STANDING RULES OF THE CHURCH.

1. ALL meetings for business shall be opened with prayer.

2. The pastor is, ex officio, moderator. If, at any time, the Church should be destitute of a pastor, or if the pastor should be absent from a church meeting, it shall be the duty of the deacons to preside in rotation, or, in case of their absence, one may be chosen for the occasion.

3. The annual meeting, for the choice of Officers, Standing Committee, and other business, shall be held on the third Wednesday in January, the time to be fixed by the deacons, and notice given from the pulpit on the Sabbath preceding. The Standing Committee shall also have authority to call special meetings for business, whenever they may judge it

necessary.

4. All Standing Committees and Officers shall be chosen by ballot.

5. At the annual meeting for business, the following officers and committees shall be chosen to hold their offices for the ensuing year, and until others are chosen in their stead, viz.:

A clerk who shall keep the records of the Church.

A Standing Committee, of which the pastor and deacons shall constitute a part, who shall examine all applicants for admission, and present in writing a report of the names of such as they approve. They shall also act as a Committee of inquiry and discipline. One of the deacons shall be appointed as Treasurer.

6. Candidates for admission, whether professors or nonprofessors, shall be propounded to the Church at least four weeks previous to admission; and notice thereof be publicly given the second Sabbath following.

7. Candidates for admission having been approved by the Church, shall become members, if professors, by signing our Articles of Faith and Covenant; if non-professors, by public profession and signing our Articles of Faith and Covenant.

8. The Lord's Supper will be celebrated once in two months, on the afternoon of the first Sabbath in January, March, May, July, September, and November.

9. Admissions to the Church shall be made at the close of the sermon in the morning, previous to the communion; those by profession to be received in presence of the congregation.

10. A contribution shall be made at the close of every communion service, and the funds thus obtained, shall be used in defraying the current expenses of the Church, and in assisting its necessitous members.

11. There shall be a weekly meeting of the Church on Friday evening, for devotional exercises and religious conference. Members of other churches worshipping with us, may be admitted to these meetings by special vote of the Church. No secular business requiring discussion, shall be attended to at these meetings.

12. The regular season for the baptism of children shall

be on the morning of the Sabbath following the communion, and the pastor will meet the children of the Church for catechetical instruction, on the afternoon of the Wednesday next following the communion.

13. Any member wishing to withdraw from this church to unite with another, shall signify his wishes, and apply in a proper spirit, to be first released from his obligations to this Church. Any other mode of withdrawal will be deemed irregular and censurable. Persons wishing to unite with this Church are requested to make known their wishes to the pastor, previously to applying to the Committee.

14. This Church holds itself bound to grant dismissions and recommendations to members in regular standing, who conscientiously prefer any other evangelical denomination, when properly sought.

15. Members who absent themselves for the period of one year, from the worship and ordinances of this Church, without assigning to the Standing Committee satisfactory reasons for not removing their relation, shall be considered in fault in respect to that duty, and shall be notified to that effect; and whenever a member shall neglect to make a satisfactory reply to the above request, he shall, for such neglect, be deemed guilty of a breach of covenant obligation.

16. It is expected that members of other churches, who may wish to commune with this Church, for more than one year, will request a dismission from their respective churches, and an admission to this Church, unless they give satisfactory reasons for the delay to the Standing Committee.

17. Members removing from the city, should give notice of their removal to the Committee.

18. The expenses of the pastor and delegates, who may be appointed to attend ecclesiastical bodies, shall be defrayed by the Church.

19. No standing rule shall be annulled or altered, unless the same shall be agreed to by two-thirds of the male members present, at an annual meeting.

SECULAR AFFAIRS OF THE CHURCH.

20. The Standing Committee shall have charge of the secular concerns of the Church:-make the arrangements for warming and lighting the house, and for keeping the same in order :-appoint a sexton :-fix his compensation :—shall take charge of the letting of pews and seats and may make such regulations in regard thereto, as they may deem advisable:-may have power to grant the use of seats to aged and infirm members of the Church that are unable to pay for them :-shall make all arrangements in respect to the singing that may be necessary:-and shall have the general charge and superintendence of the concerns of the Church, during the time for which they may be elected.

21. The Standing Committee shall keep a record of their doings, which shall be read to the Church at the annual meeting.

22. The Standing Committee shall have power to delegate the different duties devolving on them to Sub-Committees, the proceedings of such Sub-Committees to be recorded as provided in twenty-first rule.

23. The Standing Committee shall have no power to expend money, excepting such sums as may be appropriated by the Church for their disposition.

24. Three members of the Standing Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

25. There shall be appointed annually, three Auditors to examine the accounts of the Treasurer.