moral character from the Minister under whose pastoral charge they are. 4. Close of the Theological Curriculum. 8. All Students, at the close of the last session of their course, undergo another examination by the Board, and must produce a satisfactory certificate of having done so, before the Presbytery to which they apply for being taken on trial. The following are the Subjects of Examination for Students who complete their Theological Curriculum with Session 1877-78 :— *1. The nature and evidential value of Prophecy. *2. The Doctrine of Justification. Theology, 3. Presbyterian Church Government. 1. The Arminian Controversy. Church History, 2. The growth of the Papacy from the Council of Languages and Latin, Sardica to the Pontificate of Innocent III. (*1. Hebrew-Ecclesiastes, for Translation and Introduction; Psalms xvi., xvii., xxxix., xlix., lxxiii., for Exegetics. *2. Greek-Epistles to the Ephesians, Colossians, and Titus, for Translation; Colossians for Introduction; Colossians, chaps. i.-iii. inclusive, for Exegetics. .*Calvini Institutio, Lib. III., cap. XI. -XVI. inclusive. Natural Science,+ { *Nicholson's Introduction to Biology, chaps. VII.-XV. inclusive. N.B. In addition to the Subjects of Examination above specified, Students will be required to give Scripture proofs for some principal heads of Christian Doctrine, to be announced on the spot. 5. Attendance at Foreign Universities. For the special case of attendance at Theological classes in a Foreign University, the following rules have been prescribed by Act V. of Assembly 1860: 1. Any Student who desires the time spent by him in a Foreign *Students completing their Theological Curriculum at the close of Session 1875-76, will be examined towards the beginning of the Session on all the subjects marked thus.' The day of Examination will be duly intimated. + The Examination in Natural Science is, as far as Aberdeen Students are concerned, optional. University to be reckoned part of his curriculum, must observe the following conditions: (a.) He must produce, to the Presbytery with which he is connected, evidence that he has completed two sessions of attendance at one or more of the Divinity Halls of this Church, and that his attendance and progress in his studies have been satisfactory to the Professors under whom he has studied. (b.) He must satisfy the Presbytery by suitable evidence, including a certificate under the hand of a professional teacher, that he has made such proficiency in the language used at the University in which he intends to study, as will enable him to understand and profit by the lectures and other exercises of the classes. (c.) He must satisfy the Presbytery in regard to the classes he means to attend, and also in regard to the congregation with which he means to connect himself, as well as in regard to the introduction which he has, or is likely to have, to the Professors of such classes, and the Pastor or Pastors of said congregation. (d.) He must, immediately upon his return to this country, produce to the Presbytery satisfactory evidence, including certificates under the hands of the Professors whose classes he has attended, and the Pastor or Pastors with whose congregation or congregations he has been connected, that his attendance in the University has been regular, his diligence satisfactory, and his conduct, so far as may be known, suitable and becoming; and shall, moreover, submit to an examination by the Presbytery on the branches of study in which he has been engaged. 6. Preparation for Licence. The regulations prescribed by the Church for the guidance of all parties in connection with this important stage of the Student's progress are in substance the following :— I. No Student can be admitted to trial for licence unless he produces to the Presbytery certificates from the Professors of divinity under whom he has studied, bearing that he has prosecuted his studies and delivered his discourses in the manner prescribed by the Church, and that his conduct, as far as it consists with the knowledge of the said Professors, has been in every respect suitable to his views in life. 2. No Student can be received on trial unless the Presbytery are satisfied that he is of good report, sound in his principles, pious, sober, grave, prudent in his behaviour, and of a peaceable disposition; that he holds the principles of this Church, as to its spiritual independence, and the duties of nations and rulers in reference to true religion and the Church of Christ; and the Presbytery shall not agree to the motion on behalf of the Student unless his residence during the year preceding has been chiefly within their bounds; or he shall produce sufficient testimonials from the Presbytery in whose bounds his residence has chiefly been during that term, bearing that his character is such as is described above, and recommending him in those respects to the Presbytery before whom the proposal is made, as a proper person to be taken upon trials. 3. If, after these preliminary steps have been taken, the Presbytery shall be of opinion that the Student is duly qualified in these several particulars, they shall record this opinion in their minutes, and order their Clerk to write letters to the several Presbyteries within the bounds of the Provincial Synod, two calendar months at least before the meeting of the same, informing them of the Presbytery's intention to take the Student upon trials, and bearing that the requisite certificate or certificates have been regularly laid before them. When, however, a Student resides within the bounds of such Synods as meet only once a-year, he shall be entitled to have these circular letters written half a year sooner than would be otherwise competent. 