It is alfo further recommended, that parents endeavour to prevail upon schoolmasters to make the children belonging to the Dutch church, commit to memory, and publicly repeat in the school, one fection of the Heidelbergh Catechifm, at least once eve-ry week.

ART. LVII.

As a register must be kept by every minister of all the baptifms celebrated in his church, [See Exp. Art. 33.] it is neceffary for all who defire to have their children baptifed, previously to apply to their minifter for that purpofe. Such applications alfo afford an opportunity to the minifter of explaining the nature of the ordinance of baptifm, and preffing upon the confcience of the parent, the duties incumbent upon him as a profeffing Chriftian, and to which, in particular, by this holy facrament, he is obliged. The custom which has prevailed in fome congregations of applying to the clerk of the church, for regiftering infants who are to be baptifed, fhall be abolished, and for the future, none but minifters fhall perform that fervice.

ART, LVIII.

The facrament of baptifm ought always to be administered in the church, at the time of public wor

fhip, [See Church Ord. Art. 56.] and the forms adopted for baptifm, confider it as celebrated in public. Baptifing in private families, is therefore to be discountenanced, and as much as poffible avoided. In cafes however, of the fickness of the parents and efpecially of the infant, it is lawful to adminifter this facrament in private. In other cafes which may have fomething fingular in their circumstances, it is left to the confcientious difcretion of the minifter to comply with the requests of parents for private baptifm or not, as he fhall judge proper. In this however, he is to confider himself responsible to his confiftory, if questioned thereon. But no private baptifm fhall be administered without the prefence of at least one elder, who shall accompany the minifter for that purpose, and the fame form and folemnity shall be always used as in public baptifm.

ART. LIX.

In the church there is no difference between bond and free, but all are one in Chrift. Whenever therefore, flaves or black people fhall be baptifed or become members in full communion of the church, they fhall be admitted to equal privileges with all other members of the fame ftanding, and their infant children fhall be entitled to baptism and in every refpe&t be treated with the fame attention that the children of white or free parents are in the church.

Any minifter, who upon any pretence, fhall refufe to admit flaves or their children, to the privileges to which they are eutitled, fhall upon complaint being exhibited and proved, be feverely reprimanded by the claffis to which he belongs.

ART. LX.

With respect to godfathers and godmothers, or witneffes, as they are called, [See Art. 57, Church Ord.] the meaning of the reformed Church is fuffi-. ciently explained in the Synod, held at Wifel, in the year, 1568. Chap. 1, Art. 10. "We hold it among matters which are to be accounted indifferent whether any witneffes are taken in baptifm, or whether to the parents alone, together with the whole congregation, the charge of baptifed children is committed.". And again, Chap. vi. Art. 3. "The cuftom of having particular witneffes who are called godfathers and godmothers, is left to be followed or not, as each one fhall chufe."

ART. LXI.

Great attention fhall always be paid by all the minifters of the gofpel to the inftruction of youth and others, in their respective congregations, in order to prepare them to make a confeffion of their faith,, and from properprinciples and right views, as mem

bers in full communion, to approach the Lord's table. If any minifter fhall habitually neglect to catechife the children and youth of his congregation, it shall be the duty of the elders to urge him to it; and if he fhall without a fufficient reafon, notwithstanding the remonftrance of his elders, continue to neglect the fame for one whole year; he shall be reported by his elders to the claffis, that measures may be taken to oblige him to fulfil, what the reformed Dutch Church has always confidered, a very important and neceffary part of the minifterial duty.

ART. LXII.

None can be received as members in full commu nion, or be fuffered to partake at the Lord's table, unless they first shall have made a confeffion of their faith, or have produced a certificate of their being members in full communion of fome reformed Church. All fuch fhall be reported by the minifter to the confiftory and be approved by them, and published to the congregation, before they can be registered as regular members in the Church. Members, who are known to be fuch from other congregations, may be admitted to occafional communion upon applica-tion to the minister..

ART. LXIII.

In Article 23, of the Church orders, it is mentioned as a duty incumbent upon minifters and elders, to vifit the members in full communion of their ref pective congregations, previous to the adminiftration of the Lord's fupper. Thefe vifitations, when performed with prudence and proper folemnity,have been found to be productive of many good and happy confequences. It is therefore expected that every minister, accompanied with an elder, will (unless it be judged impracticable by the confiftory) at least once in every year, vifit all the members of his Church, and endeavour to remove all animofities that may have arifen, and excite them to peace and proper exercises of faith and holiness. Minifters and elders who fhall habitually neglect this duty, fhall be called to account in their refpective claffes, and be prompted to attend to the fame. And all claffes are injoined to make particular enquiry whether this duty is punctually fulfilled in the respective congregations within their diftri&t.

ART. LXIV.

If any member of the reformed Dutch Church, fhall choose to fubmit any book or writing on religious fubjects, previous to its publication, to the approbation of Synod, and makes application for that pur