that they cannot be supplied with the, frequent administration of the word and ordinances, it shall be proper for such presbytery, or any vacant congregation within their bounds, with the leave of the presbytery, to ap

and after prayer and singing a psalm adapted to the transaction, the congregation shall be dismissed with the usual benediction. SECT. VII. It is highly becoming, that after the solemnity of the installment, the heads of families of that congrega-ply to any other presbytery, or tion who are then present, or at least the elders, and those appointed to take care of the temporal concerns of that church, should come forward to their pastor, and give him their right hand, in token of cordial -reception and affectionate regard.

Chap. XVI.-Of resigning a pas

toral Charge.

to any synod, or to the general assembly, for such assistance as they can afford. And, when any presbytery shall send any of their ministers or probationers to distant vacancies, the missionary shall be ready to produce his credentials to the presbytery or presbyteries, thro' the bounds of which he may pass, or at least to a committee thereof, and obtain their approSECT. I. WHEN any minis-bation. And the general assemter shall labor under such griev-bly may, of their own knowl ances in his congregation, as edge,, send missions to any part that he shall desire leave to re- to plant churches, or to supply sign his pastoral charge, the vacancies: And, for this purpresbytery shall cite the congre- pose, may direct any presbytery gation to apppear, by their com-to ordain evangelists, or minismissioners, at their next meet-ters without relation to particuing, to shew cause, if any they lar churches: Provided always, have, why the presbytery should that such: missions be made not accept the resignation. If with the consent of the parties the congregation fail to appear, appointed; and that the judicaor if their reasons for retaining tory sending them, make the their pastor be deemed by the necessary provision for their presbytery insufficient, he shall support and reward in the perhave leave granted to resign his formance of this service. pastoral charge; of which due record shall be made, and that

Chap. XVIII.—of Moderators.

SECT. I. IT is equally neces sary in the judicatories of the

church shall be held to be vacant, till supplied again in an orderly manner, with another min-church, as in other assemblies, ister: And if any congregation that there should be a moderashall desire to be released from tor or president; that the busitheir pastor, a similar process, ness may be conducted with mutatis mutandis, shall be ob-order and dispath. served.

Chap. XVII-Of Mission:

WHEN vacancies becom (S numerous, in any presby 1uy

SECT. II. The moderator is to be considered as possessing, by delegation from the whole body, all authority necessary for the preservation of order; for

ter should be invited to preside: in which case, the pastor may, with the concurrence of the session, invite such other minister as they may see meet, belonging to the same presbytery, to preside in that affair. In this judicatory, therefore, the moderator is continual: but, in the vacancy of any church, the moderator shall be the minister sent to them by the presbytery; or invited by the session to preside on a par ticular occasion. In congregations, where there are colleagues, they shall, when present, alternately preside in the session,

convening and adjourning the judicatory; and directing its operations according to the rules of the church. He is to propose to the judicatory every subject of deliberation that comes before them. He may propose what appears to him the most regular and speedy way of bringing any business to issue. He shall prevent the members from interrupting each other; and require them, in speaking, always to address the chair. He shall prevent a speaker from deviating from the subject; and from using personal reflections. He shall silence those who refuse to obey order. He shall SECT. IV. The moderator of prevent members who attempt the presbytery shall be chosen to leave the judicatory without from year to year, or at every leave obtained from him. He meeting of the presbytery, as shall, at a proper season, when the presbytery may think best. the deliberations are ended, put The moderator of the synod, the question and call the votes. and of the general assembly, If the judicatory be equally di- shall be chosen at each meetvided, he shall possess the cast-ing of those judicatories: and ing vote. If he be not willing the last moderator present shall to decide, he shall put the ques-open, the meeting with a sertion a second time and if the mon, and shall hold the chair judicatory be again equally di- till a new moderator be chosen. vided, and he decline to give his vote, the question shall be lost. In all questions he shall give a concise and clear state of the object of the vote; and the vote being taken, shall then declare how the question is decided.And he shall likewise be empowered on any extraordinary emergency, to convene the judicatory, by his circular letter, before the ordinary time of meeting.

SECT. III. The pastor of the congregation shall always be the moderator of the church ses sion; except when, for prudential reasons, it may appear adviscable that some other minis

Chap. XIX-Of Privilege.

IT shall be the privilege of any member of a judicatoy to speak, in his proper order, to any question, with leave from the moderator. The moderator shall give leave to the person who first rises; but if two, or more members, are judged to have risen at the same time, the moderator shall determine which shall speak first. Any member shall have a right to propose any question, relative to the business of the church, or to the interests of religion, and to have it put to vote: provided only, that his motion be

seconded by another member. | are, may recommend, and they If any member conceive his may be able to procure; and privilege to be unjustly control- that the elders or deacons be ed by the moderator, he may the persons who shall preside, appeal to the judicatory, who and select the portions of scripshall determine the point of pri- ture, and of the other books to be vilege by a vote: and the mode-read; and to see that the whole rator and member must submit to the suffrage of the judicatory.

be conducted in a becoming and orderly manner.

Chap. XXII-Of Commissioners to the General Assembly.

Chap. XX.-Of Clerks. EVERY judicatory shall choose a clerk, to record their SECT. I. THE commissioners transactions, whose continuance to the general assembly shall alshall be during pleasure. It ways be appointed by the presshall be the duty of the clerk, bytery from which they come, besides recording the transac at its last stated meeting immetions, to preserve them careful-diately preceding the meeting ly; and to grant extracts from of the general assembly; prothem, whenever properly requi-vided, that there be a sufficient red; and such extracts under the hand of the clerk, shall be considered as authentic vouchers of the fact which they declare, in any ecclesiastical judicatory, and to every part of the church.

