church to be reported to Presbytery.-f. In exceptional cases congregations may be formed without Ruling Elders.-3. Churches not to be organized without an order of Presbytery.

1. What is a particular Church?

a. "A particular Church consists of a number of professing Christians, with their offspring, voluntarily associated together for divine worship and godly living, agreeably to the Holy Scriptures, and submitting to a certain form of government."-Form of Gov., ch. ii, sec. 4.

b. The committee to whom was recommitted the report to the last Assembly on the organization of new churches, reported again, and their report was read and adopted, and is as follows, viz.:

That a particular Presbyterian Church, so far as adults are concerned, is constituted and organized, as such, by a number of individuals professing to walk together as the disciples of Jesus Christ, on the principles of the Confession of Faith and Form of Government of the Presbyterian Church, and the election and ordination of one or more ruling elders, who, by the ordination service, become the spiritual rulers of the persons voluntarily submitting themselves to their authority in the Lord. -Minutes, 1831, p. 325.

2. How new Congregations are to be organized.

a. This organization ought always to be made by application to the Presbytery within the bounds of which the church to be organized is found, unless this be exceedingly inconvenient, in which case it may be done by a duly authorized missionary, or a neighboring minister of the Gospel.

b. At the time appointed for the purpose, after prayer for divine direction and blessing, the presiding minister, or committee appointed by the Presbytery, should first receive from those persons to be organized into the new church, if they have been communicants in other churches, letters of dismission and recommendation; and in the next place, examine and admit to a profession of faith, such persons as may offer themselves, and may be judged suitable to be received on examination. If any of these persons, admitted to a profession on examination, have not been baptized, they should, in this stage of the business, be made the subject of Christian baptism.

c. The individuals ascertained in the foregoing manner to be desirous and prepared to associate as a church of Christ, should now, by some public formal act, such as rising, joining hands, or subscribing a written statement, agree and covenant to walk together in a church relation, according to the acknowledged doctrines and order of the Presbyterian Church.

d. The next step is to proceed to the election and ordination of ruling elders, in conformity with the directions given on this subject in the Form of Government of the Presbyterian Church.

Deacons are to be elected and ordained in like manner as in the case of ruling elders.-Minutes, 1831, p. 326.

e. When a church has been organized in the manner already described, report of the same should be made as soon as practicable to the Presbytery within whose bounds it is located. And when a missionary, or other minister of the Gospel, not specially appointed to the work by a Presbytery, has, in the manner above specified, organized a church, not within the known bounds of any Presbytery, the church thus organized should as soon as practicable make known to some Presbytery, with which it may be most naturally and conveniently connected, the time and manner of its organization, and desire to be received under the care of said Presbytery.

In cases in which churches are to be formed within the known boundaries of any Presbytery, it is most desirable that persons wishing to be organized as a Presbyterian Church should petition that Presbytery to receive them under its care for the purpose of organizing them in due form.

There may be people in destitute portions of our land who may be disposed to associate for the purpose of forming a Presbyterian congregation, when no minister of the Gospel can be obtained to aid them. The forming of associations for such a purpose, in the circumstances contemplated, should be considered not only as lawful, but highly commendable. And such associations when formed, should, as speedily as possible, take measures for obtaining the preaching of the Gospel, and for becoming organized as regular churches.-Minutes, 1831, p. 326.

f. "Cases may also occur in various places, in which a collection or association of people may desire the preaching of the Gospel, and be willing in whole or in part to support it, and yet may not have suitable men among them to sustain the office of ruling elders. Such people may and ought to obtain a preacher of the Gospel to labor among them, and occasionally to administer ordinances, under the direction of some Presbytery, till they shall find themselves in circumstances to make proper choice of ruling elders, and to have them regularly set apart to their office.”—Minutes, 1831, p. 326–7.

