THE DOCTRINES
AND
DISCIPLINE
OF THE
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
1 864.
WITH AN APPENDIX.
Q incinnati:
PUBLISHED BY POE & HITCHCOCK,
CORNER OF MAIN AND EIGHTH STREETS.
1864.




Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1864, by
CARLTON & PORTER,
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States
for the Southern District of New York.




TO THE MEMBERS
OF TIIE
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
DEARLY BELOVED BRETHREN,-We
think it expedient to give you a brief
account of the rise of Methodism, both
in Europe and America.    "In 1729,
two young men in England, reading the
Bible, saw they could not be saved
without holiness: followed after it, and
incited others so to do. In 1737, they
saw, likewise, that men are justified be.
fore they are sanctified: but still ho..
ness was their object. God then thrust
them out to raise a holy people."*
In the year 1766, Philip Embury, a
* These are the words of Messr-.Wesley tiemnselves.




4             ADDRESS.
Local Preacher of our society, from
Ireland, began to preach in the city of
New York, and formed a society of his
own countrymen and the citizens; and
the same year, Thomas Webb preached
in a hired room near the barracks.
About the same time, Robert Strawbridge, a Local Preacher from Ireland,
settled in Frederic County, in the State of
Maryland, and, preaching there, formed
some societies.  The first Methodist
Church was built in New York in 1768
or 1769; and in 1769 Richard Boardman and Joseph Pilmoor came to New
York, who were the first regular Methodist Preachers on the continent.  In
the latter end of the year 1771 Francis
Asbury and Richard Wright of the
same order came over.
We believe that God's design in raising up the Preachers called Methodists
in America was to reform the continent
and spread Scripture holiness over these




ADDRESS.             6
lands. As a proof hereof we have seen
since that time a great and glorious
work of God from New York through
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware,
Maryland, Virginia, North and South
Carolina, and Georgia, as also of late to
the.extremities of the Western and
Eastern States.
We esteem it our duty and privilege
most earnestly to recommend to you,
as members of our Church, our FORM
OF DISCIPLINE, which has been founded
on the experience of a long series of
years, as also on the observations and
remarks we have made on ancient and
modern Churches.
We wish to see this little* publica
tion in the house of every Methodist,
and the more so as it contains the articles of religion, maintained more or
less, in part or in whole, by every reo
formed Church in the world.
* Used in reference to the 24mo. edition.




6             ADDRESS.
Far from wishing you to be ignorant
of any of our doctrines, or any part of
our Discipline, we desire you to fead,
mark, learn, and inwardly digest the
whole. You ought, next to the word of
God, to procure the articles and canons
of the Church to which you belong.
This present edition is small and cheap,
and we can assure you that the profits
of the sale of it shall be applied to
charitable and religious purposes.
We remain your very affectionate
brethren and pastors, who labor night
and day, both in public and in private
for your good.
THOMAS A. MORRIS,
EDMUND S. JANES,
LEVI SCOTT,
MATTHEW SIMPSON.
OSMON C. BAKER,
EDWARD R. AMES.
DAVIS W. CLARK,
EDWARD THOMSON,
CALVIN KINGSLEY.




CONTENTS.
PART I.
ORIGIN, DOCTRINES, AND RULES.
CHAPTER I.
ORIGIN, ARTICLES, AND GENERAL RULES.
SECTION 1. Origin of the Methodist Episcopal Church...................... Page  13
SECTION 2. Articles of Religion............ 15
SECTION 3. The General Rules............  27
SECTION 4. Slavery........................ 33
SECTION 5. Baptism...................... 34
SECTION 6. The Lord's Supper............ 34
SECTION 7. Rules relating to Marriage..... 35
SECTION 8. Rules concerning Dress........ 36
CHAPTER II.
THE MEMBERSHIP OF TIE CHURCH.
SECTION 1. Of Receiving Members into the
Church..............................  37
SECTION 2. The Relation of Baptized Children to the Church................... 38
CHAPTER III.
MEANS OF GRACE.
SECTION 1. Public Worship............... 41
SECTION 2. The Spirit and Truth of Singing 42
SECTION 3. Class-meetings................ 43




8               CONTENTS.
PART II.
GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH.
CHAPTER I.
THE CONFERENCES.
SECTION 1. The General Conference... Page 45
SECTION 2. The Annual Conferences....... 48
SECTION 3. The Quarterly Conference..... 53
CHAPTER II.
THE   MINISTRY.
SECTION 1. The Examination of those who
think they are Moved by the Holy
Ghost to Preach..................    60
SECTION 2. Rules for a Preacher's Conduct. 61
SECTION 3. The Duty of Preachers to God,
themselves, and one another.......... 64
SECTION 4. The Necessity of Union among
ourselves............................  68
SECTION 5. How we can Employ our Time
profitably when not Traveling, or engaged in Public Exercises............ 69
SECTIoN 6. Of our Deportment at the Conferences.............................  70
SECTION 7. The Matter and Manner of
Preaching..........................  71
SECTION 8. Rules by which we should continue, or desist.from Preaching at any
Place................................  71
SECTION 9. Visiting from House to House,
guarding against those things that are
so common to Professors, and enforcing
Practical Religion.....................  72
SECTIoN 10. The Method of receiving Traveling Preachers on Trial.............. 80




CONTENTS.                 9
SECTION 11. The Manner of receiving Traveling Preachers into FullConnection Page 81
SECTION 12. The Reception of Preachers from
the Wesleyan Connection, and from
other Denominations................. 83
SECTION 13. The Election of Bishops, and
their  Duty...........................  86
SECTION 14. Presiding Elders, and their
D uty................................  90
SECTION 15. The Election of Traveling Elders, and their Duty..................  93
SECTION 16. The Election of Traveling Deacons, and their Duty................. 94
SECTION 17. The Duties of those who have
the Charge of Circuits or Stations..... 96
SECTION 18. Supernumerary and Superannuated  Preachers.................... 102
SECTION 19. General Directions concerning
Local Preachers....................... 104
SECTION 20. Local Preachers, and their Ordination.............................  106
CHAPTER III.
STEWARDS.
Qualifications, Appointment, and Duties of
Stewards..............I..............  108
PART III.
ADMINISTRATION OF DISCIPLINE.
CHAPTER I.
BRINGING MINISTERS AND MEMBERS TO TRIAL,
AND THE SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES.
SECTIoN 1. The Trial of a Bishop......... 110
SECTION 2. The Method of proceeding
against accused Traveling Ministers or
Preachers............................ 111




10               CONTENTS.
SECTION 3. Proceedings against Preachers
on  Trial......................   Page  116
SECTION 4. The Trial of Local Preachers... 116
SECTION 5. Trial of an Accused Member... 118
CHAPTER II.
TRIALS OF APPEALS.
SECTION 1. Appeals of Traveling Ministers
or  Preachers........................  125
SECTION 2. Appeals of Local Preachers.... 127
SECTION 3. Appeal of Members............ 128
CHAPTER III.
RESTORATION OF CREDENTIALS OF ORDINATION.
SECTION 1. Credentials of those who have
been Traveling Preachers............. 129
SECTION 2. Credentials of Local Preachers. 129
PART IV.
THE   RITUAL.
I. THE ORDER OF BAPTISM:
1. The Ministration of Baptism to Infants 131
2. The Ministration of Baptism to such as
are of Riper Years.................... 138
II. RECEPTION OF MEMBERS:
Form for receiving Persons into the
Church after Probation............... 145
III. THE. LORD'S SUPPER:
The Order for the Administration of the
Lord's Supper....................... 150
IV. FORM OF SOLEMNIZATION OF MATRIMONY 161
V. ORDER FOR THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD.. 168




CONTENTS.                11
VI. FORMS OF ORDINATION:
1. The Form of Consecrating Bishops Page 172
2. The Form of Ordaining Elders....... 185
3. The Form of Ordaining Deacons..... 200
VII. LAYING A CORNER-STONE:
Form for Laying the Corner-Stone of a
Church..............................  206
VIII. FORM   FOR TIE DEDICATION OF A
CHURCH............................ 214
PART V.
EDUCATIONAL AND BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS.
SECTION 1. Education.................... 224
SECTION 2. Sunday-schools and the Instruction of Children...................... 225
SECTION 3. The Support of Missions....... 228
SECTION 4. Printing and Circulation of Religious  Tracts........................  235
SECTIoN 5. Printing and Circulating Books,
Tracts, and Periodicals............... 236
SECTION 6. The Chartered Fund........... 248
PART VI.
TEMPORAL ECONOMY.
CHAPTER I.
SUPPORT OF MINISTERS.
SECTION 1. The Support of Bishops and the
families of deceased Bishops......... 251
SECTION 2. The Presiding Elder's Support. 252
SECTION 3. Support of Ministers and Preachers...................................  253




12              CONTENTS.
SECTION 4. The Support of Superannuated
Preachers....................... Page  254
SECTION 5. Local Preachers to have an Allowance in certain Cases.............. 255
CHAPTER II.
RAISING SUPPLIES-PARSONAGES.
SECTION 1. Methods for Raising Annual
Supplies, for the Propagation of the
Gospel, and making up the Allowance
of  Preachers.........................  256
SECTION 2. Building and renting Houses for
the use of Traveling Preachers........ 258
CHAPTER III.
CHURCHES AND CHURCH PROPERTY.
SECTION 1. Building Churches............ 261
SECTION 2. Trustees-their Appointment,
Duties, and Responsibilities.......... 263
SECTIoN 3. Form for Conveyance of Church
Property............................ 266
SECTION 4. Trusteeship................... 268
CHAPTER IV.
BOUNDARIES.
SECTION 1. Boundaries of the Annual Conferences..............................  270
APPENDIX.
Orders and Resolutions of the General Conference.  i
Form of a Constitution for a Sunday-School Society xix
General Missionary Committee.....................  xxi
Book Committee at New York...................... xxiii
Book Committee at Cincinnati...................... xxiv




DOCTRINES AND DISCIPLINE
OF THE
LRdfobist (Fpiscopal ~ittrtj.
PART I.
ORIGIN, DOCTRINES, AND RULES.
CHAPTER I.
ORIGIN, ARTICLES, AND GENERAL RULES.
SECTION I.
Origin of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
THE preachers and members of our society in general, being convinced that there
was a great deficiency of vital religion in
the Church of England in America, and
being in many places destitute of the
Christian Sacraments, as several of the
clergy had forsaken their Churches, re



14 ORIGIN OF THE M. E. CHacrc. Part I,
quested the late Rev. John Wesley to take
such measures, in his wisdom and prudence,
as would afford them  suitable relief in
their distress.
In consequence of this, our venerable
friend, who, under God, had been the father of the great revival of religion now
extending over the earth, by the means of
the Methodists, determined to ordain ministers for America; and for this purpose,
in the year 1784, sent over three regularly
ordained clergy; but preferring the episcopal mode of Church government to any
other, he solemnly set apart, by the imposition of his hands and prayer, one of them,
namely, Thomas Coke, Doctor of Civil Law,
late of Jesus College, in the University of
Oxford, and a presbyter of the Church of
England, for the episcopal office; and having delivered to him letters of episcopal
orders, commissioned and directed him to
set apart Francis'Asbury, then general
assistant of the Methodist Society in America, for the same episcopal office; he, the
said Francis Asbury, being first ordained
deacon and elder.   In consequence of
which, the said Francis Asbury     was
solemnly set apart for the said episcopal
office by prayer, and the imposition of the




Ch. i, ~ 2. ARTICLES OF RELIGION.   15
hands of the said Thomas Coke, other regularly ordained ministers assisting in the
sacred ceremony.   At which time the
General Conference, held at Baltimore, did
unanimously receive the said Thomas Coke
and Francis Asbury as their bishops, being
fully satisfied of the validity of their episcopal ordination.
SECTION II.
Articles of Religion.
I. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity.
THERE is but one living and true God,
everlasting, without body or parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the
maker and preserver of all things, visible
and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead, there are three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity, the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
II. Of the Word, or Son of God, who was
made very man.
The Son, who is the Word of the Father,
the very and eternal God, of one substance




16       ARTIOLES OF RELIGION.  Part 1,
with the Father, took man's nature in the
womb of the blessed virgin; so that two
whole and perfect natures, that is to say,
the Godhead and manhood, were joined
together in one person, never to be divided,
whereof is one Christ, very God and very
man, who truly suffered, was crucified,
dead and buried, to reconcile his Father to
us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for actual sins of men.
III. Of the Resurrection of Christ.
Christ did truly rise again from  the
dead, and took again his body, with all
things' appertaining to the perfection of
man's nature, wherewith he ascended into
heaven, and there sitteth until he return
tc judge all men at the last day.
IV. Of the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the
Father and the Son, is of one substance,
majesty, and glory with the Father and
the Son, very and eternal God.
V. The Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures
for Salvation.
The Holy Scriptures contain all things




Ch. i, ~ 2. ARTICLES OF RELIGION.  17
necessary to salvation; so that whatsoever
is not read therein, nor may be proved
thereby, is not to be required of any man,
that it should be believed as an article of
faith, or be thought requisite or necessary
to salvation. In the name of the Holy
Scripture, we do understand those canonical books of the Old and New Testament,
of whose authority was never any doubt in
the Church.
The Names of the Canonical Books.
Genesis,
Exodus,
Leviticus,
Numbers,
Deuteronomy,
Joshua,
Judges,
Ruth,
The First Book of Samuel,
The Second Book of Samuel,
The First Book of Kings,
The Second Book of Kings,
The First Book of Chronicles,
The Second Book of Chronicles,
The Book of Ezra,
The Book of Nehemiah,
The Book of Esther,
2




18      ARTICLES OF RELIGION.  Part I1
The Book of Job,
The Psalms,
The Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher,
Cantica, or Songs of Solomon,
Four Prophets the greater,
Twelve Prophets the less:
All the books of the New Testament, as
they are commonly received, we do receive
and account canonical.
VI. Of the Old Testament.
The Old Testament is not contrary to
the New; for both in the Old and New
Testament everlasting life is offered to
mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both
God and man. Wherefore they are not to
be heard who feign that the old fathers
did look only for transitory promises. Although the law given from God by Moses, as
touching ceremonies and rites, doth not
bind Christians, nor ought the civil precepts thereof of necessity be received in
any commonwealth; yet, notwithstanding,
no Christian whatsoever is free from the
obedience of the commandments which are
called moral.




Ohi, ~ 2. ARTICLES OF RELIGION.   19
VII. Of Original or Birth Sin.
Original sin standeth not in the following
of Adam, (as the Pelagians do vainly talk,)
but it is the corruption of the nature of
every man, that naturally is engendered
of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is
very far gone from original righteousness,
and of his own nature inclined to evil, and
that continually.
VIII. Of Free Will.
The condition of man after the fall of
Adam is such, that he cannot turn and
prepare himself, by his own natural
strength and works, to faith, and calling
upon God; wherefore we have no power
to do good works, pleasant and acceptable
to God, without the grace of God by
Christ preventing us, that we may have a
good will, and working with us, when we
have that good will.
IX. Of the Justification of Man.
We are accounted righteous before God.
only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own
works or deservings. Wherefore, that we
are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort




20      ARTICLES CF RELIGION. Part I,
X. Of Good Works.
Although good works, which are the
fruits of faith, and follow after justification,
cannot put away our sins, and endure tho
severity of God's judgments; yet are they
pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ,
and spring out of a true and lively faith,
insomuch that by them a lively faith may
be as evidently known as a tree is discerned by its fruit.
XI. Of Works of Supererogation.
Voluntary works, besides, over, and
above God's commandments, which are
called works of supererogation, cannot be
taught without arrogancy and impiety.
For by them men do declare that they do
not only render unto God as much as they
are bound to do, but that they do more for
his sake than of bounden duty is required:
whereas Christ saitl plainly, When ye
have done all that is commanded you, say,
We are unprofitable servants.
XII. Of Sin after Justification.
Not every sin willingly committed after
justification is the sin against the Holy
Ghost, and unpardonable.   Wherefore,
the grant of repentance is not to be denied




Oh. i, ~ 2. ARTICLES OF RELGtON.   21
to such as fall into sin after justification 
after we have received the Holy Ghost, we
may depart from grace given, and fall into
sin, and, by the grace of God, rise again and
amend our lives. And therefore they are to
be condemned who say they can no more
sin as long as they live here; or deny the
place of forgiveness to such as truly repent.
XIII. Of the Church.
The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in which the
pure word of God is preached, and the
sacraments duly administered, according to
Christ's ordinance, in all those things that
of necessity are requisite to the same.
XIV. Of Purgatory.
The Romish doctrine concerning purgatory, pardon, worshiping, and adoration,
as well of images as of relics, and also invocation of saints, is a fond thing, vainly
invented, and grounded upon no warrant of
Scripture, but repugnant to the word of God.
XV. Of speaking in the Congregation in,
such a Tongue as the People understand.
It is a thing plainly repugnant to tle
word of God, and the custom of the primi



2l       ARTICLES OF RELIGION.  Part I,
tive Church, to have public prayer in the
Church, or to minister the sacraments, in
a tongue not understood by the people.
XVI. Of the Sacraments.
Sacraments, ordained of Christ, are riot
only badges or tokens of Christian men's
profession; but rather they are certain
signs of grace, and God's good will toward
us, by the which he doth work invisibly in
us, and doth not only quicken, but also
strengthen and confirm our faith in him.
There are two sacraments ordained of
Christ our Lord in the Gospel; that is to
say, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord.
Those five commonly called sacraments,
that is to say, confirmation, penance, orders,
matrimony, and extreme unction, are not
to be counted for sacraments of the Gospel,
being such as have partly grown out of the
corrupt following of the apostles; and
partly are states of life allowed in the
Scriptures, but yet have not the like nature
of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, because
they have not any visible sign or ceremony.
ordained of God.
These sacraments were not ordained of
Christ to be gazed upon, or to be carried
about; but that we should duly use themn




Oh. i, ~ 2. ARTICLES OF RELIGION.  23
And in such only as worthily receive the
same, they have a wholesome effect or
operation: but they that receive them unworthily, purchase to themselves condemnation, as St. Paul saith. 1 Cor. xi, 29.
XVII. Of Baptism.
Baptism is not only a sign of profession,
and mark of difference, whereby Christians
are distinguished from others that are not
baptized; but it is also a sign of regeneration, or the new birth. The baptism of
young children is to be retained in the
Church.
XVIII. Of the Lord's Supper.
The Supper of the Lord is not only a
sign of the love that Christians ought to
have among themselves one to another,
but rather is a sacrament of our redemption by Christ's death; insomuch that, to
such as rightly, worthily, and with faith
receive the same, the bread which we break
is a partaking of the body of Christ; and
likewise the cup of blessing is a partaking
of the blood of Christ.
Transubstantiation, or the change of the
substance of bread and wine in the Supper
of our Lord, cannot be proved by Holy Writ,




24       ARTICLES OF RELIGION.  Part 1,
but is repugnant to the plain words of
Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a
sacrament, and hath given cccasion to
many superstitions.
The body of Christ is given, taken, and
eaten in the Supper, only after a heavenly
and spiritual manner.  And the means
whereby the body of Christ is received and
eaten in the Supper, is faith.
The sacrament of the Lord's Supper was
not by Christ's ordinance reserved, carried
about, lifted up, or worshiped.
XIX. Of both Kinds.
The cup of the Lord is not to be denied
to the lay people; for both the parts of
the Lord's Supper, by Christ's ordinance
and commandment, ought to be administered to all Christians alike.
XX. Of the one Oblation of Christ, finished
upon the Cross.
The offering of Christ,* once made, is
that perfect redemption, propitiation, and
satisfaction for all the sins of the whole
world, both original and actual; and there
is none other satisfaction for sin but that
alone. Wherefore the sacrifice of masses.
in the which it is commonly said that the




Oh. i, ~ 2. ARTICLES OF RELIGION.   25
priest doth offer Christ for the quick and
the dead, to have remission of pain or guilt,
is a blasphemous fable, and dangerous
deceit.
XXI. Of the Marriage of Ministers.
The ministers of Christ are not commanded by God's law either to vow the
estate of single life, or to abstain from
marriage: therefore it is lawful for them.
as for all other Christians, to marry at
their own discretion, as they shall judge
the same to serve best to godliness.
XXII. Of the Rites and Ceremonies of
Churches.
It is not necessary that rites and ceremonies should in all places be the same, or
exactly alike; for they have been always
different, and may be changed according to
the diversity of countries, times, and men's
manners, so that nothing be ordained
against God's word. Whosoever, through
his private judgment, willingly and purposely doth openly break the rites and
ceremonies of the Church to which he
belongs, which are not repugnant to the
word of God, and are ordained and approved by common authority, ought to be




26        ARTICLES OF RELIGION. Part I,
rebuked openly, that others may fear to dc
the like, as one that offendeth against the
common order of the Church, and wound
eth the consciences of weak brethren.
Every particular Church may ordain,
change, or abolish rites and ceremonies, so.hat all things may be done to edification.
SXIII. Of the Rulers of the United States
of America.
The president, the cohgress, the general
assemblies, the governors, and the councils
of state, as the delegates of the people, are
the rulers of the United States of America,
according to the division of power made to
them by the Constitution of the United
States, and by the constitutions of their
respective states. And the said states are
a sovereign and independent nation, and
ought not to be subject to any foreign
jurisdiction.*
* As far as it respects civil affairs, we believe
it the duty of Christians, and especially all
Christian ministers, to be subject to the supreme
authority of the country where they may reside,
and to use all laudable means to enjoin obedience
to the powers that be; and therefore it is expected that all our preachers and people, who may
be under the British or any other gcvernment,
will behave themselves as peaceable and order'y
subjects.




Oh. i, ~ 3.  GENERAL RULES.         27
XXIV. Of Christian Men's Goods.
The riches and goods of Christians are
lot common, as touching the right, title,
and possession of the same, as some do
falsely boast. Notwithstanding, every man
ought, of such things as he possesseth,
liberally to give alms to the poor, according to his ability.
XXV. Of a Christian Man's Oath.
As we confess that vain and rash swearing is forbidden Christian men by our
Lord Jesus Christ and James his apostle;
so we judge that the Christian religion
doth not prohibit, but that a man may
swear when the magistrate requireth, in a
cause of faith and charity, so it be done
according to the prophet's teaching, in
justice, judgment, and truth.
SECTION III.
The General Rules.
THE NATURES DESIGN, AND GENERAL RULES OF OUR
UNITED SOCIETIES.
(1) IN the latter end of the year 1739,
eight or ten persons came to Mr. Wesley in
London, who appeared to be deeply con



28          GENERAL RULES.     Part I
vinced of sin, and earnestly groaning for
redemption. They desired (as did two or
three more the next day) that he would
spend some time with them in prayer, and
advise them how to flee from the wrath to
come; which they saw continually hanging over their heads. That he might have
more time for this great work, he appointed a day when they might all come together; which from thenceforward they did
every week, namely, on Thursday, in the
evening. To these, and as many more as
desired to join with them, (for their number increased daily,) he gave those advices
from time to time which he judged most
needful for them; and they always concluded their meeting with prayer suited to
their several necessities.
(2) This was the rise of the UNITED SOCIETY, first in Europe, and then in America.
Such a society is no other than " a company of men having the form and seeking
the power of godliness, united in order to
pray together, to receive the word of exhortation, and to watch over one another in
love, that they may help each other to work
out their salvation."
(3) That it may the more easily be discerned whether they are indeed working




Oh. i, ~ 3.  GENERAL RULES.         29
out their own salvation, each society is
divided into smaller companies, called
classes, according to their respective places
of abode. There are about twelve persons
in a class; one of whom is styled the leader. It is his duty,
1. To see each person in his class once a
week at least; in order,
1. To inquire how their souls prosper.
2. To advise, reprove, comfort, or exhort as occasion may require.
3. To receive what they are willing to
give toward the relief of the preachers,
Church, and poor.*
II. To meet the ministers and the stewards of the society once a week; in order,
1. To inform the minister of any that
are sick, or of any that walk disorderly,
and will not be reproved.
2. To pay the stewards what they have
received of their several classes in the
week preceding.
(4) There is only one condition previousy required of those who desire admission
into these societies, " a desire to flee from
the wrath to come, and to be saved from
* This part refers to towns and cities; where
the poor are generally numerous, and Church
expenses considerable




30         GENEAL RULES.        Part It
their sins." But wherever this is really
fixed in the soul, it will be shown by its
firuits. It is therefore expected of all who
continue therein, that they should continue
to evidence their desire of salvation,
First, By doing no harm, by avoiding
evil of every kind, especially that which is
most generally practiced; such as,
The taking of the name of God in vain.
The profaning the day of the Lord, either
by doing ordinary work therein, or by buying or selling.
Drunkenness, buying or selling spirituous liquors, or drinking them, unless in
cases of extreme necessity.
The buying and selling of men, women,
and children, with an intention to enslave
them.
Fighting, quarreling, brawling, brother
going to law with brother; returning evil
for evil; or railing for railing; the using
many words in buying or selling.
The buying or selling goods that have not
paid the duty.
The giving or taking things on usury
that is, unlawful interest.
Uncharitable or unprofitable conversation; particularly speaking evil of magistrates or of ministers.




Ch. i, ~ 3.  GENERAL RULES.       81
Doing to others as we would not they
should do unto us.
Doing what we know is not for the glory
of God; as,
The putting on of gold and costly apparel.
The taking such diversions as cannot be
used in the name of the Lord Jesus.
The singing those songs, or reading those
books, which do not tend to the knowledge
or love of God.
Softness and needless self-indulgence.
Laying up treasure upon earth.
Borrowing without a probability of paying; or taking up goods without a probability of paying for them.
(5) It is expected of all who continue in
these societies, that they should continue
to evidence their desire of salvation,
Secondly, By doing good; by being in
every kind merciful after their power; as
they have opportunity, doing good of
every possible sort, and, as far as possible,
to all men.
To their bodies, of the ability which God
giveth, by giving food to the hungry, by
clothing the naked, by visiting or helping
them that are sick or in prison.
To their souls, by instructing; reproving,




W32        GENERAL RULES.      Part I,
or exhorting all we have any intercourse
with, trampling under foot that enthusiastic doctrine, that'L we are not to do good
unless our hearts befree to it."
By doing good, especially to them that
are of the household of faith, or groaning
so to be, employing them preferably to
others; buying one of another; helping
each other in business; and so much the
more because the world will love its own,
and them only.
By all possible diligence and frugality,
that the Gospel be not blamed.
By running with patience the race which
is set before them, denying themselves, and
taking up their cross daily; submitting to
bear the reproach of Christ, to be as the
filth and offscouring of the world; and
looking that men should say all manner of
evil of them falsely for the Lord's sake.
(6) It is expected of all who desire to
continue in these societies, that they should
continue to evidence their desire of salvation,
Thirdly, By attending.upon all the ordinances of God: such are,
The public worship of God:
The ministry of the word, either read or
expounded 




Ch. i, ~ 4.    SLAVERY.            33
The Supper of the Lord:
Family and private prayer:
Searching the Scriptures; and
Fasting or abstinence.
(7) These are the general rules of our
societies; all which we are taught of God
to observe, even in his written word, which
is the only rule, and the sufficient rule,
both of our faith and practice. And all
these we know his Spirit writes on truly
awakened hearts. If there be any among
us who observe them not, who habitually
break any of them, let it be known unto
them who watch over that soul as they
who must give an account. We will admonish him of the error of his ways.
We will bear with him for a season. But
if then he repent not, he hath no more
place among us. We have delivered our
own souls.
SECTION IV.
Slavery.
Quest. What shall be done for the extirpation of the evil of slavery?
Answ. We declare that we are as much
as ever convinced of the great evil of
Slavery. We believe that the buying, selling, or holding of human beings, to be
3




84        THE LoeD's SUPPER.   Part I,
used as chattels, is contrary to the laws of
God and nature, and inconsistent with the
Golden Rule and with that Rule in our
Discipline which requires all who desire to
continue among us to "do no harm," and
to " avoid evil of every kind." We therefore affectionately admonish all our Preachers and people to keep themselves pure
from this great evil, and to seek its extirpation by all lawful and Christian means.
SECTION V.
Baptism.
1. Let every adult person, and the parents of every child to be baptized, have
the choice either of immersion, sprinkling,
or pouring.
2. We will on no account whatever
make a charge for administering baptism,
or for burying the dead.
SECTION VI.
The Lord's Supper.
Quest. Are there any directions to be
given concerning the administration of the
Lord's Supper?
Answ. 1. Let those who have scruples
concerning the receiving of it kneeling, be




Oh. i, ~ 7.   MARRIAGE.            35
permitted to receive it either standing or
sitting.
2. No person shall be admitted to the
Lord's Supper among us who is guilty of
any practice for which we would exclude
a member of our Church.
SECTION VII.
Rules relating to Marriage.
Quest. 1. Do we observe any evil which
has prevailed in our Church with respect
to marriage?
Answ. Many of our members have married with unawakened persons. This has
produced bad effects; they have been either
hindered for life, or have turned back to
perdition.
Quest. 2. What can be done to discourage this?
Answ. 1. Let every preacher publicly
enforce the apostle's caution, "Be ye not
unequally yoked together with nnbelievers."-2 Cor. vi, 14.
2. Let all be exhorted to take no step
in so weighty a matter, without advising
with the most serious of their brethren.
Quest. 3. Ought any woman to marry
without the consent of her parents?




36        CONCERNING DRESS.    Part I,
Answ. In general she ought not. Yet
there may be exceptions. For if, 1. A
woman believe it be her duty to marry:
if, 2. Her parents absolutely refuse to let
her marry any Christian: then she may,
nay, ought to marry without their consent.
Yet even then a Methodist preacher ought
not to be married to her.
We do not prohibit our people from
marrying persons who are not of our
Church, provided such persons have the
form, and are seeking the power of godliness; but we are determined to discourage
their marrying persons who do not come
up to this description.
SECTION VIII.
Rules concerning Dress.
Quest. Should we insist on the rules concerning dress?
Answ. By all means. This is no time
to encourage superfluity in dress. Therefore, let all our people be exhorted to conform to the spirit of the apostolic precept,
not to adorn themselves "with gold, or
pearls, or costly array." 1 Tim. ii, 9.




Oh. ii, ~ 1.  RECEIVIN  MEMBERS.    37
CHAPTER II.
THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE CHURCH.
SECTION I.
Of receiving Members into the Church.
Quest. 1. How shall we prevent improper persons from insinuating themselves into
the Church?
Answ. 1. Let none be received into the
Church until they are recommended by a
Leader with whom they have met at least
six months on trial, and have been baptized; and shall on examination by the
minister in charge, before the Church, give
satisfactory assurances both of the correctness of their faith, and their willingness to
observe and keep the rules of the Church.*
Nevertheless, if a member in good standing in any other orthodox Church shall desire to unite with us, such applicant may,
by giving satisfactory answers to the usual
inquiries, be received at once into full
fellowship.
* Persons baptized in infancy must publicly
assent, before the Church, to the baptismal covenant. (See p. 40, answ. 3.-EDs.)




38        BAPTIZED CHILDRIEN.  Part I,
2. Let none be admitted on trial, except
they are well recommended by one you
know, or until they have met twice or
thrice in class.
3. Read the rules to them the first time
they meet.
Quest. 2. How shall we be more exact
in receiving and excluding members?
Answ. The official Minister or Preacher
shall, at every quarterly meeting, read the
names of those that are received into the
Church, and also those that are excluded
therefrom.
SECTION II.
The Relation of Baptized Children to the
Church.
Quest. 1. Are all young children entitled to baptism?
Answ. We hold that all children, by virtue of the unconditional benefits of the
atonement, are members of the kingdom
of God, and, therefore, graciously entitled
to baptism; but as infant baptism contemplates a course of religious instruction and
discipline, it is expected of all parents or
guardians who present their children for
baptism, that they use all diligence in
bringing them up in conformity to the




Ch. ii, ~ 2.  BAPTIZED CHILDREN.   39
word of God, and they should be solemnly
admonished of this obligation, and earnestly exhorted to faithfulness therein.
Quest. 2. What is the relation of baptized
children to the Church?
Answ. We regard all children who have
been baptized as placed in visible covenant
relation to God, and under the special care
and supervision of the Church.
Quest. 3. What shall be done for the baptized children of our Church?
Answ. 1. The preacher in charge shall
preserve a full and accurate register of the
names of all the baptized children within
his pastoral care; the dates of their birth,
baptism, their parentage, and places of residence.
2. At the age of ten years, or earlier, the preacher in charge shall organize the baptized children of the Church
into classes, and appoint suitable Leaders
(male or female) whose duty it shall be to
meet them in class once a week, and instruct them in the nature, design, and obligations of baptism, and the truths of religion
necessary to make them " wise unto salvation;" urge them to give regular attendance
upon the means of grace; advise, exhort,
and encourage them to an immediate con



40       BAPTIZING CHILDREN.    Part I,
secration of their hearts and lives to God,
and inquire into the state of their religious
experience; Provided, that children unbaptized are not to be excluded from these
classes.
3. Whenever they shall have attained
an age sufficient to understand the obligations of religion, and shall give evidence
of a desire to flee from the wrath to come,
and to be saved from their sins, their
names may, with their consent, be enrolled
on the list of probationers; and if they
shall continue to give evidence of a principle and habit of piety, they may be admitted into full membership in our Church,
on the recommendation of a Leader with
whom they have met at least six months
in class,.by publicly assenting before the
Church to the baptismal covenant, and also
the usual questions on doctrines and discipline.
4. Whenever a baptized child shall by
orphanage, or otherwise, become deprived
of Christian guardianship, the preacher in
charge shall ascertain and report to the
Leaders' Meeting the facts in the case; and
such provision shall be made for the Christian training of the child as the circumstances of the case admit and require.




Ch. iii, ~ 1.  PUBLIC WORSHIP.     41
CHAPTER III.
MEANS OF GRACE.
SECTION I.
Public Worship.
Quest. WHAT directions shall be given
for the establishment of uniformity in public worship among us on the Lord's day?
Answ. 1. Let the morning service consist
of singing, prayer, the reading of a lesson
from the Old Testament, and another from
the New, and preaching.
2. Let the afternoon or evening service
consist of singing, prayer, the reading of
one or two Scripture lessons, and preaching.
8. On the days of administering the sacrament of the Lord's Supper the reading
of the Scripture lessons may be omitted.
4. In administering the sacraments, and
in the burial of the dead, let our form of
Ritual invariably be used. Let the Lord's
Prayer also be used on all occasions of public worship in concluding the first prayer,
the congregation being exhorted to join in
its audible repetition. Let a Doxology be
sung at the conclusion of each service, and




42             SINGING.        Part I,
the Apostolic Benediction be invariably
used in dismissing the congregation.
5. Let the people be earnestly exhorted
to join in all these acts of worship, and
especially to respond to the prayers of our
Ritual.
6. Let the Society be met, wherever it is
practicable, on the Sabbath day.
SECTION II.
The Spirit and Truth of Singing.
Quest. How shall we guard against formality in singing?
Answ. 1. Choose such hymns as are proper for the occasion, and do not sing too
much at once; seldom more than four or
five verses.
2. Let the tune be suited to the sentiment, and do not suffer the people to sing
too slow.
3. In every Society let due attention be
given to the cultivation of sacred music.
4. Let one or more be chosen in each
Society to lead the singing.
5. As singing is a part of Divine worship
in which all ought to unite, therefore exhort every person in the congregation to
sing, not one in ten only.




Ch. iii, ~ 3.  CLASS-MEETINS.      43
SECTION III.
Class-meetings.
Quest. 1. How may the Leaders of classes
be rendered more useful?
Answ. 1. Let each of them be diligently
examined concerning his method of meeting a class. Let this be done with all possible exactness, at least once a quarter. In
order to this, take sufficient time.
2. Let each Leader carefully inquire how
every soul of his class prospers: not only
how each person observes the outward
rules, but how he grows in the knowledge
and love of God.
3. Let the Leaders converse with those
who have the charge of their circuits frequently and freely.
Quest. 2. Can anything more be done in
order to make the Class-meetings lively
and profitable?
Answ. 1. Change improper Leaders.
2. Let the Leaders frequently meet each
other's classes.
3. Let us observe which Leaders are the
most useful; and let these meet the other
classes as often as possible.
4. See that all the Leaders be not only




44          CLASS-MEETINGS.    Part I,
men of sound judgment, but men truly
devoted to God.
5. Let the Leaders be directed to such a
course of Reading and Study as shall best
qualify them for their work, especially let
such books be recommended as will tend
to increase their knowledge of the Scriptures, and make them familiar with those
passages best adapted to Christian influence. Whenever practicable, let the
preachers examine the Leaders in the studies
recommended.




