Church; and that the delegates from this Assembly to those bodies respectively be charged with communicating this resolution.-1834, p. 428.

4. Lay Ordination Invalid.

a. The Committee to whom was referred Overture No. 15, viz., on ordination by a deposed minister or by laymen, made the following report, which was adopted, viz.:

That this paper contains a letter from a minister in South Carolina to the stated clerk, requesting him to obtain a decision of the General Assembly on the question, "whether the ordination of a minister of the gospel by the interposition of the hands of the laity is valid." That the answer to this question should be in the negative is so obvious and evident on all correct principles of ecclesiastical order, that your Committee are of opinion that it is unnecessary for the General Assembly to give any further consideration to the subject.-1832, p. 366.

b. The Committee on Overture No. 3, viz., a question from the Presbytery of Bethel respecting holding communion with the followers of William C. Davis, a deposed minister, and calling themselves Independent Presbyterians, reported that in their judgment the questions proposed in said overture ought to be answered in the negative. They therefore would recommend the adoption of the following resolution, viz.:

Resolved, That while this Assembly readily acknowledges the right of the session to determine according to the Scriptures and the Constitution of our Church the qualifications for admission to sealing ordinances, yet they feel it to be their duty to declare that in their judgment the services of those who have received only lay ordination and of those who have been deposed from the gospel ministry are unscriptural and unwarrantable, and therefore an attendance on their ministrations cannot be in the order of the gospel, and ought to be discouraged and discountenanced by every friend of the Redeemer's kingdom.-1833, p. 407.

5. Rule in respect to Receiving a Minister from another Denomination.

a. The consideration of the report of the Committee to which had been referred the question of validity of ordination in the case of a Baptist elder was resumed, and the report being read, was adopted, and is as follows, viz.:

It is not among the principles or usages of the Presbyterian Church to consider the ordination of ministers by other Protestant churches as invalid; on the contrary, the Presbyterian Church has always considered the ordinations of most other Protestant churches as valid in themselves, and not to be repeated when those who have received them become members of the Presbyterian Church. Nor is it perceived that there is any sufficient reason why the ordinations in the Baptist Church should not be considered as valid, and be sustained as such.

But while the Presbyterian Church can act as has now been stated in regard to ordinations, it is among those principles and usages which she regards as most sacred and important, to secure for her churches both a pious and a learned ministry, and she cannot admit of any usage or exercise any apparent liberality inconsistent with security in this essential particular. On the whole, therefore, the Committee recommend the following resolution:

Resolved, That when applications are made by ministers of the Baptist or any other Protestant denomination to be connected with the Presbyte

rian Church, the Presbytery to which the applications are made shali require all the qualifications both in regard to piety and learning which are required of candidates for licensure or ordination of those who have originally belonged to the Presbyterian Church; and shall require the applicants from other denominations to continue their study and preparation till they are found on trial and examination to be qualified in learning and ability to teach in the manner required by our standards; but that when found to be thus qualified, it shall not be necessary to reordain the said applicants, but only to install them when they are called to settle in Presbyterian congregations.-1821, p. 23.

b. Overture No. 19. A request of the Rev. J. G. Montfort that the Assembly answer the following question: "Is it the duty of Presbyteries, when elders or deacons from the Methodist Episcopal Church apply to become ministers in our Church, to recognize their ordination as sufficient, or to ordain them as in the case of other candidates?"

The Committee recommended that the overture be answered by a reference to the action on the subject of the General Assembly of 1821. The report was adopted.-1852, p. 210, O. S. [See 8, below.]

6. Ordination Procured by Fraud Valid, but the Presbytery

should Depose.

Is the ordination of a minister valid which has been procured by forgery and unwarrantable means?

Confining the answer of the Assembly to this case as verbally explained, this question is answered in the affirmative, but that the Presbytery should in such case proceed immediately to depose him.-1843, p. 198, O. S.

7. Ordination on the Sabbath Day Inexpedient, but left to Discretion of the Presbytery.

An overture was received from the Presbytery of Orange, requesting the opinion of the General Assembly on the question whether it be proper to ordain licentiates to the office of the gospel ministry on the Sabbath day. The General Assembly think it would not be for edification to adopt a uniform rule on the subject. In general they think it is not expedient that ordinations should take place on the Sabbath, yet that there may be cases in which urgent or peculiar circumstances may demand them. The Assembly therefore judged it best to leave it to the Presbyteries to act in this concern as they may judge that their duty requires.-1821, p. 10.

