Year: 1869

| " Nc presbyterian CHUFcH IN tHc CHttcu


States Of 1mertca.


! Believing that the interest of the Re
deemer's kingdom would be promoted by
the healing of our divisions, and that the
two bodies bearing the same name, having
the same Constitution, and each recogniz
ing the other as a sound and orthodox
body according to the principles of the
Confession common to both, cannot be
justified by any but the most imperative
reasons in maintaining separate, and, in
some respects, rival organizations we
are now clearly of the opinion that the re-
union of those bodies ought, as soon as the
necessary steps can be taken, to be accom-
plished, upon the Basis hereinafter set
forth:


l. The Presbyterian Churches in the
United States of America, namely, that
whose General Assembly convened in the
Brick Church in the city of New York, on
the Goth day of May, 1869, and that whose
General Assembly met in the Church of
the Covenant in the said city on the same
day, shall be reunited as one Church, un-
der the name and style of the Presbyterian
Church in the United States of America,
possessing all the legal and corporate
rights and powers pertaining to the Church
previous to the division in 1888, and all
the legal and corporate rights and powers
which the separate Churches now possess.


2. The reunion shall be effected ON the
doctrinal and ecclesiastical basis of our
common Standards the Scriptures of the
Old and New Testaments shall be ac-
knowledged to be the inspired word of
God, and the only infallible rule of faith
and practice; the Confession of Faith
shall continue to be sincerely received
and adopted as containing the system of
doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures !;
and the Government and Discipline of the
Presbyterian Church in the United States
shall be approved as containing the princi
pies and rules of our polity.


3. Each of the said Assemblies shall
submit the foregoing Basis to its Prcsby
teries, which shall be required to meet on
or before the 18th day of October, 1869,
to express their approval or disapproval of
the same, by categorical answer to the
following question:


Do you approve of the reunion of the
two bodies now claiming the name and
rights of the Presbyterian Church in the
United States of America, on the follow
ing basis, namely: " The reunion to be
effected on the doctrinal and ecclesiastical
basis of our common Standards the Scrip
lures of the Old and New Testaments shall
be acknowledged to be the inspired word
of G God, and the only infallible rule of faith
and practice the Confession of Faith
shall continue to be sincerely received and
adopted as containing the system of
doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures
and the Government and Discipline of the
Presbyterian Church in the United States
shall be approved as containing the princi-
pies and rules of our polity ?''


Each Pr sbytery shall, before the 1st
day of November, 1869, forward to the
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly with
which it is connected, statement of its
vote on the said Basis of Reunion.


4. The said General Assemblies now
sitting shall, after finishing their business,
adjourn, to meet in the city of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, on the second Wednesday
of November, 1869, at eleven o'clock, A.
NJ


If the two General Assemblies shall then
find and declare that the above-named Ba-
sis of Reunion has been approved by two
thirds of the Presbyteries connected with
each branch of the Church, then the same
shall be of binding force, and the two As
semblies shall take action accordingly.


5. The said General Assemblies shall
then and there make provision for the
meeting of the General Assemblies of the
united Church on the third Thursday of
May, 1870 The Moderators of the two
present Assemblies shall jointly preside at
the said Assemblies of 1870 until another
Moderator is chosen. Phe Moderator of
the Assembly now sitting at the Brick
Church aforesaid, shall, if present, put all
votes, and decide questions of order; and
the Moderator Of the other Assembly shall.
if present. preach the opening sermon
and the Stated Clerks of the present As
semblies shall act as Stated Clerks of the
Assembly of the united Church until a