PART II.
GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH.
CHAPTER I.
THE CONFERENCES.
SECTION I.
The General Conference.
Quest. Wno shall compose the General
Conference, and what are the regulations
and powers belonging to it?
Answ. 1. The General Conference shall be
composed of one member for every thirty
members of each Annual Conference, to be
appointed either by seniority or choice, at
the discretion of such Annual Conference,
yet so that such representatives shall have
traveled at least four full calendar years
from the time that they were received on
trial by an Annual Conference, and are in
full connection at the time of holding the
Conference.
2. The General Conference shall meet
on the first day of May, in the year of our
Lord 1812, in the city of New York, and




46  THE GENERAL CONFERENCE. Part II,
thenceforward on the first day of May once
in four years perpetually, in such place or
places as slall be fixed on by the General
Conference from time to time; but the general superintendents, or a majority of them,
by or with the advice of two thirds of all
the Annual Conferences, or, if there be no
general superintendent, two thirds of all
the Annual Conferences, shall have power
to call an extra session of the General Conference at any time, to be constituted in
the usual way.
3. At all times when the General Conference is met, it shall take two thirds of
the representatives of all the Annual Conferences to make a quorum for transacting
business.
4. One of the general superintendents
shall preside in the General Conference;
but in case no general superintendent be
present, the General Conference shall choose
a president pro tern.
5. The General Conference shall have
full powers to make rules and regulations
for our Church, under the following limitations and restrictions, namely:
1. The General Conference shall not revoke, alter, or change our articles of




Ch. i, ~ 1. THE GENERAL CONFERENCE. 47
Religion, nor establish any new standards
or rules of doctrine contrary to our present existing and established standards of
doctrine.
2. They shall not allow of more than one
representative for every fourteen members of the Annual Conference, nor allow
of a less number than one for every
forty-five; Provided, nevertheless, that
when there shall be in any Annual Conference a fiaction of two thirds the number which shall be fixed for the ratio of
representation, such Annual Conference
shall be entitled to an additional delegate
for such fraction; and provided, also,
that no Conference shall be denied the
privilege of two delegates.
3. They shall not change or alter any part
or rule of our government, so as to do
away episcopacy, or destroy the plan of
our itinerant general superintendency.
4. They shall not revoke or change the
General Rules of the United Societies.
5. They shall not do away the privileges
of our ministers or preachers, of trial by
a committee, and of an appeal; neither
shall they do away the privileges of our
members, of trial before the society, or
by a committee, and of an appeal.




48   THE GENERAL CONFERENOE. Part IT,
6. They shall not appropriate the produce
of the Book Concern, nor of the Charter
Fund, to any purpose other than for the
benefit of the traveling, supernumerary,
superannuated, and worn-out preachers,
their wives, widows, and children. Provided, nevertheless, that upon the concurrent recommendation of three fourths of
all the members of the several Annual
Conferences who sh all be present and vote
on such recommendation, then a majority
of two thirds of the General Conference
succeeding shall suffice to alter any of
the above restrictions, excepting the first
article: and also, whenever such alteration or alterations shall have been first recommended by two thirds of the General
Conference, so soon as three fourths of the
members of all the Annual Conferences
shall have concurred as aforesaid, such
alteration or alterations shall take effect.
SECTION II.
The Annual Conferences.
Quest. 1. Who shall attend the Annual
Conferences?
Anws. All the Traveling Preachers-both
those who ai;e in full connection, and those
who are on trial.




Oh. i, ~ 2. ANNUAL CONFERENCES.   49
Quest. 2. Who shall appoint the times of
holding the Annual Conferences?
Amw. The Bishops: but they shall allow
Jhie Annual Conferences to sit a week at least.
Quest. 3. Who shall appoint the places
of holding the Annual Conferences?
Answ. Each Annual Conference shall
appoint the place of its own sitting; but
should it become necessary, from any unforeseen cause, to change the place of its
sitting after it has been fixed by the Conference, the Preacher or Preachers in charge
of the place, and the Presiding Elder of
the district, where the Conference was to
be held, shall have power to make such
change. But this authority shall not be
exercised without first consulting the other
Presiding Elders of the Conference so far
as practicable.
Quest. 4. Who shall preside in the Annual Conferences?
Answ. The Bishop. In case no Bishop
be present, a member of the Conference,
appointed by the Bishop, shall preside.
But if no appointment be made, or the
person appointed do not attend, the Conference shall elect a President by ballot
from among the Elders, without debate.
Quest. 5. What is the method wherein
4




50      ANNUAL CONFERENCES.    Part II,
we usually proceed in the Annual Conferences?
Answ. We inquire,
1. What Preachers are admitted on
trial?
2. Who remain on trial?
3. Who are admitted into full connection?
4. Who are the Deacons?
5. Who have been elected and ordained
Elders this year?
6. Who have located this year?
7. Who are the Supernumerary Preachers?
8. Who are the Superannuated or wornout Preachers?
9. Who have been expelled from the connection this year?
10. Who have withdrawn from the connection this year?
11. Are all the Preachers blameless in life
and conversation?
12. Who have died this year?
13. What is the number of Church members?
Number of deaths the past year?
Number of probationers?
Number of Local Preachers?
Number of adults baptized the past
year?




Oh. i, ~ 2. ANNUAL CONFERENCES.    51
Number of children baptized the past
year?
Number of churches?
Their probable value?
Number of parsonages?
Their probable value?
Amount collected for Superannuated
Preachers?
Amount collected for the Missionary
Society?
Amount collected for the Tract Society?
Amount collected for the American
Bible Society?
Amount collected for the SundaySchool Union?
Number of Sunday-schools?
Number of officers and teachers?
Number of Scholars?
Number of volumes in library?
14. What amounts are necessary for the
Superannuated Preachers, and the
widows and orphans of Preachers,
and to make up the deficiencies of
those who have not obtained their
regular allowance on the circuits?
15. What has been collected on the foregoing accounts, and how has it been
applied?




52       ANNUAL CONFERENCES. Part II,
16. Where are the Preachers stationed
this year?
17. Where and when shall our next Conference be held?
Quest. 6. Is there any other business to
be done in the Annual Conferences?
Answ. 1. The electing and ordaining of
Deacons and Elders.
2. It shall be the duty of each Annual
Conference to examine strictly into the
state of the domestic missions within its
bounds, and to allow none to remain on
the list of its missions which, in the judgment of the Conference, is able to support
itself.
Quest. 7. Are there any other directions
to be given concerning the Annual Conferences?
Answ. 1. There shall be fifty-nine Conferences in the year.
2. A record of the proceedings of each
Annual Conference shall be kept by a Secretary, chosen for the purpose, and shall
be signed by the President and Secretary;
and let a copy of said record be sent to the
General Conference.*
3. Each Annual Conference shall report
through its Secretary to the Sunday-School
* For duties of Secretary see App. pp. xii-xiv.




Ch. i, ~ 3. ANNUAL CONFERENCES.    53
Union the number of schools within its
bounds, together with other facts named
in the form published by the Union, and
contained in the annual reports of preachers, as directed in answer 13, page 98.
SECTION III.
The Quarterly Conference.
Quest. 1. Of whom shall the Quarterly
Conferences be composed?
Answ. Of all the Traveling and Local
Preachers, exhorters, stewards, class-leaders, and trustees of the Churches in the circuit or station, and the first male superintendents of our Sunday-schools, said trustees and Superintendents being members
of our Church, and approved by the Quarterly Conference. The Missionary Committee shall have a right to a seat during
the action of the Conference on the subject of Missions, but at no other time.
Quest. 2. Who shall preside in the Quarterly Conferences?
Answ. The Presiding Elder, and in his
absence the preacher in charge.
Quest. 3. How shall the minutes of the
Quarterly Conference be kept?
Answ. The Quarterly Conference shall




54    QUARTERLY CONFERENCES. Part II.
appoint a Secretary to take minutes of the
proceedings thereof, to be recorded by the
Recording Steward in a book kept for that
purpose.
Quest. 4. What shall be the regular business of the Quarterly Conference?
Answ. 1. To hear complaints, and to
receive and try appeals.
2. To take cognizance of all the Local
Preachers in the circuit or station, and to
inquire into the gifts, labors, and usefulness
of each Preacher by name; to license
proper persons to preach, and renew their
license annually, when, in the judgment
of said Conference, their gifts, grace, anc
usefulness will warrant such renewal; to
recommend to the Annual Conference suitable candidates in the local connection for
Deacons' or Elders' orders, and for admission on trial in the traveling connection;
and to try, suspend, expel, or acquit any
Local Preacher in the circuit or station
against whom charges may be brought.
Provided, that no person shall be licensed
to preach without the recommendation of
the society of which he is a member, or of
a Leaders' Meeting; nor shall any one be
licensed to preach, or recommended to the
Annual Conference to travel, or for ordina



Ch.i, ~ 3. QUARTERLY CONFERENCES.  55
tion, without first being examined in the
Quarterly Conference on the subject of
doctrines and discipline.
3. To appoint Stewards, the Preacher in
charge having a right to nominate; and to
examine the characters of exhorters annually, and recommend them, if approved, for
renewal of license.
4. To appoint District Stewards as provided for in part ii, chap. iii, and a Parsonage committee, if necessary. (See p. 252.)
5. To appoint a Missionary Committee,
as provided for in part v, ~ 3, item 5, p. 229.
6. To appoint a Tract Committee, as
provided for in part v, ~ 4, item 3, p. 235.
7. To receive the annual reports of Trustees, as provided for in part vi, chap. iii,
~ 2, item 6, p. 265.
8. Each Quarterly Conference shall have
supervision of all the Sunday-schools and
Sunday-school societies within its bounds,
which schools and societies shall be auxiliary to the Sunday-School Union of the
Methodist Episcopal Church.  The first
male superintendents of our Sunday-schools
shall be members of our Church, and approved by the Quarterly Conference of the
charge, and said Quarterly Conference shall
have the right to inquire into the condition




56     QUARTERLY CONFERENCES. Part II,
of each school or society in the bounds of
the circuit or station, and to remove any
superintendent who may prove to be unworthy or inefficient. It shall be the duty
of each Quarterly Conference, at the first
Quarterly meeting of each year, to appoint
a committee of not less than three nor more
than nine, who shall be members of our
Church, to be called the Committee on
Sunday-Schools, of which the Preacher in
charge shall be the chairman. (See pages
225-228.)
Quest. 5. What is the order of business
in the Quarterly Conference?
[Questions marked thus [I] are to be asked only at the
first Quarterly Conference; those marked [2] at the
second; and those marked [4] at the fourth.]
Aisw. To inquire,
1. Are there any complaints?
2. Are there any appeals?
REPORTS OF THE PASTOR.
3. Is there a written report from the
Pastor,
(1.) Of the number, state, and average attendance of the Sundayschools and Bible classes, and
the extent to which he has
preached to the children and




Ch. i, ~ 3. QUARTERLY CONFERENCES.  57
catechised them. (See pp. 227,
228, and p. 98, ans. 13.)
(2.) Of the religious instruction of the
children, as provided for in part i,
~ 2, quest. 3, pp. 39, 40.
(3.) Of the general condition of the
charge, embracing the items in
answer 12, quest. 1, ~ 17, chap. ii,
part ii, p. 97.
[4] (4.) What amounts have been received for benevolent objects?
[4]    (a.) For missions?
[4]    (b.) For Tract Society?
[4]    (c.) For Sunday-School Union?
[4]    (d.) For American Bible Society?
[4]    (e.) For other objects?*
[4]    (f.) How many subscribers have
been obtained for our periodicals?
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.
4. Is there a report from Standing Committees(1.) On missions?
(2.) On Sunday-schools?
(3.) On the Tract Cause?
(4.) From the Estimating Committee
or Committees?
* For Church Extension Society, see the
Journal of the General Conference for 1864,
p. 266.




68     QUARTERLY CONFERENCES. Part II,
5. REPORTS OF THE STEWARDS.
[1] (1.) What amount has been estimated
for the support of the pastor or
pastors the present year?
(2.) What amount has been raised during the quarter for the support
of the ministry, and how has it
been. applied?
[2] (3.) What sum has been apportioned
to be raised by this charge —
[2]   (a.) For the support of the Presiding Elder?
[2]   (b.) For the Conference claimants?
[2]   (c.) For Missionary, Tract, Sundayschool, Educational, or other
benevolent objects?
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES.
[4] 6. Is there a report of the Trustees of
the Church property?
ELECTIONS.
7. Who shall constitute the Disciplinary
Committees[1] (1.) On.Missions?
[1] (2.) On Sabbath-schools?
[1] (3.) On the circulation of Tracts?
[4] (4.) Who shall be the Stewards for the
ensuing year?*
* Who shall be the Recording Steward  See
p. 109.-EDS.




Oh. i, ~ 3. QUARTERLY CONIFERENCE.  59
[4] (5.) Who shall be the District Steward?
(6.) Is any change desired in the Board
of Stewards?
[4] (7.) Who shall be the Estimating Committee or Committees?*
EXAMINATIONS AND RENEWAL OF LICENSES.
[4] 8. Will you now attend to the examination of character and the renewal of licenses?
RECOMMENDATIONS.
9. Are there any recommendations(1.) For license to preach?
[4] (2.) For admission into the traveling
connection?
[4] (3.) For election of Local Preachers to
Deacon's or Elder's orders?t
MISCELLANEOUS.
10. Is there any other business?
(1.) Have the General Rules been read
this quarter?
(2.) Are the Church Records properly
kept?
(3.) Where shall the next Quarterly
Meeting be held?
* Duties of Estimating Committees, see pp.
253-255.
t For recognition of orders?-EDs.




60     CALL TO THE MINISTRY. Part II,
CHAPTER II.
THE MINISTRY.
SECTION I.
Tlte Examination of those who think they
are moved by the Holy Ghost to Preach.
Quest. Iow shall we try those who profess to be moved by the Holy Ghost to
preach?
Answ. 1. Let the following questions be
asked, namely: Do they know God as a
pardoning God? Have they the love of
God abiding in them? Do they desire
nothing but God? And are they holy in
all manner of conversation?
2. Have they gifts (as well as grace) for
the work? Have they (in some tolerable
degree) a clear, sound understanding, a
right judgment in the things of God, a just
conception of salvation by faith? And has
God given them any degree of utterance?
Do they speak justly, readily, clearly?
3. Have they fruit? Are any truly convinced of sin, and converted to God by
their preaching?
As long as these three marks concur in




Ch. ii, ~ 2. PREACHER'S RULES.    61
any one, we believe he is called of God to
preach.  These we receive as sufficient
proof that he is moved by the Holy Ghost.
SECTION II.
Rules for a Preacher's Conduct.
Quest. 1. What are the directions given
to a Preacher?
Answ. 1. Be diligent. Never be unemployed: never be triflingly employed.
Never trifle away time; neither spend
any more time at any place than is strictly
necessary.
2. Be serious. Let your motto be Holiness to the Lord. Avoid all lightness, jesting, and foolish talking.
3. Converse sparingly, and conduct yourself prudently with women. (1 Tim. v, 2.)
4. Take no step toward marriage without first consulting with your brethren.
5. Believe evil of no one without good
evidence; unless you see it done, take heed
how you credit it. Put the best construction on everything. You know the judge
is always supposed to be on the prisoner's
side.
6. Speak evil of no one; because your
word, especially, would eat as doth a canker. Keep your thoughts within your own




62        PREAOHER'S RULES.   Part II,
breast till you come to the person concerned.
7. Tell every one under your care what
you think wrong in his conduct and temper, and that lovingly and plainly as soon
as may be: else it will fester in your heart.
Make all haste to cast the fire out of your
bosom.
8. Avoid all affectation. A preacher of
the Gospel is the servant of all.
9. Be ashamed of nothing but sin.
10. Be punctual. Do everything exactly
at the time. And do not mend our rules,
but keep them; not for wrath, but conscience' sake.
11. You have nothing to do but to save
souls: therefore spend and be spent in this
work; and go always not only to those
that want you, but to those that want you
most.
Observe! it is not your business only to
preach so many times, and to take care of
this or that society, but to save as many as
you can; to bring as many sinners as you
can to repentance, and with all your power
to build them up in that holiness without
which they cannot see the Lord. And remember! a Methodist preacher is to mind
every point, great and small, in the Meth



Ch. ii, ~ 2. PREACHER'S RULES.     63
odist Discipline! Therefore you will need
to exercise all the sense and grace you
have.
12. Act in all things not according to
your own will, but as a son in the Gospel.
As such, it is your duty to employ your
time in the manner in which we direct:
in preaching, and visiting from house to
house; in reading, meditation, and prayer.
Above all, if you labor with us in the
Lord's vineyard, it is needful you should
do that part of the work which we advise,
at those times and places which we judge
most for his glory.
Quest. 2. Are there any smaller advices
which might be of use to us?
Answ. Perhaps these: 1. Be sure never
to disappoint a congregation. 2. Begin at
the time appointed. 3. Let your whole
deportment be serious, weighty, and solemn. 4. Always suit your subject to your
audience. 5. Choose the plainest text you
can. 6. Take care not to ramble, but keep
to your text, and make out what you take
in hand. 7. Take care of anything awkward or affected, either in your gesture,
phrase, or pronunciation. 8. Do not usually pray extempore above eight or ten
minutes (at most) without intermission.




64       DUTY OF PREACHERS. Part II,
9. Frequently read and enlarge upon a
portion of Scripture; and let young preachers often exhort without taking a text.
10. Always avail yourself of the great
festivals, by preaching on the occasion.
SECTION III.
The Duty of Preachers to God, themselves,
and one another.
Quest. 1. What is the duty of a Preacher?
Answ. 1. To preach.
2. To meet the societies and classes.
3. To visit the sick.
Quest. 2. How shall a Preacher be qualified for his charge?
Answ. By walking closely with God,
and having his work greatly at heart; and
by understanding and loving discipline,
ours in particular.
Quest. 3. Do we sufficiently watch over
each other?
Answ. We do not. Should we not frequently ask each other, Do you walk closely with God? Have you now fellowship
with the Father and the Son? At what
hour do you rise? Do you punctually observe the morning and evening hours of
retirement? Do you spend the day in the
manner which the Conference advises?




Oh. ii, ~ 3. DUTY OF PREACHERS.     65
Do you converse seriously, usefully, and
closely? To be more particular: Do you
use all the means of grace yourself, and
enforce the use of them on all other persons? They are either instituted or prudential.
I. The instituted are,
1. Prayer: private, family, and public;
consisting of deprecation, petition, intercession, and thanksgiving. Do you use each
of these? Do you forecast daily, wherever
you are, to secure time for private devotion?  Do you practice it everywhere?
Do you ask everywhere, Have you family
prayer? Do you ask individuals, Do you
use private prayer, every morning and
evening in particular?
2. Searching the Scriptures, by
(1.) Reading: constantly, some part of
every day; regularly, all the Bible in order; carefully, with notes; seriously, with
prayer before and after; fruitfully, immediately practicing what you learn there?
(2.) Meditating: At set times? By rule?
(3.) Hearing: Every opportunity? With
prayer before, at, after? Have you a Bible
always about you?
3. The Lord's Supper: Do you use this
at every opportunity? With solemn prayer
5




66       DUTY OF PREACHERS.    Part II,
before? With earnest and deliberate selfdevotion?
4. Fasting: Do you use as much abstinence and fasting every week as your health,
strength, and labor will permit?
5. Christian conference: Are you convinced how important and how difficult it
is to order your conversation aright? Is
it always in grace? Seasoned with salt?
Meet to minister grace to the hearers? Do
you not converse too long at a time? Is
not an hour commonly enough? Would it
not be well always to have a determined
end in view? And to pray before and
after it?
II. Prudential means we may use either
as Christians, as Methodists, or as Preachers.
1. As Christians: What particular rules
have you in order to grow in grace? What
arts of holy living?
2. As Methodists: Do you never miss
your class?
3. As Preachers: Have you thoroughly
considered your duty? And do you make
a conscience of executing every part of
it? Do you meet every society and their
leaders?
These means may be used without fruit.
But there are some means which cannot:




Oh. ii, ~ 3. DUTY OF PREACHERS.    67
namely, watching, denying ourselves, taking up our cross, exercise of the presence
of God.
1. Do you steadily watch against the
world? Yourself? Your besetting sin?
2. Do you deny yourself every useless
pleasure of sense? Imagination? Honor?
Are you temperate in all things? Instance
in food: (1) Do you use only that kind and
that degree which is best both for body
and soul? Do you see the necessity of
this? (2) Do you eat no more at each
meal than is necessary?  Are you not
heavy or drowsy after dinner? (3) Do
you use only that kind, and that degree of
drink, which is best both for your body
and soul?  (4) Do you choose and use
water for your common drink? And only
take wine medicinally or sacramentally?
3. Wherein do you take up your cross
daily? Do you cheerfully bear your cross,
however grievous to nature, as a gift of
God, and labor to profit thereby?
4. Do you endeavor to set God always
before you? To see his eye continually
fixed upon you?
Never can you use these means but a
blessing will ensue.  And the more you
use them, the more you will grow in grace.




68       NECESSITY OF UNION.    Part II,
SECTION IV.
T17e Necessity of Union among ourselves.
Let us be deeply sensible (from what we
have known) of the evil of a division in
principle, spirit, or practice, and the dreadful consequences to ourselves and others.
If we are united, what can stand before
us? If we divide, we shall destroy ourselves, the work of God, and the souls of
our people.
Quest. What can be done in order to a
closer union with each other?
Answ. 1. Let us be deeply convinced of
the absolute necessity of it.
2. Pray earnestly for, and speak freely to
each other.
3. When we meet, let us never part
without prayer.
4. Take great care not to despise each
other's gifts.
5. Never speak lightly of each other.
6. Let us defend each other's character in
everything so far as is consistent with truth.
7. Labor in honor each to prefer the
other before himself.
8. We recommend a serious perusal of
The Causes, Evils, and Cures of Heart and
Church Divisions.




Oh. ii, ~ 5.  EMPLOYING TIME.      69
SECTION V.
How we can Employ our Time profitably,
when not Traveling, or engaged in Public
Exercises.
Quest. 1. What general method of employing our time shall we advise?
Anzsw. We advise you, 1. As often as
possible to rise at four. 2. From four to
five in the morning, and from five to six
in the evening, to meditate, pray, and read
the Scriptures with notes, and the closely
practical parts of what Mr. Wesley has
published. 3. From six in the morning till
twelve, wherever it is practicable, let the
time be spent in appropriate reading, study,
and private devotion.
Quest. 2. Why is it that the people under
our care are not better?
Answ. Other reasons may concur, but
the chief is, because we are not more
knowing and more holy.
Quest. 3. But why are we not more
knowing?
Answ. Because we are idle. We forget
our first rule: " Be diligent. Never be unemployed. Never be triflingly employed.
Neither spend any more time at any place
than is strictly necessary." We fear there




70           DEPORTMENT.       Part II,
is altogether a fault in this matter, and that
few of us are clear. Which of us spend as
many hours a day in God's work as we did
formerly in man's work? We talk —talk
or read what comes next to hand. We
must, absolutely must, cure this evil, or betray the cause of God. But how? 1. Read
the most useful books, and that regularly
and constantly. 2. Steadily spend all the
morning in this employment, or at least
five hours in the four and twenty. " But
I have no taste for reading." Contract a
taste for it by use, or return to your former
employment.   " But I have no books."
Be diligent to spread the books, and you
will have the use of them.
SECTION VI.
Of our Deportment at the Conferences.
It is desired that all things be considered
on these occasions as in the immediate
presence of God; that every person speak
freely whatever is in his heart.
Quest. How may we best improve our
time at the conferences?
Answ. 1. While we are conversing, let
us have an especial care to set God always
before us.




Ch. ii, ~ 8. RULES ON PREACHING.    71
2. In the intermediate hours, let us redeem all the time we can for private exercises.
3. Therein let us give ourselves to prayer
for one another, and for a blessing on our
labor.
SECTION VII.
The lfatter and Manner of Preaching.
Quest. 1. What is the best general method
of preaching?
Answ. 1. To convince: 2. To offer Christ:
3. To invite: 4. To build up: And to do
this in some measure in every sermon.
Quest. 2. What is the most effectual way
of preaching Christ?
Answ. The most effectual way of preaching Christ is, to preach him in all his offices;
and to declare his law, as well as his Gospel,
both to believers and unbelievers. Let us
strongly and closely insist upon inward and
outward holiness in all its branches.
SECTION VIII.
Rules by which we should continue, or desist
from Preaching at any Place.
Quest. 1. Is it advisable for us to preach
in as many places as we can without forming any societies?




72          VISITING FROM      Part II,
Answ. By no means. We have made
the trial in various places, and that for a
considerable time. But all the seed has
fallen by the way-side. There is scarce
any fruit remaining.
Quest. 2. Where should we endeavor to
preach most?
Answ. 1. Where there is the greatest
number of quiet and willing hearers.
2. Where there is most fruit.
Quest. 3. Ought we not diligently to observe in what places God is pleased at any
time to pour out his Spirit more abundantly?
Answ. We ought: and at that time to
send more laborers than usual into that
part of the harvest.
SECTION IX.
Visiting from House to House, guarding
against those Things that are so common
to Professors, and enforcing Practical
-Religion.
Quest. 1. How can we further assist
those under our care?
Answ. By instructing them at their own
houses. What unspeakable need is there
of this! The world says, " The Methodists




Oh. ii, ~ 9.  HoUSE TO HOusE.     73
are no better than other people." This is
not true in the general: but, 1. Personal
religion, either toward God or man, is too
superficial among us. We can but just
touch on a few particulars. How little
faith is there among us! How little communion with God! How little living in
heaven, walking in eternity, deadness to
every creature! Iow much love of the
world! Desire of pleasure, of ease, of getting money! How little brotherly love!
What continual judging one another!
What gossiping, evil-speaking, tale-bearing! What want of moral honesty! To
instance only one particular: Who does as
he would be done by in buying and selling?
2. Family religion is wanting in many
branches. And what avails public preaching alone, though we could preach like
angels? We must, yea, every traveling
preacher must instruct the people from
house to house. Till this be done, and
that in good earnest, Methodists will be no
better.
Our religion is not sufficiently deep,
universal, uniform; but superficial, partial,
uneven. It will be so till we spend half as
much time in this visiting as we now do in
talking uselessly. Can we find a better




74          VISITING FROM      Part II,
method of doing this than Mr. Baxter's?
If not, let us adopt it without delay. His
whole tract, entitled Gildas Silvianus; or,
The Reformed Pastor, is well worth a
careful perusal. Speaking of this visiting
fiom house to house, he says, (p. 351,)
"We shall find many hinderances, both in
ourselves and the people."
1. In ourselves there is much dullness
and laziness, so that there will be much
ado to get us to be faithful in the work.
2. We have a base, man-pleasing temper,
so that we let them perish rather than
lose their love; we let them go quietly to
hell lest we should offend them.
3. Some of us have a foolish bashfulness.
We know not how to begin, and blush to
contradict the devil.
4. But the greater hinderance is weakness
of faith. Our whole motion is weak, because the spring of it is weak.
5. Lastly, we are unskillful in the work.
How few know how to deal with men, so
as to get within them, and suit all our discourse to their several conditions and tempers; to choose the fittest subjects, and follow them with a holy mixture of seriousness, terror, love, and meekness!
But undoubtedly this private application




Ch. ii, ~ 9.  HIOSE TO HOUSE.      75
is implied in those solemn words of the
apostle: "I charge thee before God and
the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the
quick and the dead at his appearing, preach
the word; be instant in season, out of season: reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering."
O brethren, if we could but set this work
on foot in all our societies, and prosecute
it zealously, what glory would redound to
God! If the common lukewarmness were
banished, and every shop, and every
house, busied in speaking of the word
and works of God, surely God would
dwell in our habitations, and make us his
delight.
And this is absolutely necessary to the
welfare of our people, some of whom neither repent nor believe to this day. Look
round, and see how many of them are still
in apparent danger of damnation. And
how can you walk and talk, and be merry
with such people, when you know their
case? When you look them in the face,
you should break forth into tears, as the
prophet did when he looked upon Hazael,
and then set on them with the most vehement exhortations. 0, for God's sake, and
the sake of poor souls, bestir yourselves,




76          VISITING FROM     Part II,
and spare no pains that may conduce to
their salvation! What cause have we to
bleed before the Lord that we have so long
neglected this good work! If we had but
engaged in it sooner, how many more
might have been brought to Christ! And
how much holier and happier might our
societies have been before now! And
why might we not have done it sooner?
There were many hinderances; and so there
always will be. But the greatest hinderance is in ourselves, in our littleness of
faith and love.
But it is objected, I. "This will take up
so much time we shall not have leisure to
follow our studies." We answer, 1. Gaining knowledge is a good thing, but saving
souls is a better. 2. By this very thing
you will gain the most excellent knowledge,
that of God and eternity. 3. You will
have time for gaining other knowledge
too. Only sleep no more than you need;
" and never be idle, or triflingly employed."
But, 4. If you can do but one, let your
studies alone. We ought to throw by all
the libraries in the world, rather than be
guilty of the loss of one soul.
It is objected, II. " The people will not
submit to it." If some will not, others




Ch. ii, ~9.  HOUSE TO HOUSE.        77
will. And the success with them will repay all your labor. 0 let us herein follow
the example of St. Paul! 1. For our general business, Serving the Lord with all humility of mind: 2. Our special work, Take
heed to yourselves, and to all the flock:
3. Our doctrine, Repentance toward God,
and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ:
4. The place, I have taught you publicly,
and from  house to house: 5. The object
and manner of teaching, I ceased not to
warn every one, night and day, with tears:
6. His innocence and self-denial herein, I
have coveted no man's silver or gold: 7. His
patience, Neither count I my life dear unto
myself And among all other motives let
these be ever before our eyes: 1. The
Church of God, which he hath purchased
with his own blood: 2. Grievous wolves
shall enter in; yea, of yourselves shall men
arise, speaking perverse things.
Write this upon your hearts, and it will
do you more good than twenty years'
study. Then you will have no time to
spare: you will have work enough. Then
likewise no preacher will stay with us who
is as salt that has lost its savor. For to
such this employment would be mere
drudgery. And in order to it, you will




78          VISITING FROM      Part II,
have need of all the knowledge you can
procure, and grace you can attain.
The sum is, Go into every house in
course, and teach every one therein, young
and old, to be Christians inwardly and outwardly: make every particular plain to
their understandings; fix it in their minds;
write it on their hearts. In order to this,
there must be line upon line, precept upon
precept. What patience, what love, what
knowledge, is requisite for this! We must
needs do this, were it only to avoid idleness.  Do we not loiter away many hours
in every week? Each try himself; no
idleness is consistent with a growth in
grace. Nay, without exactness in redeeming time, you cannot retain the grace you
receive in justification.
Quest. 2. Why are we not more holy?
Why do we not live in eternity?  Walk
with God all the day long? Why are we
not all devoted to God? Breathing the
whole spirit of missionaries?
Answ. Chiefly because we are enthusiasts; looking for the end without using the
means. To touch only upon two or three
instances: Who of us rises at four, or even
at five, when we do not preach? Do we
know the obligation and benefit of fasting




Oh. ii, ~ 9.  HOUSE TO HOUSE.       79
or abstinence? How often do we practice
it? The neglect of this alone is sufficient
to account for our feebleness and faintness
of spirit. We are continually grieving the
Ioly Spirit of God by the habitual neglect
of a plain duty. Let us amend from this
hour.
Quest. 3. How shall we guard against
Sabbath-breaking, evil-speaking, unprofitable conversation, lightness, expensiveness
or gayety of apparel, and contracting debts
without due care to discharge them?
Answ. 1. Let us preach expressly on each
of these heads. 2. Read in every society
the sermon on evil-speaking. 3. Let the
leaders closely examine and exhort every
person to put away the accursed thing.
4. Let the preachers warn every society
that none who is guilty herein can remain
with us. 5. Extirpate buying or selling
goods which have not paid the duty laid
upon them   by government, out of our
Church. Let none remain with us who
will not totally abstain from this evil in
every kind and degree. Extirpate bribery,
receiving anything, directly or indirectly,
for voting at any election. Show no respect to persons herein, but expel all that
touch the accursed thing. And strongly




80      REcEIVING PREAOHEES. Part II,
advise our people to discountenance all
treats given by candidates before or at
elections, and not to be partakers, in any
respect, of such iniquitous practices.
SECTION X.
The Method of Receiving Traveling Preachers on Trial.
Quest. How is a Preacher to be received
on trial?
Answ. 1. By the Annual Conference.
2. In the interval of the Conference, by
a Bishop, or the Presiding Elder of the district, until the sitting of the Conference.
But no one shall be received unless he
first procure a recommendation from the
Quarterly Conference of his circuit or station. We may then, if he give us satisfaction,
receive him on trial. But before any such
candidate is received on trial, or into full
connection, or ordained Deacon or Elder,
he shall give satisfactory evidence respecting his knowledge of those particular subjects which have been recommended to his
consideration.
When a Preacher's name is not printed
in the Minutes, he must receive a written
license fiom a Bishop or Presiding Elder.
Observe! taking on trial is entirely dif



Ch. ii, ~11. RECEIVING PREACHERS.  81
ferent from admitting a Preacher into full
connection. One on trial may be either
admitted or rejected, without doing him
any wrong: otherwise it would be no trial
at all.
At each Annual Conference, those who
are received on trial, or are admitted into
full connection, shall be asked whether
they are willing to devote themselves to
the missionary work; and a list of the
names of all those who are willing to do
so shall be taken and reported to the Corresponding Secretary of the Missionary Society; and all such shall be considered as
ready and willing to be employed as missionaries whenever called for by either of
the Bishops.
SECTION XI.
The Manner of Receiving Traveling Preachers into Full Connection.
Quest. What method do we use in receiving a Preacher at the Conference into
full connection?
Answ. After solemn fasting and prayer,
every person proposed shall then be asked,
before the Conference, the following questions, (with any others which may be
thought necessary,) namely: Have you
6




82      RECEIVING PREACHERS. Part I1,
faith in Christ? Are you going on to perfection? Do you expect to be made perfect
in love in this life? Are you groaning
after it? Are you resolved to devote yourself wholly to God and his work? Do you
know the rules of society? Do you keep
them? Do you constantly attend the sacrament? Have you read the form of Discipline? Are you willing to conform to
it? Have you considered the rules of a
Preacher, (see ~ 2, pp. 61-63,) especially the
first, tenth, and twelfth? Will you keep
them for conscience' sake? Are you determined to employ all your time in the
work of God? Will you endeavor not to
speak too long or too loud? Will you diligently instruct the children in every place?
Will you visit from house to house? Will
you recommend fasting, or abstinence, both
by precept and example?   Are you in
debt?
Then if he give us satisfaction, after he
has been employed two successive years in
the regular itinerant work on circuits, in
stations, or in our institutions of learning,
which is to commence from his being received on trial at the Annual Conference,
and being approved by the Annual Conference, and examined by the President of




Ch. ii, ~ 12. RECEIVING PREAOHERS.  83
the Conference, he may be received into
full connection.
N. B. A Missionary employed on a Foreign Mission may be admitted into full
connection, if recommended by the Superintendent of the Mission where he labors,
without being present at the Annual Conference for examination.
SECTION XII.
The Reception of Preachers from the Wesleyan Connection, and from other Denominations.
Quest. 1. In what manner shall we receive those ministers who may come to us
from the Wesleyan connection in Europe
and Canada, or from the Methodist Episcopal Church in Canada?
Answ. If they come to us properly accredited from either the British, Irish, or
Canada Conference, or from the Methodist
Episcopal Church in Canada, they may be
received according to such credentials, provided they give satisfaction to an Annual
Conference of their willingness to conform to our Church government and
usages.
Quest. 2. How shall we receive those




84      RECEIVING PEEACHERS. Part II,
ministers who may offer to unite with us
from the Methodist Episcopal Church,
South?
Answ. Upon the same conditions as specified in answer to quest. 1; provided they
give satisfactory assurances to an Annual
or Quarterly Conference of their loyalty to
the National Government, and hearty approval of the antislavery doctrine of our
Church.
Quest. 3. How shall we receive those
ministers who may offer to unite with us
from other Christian Churches?
Anszo. Those ministers of other evangelical Churches who may desire to unite
with our Church, whether as local or itinerant, may be received according to our
usages, on condition of their taking upon
them our ordination vows, without the reimposition of hands, giving satisfaction to
an Annual Conference of their being in
orders, and of their agreement with us
in doctrine, discipline, government, and
usages; provided the Conference is also
satisfied with their gifts, grace, and usefulness. Whenever any such minister is received, he shall be furnished with a certificate, signed by one of our Bishops, in the
following words, namely:




Ch. ii, ~12. RECEIVING PREAOHIES.  85
This is to certify, that        has
been admitted into       Conference as
a Traveling Preacher, [or has been admitted as a Local Preacher on     circuit,]
he having been ordained to the office of
Deacon, [or an Elder, as the case may be,]
according to the usages of the
Church, of which he has been a member
and minister; and he is hereby authorized
to exercise the functions pertaining to his
office in the Methodist Episcopal Church,
so long as his life and conversation are such
as become the Gospel of Christ.
Given under my hand and seal, at
this     day of, in the year of our
Lord
Quest. 4. How shall we receive preachers of other denominations who are not in
orders?
Answ. They may be received as licentiates, provided they give satisfaction to a
Quarterly or an Annual Conference that
they are suitable persons to exercise the
office, and of their agreement with the doctrines, discipline, government, and usages
of our Church.




