That in ordinary cases, where churches are properly regulated and organized, it is a practice highly inexpedient and of dangerous consequences, not to be allowed in our body except in some special cases, as missions to the Indians and some distant places that regularly apply for ministers. But as the honor and reputation of the Synod is much interested in the conduct of Presbyteries in such special cases, it is judged that they should previously apply to the Synod and take their advice therein, unless the cases require such haste as would necessarily prevent the benefit of such a mission if delayed to the next session of Synod, in which cases the Presbyteries shall report to the next Synod the state of the cases and the reasons for their conduct.-1764, p. 337.

c. Application was made to the Synod by the Presbytery of New Castle for advice respecting the propriety of Mr. Samuel Smith's being ordained by said Presbytery of New Castle, under whose care he is, in consequence of his having accepted a call from a congregation within the bounds of the Presbytery of Hanover.

The Synod, having heard all the circumstances relative to this case and deliberated thereon, agree that it is not expedient for the Presbytery of New Castle to ordain Mr. Smith as the matter now stands.-1775, p. 465. d. The Presbytery of Lewes, by their commissioner, Mr. Slemons, requested leave to ordain a certain Mr. James Lang, a licentiate under their care, sine titulo.

Resolved, That the reasons offered for this measure are not sufficient, and therefore that the request be not granted.-1800, p. 199.

e. The following request was overtured by the Committee of Bills and Overtures:

That the Synods of Virginia and the Carolinas have liberty to direct their Presbyteries to ordain such candidates as they may judge necessary to appoint on missions to preach the gospel; whereupon,

Resolved, That the above request be granted, the Synods being careful to restrict the permission to the ordination of such candidates only as are engaged to be sent on missions to preach the gospel.-1795, p. 98.

f. The Presbytery of Baltimore directed their commissioners to solicit the permission of the General Assembly to ordain Mr. William Maffit, a licentiate under their care, to the office of the gospel ministry, if upon examination he should appear qualified. The request was made at the particular instance of the church of Bladensburg, where Mr. Maffit officiates as a stated supply.

Resolved, That said request be granted.-1798, p. 146.

g. Mr. Robert Smith was appointed a missionary to the western and northern frontiers of the State of New York, provided he shall be ordained by the Presbytery of New Castle for that purpose.-1794, p. 86. [See also Minutes 1799, p. 172; 1809, p. 415; 1810, p. 459.]

h. A reference from the Synod of Philadelphia was laid before the Assembly. By an extract from the minutes of that Synod it appeared that Mr. John Waugh, a licentiate under the care of the Presbytery of New Castle, had, for special reasons, requested the Presbytery to take measures for his ordination sine titulo. The Presbytery accordingly presented the request to Synod, and the Synod, finding that the authority in this case is by the Constitution expressly vested in the General Assembly, agree to refer the matter to them for their decision. The Assembly having taken the subject into consideration,

Resolved, That the Presbytery of New Castle be, and they hereby are permitted and authorized, to ordain the said Mr. Waugh to the work of the gospel ministry sine titulo; provided that the Presbytery, from a full

view of his qualifications and other attending circumstances, shall think it expedient.-1805, p. 337.

5. Ordination sine titulo.-Overture on Rejected.

a. The following overture was brought in and read, viz.:

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 a particular charge?-1810, p. 456.

This overture was referred to Drs. Miller and Green, Messrs. Nathan, Grier, Anderson and Campbell, as a Committee.-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.-1811, p. 474.

[Answered in the negative-11 to 7-and the subject dismissed.]— 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.-1813, p. 524.

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

6. 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.-1843, p. 17, N. S.

CHAPTER XVI.

OF TRANSLATION OR REMOVING A MINISTER FROM ONE CHARGE TO ANOTHER.

I. No bishop shall be translated from one church to another, nor shall he receive any call for that purpose, but by permission of the Presbytery.

1. Removal without Consent of Presbytery.

The Presbytery of East Jersey having reported that Mr. John Cross has, without the concurrence of Presbytery, removed from one congregation to another, the Synod do declare that the conduct of such ministers ... that take charge of any congregation without the Presbyteries' concurrence, to be disorderly and justly worthy of presbyterial censure, and do admonish said Mr. Cross to be no further chargeable with such irregularities in the future.-1735, p. 115.

2. The Irregularity Excused, but Caution Enjoined.

The Synod having deliberately considered the affair of Mr. Allison's removal to Philadelphia, referred to them by the Presbytery of New Castle, judge that the method he used is contrary to the Presbyterian plan. Yet considering that the circumstances which urged him to take the method he used were very pressing, and that it was indeed almost impracticable to him to apply for the consent of Presbytery or Synod in the orderly way, and further being persuaded that Mr. Allison's being employed in such a station in the academy has a favorable aspect in several respects, and a very probable tendency not only to promote the good of the public, but also of the Church, as he may be serviceable to the interests thereof in teaching philosophy and divinity as far as his obligations. to the academy will permit, we judge that his proceedings in said affair are in a great measure excusable. Withal, the Synod advises that for the future its members be very cautious, and guard against such proceedings as are contrary to our known approved methods in such cases.-1752, p. 206.

