Minutes - United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. - United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. General Assembly

the fame benevolent perfons; with a requeft, that they may be fent by the miffionaries from this Affembly, to the frontiers of the country, and diftributed. for the caution and direction of those who have lefs opportunity of obtaining medical aid and advice, on the fubject of Vaccine inoculation.

The prefent was thankfully accepted by the Affembly; who feeling perfectly difpofed, to co-operate with thofe friends of humanity, diftributed the two hundred copies aforefaid among the members; to be ufed, at their discretion, for promoting the end in view. The fifty copies, with the inftructions accompanying them, were tranfmitted to the standing committee of miffions; to the intent, that they may be employed for the purposes aforefaid.

The committee appointed by laft Affembly, to prepare an edition of the extracts of the General Affembly reported, that they have compleated the bufinefs affigned to them; and that forty-eight compleat copies, ready bound, are now in the hands of the Treasurer of the corporation; fubject to the orders of the General Affembly.

Resolved, That one copy of the said extracts, be allotted to each fynod, and one to each Prefbytery under the care of the Affembly: one to the committee of millions; one to the trustees of the General Affembly; and that one copy be prefented to the General Association of Connecticut: That the treasurer deliver the fame, to the perfons who may apply for them; and take their receipts respectively,. diftinctly marking for what body they are received.

Resolved, That the Rev. Doctors Blair, Tennent and Green; the Rev. Meffrs. Irwin, Milledoler, Linn, Potts and Janeway; be a committee, to take into confideration, the expediency of publishing a new edition of the Confeffion of faith &c. of this church-to confider whether any, and, if any, what alterations ought to be made in the faid Confeffion of Faith &c. and to make fuch preparatory arrangements on this fubject, as they fhall judge proper, and report to next Affembly.

And whereas, this Affembly have been informed, that one or more unauthorized editions, of the Confeffion of Faith and the form of government and difcipline of this church; have been publifhed within a short period.

Resolved, That the General Affembly cannot recognize as accurate, or recommend to the churches under their care, any edition of the faid Confeffion of Faith, published fince that which was printed by Robert Aitken, in the year 1797; under the direction of the General Affembly: and the Affembly would further declare to the churches in their communion, that no edition of the faid Confeffion of Faith ought, in future, to be purchased or encouraged by them, exfuch as may be published by the authority of the Affembly.

cept

The following report of a committee, was adopted by the Affembly, as a general regulation on the subject of reports from inferior, to superior judi

catures.

I. The Prefbyteries fhall direct each congregation, whether fupplied with a pastor or vacant, to make an annual report to the Prefbytery to which it belongs; ftating the number of communicants; and the number of persons baptized the preceeding year; and whether in infancy or adult years.

II. Prefbyteries fhall make annual reports to their fynods; stating -A lift of Paftors, in the order of feniority, with their Churches. annexed:

-Of Ministers without paftoral charges, in the fame order:

-Of Licentiates and vacancies; diftinguishing thofe vacancies which are able to support a paftor, from those which are not.

These reports fhould be closed, by an historical account of Licenfures, Ordinations, Inftalments, fufpenfions, depofitions, tranflations, deaths; and alfo of members or licentiates received or difmiffed, in the ufual form.

III. Synods fhall report to each General Affembly, and detail the whole Prefbyterial reports, except the historical account above mentioned; which may be omitted at their discretion.

IV. Prefbyteries fhall fend to each General Affembly, a duplicate of their report to the Synod; omitting the hiftorical detail aforefaid, if they think proper: and adding the amount of the collection made by each church, for the funds of the Affembly the preceeding year; with fuch information on the miffionary business as fhall feem ufeful; provided they have not previously forwarded this information (which we earneftly recommend) to the committee of miffions.

V. Every fifth year, beginning with the year 1805, the Prefbyteries fhall add to their reports to the General Affembly; and to their reports to the next preceeding Seffions of Synod: a detail of baptifms, communicants &c. received from their churches, at a recent date; making the fame as full and correct as poffible; to the end that it may be printed with the extracts of the year, if the Affembly fhall think proper.

All reports fhould bear date and fignature; and if by any means they fail of being fent to the proper judicatory, fhould be forwarded to the stated clerk, by mail or otherwise.

Resolved, That this General Affembly be diffolved; and that the next General Affembly be required to meet, in the First Presbyterian Church in the city of Philadelphia; on the third Thursday of May next, at 11 o'clock A. M.

Whereupon the Moderator diffolved the Affembly, agreeably to the form prescribed in the Constitution, and Concluded with Prayer.

APPENDIX.

[Containing a lift of the Synods, Prefbyteries, Churches, Minifters and Licentiates, under the care of the General Affembly; with a general view of their funds, and of the receipts and difbursements of the year beginning June 1st. 1802 and ending May 31st, 1803, both days inclufive.]

N. B. THE general arrangement is from the North East to the South Weft. An attempt is made to give the names of the minif ters, in the several Presbyteries, in the order of feniority, with their pastoral charges annexed-Blanks will be found after the names of those who have no pastoral charges. The fums of money annexed to the names of certain churches, are the collections paid by them in the courfe of the year into the fund annually expended in the fupport of miffionaries, &c. Some Prefbyteries have paid into the treafury the aggregate fum raised by their congregations, without diftinguishing the fum collected by each; and credit is given accordingly. The four Synods last enumerated in this appendix, have had arrangements of their own, for conducting the miffionary business; and have, (it is prefumed) funds of their own. Neither thefe funds, nor the collections by which they are supplied, being known to the committee, no account of them can be here given.