included in works of necessity and mercy, as a direct violation of the law of God.-1850, p. 482, O. S.

6. Decoration of Soldiers' Graves upon the Sabbath Disapproved.

a. Resolved, That while this Assembly sympathize most heartily with the noble and touching tribute to be paid to the memory of our buried soldiers whose lives were sacrificed in the cause of the Union, as, under the auspices of the Grand Army of the Republic, their graves are to be decorated with floral offerings, yet we enter our most earnest protest against the proposed unnecessary desecration of the Sabbath for this purpose; and urgently request the proper authorities to appoint the next Saturday as the time for this interesting ceremony.

A Committee, consisting of the Rev. Zephaniah Humphrey, D. D., the Rev. Benjamin W. Chidlaw, and Mr. Frederick Starr, was appointed to report this action of the Assembly to the officers of the Grand Army, and to make such further publication as may seem to be called for.-1869, p. 259, N. S.

b. The Committee on communicating with "the Grand Army of the Republic," reported a paper which was adopted, and is as follows:

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church takes great pleasire in acknowledging the invitation of the Kings County Department of the Grand Army of the Republic to attend and take part in the ceremony of decorating the graves of our dead soldiers on Monday next.

It gives us great pleasure to observe that this ceremony is not to take place on the Sabbath; and we recommend that as many of the members of the Assembly, as can be spared from their other duties, shall engage in offering this beautiful and appropriate tribute of patriotic memory and love.-1869, p. 282, N. S.

c. Resolved, That a Committee be appointed to confer with the proper authorities connected with the Grand Army of the Republic, and urgently to request that the day be changed from Sabbath (30th) to Saturday, 29th.

Ministers W. C. Anderson, Ď. D., A. L. Blackford, and Smith F. Grier, with Ruling Elders Van Cleve and Morris Patterson, were appointed as said Committee.-1869, p. 900, O. S.

The report of the Committee was adopted, viz.:

The Committee appointed to confer with the authorities with reference to a change in the day designated for decorating the graves of our fallen soldiers, reports that it waited on the Committee having this matter in charge in this city, and laid before it the action of this Assembly, but was informed by the secretary that arrangements had been already completed for performing the ceremony on the Sabbath, and that no change could be made. Yet your Committee rejoices that a change has been made in several of the surrounding cities, and that a general order has been sent forth requiring a change in all the principal cities of our country; also, that the President of the United States has ordered such a change in the District of Columbia.-1869, p. 920, O. S.

III. Let the provisions, for the support of the family on that day, be so ordered, that servants, or others, be not improperly detained from the public worship of God; nor hindered from sanctifying the Sabbath.

IV. Let every person, and family, in the morning, by secret and private prayer, for themselves and others, especially for the assist

ance of God to their minister, and for a blessing upon his ministry, by reading the Scriptures, and by holy meditation, prepare for communion with God in his public ordinances.

V. Let the people be careful to assemble at the appointed time; that, being all present at the beginning, they may unite, with one heart, in all the parts of public worship; and let none unnecessarily depart, till after the blessing be pronounced.

VI. Let the time, after the solemn services of the congregation in public are over, be spent in reading; meditation; repeating of sermons; catechising; religious conversation; prayer for a blessing upon the public ordinances; the singing of psalms, hymns, or spiritual songs; visiting the sick; relieving the poor, and in performing such like duties of piety, charity, and mercy.

1. Instruction in the Holy Scriptures.

Resolved, 1. That it be recommended, and it is hereby recommended, earnestly to the ministers and sessions which are in connection with the General Assembly, to pay especial attention to this subject, and provide without delay for the stated instruction of the children and youth in the sacred Scriptures within their respective congregations.

Resolved, 2. That although the particular manner of instruction and recitation in the congregations ought to be left to the discretion of their ministers and sessions respectively; yet as some degree of uniformity is desirable in a business of so much magnitude, it is recommended as the most effectual means of promoting the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, that in all our churches, classes be formed of the youth to recite the Scriptures in regular order; that the recitations, if convenient, be as often as once a week, and from two to five chapters appointed for each recitation; that the youth be examined on,

1. The history of the world, but more especially of the Church of God, and of the heathen nations who were God's agents in accomplishing his purposes toward his Church.

2. Persons noted for their piety or ungodliness, and the effects of their example in promoting or injuring the best interests of mankind.

