present, shall be a quorum to transact synodical business; provided not more than three of the said ministers belong to one presbytery.

1. The Rule as to a Quorum must be Observed.-Irregular Proceedings.-How treated.

a. It appears from the record that certain members of the Synod of West Tennessee met at Knoxville, Tennessee, Oct. 12, 1848, and constituted themselves the Synod of West Tennessee, contrary to the Form of Government, chap. xi., sec. 2, there being seven ministers present, but four of them were from one Presbytery.

1st. The Assembly declare all proceedings and acts of those members of the Synod of West Tennessee found recorded on pp. 214-230 unconstitutional and invalid, except so far as relates to the appointment of the time and place for the next meeting of Synod.

2d. That the Synod be directed to review, at its first regular meeting hereafter, the proceedings and acts of said members of the Synod, and that they adopt or reject the same, in whole or in part, as they may see fit.-1849, p. 248, O. S.

b. The Acts of less than a Quorum Unconstitutional.

In regard to the Minutes of 1855, Synod of Arkansas, the Assembly declares

1st. That the proceedings and acts of the members of said Synod, met at Little Rock, Sept. 20, 1855, are unconstitutional and void-inasmuch as they proceeded without such a quorum as the constitution requiresexcept so far as relates to the appointment of the time and place of the next meeting.

2d. The Synod is directed to review, at its next regular meeting, the proceedings and acts of said members, and to adopt or reject them, in whole or in part, as they may see fit.-1856, p. 539, O. S.

2. Session on the Sabbath Censured.

a. The Committee appointed to examine the records of the Synod of North Carolina reported, when the records were approved, with the exception that on page 48 it is recorded that Synod held a session on Sabbath evening. This was the closing meeting; and though it does not seem to have been one of much business, still, in the opinion of the Assembly, it was not proper.-1834, p. 445.

b. The records of the Synod of Peoria approved, with the exception "that on page 33 there is the record of a business meeting held on Sabbath evening."-1846, p. 18, N. S.

3. When a Synod has failed to Meet on its Adjournment.-The Remedy.

a. As it appeared from the representations of ministers and elders assembled at Yorktown, the 20th of October, 1795, and signed Robert Davidson, that the Synod of Philadelphia did not meet according to its last adjournment, nor since the time to which it was adjourned. Ön mo

tion,

Resolved, That the moderator of the Synod of Philadelphia, the Rev. Dr. Robert Davidson, ought to be considered as competent to call a meeting of the same, and that he do accordingly call a meeting, to be held in the Third Presbyterian Church in the city of Philadelphia, on the fourth

Wednesday of October next; and that he give due notice thereof by a circular letter to the moderators of the several Presbyteries composing the said Synod, whose duty it shall be to acquaint the other members.

Resolved, as the opinion of the Assembly, That from the nature of the thing two or more members of any judicatory, meeting according to the adjournment, may adjourn from day to day until a sufficient number attend for the transacting of business, and in case a quorum should not attend within a reasonable time, that the moderator shall be considered as competent to fix any time and place he may judge proper for convening the body; and if he be absent, that the members assembled shall represent. the matter speedily to him, that he may act accordingly."-1796, p. 113. b. A request from the moderator of the Synod of Upper Missouri, that as the Synod failed to meet last fall, according to adjournment, in Kansas City, owing to the distracted state of the country, the Assembly would enjoin upon said Synod to meet in Liberty Church, Clay county, Missouri, on the 1st day of October next, at 7 o'clock P. M.

The Committee recommend that the request be granted, and the Synod be and hereby is directed to meet accordingly.-1862, p. 596. Time changed to Oct. 8, and report adopted."-p. 610, O. S.

[At the same meeting a similar request from the Synod of Baltimore was answered in the same manner.]-p. 596, O. S.

Also Synod of Missouri, N. S.-1862, p. 14.

On petition of the Presbytery of Albany, the Assembly changed the time of the meeting of the Synod of Albany on account of the meeting of the Evangelical Alliance.-1873, p. 525.

4. Meetings pro re nata Constitutional.

a. The Committee of Overtures also reported Overture No. 13. This overture was taken up, and is as follows, viz.: "An answer is requested to the following question, viz., Has the moderator of a Synod a right to call a meeting of the Synod during the interval of its stated sessions?"

