minister, shall declare themselves ready to vote, he shall take their sense with respect to each candidate separately. The votes to be given, on both sides of the question, by holding up the right hand.

6. The names of the persons elected shall, on the succeeding Sabbath, or as soon after as possible, be publicly intimated to the congregation; together with the day of ordination, which, in settled congregations, shall be at least two weeks after the notification; and all who have any just objections against the ordination of the said officerselect, shall be required to lay them before the Session previously to the time appointed for ordination.

7. It is expedient that a meeting of Session be held before the ordination, to examine the candidates, and hear objections, if any there be.

8. If the congregation be vacant, they shall apply, by their commissioner or commissioners duly authorized, to the Presbytery, for one of their number to ordain the said officers-elect; and if there be no officers in the congregation, to depute a committee of Presbytery to act as their Session.

9. No valid objections being offered, the candidates, on the day of ordination, presenting themselves before the congregation after the conclusion of sermon, and, agreeably to the annexed formula, engaging to maintain the doctrine, government, worship, and discipline of the church, shall, with solemn prayer, be set apart by the minister to their respective offices. After prayer, the minister is to exhort both officers and people to their several duties.

10. An elder or deacon, removing from his own into another congregation, and bringing with him recent testimonials of his personal and official conduct, may, with the consent of the congregation, be added to the Session without a new ordination.

11. A list of the ruling elders in every congregation, with the time of their ordination, is to be given by the minister to the Presbytery.

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FORMULA of QUESTIONS for RULING ELDERS and DEACONS. Do you believe the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the word of the living God; the perfect and only rule of faith and practice, to which nothing is to be added, and from which nothing to be taken, at any time, or upon any pretext, whether of new revelations of the Spirit or traditions of men?

Do you receive the doctrine of this church, contained in her Confession and Catechisms, as founded on the word of God, and as the expression of your own faith? and do you resolve to adhere thereto, in opposition to all Deistical, Popish, Arian, Socinian, Arminian, Neonomian, and Sectarian errors, and all other opinions which are contrary to sound doctrine and the power of godliness?

Do you approve the form of Presbyterial church-government, and the Directories for worship, received by this church, as agreeable to, and founded on, the word of God? and do you resolve to maintain and observe them accordingly?

Do you promise to submit, in the spirit of meekness, to the admonitions of the brethren of this Session, in subordination to the Synod? and do you promise to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; and that you will not follow any divisive courses, by complying with the defections of the times, or by giving yourself [or yourselves] up to a detestable neutrality in the cause of God? Are not zeal for the glory of God, and a desire of being instrumental in edifying his Church, the principal motives which induce you to take the office of [ruling Elder or Deacon] to this congregation? Have you used any undue method to procure your call to the office of [ruling Elder, or Deacon ?]

Do you sincerely resolve to rule your family, [or families,] in the fear of the Lord, and to be circumspect in the whole of your conversation, following after righteousness, faith, charity? and do you also promise to promote the edification of the body of Christ, by endeavouring to perform all the official duties incumbent upon you with zeal and fidelity?

For RULING ELDERS.

Do you promise to be faithful and impartial in the exercise of discipline, and to be punctual in attending meetings of Session, and superior judicatories, as you may be called?

For DEACONS.

Do you promise to attend to the necessities of the poor, with Christian meekness and tenderness, and to manage all such temporalities of the church as may be committed to your care with diligence and fidelity, according to the directions which, from time to time, may be given you by the Session?

For RULING ELDERS, and DEACONS.

Do you make these promises as in the presence of Him, who searcheth the hearts, and trieth the reins of the children of men; and as you would desire to give in your account with joy, at the great day of the Redeemer's appearance, when He shall come, and all his saints with him?

Chapter IV.

Of Congregational Assemblies or Sessions.

SECTION 1. Of the SESSION in general.

1. THE Session consists of the minister or ministers, and elders of a particular congregation.

2. They have power to inquire into the knowledge and spiritual estate of the several members of the congrega. tion-to take cognizance of all scandals which happen in it; and, for this purpose, authoritatively to call before them any member or members of the congregation, and to introduce, as they shall see occasion, witnesses or informants from other congregations or denominations-to admonish and rebuke-to suspend, authoritatively, from the sacraments, persons not yet cast out of the church-to deter mine the seasons of congregational fasts and thanksgivingsto regulate the hours of service on the Lord's day, and also on week days, except the regulation be made by a superior judicatory-and generally to make such prudential arrangements respecting the religious circumstances of the congregation as do not contravene the received order of the church.

3. The minister has power to convene the Session as often as he shall judge necessary, and shall always do it, when requested by two of the elders. Applications for baptism may be properly intimated to them on the Lord's day, in the interval, or at the close of public worship, without the formality of a constituted judicatory.

