Of the Prefbytery of Long Island;

The Revd. Zechariah Green.* Mr. Jeffe Leverich,* Elder.

Of the Prefbytery of New Brunswick;

The Revd. James F. Armstrong, Mr. John Bayard,

B. Haydont &

Elders.

Hen. Southard,

& Dr. Robert Smith, Elder.**

Of the Prefbytery of New Castle;

The Revd. Dr. Thomas Read.¶

The Revd. John E. Latta,
James M'Graw,

Of the Prefbytery of Lewes ;

The Revd. Stewart Williamson.

Of the Prefbytery of Baltimore;

The Revd. John Glendy, & Mr. Andrew Jamiefon, Elder.
Of the Prefbytery of Carlisle;

The Revd. Robert Cathcart, & Mr. William Brown, Elder.††
Of the Presbytery of Huntingdon;

The Revd John Coulter, & Mr. John Watson, Elder.‡‡
Of the Presbytery of Redstone;

The Revd. William Swann and

James Gutherie.

* Appeared in the house the second day of the feffions.

+ Refigned his feat in favour of Rev. Robert Finley the fixth day of the feffions.

Appeared in the house the fourth day of the feffions.

Refigned his feat the seventh day of the feffions in favour of Mr. Nicho las Du Bois.

Appeared in the house the fixth day of the feffions.

Appeared in the house the fourth day of the feffions.

**Appeared the third day of the feffions, and on the seventh refigned in favour of Mr. William Ruth,

++ Appeared in the house the fourth day of the feffions.

Appeared in the house the fecond day of the feffions.

Of the Presbytery of Ohio;

The Revd. Thomas Marques and
Elisha McCurdy.

Of the Presbytery of Erie;

The Revá. James Satterfield and
Samuel Tait.

Of the Presbytery of Winehefter;

The Revd. Nash Le Grand.

Of the Presbytery of Hanover;

The Revd. John H. Rice.

Of the Presbytery of Lexington;

The Revd. John Mines.

Of the Presbytery of Washington;

The Revd. Matthew G. Wallace.§§

Of the Presbytery of Weft Lexington;

The Revd. James Blythe.

Of the Presbytery of Orange;

The Revd. John Matthews.

Of the Presbytery of Hopewell;

The Revd. Robert M. Cunningham.

The Revd. Meffrs. William Lyman and Elijah Waterman, appeared in the house, and exhibited certificates of their appointment, as delegates to this Affembly, from the General Affociation of Connecticut. The certificates being read and approved, they took their feats as Members of the Assembly, agreeably to their appointment.

The Revd. James Richards was chofen Moderator, and the Revd. Robert Cathcart, temporary Clerk.

Mr. Lyman, in behalf of the General Affociation of Connecticut, expreffed the great and increafing pleasure which the Affociation have experienced in their connection with the General Affembly; and stated, that as a teftimony of their respect for this body, the Affociation had forwarded by him, and begged this

SS Appeared in the house the third day of the feffions,

Affembly to accept, about eighty copies of extracts from the Minutes of laft General Affociation. The Affembly thankfully received and distributed among their members the faid extracts; and requefted Mr. Lyman to affure the General Affociation, that this Affembly, with the utmost sensibility, reciprocate the sentiments and feelings, expreffed by Mr. Lyman, in behalf of the Affociation.

Refolved, That the delegates from this Affembly to the next General Association of Connecticut, prefent to them one hundred copies of extracts from the Minutes of the last General Assembly: that they request the Affociation to accept the fame as an expreffion of the refpect, this Affembly feels for their brethren of Connecticut, and the defire they have to strengthen the bonds that

unite us.

(Divifion of the Prefbytery of Oneida into two Prefbyteries.)

Refolved, That fo much of the exifting Prefbytery of Oneida, as lies on the weft fide of the western line of the counties of Chenango and Oneida, including the Rev. Meffrs. Jedediah Chapman, John Lindsley, Samuel Leacock and Jabez Chadwick, be conftituted a Prefbytery by the name of the Prefbytery, of Geneva; that they hold their first meeting in the Presbyterian church at Geneva, the third Tuefday of September next, and be opened with a fermon by Mr. Chapman, or in cafe of his abfence by the next fenior Minister prefent; and that they afterwards meet on their own adjournments.

