from all the annual Elderships, which are, or may be formed within the geographical territory of North America, in the following ratio, to wit:-One teaching elder for every ten, together with an equal number of ruling elders, during the first twenty years; after that, the ratio of representation shall be defined as the Eldership shall deem most advisable.

Art. 2. The General Eldership shall meet every three years, during the first twenty years, and every five years there. after, at such time and place as shall be agreed on, at each consecutive Eldership. Art. 3. Each session of the Eldership shall be opened and closed with religious worship, as the Speaker shall direct and two-thirds of the members in attendance shall constitute a quorum to transact busi

ness.

Art. 4. The first meeting of each regular Eldership shall be opened by the Speaker of the preceding one-in his absence, by the oldest minister present; then two persons shall be appointed by acclamation, to constitute the meeting; and after that, the Eldership shall be organized by electing by ballot, first a SPEAKER, next a TREASURER, and then two CLERKS, viz :—a journalizing and transcribing clerk-all of whom shall hold their office till the meeting of the next stated Eldership.

Art. 5. The SPEAKER shall be the presiding officer of all the meetings of the Eldership during the time for which he was elected. He shall conduct the business thereof, according to the rules and usages of deliberative bodies—he shall endorse all orders on the Treasurer, and shall call a special meeting of the Eldership, whenever a majority of the standing committees of the several annual Elderships shall require it, and not otherwise.

Art. 6. The TREASURER shall hold the funds of the General Eldership-he shall invest or disburse the same, according to the warrants of the Speaker-he shall also exhibit a report of the receipts, investments and disbursements at each consecutive Eldership, and give approved security to the Speaker and Clerks for any amount that the Eldership may require.

Art. 7. The JOURNALIZING CLERK shall read all papers and documents which the

Speaker shall lay before the Eldershipkeep a regular journal of its proceedings, and read the journal every morning, of the preceding day, during the sitting of the same.

Art. 8. The TRANSCRIBING CLERK shall transcribe the journal, and such other papers as the Eldership may direct, into a protocol, or book of records; and also furnish a copy of the same for publication.

Art. 9. The General Eldership shall own and control all the public, joint and common property; such as the printing establishment, stereotype plates, copyrights of books, and whatever else may come into its hands, by way of purchase, bequest, donation or otherwise.

Art. 10. All publications for general use; such as hymn books, newspapers, periodicals, &c., shall be under the direc tion of the General Eldership.

Art. 11. It shall be the exclusive right and duty of the General Eldership, to elect or appoint the editor or editors of all newspapers and periodicals-a publishing committee-a board of directors of the printing establishment and book concern, and all other agents necessary for carry. ing out the true principles and plans of co-operation.

Art. 12. The proceeds of all the public property shall be divided among all the annual Elderships, according to their numerical strength, or otherwise, as the General Eldership may direct.

Art. 13. All orders from the annual Elderships, on the Treasurer of the General Eldership, for their share of the public funds, or any part thereof, shall in all cases be issued and signed by a majority of the members of their respective standing committees.

Art. 14. The General Eldership shall have the exclusive right of arranging and settling the boundary lines of all the annual Elderships.

Art. 15. All controversies and difficulties arising between the members of any two or more annual Elderships, shall be adjusted by a council of the several standing committees of the same; but either party may take an appeal from their decision to the General Eldership, provided notice thereof be given to the chairman of

Art. 16. All matters of controversy or dispute which may arise between members of the several annual Elderships, shall be settled, either by their respective standing committees, or in their yearly meetings; and their decision shall in all cases be final, except where two-thirds shall sanction an appeal, or consent to refer it to the General Eldership.

Art. 17. No person shall be considered an accredited Minister in the Church of God, without a regular license; and all the preachers in good standing shall have their license renewed annually by the Elderships of which they are members.

Art. 18. All persons expelled from any given Eldership, shall be treated as such by all the rest.

Art. 19. No preacher shall be transferred from one Eldership to another, without mutual consent.

Art. 20. No minister shall be eligible to an appointment, as a delegate to the General Eldership, who shall not have held a license for five years previous to appointment; except in new Elderships, or in cases where it is unavoidable.

Art. 21. The General Eldership shall have power to employ suitable persons as missionaries or agents, whether they are members of an annual Eldership or not; provided they go into their employ voluntarily, and give due notice thereof-if members of an Eldership, to the standing committee, or to the annual Eldership of which they are members.

Art. 22. All persons in the employ of the General Eldership shall have the credentials expressive of their appointment, signed by the Speaker and Clerks thereof, to whom they shall also be held accountable for the faithful performance of the same; but all such as are ministers of the gospel shall be amenable, for their moral and religious character, to the annual Eldership of which they are members.