3. Doctrines and precepts, or "what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man."

4. Positive ordinances, or the directions which God has given as to the way in which he is to be worshiped acceptably.

5. The particular features of character of which the Spirit of God has given notice, both in wicked and good persons; in the last particularly regarding those who were types of Christ, and in what the typical resemblance consisted.

6. The gradual increase from time to time of information concerning the doctrines contained in the Scriptures; noting the admirable adaptation of every new revelation of doctrine to the increased maturity of the Church. The nature of God's law, its immutability, as constituting an everlasting rule of right and wrong, the full and perfect illustration of its precepts given by Christ.

7. The change which God has made from time to time in the positive ordinances, together with the reasons of that change. The difference between the moral law, and those laws which are positive.

8. The illustrations of the divine perfections in the history, biography. doctrines and precepts, together with the positive ordinances of the Scrip

tures.

9. The practical lessons to regulate our conduct in the various relations of life.

On all these particulars the meaning of the words used in Scripture must be ascertained, and thus we may understand what we read.

Resolved, 3. That the Presbyteries under the care of the Assembly be directed to take order on this subject, and they are hereby informed that this is not to come in the place of learning the Catechism of our Church, but to be added to it, as an important branch of religious education.1816, p. 627.

2. On Sabbath Schools and Instruction of the Young.

a. In all parts of the Church, Sunday-schools are established, and there is but one sentiment respecting them. The Assembly consider them as among the most useful and blessed institutions of the present day. They have a most extensive reforming influence. They apply a powerful corrective to the most inaccessible portions of the community. They begin moral education at the right time, in the best manner, and under the most promising circumstances. They act indirectly, but most powerfully, upon teachers and parents, and frequently become the means of bringing them to the church, and to the knowledge and love of the truth. Sundayschools are highly useful everywhere; but they are peculiarly adapted to new and destitute regions of the Church. The plan is simple, and easily accomplished. It requires comparatively little knowledge and experience to conduct them with ability. Very much good has been accomplished by the instrumentality of young ladies and gentlemen. The pleasing scene is often witnessed in some of our new settlements, of large meetings of children on the Lord's day, in schoolhouses, or beneath the shade of the original forest. The voice of praise and prayer is heard, and the word of the living God is proclaimed, amid the most beautiful works of his hand. -1824, p. 129.

b. Resolved, That the General Assembly do cordially approve of the design and operations of the American Sunday-School Union; and they do earnestly recommend to all ministers and churches under their care to employ their vigorous and continued exertions in the establishment and support of Sabbath-schools.-1826, p. 181.

c. Resolved, 1. That the Assembly regard the religious education of youth as a subject of vital importance, identified with the most precious interests and hopes of the Christian Church.

2. That the present indications of divine Providence are such as imperiously to demand of the Christian community unusual effort to train up the rising generation in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

3. That the Board of Missions be and hereby are instructed to enjoin it on their missionaries sedulously to attend to the religious education of the young; and particularly that they use all practical efforts to establish Sabbath-schools; and to extend and perpetuate the blessings of Sabbathschool instruction.

4. That the system of Sabbath-school instruction, now in prevalent and cheering operation, be and hereby is most earnestly recommended to the attention of the pastors and sessions of all our churches.

5. That the Presbyteries be and hereby are enjoined to make the progress of the Sabbath-school cause within their bounds the subject of special

inquiry, and annually to transmit the results of such inquiry to the General Assembly.

6. That inasmuch as the advantages of the Sabbath-school may, in some cases, be the occasion of remissness in the important duty of family instruction, it be and hereby is earnestly recommended to heads of families not to relax in their personal religious efforts at home, and in the domestic circle; but that they abound more and more in the use of all appropriate means, to promote sound knowledge and experimental piety, in every member of their households.

7. That as there is reason to apprehend that the Catechisms of this Church have not, in some parts of our Zion, received that measure of attention to which their excellence entitles them, it be and hereby is recommended to pastors, sessions, heads of families, superintendents of Sabbathschools, and all charged with the education of youth, in our connection, to give these admirable summaries of Christian truth and duty a prominent place in their instructions to the youth and children under their care.

8. That it be and hereby is recommended to the pastors and sessions of our churches to make themselves acquainted with the system of infant school instruction, now in happy progress in many places, and if practicable to establish such schools in their congregations.-1830, p. 303, 304.

