"In what cases, except the one provided for in the seventeenth chapter of the Constitution of our Church, may a Presbytery ordain a man to the work of the Gospel ministry without a call to particular charge ?" -Minutes, 1810, p. 456.

This overture was referred to Drs. Miller and Green, Messrs. Nathan Grier, Anderson, and Campbell, as a committee.-Minutes, 1811, p. 464. This committee reported as follows, viz.:

"Whereas, there may exist cases in which it may be needful for Presbyteries to ordain without a regular call; but as the frequent exercise of this power may be dangerous to the Church, and as this case does not appear to be fully provided for in our Constitution and Book of Discipline

Resolved, That the following rule be submitted to the Presbyteries for their opinion and approbation, which, when sanctioned by a majority of the Presbyteries belonging to the Church, shall become a constitutional rule, viz. :

"That it shall be the duty of Presbyteries, when they think it necessary to ordain a candidate without a call to a particular congregation or congregations, to take the advice of their respective Synods, or of the General Assembly, before they proceed to this ordination."-Minutes, 1811, p. 474.

[Answered in the negative-11 to 7-and the subject dismissed.]Minutes, 1812, p. 494.

b. [In 1813 another rule was proposed], viz.: The rule proposed, and on which an affirmative or negative vote of the Presbyteries is required, is in the following words, viz. :

"It shall be the duty of Presbyteries, when they think it necessary to ordain a candidate without a call to a particular pastoral charge, to take the advice of a Synod, or of the General Assembly, before they proceed to such ordination.”—Minutes, 1813, p. 524.

[Of the Presbyteries answering this overture, twenty-six replied in the negative and four in the affirmative.]—Minutes, 1814, p. 558.

5. Censure of Synod for Ordination, sine titulo, not sustained. The records of the Synod of Illinois were, on the recommendation of the committee, approved, with the exception of a censure, on p. 209, of the action of Knox Presbytery, for ordaining a man when there was no call from any part of the Church.-Minutes, 1843, p. 17.

6. Ordination on the Sabbath.

An overture was received from the Presbytery of Orange, requesting the opinion of the General Assembly on the question, whether it be proper to ordain licentiates to the office of the Gospel ministry on the Sabbath day. The General Assembly think it would not be for edification to adopt a uniform rule on the subject. In general they think it is not expedient that ordinations should take place on the Sabbath; yet that there may be cases in which urgent or peculiar circumstances may demand them. The Assembly, therefore, judged it best to leave it to the Presbyteries to act, in this concern, as they may judge that their duty requires.-Minutes, 1821, p. 10.

7. Reordination of Methodist Ministers.

a. A petition was laid before the General Assembly from the Presbyterian Church in the Island of Bermuda, requesting the settlement of a Mr. Enoch Matson, an elder formerly connected with the Methodist Church, who was represented as willing to subscribe the doctrine, discipline, and government of the Presbyterian Church, accompanied with a request from the Presbytery of Baltimore, for direction in what manner to proceed in receiving him into this Church.

"The Assembly recommend to the Presbytery of Baltimore to proceed in receiving Mr. Matson to trials for the ministry, in the same manner as if no licensure or ordination by the Methodist Church had taken place."-Minutes, 1792, p. 56.

b. "The following question from the Commissioners of Hudson Presbytery was brought in through the Committee of Overtures, viz.:

"Ought a Methodist minister, applying to one of our Presbyteries, and proposing to put himself under their care and to adopt their standards, to be again ordained?

"On motion, it was agreed that a sufficient answer is already given to this question by the Assembly in their sessions of 1792, where they direct a Presbytery in a similar situation to proceed as though no ordination had taken place."-Minutes, 1800, p. 199.

8. These decisions reversed.

"The Committee of Overtures brought in the following resolution,

which, having been read and amended, was adopted, and is as follows, viz. :

"Resolved, That, in the opinion of this Assembly, the decisions of the General Assembly of 1792, and referred to by the Assembly of 1800, respecting the reordination of ministers regularly ordained in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and desiring to connect themselves with the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, however expedient at the time of its formation, ought not to be considered as a precedent to guide the future decisions of the judicatories of this Church; and that the Presbyteries under the care of this Assembly, when they receive into their connection an ordained minister from any other denomination, be careful to record the circumstances of the case and the reasons which induced them to receive such ordained minister."-Minutes, 1810, p. 441.

