nse, according to the ordinary practice: And it is iously recommended to presbyteries to be careful in tting that act in execution.-Act Sess. 30, Aug. 5. is act bears a narrative, That the censure of suspension d deposition of ministers is, by the ancient practice and der of this kirk, both ab officio et beneficio, as is acknowged by Act 20, Parl. 1644.

1648. No minister deposed for malignancy and comHance with the enemies of the kirk and cause of God, then it shall fall out that he be put in a capacity of adission to the ministry,) shall enter into the congregation any other minister who also hath been deposed for alignancy and compliance, as said is.-Act Sess. ult. ug. 12.

1690. Mr Thomas Linning, Mr Alexander Shields, r William Boyd, who have followed some courses conary to the order of this church, having given in two pers, the one containing expressions of their purpose d promise of being subject to the authority of this church, id the other for exoneration of their consciences; after grave admonition by the moderator to walk orderly in me coming, in opposition to all schism and division, were animously received into the fellowship of the church, enjoy the privileges, and to perform the duties whereof ey are or shall be found capable.-Act 5.

1705. Mr John Hepburn is deposed from the exercise the holy ministry by Act 7.

1740. Messrs Ralph and Ebenezer Erskines, Wilson, Loncrief, Fisher, Mair, Nairn, and Thomson, are deposed om the office of the holy ministry by Act 4.-(Seced

8.)

1752. Mr Thomas Gillespie is deposed by Act 4.

1758. Mr Thomas Boston having demitted his charge the parish of Oxnam, it is declared, That he is no miister of this church, and that he is incapable of receiving or *cepting of a presentation or call to any parish in this urch, without the special allowance of some future Asmbly. And all the ministers of this church are prohibited om employing him to preach or perform any ministerial ffices for them, or from being employed by him, unless

some future Assembly shall see cause to take off this hibition.-Act 4.

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1766. Mr James Bain having given up the charge the kirk of Paisley, it is declared, That he is no minis of this church, and that he is incapable of receiving accepting of a call or presentation to any parish in t church, without the special licence of some future Asse bly: And all the ministers of this church are prohibi from employing him to preach or perform any minister offices for them, or from being employed by him, unl some future Assembly shall see cause to take off this p hibition.-Act 6.

1776. The sentence of deposition passed upon 1 Robert Dalrymple is taken off, and he is reponed to t office of minister of the gospel.-Act 9.

1839. The General Assembly, on the report of t committee for classing returns to overtures, having fou that the overture anent re-union with Seceders has ceived the approbation of a majority of the presbyteries the church, did, and hereby do, enact the said overtu into a standing law of the church, as follows:-Where proposals having been made by the Associate Synod fo reunion with the Church of Scotland, and a consideral number of overtures have been sent at the same time the General Assembly from the synods and presbyteri of the church favourable to that object; and it has be ascertained, by a committee of the General Assembl that the course of study required for a long time past students in divinity in connection with said synod is qui satisfactory, and that their ministers and elders do firm adhere to the Westminster Confession of Faith, t Larger and Shorter Catechisms, and other standards of o church; and whereas the members of the Associate S nod do heartily concur with us in holding the great pri ciple of an ecclesiastical establishment, and the duty acknowledging God in our national as well as our ind vidual capacity; and we, on the other hand, do heartil concur with the members of the Associate Synod in co fessing the great obligations under which we lie to o forefathers, in the year 1638, and several years of that ce

tury immediately following, and the duty, in particular circumstances, of uniting together in public solemn engagement in defence of the Church, and its doctrine, discipline, and form of worship and government; and whereas our brethren of the Associate Synod have declared their willingness, in the event of a re-union, to submit to all the laws and judicatories of this Church, reserving only to themselves the right which the members of the Established Church enjoy of endeavouring to correct, in a lawful manner, what may appear to them to be faulty in its constitution and government.

