A It is not; testimony taken before a session under the signature of the moderator and clerk is sufficient both in references and appeals. (Min. Gen Ass. 1797.)

Q 11 Has any person who supposes himself agriev ed by the dicisions of a judicatory, a right to appeal to the next higher court?

A He has and to carry his appeal if he think proper up thro' each court to the Gen. Assembly.

Q

1

A

SECTION IV.

ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH.

What are the ordinances of the church?

"The ordinances established by Christ the bead, in a particular church, which is regularly constituted with its proper officers, 1 Cor. xiv. 25. 33. 40. are, prayer, Acts vi. 4. singing praises, Col. iii. 16. reading, Acts xv. 21. Luke iv. 16, and 17. expounding and preaching the word of God; Tit. i. 9. administering baptism and the Lord's supper; Matt. xxviii. 19. public solemn fasting and thanksgiving, Luke v. 35. catechising, Heb. 5. 12 making collections for the poor, and other pious purposes; 1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2, 3, 4. exercising discipline; Heb. xiii. 17. and blessing the people. 2 Cor. xiii. 14.2 Q. 2 To whom alone does it belong to administer the ordinances of the church?

A. Presiding in public assemblies of religious worship-officially preaching and expounding the word of God, and blessing the people may be done by a licentiate preacher of the gospel, but the administration of the Sacraments can be done only by an ordained minister;-and in all but extraordinary cases, the ordinanc es of baptism and the Lord's supper are to be administered in public worshipping assemblies.

Q. 3 What is to be required of those persons who present themselves, or those parents who offer their children for baptism?

A. They are in the former case to profess their faith in Christ, to promise to lead a sober and godly life, and

submit to the government of Christ in his church. And parents, in the latter, are required to teach their children the doctrines and duties of the gospel, “pray with and for them," and train them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The profession which entitles parents to the baptism of their children, is the same as that required in the reception of the Lord's supper. (Min. Gen. Assem. 1816.)

Q. 4. What is the Lord's Supper?

A. "The Lord's supper is a sacrament of the New Testament, Luke xxii. 20, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to the appointment of Jesus Christ, his death is showed forth; and they that worthily communicate, feed upon his body and blood to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace, Matt. xxvi. 26, 27. John vi. 55, 56. 1 Cor. xi. 23-27; have their union and communion with him confirmed, 1 Cor. x. 16; testify and renew their thankfulness, 1 Cor. xi. 25, and engagement to God, x. 16-21, and their mutual love and fellowship each with the other, as members of the same mystical body, 17."

"Christ hath appointed the ministers of his word, in the administration of this sacrament of the Lord's supper, to set apart the bread and wine from common use by the word of institution, thanksgiving and prayer; to take and break the bread, and to give both the bread and the wine to the communicants; who are by the same appointment to take and eat the bread and drink the wine, in thankful remembrance that the body of Christ was broken and given, and his blood shed for them, Mark xiv. 22, 23, 24. 1 Cor. xi. 23, 24, Matthew xxvi. 26, 28. Eph. ii. 11, 15.

"As the body and blood of Christ are not corporally or carnally present in, with, or under the bread and wine in the Lord's supper, Acts iii. 10, and yet are spiritually present to the faith of the receiver, no less truly present than the elements themselves are to their outward senses, Gal. iii. 1, Heb. xi. 1; so they that wor thily commuicate in the sacrament of the Lord's supper, do therein feed upon the body and blood of Christ,

not after a corporal or carnal, but in a spiritual manner; yet truly and really, John vi. 51,-53, while by faith they receive and apply unto themselves Christ crucified, and all the benefits of his death, 1 Cor. x. 16. Q5 Who are forbidden to reeive it?

"The ignorant and scandalous are not to be admitted. to the Lord's supper;" and it is the duty of those who administer it "to warn the profane, the ignorant and scandalous, and those that secretly indulge themselves in any known sin, not to approach the holy table." And no members of a congregation have a right to receive the sacrament until they have been examined by the session, and given satisfactory evidence of their personal piety knowledge of the doctrines an duties of the gospel; and also to discern the Lord's body."-Nor ean they lawfully receive it while under any kind of church censure.