8. The Reasons for Receiving an Ordained Minister from another Denomination to be Recorded.

The Committee of Overtures brought in the following resolution, which, having been read and amended, was adopted, and is as follows, viz.:

Resolved, That in the opinion of this Assembly the decisions of the General Assembly in 1792, and referred to by the Assembly of 1800, respecting the reordination of ministers regularly ordained in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and desiring to connect themselves with the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, however expedient at the time of its formation, ought not to be considered as a precedent to guide the future decisions of the judicatories of this Church; and that the Presbyteries under the care of this Assembly, when they receive into their connection an ordained minister from any other denomination, be careful to record the circumstances of the case and the reasons which in luced them to receive such ordained minister.-1810, p. 441.

9 Leave to Ordain Refused where there is no Presbytery. Overture No. 34, a memorial from the Presbytery of New York, referring to this Assembly the following case: Application was made to the Presbytery of New York in April to receive by letter from the Presbytery of Cincinnati, the Rev. John Beveridge, now a resident of Northern Mexico, and to authorize the Rev. Andrew J. Park, now a member of the Presbytery of New York, and residing in Northern Mexico, and the Rev. John Beveridge, when received by the Presbytery, to ordain to the work of the ministry, if the way be clear on examination, Mr. Brigide Sepulveda, a converted Roman Catholic priest.

The Committee recommend the following answer:

Resolved, That inasmuch as there is no Presbytery, and not a sufficient number of ministers of whom to form a Presbytery, in Northern Mexico, such request be not granted. In consideration, however, of the urgency and peculiarity of the case, the Board of Foreign Missions are hereby instructed to defray the expenses of Mr. Sepulveda's journey to and from New York for his ordination by the Presbytery of New York, if the way be clear.-1871, p. 592.

IV. TO INSTALL MINISTERS.

10. The Cognizance of Settling Pastors belongs to Presbytery. That it belongs to the Presbyteries to take cognizance of the proceedings of sessions and congregations in the important concern of settling pastors, and to adopt the most effectual measures on the one hand to prevent all undue delay by the session, or the people, and on the other, to prevent all precipitancy in the settlement of any minister, or the adoption of any system of proceedings in the congregation inconsistent with the real and permanent edification of the people.-1814, p. 560.

11. A Pastoral Relation Recognized without Instalment. That it appears evident to this Synod, that Mr. Tennent having in all respects acted, and been esteemed, and looked upon, not only by this Synod, but also by the congregation of Neshaminy, and particularly by the appellants themselves, as the minister and pastor of the people of Neshaminy, that he is still to be esteemed as the pastor of that people, notwithstanding the want of a formal instalment among them (which omission, though the Synod doth not justify, yet it is far from nullifying the pastoral relation between Mr. Tennent and said people), and consequently that the Synod doth justify the judgment of the Presbytery of Philadelphia in reference to that matter, and that said appellants had no just cause of complaining against or appealing from said judgment of the Presbytery.-1736, p. 127.

12. The Presbytery may Refuse to Install even where Parties are Agreed.

When a congregation and minister agree on the amount of salary to be paid and received, and both parties being fully satisfied, request the pastoral relation to be constituted according to the order of the Presbyterian Church, has Presbytery the right to refuse to install, because, in their judgment, the salary is insufficient?

Answered in the affirmative.-1855, p. 272, O. S. [See under Form of Government, chap. xv.]

V. TO REMOVE MINISTERS.

13. The Presbytery has Power to Dissolve a Pastoral Relation at its own Discretion.

a. Overture No. 22, from the Synod of Illinois, asking the following question, viz.:

Has a Presbytery the constitutional power to dissolve the pastoral relation against the remonstrance of the pastor and a majority of the church, when a large and influential minority of the church request it, by petition, and in the judgment of Presbytery the interests of religion in that congregation require it?

Your Committee beg leave to recommend the following answer, viz.:

The General Assembly think that the Presbytery has the constitutional power to dissolve the pastoral relation, according to chap. x., sec. viii., and chap. xviii. of our Book; but that great regard ought to be had to expediency in all such cases.

Adopted.--1860, p. 39, O. S.

b. [The same question was asked the next year, and answered by refer ring to the Minutes above, with the caution:] "That such power should in all cases be exercised with the greatest caution and discretion, and that the reasons for such action should be always fully recorded."-1861, p. 306, O. S.