Art. 23. Any resolution or set of resolutions, brought forward by the committee on resolutions, shall be acted on immediately; but any resolution or set of reso

Eldership, shall be referred to the committee on resolutions without debate, and said committee shall have discretionary power to suppress or to return the same, either with or without amendments.

Art. 24. No member shall speak more than twice, on the merits of one question, whilst under consideration, without leave of the house.

Art. 25. When a question is under debate, no motion shall be in order, except it be to amend, striké out, commit, postpone or adjourn.

Art. 26. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order, and shall be decided without debate.

Art. 27. All questions shall be decided by a plurality of votes, and all voting shall be done viva voce, except when otherwise called for.

Art. 28. On no question before the Eldership shall the yeas and nays be order ed, except they are called for by at least one-fourth of the members present.

Art. 29. No member shall be permitted to withdraw from the Eldership before the close of the session, without first obtaining leave of absence.

Art. 30. Two-thirds of the members in attendance, at any stated or regular meeting of the General Eldership, shall have power and authority to annul, to add, change or amend any article or articles of this constitution.

The General Eldership, also, passed the following resolutions:

RESOLUTION ON THE BIBLE CAUSE.

Resolved, That we regard the Bible cause as being emphatically the cause of God; and, therefore, we earnestly recommend this noble cause to the special care and patronage of the "Church of God," hoping that she will not be a whit behind the most forward in supporting the same.

RESOLUTIONS ON EDUCATION.

Resolved, That this Eldership consider the subject of education of vital importance, both in a civil and religious point of view.

Resolved, That we recommend to the members of the churches to have their children liberally educated to the utmost extent of their ability.

Resolved, That we highly approve of Sabbath schools, Bible classes, and all systems and modes of instruction, calculated to impart useful and scriptured knowledge to the young and rising gene

ration.

RESOLUTIONS RESPECTING THE DEEDING OF CHURCH PROPERTY.

1. Resolved, That this General Eldership recommend to all the brethren in the Church of God to have their Bethels, or meeting houses, parsonages, &c., deeded to the elders of their respective local churches, and their successors in office, to be held by them in trust for the church. 2. Resolved, That we also advice them to have inserted in the deed, a provisionary clause, transferring and conveying all their right, title and interest in, of and to, the property of the church so deeded, to the annual eldership of the Church of God, in the bounds of which it is located, in the event that the local church should become extinct, or cease to exist.

RESOLUTIONS RESPECTING A BOOK CONCERN.

1. Resolved, That we recommend the establishment of a general book concern, as soon as practicable; and the publication of such books and pamphlets, as the funds will justify, and the wants of the churches demand.

2. Resolved, That the SPEAKER, TREASURER, and CLERKS of this Eldership be, and they are hereby constituted, a publishing committee, and are authorized to do all they can towards commencing a Book Establishment.

RESOLUTION ON THE LORD'S DAY.

Whereas, the sanctification or proper observance of the Lord's day is a subject of vital importance, intimately connected with the glory of God, the salvation of the soul, and the moral and political welfare of our country, Therefore,

Resolved, That we heartily and zealously recommend to all our brethren of the Church of God, to avoid the desecration of the Sabbath by travelling, feasting, sleeping, working, worldly conversation, &c.; but duly to sanctify the same by meditation, prayer, reading, worshipping God privately and publicly, according to the requirements of his law.

RESOLUTIONS ON SLAVERY. Whereas, it is the duty of the ministers of God to testify against sin in every form and place, Therefore,

1. Resolved, That it is the unequivocal and decided opinion of this General Eldership of the Church of God, that the system of involuntary slavery, as it exists in the United States of North America, is a flagrant violation of the natural, unalienable and most precious rights of man, and utterly inconsistent with the spirit, laws and profession of the Christian religion.

2. Resolved, That we feel ourselves authorized by the highest authority, and called upon by the strongest ties and obli gations, to caution our brethren in the Church of God, against supporting and countenancing, either directly or indirectly, the said iniquitous institution of involuntary slavery; and should any of our ministers or members ever become

guilty of this great and crying sin, we do most earnestly and religiously recommend and advise, that all such be excommunicated, or cast out of the church, and denied the right of Christian fellowship among us.

RESOLUTIONS ON TEMPERANCE.

1. Resolved, That we are grateful to Almighty God, for his goodness in smiling upon the efforts made to promote the Temperance cause.

2. Resolved, That in our opinion the time has fully come, when men in every condition of life, who have the welfare of the human family at heart, should come forward and sign the pledge of TOTAL ABSTINENCE, and strive to advance the noble cause of temperance by precept and example.