86             BISHOPS.       Part II,
SECTION XIII.
The Election of Bishops and their Dtty.
Quest. 1. How is a Bishop to be constituted?
Answ. By the election of the General
Conference, and the laying on of the hands
of three Bishops, or at least of one Bishop
and two Elders. But the General Conference may authorize the election of a Missionary Bishop in the interim of the General Conference.
Quest. 2. If by death, expulsion, or otherwise, there be no Bishop remaining in our
Church, what shall we do?
Answ. The General Conference shall
elect a Bishop, and the elders, or any three
of them, who shall be appointed by the
General Conference for that purpose, shall
consecrate him according to the Ritual.
Quest. 3. What are the duties of a Bishop?
Anzo. 1. To preside in our Conferences.
2. To form the districts according to his
judgment.
3. To fix the appointments of the Preachers, provided he shall not allow any Preacher
to remain in the same station more than
three years successively; except the Presiding Elders, the Corresponding Secretary




Ch. ii, ~ 13.  BISHOPS.             87
and Assistant Corresponding Secretaries of
the Missionary Society, the Editors, Assistant Editors and Agents at/Neg York
and Cincinnati; the Editors and Assistant
Editors at Auburn, Pittsburgh, Chicago,
St. Louis, Portland, and San Francisco;
the Editor of Zion's Herald; missionaries
among the Indians, Welsh, Swedes, Norwegians, and other missionaries among foreigners, (not including the Germans,) where
supplies are difficult to be obtained; missionaries to neglected portions of our cities,
and to our people of color and on foreign
stations; chaplains to hospitals, prisons, and
in the army or navy; those Preachers who
may be appointed to labor for the special
benefit of seamen, and for the American
Bible Society, or for any State Bible Society auxiliary thereto; the presidents, principals, or teachers of seminaries of learning,
which are or may be under our superintendence; or the Preacher stationed at
Five Points Mission in New York, or at
the American Chapel in Paris; and also
when requested by an Annual Conference,
to appoint a Preacher for a longer time
than three years to any seminary of learning not under our care: provided, also,
that, with the exceptions above named, he




88             BISHOPS.        Part II,
shall not continue a preacher in the same
appointment more than three years in six.
He shall have authority when requested by
an Annual Conference to appoint an agent,
whose duty it shall be to travel throughout
the bounds of such Conference, for the
purpose of distributing Tracts, and also to
appoint an agent or agents for the benefit
of our literary institutions, an agent for the
German publishing fund, and for other
benevolent institutions.
4. In the intervals of the Conferences,
to change, receive, and suspend preachers
as necessity may require, and as the Discipline directs.
5. To travel through the connection at
large.
6. To oversee the spiritual and temporal
business of our Church.
7. To consecrate Bishops, and ordain
Elders and Deacons.
8. To decide all questions of law in an
Annual Conference, subject to an appeal
to the General Conference; but in all cases
the application of law shall be with the
Conference.
9. To prescribe a Course of Study in
English literature and in science, upon
which those applying for admission upon




Oh. ii, ~ 13.   BisHOPs.             89
trial in the Annual Conferences shall be
examined and approved before such admission; and also to prescribe a course of reading and study proper to be pursued by
candidates for the ministry for the term of
four years.
10. A Bishop may, when he judges it
necessary, unite two or more circuits or
stations for Quarterly Conference purposes,
without affecting their separate financial
interests or pastoral duties.
Quest. 4. If a Bishop cease from traveling at large among the people, shall he still
exercise his episcopal office among us in
any degree?
Answo. If he cease from traveling without
the consent of the General Conference, he
shall not thereafter exercise the episcopal
office in our Church.
Quest. 5. What shall be done when there
is no Bishop to travel at large?
Answ. In case there be no Bishop to travel
through the districts and exercise the episcopal office, on account of death, or otherwise, the districts shall be regulated in
every respect by the Annual Conferences
and the Presiding Elders in the interval of
General Conference, ordination excepted.




90        PRESIDING ELDERS.    Part II,
SECTION XIV.
Presiding Elders and their Duty.
Quest. 1. By whom are the Presiding
Elders to be chosen?
Answ. By the Bishops.
Quest. 2. By whom are the Presiding
Elders to be stationed and changed?
Answ. By the Bishops.
Quest. 3. How   long may a Bishop
allow an Elder to preside in the same
district?
Answz. For any term not exceeding four
years; after which he shall not be appointed to the same district for six years.
Quest. 4. What are the duties of a Presiding Elder?
Answ. 1. To travel through his appointed
district.
2. In the absence of the Bishop, to take
charge of all the Elders and Deacons, Traveling and Local Preachers, and exhorters
in his district.
3. To change, receive, and suspend
Preachers in his district during the intervals of the Conferences, and in the absence
of the Bishop, as the Discipline directs.
Provided, hlowever, that a Presiding Elder
shall not change a Preacher in his district




Ch. ii. ~ 14. PRESIDING ELDERS.     91
from a charge to which he has been appointed by the Bishop, and appoint him to
another to which he could not be legally
appointed by the Bishop.
4. To be present at, as far as practicable,
and to hold all the quarterly meetings; and
to call together at each quarterly meeting
the Quarterly Conference, to hear complaints, and to receive and try appeals, and
to transact such other business as is provided for in section 3, pp. 53-59.
5. To oversee the spiritual and temporal
business of the Church in his district, and
to promote, by all proper means, the cause
of Missions* and Sunday-schools, and the
publication, at our own press, of Bibles,
Tracts, and Sunday-school Books; and to
report to the Annual Conference the statistics of the literary and biblical institutions located within the bounds of his
district and under the care of our Church,
according to the form published in the
Appendix of the Discipline; and carefully
to inquire at each Quarterly Conference,
whether the rules respecting the instruction of children have been faithfully observed; and to report to the Annual
Conference the names of all Traveling
* See pp. 226, 229, 235, and Appendix, p. xv.




92        PRESIDING ELDERS.     Part II,
Preachers within his district who shall
neglect to observe these rules.
6. To take care that every part of our
Discipline be enforced in his district; and
to decide all questions of law in a Quarterly
Conference, subject to an appeal to the
President of the next Annual Conference;
but in all cases the application of law shall
be with the Conference.
7. To attend the Bishops when present in
his district; and to give them, when absent,
all necessary information, by letter, of the
state of his district.
8. To direct the candidates who are
admitted on trial to those studies which
have been recommended by the Bishops.
9. To explain to those Preachers who
are on trial, as well as to those who are in
future to be proposed for trial, that they
may be either admitted or rejected without
doing them any wrong.
10. If any Preacher absent himself from
his circuit, the Presiding Elder shall, as
far as possible, fill his place with another
Preacher, who shall be paid for his labors
out of the allowance of the absent Preacher,
in proportion to his usual allowance.
Quest. 5. Shall the Presiding Elder have
power to employ a Preacher who has




Ch. ii, ~ 15. TRAVELING ELDERS.    98
been rejected at the previous Annual Conference?
Answ. He shall not, unless the Conference should give him liberty, under certain
conditions.
SECTION XV.
The Election of Traveling Elders and their
Duty.
Quest. 1. How is an Elder constituted?
Answ. By the election of a majority of
the Annual Conference, and by the laying
on of the hands of a Bishop and some of
the Elders that are present.
Quest. 2. What is the duty of a Traveling Elder?
A.nsw. 1. To administer Baptism and the
Lord's Supper, to solemnize matrimony,
and to conduct Divine worship.
2. To do all the duties of a Traveling
Preacher.
No Elder that ceases to travel, without
the consent of the Annual Conference,
certified under the hand of the President
of the Conference, except in case of sickness, debility, or other unavoidable circumstances, shall on any account exercise the
peculiar functions of his office, or even be
allowed to preach among us: nevertheless,




94       TRAVELING DEACONS.    Part II,
the final determination in all such cases is
with the Annual Conference.
Quest. 3. What shall be the time of probation of a Traveling Deacon for the office
of an Elder?
Answ. Every Traveling Deacon shall
exercise that office for two years, before he
be eligible to the office of Elder; except in
the case of missions, when the Annual
Conferences shall have authority to elect
for the Elder's office sooner, if they judge
it expedient.
When a Preacher shall have passed his
examination, and been admitted into full
connection, and elected to Deacon's office,
but fails of his ordination through the
absence of the Bishop, his eligibility to the
office of Elder shall run from the time of
his election to the office of a Deacon.
SECTION XVI.
The Election of Traveling Deacons, and
their Duty.
Quest. 1. How is a Traveling Deacon
constituted?
Answ. By the election of a majority of
the Annual Conference, and the laying on
of the hands of a Bishop.




Oh. ii, ~ 16. TRAVELING DEACONS.   95
Quest. 2. What is the duty of a Traveling Deacon?.Answ. 1. To administer Baptism, and to
solemnize Matrimony.
2. To assist the Elder in administering
the Lord's Supper.
3. To do all the duties of a Traveling
Preacher.
N. B. Whenever a Preacher on trial
shall be appointed by a Bishop to a mission,
or a chaplaincy in the army or navy, or in
hospitals or prisons, he may, if elected by
an Annual Conference, with the approbation of a Bishop, be ordained by him before
his probation ends.
No Deacon who ceases to travel without
the consent of the Annual Conference,
certified under the hand of the President
of the Conference, except in cases of sickness, debility, or other unavoidable circumstances, shall on any account exercise the
peculiar functions of his office, or even be
allowed to preach among us: nevertheless,
the final determination in all such cases is
with the Annual Conference.




96      PREACHERS IN CHARGE. Part IT,
SECTION XVII.
The Duties of those who have the Charge
of Circuits or Stations.
Quest. 1. What are the duties of the
Elder, Deacon, or Preacher who has the
special charge of a circuit?
Pastoral   Answ. 1. He shall have the
Duties.  oversight of the other preachers
in his circuit or station.
2. To renew the tickets for the admission
of members into love-feast quarterly.
3. To appoint all the Leaders, to change
them when he sees it necessary, and to
examine each of them, with all possible
exactness, at least once a quarter, concerning his method of meeting a class.
4. To receive, try, and expel members,
according to the form of Discipline.
5. To hold watch-nights and love-feasts.
6. To hold quarterly meetings in the
absence of the Presiding Elder.
7. To take care that every society be
duly supplied with books.
8. To meet the Stewards and Leaders as
Leaders'  often as possible.  To hear reMeeting. ports from Leaders of any that
are sick, of any that walk disorderly and




Ch. ii, ~ 17. PREACHERS IN CHARGE.   97
will not be reproved, or of any that willfully neglect the means of grace.
The Leaders' Meeting may recommend
proper persons for admission into full connection; to recommend proper persons for
license to exhort, or for license to preach;
also to hear reports from the Stewards.
9. To publicly catechise the children
in the Sunday-school and at special sndaymeetings appointed for that pur- schools.
pose. It shall also be the duty of each
Preacher, in his report to each Quarterly
Conference, to state to what extent he has
publicly or privately catechised the children of his charge.
10. To form Bible classes for the larger
children, youth, and adults; to attend to
all the duties prescribed for the training of
children in part i, chap. ii, ~ 2, and part v,
~ 2, pp. 38-40, 225-228.
11. To give an account of his Repore.
circuit every quarter to his Presiding Elder.
12. To make a written report at each
Quarterly Conference and Love-feast of the
names of those who have been received
into the Church or excluded therefrom during the quarter; also the names of those
who have been received or dismissed by
7




98      PREACHERS IN CHARGE. Part II,
certificate, and of those who have died or
have withdrawn from the Church.
13. To lay before the Quarterly Conference, at each quarterly meeting, to be
entered on its journal, a written statement
of the number, state, and average attendance of the Sunday-schools in the circuit
or station, and to report the same to the
Annual Conference according to the form
published by the Sunday-School Union of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, together
with tile amount raised for the support of
missions, and for the publication of Bibles
and tracts. (See pp. 227, 228.)
14. To take an exact account of all the
matters specified in part ii, chap. i, ~ 3, and
report them  to the Annual Conference,
that their number may be printed in the
Minutes, and also to register the marriages
and baptisms.
Finance and  15. To examine the accounts
collections. of all the Stewards.
16. To appoint a person to receive the
quarterly collection in the classes.
17. To see that public collections be
made quarterly, if need be.
18. To encourage the support of missions*
and Sunday-schools, and the publication
* Part v, ~ 3, pp. 230-232.




Oh. ii, ~ 17. PREACHERS IN CHARGE.  99
and distribution of Bibles, tracts,* and Sunday-school books, by forming societies and
making collections for these objects in such
way and manner as the Annual Conference
to which he belongs shall from time to
time direct.
19. If the Annual Conference to which
lie belongs should not give any directions
on the subject, to take up a collection in
the course of the year, or raise a subscription, as he may judge expedient, the proceeds of which shall be at his disposal for
the purchase and distribution of tracts.
20. To take an annual collection in each
of his appointments in behalf of the Sunday-School Union.
21. To take collections annually in each
of his appointments in behalf of the Church
Extension Society.
22. To defray the expenses of the delegates composing the General Conference, a
collection shall be taken up in each circuit
and station some time previously to the
sitting of the Conference; and the sums so
collected shall be brought up by the delegation to the General Conference, and applied to the object herein contemplated, in
proportion to the expenses of the several
delegates.
* Part v, ~ 2, 4, pp. 225-.22, 235.




100     PREACHERS IN CHARGE. Part IT,
Quest. 2. What other directions shall we
give him?
Anszo. Several.
1. To take a regular catalogue of the
societies in towns and cities, as they live
in the streets.
2. To leave his successor a particular
account of the circuit, including an account
of the subscribers for our periodicals.
3. To enforce vigorously, but calmly, all
the rules of the society.
4. To suffer no love-feast to last above
an hour and a half.
5. To warn all from time to time that
none are to remove from one circuit to
another without a note of recommendation
from the preacher of the circuit in these
words: "A. B., the bearer, has been an
acceptable member of the  lethodist Episcopal Church."  And to inform them that.
without such a certificate, they will not be
received into the Church in other places.
6. To recommend everywhere decency
and cleanliness.
7. To read the rules of the society, with
the aid of the other preachers, once a year
in every congregation, and once a quarter
in every society.
8. The Preacher who has the charge of a




Oh. ii, ~ 17. PREACHERS IN CHARGE.  101
circuit shall appoint prayer-meetings wherever he can in his circuit.
9. Wherever it is practicable he shall so
arrange the appointments as to give the
Local Preachers regular and systematic
employment on the Sabbath.
10. He shall take care that a fast be held
in every society in his circuit on the Friday
preceding every quarterly meeting, and that
a memorandum of it be written on all the
class papers.
11. To license such persons as he may
judge proper to officiate as Exhorters in
the Church, provided no person shall be so
licensed without the consent of the Leaders'
Meeting, or of the class of which he is a
member, where no Leaders' Meeting is held;
and the Exhorters so authorized shall be
subject to the annual examination of character in the Quarterly Conference, and
have their license annually renewed by the
Presiding Elder, or the Preacher having
the charge, if approved by the Quarterly
C6nference.
Quest. 3. What can be done to supply
the circuits during the sittings of the Conferences?
Answ. 1. Let all the appointments stand
according to the plan of the circuit.




102      SUPERNUMERARY AND     Part II,
2. Engage as many Local Preachers and
exhorters as will supply them, and let them
be paid for their time in proportion to the
allowance of the Traveling Preachers.
3. If Preachers and Exhorters cannot attend, let some person of ability be appointed in every society to sing, pray, and read
one of Mr. Wesley's sermons.
4. But if that cannot be done let there
be prayer-meetings.
N. B. The Preachers who have the oversight of circuits are required to execute all
our rules fully and strenuously against all
frauds, and particularly against dishonest
insolvencies, suffering none to remain in
our Church on any account who are found
guilty of any fraud.
[     For the mode of procedure in case
of insolvency of members, and in settling
disputes, etc., as to the payment of debts
or otherwise, see part iii, chap. i, ~ 5, item 6.
SECTION XVIII.
Supernumerary and Superannuated
Preachers.
1. A Supernumerary Preacher is one who,
because of impaired health or some other
disability, is temporarily unable to perform




Ch.ii,~18. SUPERANNUATED PREACHERS. 103
effective work. He may receive an appointment, or be left without one, according to the judgment of the Annual Conference of which he is a member; but he shall
have no claim on the beneficiary funds of
the Church, except by vote of the Conference, and he shall be subject to all the
limitations of the Discipline in respect to
reappointment and continuance in the same
charge that apply to effective preachers.
In case he be left without an appointment, he shall have a seat in the Quarterly Conference, and all the privileges of
membership in the place where he may
reside.
2. Every Superannuated Preacher, who
may reside without the bounds of the Conference of which he is a member, shall have
a seat in the Quarterly Conference, and all
the privileges of membership in the Church
where he may reside; and he shall annually forward to his Conference a certificate
of his Christian and ministerial conduct,
together with an account of the number
and circumstances of his family, signed by
the Presiding Elder of the district, or the
Preacher in charge of the circuit or station
within whose bounds he may reside; without which the Conference shall not be re



104       LOCAL PREACHERS.     Part II,
quired to allow his claim, and may locate
him without his consent.
[N. B. For support of Superannuated Preachers, see part vi, chap. i, ~ 4.
For trial of a Superannuated Preacher, see
part iii, chap. i, ~ 2.-ED.]
SECTION XIX.
General Directions concerning Local
Preachers.
Quest. What directions shall be given
concerning Local Preachers?
Ansio. 1. The Quarterly Conference shall
have authority to license proper persons
to preach, and renew their license annually, when, in the judgment of said Conference, their gifts, grace, and usefulness will
warrant such renewal; to recommend suitable candidates to the Annual Conference
for Deacons' or Elders' orders in the local
connection, for admission on trial in the
traveling connection; and to try, suspend,
expel, or acquit any Local Preacher in the
circuit or station, against whom charges
may be brought. Provided, that no person
shall be licensed to preach without the
recommendation of the society of which
he is a member, or of a Leaders' Meeting;




Ch. ii, ~ 19. LOCAL PREACHERS.     105
and no member of the Church shall be at
liberty to preach without such license.
Nor shall any one be licensed to preach,
or recommended to the Annual Conference
to travel, or for ordination, without first
being examined in the Quarterly Conference on the subject of doctrines and discipline.
2. Every Local Elder, Deacon, or Preacher shall be amenable to the Quarterly Conference where he resides for his Christian
character and the faithful performance of
his ministerial office. He shall have his
name recorded on the journal of said Conference, and also enrolled on a class-paper,
and shall meet in class; and in neglect of
the above duties, the Quarterly Conference,
if they judge it proper, may deprive him
of his ministerial office.  And when a
preacher is located, or discontinued by an
Annual Conference, he shall be amenable
to the Quarterly Conference of the circuit
or station where he had his last appointment.
3. Whenever any Elder, Deacon, or
Preacher shall remove from one circuit or
station to another, he shall procure from
the Presiding Elder of the district, or from
the preacher having charge, a certificate of




106       LOCAL PREACHERS.     Part II,
his official standing in the Church at the
time of his removal, without which he shall
not be received as a Local Preacher in other
places.
4. The Presiding Elders and the Preachers in charge are required so to arrange
the appointments, wherever it is practicable, as to give the Local Preachers regular
and systematic employment on the Sabbath.
5. Whenever a Local Preacher shall have
a pastoral charge, he shall hold his Church
relation in said charge.
SECTION XX.
Local Preachers and their Ordination.
1. A licensed Local Preacher shall be
eligible to the office of a Deacon, after he
has preached four years from the time he
received a regular license, and has obtained
a testimonial fiom the Quarterly Conference, after proper examination, signed by
the President, and countersigned by the
Secretary; and after his character has
passed in examination before, and he has
obtained the approbation of, the Annual
Conference.
2. A Local Deacon shall be eligible to




Ch.ii, ~ 20. LoCAL PREACHERS.     107
the office of an Elder, after he has preached
four years from the time he was ordained
a Deacon, and has obtained a recommendation from the Quarterly Conference of
which he is a member, certifying his qualifications in doctrine, discipline, talents,
and usefulness, signed by the President,
and countersigned by the Secretary. He
shall, if he cannot attend, send to the Annual Conference such recommendation, and
a note certifying his belief in the doctrine
and discipline of our Church. The whole
being examined by the Annual Conference,
and if approved he may be ordained.




108           STEWARDS.        Part II,
CHAPTER III.
STEWARDS.
Qualifications, Appointment, and Duties
of Stewards.
Quest. 1. What are the qualifications
necessary for Stewards?
Answ. Let them be men of solid piety,
who both know and love the Methodist
doctrine and discipline, and of good natural
and acquired abilities to transact the temporal business.
Quest. 2. How are the Stewards to be
appointed?
Answ. The preacher having the charge
of the circuit shall have the right of nomination; but the Quarterly Conference shall
confirm or reject such nomination. The
Stewards so appointed shall hold office for
one year, but may be reappointed in like.
manner from year to ycar.
Quest. 3. What are the duties of Stewards?
Answ. To take an exact account of all
the money or other provisions collected for
the support of Preachers in the circuit or
station, and apply the same as the Discipline directs; to make an accurate return
of every expenditure of money, whether




Ch. iii.      STEWARDS.            109
to the preachers, the sick, or the poor; to
seek the needy and distressed in order to
relieve and comfort them; to inform the
Preachers of any sick or disorderly persons; to tell the preachers what they think
wrong in them; to attend the quarterly
meetings of their circuit, and leaders' meetings; to give advice, if asked, in planning
the circuit; to attend committees for the
application of money to Churches; to give
counsel in matters of arbitration; provide
elements for the Lord's Supper; to write
circular letters to the societies in the circuit to be more liberal, if need be; as also
to let them know, when occasion requires,
the state of the temporal concerns at the
last quarterly meeting.
Quest. 4. To whom   are Stewards accountable for the faithful performance of
their duty?
Answ. To the Quarterly Conference of the
circuit or station, which shall have power
to dismiss or change them at pleasure.
Quest. 5. What number of Stewards are
necessary in each circuit?
Anszw. Not less than three nor more than
nine, one of whom shall be appointed Recording Steward by the Quarterly Conference after each annual election.




PART III.
ADMINISTRATION OF DISCIPLINE.
CHAPTER    I.
BRINGING MINISTERS AND MEMBERS TO
TRIAL, AND THE SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES.
SECTION I.
The Trial of a Bishop.
Quest. 1. To whom is a Bishop amenable
for his conduct?
Ansi. To the General Conference, who
have power to expel him for improper conduct, if they see it necessary.
Quest. 2. What provision shall be made
for the trial of a Bishop, if he should be accused of immorality in the interval of the
General Conference?
Answo. If a Bishop be accused of immorality, three Traveling Elders shall call upon him, and examine him on the subject;
and if the three Elders verily believe that
the Bishop is guilty of the crime, they shall




Ch. i, ~ 2. TRIAL OF A PREACHER.   111
call to their aid two Presiding Elders from
two districts in the neighborhood of that
where the crime was committed, each of
which Presiding Elders shall bring with
him two Elders, or an Elder and a Deacon.
The above-mentioned nine persons shall
form a Conference, to examine into the
charge brought against the Bishop; and if
two thirds of them verily believe him to
be guilty of the crime laid to his charge,
they shall have authority to suspend the
Bishop till the ensuing General Conference,
and the districts shall be regulated in the
mean time as is provided in part ii, chap. i,
~ 2, and part ii, chap. ii, ~ 14; but no accusation shall be received against a Bishop
except it be delivered in writing, signed by
those who are to prove the crime; and a
copy of the accusation shall be given to the
accused Bishop.
SECTION II.
The Method of Proceeding against accused
Traveling Miinisters or Preachers.
Quest. 1. What shall be done when an
Elder, Deacon, or Preacher is under report
of being guilty of some crime expressly forbidden in the word of God, as an unchris



112     TRIAL OF A PREACHER. Part III,
tian practice, sufficient to exclude a person
from the kingdom of grace and glory?
Answ. 1. In the interval of the
Crime Annual Conference, let the Presiding Elder, in the absence of a Bishop, call
as many traveling ministers as he shall
think fit, at least three; and, if possible,
bring the accused and the accuser face to
face; and cause a correct record of the
investigation to be kept and transmitted
to the Annual Conference. If the person be clearly convicted, he shall be suspended from all ministerial services and
Church privileges until the ensuing Annual
Conference, at which his case shall be fully
considered and determined. But if the
accused be a Presiding Elder, three of the
senior Preachers of his district shall inquire
into the character of the report, and if they
judge it necessary, call in the Presiding
Elder of any adjoining district, who shall
appoint a Committee of five Elders from
within the bounds of the Annual Conference of which the accused is a member,
and also preside at the examination.
If the accused and accuser cannot be
brought face to face, but the supposed delinquent flees from trial, it shall be received
as a presumptive proof of guilt; and out of




Ch. i, ~ 2. TRIAL OF A PREACHER.   113
the mouth of two or three witnesses he shall
be condemned. Nevertheless, even in that
case, the Annual Conference shall reconsider and determine the whole matter.
And if the accused be a superannuated
preacher, living out of the Superannuated
bounds of the Conference of Preacher.
which he is a member, he shall be held responsible to the Annual Conference within
whose bounds he may reside, who shall have
power to try, acquit, suspend, locate, or
expel him in the same manner as if he were
a member of the said Conference.
2. If the charge be preferred at the Conference, the case may be referred to a committee, in the presence of a Presiding
Elder or a member appointed by the Bishop
in his stead, who shall cause a faithful
record of the proceedings and testimony to
be laid before the Conference; on which,
with such other evidence as may be admitted, the case shall be decided.
Quest. 2. What shall be done in cases of
improper tempers, words, or actions?
Answ. The person so offending shall be
reprehended by his senior in of- Improper
fice. Should a second transgres- conduct.
sion take place, one, two, or three ministers
or preachers are to be taken as witnesses.
8




114      TRIAL OF A PREACHER. Part III,
If he be not then cured, he shall be tried
at the next Annual Conference, and if
found guilty and impenitent, shall be expelled from the connection, and his name
so returned in the Minutes of the Conference.
Quest. 3. What shall be done when a
member of an Annual Conference fails in
business, or contracts debts which he is
not able to pay?
Answ. Let the Presiding Elder appoint
Failure in three judicious members of the
business. Church to inspect the accounts,
contracts, and circumstances of the supposed delinquent, and if, in their opinion,
he has behaved dishonestly, or contracted
debts without the probability of paying, let
the case be disposed of according to the
answer of question one of this section.
Quest. 4. What shrll be done with those
ministers or preachers who hold and disseminate, publicly or privately, doctrines
which are contrary to our Articles of
Religion?
Answ. Let the same process be observed
Heretical  as in case of gross immorality:
Doctrines. but if the minister or preacher
so offending do solemnly engage not to
disseminate such erroneous doctrines in




Ch.i, ~ 2. TRIAL OF A PREACHER.    115
public or in private, he shall be borne
with, till his case be laid before the next
Annual Conference, which shall determine
the matter.
Quest. 5. What shall be done when a
Traveling Minister is accused of being so
unacceptable, inefficient, or secular, as to
be no longer useful in his work?
Answ. The Conference shall investigate
the case, and if it appear Unacceptable and
that the complaint is well Inefficient.
founded, and the accused will not voluntarily retire, the Conference may locate
him without his consent.
But should the Conference having jurisdiction in any of the foregoing Trial by
cases judge it expedient to try Committee.
the accused by a select number, it may
appoint not less than nine, nor more than
fifteen of its membeis for that purpose,
who, in the presence of a Bishop or a chairman, which the President of the Conference shall appoint, and one or more of the
Secretaries of the Conference, shall have
full power to consider and determine the
case according to the rules which govern
Annual Conferences in such proceedings,
and they shall make a faithful report of all
their doings to the Secretary of the Con



116 TRIAL OF LOCAL PREACHERS. Part III,
ference in writing, and deliver up to him
the bill of charges, the evidence taken,
and the decision rendered, with all other
documents brought into the trial.
SECTION III.
Proceedings against Preachers on Trial.
A Preacher on trial who may be accused
of crime shall be accountable to the Quarterly Conference of the circuit on which he
travels. The Presiding Elder shall call a
committee of three Local Preachers, who
may suspend him; and the Quarterly Conference may expel him: nevertheless, he
shall have a right to an appeal to the next
Annual Conference.
SECTION IV.
The Trial of Local Preachers.
Quest. 1. What shall be done when a
Local Elder, Deacon, or Preacher is reported to be guilty of some crime expressly
forbidden in the word of God, sufficient to
exclude a person from the kingdom of grace
and glory?
Answ. The Preacher having charge
Accused of shall call a committee, consistcrime.   ing of three or more Local
Preachers, before whom it shall be the




Ch. i, ~ 4. TRIAL OF LOCAL PREACHERS. 117
duty of the accused to appear, and by
whom he shall be acquitted, or, if found
guilty, suspended until the next Quarterly
Conference. And the Preacher in charge
shall cause exact minutes of the charges,
testimony, and examination, together with
the decision of the committee, to be laid
before the Quarterly Conference, where it
shall be the duty of the accused to appear.
If the accused refuse or neglect to appear
before said committee, he may be tried in
his absence.
And the President shall, at the commencement of the trial, appoint a Secretary, who shall take down regular minutes
of the evidence of the trial; which minutes,
when read and approved, shall be signed
by the President, and also by the members
of the Conference who are present, or a
majority of them.*
Quest. 2. What shall be done in case of
improper tempers, words, or actions?
Answ. The person so offending shall be
reprehended by the Preacher    improper
having charge. Should a second  conduct.
transgression take place, one, two, or three
faithful friends are to be taken as witnesses.
* In case of expulsion the Presiding Elder
shall demand his credentials. (See pp. 129, 130.)




118       TRIAL OF MEMBERS. Part III,
If he be not then cured, he shall be tried
at the next Quarterly Conference, and if
found guilty and impenitent, he shall be
expelled from the Church.
Quest. 3. What shall be done when a
Local Elder, Deacon, or Preacher fails in
business, or contracts debts which he is
not able to pay?
Answ. Let the Preacher in charge apFailure in  point three judicious members
business. of the Church to inspect the
accounts, contracts, and circumstances of
the supposed delinquent; and if, in their
opinion, he has behaved dishonestly, or
contracted debts without the probability
of paying, let the case be disposed of according to the answer to question one of
this section.
SECTION V.
Trial of an Accused Member.
I. FOR IMMORAL CONDUCT.
Quest. 1. Iow shall an accused member
be brought to trial?
Answ. Before a committee of not less
than five, who shall not be members of the
Quarterly Conference, (and if the preacher
judge it necessary, he may select the com



Ch. i, ~ 5. TRIAL OF MEMBERS.     119
mittee from any part of the district,) in the
presence of the preacher in charge, who
shall preside in the trial, and cause exact
minutes of the evidence and proceedings
in the case to be taken. In the selection
of the committee, the parties may challenge
for cause.
If the accused person be found guilty by
the decision of a majority of the committee,
and the crime be such as is expressly forbidden by the word of God, sufficient to
exclude a person from the kingdom of grace
and glory, let the preacher in charge expel
him.
If the accused person evade a trial, by
absenting himself after sufficient notice
given him, he may be tried in his absence,
and if found guilty he shall be expelled.
II. NEGLECT OF THE MEANS OF GRACE.
Quest. 2. What shall we do with those
members of our Church who habitually
neglect the means of grace, such as the
public worship of God, the Supper of the
Lord, family and private prayer, searching
the Scriptures, class-meetings, and prayermeetings?
Answ. 1. Let the Elder, Deacon, or one
of the Preachers visit them whenever it is




120       TRIAL OF MEMBERS. Part III,
practicable, and explain to them the consequence if they continue to neglect.
2. If they do not amend, let him who
has the charge of the circuit or station
bring their case before the Society, or a
select number, before whom they shall have
been cited to appear; and if they be found
guilty of willful neglect by a decision of a
majority of the members before whom their
case is brought, let them be excluded.
III. IMPRUDENT CONDUCT.
But in cases of neglect of duties of any
kind, imprudent conduct, indulging sinful
tempers or words, the buying, selling, or
using intoxicating liquors as a beverage, or
disobedience to the order and discipline of
the Church; first, let private reproof be
given by a preacher or leader, and if there
be an acknowledgment of the fault, and
proper humiliation, the person may be
borne with.  On a second offense, the
preacher or leader may take one or two
faithful friends. On a third offense let him
be brought to trial, and if found guilty,
and there be no sign of real humiliation,
he shall be expelled.




Oh. i, ~ 5. TRIAL OF MEMBERS.      121
IV. FOR DISSENSION.
If a member of our Church shall be
accused of endeavoring to sow dissensions
in any of our societies, by inveighing against
either our doctrines or discipline, the person so offending shall first be reproved by
the preacher in charge, and if he persist
in such pernicious practices, he shall be
brought to trial, and if found guilty, expelled.
V. DISAGREEMENT IN BUSINESS AND NONPAYMENT OF DEBTS.
Quest. 3. How shall disputes between
members of our Church, concerning business transactions, be settled?
Answ. 1. On any disagreement between
two or more members of our Church, concerning business transactions which cannot be settled by the parties, the preacher
in charge shall inquire into the circumstances of the case, and shall recommend
to the parties a reference, consisting of two
arbiters chosen by the plaintiff, and two
chosen by the defendant, which four arbiters so chosen shall nominate a fifth; the
five arbiters being members of our Church.
If either party refuse to abide their judg



122       TRIAL OF MEMBERS. Part III,
ment he shall be brought to trial, and if
he fail to show sufficient cause for such refusal he shall be expelled.
2. If any member of our Church shall
refuse, in cases of debt or other disputes, to refer the matter to arbitration
when recommended by the preacher in
charge, or shall enter into a lawsuit with
another member before these measures are
taken, he shall be brought to trial, and if
he fail to show that the case is of such a
nature as to require and justify a process at
law he shall be expelled.
VI. INSOLVENCY ON THE PART OF ANY OF OUR
MEMBERS.
Quest. 4. What shall be done in cases
of insolvency?
Answ. 1. The preachers who have the
oversight of circuits and stations are required to execute all our rules fully and
strenuously against all frauds, and particularly against dishonest insolvencies; suffering none to remain in our Church on any
account who are found guilty of any
fraud.
2. To prevent scandal, when any of our
members fail in business, or contract debts
which they are not able to pay, let two or




Ch. i, ~ 5.  TRIAL OF MEMBERS.     123
three judicious members of the Church inspect the accounts, contracts, and circumstances of the case of the supposed delinquent, and, if theyjudge that he has behaved
dishonestly, or borrowed money without a
probability of paying, let him be brought
to trial, and if found guilty expelled.
VII. GENERAL DIRECTIONS.
1. In all the foregoing cases of trial, witnesses from without shall not be rejected;
and the testimony of an absent witness may
be taken before the preacher in charge, or
a preacher appointed by the Presiding Elder of the district within which such witness resides; provided, in every case sufficient notice has been given to the adverse
party of the time and place of taking such
testimony. The accused shall have the
right to call to his assistance, as counsel,
any member in good and regular standing
in the Methodist Episcopal Church.
2. If in any of the above-mentioned
cases the preacher in charge differ in judgment from the majority of the Committee
concerning the guilt or innocence of the
accused, he may refer the trial to the ensuing Quarterly Conference, which shall have
authority to order a new trial.




124       TRIAL OF MEMBERS. Part III,
3. After such forms of trial and expulsion such person shall have no privileges
of society or of sacraments in our Church
without contrition, confession, and satisfactory reformation.




Oh. ii, ~ 1. APPEALS OF MINISTERS.  125
CHAPTER II.
TRIAL OF APPEALS.
SECTION I.
Appeals of Traveling Ministers or
Preachers.
1. In all the above-mentioned cases of trial,
and conviction,* an appeal to the ensuing
General Conference shall be allowed, if the
condemned person signify his intention to
appeal, at the time of his condemnation, or
at any time thereafter when he is informed
thereof.
2. The General Conference may try
appeals from members of An- Trial by
nual Conferences who    may   Committee.
have been censured, suspended, expelled,
or located without their consent, by a
committee embracing not less than fifteen
of its members, nor more than one member from each delegation, who, in the
presence of a Bishop presiding, and one or
more of the Secretaries of the Conference
keeping a faithful record of all the proceedings had, shall have full power to hear
* See section ii. pp. 111-11 6.