3. Catechetical Instruction Enjoined.

a. Resolved, That as there is reason to apprehend that the catechisms of this Church have not in some parts of our Zion received that measure of attention to which their excellence entitles them, it be, and hereby is recommended to pastors, sessions, heads of families, superintendents of Sabbath-schools, and all charged with the education of youth, in our connection, to give these admirable seminaries of Christian truth and duty a prominent place in their instructions to the youth and children under their care.-1830, p. 304.

b. Resolved, That the use of the catechism in the religious instruction of the young, and of the children under the care of the Church, be affectionately and earnestly recommended to the sessions in connection with the General Assembly, as the most effectual means under God of preserving the purity, peace, and unity of the Church.-1832, p. 372.

c. The following resolutions on the subject of catechetical instruction were unanimously adopted, viz. :

Resolved, 1. That this General Assembly consider the practice of catechetical instruction as well adapted to the prosperity and purity of our Zion. Resolved, 2. That this Assembly view also with deep regret the neglect, on the part of many of our churches, of this good old practice of our fathers; a practice which has been attended with such blessed results to the cause of pure and undefiled religion.

Resolved, 3. That the institution of Sabbath-schools does not exonerate ministers and parents from the duty of teaching the Shorter Catechism to the children of the Church.

Resolved, 4. That this Assembly earnestly and affectionately recommend to all ministers and ruling elders in its connection to teach diligently the young of their respective congregations the Assembly's Shorter Catechism.-1849, p. 181, N. S.

d. Resolved, That the Assembly regard Christian training at all periods of youth and by all practicable methods, especially by parents at home, by teachers in institutions of learning, and by pastors through catechetical and Bible-classes, as binding upon the Church according to the injune

tion, "Train up a child in the way he should go," and as having a vital connection with the increase of numbers and efficiency of the ministry and of the stability and purity of the Church.-1854, p. 30, O. S.

e. Resolved, That this Assembly recommend that the Westminster Assembly's Catechism be introduced as a text-book into all the Sabbathschools under our supervision and control, where it is not now used.1866, p. 278, N. S.

4. Relation of Sabbath-schools to the Family.

We are pleased to find that our Sabbath-school system appears to be gaining upon the confidence of the churches, but we caution heads of families against the idea that their duties may be delegated to the Sabbath-school teacher. The obligations of parents are intransferable. The teacher is not the parent's substitute, but his helper; and it is equally the duty of the parent to superintend the instruction of his family, as though there were no such thing as a Sabbath-school.-1840, p. 310, O. S. [See also 1846, p. 221, O. S., and 1854, p. 183, O. S.]

5. Relation of the Sabbath-school to the Session.

a. These schools should always be under the direction of the pastor and session, and they should see to it that our catechisms constitute, in all cases, a part of the regular course of instruction.--1840, p. 310, O. S.

b. The Sabbath-school-like all the religious institutions and agencies of each individual church-is and ought to be under the watch and care of the session, and should be regarded not as superseding but as co-operating with the entire system of pastoral instruction, the responsibilities of which it should not in any manner diminish.-1863, p. 241, N. S.

c. The Assembly resumed the unfinished business, being the consideration of the report of the Committee on Sunday-schools, which was amended, adopted, and is as follows:

The Committee to whom were entrusted the special report of the Committee of the last Assembly on Sunday-schools, and the memorial of the Synod of Michigan on the same subject, respectfully report:

That they have carefully considered the papers committed, and are of opinion that the subject therein presented, and the suggestions made thereon, call for the earnest deliberation and mature action of this Assembly. The labors of individuals and churches on behalf of Sundayschools, in the provisions admirably devised for their accommodation, in the literature or music provided for their use, in the development of talents and influences especially adapted to interest and operate on the minds there gathered, and in concerts of prayer, have conspired to lift the institution into a position of prominence and power never before occupied, and promising yet greater growth and larger good. This fact seems to require that a more distinct recognition of the Sunday-school agency be made in our Assembly reports, and that its relation to the Church and its authorities be more clearly defined. While experience has demonstrated the vast capacities for good that lie in the Sundayschool, and which ought to be more fully unfolded, it has in various ways, also, admonished us of evils which ought to be guarded against and avoided. The danger is, that the Sunday-school may become detached from its proper connection with the Church and its authorities, and assume an independence which must prove, in the end, injurious both to itself and the Church.

This severance has, we learn, actually taken place in some instances,