4. If a Student (according to regulations, § 5) have studied either in whole or in part in Protestant Universities which are not within the bounds of this Church, he shall, when he is proposed to any Presbytery for trials, be required to produce satisfactory testimonials from the Professors of divinity in said Universities; and the time which these Professors shall certify to have been employed by him in studying divinity under their tuition shall be computed in the same manner as if he had prosecuted his studies in any of the Colleges within the bounds of this Church. But no Student in such circumstances shall be proposed for trials sooner than six calendar months after his arrival in Scotland. 7. Application to the Provincial Synod. I. The General Assembly ordain, that if a Presbytery propose to take a Student upon trials, and have, with that view, written the circular letters, as is herein required, public intimation thereof shall be made at some diet of the next meeting of the Provincial Synod, which shall not be the last diet thereof. 2. The Presbytery Clerk is hereby required to transmit to the Synod Clerk an extract of the minute containing the record of the particulars relative to the Student's certificates directed to be recorded, in order that the same may be produced at this diet of Synod, it being provided that the certificates themselves shall also be produced and laid on the table, and that it shall be competent to the Synod to remit said certificates to a committee of their number, to examine and report upon them. If, in any case, the Presbytery Clerk shall fail to transmit the extract above mentioned, the Student may produce to the Synod, by himself or by any member of the Court, the extract which, by this Act, he is entitled to obtain. 3. It is also hereby ordained, that at some subsequent diet of the Synod, particular inquiry shall be made whether any of the members of the Court have any objections to offer against the Student being taken upon trials, and that the Synod then, taking into consideration the extract produced, and the whole of the case, shall judge of the expediency of allowing the Presbytery to admit the Student on trials. 8. Trials by the Presbytery. 1. If the Synod shall allow the Student to be taken on trials, the Presbytery shall proceed therein with all convenient speed; and the Assembly appoints the following trials to be taken of the Student, and in order herein mentioned, provided always that no part of the examination of a Student shall be commenced by a Presbytery until the last session of his theological course shall have been concluded, and until he shall produce to the Presbytery a certificate of his having passed satisfactorily an examination upon his previous studies, by the Board of Examination appointed by the General Assembly. (a.) The Presbytery shall examine the Student, strictly and privately, on his knowledge of the Greek and Latin languages, and of philosophy and theology. It (b.) The following written exercises, on subjects prescribed by the Presbytery shall be delivered :—(1.) An exegesis in Latin or English, on some controverted head in divinity; (2.) A homily in English (3.) An exercise and addition; (4.) A lecture on some large portion of Scripture; (5.) A popular sermon. being understood that if the Presbytery see cause, they may examine the Student upon the subject of these several discourses. (c.) Catechetic trials on divinity, chronology, and Church history, and a trial on the Hebrew and Greek languages. (2.) The Student having gone through the several trials above mentioned, the Presbytery are ordained to proceed in the following order : (a.) They shall deliberately and seriously take a conjunct view of the whole trials, and if they shall be of opinion that the Student is not properly qualified to perform the duties incumbent upon a preacher of the gospel, they shall by no means grant him a licence in his present circumstances. (b.) If, upon this review of his trials, the Presbytery are fully satisfied therewith, they shall record this opinion in their minutes. (c.) The Presbytery shall then propose to the Student the questions that are appointed to be put to all who pass trials, by Act XII., Assembly 1846, and require him to subscribe the Formula which is prescribed by said Act. And the General Assembly strictly prohibit all Presbyteries from licensing any Student to preach the gospel who shall not give explicit and satisfying answers to these questions, and subscribe the said Formula. (d.) The Presbytery shall appoint their Moderator to license the Student to preach the gospel, and order the Clerk to furnish him with an extract of his licence. 3. The General Assembly enact and declare, that, at the request of the Student, it shall be competent to any Presbytery to transfer the receiving of the trials, or any part thereof, certifying to the Presbytery to which the transference is to be made, that the various preliminary steps have been taken according to the directions of this Act; and that such parts of the public and private trials as have been already gone through have been received with approbation. |