The Council then heard a statement of the business,

Difficulties having arisen between the pastor and sundry members of this Church, in the adjustment of which we feel our need of your counsel, this is to invite your attendance, by pastor and delegate, at a mutual Council, to be held at

on day of at o'clock, to advise us respecting the following matters, viz. (here let every material point in the case be mentioned); and such other incidental matters as may grow out of these main points of difficulty between us.

Wishing you grace, mercy, and peace,

We subscribe ourselves yours.

CALL FOR AN EX PARTE COUNCIL

(The form may be used as for a mutual council, with this exception: it must be distinctly stated, that a

CALL FOR AN EX PARTE COUNCIL

41

mutual council has been proposed by the inviting party, and been rejected by the other party. The letter will be signed, of course, only by the sending party the pastor or the aggrieved brother or brethren, as the case may be. The names of the invited churches should always be given, that every Church may know with whom it is expected to associate in council.)

FORM FOR BAPTISMAL SERVICES

INFANT BAPTISM

CONGREGATIONAL

After suitable music, when possible, let the minister read one or more of the following Bible passages:

And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are these with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant. - GEN. xxxiii. 5.

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. GEN. xvii. 7.

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thine heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shall talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. - DEUT. vi. 6, 7.

The secret things belong unto the Lord our God:

but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. DEUT. xxix. 29.

Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. — Ps. ciii. 13.

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his precepts to do them. - Ps. ciii. 17, 18.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it. - PROV. xxii. 6.

I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thy offspring. ISA. xliv. 3.

And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. MATT. xviii. 3–5.

See that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. MATT. xviii. 10, 14.

But Jesus said, Suffer the little children, and for

bid them not to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. MATT. xix. 14.

DEARLY BELOVED, — you bring your dear children to God, in the faith of that ancient and everlasting covenant, in which he promises to be the God of his people and of their seed after them; and in the belief that, because ye are Christ's, therefore ye are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. These children belong to the family of God, and you now recognize their birthright. You promise to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, with the desire and expectation that, by his covenant keeping mercy, they will grow up in his fear, and will early sanction this their consecration of them by voluntarily consecrating themselves to Christ and by fully identifying themselves with his visible Church. And with this object chief above all others in your prayers and efforts for your children, you will seek, both by example and precept, to fit them for the service of God on earth and for the Father's home in heaven. Is this your purport and intent?

Baptism will then be administered. In administering baptism it is better to use only the first or so-called Christian name, as this only has significance. It is optional with the minister whether he holds the child when applying the water and uttering the Baptismal Formula, I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.