The General Assembly, with the consent of the Presbyteries of this Church, enact and ordain, That all the ministers of the Associate Synod, and their congregations, in Scotland, desirous of being admitted into connection and full communion with the Church of Scotland, be received accordingly, and that the following rules be strictly observed by the Presbyteries of this Church relative to this subject :

1. Ministers of the Associate Synod and their congregations shall be received into connection with the presbyIteries in whose bounds their churches are situate, on their laying before the said presbyteries respectively a representation or memorial, subscribed in name of the kirksessions of said congregations by the moderator or other person appointed by them; and if there be managers of said congregations, by the preses of said managers, or other person in their name and by their authority, as also by the preses of a meeting of the members of the congregation, setting forth the desire of said ministers and congregations to be received into connection with the O Church of Scotland. On such representation or memorial being presented, the presbytery shall, subject to the condition after specified, receive and admit the memorialists; and, in the event of the presbytery's refusing to do 80, it shall be competent to the memorialists to appeal to the General Assembly.

2. On the reception of a minister and congregation of the Associate Synod into connection with the presbytery of this Church, the managers of said congregation, or

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the kirk-session and deacons, if managers, shall forthwith take the steps necessary for procuring a constitution for the newly admitted church, and having a territorial district assigned thereto.

3. Every minister of the Associate Synod, at his admission as a member of presbytery, and every ruling elder of said Synod, before taking his seat as a member of presbytery or synod, or General Assembly, shall subscribe the Westminster Confession of Faith, and the Formula of the Church of Scotland, and shall enjoy all the rights and privileges of ordained ministers and elders of the Church of Scotland.

4. The integrity of the kirk-sessions and existing congregations of the Associate Synod admitted into the Church of Scotland, and the right of said kirk-sessions to grant sealing ordinances to the present members of their said congregations, though not residing within the bounds of the parish which may be allotted to them, shall be distinctly and practically recognised by the other kirk-sessions and the presbyteries of this Church; provided always, that this provision shall in no respect apply to non-residents who are not, at the date of this act, members of the existing congregations as aforesaid.

5. Presbyteries shall not, at or after the admission of ministers of the Associate Synod and their congregations into connection with the Church of Scotland, require any provision to be made for the said ministers by the managers of said congregations different from existing arrange ments; but the laws now in force in this Church, or here after to be enacted, shall be observed with regard to all fu ture intrants.

6. The licentiates or probationers of the Associate Synod shall be received and treated as other probationers within the bounds of the presbytery, on their making ap plication to the presbytery to that effect, and on their subscribing the Westminster Confession of Faith, and Formula of the Church of Scotland, and shall be held equally capable with them of receiving a presentation, or of being elected and called to a vacant congregation within the bounds of this Church.

7. The students of divinity of the Associate Synod, at the time of the passing of this act, shall, on producing ertificates of their having finished their Theology Course, under the Professor of the Associate Synod, be taken on trials for licence by the presbytery of the bounds. Those of the existing students of said Synod who have commenced, but have not finished, their theological studies, shall complete their curriculum with him or in the Divinity Halls of the Scottish Universities; and their sessions of regular attendance on the lectures of the Professor of Theology of the Associate Synod shall be counted as sessions of regular attendance in the Divinity Hall.

8. Ministers and their congregations out of Scotland, belonging to the Associate Synod, and expressing their desire of being recognised by the Church of Scotland as connected with her, shall be held as standing in the same relative position as ministers and congregations in England, Ireland, and the Colonies, whose connection with this Church has been acknowledged.

DISSENTING VOTERS.

1644. If any member of presbyteries or synods shall find, in matters depending before them, that the moderator shall refuse to put any thing of importance to voices; or, if they find any thing carried by plurality of voices, to any determination which they conceive to be contrary to the Word of God, the Acts of Assembly, or the received order of this kirk; in any of these cases, the Assembly think it necessary that they urge their dissent to be marked in the register; and if it be refused, that they protest, as they would desire to be free of common censure with the rest: And the dissenters are declared censurable, if their dissent shall be found otherwise than they conceived. Act Sess. 7, June 4.

DOCTRINE.

1704. All persons are discharged to preach or dissemi