126     APPEALS OF MINISTERS. Part III,
and determine the case, subject to the rules
and regulations which govern the said Conference in such proceedings, and the records
made and the papers submitted in such
trials shall be presented to the Conference,
and be filed and preserved with the papers
of that body.
3. It shall be the duty of the Secretary of
Duty of   the Annual Conference carefully
Secretary. to preserve the minutes of the
trial, whether taken before a Committee
or before the Conference, and all the documents relating to the case, together with
the charge or charges, and the specification
or specifications; which minutes and documents only, in case of an appeal from the
decision of an Annual Conference, shall be
presented to the General Conference in evidence on the case.
And in all cases, when an appeal is made,
Mode of and admitted by the General ConTrial.  ference, the appellant shall either
state personally, or by his representative,
(who shall be a member of the Conference,)
the grounds of his appeal, showing cause
why he appeals, and he shall be allowed
to make his defense without interruption.
After which the representatives of the Annual Conference from whose decision the




Oh. ii, ~ 2. OF LOCAL PREACHERS.   127
appeal is made shall be permitted to respond in presence of the appellant, who
shall have the privilege of replying to such
representatives, which shall close the pleadings on both sides. This done, the appellant shall withdraw, and the Conference or
Committee on the case shall decide. And
after such form of trial and expulsion, the
person so expelled shall have no privileges
of society or sacraments in our Church
without confession, contrition, and satisfactory reformation.
SECTION II.
Appeals of Local Preachers.
In case of condemnation, the Local
Preacher, Deacon, or Elder shall be allowed
to appeal to the next Annual Conference,
provided that he signify to the Quarterly
Conference his determination to appeal; in
which case the President shall lay the minutes of the trial before the said Annual Conference, at which the Local Preacher, Deacon, or Elder, so appealing, may appear:
and the said Annual Conference, by committee, as in the case of accused Traveling
Preachers, or in full session, shall judge,
and finally determine from the minutes of
the said trial, so laid before them.




128      APPEALS OF MEMBERS. Part III,
SECTION III.
Appeal of Members.
If there be a murmur or complaint fiom
any excluded person, in any of the abovementioned instances,* that justice has not
been done, he shall be allowed an appeal
to the next Quarterly Conference: except
such as absent themselves from trial, after
sufficient notice is given them; and the
Preacher in charge shall present exact minutes of the evidence and proceedings of
the trial to the Quarterly Conference, from
which minutes the case shall finally be determined.
* See pp. 118-123, ~ 5.




Ch.iii, ~ 2. CREDENTIALS OF PREACHERS. 129
CHAPTER III.
RESTORATION OF CREDENTIALS OF ORDINATION.
SECTION I.
Credentials of those who have been Traveling Preachers.
WHEN any Traveling Elder or Deacon is
deprived of his credentials, by expulsion or
otherwise, they shall be filed with the
papers of the Annual Conference of which
he was a member; and should lie, at any
future time, give satisfactory evidence to
the said Conference of his amendment, and
procure a certificate of the Quarterly Conference of the circuit or station where he
resides, or of an Annual Conference who
may have admitted him on trial, reconmending to the Annual Conference of
which he was a member formerly, the restoration of his credentials, the said Conference may restore them.
SECTION II.
Credentials of Local Preachers.
When a Local Elder, or Deacon, shall be
expelled, the Presiding Elder shall require
9




130 CREDENTIALS OF PREACHERS. Part III,
of him the credentials of his ordination, to
be filed with the papers of the Annual
Conference within the limits of which the
expulsion has taken place. And should
he, at any future time, produce to the
Annual Conference a certificate of his restoration, signed by the President, and
countersigned by the Secretary of the
Quarterly Conference, his credentials may
be restored to him.




PART IV.
THE RITUAL.
-
I.
6T t rhr of Naptism.
[. THE   MINISTRATION   OF BAPTISM
TO INFANTS.
The Minister, coming to the Font, which is to be
filled withpure Water, shall use thefollowing:
DEARLY BELOVED, forasmuch as all men
are conceived and born in sin, and that
our Saviour Christ saith, Except a man be
born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God; I beseech
you to call upon God the Father, through
our Lord Jesus Christ, that having, of his
bounteous nercy, redeemed this child by
the blood of his Son, he will grant that he,
being baptized with water, may also be
baptized with the Holy Ghost, be received
into Christ's holy Church, and become a
lively member of the same.
Then shall the bfinster say.




132      BAPTISM OF INFANTS. Part IV,
Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, who of
thy great mercy hast condescended to enter
into covenant relations with man, wherein
thou hast included children as partakers of
its gracious benefits, declaring that of such
is thy kingdom: and in thy ancient Church
didst appoint divers baptisms, figuring
thereby the renewing of the Holy Ghost;
and by thy well-beloved Son Jesus Christ
gavest commandment to thy holy apostles
to go into all the world and disciple all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost: We beseech thee, that of thine infinite mercy thou wilt look upon this child:
wash him and sanctify him; that he, being
saved by thy grace, may be received into
Christ's holy Church, and being steadfast in
faith, joyful through hope, and rooted in
love, may so overcome the evils of this
present world, that finally he may attain to
everlasting life, and reign with thee, world
without end, through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
0 merciful God, grant that all carnal
affections may die in him, and that all
things belonging to the Spirit may live and
grow in him. Amen.




Ch. i, ~ 1. BAPTISM oF INFANTS.   133
Grant that he may have power and
strength to have victory, and to triumph
against the devil, the world, and the flesh.
Amen.
Grant that whosoever is dedicated to
thee by our office and ministry may also
be endued with heavenly virtues, and everlastingly rewarded through thy mercy, O
blessed Lord God, who dost live and govern all things, world without end. Amen.
Almighty, ever-living God, whose most
dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, for the
forgiveness of our sins, did shed out of his
most precious side both water and blood,
regard, we beseech thee, our supplications.
Sanctify this water for this holy sacrament;
and grant that this child, now to be baptized, may receive the fullness of thy grace,
and ever remain in the number of thy
faithful and elect children, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
The shall the Minister address the parents [or
guardians] as follows:
Dearly beloved; Forasmuch as this child
is now presented by you for Christian baptism, you must remember that it is your
part and duty to see that he be taught, as
soon as he shall be able to learn, the nature




134      BAPTISM OF INFANTS. Part IV,
and end of this holy sacrament. And that
he may know these things the better, you
shall call upon him to give reverent attendance upon the appointed means of grace,
such as the ministry of the word and the
public and private worship of God; and
further, ye shall provide that he shall read
the Holy Scriptures, and learn the Lord's
Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, the Catechism, and all other
things which a Christian ought to know
and believe to his soul's health, in order
that he may be brought up to lead a virtuous and holy life, remembering always that
baptism doth represent unto us that inward
purity which disposeth us to follow the example of our Saviour Christ; that as he
died and rose again for us, so should we,
who are baptized, die unto sin and rise
again unto righteousness, continually mortifying all corrupt affections, and daily proceeding in all virtue and godliness.
Do you therefore solemnly engage to fulfill these duties, so far as in you lies, the
Lord being your helper?
Answ. We do.
Then sh7all the people stand up, and the Minister
sTall say:




Oh. i, ~ 1. BAPTISM OF INFANTS.    135
Hear the words of the Gospel, written by
St. Mark, [Ch. x, ver..13-16.1
They brought young children to Christ,
that he should touch them. And his disciples rebuked those that brought them;
but when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the
little children to come unto me, and forbid
them not, for of such is the kingdom of
God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever
shall not receive the kingdom of God as a
little child, he shall not enter therein. And
he took them up in his arms, put his hands
upon them, and blessed them.
Then the Minister shall take the Child into his
hands, and say to the friends of the Child,
Name this child.
And then, naming it after them, he shall sprinkle
or pour Water upon it, or, if desired, immerse
it in Water, saying,
N., I baptize thee in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost. Amen,
Then shall the Minister ofer the following
prayer, the people keeing:
0 God of infinite mercy, the Father of
all the faithful seed, be pleased to grant




136      BAPTISM OF INFANTS. Part IV,
unto this child an understanding mind and
a sanctified heart. May thy providencelead
him through the dangers, temptations, and
ignorance of his youth, that he may never
run into folly nor into the evils of an unbridled appetite. We pray thee so to order
the course of his life, that by good education, by holy examples, and by thy restraining and renewing grace, he may be led to
serve thee faithfully all his days, so that,
when he has glorified: thee in his generation, and has served the Church on earth,
he may be received into thine eternal kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty and most merciful Father, let
thy loving mercy and compassion descend
upon these, thy servant and handmaid, the
parents [or guardians] of this child. Grant
unto them, we beseech thee, thy Holy
Spirit, that they may, like Abraham, command their household to keep the way of
the Lord. Direct their actions and sanctify
their hearts, words, and purposes, that their
whole family may be united to our Lord
Jesus Christ in the bands of faith, obedience, and charity; and that they all, being
in this life thy:holy children by adoption
and grace, may be admitted into the Church
of the first-born in heaven, through the




Ch. i, ~ 1. BAPTISM OF INFANTS.    137
merits of thy dear Son, our Saviour and
Redeemer. Amen.
Then may the Minister offer extemporary prayer.
Then shall be said, agll kneeling,
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed
be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy
will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them
that trespass against us; and lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from evil;
for thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, forever. Amen.




138      BAPTISM OF ADULTS. Part lV,
II. THE MINISTRATION OF BAPTISM TO
SUCH AS ARE OF RIPER YEARS.
DEARLY BELOVED, forasmuch as all men
are conceived and born in sin; and that
which is born of the flesh is flesh, and they
that are in the flesh cannot please God, but
live in sin, committing many actual transgressions; and our Saviour Christ saith,
Except a man be born of water, and of the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God:-I beseech you to call upon God
the Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ,
that of His bounteous goodness He will
grant to these persons that which by nature
they cannot have; that they, being baptized
with water, may also be baptized with the
Holy Ghost, and being received into Christ's
holy Church, may continue lively members
of the same.
Then shall the Minister say,
Let us pray.
Almighty and immortal God, the aid of
all that need, the helper of all that flee to
thee for succor, the life of them that believe, and the resurrection of the dead: we




Ch. i, ~ 2. BAPTISM OF ADULTS.    189
call upon thee for these persons; that they,
coming to thy holy baptism, may also be
filled with thy Holy Spirit. Receive them,
O Lord, as thou hast promised by thy wellbeloved Son, saying, Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and
it shall be opened unto you: so give now
unto us that ask: let us that seek, find:
open the gate unto us that knock; that
these persons may enjoy the everlasting
benediction of thy heavenly washing, and
may come to the eternal kingdom which
thou hast promised by Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Then shall thepeople stand up, and the Minister
shall say,
Hear the words of the Gospel, written by
St. John, [Ch. iii, ver. 1-8.]
There was a man of the Pharisees, named
Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same
came to Jesus by night, and said unto him,
Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher
come from God; for no man can do these
miracles that thou doest except God be
with him. Jesus answered and said unto
him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except
a man be born again, he cannot. see the
kingdom  of God. Nicodemus saith unto




140      BAPTISM OF ADULTS.   Part IV,
him, How can a man be born when he is
old? Can he enter the second time into
his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born of water and of the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of
God. That which is born of the flesh is
flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit
is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee,
Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth
where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound
thereof; but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one
that is born of the Spirit.
Then the Minister shall speak to the persons to be
baptized on this wise:
Well beloved, who have come hither,
desiring to receive holy baptism, you have
heard how the congregation hath prayed,
that our Lord Jesus Christ would vouchsafe
to receive you, to bless you, and to give you
the kingdom of heaven, and everlasting life.
And our Lord Jesus Christ hath promised
in His holy word to grant all those things
that we have prayed for: which promise
He for His part will most surely keep and
perform.
Wherefore after this promise made by




Oh. i, ~2. BAPTISM OF ADULTS.     141
Christ, you must also faithfully, for your
part, promise, in the presence of this whole
congregation, that you will renounce the
devil and all his works, and constantly believe God's holy word, and obediently keep
His commandments.
Then shall the Minister demand of each of the
persons to be baptized,
Quest. Dost thou renounce the devil and
all his works, the vain pomp and glory of
the world, with all covetous desires of the
same, and the carnal desires of the flesh, so
that thou wilt not follow or be led by
them?
Answ. I renounce them all.
Quest. Dost thou believe in God the
Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and
earth? and in Jesus Christ His only-begotten Son our Lord? and that He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin
Mary? that He suffered under Pontius
Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried: that
He rose again the third day; that He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right
hand of God the Father Almighty, and
from thence shall come again at the end
of the world, to judge the quick and the
dead?




142      BAPTISM OF ADULTS. Part IV,
And dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost,
the Holy Catholic Church,* the communion
of saints; the remission of sins; the resurrection of the body, and everlasting life
after death?
Answ. All this I steadfastly believe.
Quest. Wilt thou be baptized in this
faith?
Answo. This is my desire.
Quest. Wilt thou then obediently keep
God's holy will and commandments, and
walk in the same all the days of thy life?
Answ. I will endeavor so to do, God being my helper.
Then shall the Mfinister say,
0 merciful God, grant that all carnal
affections may die in these persons, and
that all things belonging to the Spirit may
live and grow in them. Amen.
Grant that they may have power and
strength to have victory, and triumph
against the devil, the world, and the flesh.
Amen.
Grant that they, being here dedicated to
thee by our office and ministry, may also
be endued with heavenly virtues, and ever-.astingly rewarded, through thy mercy,
* The one universal Church of Christ.




Ch.,~ 2. BAPTISM OF ADriLTS.      143
0 blessed Lord God, who dost live and
govern all things, world without end. Amen.
Almighty, ever-living God, whose most
dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, for the
forgiveness of our sins, did shed out of His
most precious side both water and blood;
and gave commandment to His disciples,
that they should go teach all nations, and
baptize them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: regarl, we beseech thee, our supplications;
and grant that the persons now to be baptized may receive the fullness of thy grace,
and ever remain in the number of thy faithful and elect children, through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Then shall the Minister ask the name of each person to be baptized: and shall sprinkle or pour
water upon him, (or, if he shall desire it, shall
immerse him in water,) saying,
VI, I baptize thee in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen.
Then shall be said the Lord's Prayer, all kneeling.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed
be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy
will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.




144      BAPTISM OF ADULTS. Part IV,
Give us this day our daily.bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them
that trespass against us; and lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from evil;
for thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, forever. Amen.
Then may the Minister conclude with extemporary
prayer.




Ch. ii.  REEPTION OF MEMBERS      145
II.
FORM FOR RECEIVING PERSONS INTO
THE CHURCH AFTER PROBATION.
Upon the day appointed, all that are to be received
shall be called forward, and the Minister addressing the congregation, shall say,
DEARLY BELOVED BRETHREN,-The Scriptures teach us that the Church is the household of God, the body of which Christ is
the Head, and that it is the design of the
Gospel to bring together in one all who are
in Christ. The fellowship of the Church
is the communion that its members enjoy,
one with another. The ends of this fellowship are, the maintenance of sound doctrine, and of the ordinances of Christian
worship, and the exercise of that power of
godly admonition and discipline which
Christ has committed to his Church for the
promotion of holiness. It is the duty of
all men to unite in this fellowship, for it is
10




146    RECEPTION OF MEMBERS. Part IV,
only those that "be planted in the house
of the Lord, that shall flourish in the courts
of our God." Its more particular duties
are, to promote peace and unity; to bear
one another's burdens; to prevent each
other's stumbling; to seek the intimal y
of friendly society among themselves; to
continue steadfast in the faith and worship
of the Gospel; and to pray and sympathize with each other. Among its privileges are, peculiar incitements to holiness
from the hearing of God's word and sharing in Christ's ordinances; the being placed
under the watchful care of pastors, and the
enjoyment of the blessings which are promised only to those who are of the household of faith. Into this holy fellowship
the persons before you, who have already
received the sacrament of baptism  and
have been under the care of proper leaders
for six months on trial, come seeking admission. We now propose, in the fear of
God, to question them as to their faith and
purposes, that you may know that they
are proper persons to be admitted into
the Church.
Then addressing the applicants for admission,
the Minister shall say:




Oh. ii.  RECEPTION OF MEMBERS.   147
Dearly beloved, you are come hither
seeking the great privilege of union with
the Church our Saviour has purchased with
His own blood. We rejoice in the grace
of God vouchsafed unto you in that He
has called you to be His followers, and that
thus far you have run well. You have
heard how blessed are the privileges and
how solemn are the duties of membership
in Christ's Church; and before you are
fully admitted thereto, it is proper that
you do here publicly renew your vows,
confess your faith, and declare your purpose, by answering the following questions:
Do you here, in the presence of God and
of this congregation, renew the solemn
promise contained in the baptismal covenant, ratifying and confirming the same,
and acknowledging yourselves bound faithfully to observe and keep that covenant?
Answ. I do.
Have you saving faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ?
Answ. I trust I have.
Do you believe in the doctrines of
Holy Scripture, as set forth in the Articles
of Religion of the Methodist Episcopal
Church?




148    RECEPTION OF MEMBERS. Part IV,
Answ. I do.
Will you cheerfully be governed by the
rules of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
hold sacred the ordinances of God, and
endeavor, as much as in you lies, to promote the welfare of your brethren and the
advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom?
Answ. I will.
Will you contribute of your earthly substance, according to your ability, to the
support of the Gospel, and the various
benevolent enterprises of the Church?
Answ. I will.
Then the Minister, addressing the Church, shall
say:
Brethren, you have heard the responses given to our inquiries. Have any of
you reason to allege why these persons
should not be received into full membership in the Church?
N2o objection being alleged, the Minister shall say
to the candidates:
We welcome you to the communion of
the Church of God; and in testimony of
our Christian affection and the cordiality
with which we receive you, I hereby extend to you the right hand of fellowship;




Oh. ii.  RECEPTION OF MEMBERS.     149
and may God grant that you may be a
faithful and useful member of the Church
militant till you are called to the fellowship of the Church triumphant, which is
"without fault before the throne of God."
Then shall the 2Minister offer extemporary prayer.




150       THE LORD'S SUPPER. Part IV,
III.
THE ORDER     FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE LORD'S SUPPER.
The Elder shall say one or more of these
sentences, during the reading of which the
persons appointed for that purpose shall receive the almsfor the poor:
LET your light so shine before men, that
they may see your good works, and glorify
your Father which is in heaven. [Matt.
v, 16.]
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon
earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves break through and
steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures
in heaven, where neither moth nor rust
doth corrupt, and where thieves do not
break through nor steal. [Matt. vi, 19, 20.]
Whatsoever ye would that men should
do to you, do ye even so to them: for this
is the law and the prophets. [Matt. vii, 12.]
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom  of




Ch. iii.  THE LORD'S SUPPER.     151
heaven; but he that doeth the will of my
Father which is in heaven. [Matt. vii 21.]
Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord,
Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give
to the poor; and if I have taken anything
from any man, by false accusation, I restore
him fourfold. [Luke xix, 8.]
He which soweth sparingly shall reap
also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every
man according as lie purposeth in his
heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or
of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful
giver. [2 Cor. ix, 6, 7.]
As we have therefore opportunity, let us
do good unto all men, especially unto them
who are of the household of faith. [Gal.
vi, 10.]
Godliness with contentment is great
gain; for we brought nothing into this
world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. [1 Tim. vi, 6, 7.]
Charge them that are rich in this world,
that they be not high-minded, nor trust in
uncertain riches, but in the living God,
who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
that they do good, that they be rich in
good works, ready to distribute, willing to
communicate; laying up in store for them



152      THE LORD'S SUPPER. Part IV,
selves a good foundation against the time to
come, that they may lay hold on eternal
life. [1 Tim. vi, 17-19.]
God is not unrighteous to forget your
work and labor of love, which ye have
showed toward his name, in that ye have
ministered to the saints, and do minister.
[Heb. vi, 10.]
To do good, and to communicate, forget
not; for with such sacrifices God is well
pleased. [Heb. xiii, 16.]
Whoso hath this world's good, and seeth
his brother have need, and shutteth up his
bowels of compassion from him, how
dwelleth the love of God in him? [1 John
iii, 17.]
He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth
unto the Lord; and that which he hath
given will he pay him again. [Prov. xix, 17.]
Blessed is he that considereth the poor;
the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.
[Psa. xli, 1.]
After which the Elder shall give the following
INVITATION, the people standing:
If any man sin, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
and he is the propitiation for our sins: and




Oh. iii.  THE LORD's SUPPER.       163
not for ours only, but also for the sins of
the whole world.
Wherefore ye that do truly and earnestly
repent of your sins, and are in love and
charity with your neighbors, and intend to
lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth
in his holy ways; draw near with faith,
and take this holy sacrament to your comfort: and, devoutly kneeling, make your
humble confession to Almighty God.
Then shall this general confession be made by
the Minister in the name of alt those who are
minded to receive the holy communion, both
he and all the people devoutly kneeling, and
saying:
Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all
men: we acknowledge and bewail our
manifold sins and wickedness, which we
from time to time most grievously have
committed, by thought, word, and deed,
against thy Divine Majesty, provoking
most justly thy wrath and indignation
against us. We do earnestly repent, and
are heartily sorry for these our misdoings;
the remembrance of them is grievous unto
us. Have mercy upon us, have mercy




154      THE LORD'S SUPPER. Part IV,
upon us, most merciful Father; for thy
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, forgive
us all that is past; and grant that we may
ever hereafter serve and please thee in
newness of life, to the honor and glory of
thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Then shall the Elder say,
O Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
who of thy great mercy hast promised forgiveness of sins to all them that with
hearty repentance and true faith turn unto
thee: have mercy upon us; pardon and
deliver us from all our sins, confirm and
strengthen us in all goodness, and bring us
to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
The Collect.
Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are
open, all desires known, and from whom no
secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of our
hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Then shall the Elder say,




Oh. iii.  THE LORD'S SUPPER.       155
We do not presume to come to this thy
table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own
righteousness, but in thy manifold and great
mercies. We are not worthy so much as to
gather up the crumbs under thy table.
But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us,
therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh
of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink
His blood, that we may live and grow thereby; and that, being washed through His
most precious blood, we may evermore
dwell in Him, and He in us. Amen.
Then the elder shall say the prayer of consecration, asfolloweth:
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who
of thy tender mercy didst give thine only
Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the
cross for our redemption; who made there,
by His oblation of Himself once offered, a
full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the
whole world; and did institute, and in His
holy Gospel command us to continue, a
perpetual memory of His precious death
until his coming again: hear us, 0 merciful
Father, we most humbly beseech thee, and
grant that we, receiving these memorials




156       THE LORD'S SUPPER.   Part IV,
of the sufferings and death of our Saviour
Jesus Christ, may be partakers of His most
blessed body and blood; who, in the same
(1) Here the night that he was betrayed,
elder may take took bread; (') and when
the plateofbread He had given thanks, He
into his hand.  broke it, and gave it to
His disciples, saying, Take, eat; this is my
body which is given for you; do this in
remembrance of me.
(2) Herehe may  Likewise after supper
take the cup in He took (2) the cup; and
his hand.      when   He    had   given
thanks, He gave it to them, saying, Drink
ye all of this; for this is my blood of the
New Testament, which is shed for you, and
for many, for the remission of sins; do this,
as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance
of me. Amen.
Then shall the Minister receive the communion
in both kinds, and proceed to deliver the same
to the other Ministers, (if any bepresent:) after
which, he shall say:
It is very meet, right, and our bounden
duty, that we should at all times, and in
all places, give thanks unto thee, 0 Lord,
holy Father, almighty, everlasting God.
Therefore with angels and archangels,




Ch. iii.   THE LORD'S SUPPER.        167
and with all the company of heaven, we
laud and magnify thy glorious name, evermore praising thee, and saying, Holy, holy,
holy Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth
are full of thy glory. Glory be to thee, 0
Lord most high. Amen.
The Jfinister shall then proceed to administer the
communion to the people in order, into their
uncovered hands. And when he delivereth the
bread, he shall say:
The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
was given for thee, preserve thy soul and
body unto everlasting life. Take and eat
this in remembrance that Christ died for
thee, and feed on Him in thy heart by faith
with thanksgiving.
And the minister that delivereth the cup shall
say,
The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
was shed for thee, preserve thy soul and
body unto everlasting life. Drink this in
remembrance that Christ's blood was shed
for thee, and be thankful.
[If the consecrated bread or wine be all spent
before all have communed, the elder may consecrate more, by repeating the prayer of consecration.]




158       THE LORD'S SUPPER. Part IV,
[When all have communed, the Minister shall
return to the Lord's table, and place upon it
what remaineth of the consecrated elements,
covering the same with a fair linen cloth.]
Thlen shall the Elder say the Lord's Prayer; the
people kneeling and repeating after him every
petition.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed
be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy
will be done in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us oum trespasses, as we forgive them
that trespass against us; and lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from evil;
for thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, forever. Amen.
After which shall be said asfollowet:
O Lord our heavenly Father, we thy
humble servants desire thy Fatherly goodness mercifully to accept this our sacrifice
of praise and thanksgiving; most humbly
beseeching thee to grant that, by the merits
and death of thy Son Jesus Christ, and
through faith in His blood, we and thy
whole Church may obtain remission of our
sins, and all other benefits of His death.
And here we offer and present unto thee,




Oh. iii.  THE LORD'S SUPPER.     159
O Lord, ourselves, our souls and bodies, to
be a reasonable, holy, and lively sacrifice
unto thee; humbly beseeching thee that
all we who are partakers of this holy communion may be filled with thy grace and
heavenly benediction. And although we
be unworthy, through our manifold sins,
to offer unto thee any sacrifice, yet we
beseech thee to accept this our bounden
duty and service; not weighing our merits,
but pardoning our offenses, through Jesus
Christ our Lord: by whom, and'with
whom, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all
honor and glory be unto thee, O Father
Almighty, world without end. Amen.
Then shall be said,
Glory be to God on high, and on earth
peace, good-will toward men. We praise
thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we
adore thee for thy great glory, O Lord God,
heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son Jesus
Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of
the Father, that takest away the sins of
the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that
takest away the sins of the world, have
mercy upon us. Thou that takest away
the sins of the world, receive our prayer.




160       THE LORD'S SUPPER. Part IV,
Thou that sittest at the right hand of God
the Father, have mercy upon us. And receive us at last, through the riches of thy
grace, into the joy of thine eternal kingdom, where we may reign with thee, world
without end. Amen.
Then the elder, if he see it expedient, may put Xp
an extemporary prayer; and afterward shall
let the people depart with this blessing:
May the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, keep your hearts and minds
in the knowledge and love of God, and of
His Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the
blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Ghost, be among you.
and remain with you always. Amen.
N. B. If the elder be straitened for time, he
may omit any part of the service, except the
Invitation, the Confession, and the prayer of
Consecration.




Ch. iv.       MATRIMONY.           161
IV.
form of 201tmmbtioi     f nVatrimf   g.
[The parts in brackets throughout may be used
or not, at discretion.]
At the day and time appointedfor solemnization
of matrimony, the persons to be married-having been qualified according to law-standing
together, the man on the right hand, and the
woman on the left, the minister shall say:
DEARLY BELOVED, we are gathered together
here in the sight of God, and in the presence of these witnesses, to join together
this man and this woman in holy matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted of God in the time of man's innocency,
signifying unto us the mystical union that
is between Christ and his Church; which
holy estate Christ adorned and beautified
with His presence, and first miracle that he
wrought, in Cana of Galilee, and is commended of St. Paul to be honorable among
all men; and therefore is not by any to be
11




162          MATRIMONY.       Part IV,
entered into unadvisedly, but reverently,
discreetly, and in the fear of God.
Into which holy estate these two persons
present come now to be joined. Therefore
if any can show just cause why they may
not lawfully be joined together, let him
now speak, or else hereafter forever hold
his peace.
[And also speaking unto the persons that are to
be married, he shall say:
I require and charge you both, that if
either of you know any impediment why
you may not be lawfully joined together
in matrimony, you do now confess it: for
be ye well assured, that so many as are
coupled together otherwise than God's
word doth allow, are not joined together
by God, neither is their matrimony lawful.]
If no impediment be alleged, then shaZZ the minister say unto the man,
A., wilt thou have this woman to be thy
wedded wife, to live together after God's
ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony?
Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor,
and keep her, in sickness and in health:
and forsaking all other, keep thee only
unto her, so long as ye both shall live?




Ch. iv.       MATRIMONY.            163
The man shall answer,
I will.
Then shall the minister say unto the woman,
N., wilt thou have this man to be thy
wedded husband, to live together after
God's ordinance, in the holy estate of
matrimony? Wilt thou love, honor, and
keep him, in sickness and in health: and
forsaking all other, keep thee only unto
him, so long as ye both shall live?
The woman shall answer,
I will.
[Then the minister shall cause the man with his
right hand to take the woman by her right
hand, and to say after him asfolloweth:
I, 1., take thee, N., to be my wedded wife,
to have and to hold, from this day forward,
for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health, to love and to
cherish, till death us do part, according to
God's holy ordinance: and thereto I plight
thee my faith.
Then shall they loose their hands, and the woman
with her right hand taking the man by his right
hand, shall likewise say after the minister:




164          MATRIMONY.        Part IV,
I, V., take thee, l., to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day
forward, for better, for worse, for richer,
for poorer, in sickness and in health, to
love and to cherish, till death us do part,
according to God's holy ordinance: and
thereto I plight thee my faith.]
Then shall the minister say:
O eternal God, Creator and Preserver of
all mankind, Giver of all spiritual grace, the
Author of everlasting life; send thy blessing upon these thy servants, this man and
this woman; whom we bless in thy name;
that as Isaac and Rebecca lived faithfully
together, so these persons may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant between them made, and may ever remain in
perfect love and peace together, and live,according to thy laws, through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
[If the parties desire it, the man shall here hand
a ring to the minister, who shall return it to
him, and direct him to place it on the third
finger of the woman's left hand. And the man
shall say to the woman, repeating after the
minister,
With this ring I thee wed, and with my
worldly goods I thee endow, in the name




Oh. iv.      MATRIMONY.           165
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost. Amen.]
Then shall the minister join their right hands
together, and say:
Forasmuch as M. and N. have consented
together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this conpany, and thereto have pledged their faith
either th other, and have declared the same
by joining of hands; I pronounce that they
are husband and wife together, in the name
of the Father; and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost. Those whom God hath joined
together, let no man put asunder. Amen.
And the minister shall add this blessing:
God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost, bless, preserve, and keep you; the
Lord mercifully with His favor look upon
you, and so fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace, that ye may so live together in this life, that in the world to
come ye may have life everlasting. Amen.
Then shall the minister ofer the following
prayer:
O God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God
of Jacob, bless this man and this woman,




166          MATRIMONY.      Part IV,
and sow the seed of eternal life in their
hearts, that whatsoever in thy holy word
they shall profitably learn, they may indeed
fulfill the same. Look, O Lord, mercifully
on them from heaven, and bless them: as
thou didst send thy blessings upon Abraham and Sarah, to their great comfort, so
vouchsafe to send thy blessings upon this
man and this woman, that they, obeying
thy will, and always beinig n safety under
thy protection, may abide in thy love unto
their lives' end, through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
Almighty God, who at the beginning did
create our first parents, Adam and Eve,
and did sanctify and join them together in
marriage, pour upon these persons the
riches of Thy grace, sanctify and bless
them, that they may please Thee both in
body and soul, and live together in holy
love unto their lives' end. Amen.
Here the minister may use extemporary prayer.
Then the minister shall say,
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed
be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will
be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us
this day our daily bread; and forgive us




i. i.       MATRIMONY.           16T
our trespasses, as we forgive them  that
trespass against us; and lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil; for
thine is the kingdom, and the power, and
the glory, forever. Amen.




168      BURIAL OF THE DEAD. Part IV,
V.
00tr fcR     tht   |ttris Df tht ~Ra^.
The minister, going before the corpse, shall say:
I AM the resurrection and the life: he
that believeth in me, though he were dead,
yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth,
and believeth in me, shall never die. [John
xi, 25, 26.]
I know that my Redeemer liveth, and
that He shall stand at the latter day upon
the earth: and though, after my skin,
worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh
shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not
another. [Job xix, 25-27.]
We brought nothing into this world, and
it is certain we can carry nothing out. The
Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away:
blessed be the name of the Lord. [1 Tim. vi,
7; Job i, 21.]
At the grave, when the corpse is laid in the earth,
the minister shall say:
Man that is born of a woman hath but a
short time to live, and is full of misery. He




Oh. V.   BURIAL OF THE DEAD.       169
cometh up, and is cut down like a flower:
he fleeth as it were a shadow, and never
continueth in one stay.
In the midst of life we are in death: of
whom may we seek for succor, but of thee,
O Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased?
Yet, 0 Lord God most holy, 0 Lord most
mighty, 0 holy and most merciful Saviour,
deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal
death.
Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our
hearts; shut not thy merciful ears to our
prayers, but spare us, Lord most holy, 0
God most mighty, 0 holy and merciful
Saviour, thou most worthy Judge eternal,
suffer us not at our last hour for any pains
of death to fall from thee.
Then, while the earth shall be cast upon the body
by some standing by, the minister shall say:
Forasmuch as it lath pleased Almighty
God, in his wise providence, to take out of
the world the soul of the departed, we
therefore commit his body to the ground;
earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust;
looking for the general Resurrection in the
last day, and the life of the world to come,
through our Lord Jesus Christ; at whose




170      BURIAL OF THE DEAD. Part IV,
second coming in glorious majesty to judge
the world, the earth and the sea shall give
up their dead; and the corruptible bodies
of those who sleep in Him shall be changed
and made like unto His own glorious body;
according to the mighty working whereby
He is able to subdue all things unto Himself.
Then shaall be said:
I heard a voice from heaven saying
unto me, Write, From henceforth blessed
are the dead who die in the Lord: Even
so, saith the Spirit; for they rest from their
labors.
Then shall the minister say:
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
The Collect.
0 merciful God, the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and
the life: in whom  whosoever believeth
shall live, though he die, and whosoever
liveth and believeth in Him shall not die
eternally: We meekly beseech thee, 0
Father, to raise us from the death of sin
unto the life of righteousness; that when




Ch. v.   BURIAL OF THE DEAD.     11
we shall depart this life we may rest in
Him; and at the general resurrection on
the last day may be found acceptable in
thy sight, and receive that blessing which
thy well-beloved Son shall then pronounce
to all that love and fear thee, saying, Come,
ye blessed children of my Father, receive
the kingdom prepared for you from the
beginning of the world. Grant this, we
beseech thee, O merciful Father, through
Jesus Christ our Mediator and Redeemer.
Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and
forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive
them that trespass against us; and lead us
not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the
power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
the love of God, and the fellowship of the
Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore.
Amen.




172   CONSECRATION OF BISHOPS. Part IV.
VI.
sams of Qrbinatign
I. TiE FORM OF CONSECRATING
BISHOPS.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY GOD who by thy Son Jesus
Christ didst give to thy holy apostles,
elders, and evangelists, many excellent
gifts, and didst charge them to feed thy
flock; give grace, we beseech thee, to all
the ministers and pastors of thy Church,
that they may diligently preach thy word
and duly administer the godly discipline
thereof; and grant to the people that they
may obediently follow the same; that all
may receive the crown of everlasting glory,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Then shall be read by one of the Elders
The Epistle. Acts xx, 17-35.
From Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus, and
called the elders of the Church. And
when they were come to him, he said unto




Oh. vi, ~ 1. CONSECRATION OF BISiOPS. 173
them, Ye know from the first day that I
came into Asia, after what manner I have
been with you at all seasons, serving the
Lord with all humility of mind, and with
many tears and temptations which befell
me by the lying in wait of the Jews; and
how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and
have taught you publicly and from house
to house, testifying both to the Jews and
also to the Greeks, repentance toward God,
and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
And now behold I go bound in the spirit
unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things
that shall befall me there; save that the
Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.
But none of these things move me, neither
count I my life dear unto myself, so that I
might finish my course with joy, and the
ministry which I have received of the
Lord Jesus to testify the Gospel of the
grace of God. And now, behold, I know
that ye all, among whom I have gone
preaching the kingdom of God, shall see
my face no more. Wherefore I take you
to record this day, that I am pure from the
blood of all men. For I have not shunned
to declare unto you all the counsel of God.