II. Any church desiring to call a settled minister from his present charge shall, by commissioners properly authorized, represent to the Presbytery the ground on which they plead his removal. The Presbytery, having maturely considered their plea, may, according as it appears more or less reasonable, either recommend to them to desist from prosecuting the call, or may order it to be delivered to the minister to whom it is directed. If the parties be not prepared to have the matter issued at that Presbytery, a written citation shall be given to the minister and his congregation to appear before the Presbytery at their next meeting. This citation shall be read from the pulpit in that church by a member of the Presbytery appointed for that pur

pose immediately after public worship, so that at least two Sabbaths shall intervene betwixt the citation and the meeting of the Presbytery at which the cause of translation is to be considered. The Presbytery being met, and having heard the parties, shall upon the whole view of the case either continue him in his former charge or translate him, as they shall deem to be most for the peace and edification of the Church, or refer the whole affair to the Synod at their next meeting for their advice and direction.

1. Consent of the Parties may Shorten the Process.

[In the Constitution, as originally adopted, citation of the parties was required in all cases. By the Assembly of 1804, p. 305, it was proposed to strike out "together with a written citation," and insert "if the parties be not prepared to have the matter issued at that Presbytery, a written citation shall be given to the minister."

The amendment was adopted.--1805, p. 333. In a note accompanying the overture the Assembly say, "This amendment is intended to provide that consent of parties shall shorten the constitutional process for translating a minister."-1804, p. 305.]

Overture No. 11, from the Synod of New Jersey, proposing the following query: "Is it the intent of chapter xvii., Form of Government, that a minister desiring to resign his pastoral charge shall in all cases first make his request known to the Presbytery?"

The Committee recommend that it be answered in the negative, for the reason that chapter xvi., section ii., provides that where the parties are prepared for the dissolution of a pastoral relation it may be dissolved at the first meeting of Presbytery.

The report was adopted.-1866, p. 47, O. S.

cause.

III. When the congregation calling any settled minister is within the limits of another Presbytery, that congregation shall obtain leave from the Presbytery to which they belong, to apply to the Presbytery of which he is a member; and that Presbytery, having cited him and his congregation as before directed, shall proceed to hear and issue the If they agree to the translation, they shall release him from his present charge; and having given him proper testimonials shall require him to repair to that Presbytery within the bounds of which the congregation calling him lies, that the proper steps may be taken for his regular settlement in that congregation; and the Presbytery to which the congregation belongs, having received an authenticated certificate of his release under the hand of the clerk of that Presbytery, shall proceed to install him in the congregation as soon as convenient, provided always that no bishop or pastor shall be translated without his own consent previously obtained.

1. Pastor and Church must Belong to the same Presbytery. Overture No. 19. From a member of the Presbytery of Lexington, asking whether a minister who is a member of one Presbytery can be in

stalled as pastor over a church in another Presbytery; and if so, what are the proceedings proper in the case. The Committee recommend the Assembly to answer that he should not be installed in such a case. Adopted. -1854, p. 46, O. S.

See under chap. x., viii.

IV. When any minister is to be settled in a congregation, the installment, which consists in constituting a pastoral relation between him and the people of that particular church, may be performed either by the Presbytery or by a Committee appointed for that purpose, as may appear most expedient; and the following order shall be observed therein :

V. A day shall be appointed for the installment, at such time as may appear most convenient, and due notice thereof given to the congregation.

VI. When the Presbytery or Committee shall be convened and constituted, on the day appointed, a sermon shall be delivered by some one of the members previously appointed thereto; immediately after which the bishop who is to preside shall state to the congregation the design of their meeting, and briefly recite the proceedings of the Presbytery relative thereto. And then addressing himself to the minister to be installed, shall propose to him the following or similar questions:

1. Are you now willing to take the charge of this congregation, as their pastor, agreeably to your declaration at accepting their call?

2. Do you conscientiously believe and declare, as far as you know your own heart, that in taking upon you this charge, you are influenced by a sincere desire to promote the glory of God, and the good of the church?

3. Do you solemnly promise that, by the assistance of the grace of God, you will endeavor faithfully to discharge all the duties of a pastor to this congregation; and will be careful to maintain a deportment in all respects becoming a minister of the gospel of Christ, agreeably to your ordination engagements?

To all these having received satisfactory answers, he shall propose to the people the same or like questions as those directed under the head of ordination; which, having been also satisfactorily answered by holding up the right hand in testimony of assent, he shall solemnly pronounce and declare the said minister to be regularly constituted the pastor of that congregation. A charge shall then be given to both parties, as directed in the case of ordination; and after prayer, and singing a psalm adapted to the transaction, the congregation shall be dismissed with the usual benediction.

VII. It is highly becoming that, after the solemnity of the installment, the heads of families of that congregation who are present, or