14. A Synod, on Appeal, Directs the Dissolution of the Pastoral Relation, and is Sustained.

Your commission had this case several days before them, and bestowed upon it careful consideration; and have unanimously determined to report to the Assembly that the sense of this commission is, that the interests of the church of Hopewell require the dissolution of the pastoral relation, and that they agree with the decision of Synod, and they recommend the following minute:

This Assembly recognizes the right of each congregation to decide whether a pastor is acceptable to them, and the wishes of a majority are to be set aside only for weighty reasons; yet such a state of things may exist between the pastor and a portion of his people, as shall require, for the fair name of religion, that the relation be dissolved. And for this reason the appeal and complaint of Joseph Connell against the Synod of Pittsburg is not sustained.-1868, p. 649, O. S.

[See the case in full below, chap. xvii. 5.]

15. A Pastor may not be Dismissed to a Body other than that to which his Church belongs.

The Committee report Overture No. 2: "Is a member of Presbytery, desirous of withdrawing connection with our Church to a foreign body at a distance, entitled to a letter of dismission and recommendation on demand, while occupying the position as pastor of one of our churches?" The Committee report, that he is not thus entitled. The report was adopted.-1861, p. 471, N. S.

VI. TO JUDGE MINISTERS.

16. The Presbytery alone must Judge of the Fitness of its Members. Your Committee doubted the correctness of the order given by the Synod to the Presbytery of Geneva, to reconsider their proceedings on the subject of the admission of the Rev. Shipley Wells, a constituent

member of that Presbytery, which order, though it be not appealed from, appears to have given rise to the protest in question.

The Synod of Geneva were beyond doubt, in the opinion of your Committee, competent to censure the Presbytery of Geneva for admitting hastily, and on slight evidence, into their body, an unworthy or even a suspicious character. But it is, in the opinion of your Committee, equally clear, that the right of deciding on the fitness of admitting Mr. Wells, a constituent member of the Presbytery of Geneva, belonged to the Presbytery itself; and that having admitted him, no matter how improvidently, their decision was valid and final. The individual admitted became a member in full standing; nor could the Presbytery, though it should reconsider, reverse its own decision, or in any way sever the member so admitted from their body, except by a regular process. Adopted.-1816, p. 612.

17. A Presbytery may Reject an Applicant.

A complaint and appeal of Rev. Thomas Ledlie Birch against certain proceedings of the Presbytery of Ohio in the case of Mr. Birch, particularly for refusing to receive him as a member of their body, on the ground of a supposed want of acquaintance with experimental religion, together with a representation of the congregation of Washington, in the bounds of the said Presbytery, on the subject, was brought in by the Committee on Bills and Overtures.

Subsequently Resolved, That no evidence of censurable procedure in the Presbytery of Ohio, in the case of Mr. Birch, has appeared to this house, inasmuch as there is a discretionary power necessarily lodged in every Presbytery to judge of the qualifications of those whom they receive, especially with respect to experimental religion.-1801, pp. 213, 218.

18. But not without Sufficient Reasons.

a. A complaint was brought in by the Rev. Mr. George Duffield against the Second Philadelphia Presbytery, that they had, by one of their members, obstructed his entrance into a church in this city under their care, to which he had accepted a call, and had also refused to receive him as a member, although he was dismissed from, and recommended by, the Presbytery of Donegal, which was read.

After having maturely considered this matter, the Synod judge that Mr. Duffield has just cause of complaint against the conduct and judgment of the Second Philadelphia Presbytery, who ought to have admitted him to membership with them, and allowed him a fair trial; wherefore we now declare him to be minister of the Pine Street or Third Presbyterian congregation in this city, and order that he be put upon the list of the aforesaid Presbytery.-1773, p. 446.

b. Resolved, That the appeal of the Presbytery of Abingdon from the decision of the Synod of Virginia, in the case of the Rev. Robert Glenn, be dismissed, on the ground that the substantial cause of appeal has been removed by the act of that Presbytery, in their receiving Mr. Glenn, in conformity with the decision of the Synod. The appeal was accordingly dismissed.-1822, p. 55.

19. Rule as to a Member of an Extinct Presbytery.

The Committee appointed to consider the overture sent up by the Presbytery of Baltimore respecting the course proper to be pursued by a Presbytery when a minister with a certificate of good standing from a