3. To organize Churches belongs to the Presbytery.

The committee to whom was referred Overture No. 14, viz., "Is a minister of the Gospel in our connection ex-officio authorized to organize churches in the bounds of Presbyteries, without any previous order

of Presbytery, directing such organization," made a report recommending the following resolution, which was adopted accordingly, viz. :

Resolved, That, except in frontier and destitute settlements, where, by Form of Government, chap. xv, sect. 15, it is made a part of the business of Evangelists to organize churches; and, except in cases where it is exceedingly inconvenient to make application to a Presbytery, for which provision is made in the act of Assembly of 1831, it is not the prerogative of a minister of the Gospel to organize churches without the previous action of some Presbytery directing or permitting it; since in Form of Government, chap. x, sect. 8, to form new congregations is enumerated among the powers of the Presbytery; and since in chap. iv, of Bishops or Pastors, no mention is made of any such power being lodged in the hands of an individual minister.-Minutes, 1833, p. 410.

SECTION 3.-MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH.

1. Universalists not to be admitted. Decision reaffirmed.-2. Persons refusing to present their children for baptism not to be refused communion; but the expediency of receiving them to membership left to the Session.-3. Postmasters officiating on the Sabbath to be excluded from communion. Decision reaffirmed.-4. Owners of stage coaches which run on the Sabbath ought not to be received to the communion of the Church.-5. Members to be admitted to the communion of the Church.-a. Only by an individual Session regularly constituted.-b. By the Session of that Church to which he will belong.-c. Undue haste is to be avoided.-6. Members by letter should produce a regular certificate of dismission.-7. Absent members whose residence is unknown.-a. Every member amenable to some tribunal.-b. Cannot avoid membership but by death or process.-c. Withdrawal irregularly from Church privileges censurable.d. Absent members not to be stricken from the roll.-e. But those who wilfully withdraw are to be suspended.-8. Members wishing to be released from their obligations. The provisions of the book sufficient.

1. Who may be received.

a. A question from the Synod of the Carolinas was introduced as follows, viz.:

"Are they who publicly profess a belief in the doctrine of the universal and actual salvation of the whole human race, or of the fallen angels, or both, through the mediation of Christ, to be admitted to the sealing ordinances of the Gospel?”

The Assembly determined that such persons should not be admitted. -Minutes, 1792, p. 60.

b. The consideration of Dr. McCorkle's letter was resumed. On the proposition in the letter, requesting a reconsideration of the sentence of the General Assembly, respecting the doctrine of universal salvation, passed at Carlisle in 1792, the Assembly unanimously agreed to adhere to the aforesaid decision. Minutes, 1794, p. 86.

2. Persons refusing to present their Children in Baptism not to be refused Communion; but the expediency of receiving them to be judged of by the Session.

The committee appointed on Overture No. 7, from the session of Union Grove church, Illinois, made the following report, which was adopted, viz.:

That two questions are submitted in this overture to the judgment of the Assembly, viz.:

1st. Is it the duty of Church Sessions to admit to membership persons who refuse to present their children to God in the ordinance of baptism?

2d. What is the duty of the Session in case of parents, members of the Church, who refuse from conscientious scruples to present their children for baptism?

For a reply to these questions, the Session are referred to the Digest, part iv, chap ii, sec. 7, p. 98, where the decision of the Assembly on the principle involved in both is recorded as follows:

"A letter also came, through the Committee of Overtures, from Bethuel Church, Esq., inquiring whether he may be admitted to occasional communion, whilst he has scruples concerning infant baptism.

"The letter from Bethuel Church, Esq., as overtured, was read, and the motion formerly made thus amended, 'That the Session of the church of Cambridge be permitted to receive Mr. Church upon satisfactory evidence of his good character, his scruples notwithstanding,' was taken up and agreed to."

But while it 'is clear, that persons otherwise of good Christian character, are not to be excluded from the communion of the Church, because they have scruples concerning infant baptism, there is in every case, where such persons apply for admission, a question as to the expediency of receiving them, upon which the Session of the Church must decide.-Minutes, 1834, p. 449.