casting out of Church fellowship, on grounds so much disputed, those who are so married," by a vote of 49 to 37; and on the yeas and nays being taken, by a vote of 52 to 37 — not, indeed, a large majority.
This question is one of grave importance and far-reaching extent. Indirectly, it affects the claims of Scripture to he the guide of man, the obligation of the moral law, the powers of civil government, the principles of family and social morality. It has also practical issues which must be met. If, then, doubts are entertained to any extent within the Church as to the Scriptural basis of its doctrine or practice in this matter, they should be removed by a clear exposition of that basis. Men who feel aggrieved, whether in conscience, by being parties to the act of excommunicating others, or by being themselves excommunicated should be shown "that our rules of discipline do not rest on slight or arbitrary "grounds." And surely when fifteen members of Synod, and some of them prominent ministers of the Church, are of so doubtful opinion as to sign the above overture; when out of eighty-nine votes, thirty-seven were recorded for a reconsideration of our standards; when, as is known to the writer, there are three instances of persons so married (he may say, since last June, four instances) enjoying the sealing ordinances of the Church, and as rumour has it, one of our elders is in this position; surely, in these circumstances, a reconsideration of the subject by the Church is called for.
Principal Willis proposed the appointment of a committee to give its consideration to the subject. Although the object of that committee, as specified in the motion, is very one-sided; nevertheless, had the proposal been adopted, it would have been not only courteous but dutiful to wait for the action of that committee. The deci-