174  CONSECRATION OF BISHOPS. Part IV,
Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves, and
to all the flock, over the which the Holy
Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed
the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know
this, that after my departing shall grievous
wolves enter in among you, not sparing
the flock. Also of your own selves shall
men arise, speaking perverse things, to
draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember that by the
space of three years, I ceased not to warn
every one night and day with tears. And
now, brethren, I commend you to God.
and to the word of his grace, which is
able to build you up, and to give you an
inheritance among all them which are
sanctified. I have coveted no man's silver,
or gold, or apparel: yea, ye yourselves
know that these hands have ministered
unto my necessities, and to them that were
with me. I have showed you all things,
how that so laboring ye ought to support
the weak; and to remember the words of
the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more
blessed to give than to receive.
Then another shall read




Oh. vi, ~1. CONSECRATION OF BISHOPs. 175
The Gospel. St. John xxi, 15-17.
Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son
of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?
He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him,
Feed my lambs. He saith to him again
the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea,
Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He
saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith
unto him the third time, Simon, son of
Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved
because he said unto him the third time,
Lovest thou me? And he said unto him,
Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him,
Feed my sheep.
Or this: St. Matt. xxviii, 18-20.
Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,
All power is given unto me in heaven and
in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost; teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and
lo, I am with you alway, even unto the
end of the world.




176   CONSECRATION OF BISHOPS. Part IV,
After the Gospel and the sermon are ended, the
elected person shall be presented by two Elders
unto the Bishop, saying,
We present unto you this holy man to
be consecrated a Bishop.
Then the Bishop shall move the congregation
present topray, saying thus to them:
Brethren, it is written in the Gospel of
St. Luke, that our Saviour Christ continued
the whole night in prayer before he did
choose and send forth his twelve apostles.
It is written also in the Acts of the Apostles, that the disciples who were at Antioch did fast and pray before they laid
hands'on Paul and Barnabas, and sent
them forth on their first mission to the
Gentiles. Let us, therefore, following the
example of our Saviour Christ, and his
apostles, first fall to prayer before we admit, and send forth this person presented
to us, to the work whereunto we trust the
Holy Ghost hath called him.
Then shall be said this prayer following:
Almighty God, giver of all good things,
who by thy Holy Spirit hast appointed
divers offices in thy Church: mercifully behold this thy servant now called to the work




Ch. vi, ~ 1. CONSECRATION OF BISHOPS. 177
and ministry of a bishop, and replenish
him so with the truth of thy doctrine, and
adorn him with innocency of life, that both
by word and deed he may faithfully serve
thee in this office, to the glory of thy
name, and the edifying and well governing
of thy Church, through the merits of our
Saviour Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee, and the Holy Ghost, world
without end. Amen.
Then the Bishop shall say to him that is to be
consecrated:
Brother, forasmuch as the Holy Scripture commands that we should not be
hasty in laying on hands, and admitting
any person to government in the Church
of Christ, which he hath purchased with
no less price than the shedding of his own
blood; before you are admitted to this
administration, you will, in the fear of
God, give answer to the questions which I
now propound:
Are you persuaded that you are truly
called to this ministration, according to
the will of our Lord Jesus Christ?
Answ. I am so persuaded.
The Bishop. Are you persuaded that the
Holy Scriptures contain sufficiently all
12




178  CONSECRATION OF BISHOPs. Part IV,
doctrine required of necessity for eternal
salvation, through faith in Jesus Christ?
And are you determined, out of the same
Holy Scriptures, to' instruct the people
committed to your charge, and to teach or
maintain nothing as required of necessity
to eternal salvation but that which you
shall be persuaded may be concluded and
proved by the same?
Answ. I am so persuaded and determined, by God's grace.
The Bishop. Will you then faithfully
exercise yourself in the same Holy Scriptures, and call upon God by prayer for the
true understanding of the same, so that
you may be able by them to teach and
exhort with wholesome doctrine, and to
withstand and convince the gainsayers?
Answ. I will so do, by the help of God.
The Bishop. Are you ready with faithful
diligence to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to
God's word, and both privately and openly
to call upon and encourage others to the
same?
Aansw. I am ready, the Lord being my
helper.
The Bishop. Will you deny all ungodliness and worldly lust, and live soberly,




Ch. vi, ~ 1. CONSICRATION OF BISHOPS. 179
righteously, and godly, in this present
world, that you may show yourself in all
things an example of good works unto
others, that the adversary may be ashamed,
having nothing to say against you?
Answ. I will so do, the Lord being my
helper.
The Bishop. Will you maintain and set
forward, as much as shall lie in you, quietness, love, and peace among all men: and
such as shall be unquiet, disobedient, and
criminal, correct and punish according to
such authority as you have by God's word,
and as shall be committed unto you?
Answ. I will so do, by the help of
God.
The Bishop. Will you be faithful in ordaining, or laying hands upon and sending
others, and in all the other duties of your
office?
Answ. I will so be, by the help of
God.
The Bishop. Will you show yourself gentle, and be merciful for Christ's sake, to
poor and needy people, and to all strangers
destitute of help?
Answ. I will so show myself, by God's
help.
Then the Bishop s8hall say,




180 CONSECRATION OF BISHOPS. Part IV,
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
who hath given you a good will to do all
these things, grant also unto you strength
and power to perform the same; that he
accomplishing in you the good work which
he hath begun, you may be found blameless at the last day, through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Then shall Veni, Creator Spiritus, be said.
Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
And lighten with celestial fire.
Thou the anointing Spirit art,
Who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart.
Thy blessed unction from above
Is comfort, life, and fire of love.
Enable with perpetual light
The dullness of our blinded sight;
Anoint and cheer our soiled face
With the abundance of thy grace;
Keep far our foes, give peace at home;
Where thou art Guide, no ill can come.
Teach us to know the Father, Son,
And thee of both to be but one;
That through the ages all along,
This may be our endless song:
Praise to thy eternal merit,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.




Ch. vi, ~ 1. CONSECRATION OF BISHOPS. 181
That ended, the Bishop shall say,
Lord, hear our prayer.
Answ. And let our cry come unto thee.
Bishop.
Let us pray.
Almighty God and most merciful Father,
who of thine infinite goodness hast given
thine only and dearly beloved Son Jesus
Christ to be our Redeemer, and the author
of everlasting life; who after that he had
made perfect our redemption by his death,
and was ascended into heaven, poured down
his gifts abundantly upon men, making some
apostles, some prophets, some evangelists,
some pastors and teachers, to the edifying
and making perfect of his Church: grant,
we beseech thee, to this thy servant, such
grace that he may evermore be ready to
spread abroad thy Gospel, the glad tidings
of reconciliation with thee, and use the authority given him, not to destruction, but
to salvation; not to hurt, but to help; so
that as a wise and faithful servant, giving
to the family their portion in due season,
he may at last be received into everlasting
joy, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who,
with thee and the Holy Ghost, liveth and




182   CONSECRATION OF BISHOPS. Part IV,
reigneth, one God, world without end.
Amen.
Then the Bishop and Elders present shall lay
their hands upon the head of the elected person,
kneeling before them, the Bishop saying,
The Lord pour upon thee the Holy Ghost
for the office and work of a bishop in the
Church of God now committed unto thee
by the authority of the Church through the
imposition of our hands, in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost. Amen. And remember that thou
stir up the grace of God which is in thee;
for God hath not given us the spirit of fear,
but of power, and love, and of a sound
mind.
Then the Bishop shall deliver him the Bible,
saying,
Give heed unto reading, exhortation, and
doctrine. Think upon the things contained
in this book. Be diligent in them, that the
increase coming thereby may be manifest
unto all men. Take heed unto thyself, and
to thy doctrine; for by so doing thou shalt
both save thyself and them that hear thee.
Be to the flock of Christ a shepherd, not a
wolf: feed them, devour them not. Hold




Oh. vi, ~ 1. CONSEORATION OF BISHOPS. 183
up the weak, heal the sick, bind up the
broken, bring again the outcast, seek the
lost, be so merciful that you may not be
too remiss; so minister discipline that you
forget not mercy; that when the chief
Shepherd shall appear, you may receive
the never-fading crown of glory, through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
[Then the bishop shall administer the Lord's
Supper to the newly consecrated bishop and
other persons present.]
Then shall be said t7e following prayers:
Most merciful Father, we beseech thee
to send down upon this thy servant thy
heavenly blessing, and so endue him with
thy Holy Spirit, that he, preaching thy
word, and exercising authority in thy
Church, may not only be earnest to reprove, beseech, and rebuke with all patience
and doctrine, but also may be to such as
believe a wholesome example in word, in
conversation, in love, in faith, and in purity:
that faithfully fulfilling his course, at the
last day he may receive the crown of righteousness laid up by the Lord, the righteous
Judge, who liveth and reigneth, one God




184 CONSECRATION OF BISHOPS. Part IV,.
with the Father and the Holy Ghost, world
without end. Amen.
Prevent us, 0 Lord, in all our doings
with thy most gracious favor, and further
us with thy continual help, that in all our
works begun, continued, and ended in thee,
we may glorify thy holy name; and finally,
by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds
in the knowledge and love of God, and of
his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the
blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Ghost, be among you,
and remain with you always. Amen.




Ch. vi, ~ 2. ORDINATION OF ELDERS.  185
II. THE    FORM   OF ORDAINING
ELDERS.
[When the day appointed by the Bishop is
come, there shall be a sermon or exhortation,
declaring the duty and office of such as come
to be admitted Elders; how necessary that
order is in the Church of Christ, and also
how the people ought to esteem them in their
office.]
After which, one of the Elders shall presen  nto
the Bishop all them that are to be ordained, and
say,
I present unto you these persons to be
ordained elders.
Then their names being read aloud, the Bishop
shall say unto the people,
Brethren, these are they whom we purpose, God willing, this day to ordain elders.
For after due examination, we find not to
the contrary, but that they are lawfully
called to this function and ministry, and
that they are persons meet for the same.
But if there be any of you who knoweth
any crime or impediment in any of them,
for the which he ought not to be received




186     ORDINATIONT OF ELDERS. Part IV,
into this holy ministry, let him come forth
in the name of God, and show what the
crime or impediment is.
[If any crime or impediment be objected, the
bishop shall surcease from ordaining that person until such time as the party accused shall
be found clear of the same.]
Then shall be said the Collect, Eistle, and Gospel,
asfolloweth.
The Collect.
Almighty God, Giver of all good things,
who by thy Holy Spirit hast appointed
divers orders of ministers in thy Church;
mercifully behold these thy servants now
called to the office of elders, and replenish
them so with the truth of thy doctrine, and
adorn them with innocency of life, that
both by word and good example they may
faithfully serve thee in this office, to the
glory of thy name, and the edification of
thy Church, through the merits of our
Saviour Jesus Christ, who liveth and
reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost,
world without end. Amen.
The Epistle. Eph. iv, 7-13.
Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.




Ch vi, ~ 2. ORDINATION OF ELDERS.  187
Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up
on high, he led captivity captive, and gave
gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended,
what is it but that he also descended first
into the lower parts of the earth? He that
descended is the same also that ascended up
far above all heavens, that he might fill all
things.) And he gave some, apostles; and
some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and
some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the
ministry, for the edifying of the body of
Christ, till we all come in the unity of the
faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure
of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
After this shall be read for the Gospel, part of
the tenth chapter of St. John.
St. John x, 1-16.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the
same is a thief and a robber. But he that
entereth in by the door is the shepherd of
the sheep. To him the porter openeth,
and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth




188    ORDINATION OF ELDXRS. Part IV,
them out. And when he putteth forth his
own sheep, he goeth before them, and the
sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
And a stranger will they not follow, but will
flee fiom him, for they know not the voice
of strangers. This parable spake Jesus
unto them, but they understood not what
things they were which he spake unto
them. Then said Jesus unto them again,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the
door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the
sheep did not hear them. I am the door;
by me if any man enter in, he shall be
saved, and shall go in and out and find
pasture. The thief cometh not but for to
steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am
come that they might have life, and that
they might have it more abundantly. I
am the good shepherd: the good shepherd
giveth his life for the sheep. But he that
is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose
own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and
the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the
sheep. The hireling fleeth because he is
a hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd, and know my
sheep, and am known of mine. As the




Ch. vi, ~ 2. ORDINATION OF ELDERS.  189
Father knoweth me, even so know I the
Father: and I lay down my life for the
sheep. And other sheep I have which are
not of this fold: them also I must bring,
and they shall hear my voice, and there
shall be one fold and one shepherd.
And that done, the Bishop shall say unto them
as hereafter followeth:
You have heard, brethren, in your private
examination, and in the holy lessons-taken
out of the Gospel, and the writings of the
apostles, of what dignity and of how great
importance this office is whereunto ye are
called. And now again we exhort you in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
you have in remembrance, into how high
a dignity and to how weighty an office ye
are called: that is to say, to be messengers,
watchmen, and stewards, of the Lord, to
teach and to premonish, to feed, and provide for the Lord's family, to gather the
outcasts, to seek the lost, and to be ever
ready to spread abroad the Gospel, the
glad tidings of reconciliation with God.
Have always therefore printed in your
remembrance how great a treasure is committed to your charge. For they are the
sheep of Christ, which he bought with his




190    ORDINATION OF ELDERS. Part IV,
death, and for whom he shed his blood.
The Church whom you must serve is his
spouse and his body. And if it shall happen, the same Church, or any member
thereof, do take any hurt or hinderance by
reason of your negligence, ye know the
greatness of the fault, and also the horrible punishment that will ensue. Wherefore consider with yourselves the end of
the ministry toward the children of God,
toward the spouse and body of Christ;
and see that you never cease your labor,
your care and diligence, until you have
done all that lieth in you, according to
your bounden duty, to bring all such as
are or shall be committed to your charge,
unto that agreement in the faith and knowledge of God, and to that ripeness and perfectness of age in. Christ, that there be no
place left among you, either for error in
religion, or for viciousness in life.
Forasmuch then as your office is both of
so great excellency, and of so great difficulty, ye see with how great care and
study ye ought to apply yourselves, as well
that ye may show yourselves dutiful and
thankful unto that Lord who hath placed
you in so high a dignity; as also to beware
that neither you yourselves offend, nor be




Oh. vi, ~ 2. ORDINATION OF ELDERS.  191
occasion that others offend. Howbeit ye
cannot have a mind and will thereto of
yourselves; for that will and ability is
given of God alone; therefore ye ought,
and have need to pray earnestly for his
Holy Spirit. And seeing that ye cannot
by any other means compass the doing of
so weighty a work, pertaining to the salvation of man, but with doctrine and exhortation taken out of the6 Holy Scriptures,
and with a life agreeable to the same;
consider how studious ye ought to be in
reading and learning the Scriptures, and
in framing the manners, both of yourselves
and of them, that specially pertain unto
you, according to the rule of the same
Scriptures; and for this self-same cause,
how ye ought to forsake and set aside (as
much as you may) all worldly cares and
studies.
We have good hope that you have all
weighed and pondered these things with
yourselves long before this time: and that
you have clearly determined, by God's
grace, to give yourselves wholly to this
office, whereunto it hath pleased God to
call you: so that, as much as lieth in you,
you will apply yourselves wholly to this
one thing, and draw all your cares and




192    ORDINATION OF ELDERS. Part IV,
studies this way, and that you will continually pray to God the Father, by the mediation of our only Saviour Jesus Christ,
for the heavenly assistance of the Holy
Ghost; that by daily reading and weighing of the Scriptures, ye may wax riper
and stronger in your ministry; and that
ye may so endeavor to sanctify the lives
of you and yours, and to fashion them after the rule and doctrine of Christ, that
ye may be wholesome and godly examples
and patterns for the people to follow.
And now that this present congregation
of Christ, here assembled, may also understand your minds and wills in these things,
and that this your promise may the more
move you to do your duties: ye shall
answer plainly to these things which we,
in the name of God and his Church, shall
demand of you touching the same.
Do you think in your heart that you are
truly called, according to the will of our
Lord Jesus Christ, to the order of elders?
Answ. I think so.
The Bishop. Are you persuaded that the
Holy Scriptures contain sufficiently all
doctrine required of necessity for eternal
salvation through faith in Jesus Christ?
And are you determined out of the said




Ch. vi, ~ 2. ORDINArION OF ELDERS.  193
Scriptures to instruct the people committed
to your charge, and to teach nothing as required of necessity to eternal salvation, but
that which you shall be persuaded may be
concluded and proved by the Scripture?
Answ. I am so persuaded, and have so
determined, by God's grace.
The Bishop. Will you then give your
faithful diligence always so to minister the
doctrine and sacraments, and discipline of
Christ, as the Lord hath commanded?
Answ. I will so do, by the help of the
Lord.
The Bishop. Will you be ready with all
faithful diligence to banish and drive away
all erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to God's word; and to use both public and private monitions and exhortations,
as well to the sick as to the whole within
your charge, as need shall require and
occasion shall be given?
Answ. I will, the Lord being my helper.
The Bishop. Will you be diligent in
prayers, and in reading of the Holy Scriptures, and in such studies as help to the
knowledge of the same, laying aside the
study of the world and the flesh?
Answ. I will endeavor so to do, the Lord
being my helper.
13




194     ORDINATION OF ELDERS. Part IV,
The Bishop. Will you be diligent to
frame and fashion yourselves, and your
families, according to the doctrine of Christ:
and to make both yourselves and them, as
much as in you lieth, wholesome examples
and patterns to the flock of Christ?
Answ. I will apply myself thereto, the
Lord being my helper.
The Bishop. Will you maintain and set
forward, as much as lieth in you, quietness,
peace, and love, among all Christian people,
and especially among them that are or
shall be committed to your charge?
Answ. I will so do, the Lord being my
helper.
The Bishop. Will you reverently obey
your chief ministers, unto whom is committed the charge and government over
you; following with a glad mind and will
their godly admonitions, submitting yourselves to their godly judgments?
Answ. I will so do, the Lord being my
helper.
Then shall the Bishop, standing up, say,
Almighty God, who hath given you this
will to do all these things, grant also unto
you strength and power to perform the
same; that he may accomplish his work




Ch. vi, ~2. ORDTNATION OF ELDERS.     195
which he hath begun in you, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
[After this the congregation shall be desired
secretly in their prayers to make their humble supplications to God for all these things:
for the which prayers there shall be silence
kept for a space.]
After which shall be said by the Bishop, (the
persons to be ordained Elders all kneeling,)
Veni, Creator Spiritus, the Biishop beginning,
and the Elders and others that are present
answering by verse, asfollowet h:
Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
And lighten with celestial fire.
Thou the anointing Spirit art,
Who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart.
Thy blessed unction from above
Is comfort, life, and fire of love.
Enable with perpetual light
The dullness of our blinded sight;
Anoint and cheer our soiled face
With the abundance of thy grace;
Keep far our foes, give peace at home;
Where thou art Guide no ill can come.
Teach us to know the Father, Son,
And thee of both to be but one;
That through the ages all along,
This may be our endless song:
Praise to thy eternal merit,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.




196    ORDINATION OF ELDERS. Part IV,
That done, the Bishop shall pray in this wise,
and say,
Let us pray.
Almighty God and heavenly Father, who
of thine infinite love and goodness toward
us, hast given to us thy only and most
dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ to be our
Redeemer, and the author of everlasting
life; who after he had made perfect our
redemption by his death, and was ascended into heaven, sent abroad into the
world his apostles, prophets, evangelists,
teachers, and pastors, by whose labor and
ministry he gathered together a great
flock in all parts of the world, to set forth
the eternal praise of thy holy name: for
these so great benefits of thy eternal goodness, and for that thou hast vouchsafed to
call these thy servants here present to the
same office and ministry appointed for the
salvation of mankind, we render unto thee
most hearty thanks: we praise and worship thee; and we humbly beseech thee
by the same, thy blessed Son, to grant unto all who either here or elsewhere call
upon thy name, that we may continue to
show ourselves thankful unto thee for
these, and all other thy benefits, and that




Ch. vi, ~ 2. ORDINATION OF ELDERS.  197
we may daily increase and go forward in
the knowledge and faith of thee and thy
Son, by the Holy Spirit. So that as well
by these thy ministers, as by them over
whom they shall be appointed thy ministers, thy holy name may be forever glorified, and thy blessed kingdom  enlarged,
through the same, thy Son Jesus Christ
our Lord: who liveth and reigneth with
thee in the unity of the same Holy Spirit,
world without end. Amen.
When this prayer is done, the Bishop, with the
elders present, shall lay their hands severally
upon the head of every one that receiveth the
order of Elders; the receivers humbly kneeling,upon their knees, and the Bishop saying,
The Lord pour upon thee the Holy Ghost
for the office and work of an elder in the
Church of God, now committed unto thee
by the authority of the Church through the
imposition of our hands. And be thou a
faithful dispenser of the word of God, and
of his holy sacraments; in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost. Amen.
Then the Bishop shall deliver to every one of
them, kneeling, the Bible into his hands,
saying,




198    ORDINATION OF ELDERS. Part IV,
Take thou authority as an elder in the
Church, to preach the word of God, and to
administer the holy sacraments in the congregation.
Then the Bishop shall say,
Most merciful Father, we beseech thee
to send upon these thy servants thy heavenly blessings, that they may be clothed
with righteousness, and that thy word
spoken by their mouths may have such
success, that it may never be spoken in
vain. Grant also that we may have grace
to hear and receive what they shall deliver
out of thy most holy word, or agreeably to
the same, as the means of our salvation;
and that in all our words and deeds we may
seek thy glory, and the increase of thy
kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prevent us, 0 Lord, in all our doings,
with thy most gracious favor, and further
us with thy continual help, that in all our
works begun, continued, and ended in thee.
we may glorify thy holy name, and finally,
by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The peace of God which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in




Ch. vi, ~ 2. ORDINATION OF ELDERS.    199
the knowledge and love of God, and of his
Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Ghost, be among you, and
remain with you always. Amen.
*** [If on the same day the order of deacons
be given to some, and that of elders to others,
the deacons shall be first presented, and then
the elders. The collects shall both be used:
first that for deacons, then that for elders. The
epistle shall be Ephes. iv, 7 to 13, as before in
this office: immediately after which, they that
are to be ordained deacons shall be examined
and ordained as is above prescribed. Then one
of them having read the Gospel, which shall be
St. John x, 1-16, as before in this office; they
that are to be ordained elders shall likewise be
examined and ordained, as in this office before
appointed.]




200    ORDINATION OF DEACONS. Part IV,
III. THE FORM OF ORDAINING
DEACONS.
[When the day appointed by the bishop is come,
there shall be a sermon or exhortation, declaring the duty and office of such as come to be
admitted deacons.]
After which, one of the elder, shall present unto
the Bishop the persons to be ordained deacons,
and their names being read aloud, the Bishop
shall say unto the people:
BRETHREN, if there be any of you who
knoweth any crime or impediment in any
of these persons presented to be ordained
deacons, for the which he ought not to be
admitted to that office, let him come forth
in the name of God, and show what the
crime or impediment is.
[If any crime or impediment be objected, the
bishop shall surcease from ordaining that
person, until such time as the party accused
shall be found clear of the same.]
Then shall be read the following Collect and
Epistle:




Ch. vi, ~ 3. ORDINATION OF DEACONS. 201
The Collect.
Almighty God, who by thy divine Providence hast appointed divers orders of ministers in thy Church, and didst inspire thy
apostles to choose into the order of deacons
thy first martyr, St. Stephen, with others:
mercifully behold these thy servants, now
called to the like office and administration;
replenish them so with the truth of thy
doctrine, and adorn them with innocency
of life, that both by word and good example they may faithfully serve thee in this
office to the glory of thy name, and the
edification of thy Church, through the merits of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who liveth
and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost
now and forever. Amen.
The Epistle. 1 Tim. iii, 8-13.
Likewise must the deacons be grave, not
double tongued, not given to much wine,
not greedy of filthy lucre; holding the
mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
And let these also first be proved; then
let them use the office of a deacon, being
found blameless. Even so must their wives
be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in
all things. Let the deacons be the hus



202    ORDINATION OF DEACONS. Part IV,
bands of one wife, ruling their children and
their own houses well. For they that have
used the office of a deacon well, purchase
to themselves a good degree, and great
boldness in the faith which is in Christ
Jesus.
Then shall the Bishop examine every one of those
who are to be ordained, in the presence of the
people, after this manner following:
Do you trust that you are inwardly
moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon you
the office of the ministry in the Church of
Christ, to serve God for the promoting of
his glory and the edifying of his people?
Answ. I trust so.
The Bishop. Do you unfeignedly believe
all the canonical Scriptures of the Old and
New Testament?
Answ. I do believe them.
The Bishop. Will you diligently read or
expound the same unto the people whom
you shall be appointed to serve?
Answ. I will.
The Bishop. It appertaineth to the office
of a deacon to assist the elder in divine
service. And especially when he ministereth the holy communion, to help him in the
distribution thereof, and to read and ex



Ch. vi, ~ 3. ORDINATION OF DEACONS. 203
pound the Holy Scriptures; to instruct the
youth, and to baptize. And furthermore,
it is his office to search for the sick, poor,
and impotent, that they may be visited and
relieved. Will you do this gladly and willingly?
Answi. I will do so, by the help of God.
The Bishop. Will you apply all your diligence to frame and fashion your own lives
(and the lives of your families) according
to the doctrine of Christ; and to make
(both) yourselves, (and theml,) as much as
in you lieth, wholesome examples of the
flock of Christ?
Ansio. I will do so, the Lord being my
helper.
The Bishop. Will you reverently obey
them to whom the charge and government
over you is committed, following with a
glad mind and will their godly admonitions?
Answ. I will endeavor so to do, the Lord
being my helper.
Then the Bishop, laying his hands severally upon
the head of every one of them, shall say,
Take thou authority to execute the office
of a Deacon in the Church of God; in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost. Amen.




204    ORDINATION OF DEACONS. Part IV,
Then shall the Bishop deliver to every one of
them the Holy Bible, saying,'
Take thou authority to read the Holy
Scriptures in the Church of God, and to
preach the same.
Then one appointed by the Bishop shall read
the Gospel.
Luke xii, 35-38.
Let your loins be girded about, and your
lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto
men that wait for their Lord, when he will
return from the wedding, that when he
cometh and knocketh, they may open unto
him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall
find watching. Verily I say unto you, that
he shall gird himself, and make them to sit
down to meat, and will come forth and
serve them. And if he shall come in the
second watch, or come in the third watch,
and find them so, blessed are those servants.
Immediately before the benediction shall be said
these Collects following:
Almighty God, Giver of all good things,
who of thy great goodness hast vouchsafed
to accept and take these thy servants into




Ch. vi, ~ 3. ORDINATION OF DEACONS. 205
the office of Deacons in thy Church; make
them, we beseech thee, O Lord, to be modest, humble, and constant in their ministration, and to have a ready will to observe
all spiritual discipline; that they having
always the testimony of a good conscience,
and continuing ever stable and strong in
thy Son Christ, may so well behave themselves in this inferior office, that they may
be found worthy to be called into the higher ministries in thy Church, through the
same, thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ;
to whom be glory and honor, world without end. Amen.
Prevent us, 0 Lord, in all our doings,
with thy most gracious favor, and further
us with thy continual help; that in all our
works, begun, continued, and ended in thee,
we may glorify thy holy name, and finally, by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in
the knowledge and love of God, and of his
Son Jesus Christ our Lord. And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Ghost, be among you, and
remain with you always. Amen.




206    LAING A CORNER-STONE. Part IV,
VII.
Wqi   2 a GarXIr-BSWm.
FORM    FOR  LAYING    THE   CORNIERSTONE OF A CHURCH.
The Minister, standing near the place where the
stone is to be laid, shall say unto the Congregation.
DEARLY BELOVED, We are taught in the
word of God, that, although the heaven of
heavens cannot contain the Eternal One,
much less the walls of temples made with
hands, yet his delight is ever with the sons
of men, and that, wherever two or three
are gathered in His name, there is He in
the midst of them. And in all ages His
servants have separated certain places for
His worship; as Jacob erected a stone in
Bethel for God's house; as Moses made a
tabernacle in the desert; as Solomon
builded a temple for the Lord, which IHe
filled with the glory of His presence before all the people. We are now assembled to lay the corner-stone of a new house




Ch. vii. LAYING A CORNER-STONE.  207
for the worship of the God of our fathers.
Let us not doubt that he will favorably
approve our godly purpose, and let us now
devoutly unite in singing his praise, and in
prayer for his blessing on this our undertaking.
Let one of the Hlymns 959-963 be sung.
Then s7hall the Minister say,
Let us pray.
Most glorious God, the heaven is Thy
throne and the earth is Thy footstool:
what house then can be builded for Thee,
or where is the.place of Thy rest? Yet,
blessed be Thy name, O Lord God, that it
hath pleased Thee to have Thy habitation
among the sons of men, and to dwell in
the midst of the assembly of the saints
upon the earth. And now, especially, we
render thanks unto Thy holy name that it
hath pleased Thee to put it into the hearts
of Thy servants to erect in this place a
house for Thy worship. We thank Thee
for Thy grace which has inclined them to
contribute of their substance for the glory
of Thy name: and we pray Thee, to continue Thy blessing upon their pious undertaking. Amen.
May many unite with them in their holy




208   LAYING A COENER-STONE. Part rv,
work, until this habitation of Thy house
shall be completed, and ready for dedication to Thy service, free from all debt or
claim of man. Amen.
May peace and harmony prevail in the
counsels of Thy servants, and may no selfish or divided aims find place among them.
May the work of this building be completed
without hurt or accident to any person.
And when Thou shalt have prospered the
work of their hands upon them, and this
house shall be prepared and finished for Thy
service, grant that all who shall enjoy the
benefit of this pious work, may show forth
their thankfulness, by making a right use
of it, to the glory of Thy blessed Name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Grant that all who shall hereafter worship Thee in the temple here to be builded,
may so serve and please Thee in all holy
exercises of godliness, that in the end they
may come to that temple on high, even to
the holy places, made without hands, whose
builder and maker is God. Amen.
Hear us, O Lord, for Thou art our God
in whom we trust. And when we shall
cease to pray unto Thee on earth, may we,
with all those who in like manner have
erected such places to Thy name, and with




Oh. vii. LAYING A CORNER-STONE.    209
all thy saints and redeemed ones, eternally
praise Thee for all Thy goodness vouchsafed
unto us here on earth and laid up for us
there in heaven. Amen.
Accept these our prayers, we beseech
Thee, for the sake of Thy dear Son, and
to Thee, the only true and living God,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be honor,
praise, and glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Then shall the Minzister read the following
Psalm, or the Minister and people may read it
in alternate verses; the parts in italics to be
read by the people.
Psalm cxxxii.
Lord, remember David, and all his afflictions:
How he sware unto the Lord, and vowed
unto the mighty God of Jacob;
Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my
bed;
I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or
slumber to my eyelids,
Until I find out a place for the Lord,
A habitation for the mighty God of
Jacob.
Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we
found it in the fields of the wood.
14




210   LAYING A CORNER-STONE. PartIV,
We will go into his tabarnacles: we will
worship at his footstool.
Arise, 0 Lord, into thy rest; thou, and
the ark of thy strength.
Let thy priests be clothed with 9righteousness;
And let thy saints shout for joy.
For thy servant David's sake turn not
away the face of thine anointed.
The Lord hath sworn in truth unto
David; he will not turn from it;
Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon
thy throne.
If thy children will keep my covenant
and my testimony that I shall teach them,
their children shall also sit upon thy throne
for evermore.
For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath
desired it for his habitation.
This is my rest forever; here will I
dwell; for I have desired it.
I will abundantly bless her provision:
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
I will also clothe her priests with salvation:
And her saints shall shout aloud for
joy.
There will I make the horn of David to
bud:




Oh. vii. LAYING A CORNER-STONE.   211
I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.
His enemies will I clothe with shame:
But upon himself shall his crown flourish.
The Lesson. 1 Cor. iii, 9-23.
For we are laborers together with God:
ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's
building. According to the grace of God
which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and
another buildeth thereon. But let every
man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
For other foundation can no man lay than
that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now
if any man build upon this foundation gold,
silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
every man's work shall be made manifest:
for the day shall declare it, because it shall
be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try
every man's work of what sort it is. If
any man's work abide which he hath built
thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If
any man's work shall be burned, lie shall
suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved;
yet so as by fire. Know ye not that ye
are the temple of God, and that the Spirit
of God dwelleth in you? If any man defiie the temple of God, him shall God
destroy; for the temple of God is holy,




212    LAYING A CORNER-STONE. Part IV,
which temple ye are. Let no man deceive
himself. If any man among you seemeth
to be wise in this world, let him become a
fool, that lie may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.
For it is written, He taketh the wise in
their own craftiness. And again, the Lord
knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they
are vain.  Therefore let no man glory in
men. For all things are yours; whether
Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world,
or life, or death, or things present, or
things to come; all are yours; and ye are
Christ's; and Christ is God's.
Then shall follow the Sermon, or an Address
suitable to the occasion, after which the contributions of the people shall be received.
Then shall the minister, standing by the stone,
exiibit to the congregation a box to be placed in
an excavation of the stone. It may contain a
copy of the Bible, the Hymn Book, the Discipline, the Church Almanac for the year,
Church periodicals of recent date, the names of
the Pastor, Trustees, and Building Committee
of the Church, with such other documents as
may be desired. A list of these may be read,
after which the Minister may deposit the box in
the stone and cover it: and the stone shall be laid
and adjusted by the Minister, assisted by the
builder.




Ch. vii. LAYING A CORNER-STONE.     213
Then shall the Minister say,
In the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost, we lay this
corner-stone for the foundation of a house
to be builded and consecrated to the service of Almighty God, according to the
order and usages of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Amen.
Tkhe service may conclude with extemporary
prayer, the Lord's Prayer, and the Benediction.




214 DEDICATION OF A COHURCH. Part IV,
VIII.
ajnm fart fin R  itRtimn  At a 62aro,.
The Congregation being 7assembled in the Church,
the Minister shall say,
DEARLY BELOVED, The Scriptures teach
us that God is well pleased with those who
build Temples to His name.   We have
heard how He filled the Temple of Solomon
with His glory, and how in the Second
Temple He manifested himself still more
gloriously. And the Gospel approves and
commends the centurion who built a synagogue for the people. Let us not doubt
that IIe will also favorably approve our
purpose of dedicating this place in solemn
manner, for the performance of the several
offices of religious worship; and let us now
devoutly join in praise to his Name, that
this godly undertaking hath been so far
completed; and in prayer for His further
blessing upon all who have been engaged
therein, and upon all who shall hereafter
worship His name in this place.




Oh. viii. DEDICATION OF A OHUROH.  215
Let one of the Hymns 964-971 be sung, and extemporary prayer be offered, the congregation
all kneeling.
Ten shall the Minister, or some one appointed
by him, read
The First Lesson. 2 Chron. vi, 18-33.
But will God in very deed dwell with
men on the earth? behold, heaven and the
heaven of heavens cannot contain thee;
how much less this house which I have
built?  Have respect, therefore, to the
prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, 0 Lord my God, to hearken unto the
cry and the prayer which thy servant
prayeth before thee: that thine eyes may
be open upon this house day and night,
upon the place whereof thou hast said that
thou wouldest put thy name there; to
hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place. Hearken,
therefore, unto the supplications of thy
servant, and of thy people Israel, which
they shall make toward this place: hear
thou from thy dwelling place, even from
heaven; and when thou hearest, forgive.
If a man sin against his neighbor, and an
oath be laid upon him to make him swear,




216  DEDICATION OF A CHURCH. Part IV,
and the oath come before thine altar in this
house; then hear thou from heaven, and
do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the
wicked, by recompensing his way upon his
own head; and by justifying the righteous,
by giving him according to his righteousness.
And if thy people Israel be put to the
worse before the enemy, because they have
sinned against thee; and shall return and
confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house; then
hear thou from the heavens, and forgive
the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them
again unto the land which thou gavest to
them and to their fathers.
When the heaven is shut up, and there is
no rain, because they have sinned against
thee; yet if they pray toward this place,
and confess thy name,.and turn from their
sin, when thou dost afflict them; then hear
thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of
thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when
thou hast taught them the good way,
wherein they should walk; and send rain
upon thy land, which thou hast given unto
thy people for an inheritance.
If there be dearth in the land, if there be
pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew,




Ch. viii. DEDICATION OF A CHURCH.  217
locusts, or caterpillars: if their enemies
besiege them in the cities of their land;
whatsoever sore, or whatsoever sickness
there be; then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man,
or of all thy people Israel, when every one
shall know his own sore and his own grief,
and shall spread forth his hands in this
house: then hear thou from heaven thy
dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways,
whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only
knowest the hearts of the children of men;)
that they may fear thee, to walk in thy
ways, so long as they live in the land which
thou gavest unto our fathers.
Moreover concerning the stranger, which
is not of thy people Israel, but is come from
a far country for thy great name's sake, and
thy mighty hand, and thy stretched-out
arm; if they come and pray in this house,
then hear thou fiom the heavens, even from
thy dwelling place, and do according to all
that the stranger calleth to thee for; that
all people of the earth may know thy name,
and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel,
and may know that this house which I have
built is called by thy name.




