also took into consideration the Westminster larger and shorter Catechisms; and having made a small amendment of the larger, did approve, and do hereby approve and ratify, the said Catechisms, as now agreed on, as the Catechisms of the Presbyterian Church, in the said United States. And the Synod order that the said Directory and Catechisms be printed, and bound up in the same volume with the Confession of Faith, and the Form of Government and Discipline; and that the whole be considered as the standard of our Doctrine, Government, Discipline, and Worship, agreeably to the resolutions of, the Synod, at their present sessions.

Ordered, That Dr. Duffield, Mr. Armstrong, and Mr. Green, be a committee to superintend the printsupe ing and publishing of the above said Confession of Faith and Catechisms, with the Form of Government and Discipline, and the Directory for the worship of God, as now adopted and ratified by the Synod, as THE CONSTITUTION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; and that they divide the several parts into chapters and sections, properly numbered.Page 451, 452.

CHAPTER II.

OF THE ACTS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Sect. 1. Scripture proofs in support of the Confession of Faith, &c. selected in 1794. THE committee appointed to prepare the scripture-proofs in support of the doctrines of the confession of faith, cateshisms, &c. of the Presbyterian church, submitted their report; which was in part read, examined and approved as a specimen of the work. Whereupon, Dr. Green, and Messrs. John B. Smith, James Boyd, William M. Tennant, Nathaniel Irvin and Andrew Hunter, were appointed a committee, to compare the proofs prepared and now reported by said committee to the General Assembly, with the proofs annexed to the Westminster Confession of Faith, Catechisms and Directory; to revise the whole, prepare it for the press, to agree with a printer for its publication, and to superintend the printing and vending of the same. And the said committee were further instructed to secure the copy-right of said book, according to a law of the United States in such case provided.

Sect. 2. Resolutions in regard to the scripture proofs, and notes, by the Assembly, in 1816.

The committee to which was referred an inquiry proposed to the Assembly by the Presbytery of Philadelphia, relative to the notes found in the book containing the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, reported; and their report being amended, was adopted, and is as follows: viz.

That the book referred to was first published with nothing but the simple text, without any Scripture proofs, or any notes of any description whatsoever. This is evident, not only from the minutes of the General Assembly, but from the numerous copies of this first edition of the standards of our church, which are now in existence. It is also equally evident from examining the records of the General Assembly, that not a single note in the book has been added to, or made a part of, the Constitution of the Church since it was first formed and published, in the manner above recited. Several alterations and additions have been made, by referring them when contemplated to the Presbyteries for their decision thereon, in the manner pointed out in the Constitution itself. But among all the points thus referred, there is not found a single note which now appears in the book containing the constitution of our church. Hence it follows beyond a doubt, that these notes are no part of the constitution. If then it be inquired, how these notes obtained the place which they cupy, and what is the character as to authority which they possess? the answer is this-When a second addition of the standards of our church

now oc

was needed, it was thought by the General Assembly, that it would be of great use in itself, highly agreeable to the members of our church generally, as well as conformable to the example of the church of Scotland, from which we derived our origin, if the Scripture proofs were added, in support of the several parts and clauses of the confession of faith, catechisms and form of government. A committee was accordingly appointed by the Assembly, to select the scripture proofs, and to prepare them for being printed with the second edition of the book. The work of this committee was the following year referred to another; and ultimately the committee charged with preparing the scripture proofs reported along with these proofs, the notes which now appear in the book, and which were approved by the General Assembly, and directed to be printed with the proofs in the form in which they now appear. These notes then are explanations of some of the principles of the Presbyterian Church, given by the General Assembly, and which of course the General Assembly may modify, or altogether exclude at their pleasure; whereas the articles of the Constitution must govern the Assembly themselves, and cannot be altered or abrogated, but in the manner pointed out in the Constitution itself.

On the whole, in the book containing the Standards of our Church, the text alone contains the Constitution of our Church; the notes are an exposition of principles given by the highest judicature of that church, of the same force while they continue with the other acts of that judicature, but subject to alterations, amendments, or a total erasure, as they shall judge proper.

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Resolved, That as it belongs to the General Assembly to give direction in regard to the notes which accompany the constitution of which they are the supreme judicatory, this Assembly express it as their opinion, that, in printing future editions of the Confession of this Church, the parenthesis in the note, on this part of the form of government which defines a Synod, and which is expressed in these words, "since a Synod is only a larger Presbytery," be omitted; as well as the note connected with the scripture proofs in answer to the question in the larger catechism, What is forbidden in the eighth commandment? in which the nature of the crime of manstealing and slavery is dilated upon.

In regard to this last omission, the Assembly think proper to declare, that in directing it they are influenced by far other motives, than any desire to favour slavery, or to retard the extinction of that mournful evil, as speedily as may consist with the happiness of all concerned.

Resolved, That the foregoing resolution, with the report of the committee, sanctioned by the Assembly, on the same subject, be printed, and connected with the last edition of the confession of faith, catechisms, form of government, &c. of this Church.-Vol. III. p. 289.

Sect. 3. Time for studying Divinity not to be extended.

The Assembly called for the reports of the Presbyteries relative to a point on which their opinion was required by the last Assembly, viz. "Whether