4. Deacons, though not members of the Session, ought always to be present, that they may make reports, and receive instructions, on the business of their office. It is expedient that the Session consult them in things belonging to their office; and it may also, at times, be profitable to ask their opinion and advice in matters relating to the exercise of discipline, and other Sessional functions.

5. It is incumbent on the members of Session, in cases where their transactions do not require publication, to maintain a prudent reserve, and not communicate, unnecessarily, to others, the facts which come before them, and their consequent proceedings.

6. That families may be punctually visited, the conduct of members carefully observed, and discipline effectually exercised, it may be proper that the congregation be divi

ded, by the Session, into as many districts as there are elders and that a district be committed to each elder for his official inspection.

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7. Extraordinary cases, in which the due order cannot, in every thing, be observed, may be referred to the Presbytery for direction; but if the emergency require a decision before the Presbytery can be assembled, the Session, after mature deliberation, may proceed.

8. Every Session shall take care that an exact register be kept of the members of the congregation, of marriages, and of the births of children baptized.

SECTION II. PRINCIPLES of CHURCH-FELLOWSHIP to be carefully attended to by SESSIONS.

1. Visible membership is solemnly recognized by admission to the seals of the covenant of grace, viz. baptism and the Lord's supper.a

2. These sacraments, being seals of the same covenant, and representing the same benefits,b cannot be disjoined with respect to the right and the duty of receiving them. Therefore, all baptized persons, being, by their baptism, acknowledged members of the visible church, are bound, by the baptismal vow, to shew forth the Lord's death, when arrived at the years of discretion; and are the lawful subjects of church-government.

3. As visible membership, not being inseparably connected with regenerating grace, may be forfeited by open renunciation of Christ's truth ;d by evident want of acquaintance with its power,e or by unholy conduct ; no person, though baptized, may be admitted to a seat at the table of the Lord, or to baptism for his children, unless his profession and practice, afford sufficient reason for the judg ment of charity, that he is a member of the church invisible.g

4. No unbaptized person can be admitted to the Lord's table, or to baptism for his children.

5. All who dedicate their children in baptism, do thereby avouch the Lord to be their God in Christ ; and shall, therefore, on their admission to that privilege, be strictly enjoined to act consistently in their profession, by cele

a Mat. xxviii. 19. 1 Cor. xi. 24. b Acts ii. 38. with Mat. xxvi. 28. c Heb. vi. 4, 6. d 1 Tim. i. 19, 20. e John xv. 2. f 1 Cor. v g Mat. vii. 16, 20. Acts viii. 37. l Gal. iii. 27. i

throughout.

Acts ii. 38.

brating, in the sacrament of the supper, the dying love of the Lord Jesus.

6. Such as offer their children in baptism, while they abstain from the sacrament of the supper, and persist in neglecting this ordinance, after solemn and frequent admonition by the officers of the church, do, in effect, renounce their obedience to Christ, and shall be debarred from every sacramental privilege.

7. But, as some persons of tender consciences, who find liberty in presenting their children in baptism, may, notwithstanding, be deterred by darkness of mind, distressing fears, or strong temptations, from approaching the table of the Lord, an exception is made in favour of those who give evidence of their labouring under such discouragements; and it is enjoined on the officers, particularly the minister or ministers of the congregation, to use every gentle and persuasive method for removing their difficulties, and for bringing them forward to shew their love to Jesus Christ, by performing the great duty, and improving the unspeakable mercy, of partaking of the communion of his body and blood.1

8. Such as have been at the Lord's table, and afterward neglect that ordinance, shall, after admonition duly, but ineffectually, used for their reformation, be judicially excluded from the privileges of the church.

SECTION III. Of the ADMISSION of MEMBERS.

1. Application for membership from members of other denominations, shall, at all times, be cautiously received: nor shall it be admitted in any case, unless, upon deliberate examination, the applicants shall appear to act from a solid conviction of duty, and shall discover Christian meekness towards the party whose communion is relinquished. The application shall also, when made by individuals, be accompanied with testimonials, if they can be obtained on a regular request to the Session, or at least minister of the congregation to which they belong. No encouragement shall be given to causeless desertion from other churches, nor the smallest countenance to fugitives from discipline.m

2. In ordinary cases, applications for baptism, or for a seat at the Lord's table for the first time, must be timeously made to the minister, or an elder of the congregation,,

k John xiv. 15. with Luke xxii. 19. and vi. 48. 7 Heb. xii. 12, 13. m 1 Cor. x. 32. xiv. 33. Heb. x. 24..