218   DEDICATION OF A CHRCIH. Part IV,
The Second Lesson. Heb. x, 19- 26.
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to
enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way, which he hath
consecrated for us, through the vail, that is
to say, his flesh; and having a High Priest
over the house of God; let us draw near
with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience, and our bodies washed with
pure water. Let us hold fast the profession
of our faith without wavering; (for he is
faithful that promised;) and let us consider
one another to provoke unto love and to
good works; not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together, as the manner of
some is; but exhorting one another; and
so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully after
that we have received the knowledge of
the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice
for sins.
Then shall one of the Hymns 964-971 be sung,
after which the Minister shall deliver a Sermon suitable to the occasion, after which the
contriebutions of the people shall be received.




Ch. viii. DEDICATION OF A CHiUROR.  219
Then shall the Minister read the following
Psalm, or the Minister and the Congregation
may read it alternately; theparts in italics to
be read by the Congregation.
Psalm cxxii.
I was glad when they said unto me, Let
us go into the house of the Lord.
Our feet shall stand within thy gates, 0
Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is builded as a city that is
compact together;
Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of
the Lord,
Unto the testimony of Israel, to give
thanks unto the name of the Lord.
For there are set thrones of judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
They shall prosper that love thee.
Peace be within thy walls,
And prosperity within thy palaces.
For my brethren and companions' sakes,
I will now say, Peace be within thee.
Because of the house of the Lord our God
I will seek thy good.
Then let the Trustees stand up before the altar,
and one of them, or some one in their behalf,
say unto the Minister,




220   DEDICATION OF A CHUilCH. Part IV,
We present unto you this building, to be
dedicated as a Church for the service and
worship of Almighty God.
Then shall the Minister request the Congregation
to stand, while he repeats the following
DECLARATION.
Dearly beloved, It is meet and riglt, as
we learn fiom the Holy Scriptures, that
houses erected for the public worship of
God should be specially set apart and dedicated to religious uses. For such a dedication we are now assembled.  With gratitude, therefore, to Almighty God, who
has signally blessed His servants in their
holy enterprise of erecting this Church, we
dedicate it to His service, for the reading
of the Holy Scriptures, the preaching of
the Word of God, the administration of the
Holy Sacraments, and for all other exercises of religious worship and service, according to the Discipline and usages of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. And, as the
dedication of the Temple is vain without
the solemn consecration of the worshipers
also, I now call upon you all to dedicate
yourselves anew to the service of God.
To Him let our souls be dedicated, that




Ch. viii. DEDICATION OF A CiHUCHl.  221
they may be renewed after the image of
Christ. To Him let our bodies be dedicated, that they may be fit temples for the
indwelling of the Holy Ghost. To Him
may our labors and business be dedicated,
that their fruit may tend to the glory of
His great name, and to the advancement of
His kingdom. And that He may graciously accept this our solemn act, let us pray.
The Congregation kneeling, the Minister shall
offer the following Prayer.
0 most glorious Lord, we acknowledge
that we are not worthy to offer unto thee
anything belonging unto us; yet we beseech thee, in thy great goodness, graciously to accept the Dedication of this place to
thy service, and to prosper this our undertaking; receive the prayers and intercessions of all those thy servants who shall
call upon thee in this house; and give then
grace to prepare their hearts to serve thee
with reverence and godly fear; affect them
with an awful apprehension of thy Divine
Majesty, and a deep sense of their own unworthiness; that so approaching thy sanctuary with lowliness and devotion, and coming before thee with clean thoughts and
pure hearts, with bodies undefiled, and




222   DEDICATION OF A CHURoH. Part IV,
minds sanctified, they may always perform
a service acceptable to thee; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Regard, 0 Lord, the supplications of thy
servants, and grant that whosoever shall
be dedicated to thee in this house by Baptism, may ever remain in the number of
thy faithful children. Amen.
Grant, 0 Lord, that whosoever shall receive in this place the blessed Sacrament
of the Body and Blood of Christ, may
come to that holy ordinance with faith,
charity, and true repentance; and being
filled with thy grace and heavenly benediction, may, to their great and endless
comfort, obtain remission of their sins, and
all other benefits of his death. Amen.
Grant, 0 Lord, that by thy holy Word
which shall be read and preached in this
place, and by thy holy Spirit grafting it
inwardly in the heart, the hearers thereof
may both perceive and know what things
they ought to do, and may have power and
strength to perform the same. Amen.
Now, therefore, arise, 0 Lord, and come
unto this place of Thy rest, Thou and the
ark of Thy strength. Let thine eye be
open toward this house day and night;
and let thine ears be ready toward the




Ch. viii. DEDICATION OF A CHUTRCI.  223
prayers of Thy children which they shall
make unto Thee in this place: and whensoever Thy servants shall make to Thee
their petitions here, do Thou hear them
from  Heaven, Thy dwelling place, the
throne of the glory of Thy kingdom; and
when Thou hearest, forgive. And grant,
O Lord, we beseech Thee, that here and
elsewhere Thy ministers may be clothed
with righteousness, and Thy saints rejoice
in Thy salvation. And may we all, with
Thy people everywhere, grow up into a
holy temple in the Lord, and be at last received into the glorious temple above; the
house not made with hands, eternal in the
heavens. And to the Father, and the Son,
and the Holy Spirit, be glory and praise,
world without end. Amen.'The services to conclude with Doxology and Benediction.




PART V.
EDUCATIONAL AND BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS.
SECTION I.
Education.
Quest. How shall the Church provide
for the higher education of her youth?
Answ. 1. It is recommended that wherEachConference ever practicable, each Conone Academy.  ference have at least one
academy or seminary under its direct
supervision; and that such institutions
confine themselves to their legitimate
sphere of duties.
2. It is also recommended that, as a
Four Conferences general thing, not less than
to one Univers- four Conferences unite in the
ity.         support of a college or un;versity; and the Conferences are earnestly
advised not to multiply schools, especially
of this higher grade, beyond the wants of
the people or their ability to sustain them.
3. All these schools are, to a certain extent, beneficiary institutions.
Endowment.,
The academy must be furnished




~ 2.    RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION.     225
with buildings and apparatus by the benevolence of the Church. The college must, in
addition to these, have such endowments as
shall yield a regular income sufficient to meet
its current expenses; and, that our people
may be properly instructed in this matter, it
shall be the duty of each preacher in charge
to preach on the subject of education once
a year, to diffuse information by the distribution of tracts, or otherwise, and especially to call the attention of our wealthy
members and friends to the duty of making
liberal donations and bequests to this object. It is also recommended that each
Conference take up annually a collection to
aid the work of education.
4. It is advised that educational societies
for the aid of poor young men Educational
be established, in connection  Societies.
with each of our colleges and biblical
institutes, or Annual Conferences.
SECTION II.
Sunday-schools and the Instruction of
Children.
Quest. 1. What shall we do for the
moral and religious instruction of our
children?
Answ.. 1. It shall be the duty of each
15




226     RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION. Part V,
Committee  on Presiding Elder to bring the
Sunday-Schools. subject of Sunday-schools
before the First Quarterly Conference of
each year; and said Quarterly Conference
shall proceed to appoint a committee of
not less than three nor more than nine, to be
called the Committee on Sunday-Schools, of
which the preacher in charge shall be the
chairman, whose duty it shall be to aid the
preacher in charge and the officers of the
Sunday-schools in procuring suitable teachers, in promoting, in all proper ways, the
attendance of children on our Sundayschools and on our regular public worship,
and in raising money to meet the expenses
of the Sunday-schools of the charge.
It shall be the duty of the preacher in
Sunday-school charge, aided by the superinBooks.      tendent and the Committee
on Sunday-Schools, to decide as to what
books shall be used in our Sunday-schools.
(See pp. 55, 56, ans. 8.)
2. It shall be the special duty of the
Duty of:Preachers preachers having charge of
in charge.   circuits or stations, with
the aid of the other preachers and the
Committee on Sunday-Schools, to form
Sunday-schools in all our congregations
where ten children can be collected for




~ 2.     RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION.    227
that purpose; and to engage the co-operation of as many of our members as
they can, and to visit the schools as often
as practicable; to preach on the subject of
Sunday-schools and religious instruction in
each congregation at least once in six
months; and to form Bible classes wherever they can, for the instruction of youth
and adults; and where they cannot superintend them personally, to see that suitable teachers are provided for that purpose.
3. It shall be the duty of our preachers
to enforce faithfully upon parents and Sunday-school teachers the great importance
of instructing children in the doctrine and
duties of our holy religion, to see that our
catechisms be used as extensively as possible in our Sunday-schools and families, to
preach to the children, and publicly catechise them in the Sunday-schools, and at
public meetings appointed for that purpose.
4. It shall be the duty of every preacher,
in his pastoral visits, to pay special attention to the children, to speak to them personally and kindly on the subject of experimental and practical godliness, according
to their capacity, pray earnestly for them,
and diligently instruct and exhort all parents to dedicate their children to the Lord




228      SUPPORT OF MISSIONS.   Part V,
in baptism as early as convenient. (See
pages 23, 38-40, and p. 97.)
5. Each preacher in charge shall lay
Sunday-School before the Quarterly ConferReports.    ence, to be entered on its
journal, the number, state, and average
attendance of the Sunday-schools and Bible
classes in his charge, (page 98,) and the
extent to which he has preached to the
children and catechised them, and make
the required report on Sunday-schools to
his Annual Conference.*
SECTION III.
The Support of ilfissions.
1. The support of missions is committed to the Churches, congregations, and
societies as such.
2. It shall be the duty of each Annual
Duty of Annual Conference, where missions
Conferences. have been or are to be established, to appoint a standing committee
(which shall keep a record of its doings,
and report the same to its Conference,)
whose duty it shall le, in conjunction with
the President of the Conference, to make
* Constitution for Sunday-School Societies,
see Appendix, page xix.




~ 3.     SUPPORT OF MISSIONS.      229
an estimate of the amount necessary for
the support of each mission and mission
school, in addition to the regular allowance
of the Discipline to Preachers and their
families from  year to year: for which
amount the President of the Conference for
the time being shall draw on the treasurer
of the society in quarterly installments.
3. It shall be the duty of each Annual
Conference to form  within its bounds a
Conference Missionary Society, which shall
appoint its own officers, fix the terms of
membership, and otherwise regulate its own
administration. But it shall pay all its
funds into the treasury of the Parent society.
4. Each Annual Conference shall designate the month or months in which
the public collections and contributions
for missions shall be taken within its
bounds.
5. It shall be the duty of each Presiding
Elder to bring the subject of Duty of residour missions before the Quar- ing Elders.
terly Conference of each circuit and station
within his district at the last Quarterly
Conference in each year; and said Conference shall proceed to appoint a committee,
of not less than three nor more than nine,
(of which the Preacher in charge shall be




230      SUPPORT OF MISSIONS.   Part V,
chairman,) to be called the Committee on
Missions, whose duty it shall be to aid the
Preacher in charge in carrying into effect
the disciplinary measures for the support
of our missions.
6. It shall be the duty of each Presiding
Elder to see that the provisions of this section are faithfully executed in his district;
and in order thereto, he shall inquire at
each session of the Quarterly Conference
what has been done by the Mission Committee toward raising funds for the support
of missions during the preceding quarter,
and particularly whether the Sundayschools have been organized into Missionary Societies.
7. It shall be thle duty of the Preacher in
Duty of Preach- charge, aided by the Coners in Charge. mittee on Missions, to provide for the diffusion of missionary intelligence in the Church and congregation.
8. It shall be the duty of the Preacher
in charge, aided by the Committee on Missions, to institute a monthly missionary
prayer-meeting, or lecture, in each society,
or Church and congregation, wherever
practicable, for the purpose of imploring
the Divine blessing on missions; for the
diffusion of missionary intelligence, and to




~ 3.     SUrPPOT OF MISSIONS.      231
afford an opportunity for voluntary offerings to the missionary cause.
9. It shall be the duty of the Preacher in
charge, aided by the Committee on Missions, to appoint missionary collectors, and
furnish them with suitable books and instructions, that they may call on each
member of the society, or Church and congregation, and on other persons, at their
discretion, for his or her annual, semiannual, quarterly, monthly, or weekly contributions for the support of missions. Said
collectors shall make monthly returns (unless otherwise instructed by the committee)
to the Preacher in charge, or to the Missionary Treasurer of the Church, if there
be such treasurer appointed by the Committee on Missions.  Such returns shall
be fairly entered in a book, which the
committee shall provide, together with
collections and contributions received from
other sources. Such entries shall set forth
the name of each collector, the real or assumed names of the contributors to each
collector, with the amount contributed by
each.
10. Each Preacher in charge shall report
at Conference, to the Executive Committee,
or Board of Managers of the Conference




232       SUPPORT OF MISSIONS. Part V,
Missionary Society, a plain transcript of
the record of the returns provided for in
item  nine, comprehending the name of
each collector in his charge, and the name,
real or assumed, of each contributor to each
collector, that they may be by said Executive Committee, or Board of Managers,
properly arranged by districts, and by
charges, for publication in the Annual
Report of the Conference Missionary Society; together with the contributions and
collections received from other sources,
unless the Conference shall by vote declare
such transcript returns, and such publication, not to be advisable.
11. It shall be the duty of the Preacher in
charge, with the aid of the Committee on
Missions, to present once in the year to the
Societies, or the Churches and congregations, the cause of missions, and to ask
public collections and contributions for the
support of the same. The manner of asking and taking such collections and contributions shall be at the discretion of the
pastor and the Committee on Missions,
with this injunction, that the pastor shall
preach, or cause to be preached on the
occasion, one or more sermons; and with
the recommendation that one whole Sab



~ 3.     SUPPORT OF MISSIONS.      233
bath-day be given to the cause, on this
annual presentation of missions, in our
principal Churches and congregations.
12. It is earnestly recommended that
each Sunday-school in our Sda
Sunday-School
Churches and congregations  Missionary
be organized into a Mission-  society.
ary Society, under such rules and regulations as the pastor, the superintendent, and
teachers may prescribe.
13. The President of the Conference, at
each session, shall appoint Conference Misone of its members, with an sionary sermon.
alternate, to preach a missionary sermon
during its next succeeding session, at such
time and place as the officers of the Conference Missionary Society shall designate,
and said officers shall cause timely notice
of such sermon to be published abroad.
14. When the character of the Presiding Elder is under examina- Examination of,tion, the Bishop shall ask him  Character.
whether the provisions of the Discipline for
the support of missions have been carried
out on his district; and when the character
of a Preacher in charge is examined, inquire
of him what amount has been raised on his
charge for missions.
15. The Corresponding Secretary of the




234      SUPPORT OF MISSIONS.  Part V,
Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church shall be a member of such
Annual Conference as he may, with the
approbation of the Bishops, select.
16. Any Annual Conference may, at its
Domestic Mis-  option, by a vote of two
sionary Society. thirds of its members, assulne the responsibility of supporting such
missions, already established within its own
limits, as have hitherto been reported under the head of "Missions in the Destitute Portions of the Regular Work;"
and for this purpose it shall be at liberty
to organize a Conference Domestic Society,
with  branches; provided, such organization shall not interfere with the collections for the Missionary Society of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, as required
by the Discipline. Provided, also, that in
case more funds shall be raised for such
missions than are needed, the surplus shall
be paid over to the Treasurer of the Parent
Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
at New York, to be appropriated to such
mission or missions, under the care of the
Society, as may be designated by said
Conference.




~4.      CIRCULATION OF BOOKS.       235
SECTION IV.
Printing  and   Circulation  of -Religious
Tracts.
Provision is made for the publication at the
Book Concern of cheap books and tracts in our
own and foreign languages. For the duties of
the Editor of Tracts and Corresponding Secretary of the Tract Society, see part v, ~ 5.
Our Tract Society is designed to aid in the diffusion of religious knowledge by the circulation
of our evangelical publications.
1. It is recommended to our people
everywhere to form Tract Societies, auxiliary to the Tract Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
2. It is recommended to preachers in
charge to make annually, in their several
congregations, collections in behalf of the
Tract Society of the Methodist Episcopal
Church.
3. It shall be the duty of each Presiding Elder to bring the Tract cause before
the first Quarterly Meeting Conference of
each year, in each circuit and station within
his district, and said Conference shall appoint a committee whose duty it shall be
to devise and execute plans for local Tract
distribution.




236     CIRCULATION OF Booxs. Part V,
SECTION V.
Printing and Circulating Books, Tracts,
and Periodicals.
1. The principal establishments of the
Book Concern shall be in the cities of New
York and Cincinnati; the Agents of our
principal establishments at New York and
Cincinnati, and the Editors of our books
and periodicals, to be elected by the General Conference; and there shall be such
other establishments as the General Conference may deem expedient.
2. There shall be an Agent and an AsAgents at New sistant Agent to conduct the
York.      Book Concern at New York,
both of whom shall be chosen from among
the Traveling Preachers, and shall be members of such Conferences as they may, with
the approbation of the Bishops, select.
3. The Agents shall have authority to
regulate the publications and all other
parts of the business of the Concern, except what belongs to the editorial departments, as the state of the finances will admit, and the demands may require. It
shall be their duty to send an exhibit of
the state of the Book Concern at New




~ 5.     CIRCULATION OF BOOKS.   237
York to each session of the Annual Conferences, and report quadrennially to the
General Conference.
4. They shall publish such books and
tracts as are recommended by the General
Conference, and may, if approved by the
Editors, publish such as are recommended
by the Book Committee at New York, or
recommended by an Annual Conference;
and they may reprint any book or tract
which has been once approved and published by us, when in their judgment, and
in the judgment of the Editors, the same
ought to be reprinted; or they may publish any new work which may be approved
by the Editors.
5. There shall be an Editor of the Methodist Quarterly Review and gen- it
eral books, and an Editor for the
Christian Advocate and Journal, and an
Editor of the Northern Christian Advocate,
who, if chosen from among the Traveling
Preachers, shall be members of such Conferences as they may, with the approbation
of the Bishops, select. There shall be an
Editor at New York of Sunday-School and
Tract Publications, whose duty it shall be,
in consultation with the Book Agents, to
superintend all such publications issued at




288     CIRCULATION OF BOOKS. Part V,
our Book Room, and to have charge of the
Sunday-School Advocate or other Sundayschool and Tract periodicals; and he shall
be subject to the same regulations and restrictions which govern the other Editors in
New York. The Editor of Sunday-sclool
publications shall also be the Corresponding
Secretary of our Sunday-School Union and
of the Tract Society.
6. The Book Committee at New York
Book Committee shall consist of nine Travelat New York. ing Preachers,* to be chosen
by the General Conference. During the
interval of the General Conference they
shall have power to fill any vacancy that
may occur in their own body. It shall
be the duty of the Book Committee to
examine into the condition of the Book
Concern, including the Northern Christian
Advocate, to inspect the accounts of the
Agents, and make a report thereof yearly
to all the Annual Conferences, and to
the General Conference. They shall also
attend to such matters as may be referred
to them by the Editors or Agents for their
action or counsel. And they shall have
power to suspend an Editor or Agent
from his official relation as such, if they
* See Appendix, p. xxiii.-EDS.




~ 5.     CIRCULATION OF BOOxS.    239
judge it necessary for the interests of the
Church and the Concern. And a time
shall be fixed, at as early a day as practicable, for the investigation of the official
conduct of the said Editor or Agent, at
which two or more of the Bishops shall
be requested to attend; and by the concurrence of the Bishops present, and of a
majority of the Committee, he may be removed from  office in the interval of the
General Conference. And in case a vacancy
occurs in any of the agencies or editorial
departments authorized by the General
Conference, it shall be the duty of the
Book Committee, and two or more of the
General Superintendents, as soon as practicable, to provide for such vacancy until
the next General Conference.
7. There shall be an Agent and an Assistant Agent to conduct the Agents at
Western Book Concern in Cin- Cincinnati.
cinnati, to be chosen from  among the
Traveling Preachers, who shall manage
the business in the western country, so
as to co-operate with the Agents at New
York, and shall be members of such Conferences as they may, with the approbation
of the Bishops, select.
(1.) They shall have authority to pub



240     CIRCULATION OF BOOKS. Part V,
lish any book or tract which has been previously published by the Agents at New
York, when in their judgment, and in the
judgment of the Book Committee, the demand for such publication will justify, and
the interests of the Church require it.
Provided, they shall not reprint our large
works, such as the Commentaries, quarto
Bible, Wesley's and Fletcher's Works, or
any other work containing more than
seven hundred pages. And the Agents at
New  York shall fill the orders for the
Agents at Cincinnati for the plates of such
books or tracts; and when the Agents at
New York are about to issue any new
work of less than seven hundred pages,
they shall, when practicable, give notice
to the Agents at Cincinnati, and furnish,
if ordered by them, duplicate plates, which
with the above, shall be at cost.
(2.) They shall publish such books and
tracts as are recommended to them for publication by the General Conference; and
they may publish any new work which
shall be approved by the Editors; and may
publish any work recommended by the
Book Committee at Cincinnati, or by an
Annual Conference, if approved by the
Editors.




~ 5.     CIRCULATION OF Booxs.     241
(3.) Printed sheets ordered by the Agents
from New York shall be sent at fifty per
cent., and bound books of the General
Catalogue at forty per cent., discount from
the retail prices; and those ordered from
Cincinnati to New York to be sent on the
same terms, the agency sending the books
to be charged with the expense of transportation.
(4.) It shall be the duty of the Agents to
send an exhibit of the state of the Book
Concern at Cincinnati to each session of all
the Annual Conferences, and report quadrennially to the General Conference.
(5.) The Agents of this establishment
shall remit to the Agents at New York
during the current year as largely and as
frequently as their funds will allow, and to
the full amount of stock furnished, if practicable. They shall also pay one third of
the salaries and traveling expenses of the
Bishops, and also the same proportion of
all other appropriations made by the said
General Conference, unless otherwise ordered by said Conference.
(6.) There shall be an Editor of the Ladies' Repository, general books and
tracts, except those in the German
language, and an Editor of the Western,
16




242     CIRCULATION OF BooKS. Part V,
Northwestern, and Central Christian Advocates, who, if chosen from among the
Traveling Preachers, shall be members of
such Conferences as they may, with the
approbation of the Bishops, select.
(7.) There shall be an Editor in the German department, who shall have charge of
the Christian Apologist and Sunday-School
Bell, and perform all the editorial duties
necessary in the printing of such books
and tracts as may be recommended to the
Agents as above, for publication in the
German language.
(8.) The Book Committee of this departBook Committee ment of the Book Concern
at Cincinnati. shall consist of twelve Traveling Ministers,* to be chosen by the
General Conference, whose powers and
duties in reference to this establishment,
embracing the Northwestern Christian Advocate, published at Chicago, Illinois, and
the Central Christian Advocate, published
at St. Louis, Missouri, shall be the same
as those of the Book Committee at New
York in relation to the Concern there.
8. Every Annual Conference shall apDebts to the point a committee, who, in
Book Concern. the absence of the Agent,
* See Appendix, page xxiv.-EDs.




~ 5.    CIRCULATION OF BOOKs.     243
shall attend to the collection of the accounts sent out from the Book Concern,
and return an accurate report of the same.
Every Presiding Elder, Minister, and
Preacher shall do everything in his power
to recover all debts due to the Concern,
for books or periodicals, within the bounds
of his charge. If any person, Preacher or
member, be indebted to the Book Concern,
and refuse or neglect to make payment, or
to come to a just settlement, let himn be
dealt with in the same manner as is directed
in other cases of debt and disputed accounts.*
9. There shall also be published the Pittsburgh Christian Advocate at ublishing
Pittsburgh, Pa.; the Pacific Committees.
Christian Advocate in Portland, Oregon;
and the California Christian Advocate at
San Francisco, California: for each of which
there shall be an Editor, who, if chosen from
among the Traveling Preachers, shall be a
member of such Conference as he may,
with the approbation of the Bishop, select.
There shall also be for each of these papers
a separate Publishing Committee, whose
duties shall be similar with regard to them
* Members of Annual Conferences indebted
to the Book Concern. (See page 254.)




244      CIRCULATION OF BOOKS. Part V,
to those of the Book Agents and Book
Committees at New York and Cincinnati
in relation to the publications under their
care, so far as they may be applicable to
the establishments under their supervision.
10. The Publishing Committee of the
Pittsburgh Christian Advocate shall consist of three members from the Pittsburgh
Conference, two from the Erie Conference,
and two from West Virginia Conference,
to be chosen by the General Conference.
11. The Publishing Committee of the
Pacific Christian Advocate shall consist of
five members of the Oregon Conference, to
be chosen annually by said Conference.
The Publishing Committee of the California Christian Advocate shall consist of
five members of the California Conference,
to be chosen annually by said Conference.
12. The Publishing Committee in each
of these establishments shall keep an account of the receipts and expenditures for
the paper, correspond with the Agents at
New York, hold all moneys, after defraying
current expenses, subject to their order,
and shall report annually on the state of the
establishment to their Conference, and to
the Agents at New York. And whenever
it shall be found that such papers do not




~ 5.    CIRCULATION OF BOOKS.      245
fully support themselves, with such aid as
may have been allowed them, it shall be
the duty of the Publishing Committees to
discontinue them.
13. There shall be a depository of our
books at Pittsburgh, PennsylvaDepositories.
nia; at Boston, Massachusetts;
and at Buffalo, New York; furnished by
the Agents at New York with full supplies
of the books of our General Catalogue,
Sunday-school books, and Tracts, to be
sold for the Concern on the same terms
as at New York.    Provided, that there
shall not be more than fifteen thousand
dollars' worth at Pittsburgh, nor more
than ten thousand dollars' worth at Boston. There shall also be a depository at
Chicago, Illinois, and one at St. Louis,
Missouri, to be supplied by the Agents at
Cincinnati.
14. The expenses incident to the transportation, management, and sale of our
books at these depositories having been
met out of the sales, according to an arrangement with the Agents, the net proceeds shall be forwarded to said Agents as
fast as possible.
15. Full statements shall be made to the
Agents semi-annually, at dates fixed by




246     CIRCULATION OF BOOKs. Part V,
them, of the amount of sales and of expenses; distinguishing cash sales from those
on credit. And, also, annual statements
shall be made of the amount of stock.
16. If it shall appear to the Agents that
the business at either of the depositories is
not well managed, or that remittances are
not duly made, they shall immediately correct the error compllained of; or, with the
concurrence of the Book Committee, cause
the affairs of the Depository to be wound
up.
17. No books shall hereafter be sold
on commission, either from  New York,
Cincinnati, or any other depository or establishment under our direction.
18. The salaries of the Editors
and Agents at New York, and the
Editor of the Northern Christian Advocate,
shall be fixed by the Book Committee at
New York. The salaries of the Agents and
Editors at Cincinnati, and the Editors at
Chicago and St. Louis, shall be fixed by the
Book Committee of the Western Book Concern. And the salaries of the Editors of the
papers at Pittsburgh, Pa, Portland, Oregon,
and San Francisco, Cal., shall be fixed by
the Publishing Committees having charge
of those papers respectively.




~ 6.       CHARTERED FUND.        247
19. The profits arising from the
Profits.
Book Concern, after a sufficient capital to carry on the business is retained, shall
be regularly applied to the support of the deficient Traveling Preachers and their families, the widows and orphans of Preachers,
etc. The Book Agents shall every year send
forward to each Annual Conference an account of the dividend which the several
Annual Conferences may draw that year;
and each Conference may draw for its proportionate part on any person who has
book money in hands, and the drafts, with
the receipt of the Conference thereon, shall
be sent to the Book Agents, and be placed
to the credit of the person who paid the
same.
20. The Annual Conferences are affectionately and earnestly request- Miscellaneed not to establish any more  ou1S
Conference papers; and where such papers
exist, they may be discontinued when it
can be done consistently with existing
obligations.
21. Any Traveling Preacher who may
publish any work or book of his own, shall
be responsible to his Conference for any
obnoxious matter or doctrine therein contained.




248        CHARTERED FUND.     Part V,
22. No Editor, Agent, or Clerk employed
in the Book Concern, or in any department
belonging to it, shall be allowed in any
case to publish or sell books as his own
private property, or employ his time for
other parties.
SECTION VI.
The Chartered Fund.
Quest. 1. What further provision shall
be made for the distressed Traveling
Preachers, for the families of Traveling
Preachers, and for the Superannuated and
Worn-out Preachers and the widows and
orphans of Preachers?
Answ. There shall be a
Stock Funded.,
Stock unded  Chartered Fund, to be supported by the voluntary contributions of
our friends: the principal stock of which
shall be funded under the direction of trustees chosen by the General Conference, and
the interest applied under the direction of
the General Conference, according to the
following regulations, namely:
1. The Elders, and those who
Regulations, 
have the oversight of circuits,
shall be collectors and receivers of subscriptions, etc., for this fund.




~ 6.       CHARTERED FUND.         249
2. The money shall, if possible, be conveyed by bills. of exchange, or otherwise,
through the means of the post, to the general Book Agents, who shall pay it to the
trustees of the fund; otherwise it shall be
brought to the ensuing Annual Conference.
3. The interest shall be divided into fiftyfour parts, and each of the Annual Conferences shall have authority to draw one
fifty-fourth part out of the fund; and if
in one or more Conferences apart less than
one fifty-fourth be drawn out of the fund
in any given year, then in such case or
cases, the other Annual Conferences, held
in the same year, shall have authority, if
they judge it necessary, to draw out of the
fund such surplus of the interest which has
not been applied by the former Conferences; and the Bishops shall bring the necessary information of the state of the interest
of the fund, respecting the year in question,
fiom Conference to Conference.
4. All drafts on the Chartered Fund shall
be made on the President of the said fund,
by order of the Annual Conference, signed
by the President, and countersigned by the
Secretary of the said Conference.
5. The money subscribed for the Chartered Fund may be lodged, on proper




250        CHARTERED FUND.     Part V.
securities, in the States respectively in
which it has been subscribed, under the
direction of deputies living in such States
respectively; provided such securities and
such deputies be proposed as shall be approved of by the trustees in Philadelphia;
and the stock in which it is proposed to
lodge the money be sufficiently productive
to give satisfaction to the trustees.
Quest. 2. How shall vacancies in the
Board of Trustees of the Chartered Fund
be filled?
Answ. The Board of Trustees shall have
power to fill any vacancy or vacancies that
may occur in their body by death, resignation, or otherwise, subject, however, to the
approval of the first General Conference
that may be held after such vacancy or
vacancies shall have occurred.




PART VI.
TEMPORAL ECONOMY.
CHAPTER I.
SUPPORT OF MINISTERS.
SECTION I.
The Support of Bishops, and the Families
of Deceased Bishops.
Quest. WHAT provision shall be made for
the support of the Bishops, and the widows
and children of deceased Bishops?
Answ. It shall be the duty of the Book
Committee at New York to make an estimate of the amount necessary to furnish a
competent support to each Bishop residing
east of the Alleghany Mountains, considering the number and condition of his family,
and the amount necessary to assist the
widows and children of deceased Bishops
residing within the same territory; and it
shall be the duty of the Book Committee
at Cincinnati to make a similar estimate
with regard to the Bishops, and the widows
and children of Bishops residing west of
the Alleghany Mountains, and the Bishops
are authorized to draw on the Book Con



252       SUPPORT OF ELDERS. Part VI,
cern for said amount, and also for their
traveling expenses. The Bishop presiding
at an Annual Conference, within whose
bounds a widow or orphan of a deceased
Bishop may reside, shall be authorized to
draw on the Book Concern for such amount
as may be estimated as aforesaid.
S&ECTION II.
The Presiding Elder's Support.
Quest. How shall the Presiding Elders
be supported?
Answ. There shall be annually, in every
district, a meeting composed of one steward
from each circuit and station, to be selected
by the Quarterly Conference, whose duty it
shall be, with the advice of the Presiding
Elder, (who shall preside in such meeting,)
to make an estimate of the amount necessary to furnish a comfortable support to
the Presiding Elder, and to apportion the
same, including house rent and traveling
expenses, among the different circuits and
stations in the district, according to their
several ability; and in all cases the Presiding Elder shall share with the preachers
in his district in proportion with what they
have respectively received; but if there be
a surplus of money raised for the support




Oh. i, ~ 3.  THE MINISTERS.        253
of the preachers in one or more of the circuits or stations in his district, he shall
receive such surplus, provided he do not
receive more than his allowance.
SECTION III.
Support of Ministers and Preachers.
1. It shall be the duty of the Quarterly
Conference of each circuit and station at
the session immediately preceding the Annual Conference, to appoint an Estimating
Committee, consisting of three or more
members of the Church, who shall, after
conferring with the preachers, make an
estimate of the amount necessary to furnish
a comfortable support to the preacher or
preachers stationed among them, taking
into consideration the number and condition of the family or families of such
preacher or preachers, which estimate shall
be subject to the action of the Quarterly
Conference, and the stewards shall provide
by such methods as they may judge best
to meet such amount. The traveling and
moving expenses of the preachers shall net
be reckoned as a part of the estimate, but
be paid by the Stewards separately.
2. Whenever a member Member applying
of an Annual Conference for Location.




254 SUPERANNUATED PREACHERS. Part VI,
applies for a location, it shall be asked
in all cases, Is he indebted to the Book
Concern? and if it be ascertained that
he is, the Conference shall require him
to secure said debt, if they judge it at
all necessary or proper, before they grant
him a location. Whenever any claimant
on the funds of a Conference shall be in
debt to the Book Concern, the Conference
of which he is a member shall have power
to appropriate the amount of such claim, or
any part thereof, to the payment of said debt.
3. When a member of an Annual ConWhenClaim ference is accused of crime in
ceases.  the interval of his Conference
session and is suspended by a committee,
and subsequently convicted by his Conference and expelled, his claim upon the funds
of the Conference shall cease from the time
of his suspension.
SECTION IV.
Support of Superannuated Preachers.
It shall be the duty of the Quarterly
Conference of each charge within whose
bounds a superannuated preacher, or the
widow or child of a deceased preacher may
reside, to appoint a committee, whose duty
it shall be to make an estimate of the
amount necessary to assist such preacher,




O. i, ~ 5.  LOCAL PREACHERS.      255
widow, or child in obtaining a comfortable
support, and such estimate shall be sent
up to the Annual Conference with which
the claimant may be connected, and subject
to the action of said Annual Conference.
SECTION V.
Local Preachers to have an Allowance in
certain Cases.
1. Whenever a Local Preacher fills the
place of a Traveling Preacher
b  th   b  ti ~ f  th  Claim  of Local
by the approbation of the Preachers as a
Presiding Elder, he shall be  Supply.
paid for his time a sum proportional to
the allowance of a Traveling Preacher;
which sum shall be paid by the circuit at
the next quarterly meeting, if the Traveling Preacher whose place he filled up were
either sick or necessarily absent; or, in
other cases, out of the allowance of the
Traveling Preacher.
2. If a Local Preacher be distressed in
his temporal circumstances
Local Preachers
on account of his service in in Embarrassed
the circuit, he may apply to Circumstances.
the Quarterly Conference, who may give
him what relief they judge proper, after
the allowance of the Traveling Preachers
and of their wives, and all other regular
allowances, are discharged.