Chap. XXI-Of vacant Congregations assembling for public Worship.

CONSIDERING the great importance of weekly assembling the people, for the public worship of God; in order thereby to improve their knowledge; to comfirm their habits of worship, and their desire of the public ordinances; to augment their reverence for the most high God; and to promote the charitable affections which unite men most firmy in society: It is recommended, that every vacant congregation meet together, on the Lord's day, at one or more places, for the purpose of prayer, singing praises, and reading the holy scriptures, together with the works of such approved divines, as the presbykery, within whose bounds they

intarval, between that time and
the meeting of the assembly,
for the commissioners to attend
their duty in due season; oth
erwise, the presbytery may
make the appointment at any
stated meeting, not more than
seven months preceding the
meeting of the assembly. And
as much as possible to prevent
all failure in the representation
of the presbyteries, arising from

unforeseen accidents to those
first appointed, in the room of
each commissioner, to appoint
also an alternate commissioner,
to supply his place, in case of
absence.
necessary

SECT. II. Each commissioner, before his name shall be enrolled as a member of the assembly, shall produce, from his presbytery, a commission under the hand of the moderator and clerk, in the following or like form: viz.

"The presbytery of being met at

day of

point

on the doth hereby apbishop

the A. D.

day of

or wherever; and whenever the said assembly may happen to sit, to consult, vote, and determine, on all things that may come before that body, according to the principles and constitutions of this church and the word of God. And of his diligence herein, he is to render an account at his return.

Signed, by order of the Presbytery,
Moderator,
Clerk."

his commission publicly read, and filed among the papers of the assembly.

SECT. IV. The general as sembly shall meet, at least once in every year; their first meeting to be on the third Thursday of May, 1789, in the Second Presbyterian Church in Philadel phia, and afterwards on their own adjournments. If there be not a sufficient number, for the transaction of business, convened before 12 o'clock on that day, those who are present shall have power to adjourn, from day to day, till a sufficient number shall have met to constitute an assembly.

SECT. V. On the day to which the general assembly stands adjourned, and between the hours of eleven and twelve, the moderator of the last general assembly, if present; or, in case of his absence, the senior minister present, shall open the meeting with a sermon. After sermon, the members being in the house where the assembly is to hold its sessions, the same minister who preached shall, by prayer, publicly implore the And the presbytery shall make blessing and direction of almighrecord of the appointment. ty God; and shall continue to SECT. III. These commis-preside till a new moderator be sions shall, if possible, be de- chosen. For this purpose he livered to the clerk of the as- shall call for the commissions sembly, in proper season, that of those present; which being he may have the roll of the as-read, and the names of the memsembly completed before the bers, enrolled in order, if there first session. Commissions, not be a quorum, they shall choose produced at the opening of the a moderator. assembly, shall afterwards be delivered only in the intervals between the sessions. No commissioner shall have a right to deliberate or vote in the assembly, until his name shall have been enrolled by the clerk, and

SECT. VI. Each session of the assembly, as of all the other judicatories of the church, shall be introduced and concluded with prayer. And the whole business of the assembly being finished, and the vote being:

en for dissolving the present as- gives a
sembly, the moderator shall say
from the chair; "By virtue of
the authority delegated to me by
the church, let this general as-
sembly be dissolved; and I do
hereby dissolve it, and require
another assembly chosen in the
same manner, to meet at
on the

A. D..

day of "After which he shall pray, and return thanks to God for his great mercy and goodness, and pronounce on those present the apostolic benediction.

support, when it is obeyed, which can be drawn from no other source, and in death, no other comfort can be named. As this change approaches, the past firmness of the mind is lost, the power of philosophy vanishes; and reason, if forsaken by divine grace, cannot be assured of waking again into action. The gospel is our only assurance, that these eyes will ever open, or these minds ever think, after death lays us in silence.

Further, the gospel furnishes SECT. VII. In order, as far a support, which is always equal as possible, to procure a respec. to the evils we endure, or appretable and full delegation to all hend. Supports of the mind our judicatories, it is proper, drawn only from this world, go that the expenses of ministers but a little way in upholding us. and elders, in their attendance Under some small trials, we on these judicatories, be defray-may find their benefit, but they ed, by the bodies which they re-do not rise in the same propor spectively represent.

The Power of the Gospel, tried by the different apprehensions of Believers and Disbelievers, in the prospect of a speedy Death.

A

tion as trouble increases, and beyond a certain point leave us wholly unsupported, which is eminently the case in death.When we are leaving the world, its objects can no longer sustain the mind; but the truths of the gospel rise higher, as nature sinks. The sources of confidence which it opens, and the RGUMENTS drawn from comforts it administers increase, experience, have a pow-in proportion with the necessierful application to the mind.-ties of a dying Christian. A What we have seen in others, under similar circumstances, we must expect will take place in ourselves. What hath been their terror, will be ours also; what hath been their comfort, we may expect will uphold our own souls, in the day of trou-and more glorious life: The ble, whether it be death, or the mortal, corrupting body is a seed preceding afflictions of life. On soon to spring up again, by the this ground the gospel claims power of a divine Redeemer, inthe attention of mankind. Un-to a spiritual body, cloathed with der all possible evils in life it incorruption and immorality

balm is provided for the wounds, which must be received in passing through the world. Death, which to our senses seems like the extinction of being, is changed, by the grace of God, into the commencement of a higher