that Christians are ready, to some extent, to make sacrifices in the cause of Christ.

"2. That the Assembly recognize with pain the fact, that while some have done so nobly and so well, yet the number of contributors to the cause, compared with the whole number in our communion, is lamentably small, the largest portion, by far, of our communicants withholding their contributious altogether.

"3. That it be recommended to our Synods, Presbyteries, and church Sessions to devise, if possible, some method by which a more general application shall be made to every member of the Church; so that our whole Church may be engaged to take a part in the glorious enterprise of reclaiming the world to Christ.

"4. That it be commended to the attention of pastors and stated preachers in our Church to consider well if more cannot be done by them in the advocacy of benevolent action, and in the collection of funds, than has hitherto been attempted; the Assembly being fully satisfied that no person can be so well qualified to judge what are the best means to be employed in any given case as the pastor of the congregation.

665.

"6. That this Assembly are fully satisfied that neither of these enterprises is in a condition at present to dispense with the employment of agents, yet they are fully satisfied that a much smaller number would be demanded, and those employed enabled to extend their labors, each to a much larger field, if a portion of the labor in collecting funds could be performed by collectors, male and female, appointed in each congregation for the purpose. They therefore recommend to pastors, Sessions, and friends of the cause generally, such organizations in the respective congregations as shall bring the leading enterprises of benevolence before every member of the Church, without the personal application of an agent every year."-Minutes, 1840, pp. 21, 22.

"American Systematic Beneficence Society" commended.

"Resolved, 1. That the subject of systematic beneficence be earnestly commended to the attention and action of our churches.

"2. That 'The American Systematic Beneficence' Society, already organized in Philadelphia, be commended to the co-operation of all our Synods, Presbyteries, and Sessions."-Minutes, 1856, pp. 195, 196.

CHAPTER X.

THE PERMANENT COMMITTEES.

"Resolved, That the committees appointed at the opening of each Assembly be called Standing Committees, and those outside of the Assembly, Permanent Committees."—Minutes, 1856, p. 192.

SECTION 1.-PRELIMINARY ACTION.

1. Reports of committees in 1849 and 1850, looking to raising up ministers, gathering and organizing churches, and building church edifices.-2. A full report on Church extension. The American Home Missionary Society recommended. Each Presbytery to appoint a standing committee on Church extension, and to take the oversight of the work within their own bounds. The Home Missionary Society requested not to require the official sanction of any of its agents to a Presbyterial application. Exploring missionaries encouraged. Committee of Conference with the American Home Missionary Society.-3. Report of the Committee of Conference.

1. Preliminary Action.

"The committee to whom was referred the report of the committee of the last Assembly on Home Missions, reported the following resolutions, which, after much discussion, were adopted:

"1. Resolved, That the Providence of God, as indicated in the wonderful improvements of the age, in the commotions of the Old World, the influx of foreigners, and the unparalleled increase of population in our extensive and extending country, calls for the entire consecration and most self-denying and efficient action of the Christian ministry.

"2. That the friends of Christ are called upon to use all wise and Christian means to raise up ministers, and meet the emergencies of coming years.

"3. That our Presbyteries are admonished to secure, so far as possible, a good supply for all the feeble churches under their care, and to gather congregations and organize churches in the towns and settlements in which it may be practicable; either by employing a permanent missionary agent, or by such other means as the circumstances and necessities of these destitute fields demand.

"4. That those ministers who preach to two or more congregations should use their best endeavors to induce the elders of the churches to hold Sabbath-schools, in connection with some form of religious worship, at a regular hour every Sabbath-day, when their ministers cannot be present.

"5. That we should make efforts to induce the children of immigrants to attend our Sabbath-schools, and the adults, our congregations; and when they are converted, to join our churches, or to organize churches of their own in connection with us; that, as soon as possible, they may be Americanized in their language and feelings, and become evangelical in their religion.

"6. That every congregation which has no church edifice should, without unnecessary delay, build themselves a suitable house of worship; that generally this should be done by their own exertions, or by such aid only as can be secured in their own vicinity.

"But if, in any case, a church or churches of a district of country really need assistance from abroad, then the strong ought to help bear the burdens of the weak; and, in all such cases, those asking aid should bear such testimonials from the Synods to which they belong that the benefactors may know that their charities will be well bestowed."— Minutes, 1849, p. 178.