256        ANNUAL SUPPLIES.   Part V1,
CHAPTER II.
RAISING SUPPLIES-PARSONAGES.
SECTION I.
Miethods for Raising Annual Supplies for
the Propagation of the Gospel, and making up the Allowance of Preachers.
1. THE more effectually to raise the
amount necessary to meet the above-mentioned allowances of the effective Ministers
and Preachers, let there be made weekly
class collections in all our societies where
it is practicable; and in such circuits and
stations where the stewards approve, large
classes may be divided into two or three
financial classes, to consist of not more than
twelve members and a collector appointed
by the preacher, (by and with the advice
and consent of the stewards,) whose duty
it shall be to collect weekly, monthly, or
quarterly, as the case may be determined,
from each member of the class what they
agree to pay, and the money when collected
shall be paid regularly to the class-leader,
to be brought up by him to the leaders'




Ch. ii, ~ 1.  ANNUAL SUPPLIES.   257
meeting or Quarterly Conference, as the
case may be.
2. To provide to meet the claims that
may be presented and determined at the
Annual Conference, every Preacher shall
make an annual collection in every congregation of his charge, and the money so
collected shall be lodged in the hands of
the steward or stewards, and brought or
sent to the ensuing Annual Conference.
3. Let the annual pro- Chartered Fund and
duce of the Chartered  Book Concern.
Fund, as divided among the several Annual
Conferences, be applied with the above
contributions, but so as not to militate
against the rules of the Chartered Fundi,nd
also the annual dividend arising from the
profits of the Book Concern. Out of the
money so collected and brought to the respective Annual Conferences, let the various allowances agreed upon in accordance
with the provisions of part vi, ch. i, pp.
251-255.
4. Effective men who have Preachers who
not been able to obtain their have not obtained Allowallowance from the people  ance.
where they have labored may present a
claim to the Conference, to be paid out of
the money at the disposal of the Confer17




258          PARSONAGES.      Part VI,
ence, and such claim may be paid, or any
part thereof, as the Conference may determine. In no case, however, shall the
Church or Conference be holden accountable for any deficiency, as in the case of debt.
5. Every Annual Conference has
full liberty to adopt and recommend
such plans and rules as to them may appear
necessary the more effectually to raise supplies for the respective allowances. Each
Annual Conference is authorized to raise a
fund, if they judge it proper, subject to their
own control, and under such regulations as
their wisdom may direct, for the relief of
the distressed traveling and superannuated
preachers, their wives, widows, and children; and it shall be the duty of each
Annual Conference to take measures from
year to year to raise money in every circuit and station within its bounds for those
purposes.
SECTION II.
Building and Renting Houses for the use
of Traveling Preachers.
Quest. What advice or direction shall be
given concerning the building or renting
of dwelling-houses for the use of the married Traveling Preachers?




Ch. ii, ~ 2.  PARSONAGES.          25-9
Answi. 1. It is recom- Building and Purnmended by the General ihing Houses.
Conference to the Traveling Preachers to
advise our friends in general to purchase a
lot of ground in each circuit, and to build
a Preacher's house thereon, and to furnish
it with, at least, heavy furniture.
2. The General Conference recommend
to all the circuits, in cases where they are
not able to comply with the above request,
to rent a house for the married Preacher
and his family, (when such are stationed
upon their circuits respectively,) and that
the Annual Conferences do assist to make
up the rents of such houses as far as they
can, when the circuit cannot do it.
The Stewards of each
Duty of Stewards.
circuit and station shall Duty of Stewards.
be a standing committee (where no trustees are constituted for that purpose) to
provide houses for the families of our married Preachers, or to assist the Preachers to obtain houses for themselves when
they are appointed to labor among them.
3. It shall be the duty of the Duty of PresidPresiding Elders and Preach- ing Elders.
ers to use their influence to carry the above
rules respecting building and renting houses
for the accommodation of Preachers and




260          PARSONAGES.       Part VI,
their families into effect. In order to this,
each Quarterly Conference shall appoint a
committee, (unless other measures have
been adopted,) who, with the advice and
aid of the Preachers and Presiding Elders,
shall devise such means as may seem fit to
raise moneys for that purpose. And it is
recommended to the Annual Conferences
to make a special inquiry of their members respecting this part of their duty.




Oh. iii, ~ 1. BUILDING COHUnrHES.  261
CHAPTER III.
CHURCHES AND CHURCH PROPERTY.
SECTION I.
Building Churches.
Quest. 1. Is anything advisable in regard
to building churches?
Answ. 1. Let all our churches be built
plain and decent, and with free seats wherever practicable; but not more expensive
than is absolutely unavoidable, otherwise
the necessity of raising money will make
rich men necessary to us. But if so, we
must be dependent on them, yea, and governed by them.   And then farewell to
Methodist discipline, if not doctrine too.
2. In order more effectually
Church Debts.
to prevent our people from contracting debts which they are not able to
discharge, it shall be the duty of the Quarterly Conference of every circuit and station where it is contemplated to build a
house or houses of worship, to secure the
ground or lot on which such house or houses
are to be built, according to our deed of settlement, which deed must be legally exe



262       BUILDING CHURCHES. Part VI,
cuted; and also said Quarterly Conference
shall appoint a judicious committee of at
least three members of our Church, who
shall form an estimate of the amount necessary to build; and three fourths of the
money, according to such estimate, shall
be secured or subscribed before any such
building shall be commenced.
In all cases where debts for building
houses of worship have been, or may be,
incurred contrary to, or in disregard of, the
above recommendation, our members and
friends are requested to discountenance,
by declining pecuniary aid to all agents
who shall travel abroad beyond their own
circuits or districts for the collection of
funds for the discharge of such debts: except in such peculiar cases as may be approved by an Annual Conference, or such
agents as may be appointed by their authority.
3. In future we will admit no
Conveyance.
onveyancecharter, deed, or conveyance for
any house of worship to be used by us, unless it be provided in such charter, deed, or
conveyance that the trustees of said house
shall at all times permit such ministers and
preachers belonging to the Methodist Episcopal Church as shall from time to time be




Oh. iii, ~ 2.  TRUSTEES.           263
duly authorized by the General Conference
of the ministers of our Church, or by the
Annual Conferences, to preach and expound
God's holy word, and to execute the Discipline of the Church, and to administer the
sacraments therein, according to the true
meaning and purport of our deed of settleuIent.
SECTION II.
Trustees-Their Appointment, Duties and
Responsibilities.
Quest, How shall trustees be constituted
for our Church property, and what shall
be their duties?
Answ. 1. Each board of trustees shall consist of not less than three, nor Number of
more than nine persons, each   Trustees.
of whom shall be not less than twenty-one
years of age, and a majority of whom shall
be members of the Methodist Episcopal
Church.
2. In all cases where the Mode of Eleclaw of the State or Territory  tion.
requires a specified mode of election, that
mode shall be observed.
3. Where no such specific requirement
is made, they shall be elected annually, by
the fourth Quarterly Conference of the




264            TRUSTEES.       Part VI,
Circuit or station, upon the nomination of
the preacher in charge, or the Presiding
Elder of the District. In case of failure
to elect at the proper time, a subsequent
Quarterly Conference may elect; and all
trustees shall hold their office until their
successors are elected.
4. In States and Territories where an
option is given as to the mode of election, the one or the other may be pursued;
and all these provisions shall apply both
to the creation of new   boards and to
the filling of vacancies, whether for houses
of worship or dwellings for the preachers.
Provided, nevertheless, That if the said
Relief of trustees, or any of them, or their
Trustees. successors, have advanced, or
shall advance, any sum or sums of money,
or are or shall be responsible for any sum
or sums of money, on account of the said
premises, and they, the said trustees, or
their successors, be obliged to pay the said
sums of money, they, or a majority of them,
shall be authorized to raise the said sum or
sums of money by a mortgage on the said
premises, or by selling the said premises,
after notice given to the Pastor or Preacher
who has the oversight of the congregation
attending Divine service on the said prem



Ch. iii, ~ 2.   TRUSTEES.            265
ises, if the money due be not paid to the
said trustees, or their successors, within
one year after such notice given: and if
such sale take place, the said trustees, or
their successors, after paying the debt and
other expenses which are due from the
money arising from such sale, shall deposit
the remainder of the money produced by
the said sale in the hands of the Steward
or Stewards of the society belonging to or
attending Divine service on said premises;
which surplus of the produce of such sale,
so deposited in the hands of the said
Steward or Stewards, shall be at the disposal
of the Quarterly Conference; which said
Quarterly Conference shall dispose of the
said money according to the best of their
judgment, for the use of the said society.
5. No person who is a trustee shall be
ejected while he is in joint
Joint Security.
security for money, unless
such relief be given him as is demanded,
or the creditor will accept.
6. The Board of Trustees of every circuit
or station shall be respon- Trustees Responsisible to the  Quarterly    ble to Quarterly
Conference of said circuit  Conference.
or station, and shall be required to present a
report of its acts during the preceding year.




266       CHURCH PROPERTY.     Part VI,
SECTION III.
Form for Conveyance of Church Property.
Quest. What shall be done for the security of our Church property?
Answz. 1. In all conveyances of ground
for the erection of houses of
Form of Conveyance for worship, or upon which they
Churches.  may have been already erected, let the following clause be inserted
at the proper place: "In trust that said
premises shall be used, kept, maintained
and disposed of as a place of Divine worship for the use of the ministry and membership of the Methodist Episcopal Church
in the United States of America; subject
to the Discipline, usage, and ministerial
appointments of said Church as from time
to time authorized and declared by the
General Conference of said Church, and
the Annual Conference in whose bounds
the said premises are situate." *
2. In all conveyances of ground for the
Form of Con_ erection of dwelling houses
veyance for for the use of the preachers,
parsonages.    upon which they may
have been already erected, let the following clause be inserted at the proper place:
* See pp. 262, 263, paragraph 3.-EDs.




Oh. iii, ~ 3. CHURCH PROPERTY.     267
"In trust that said premises shall be held,
kept, and maintained as a place of residence for the use and occupancy of the
preachers of the   Methodist Episcopal
Church in the United States of America,
who may, from time to time, be stationed
in said place; subject to the usage and discipline of said Church, as from time to
time authorized and declared by the General Conference of said Church, and by the
Annual Conference within whose bounds
said premises are situate."
3. In all other parts of such conveyances,
as well as in their attestation, Conformity to
acknowledgment, and placing  state Laws.
them upon the record, let a careful conformity be had to the laws, usages, and
forms of the several States and Territories
in which the property may be situated, so
as to secure the ownership of the premises
in fee simple.
4. Whenever it shall become necessary
for the payment of debts, or Sale of Church
with a view to reinvestment,  Property.
to make a sale of church property that may
have been conveyed to trustees for either
of the foregoing purposes, said trustees or
their successors may, upon application to
the Quarterly Conference, obtain an or



268         TRUSTEESHIP.      Part VI,
der-a majority of all the members of such
Quarterly Conference concurring, and the
Annual Conference consenting-for the
sale, with such limitations and restrictions
as said Quarterly Conference may judge
necessary; and said trustees, so authorized,
may proceed to sell and convey said property: provided, that in all such cases the
proceeds of the sale, after the payment of
debts, if any, shall be applied to the purchase or improvement of other property
for the same uses, and deeded to the
Church in the same manner prescribed
above.
SECTION IV.
Trusteeship.
Quest. What shall be done for the better security of donations, bequests, grants,
etc., made for benevolent purposes to the
Methodist Episcopal Church in the United
States of America?
Answ. 1. The General Conference shall
Board of  appoint and perpetuate a Board
Trustees.  of Trustees composed of ministers and laymen, consisting of not
less than five nor more than nine, who
shall be invested with corporate powers,
and shall be authorized to receive and




Oh. iii, ~ 4.  CHURCH PROPERTY.   269
hold in trust for the benefit of the Methodist Episcopal Church, under the direction of the General Conference, any and
all donations, bequests, grants, etc., made
to the Methodist Episcopal Church, not
specially designated or directed, but simply
made to the " Methodist Episcopal Church
in the United States of America."
2. When any such donation, bequest,
grant, etc., is made to the Dutyof PreachChurch, it shall be the duty ers in charge.
of the preacher in the bounds of whose
charge it occurs to give an early notice
thereof to the Board, who shall proceed
without delay to take possession of the
same according to the provisions of their
charter.
3. The Board shall make a faithful report of their doings, and of tile Report of
funds or property on hand, at Trustees.
each quadrennial session of the General
Conference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and all donations thus reported
and received shall be disposed of by order
of the General Conference for the benefit
of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the
United States of America.




270          BOUNDARIES.      Part VI,
CHAPTER IV.
B   UND A RIE S.
SECTION I.
Boundaries of the Annual Conferences.
1. BALTIMORE CONFERENCE shall be composed of the Baltimore, Washington, Potomac, Winchester, Rockingham, Roanoke,
and Lewisburgl Districts, as they existed
at the adjournment of 1857, the line through
the city of Baltimore being the following,
namely: Leaving the line of the Patapsco
River and Jones's Falls at Monument-street,
and along that street to Eutaw-street; down
Eutaw-street to Ross-street; thence along
Ross-street to Dolphin-street; thence along
Dolphin-street to Grundy-street; out Grundy-street to the City line, and along the
line of the City Corporation to Jones's
Falls; Emory and Whatcoat Stations being
exceptions, and belonging to East Baltimore Conference.
2. BLACK RIVER CONFERENCE shall include, together with Rose Circuit, that
part of the State of New York west of
Troy Conference not embraced in the East




Ch. iv, ~ 1.  BOUiDARIES.         271
Genesee Conference, as far south as the
Erie Canal, and all the societies on the
immediate banks of the canal, except Utica,
Canastota, Montezuma, and Port Byron.
3. CALIFORNIA CONFERENCE shall embrace all the State of California lying west
of the western summit of the Sierra Nevada
Mountains, and also the Sandwich Islands.*
4. CENTRAL GERMAN CONFERENCE shall
comprise the German work at present
connected with the Cincinnati, North Ohio,
and Southeastern Indiana Conferences.
5. CENTRAL ILLINOIS CONFERENCE shall
embrace all that part of the State of Illinois
north of the Illinois Conference and south
of the following line, namely: Beginning
on the Mississippi River at Meredosia,
down said Meredosia to its mouth; thence
easterly to Center School-house, so as to
embrace Center Society in Central Illinois
Conference; thence to the mouth of Mud
Creek, on Green River; up said river to
the mouth of Coal Creek; thence up said
Creek to the Rock Island and Chicago
Railroad; thence with said Railroad to
Lasalle; thence with Illinois River to the
mouth of Kankakee River; thence with
* The German work in California shall remain
in its present form.-See Jour.1864, p.197. —EDs.




272         BOUNDARIES.      Part VI,
said river to the Indiana State line, so as
to embrace the city of Peru, Lasalle Station, and Utica.
6. CENTRAL OHIO CONFERENCE shall be
bounded by a line commencing at the
northwest corner of the State of Ohio;
thence East by the north line of the State
to a point north of the mouth of Sandusky
River; thence south to the month of
Sandusky River, excluding Port Clinton
Circuit; thence up said river to Upper
Sandusky, excluding Tiffin City, and including Fremont and Upper Sandusky;
thence along the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne,
and Chicago Railroad to Crestline, including Bucyrus Station and Crestline; thence
along the Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati Railroad by the curve, to Delaware,
leaving Cardington and Gallon in Central
Ohio Conference, and so much of the town
of Delaware as lies on the east side of the
Olentangy River, in North Ohio Conference; thence along the said railroad to the
north line of the Ohio Conference; thence
west along the north line of the Ohio and
Cincinnati Conferences to the west line of
the State, thence north along the west line
of the State to the place of beginning.
7. CINCINNATI CONFERENCE shall com



Ch. iv, ~ 1.  BOUNDARIES.        273
mence at the mouth of Ohio Brush Creek,
and shall be bounded on the south
by the Ohio River, and on the west by
the Indiana State line to the southern
bounds of the Central Ohio Conference, at
the Southwest corner of Dark County;
thence easterly along said line, so as to
exclude the Sidney and Delaware Districts
of the Central Ohio Conference, to the
boundary of the Ohio Conference at its
junction with the southern line of the Central Ohio Conference; thence in a southeasterly direction with said western line of the
Ohio Conference to the place of beginning.
8. COLORADO CONFERENCE shall include
the Territory or State of Colorado.
9. DELAWARE CONFERENCE of Colored
Members shall embrace the territory north
and west of the Washington Conference.
10. DES MOINES CONFERENCE shall include all that part of the State of Iowa not
included in the Iowa and the Upper Iowa
Conferences.
11. DETROIT CONFERENCE shall include
all that part of the State of Michigan lying
east of the principal meridian line, and also
the upper peninsula.
12. EAST BALTIMORE CONFERENCE shall
embrace the territory belonging to the Bal18




274          BOUNDARIES.     Part VI,
timore Conference previous to its division
in 1857 not included in the present bounds
of the Baltimore Conference, excepting
Asbury and Orchard-street Station, and Baltimore City Mission and Finchburgh Church,
which shall belong to the Baltimore Conference, and including Laporte Circuit.
13. EAST GENESEE CONFERENCE shall
contain all that part of the State of New
York west of the Black River, Oneida, and
Wyoming Conferences, and east of Genesee
River, including the whole of the city of
Rochester, together with so much of the
State of Pennsylvania as is included in the
Troy District.
14. EAST MAINE CONFERENCE shall embrace that part of the State of Maine not
included in the Maine Conference.
15. ERIE CONFERENCE shall be bounded
on the north by Lake Erie; on the east by
a line commencing at the mouth of Cattaraugus Creek; thence up said creek to
the village of Gowanda, leaving said village
in the Genesee Conference; thence to the
Alleghany River at the mouth of Tunungwant Creek; thence up said creek southward to the ridge dividing between the
waters of Clarion and Sinnemahoning
Creeks; thence southward to the head of




Ch. iv, ~ 1.  BOUNDARIES.         275
Mahoning Creek; thence down said creek,
exclusive of the Milton Society, but including Finley Society in the Punxsutawny
Circuit, and Putneyville in the Bethlehem
Circuit, to the Alleghany River; thence
across said river in a northwesterly direction to the Western Reserve Line, including
the north part of Butler County and Newcastle, and also including Petersburgh;
thence west to the Ohio Canal; thence
along said canal to Lake Erie, including
Akron and all of Cleveland lying east of
the Cuyahoga River.
16. GENESEE CONFERENCE shall include
all that part of the State of New York
west of the East Genesee Conference, except so much as is embraced in the Erie
Conference, and also so much of the State
of Pennsylvania as is embraced in the Olean
District.
17. There shall be an Annual Conference
in Germany, to be denominated the MIsSION CONFERENCE OF GERMANY AND SWITZERLAND, embracing also the missions in
France and Switzerland where the German
language is spoken, which Conference shall
possess all the rights, powers, and privileges
of other Annual Conferences, excepting
that of sending delegates to the General




276          BOUNDARIES.     Part VI,
Conference, and of drawing its Annual
dividend from the avails of the Book Concern and the Chartered Fund, and of voting on constitutional changes proposed in
the Discipline.
18. ILLINOIS CONFERENCE shall include
that part of Illinois not included in the
Southern Illinois Conference south of the
following line, namely: Beginning at War
saw on the Mississippi River; thence to
Vermont; thence to the mouth of Spoon
River; thence up the Illinois River to the
northwest corner of Mason County; thence
to the junction of the Central and the Alton
and Chicago Railroads, leaving Mackinaw
Circuit in the Central Illinois Conference;
thence to the southwest corner of Iroquois
County; thence east to the Indiana State
line, leaving the Western charge in Bloomington in the Central Illinois Conference.
19. There shall be an Annual Conference
in the northwest provinces of India, to be
denominated the INDIA MISSION ANNUAL
CONFERENCE, embracing the ancient kingdom of Oude, and the country of Rohilcund
on the west of Oude, and lying between
the river Ganges on the south and the IHimalaya Mountains on the north, which Conference shall with the concurrence of the




Oh. iv, ~ 1.  BOTUNDARIES.        277
presiding bishop, possess all the rights,
powers, and privileges of other Annual
Conferences, excepting that of sending delegates to General Conference, and.of drawing its annual dividend from the avails of
the Book Concern and Chartered Fund,
and of voting on constitutional changes
proposed in the Discipline.
20. INDIANA CONFERENCE shall be bounded
as follows, namely: Beginning at the mouth
of Silver Creek, on the Ohio River; thence
with the said creek to the Jeffersonville
Railroad; thence by said railroad to Rockford; thence by the east fork of White
River to Columbus; thence by the Madison
and Indianapolis Railroad to Franklin;
thence by the Plank Road to the bluffs of
White River; thence north by said river to
the Donation Line of Indianapolis; thence
east by said line to Meridian-street; thence
north by said street to its intersection with
Market-street; thence west by Market-street
to the Donation Line; thence south by said
Donation Line to the National Road; thence
by the National Road west to the Greencastle State Road, one and a half miles west
of Stilesville; thence with the said State
Road to the town plat of Greencastle;
thence due south to Seminary-street, in



278          BOUNDARIES.     Part VI,
eluding Simpson Chapel, in Greencastle,
together with lot No. 153; thence due
south to the southern border of the College grounds, upon a line equally dividing
the College Campus and building; thence
due west to the Walnut fork of Eel River;
thence down said river to its intersection
with the National Road; thence with said
road to the western line of the State, including all the towns on the National
Road west of Indianapolis, in the Indiana Conference, except Terre Haute;
thence by the State line to the mouth of
the Wabash River; thence by the State
line to the mouth of Silver Creek, the place
of beginning.
21. Iowa CONFERENCE shall be bounded
as follows, namely: Commencing at Davenport, on the Mississippi River; thence down
said river to the south line of the State of
Iowa: thence west along said State line to
the southwest corner of Appanoose County;
thence north to the south side of Marshall
County, leaving the town of Knoxville in
the Iowa Conference; thence along the
south line of Marshall County due east to
the Iowa River; thence down said river to
Iowa City; thence along the railroad to
Davenport, leaving Davenport and Iowa




Ch. iv, ~ i.  BOUNDARIES.        279
City in the Upper Iowa Conference, and
all intermediate places in the Iowa Conference.
22. KANSAS CONFERENCE shall embrace
the State of Kansas.
23. KENTUOKY CONFERENCE shall include
the State of Kentucky, excepting so much
of said State as is embraced in the West
Virginia Conference.
24. There shall be an Annual Conference
on the Western Coast of Africa, to be denominated the LIBERIA MISSION ANNUAL
CONFERENCE, possessing all the rights,
powers, and privileges of other Annual
Conferences, except that of sending delegates to the General Conference, and of
drawing its Annual dividend from the avails
of the Book Concern and of the Chartered
Fund, and of voting on constitutional
changes proposed in the Discipline.
25. MAINE CONFERENCE shall include
that part of the State of Maine lying west
of the Kennebeck River, from its mouth to
the Great Bend below Skowhegan, and of
a line running from thence north to the
State line, (including Skowhegan and Augusta Stations in Maine Conference,) and
that part of New Hampshire lying east of
the White Hills and north of the waters




280          BOUNDARIES.      Part VI,
of the Ossipee Lake and the town of
Gorham.
26. MICHIGAN CONFERENCE shall include
all that part of the State of Michigan lying
in the lower Peninsula west of the principal meridian line.
27. MINNESOTA CONFERENCE shall embrace the State of Minnesota.
28. MISSOURI AND ARKANSAS CONFERENCE shall embrace the States of Missouri
and Arkansas.
29. NEBRASKA CONFERENCE shall embrace
the Territory or State of Nebraska.
30. NEVADA CONFERENCE shall be bounded west by the west summit of the Sierra
Nevada Mountains, embracing all of Nevada and Utah Territories, and that part of
New Mexico west of the Rocky Mountains.
31. NEWARK CONFERENCE shall include
all that part of the State of New Jersey not
included in the New Jersey Conference;
Staten Island, and so much of the States of
New York and Pennsylvania as is now included in the Paterson and Newton Districts, excepting Sloatsburgh Church and
Narrowsburgh Station.
32. NEW ENGLAND CONFERENCE shall
include all the State of Massachusetts lying
east of the Green Mountains not embraced




Ch. iv, ~ 1.  BOUNDARIES.         281
in the New Hampshire and Providence
Conferences.
33. NEW  IAMPSHIRE CONFERENCE shall
include all the State of New Hampshire
not embraced in the Maine Conference,
and that part of the State of Massachusetts
northeast of the Merrimac River.
34. NEW JERSEY CONFERENCE shall include that part of the State of New Jersey
lying south of the following line, namely:
Beginning with Raritan Bay, and running
up said bay and river to New Brunswick;
thence along the turnpike road in a direct
line to Lambertville, on the Delaware, including the City of New Brunswick and
Lambertville Station.
35. NEW YORK CONFERENCE shall consist of the territory now included in the
New   York, Poughkeepsie, Newburgh,
Prattsville, Ellenville, and Rhinebeck Districts.*
36. NEW YORK EAST CONFERENCE shall
consist of the New York East, the Bridgeport, New Haven, and Long Island Districts, including in the City of New York
all those charges lying east of a line run* The German work in the New York Conference shall remain for the present as it now is.
See Journal, 1864.-EDS.




282          BOUNDARIES.     Part VI,
ning through the Third Avenue, Bowery,
Chatham-street, and Broadway.
87. NORTH INDIANA CONFERENCE shall
include all of Northeastern Indiana bounded
north by Michigan, east by Ohio, including
Union City; south by the National Road,
and west by the Michigan Road as far
north as South Bend; thence down St.
Joseph River to the Michigan State line;
also the town of Logansport, all towns on
the National Road east of Indianapolis,
and so much of the City of Indianapolis
within the Donation as lies north of Market-street and east of Meridian-street.
38. NORTH OHIO CONFERENCE shall be
bounded on the north by the north line of
the State of Ohio, east by the Erie and
Pittsburgh Conferences, on the south by
the Ohio Conference, and on the west by
the Central Ohio Conference.
39. THE NORTHWESTERN GERMAN CONFERENCE shall comprise the German work
at present connected with the Rock River
and Minnesota Conferences, and the Galena
District of the Upper Iowa Conference.
40. NORTHWEST INDIANA CONFERENCE
shall embrace all of Northwest Indiana
bounded north by the State and Lake of
Michigan, east by the Michigan Road and




Ch. iv, ~ 1.  BOUNDARIES.         283
St. Joseph River, south by Indiana Conference, and west by the State of Illinois; also
the City of Terra Haute, with so much of
the City of Indianapolis within the Donation as lies north of Market-street and
west of Meridian-street, with all towns on
the Michigan Road except Logansport.
41. NORTRWEST WISCONSIN CONFERENCE
shall include that part of the State of Wisconsin lying north and west of a line beginning on the Mississippi River, on the
north line of Township Fourteen (14) north;
thence east on said line to the east line of
Range One (1) east, including the Glendale
Charge; thence north on said Range line
to the State line.
42. OHII CONFERENCE shall commence
at the southeast corner of the North Ohio
Conference, and thence south, following
the course of the Muskingum River, including the City of Zanesville and the Town of
Marietta; thence down the Ohio River to
the mouth of Ohio Brush Creek; thence
north to the southeast corner of Fayette
County, leaving Sinking Spring Circuit
west of said line, and Bethesda and Rapid
Forge societies, with Staunton and Bloomingsburgh Circuits east of said line, except
Fairfield, which shall be left west of said




284          BOUNDARIES.     Part VI,
line; thence northwest to the western
boundary of said County of Fayette; thence
in a due north direction to the southern
boundary of Central Ohio Conference, leaving Vienna Circuit west of said line; thence
east with the southern line of Central Ohio
Conference in part, and of the North Ohio
Conference, to the place of beginning, leaving so much of the Marysville Circuit, including Marysville, as lies north of the
Springfield, Mount Vernon, and Pittsburgh
Railroad, in the Central Ohio Conference,
and retaining Milford in the Ohio Conference; and thence along the south line of the
Central Ohio Conference, including St.
Paul's Charge, in Delaware, and Stratford
Circuit in the Ohio Conference, leaving,
however, the Ohio Wesleyan University
within the bounds of the Central Ohio Conference.
43. ONEIDA CONFERENCE shall include
that part of the State of New York south
of the Black River Conference, and east of
Cayuga Lake, and north of a line running
east from Newfield to Ithaca; thence following the Cattskill turnpike to Greene;
thence following the same line of road
through Masonville to the New York Conference, including all the charges on said




Ch. iv, ~ 1.  BOINDARIES.        285
line, excepting Lisle and Whitney's Point
charge; and thence on the southwest line
of the Troy Conference to the Erie Canal.
44. OREGON CONFERENCE shall embrace
the State of Oregon and Washington Territory.
45. PHILADELPHIA CONFERENCE shall include the eastern shore of Maryland and
Virginia, the State of Delaware, and all
that part of Pennsylvania lying between
the Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers, except so much as is in East Baltimore, Wyoming, and Newark Conferences, including
Naglesville in Philadelphia Conference.
46. PITTSBURGH CONFERENCE shall be
bounded on the north by the Erie Conference, on the east by a line running along
the top of the Alleghany Mountains to the
southern line of the State of Pennsylvania,
exclusive of the New Washington Circuit;
thence west along the line of the West Virginia Conference to the Ohio River; thence
down said river to the mouth of the Muskingum River; thence up said river, exclusive of the towns Marietta and Zanesville, to the Tuscarawas River; thence up
said river, including the town of Massillon,
to the line of the Erie Conference.
47. PROVIDENCE CONFERENCE shall in



286          BOUNDARIES.      Part VI,
elude that part of the State of Connecticut
lying east of Copnecticut River, all the State
of Rhode Island, with Millville and Blackstone in Massachusetts, and also that part
of the State of Massachusetts lying southeast of a line drawn from the northeast
corner of the State of Rhode Island to the
mouth of the Neponset River, which line
shall so run as to leave Walpole Station,
Foxborough, and Quincy Point within the
bounds of the New England Conference.
48. ROCK RIVER CONFERENCE shall embrace all the north part of the State of
Illinois north of the Central Illinois Conference.
49. SOUTHEASTERN INDIANA CONFERENCE
shall include all of Southeastern Indiana
bounded north by the National Road, east
by Ohio, south by the Ohio River, and west
by the Indiana Conference, with so much
of the City of Indianapolis within the Donation as lies south of Market-street and
east of Meridian-street, and all the towns
and societies on the line between Indiana
and Southeastern Indiana Conference.
50. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS CONFERENCE shall
include all that part of the State of Illinois
south of the following line, namely: Beginning at the mouth of the Illinois River;




Ch. iv, ~ 1.  BOUNDARIES.        287
thence up said river to the northwest corner of Jersey County, including Kane and
Woodbury; thence to Honey Point; thence
to Hillsborough, leaving Hillsborough Station in the Illinois Conference; thence east
through Fayette and Effingham Counties
to the northeast corner of Jasper County;
thence with the north line of Jasper and
Crawford Counties to the Wabash River.
51. SOUTIHWESTERN  GERMAN  CONFERENCE shall comprise the German work at
present connected with the Illinois, Southern Illinois, and Kansas Conferences, and
the Burlington German District of the Upper Iowa Conference.
52. TROY CONFERENCE shall include the
Troy, Albany, (including Richmondville
and Fort Plain Stations,) Saratoga, Poultney, and Plattsburgh Districts.
53. UPPER IOWA CONFEIENCE shall be
bounded as follows, to wit: Beginning at
the northeast corner of the State; thence
down the Mississippi River to Davenport;
thence westward by the line of the Iowa
Conference to the southeast corner of Story
County; thence due north to the State
line; thence east along the State line to
the place of beginning.
54. VERMONT CONFEEENCE shall include




288          BOUNDARIES.     Part VI,
the State of Vermont, exclusive of that
part embraced in the Troy Conference.
55. WASHINGTON CONFERENCE of Colored
Members shall embrace Western Maryland,
the District of Columbia, Virginia, and the
territory south.
56. WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE shall
be bounded as follows: Beginning at the
southwest corner of the Pennsylvania line;
thence along said line to the northeast
corner of Ohio County, Virginia, so as to
include Wheeling Creek Mission and Triadelphia Circuits; thence the most direct
way to Short Creek, so as to include the
Short Creek and Liberty Circuit; thence
down said creek to the Ohio River; thence
down said river to the mouth of Little
Sandy River; thence up said river so as
to include all that part of Kentucky lying
east of said river in the Guyandotte District. On the south and east it shall be
bounded by the Baltimore Conference to
the Pennsylvania State line; thence westward by said line to the place of beginning.
57. WEST WIscoNsIN CONFERENCE shall
include all the southwestern portion of the
State of Wisconsin not included in the Wisconsin and Northwest Wisconsin Conferences.




Ch. iv.    GERMAN WORK.          289
58. WISCONSIN CONFERENCE shall be
bounded on the north by the upper peninsula of Michigan, on the east by Lake Michigan, on the south by Illinois State line, and
on the west by a line beginning at the
southeast corner of Greene County, and
running north on the Range line, between
Ranges Nine (9) and Ten (10) east, to the
north line of Town Twenty (20;) thence
west on said line to the east line of Range
One (1) east; thence north on said line to
the State line.
59. WYOMING CONFERENCE shall include
the southern part of the State of New York
not included in the Oneida, East Genesee,
and New York Conferences, together with
that part of Pennsylvania bounded on the
west by the East Genesee, including all the
territory east of the Susquehanna, south by
the East Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Newark Conferences, including Narrowsburg,
and east by the Newark and New York
Conferences.
19








I           N D E X.
American Bible Society, collections for, 51;
agents may be appointed for more than three
years, 87.
Annual Conferences. [See Conferences.]
Appeal, right of, guaranteed, 47; of Traveling
Preachers to General Conference, 125; of Local
Preachers and Preachers on Trial to Annual
Conferences, 116, 127; of members to Quarterly Conferences, 128.
Appeals at General Conference may be tried by
a committee, 125.
Appointments of Preachers, term of limited,
86, 88; term of indefinite, 86, 87.
Arbitration to settle disputes, 121.
Articles of Religion, 15-27; not to be altered by
General Conference, 46.
Baptism, article on, 23; mode of, 34; prerequisite of Church membership, 37; form in
Discipline to be used invariably, 41; ministration of, to infants, 131-137; to those of
riper years, 138-144.
Baptized Children, 38; their relation to the
Church, 39; register of, to be kept, 39; to be
organized into classes, 39; enrolled as probationers, 40; provided for in orphanage, 40.
Baxter's Reformed Pastor recommended, 74.
Benediction, Apostolic, to be used, 42.
Bible classes, Preacher's duty to form, 97.
Bible Society, 51, 87.
Bishops, [see Episcopacy,] the first in the M. E.
Church, 14; how constituted, 86; ordination
in case no Bishop survive, 86; duties of, 86-89;
ceasing to travel, 89; procedure in case of a




292               INDEX.
vacancy in the office, 89; trial of, 110, 111;
form of ordination, 172-184; support of, 251.
Books, Preachers to see societies supplied
with, 96; Preachers to be diligent in spreading, 70; printing and circulating of, 236; publication of, by Traveling Preachers, 247; by
Editors, Agents, or clerks, 248.
Book Agents. [See Book Concern.]
Book Committee at New York, 238; at Cincinnati, 242.
Book Concern, appropriation of its produce, 48,
247, 257; to pay expenses of Bishops, 251; its
organization, etc., 236; Agents of, at New
York, 236; at Cincinnati, 239; publications of,
by whom selected, 237, 240; annual exhibit
of, 236, 241 debts to the, 242, 243, 254.
Books, canonical, names of the, 17, 18.
Borrowing without a probability of paying, forbidden, 31.
Boston, depository at, 245.
Boundaries of the Annual Conferences, 270-289.
Bribery at elections forbidden, 79.
Buffalo, depository at, 245.
Building of churches, 261-263.
Burial of the dead, ritual to be used, 41; form
of service for, 168-171.
California Christian Advocate, 243, 244.
Call to preach, signs of, 60.
Candidates for the ministry must be recommended by Quarterly Conferences, 80; must
be examined before admission on trial, 80;
must pursue four years' course of study, 88, 89;
may be admitted or rejected without wrong,
81, 92; examination of, 60; for Deacon's orders, two years' probation, 82: for Elder's
orders, two years' probation as i)eacon, 94.
Canonical books of the Old Testament, 17, 18.
Catechisms to be used as extensively as possible, 227.
Celibacy of the clergy rejected, 25.
Central Christian Advocate, 242.




INDEX.               293
Certificate to removing members, 100; to Local
Preachers, 105,106; to Deacons or Elders, 85.
Chaplains to hospitals, prisons, and in the army
or navy, 87.
Chartered Fund, its organization and object,
248-250; appropriation of its produce, 48, 257.
Chicago, depository at, 245.
Children, baptism of, 38; instruction of, 38, 82,
225; reception into the Church, 39, 40; to be
catechised, 97; to be conversed with, 227.
Christ, article on, 15; oblation of, article on, 24;
resurrection of, 16; presence of, in the Supper, 24.
Christian Advocate and Journal, 237.
Christian Apologist, etc., 242.
Church Extension Society, collections for, 99.
Church Property, form for conveyance of,
262, 266.
Church, visible, article on, 21; rites and ceremonies of; article on, 25.
Churches, building of, 261.
Cincinnati, Book Concern at, 239; shall pay
one third the salary of Bishops, 241; and of
the General Conference expenses, 241; Book
Committee at, 242.
Circuits may be united by Bishops, 89; supply
for, during Conference, 101, 102.
Class, origin and objects of; 29; collections,
29, 98; to be made weekly, 256.
Class-leaders, duties of, 29, 43; members of
Quarterly Conference, 53; appointed by the
Preacher, 96; to be examined by him quarterly, 96.
Class-meetings, origin and objects of, 29; directions concerning, 43.
Cleanliness recormmended, 100.
Collections, Class, 29, 98; quarterly, 98; Sundayschool, 99; tract, 99, 235; missionary, 98,
228-2:34; for the support of ministers, 256, 275;
for church building, 262; for delegates, 99.
Colleges, number of, 224; agents may be appointed for, 88; Preachers stationed at, 87.