Resolved by the Assembly, That this question be answered in the af firmative.-1829, p. 268.

b. The Assembly took up the protest and complaint of a minority of the Synod of Virginia against a decision of said Synod in favor of called meetings of Synod. The complainants and Synod were heard, after which it was resolved that the complaint be not sustained.-1832, p. 368.

c. The Committee on the Records of the Synod of Tennessee reported that after a careful examination of those records they find them correct; and the attention of the Committee having been called to the report of a committee of the Synod of Tennessee relating to the constitutionality of a called meeting of said Synod, convened in accordance with a declaratory resolution of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in 1796, and found on page 321 of the Digest published in 1820, after a careful examination of the whole subject, they recommend the following action in the case: That in the judgment of this General Assembly the meeting of the Synod of Tennessee at Knoxville, in said State, on the ninth day of November, was in accordance with the constitution of the Presbyterian Church, and the Assembly do so declare. The report was adopted.-1855, p. 16, N. S.

5. The Moderator must Specify the Object of the Meeting. The records of the Synod of Kentucky were approved, except the record of a meeting of Synod, which was convened pursuant to call of the modera

tor without a specification of the object for which they were convened.1823, p. 74.

6. Moderator may not Change the Time of Meeting.

a. Resolved, That the records of the Synod of North Carolina be approved, with the exception of the postponement of the regular meeting of Synod by the moderator, which this Assembly consider irregular.-1848, p. 36, O. S.

b. Records of the Synod of Illinois approved, except in the case of the action of that body, as recorded on page 415, sustaining the act of the moderator of the Synod in changing the time of its annual meeting.1854, p. 500, N. S.

7. A Superior Court may make the Change.

A request from the Presbytery of Missouri that the Assembly will change the place of the next stated meeting of the Synod of Missouri. The Committee recommended that the request be granted, and that the next stated meeting of the Synod of Missouri be held at Boonville instead of Jefferson City, to which place it now stands adjourned, which was adopted.-1842, p. 16, O. S.

[On the same page is a similar action changing the stated meeting of the Synod of North Carolina.]

III. The same rule as to corresponding members, which was laid down with respect to the Presbytery, shall apply to the Synod. [See ante, chap. x., sec. xii., Form of Government.]

IV. The Synod has power to receive and issue all appeals regularly brought up from the Presbyteries; to decide on all references made to them; to review the records of Presbyteries, and approve or censure them; to redress whatever has been done by Presbyteries contrary to order; to take effectual care that Presbyteries observe the constitution of the Church; to erect new Presbyteries, and unite or divide those which were before erected; generally to take such order with respect to the Presbyteries, sessions and people under their care, as may be in conformity with the word of God and the established rules, and which tend to promote the edification of the Church; and, finally, to propose to the General Assembly, for their adoption, such measures as may be of common advantage to the whole Church.

1. The Synod has Appellate, but not Original, Jurisdiction. a. The Assembly having maturely considered the appeal of Mr. Davis from the proceedings of the Synod of the Carolinas in his case,

Resolved, That although they highly approve of the zeal of the Synod to preserve the purity and peace of the Church within their bounds, yet they cannot but decide that in their proceedings in the above case, in deciding that they had a right to try Mr. Davis, when there was no reference nor appeal in his case before them, they have not strictly adhered to the constitution of the Presbyterian Church.-1810, p. 448.

b. This Decision Reaffirmed.

The Committee appointed to report on the petition of the Presbytery of South Carolina relative to a reconsideration of a decision of last Assembly reported, and recommended the reconsideration. Their report was rejected and the Committee discharged. Whereupon,

Resolved, That though the General Assembly regret the dissatisfaction of the Presbytery of South Carolina in the case of Mr. Davis, yet they cannot see it to be expedient or proper to reconsider the judgment of the General Assembly of last year on the case in question.-1811, p. 468.

c. That the Synod (of Genesee) seem to have forgotten the nature and limits of their appellate, as distinguished from the original, jurisdiction in the case, in that they censure at their bar the appellant in a way compe tent in any circumstances only to the session of the church to which the appellant was primarily amenable.-1840, p. 11, N. S.

2. The Synod may not institute Judicial Process.

The proceedings of the Synod of Cincinnati, in the institution and prosecution of judicial process against William Graham, are unconstitutional and irregular, and therefore null and void; and the Synod is hereby enjoined to take constitutional action in the case, and to revise and cor- . rect its proceedings accordingly.-1846, p. 31, N. S.