Church Extension.

a. "The following resolutions were then adopted on the subject of home missions:

"1. "Resolved, That in the last command of Christ to his disciples. we recognize a command obligatory on our branch of the Church, to preach the Gospel and establish religious institutions throughout the entire extent of our national domain, as far, and as fast, as that domain becomes inhabited.

"2. Resolved, That our Presbyteries be recommended to take such action within their respective bounds that, either by themselves, or by

the aid of the Home Missionary Society, new churches may be organized wherever circumstances will permit, and the stated preaching of the Gospel be supplied in churches now destitute, as speedily as possible."Minutes, 1850, p. 315.

Church Erection.

b. 3. “Resolved, That it be recommended to all our churches to strive earnestly to render our religious institutions permanent, by the erection of church edifices, and the settlement of pastors, whenever this can be done; and in this work the older and wealthier churches ought to cooperate with the younger and feebler.”—Ibid.

Education.

c. “4. Resolved, That the searching out and bringing forward of young men, of hopeful piety and talent, as candidates for the Gospel ministry, is an integral and essential part of the missionary enterprise, and, as such, demands the constant vigilance and untiring efforts of the ministers and elders of our churches in all parts of the land.”—Ibid.

2. A full Report on the general subject of Church Extension. "The whole subject [of Church extension] was accordingly referred to a special committee, consisting of the Rev. Thornton A. Mills, Rev. Nathan S. S. Beman, D.D., Rev. Frederick A. Ross, Rev. Artemas Bullard, D.D., Rev. Asa D. Smith, D.D., Rev. D. Howe Allen, D.D., Rev. James B. Townsend, Rev. Samuel W. Fisher, and Rev. Robert W. Patterson; four of whom to form a quorum."-Minutes, 1851, p. 29. [The report of the committee was the next year presented, amended, and adopted, viz. :]

"To promote more extensively the work of domestic missions, the General Assembly hereby adopts the following arrangement:

"1. The American Home Missionary Society is hereby recommended to the Presbyteries as the agency through which, as heretofore, the work of domestic missions shall be done; and the Presbyteries and Synods are requested to adopt, as far as they may deem proper in their circumstances, the following or similar arrangements:

"2. Each Presbytery shall elect a Standing Committee on Church

Extension to serve one year, and continue in office till successors are appointed, who shall, under its direction, attend to the general interests of this work within its bounds.

"3. Each Presbytery shall see that, by its own ministers or other suitable agency, the claims of home missions shall be presented annually to each of its churches, and that proper efforts are made to bring their liberality into free and becoming exercise towards this cause; these contributions to be paid into the treasury of the American Home Missionary Society, or any of its auxiliaries, and to be raised with as little expense to that Society as possible.

"4. Each Presbytery shall recommend all applications for aid from any of its churches; and shall be careful to see that the amount asked for is the lowest which will fairly answer the purpose. And it is recommended, that the appropriations sought be diminished from year to year, if it can be safely done, that the churches may be brought to a self-sustaining standard as soon as possible.

"5. The American Home Missionary Society is hereby requested to arrange its system of appropriations, so that applications made by any Presbytery for its churches shall not require the official sanction of any agent of that Society. It is not intended, however, by this recommendation, to abridge the right of the Society to obtain information as to such applications, or to use its full discretion as to granting them in whole or in part.

"6. Each Presbytery, whose circumstances as to territory, churches, and numbers demand it, is recommended to appoint an itinerant missionary within its bounds. Or each Synod, where it is best that two or more, or all, of its Presbyteries shall be united in this work, is recommended to appoint such a missionary, whose duty it shall be to act as a travelling evangelist, after the scriptural pattern, to explore destitute fields; to prepare the way for the formation of new churches by the Presbyteries; to seek for ministers to take charge of them; to assist and direct in building houses of worship in destitute places; and in all other suitable ways, under the direction of Presbyterial or Synodical committees, promote the work of Church extension.

"7. Each Synod shall appoint yearly a Church Extension Cemmittee, whose duty it shall be to take the supervision of any agencies which shall be established, to arrange and carry out some plan to aid in the erection of churches in destitute places, to conduct the home missionary business of the Synod generally, and make a full report at each meeting.