Q. 6 Ought the infant children of believers, being church members, to be brought to the Lord's table, and receive the sacrament of the supper?

A. They ought not. They are however," under the inspection of the church; and are to be taught to read and repeat the catechismi, the Apostle's creed and the Lord's prayer. They are to be taught to pray, to ab hor sin, to fear God and to obey the Lord Jesus Christ. and when they come to years of discretion, if they be free from scandal, appear sober and steady, and to have sufficient knowledge to discern the Lord's body, they ought to be informed, it is their duty and their privilege to come to the Lord's supper."

See questions 171, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of Larg. Cat. Q. 7 Is it proper to commune with, or admit to the communion of the church those who do not belong to our own communion, or do not exactly agree with us in all points of doctrine, church order, &c.?

A. As the Lord's supper is an ordinance of the church, and a communion of the saints, it is both lawful and proper that it be celebrated with all those persons and churches who maintain the doctrines of grace, give evidence of real piety, and a consistent walk, and main tain the principles of ecclesiastical order.

Q. 8 How are we to praise God in singing psalms er hymns in public and private?

A. "In singing the praises of God, we are to sing with the spirit and with the understanding also; making melody in our hearts unto the Lord. It is also proper, that we cultivate some knowledge of the rules of music; that we may praise God in a becoming manner with our voices as well as with our hearts. As singing cannot be decently performed without learning, those who neglect to learn to sing live in sin, as they neglect what is necessary in order to attending one of the ordinances of God."

Q. 9 Has Christ appointed in his church any particular system of psalms, to the exclusion of all others?

A. He has not. Paraphrases and versions of the book of psalms, spiritual songs, Eph. v. 19, and hymns, Mat. xxvi. 30, founded upon scripture truths, written in a style of becoming dignity, and solemnity, and containing a correct view of Christian doctrine, may be consistently used in the worship of God. Such "hymns in honour of Christ as God," appear to have been used in the primitive churches, and may be adapted to the design of this part of public worship, to the happy period of gospel times, and to the various situations and conditions of the worshippers of God.

Q. 10. "Are the prayers offered to God in the public congregations limited to written forms?

A. “Written forms of prayer, whether read or repeated, are not authorized in the scripture, Mat. vi. 7, are not calculated to exercise the mind in the graces of the Holy Spirit, 1 Cor. xiv. 12, are not adapted to the varieties of the state of the church and its members, Heb. iv. 16, and are not to be used in approaching the throne of grace,” See part III.

Q. 11 "What is included in blessing the congre gation?

"Pronouncing the blessing is a ministerial declaration, to which the whole congregation should attend with faith and solemnity, not of the wishes of the minister, but of the purpose of God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost,

to sanctify, protect, and save, all who worship him in spirit and in truth." Num. vi. 23-27. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. Q. 12 Is it the duty of vacant congregations to as semble for public worship, and procure the administration of the ordinances?

A. It is, in order thereby to improve their knowledge, to confirm their habits of public worship, and their dedesire of public ordinances, to augment their reverence for the Most High God, and promote charitable affections. And the elders of the church are to preside, in the absence of a minister--while prayer, singing praises, reading the scriptures, and such works, of approved divines, as the Presbytery may recommend, comprise the parts of public worship.

Q. 18 Is it the duty of the church to make provision for the administration of the ordinances among the. destitute?

A. It is. Missionaries are to be sent at the expense of the church, to preach the gospel in congregations too feeble to support a stated ministry, and to all parts of the anti-christian and pagan world, at such times, and in such manner as God, in his providence, doth enable his church to do it.

Q. 14 Is there any good reason to believe that the church is to be finally extended through the world; and the gospel, in its purity and order, to be universally es tablished?

A. There is in the sacred scriptures a period promised when the true knowledge of the Lord shall the earth as the waters cover the sea."

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A. "Church discipline, is the exercise of ecclesiastical power, for the prevention and correction of offences in the visible church. 2 Cor. x. 8." MLeod's Cat