9. Rule in respect to receiving a Minister from another Church.

The consideration of the report of the committee to which had been referred the question of validity of ordination in the case of a Baptist elder, was resumed, and the report being read was adopted, and is as follows, viz.:

It is not among the principles or usages of the Presbyterian Church to consider the ordination of ministers by other Protestant churches as invalid; on the contrary, the Presbyterian Church has always considered the ordinations of most other Protestant churches as valid in themselves, and not to be repeated, when those who have received them become members of the Presbyterian Church. Nor is it perceived that there is any sufficient reason why the ordinations in the Baptist Church should not be considered as valid, and be sustained as such.

But while the Presbyterian Church can act as has now been stated in regard to ordinations, it is among those principles and usages which she regards as most sacred and important, to secure for her churches both a pious and a learned ministry, and she cannot admit of any usage, or exercise any apparent liberality, inconsistent with security in this essential particular. On the whole, therefore, the committee recommend the following resolution:

Resolved, That when applications are made by ministers of the Baptist or any other Protestant denomination, to be connected with the Presbyterian Church, the Presbytery to which the applications are made

shall require all the qualifications, both in regard to piety and learning, which are required of candidates for licensure or ordination of those who have originally belonged to the Presbyterian Church; and shall require the applicants from other denominations to continue their study and preparation till they are found on trial and examination to be qualified in learning and ability to teach in the manner required by our standards; but that when found to be thus qualified, it shall not be necessary to reordain the said applicants, but only to instal them when they are called to settle in Presbyterian congregations.-Minutes, 1821, p. 23.

a. The committee to whom was referred Overture No. 15, viz., on ordination by a deposed minister or by laymen, made the following report, which was adopted, viz.:

That this paper contains a letter from a minister in South Carolina to the stated clerk, requesting him to obtain a decision of the General Assembly on the question, "whether the ordination of a minister of the Gospel by the interposition of the hands of the laity is valid?" That the answer to this question should be in the negative is so obvious and evident, on all correct principles of ecclesiastical order, that your committee are of opinion that it is unnecessary for the General Assembly to give any further consideration to the subject.—Minutes, 1832, p. 366.

b. The committee on Overture No. 3, viz., a question from the Presbytery of Bethel, respecting holding communion with the followers of Wm. C. Davis, a deposed minister, and calling themselves Independent Presbyterians, reported that, in their judgment, the questions proposed in said overture ought to be answered in the negative. They, therefore, would recommend the adoption of the following resolution, viz. :

Resolved, That while this Assembly readily acknowledges the right of the Session to determine according to the Scriptures and the Constitution of our Church the qualifications for admission to sealing ordinances, yet they feel it to be their duty to declare that, in their judgment, the services of those who have received only lay-ordination, and of those who have been deposed from the Gospel ministry, are unscriptural and unwarrantable; and, therefore, an attendance on their ministrations cannot be in the order of the Gospel, and ought to be discouraged and discountenanced by every friend of the Redeemer's kingdom.-Minutes, 1833, p. 407.

CHAPTER IV.

THE SACRAMENT S.

SECTION 1.-BAPTISM.

1. By whom administered.-a. Baptism by an impostor invalid.—b. As also by a Unitarian.-c. And by a suspended Minister during his suspension.—Also, d. When administered by a deposed Minister.-e. Unworthiness of the Minister does not invalidate the ordinances dispensed by him; but the effect of irregularities to be judged of in each case by the Session.-2. Is Romish baptism Christian baptism? indefinitely postponed.-3. The parents or others presenting children for baptism.-a. To be examined as to character and knowledge.-b. And instructed in their duties.-c. Meaning of "a visible and credible profession" to be decided in each case by the proper judicatory.-d. Parents required to enter into an express engagement to perform their duties to the baptized.4. The subjects of baptism.-a. Slaves of Christian masters and mistresses may be baptized.-b. Christian slaves of unbelieving masters should have their children baptized.-c. It is the duty of Christian masters to present the children of their servants, and of Ministers to baptize them.-d. The period of infancy is not defined, but must be decided in each case by the proper authorities.-5. Pastoral care to be exercised over baptized children.-And catechetical instruction imparted.-6. Discipline of baptized persons, not communicants.-7. Mode of baptism.-8. Baptism not ordinarily to be administered to adult converts previous to their reception to a particular church.

1. By whom administered.

a. Whereas a certain person pretending, at Egg Harbor, to be a minister regularly ordained among the Presbyterians, under that character baptized some adults and infants, and it appearing to the Synod that his pretences were false, having at that time .no license or ordination, it is our opinion that all the Gospel ordinances he administered under that false and pretended character are null and void.—Minutes, 1752, p. 249.