3. A Synod Censured for Entertaining an Appeal irregularly brought.

The records of the Synod of Utica excepted to.

1 and 2. See under Discipline, chap. vii., sec. iii., sub. sec. v., 3 b.— 1840, p. 12, N. S.

4. The Synod may Reverse and Correct the Action of Presbytery, but must Observe the Rules of Discipline.

The Assembly having heard the complaint of the Presbytery of Carlisle against the Synod of Philadelphia, in the case of William S. M'Dowell, with the facts and arguments offered both by the Presbytery and the Synod, judge that the Synod had a constitutional right to reverse the decision of the Presbytery in this case, either in whole or in part, as to them might seem proper, but that in the exercise of this right the Synod have not duly regarded the principles of discipline prescribed in the constitution; inasmuch as it appears by their records that they have removed all censure from a man whom they declare to be deserving of rebuke, without directing that rebuke to be administered, and without receiving any evidence of his penitence.-1823, p. 81.

5. The Synod has Jurisdiction over the Members of an Extinct Presbytery not received by any other Presbytery.-1825, p. 147. See above, chap x., sec. viii., 17.

6. A Synod visits a Church to Ascertain the Acceptability of its Elders.

Resolved, That the Assembly expresses no opinion upon the action of the Synod (of New Jersey) in appointing a committee to visit the Third Church, Newark, in order to ascertain if any member of the session were unacceptable to the people.—1862, p. 631, Ó. S.

The next year the complaint of William B. Guild against the action of Synod was sustained pro forma.-1863, p. 35, O. S.

A Synod directs a Presbytery to dissolve the pastoral relation, and on complaint to the Assembly is sustained. See above, chap. x., sec. viii., etc., appeal of Jos. Connell vs. Synod of Pittsburg.-1868, p. 648, O. S.

V. The Synod shall convene at least once in each year; at the opening of which a sermon shall be delivered by the moderator, or, in case of his absence, by some other member; and every particular session shall be opened and closed with prayer.

1. The above Rule construed Literally, and must be Obeyed. a. The records of the Synod of Pittsburg approved, except "that at the opening of the Synod no sermon was delivered, as the Constitution requires, but on the following evening."--1827, p. 205.

b. The records of the Synod of Albany approved, except that "the Synod was opened without a sermon, whereas the Form of Government, chap. xi., sec. v., requires that a sermon shall be preached.”—1843, p. 181,

O. S.

c. Records of Synod of Buffalo, except,

3d. That it appears by the record on page 75 that a meeting of the Synod was opened without a sermon, whereas the Form of Government, chap. xi., sec. v., requires that a sermon shall be preached.

And again, on page 79, that at the opening of the Synod no sermon was delivered, as the Constitution requires, but on the following evening. -1856, p. 520. O. S.

2. The Records should State that the Meetings were Opened and Closed with Prayer.

a. The records of the Synod of Pennsylvania approved, except that "there is no evidence from the records that the last meeting of the Synod was opened with prayer."-1850, p. 314, N. S.; 1859, p. 531, O. S.

b. The records of the Synod of Tennessee were approved, with the following exceptions:

1. On p. 34 it appears from the record that the Synod adjourned at the close of the day without prayer.

2. On p. 36 it is recorded that the Synod was constituted with prayer, it being the second day of the sessions of the Synod.-1854, p. 500, N. S. c. The records of the Synod of Kentucky approved, except that "there is no record of prayer in p. 176."-1854, p. 501, N. S.

d. Records of Synod of Minnesota approved, except " that on p. 54, in the record of the session of Friday, Sept. 30, 1859, no mention is made of the opening services."-1860, p. 239, N. S.

e. The opening minute of each session of the Synod of Cincinnati is defective, in not recording the meeting of the Synod before its being opened with prayer.-1849, p. 177, N. S.

f. Records of Synod of Cincinnati approved, except "that on p. 5 the Synod adjourned without prayer."-1865, p. 553, O. S.

g. Synod of Geneva, except "that it does not appear from the record that they finally closed their sessions with prayer."-1830, p. 288.

h. It does not appear from the records that the Synod of North Carolina closed its final session with the usual exercises of singing, prayer and the apostolical benediction.-1852, p. 216, O. S.