Refolved, That fo much of the existing Prefbytery of Oneida, as lies between the eastern line of the counties of Otfego and Herkimer, and the western line of the counties of Chenango and Oneida, containing the Rev. Meffrs. Peter Fish, Samuel F. Snowden, Ifaac Lewis, Jofhua Knight and James Carnaghan, be constituted a Prefbytery, by the name of the Presbytery of Oneida: that they hold their first meeting in the Presbyterian church at Utica, on the firft Tuesday of September next, and be opened with a fermon by the Rev. Peter Fish, or, in case of his abfence, by the next fenior Minister prefent; and that they afterwards meet on their own adjournments.

The Committee appointed by laft Affembly to meet with the Synod of Kentucky, or with a committee of that fynod, and en

deavour to heal the breach which had taken place in that part of the church, reported.

The Report, and fundry documents relating thereto, were read; and Meffrs. Marques, Blythe and Le Grand were heard in explanation.

On motion it was

Refolved, that Doct. M'Knight, Mr. Blythe and Mr. Le Grand, be a committee to take this fubject into confideration; to draught and lay before this Affembly, a full ftatement of the proceedings of the fynod of Kentucky, and of the committee of Affembly that met with them, relating to the divifion in that fynod, in order that the fame (if approved) may be recorded among the proceedings of this Affembly.

The committee appointed yesterday, to draught and lay before this Affembly a fatement of the proceedings of the fynod of Kentucky, and of the committee of laft Affembly that met with them, respelling the divifion in that fynod, exhibited the following report, viz:

Your committee have had the fubject of their appointment under confideration, and submit the following statement of facts, derived from authentic fources, viz. The Rev. Dr. Hall, the Rev. Meffrs. Marques and Le Grand, being the full complement of the committee, appointed for the purpose by laft Affembly, met with the fynod of Kentucky, the 16th day of October last. The members of the fynod were generally prefent, and all the diffenting brethren, except one, who was faid to be fick. They had various interviews with the protestors in private, but found every effort of friendly accommodation, counteracted by marks of prejudice, obftinacy and premeditated decifion.

Agreeably to the fuggeftion of the General Affembly, a committee was appointed by the fynod, to confer with the committee of the Affembly.

In a conference between this joint committee and the diffenters, the following questions were proposed by the committee, to which the diffenters returned the annexed answers.

Question 1ft. What were your reafons for renouncing the jurif dilion of the Presbyterian church?

Anfwer ift. Because we believed that those bodies, with which we stood connected, acted contrary to their own rules.

2dly. But especially because the confeffion of faith, or standard of that church, contained feveral things which we viewed as contrary to the word of God, on which account we could not retain it as the standard of our faith, or fubmit to be judged and condemned by its dictates. This we faw evidently to be the de

B

fign of fynod. Other reafons, and the train of circumftances, which, in a gradual chain, bought the matter to that issue, are fully exhibited in our apology, to which we refer all who want information. While we were let alone, we were willing to let the confeffion of faith alone; but as foon as we found that our sentiments were to be brought to that standard, we renounced its authority.

Queft. 2d. Can any method of accommodation be propofed, which may induce you to return to the jurisdiction of that church, and heal the divifion which has taken place in the fynod of Kentucky?

Anfr. To the first part of this queftion we anfwer in the negative; fo long as they retain the confeffion of faith, as the ftandard of doctrine and difcipline, because we cannot receive that book as our standard.

When we withdrew, we confidered ourselves freed from all creeds but the bible; and fince that time, by constant application to it, we are led farther from the idea of adopting creeds and confeffions as ftandards, than we were at firft: confequently to come under the jurifdiction of that church now, is entirely out of the question.

We feel ourfelves citizens of the world: God our common father: all men our brethren by nature, and all christians our brethren in Christ. This principle of univerfal love to chriftians, gains ground in our hearts, in proportion as we get clear of particular attachments to party. We therefore cannot put ourselves in a fituation which would check the growth of fo benign a temper and make us fight under a party ftandard.

Notwithstanding we conceive that we can propofe a method of accommodation, which, with the divine bleffing, will heal the divifion which fubfifts between both minifters and people, throughout the bounds of the fynod of Kentucky, as follows;

1. Let us remember that all chriftians are one in Chrift; members of his body; partakers of his nature and heirs of his kingdom: therefore they have no power over one another, to cut off, exclude, or unite.

2. Let us pray for more of the uniting, cementing spirit.

3. Treat differences in leffer matters with chriftian charity, and mutual forbearance, and bend our united force to the common caufe.

4. Give up the care of the church to God, by constant fervent prayer: counfel, advise, admonish, reprove, comfort and strengthen one another, as neceffity may require, in the fpirit of love and meeknefs: then will be accomplished that faying that "of the reft, durft no man join himself unto them.”