294               INDEX.
Community of goods, not Scriptural, 27.
Conference, Christian, enjoined, 66.
Conference, General, 45; ratio of delegation,
45, 47; time of meeting 45  Bishops have
power to summon, with advice of Conferences,
46; quorum at, 46; president of, 46; powers
of, 46; restriction of, 46-48; expenses of delegates to, 99.
Conferences, 45-59; deportment at, 70.
Conferences, Annual, 48; members of, 48; times
and places of, how fixed, 49; by whom place
of session may be changed, 49; president of,
49; order of business at. 49-52; number of, 52 
records of, 52; to appoint mission committee,
228; to form a conference missionary society,
229; may raise a fund for relief of superannuated Preachers, etc., 258; to report to Sunday-School Union, 52; papers of, 247.
Conferences, Quarterly, members of, 53; president of, 53; business of, 54-59; secretary of,
53; to recommend candidates for membership in annual conferences, 54; to appoint
house committee, 260; to appoint committee
on missions, 229; to appoint stewards, 55; to
appoint a tract committee, 55; to have supervision of Sunday-schools, 55; to appoint a
committee to estimate for the support of
Traveling Preachers, 253 also estimating committee for superannuated Preachers, widows,
and children, 254, 255.
Corner-stone of a Church, form of laying the,
206-213.
Course of study for Preachers prescribed by
Bishops, 88.
Credentials to be given up on expulsion, and
restored on amendment, 129, 130.
Deacon, Traveling, how constituted, 94; duties
of, 95, 96; term of probation of, 82, 94; ceasing to travel, 95; ordination of, 95; ordination service, 200-205; Local Deacon, 104, 105.
Debts not to be contracted without probability




INDEX.                295
of paying, 31; -procedure on complaint for
non-payment 121; of Traveling Preachers,
114; of Local Preachers, 118; to Book Concern, 242, 243, 254.
Dedication of a Church, form for, 214-223.
Delegates to General Conference, expenses of, 99.
Depositories at Boston, 245; Buffalo, 245;
Chicago, 245; Pittsburgh, 245; St. Louis, 245.
Diligence enjoined, 32, 61, 68, 76.
Disputes, settlement of, 121.
Dissensions, 121.
Diversions, sinful, forbidden, 31.
Districts formed by Bishops, 86.
Domestic missionary society authorized in each
Conference, 234.
Domestic missions not to remain such when selfsupporting, 52.
Doctrines, false, procedure in case of Preacher
disseminating, 114, 115; Preacher to drive
away, 193.
Dress, 31, 36, 79.
Drunkenness forbidden, 30.
Duty paramount to feeling, 32.
Early rising enjoined, 69, 78.
Editor of Quarterly Review, etc., 237; of Christian Advocate and Journal, 237; of Sundayschool and Tract Publications 237; of Ladies'
Repository, etc., 241; of Western Northwestern, and Central Christian Advocates,
241, 242; of German publications, 242.
Education, 224; number of Conferences to one
institution, 224; support of educational institutions, 225; the formation of educational
societies advised, 225. [See Seminaries and
Colleges.]
Elders, Presiding. [See Presiding Elders.]
Elders, Traveling, how constituted, 93; duties
of, 93; ceasing to travel, 93; form of ordination of, 185-199.
Elections, treating at forbidden, 80.
Episcopacy, the form of government preferred




296               INDEX.
by Mr. Wesley, 14; not to be done away by
General Conference, 47.
Episcopal Address to members of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, 3.
Estimating committees, 253, 254.
Evil-speaking prohibited, 30, 68, 79.
Exclusion from the Church to be announced at
quarterly meetings, 38, 97.
Exhorters, members of Quarterly Conference,
53; license of, 55, 101; may be employed to
fill absence of Preachers, 102.
Faith, the condition of justification, 19; means
of eating Christ's body, 24.
False doctrine. [See Doctrine.]
Family prayer enjoined, 33, 65.
Fast, quarterly, 101.
Fasting enjoined, 33, 66, 82, 101.
Fighting forbidden, 30.
Frauds and fraudulent insolvencies, 102.
Free Will, article on, 19.
Frugality enjoined, 32.
Full connection, Preachers received into, 81.
General Conference, 45-48.
General Rules, 27-33, 47.
German publications, 242.
German publishing find, agent for, 88.
Goods of Christian men not common in right or
title, 27.
Good works, article on, 20; enjoined, 31.
Government of the United States, 26.
Government of the Church, 45.
Grace, means of, 32.
Holiness, deficiency of, among Preachers, 78.
Holy Ghost, article on, 16; calls to the ministry,.60.
Holy Scriptures, articles on, 16, 18.
Home missions. [See Missions and Domestic.]
Improper tempers, words or actions in Traveling Preachers, 113; in Local Preachers, 117.




INDEX.                297
Infant baptism, form of administering, 131-137.
Insolvencies of members, 102.
Instruction of children. [See Children.]
Intoxicating liquors as a beverage, buying, selling, using, 120.
Itinerant General Superintendency not to be
done away by General Conference, 47.
Justification by faith, article on, 19.
Ladies' Repository, editor of, 241.
Law, moral, its obligation, 18.
Law, questions of, to be decided by Bishops, 88;
application of, left with the Conferences, 88;
decided by Presiding Elders at Quarterly Conference, 92.
Leaders. [See Class-leaders.]
Liberal charity, a duty, 27.
Liquors, spirituous, their use forbidden, 30.
Local Preachers, members of Quarterly Conference, 53; licensed by do., 54, 104; when accused, tried by do., 54, 104; examined for
license, 54, 105; recommended for orders by,
54; to be regularly employed, 101, 106; to be
paid when supplying circuits, 102, 255; directions concerning, 104; when eligible to orders,
106; removal o, 105; trial of, 116-118; relief
of distressed, 255.
Located Preachers, where amenable, 105.
Location of Preachers against their consent,
104, 113, 115.
Lord's Prayer, use in public worship, 41; in the
ritual 137, 143, 158, 166, 171, 213.
Lord's Supper, articles on, 23 24; to be administered in both kinds, 24; duty of partaking,
33, 65, 82; ritual to be used, 41; order of
service, 150-160.
Love-feasts to be held, 96; tickets for, to be renewed quarterly, 96; not to last above an
hour and a half, 100.
Magistrates, speaking evil of, forbidden, 30.
Marriage of Ministers, article on, 25.




298               INDEX.
Marriage, directions concerning, 35, 61.
Mass, sacrifice of, unscriptural, 22, 24.
Matrimony, form of solemnization of, 161-167.
Means of grace, 32, 41-44.
Members, reception of, 37, 145; to be received,
tried, etc., by the preacher, 96; numbers of,
to be taken by preacher, 100; not to remove
without certificate, 100; trial of, 118-124;
Quarterly Conference may order a new trial,
123.
Membership in society, conditions of, 29.
Methodism, rise of, 3, 13, 28.
Ministers, marriage of, 25; not to be ill spoken
of2 80.
Ministering in a tongue not known, article
on, 21.
Ministry, examination of candidates for, 60.
Missionaries, not limited to three years' station,
87; may be ordained earlier, 95.
Missionary Committee, to be appointed by each
Annual Conference, 228; by each Quarterly
Conference, 55, 229.
Missionary Secretary and assistant do., 87; Conference relation of Secretary, 233, 234.
Missionary Societies to be organized in the
Annual Conferences, 234; in Sunday-schools,
230.
Missionary Work, candidates for, 81.
Missions collections for, 1, 98, 99, 231-233;
general plan for support of, 228; domestic
missions, 52, 234.
Northern Christian Advocate, 237.
Northwestern Christian Advocate, 242.
Oaths, article on, 27.
Oblation of Christ, article on, 24.
Old Testament, article on, 18; canonical books
of the, 17, 18.
Ordinances, forms of Discipline to be used invariably, 41.
Ordination of Bishops, 172-184; of Elders,




INDEX.               299
185-199; of Deacons, 200-205; of Local
Preachers, 106.
Origin of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 13.
Original sin, article on, 19.
Orphans of preachers, support of, etc., 254.
Pacific Christian Advocate 243 244.
Parsonages, 258; building and furnishing of,
recommended, 259; renting, 259, 260; Committee of Quarterly Conference on, 260.
Pastoral visiting, 72-80.
Periodicals, account of subscribers to, to be
kept by the preacher in charge, 100.
Pittsburgh Christian Advocate, 243, 244.
Pittsburgh, depository at, 245.
Prayer, duty of family and private, 33, 65;
Lord's prayer to be used, 41.
Prayer-meetings, to be appointed by preacher,
100, 101; to supply lack of preaching during
the sittings of Conference, 102.
Preach, call to, 60.
Preachers, duties of, 35, 38, 39, 44, 48, 61, 64-80,
93, 94, 96-102, 225, 227. 230-233, 243.
Preacher in charge, duties of, 96; to children,
97, 226-228; to missions, 230-233.
Preachers' support, estimating committee, 253;
deficiencies may be presented at the Conference, 257, 258.
Preachers to be admitted on trial, 54, 80; into
full connection, 81-83; from other denominations, 83-85; appointments of, fixed by Bishops, 86; not to remain more than three years
in one station, 86; absenting themselves from
their circuits, 92; rules of conduct, 61; duty
to God, themselves, and one another, 64; support of, 253, 257, 258; when claim ceases, 254;
trial of, 111-118; may be tried at Conference
by a committee, 113; inefficient, 115; houses
for, 258-260.
Preaching, best method of, 63, 71; when to continue or desist in a place, 71, 72.
Presiding Elders, by whom chosen, stationed,




3O00              INDEX.
and changed, 90; terms ofservice, 90; duties of,
90-93; support of, 252, 253; duties to missionary cause, 229, 230; to Book Concern, 243.
Prisons, chaplains to. [See Chaplains.]
Probationers, numbers of, to be taken separately
by preacher, 50 98.
Public worship, directions for, 41, 42.
Publishing Committees, and their duties, 243,
244. [See also Book Committee.]
Purgatory, article on, 21.
Quarterly Conference, 53-59; two or more
charges united in one, 89; to be called by the
Presiding Elder, 91; has authority to license
preachers, 104; Local Preachers amenable to,
105, 117; to elect or dismiss stewards, 108,
109; right of. appeal to, 128; may order a
new trial, 123; has supervision of Sundayschools, 226-228; to aid in support of missions, 229, 230; duty to tract cause, 235; to
elect district stewards, 252; to appoint committee to estimate salaries of preachers, 253;
to aid local preachers, 255; to appoint Committee on Parsonages, 260- to arrange for
building churches, 261; to elect trustees, 263.
Quarterly meetings, Presiding Elder to be present at, 91 preacher in charge to hold, in absence of Presiding Elder, 53, 96; names of
members received, dismissed, or excluded to
be reported at, 38, 97.
Quarterly Review, editor of, 237.
Representation, ratio of, to General Conference,
45, 47.
Resurrection of Christ, article on the, 16.
Rites and ceremonies of Churches, article on, 25.
Ritual, 131-223; when to be used, 41; responses
to, 42.
Rulers, civil, article on, 26.
Rules, General, of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, 27-33; not to be revoked or changed
by General Conference, 46, 47; to be read in
the congregation and society by preacher, 100.




INDEX.               301
Sabbath, observance of, enjoined, 30, 79.
Sacraments, article on, 22; number of, 22; uses
of, 22; those-falsely so called, 22. [See Baptism and Lord's Supper.]
Salaries of Editors and Agents, by whom fixed,
246.
Scriptures, article on, 16; canon of, 17; study
of, 33, 65; to be read in public, 41.
Seamen, preachers to, may be appointed more
than three years, 87.
Seats in churches, 261.
Secretaries, Conference, duties of, 52.
Self-denial enjoined, 31 32.
Seminaries, 224; Preachers appointed to, may
be continued longer than three years, 87.
Sin after justification, article on, 20.
Singing, directions concerning, 42.
Slavery, 33.
Slaves, buying and selling of, forbidden, 30.
Smuggling forbidden, 30, 79.
Son of God, article on, 15.
Speaking in a known tongue, article on, 21.
Spirituous liquors, buying, selling, or drinking, 30; using as a beverage, 120.
St. Louis, depository at, 245.
Stewards, to be met by Preacher once a week, 29;
members of Quarterly Conference, 53; nominated by Preacher, and appointed by Quarterly Conference, 55; accounts to be examined
by Preacher, 98: qualifications, appointment,
and duties of, 108,109; to be appointed annually, 108; to whom responsible, 109; number
of, 109; to send annual collections to Conference, 257.
Stewards, district, 55, 252.
Study, courses of, Bishops to point out 88, 89.
Sunday-schools, interests of, under charge of
Quarterly Conference, 55, 56, 226, committee
on, 56, 226; books of, 226; Preachers, duties
of to, 97, 226-228; to preach on the subject
of, 227; and report, 228.
Sunday-school publications, editor of, 237.




302                INDEX.
Sunday-school superintendents members of
Quarterly Conference, 53; their appointment
to be approved by Quarterly Conference, 55.
Sunday-School Union, collections for, 98, 99;
Conference reports to, 52.
Superannuated Preachers to be members of the
Quarterly Conference where they may reside, 103; trial of those who live without the
bounds of their Conference, 113; allowance
of, 103, 104, 254, 255.
Supererogation, works of, article on, 20.
Supernumerary Preachers, rights and duties
of, 102, 103.
Superintendents. [See Bishops.]
Supplies, methods of raising, 256-258.
Temperance in eating and drinking enjoined, 67.
Temporal economy of the Church, 251.
Testament, Old, article on, 18.
Time, means of securing for pastoral duty, 76;
employing time profitably when not on
duty, 69.
Tract Committee to be appointed, 55, 235.
Tract Society, collections for, 51, 235; auxiliaries to, 235.
Tracts, Preacher to encourage distribution
of, 99; to collect means for purchasing, 99;
printing and circulation of, 236, 237.
Transubstantiation rejected, 23, 24.
Treasure, of earthly, 31.
Treating at elections prohibited, 80.
Trial of a Bishop, 110, 111; of a Traveling
Preacher, 111-116; of a Presiding Elder, 112;
of a Preacher on trial, 116; of aLocal Preacher 116-118; of members, 118-124.
Trial, right of, guaranteed, 47.
Trinity, article on the, 15.
Trustees of churches, members of Quarterly
Conference, 53; duties of, 263-265; mode of
choosing, etc., 263, 264; responsible to Quarterly Conferences, 265; may mortgage or sell




INDEX.              803
church property for payment of debts, 264;
shall pay over the surplus to the Stewards, 265.
Trusteeship of General Conference, 268, 269.
Union, necessity of, among ourselves, 68; means
of, 68.
United Societies, General Rules of, 29-33; origin
of, 27, 28.
United States, allegiance to, article on, 26.
Universities, 224.
Usury forbidden, 30.
Visiting, pastoral, 72-78, 82.
Watch-nights to be held, 96.
Wesley, J., forms the first Society, 27; sends
Bishops and Preachers to America, 14.
Wesleyan Connection, reception of Preachers
from, 83.
Western Christian Advocate, 241.
Widows of Bishops, Preachers, etc., allowance
of 251, 252, 254, 255.
Will, Free, article on, 19.
Word, the, or Son of God, article on, 15.
Works. good, article on, 20.
Worship, attendance on it enjoined, 32; public,
directions for, 41, 42.








APPENDIX.
ORDERS     AND   RESOLUTIONS OF THE
GENERAL CONFERENCE.
Complaints against Bishops.
Whereas, it appears that individuals sometimes forward to the General Conference complaints against the administration of the Bishops without due notice being given them; and
Whereas, we consider that our superintendents should be apprised of these proceedings
beforehand in writing; therefore,
Resolved, That, in the judgment of this General Conference, it is improper for such complaints to be made without due notice being
furnished to the Bishops in writing.-Journal,
1860, p. 231.
Whereas, under the rule which says, "A
Bishop shall decide all questions of law in an
Annual Conference subject to an appeal to the
General Conference," a custom has grown up
of evoking episcopal decisions touching the administration of the Discipline outside of the
Annual Conferences; and
20




ii               APPENDIX.
Whereas, the opinions of the Bishops, given
in writing in the intervals of the Annual Conferences, are sometimes regarded as decisions
of law, binding in the administration of Discipline; and
Wheereas, these decisions and opinions are
sometimes in conflict with each other, springing up from questions growing out of peculiar
and ever varying circumstances; and
Whereas, it is the judgment of this Conference that the use made of the rule aforesaid
was not intended by the General Conference
which established it, that General Conference
intending it for the administration of the conferences, and not of the individual pastors;
therefore,
1. Resolved, That every administrator of the
Discipline is responsible to the proper authorities for his administration of the rules of the
Church, and may not plead episcopal decisions
as law.
2. Resolved, That while the counsels of our
superintendents are to be highly respected, and
to be considered of great value in the administration of Discipline, their decisions are not to
be regarded as having the force of law outside
of the Annual Conferences.-Journal, 1860, p.
428.
The Rights of Transferred Preachers.
When a Preacher is transferred from one
Conference to another, his rights, privileges,




APPENDIX.               iii
and responsibilities in the Conference to which
he is transferred shall date from the date of
his transfer, unless it be especially provided
otherwise by the Bishop by whom the transfer
is made.
But it will not be lawful for him to vote
twice on the same Constitutional Question, or
be counted twice in the same year as the basis
of the Election of Delegates to the General
Conference, nor vote for delegates to the General Conference in any Conference where he is
not counted as a part of the basis of representation.-Appendaix, Journal 1860, p. 364.
Chairman not to charge Committees.
Resolved, That it is the judgment of this General Conference that in all trials of preachers,
whether by Committee or before a Conference,
and in all appeals, it is improper for the Presiding Elder or Chairman of the Committee,
or other party presiding at the trial, to deliver after the pleadings a charge to the Committee explaining the evidence and setting
forth the merits of the case.-Appendix, Journal,
1860, p. 363.
The Right of a President to Adjourn a Conference-To refuse to put a Motion, etc.
The President of an Annual or a Quarterly
Meeting Conference has the right to adjourn
the Conference over which he presides when




iv              APPENDIX.
in his judgment all the business prescribed by
the Discipline to such Conference shall have
been transacted; provided, that, if an exception be taken by the Conference to his so adjourning it, the exception shall be entered upon the Journals of such Conference.-Journal,
1840, p. 121.
When a Bishop presiding in an Annual Conference decides a question of law by request
of the Conference, if a motion is made which
would reverse the decision of the Bishop, under the plea that the Conference has the right
to apply the law in the case, should the motion
be put, and the Conference be allowed to set
aside the law under the pretense of applying it?
Answer. No. When a question of law has
been decided by a Bishop in an Annual Conference, that decision cannot be reversed or set
aside except by the action of the ensuing General Conference, to which body an appeal may
be taken by the Annual Conference or by any
member thereof.-Journal, 1860, p. 297.
If a motion is made in an Annual or Quarterly Conference, which, if passed, would be
a positive violation of Discipline, should the
President put the motion and allow the Discipline to be set aside, or what should he do?
Answer. He should refuse to put the motion.-Journal, 1860, p. 297.




APPENDIX.               V
The President of an Annual or a Quarterly
Meeting Conference has the right to decline
putting the question on a motion; resolution,
or report when, in his judgment, such motion,
resolution, or report does not relate to the
proper business of a Conference; provided,
that in all such cases the President, on being
required by the' Conference to do so, shall
have inserted in the Journals of the Conference his refusal to put the question on such
motion, resolution, or report, with his reason
for so refusing; and provided, that when an
Annual Conference shall differ from the President on a question of law, they shall have a
right to record their dissent on the Journals,
provided there shall be no discussion on the
subject.-Journal, 1840, p. 121.
Conferences in all Cases of Appeal to send for.
ward the Documents, etc.
Resolved, That the Liberia Annual Conference, as well as every other Conference, is directed, in all cases of the condemnation or
censure of any of its members, to send forward to the General Conference the minutes
and documents of the trial.-Journal, 1860,
p. 203.
Rights of Quarterly Conferences in a Certain
Case.
Question. In case a Quarterly Conference
recommend the renewal of the license of an




vi              APPENDIX.
exhorter, is the Presiding Elder under obligation to renew the license?
Answer. He is.-Journal, 1860, pp. 228, 229.
Presiding Elder's Duty in Relation to the General Missionary Committee.
Resolved, That the Presiding Elders in the
Annual Conferences be requested to furnish to
the member of the General Missionary Committee, appointed to represent the Mission Districts within which they labor, a written statement of the condition of the Missions within
their bounds, and their pecuniary wants, prior
to the annual meeting of the Committee.Journal, 1860, p. 295.
Receiving or Expelling Members improperly.
Its Influence on the Relations of Parties, etc.
If a preacher in charge of any work receive
a person into the Church contrary to the Discipline, can the Annual Conference correct the
administration, and declare that the person,
having been received contrary to Discipline, is
therefore not a member?
Answer. No. Thllis question was decided by
the General Conference of 1852 by the adoption of the following resolution:
Resolved, That when an Annual Conference
decides that a preacher having charge has received or expelled a member contrary to the
Discipline, the decision does not exclude the




APPENDIX.              vii
member so received. but restores the member
so expelled. (General Conference Journal, page
73.)-Journal, 1860, p. 297.
When a member is expelled from the Church,
and complaint is made against the administrator to his Annual Conference for maladministration, and the Conference decide that the person was expelled contrary to Discipline, what
is the relation of the member expelled from
the Church? Does the act of the Annual Conference restore the character of the member, so
that the charges on which he was expelled are
so annulled that the preacher may legally give
him a letter before said charges are disposed
of by trial or withdrawn?
Answer. The act of the Annual Conference
does not restore his character, but simply his
membership, and when so restored he is placed
in the position which he occupied before he
was tried; that is, he is an accused member,
and hence the preacher is not at liberty to give
him a certificate of membership.-Journal, 1860,
p. 298.
Irregularity in the reception of a Member is not
a Bar to Trial.
May a person who has not been formally received into fiull connection in the Church, but
has for a term of years enjoyed all the privileges of a member, and is supposed by the




viii            APPENDIX.
preacher in charge and society to be a member,
plead the fact of his non-reception as a bar to
proceedings in case of alleged immorality?
Answer. No.-Journal, 1860, p. 298.
The Right to take Testimony before a Committee, etc.
Testimony taken before a committee, sitting
in the case of an accused member of an Annual
Conference, is to be received as evidence on
the trial of said minister before the Annual
Conference.-Journal, 1848, p. 126.
A Preacher who refuses to attend his Work.
Can a traveling preacher, during the interval
of the Annual Conference of which he is a
member, be suspended for refusing to attend to
the work assigned him?
Answer. It is the duty of a Presiding Elder
"to take charge of all the Elders and Deacons
in his District," and to "take care that every
part of our Discipline be enforced." Now our
Discipline provides that no Elder or Deacon
" who ceases to travel without the consent of
the Annual Conference, certified under the
hand of the President of the Conference, except
in cases of sickness, debility, or other unavoidable circumstances, shall on any account exercise the peculiar functions of his office, or even
be allowed to preach among us."  Hence, any




APPENDIX.              ix
Elder or Deacon who refuses to go to the work
assigned him ("except in cases of sickness,"
etc.) may be suspended "in the interval of the
Annual Conference;" but the "final determination in all such cases is with" the Conference.
-Journal, 1860, p. 297.
Right to Try a Member in the Interval of the
Annual Conference, etc.
An Annual Conference has a right, when
charges are preferred against one of their number, and the case cannot be tried during their
session for want of testimony, to refer it to the
Presiding Elder who may have charge of him,
under the rule for the trial of immoral ministers
in the interval of an Annual Conference.Journal, 1848, p. 128.
Amenability for Maladministration.
To whom is a preacher amenable on a complaint of maladministration?
Answer. To the Annual Conference of which
he is a member.-Journal, 1860, p. 301.
Maladministration not to try a Member who
wishes to Remove, but is under Imputation.
When a member wishes to remove his residence out of any particular charge, and there
are, in the judgment of the preacher in charge,
sufficient reasons for withholding a certificate,
and the member is willing to be tried, he shall




X              AiPPENDIX.
be held guilty of maladministration unless he
proceed in the trial of such person.-Journal,
1848, p. 98.
When a member receives a certificate of
membership from a preacher having charge of
a Circuit or Station, he is responsible for his
moral conduct (from the date of his certificate
until he joins) to the Society receiving him
upon that certificate.-Journal, 1848, p. 126.
Removal of Church Membership and Certificates, etc.
No preacher is under obligation to give a
certicate of membership to any member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church unless said member wishes to remove his membership to another charge in the Methodist Episcopal Church,
though, as a matter of courtesy, he may give a
recommendation to a member in good standing who wishes to unite with another evangelical denomination.-Journal, 1848, p. 59.
The Right of a Quarterly Conference to remand
for a New Trial, etc.
When an appeal is taken by an expelled
member to the Quarterly Conference, and the
Conference remand the case back for a new
trial, what is the precise relation of the appellant?  Is he an accused member, and must
the preacher proceed to try him again, or is he
restored to his membership in good standing?




APPENDIX.              xi
Answer. He is an accused member, and the
preacher should proceed to try him again unless the charges are withdrawn.-Journal, 1860,
p. 298.
Is there in the Discipline anything authorizing a Quarterly Meeting Conference to remand
a case for a new trial?
Answer. When the preacher in charge differs
"in judgment from the majority of the Society,
or the select number, concerning the guilt or
innocence of the accused person," and refers
the case to the Quarterly Conference, that body
has "authority to order a new trial." (Discipline, 1864, p. 123.) And in other cases, the
power to remand for what the Conference may
deem sufficient cause, is inherent in that body
as an appellate court.-Journal, 1860, p. 301.
The right of Appeal may be forfeited.
When an expelled member has, by neglect
or otherwise, forfeited his right of Appeal, may
a subsequent Quarterly Conference, if it desire
to do so, grant him the privilege of an appeal?
Answer. No.-Journal, 1860, p. 298.
Probationers not a Right to bring Charges.
Question. Has a probationer in our Church
the right to prefer charges against a member of
our Church?
Answer. He has not.-Journal, 1860, p. 228.




xii             APPENDIX.
New Testimony not Admissible.
In no case of an appeal can new evidence be
admitted.-Journal, 1860, p. 137.
American Bible Society.
Resolved, 1. By the General Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, That the relations
of our Church with the American Bible Society
have been most salutary in their operations
and results, and that we gladly recognize that
Society as an efficient agency for the diffusion of the Holy Scriptures throughout the
world.
Resolved, 2. That we congratulate our people
in view of their steady and persistent liberality
toward that Society, and we commend it to
their continued confidence and beneficence.Journal, 1864, p. 225.
Conference Journals.
Most of the Journals that have been examined are well kept, some of them in superior
style. We wish we could say this of every
Journal; but some give evidence of inattention
to several important parts of a full journal, such
as neglecting, 1. To page their Journals. 2. To
furnish marginal references.  3. To record
resolutions passed by the Conference. 4. Noticing the adoption of important reports without
saying they were filed. All resolutions passed
by the Conference should be spread upon the




APPENDIX.              xiii
Journal. It is the opinion of the Committee
that important papers referred to on the Journal as filed should be brought with the Journals
to the General Conference. Secretaries of Annual Conferences cannot be too careful in journalizing the matters pertaining to the trial of a
member of the Annual Conference, correctly
marking and referring to all papers used as
testimony in such cases, so that, in case of an
appeal, the Journal and papers will present a
fair and full showing of the case as passed upon
by the Conference.-Journal, 1860, p. 225.
Resolved, That Conferences and their Secretaries are hereby requested:
1. To see that the book provided for the
Journal is of suitable size, and that books are
also provided for recording the reports and
statistics.
2. To provide a Secretary, besides the principal one, whose duty it shall be with great
neatness carefully to enter the proceedings
after they have been approved by the Conference.
3. Let each page of the Journal be numbered,
and properly headed, with date of session.
4. Let the names of those in attendance upon
the Conference be recorded upon the Journal.
5. Give a wide margin, in which full references are distinctly written.




xiv             APPENDIX.
6. Enter all resolutions, and refer: to reports.
7. Enter at least the total of all statistics.
8. Enter the appointments of the preachers,
and for this purpose let a certified copy be
furnished by the bishops, to be filed with the
Conference papers.
9. In all cases of trial before the Conference,
or a select number, let the record be full; and,
where papers are referred to, let them be
carefully distinguished. Let the charges be
spread upon the Journal, and the decision, and
let it be carefully noted that the papers are
deposited with the Conference papers.
10. Let the proceedings of each session be
promptly entered, and amid the pressure of the
business of the closing sessions, let great diligence be used in this respect, that all may be
ready for the signature of the President. The
appointments may be entered after the signature of the President.
11. It is needless to say that blots, erasures,
interlineations, abbreviations, careless orthography, or hasty penmanship, can only be discreditable to a Conference where the Journal is
under the revision of the Committee on Itinerancy.-Journal, 1864, p. 366.
The Observance of a Day of Prayer.
Resolved, That we recommend our people to
observe the fourth Thursday of February of




APPENDIX.              XV
each year as a day of prayer for our colleges
and other institutions of learning, and, where
practicable, in a public manner.
Form of blank for Educational Statistics.
1. Name of Institution.*
2. Grade.
3. Location.
4. Name and title of president or principal.
5. When founded.
6. Number of instructors.
7. Whole number of students:
(a.) Collegiate.
(b.) Preparatory.
(c.) Academic.
8. Number of graduates.
9. Number of graduates in the ministry.
10. Honorary degrees conferred:
(a.) A.M.
(b.) D.D.
(c.) LL.D.
11. Value of grounds, buildings, and furniture.
12. Endowment.
13. Volumes in libraries.
14. Value of apparatus.
15. Number of specimens in cabinet.
16. Income from tuition.
17. Income from other sources.
* If the institution is open for both sexes,
affix a star after the name.




xvi             APPENDIX.
18. Indebtedness.
19. Patronizing Conferences.
20. Time of Commencement, or anniversary
exercises.
Resolved, 2. That the secretaries of the Annual Conferences shall send to the Book Agents
at New York a copy of the reports furnished
by the Presiding Elders.-Journal, 1864, p. 259.
Domestic Missionary Returns.
Resolved, That each Annual Conference be
and is hereby required to furnish annually to
the Corresponding Secretary of the Missionary
Society, at New York, a report of its doings on
the subject of Missions; which report shall
specify the name of each district, circuit, or
station within its bounds, sustained in whole
or in part by said conference as a mission, together with the amount of missionary money
appropriated to each respectively for that Conference year.-Journal, 1864, p. 227.
Missionary Concert of Prayer.
Resolved, That we recommend the observance
of the first evening of each month, on which
the regular evening prayer-meeting is held, as
a concert of prayer for missions; and that we
recommend all our Churches to observe the
"annual week of prayer for the conversion of
the world."-Journal, 1864, p. 227.




APPENDIX.            xvii
Superannuated and Local Preachers.
Resolved, That when Superannuated and Local Preachers are employed in the pastoral
work, the law of limitation applies to them;
and that the limitation upon the appointing
power applies to the Presiding Elder, as well
as to the Bishop.-Journal, 1864, p. 233.
Post-office Address of Local Preachers.
Resolved, That we recommend to the Annual
Conferences that they publish in their Conference Minutes, annually, the names and post-office
addresses of all the Local Preachers within
their bounds, designating whether the preacher
be an elder, deacon, or only licensed. Also,
that when practicable they publish in the
Minutes brief obituary notices of our local
brethren who have died during the year.-Journal, 1864, p. 256.
Temperance.
Resolved, That this General Conference recommend each pastor to preach specifically
upon the subject, to point out the danger of
social and the more public and common forms
of intemperance, and to urge total abstinence
from all that can intoxicate.
Resolved, That we earnestly recommend that
in all cases the pure juice of the grape be used
in the celebration of the Lord's Supper.-Journal, 1864, p. 265.
21




xviii          APPENDIX.
Sunday-Schools.
Resolved, That it is the duty of each preacher
in charge, aided by the other preachers and the
Sunday-School Committee, to see that our Sunday-schools be continued through the winter,
as well as other seasons of the year.-Journal, 1864, p. 263.
Special Sermons to be Preached by the Pastor.
1. On Education.-Discipline, p. 225.
2. On Sunday-Schools and Religious Instruction.-Discipline, p. 227.
3. On the subject of Missions.-Discipline,
p. 232.
4. On Temperance.-Journal, 1864, p. 265.




APPENDIX.             Xix
FORM    OF A   CONSTITUTION    FOR A
SUNDAY-SCHOOL SOCIETY.
ART. I. This Society shall be called the Sunday-School Society of           Auxiliary
to the Sunday-School Union of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, and connected with the
Quarterly-meeting Conference of
It shall consist of the Officers, Teachers, the
Sunday-School Committee, appointed by the
Quarterly Conference, and the preacher in
charge.
ART. II. The object of this Society shall be
to sustain a Sunday-school at
ART. III. The officers of this Society shall
be a Superintendent, (Assistant Superintendent, Female Superintendent, where necessary,)
Secretary, Treasurer, and Librarian, who shall
be elected annually, by ballot, on
ART. IV. Teachers shall be nominated by
the Superintendent on their entering the school,
and elected by the Society one month subsequently.
ART. V. Regular meetings of this Society
shall be held on           of each month,
for the transaction of such business as relates
to the interests of the Society and school, at
which the following order shall be observed:
1. Singing and prayer; 2. Calling roll;




XX              APPENDIX.
3. Reading minutes; 4. Unfinished business;
5. Reports from Committees; 6. Reports from
Superintendent; 7. Reports from Treasurer;
8. Reports from Librarian, concerning the
state of the library and the number and kind
of periodicals taken by the school; 9. Reports
from the Sunday-School Committee; 10. Reports from Teachers; 11. Miscellaneous.
ART. VI. At all meetings for business,
shall constitute a quorum.
ART. VII. Special meetings of the Society
may be called by the Superintendent, or by
any three of the members.
ART. VIII. In case of the withdrawal of
persons from the school, they cease to be members of this Society; and any member of the
Society habitually neglecting his or her duty,
or being guilty of improper conduct. may be
expelled by a vote of two thirds of the Society
at any monthly or special meeting.
ART. IX. Vacancies in the offices may be
filled at any monthly or special meeting, one
month's notice having been given of the election.
ART. X. This Constitution shall not be altered except by two thirds of all the members present at a meeting called for that purpose.




APPENDIX.              xxi
GENERAL MISSIONARY         COMMITTEE,
1864-8.
I DISTRICT. - New England, Providence,
Maine, East Maine, New Hampshire, and
Vermont Conferences,
ELISHA ADAMS, New Hampshire Conference.
TI DISTRTCT.-New York, New York East,
Troy, Black River, Oneida, California, and
Oregon Conferences,
JOHN MILEY, New York East Conference.
III DISTRICT.-Philadelphia, Newark, New
Jersey, Wyoming, Baltimore, and East
Baltimore Conferences,
S. Y. MONROE, New Jersey Conference.
IV DIsTRICT.-East Genesee, Genesee, Erie,
Pittsburgh, and West Virginia Conferences,
C. A. HOLMES, Pittsburgh Conference.
V DISTRICT.-Ohio, Cincinnati, North Ohio,
Central Ohio, Kentucky, and Central German Conferences,
L. B. GURLEY. Central Ohio Conference.
VI DISTRICT.-Detroit, Michigan, Northwestern Indiana, Indiana, Southeastern Indiana, and North Indiana Conferences,
J. S. SMART, Detroit Conference.
VII DISTRICT.-Rock River, Central Illinois,
Illinois, Southern Illinois, and Southwestern German Conferences,
JAMES LEATON, Illinois Conference.




xxii            APPENDIX.
VIII DISTRICT.-Wisconsin, West Wisconsin,
Northwest Wisconsin, Minnesota, Upper
Iowa, Northwest German Conferences,
CHAUNCEY HOBART, Northwest Wisconsin
Conference.
IX DISTRICT.-Iowa, Des Moines, Missouri
and Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, and
Colorado Conferences,
D. P. MITCHELL, Kansas Conference.




APPENDIX.            xxiii
B3OOK COMMITTEE AT NEW         YORK.
1. New York and New York East Conferences,
MORRIS D'C. CRAWFORD.
2. Providence, New England, and Maine Conferences,
CHARLES F. ALLEN.
3. East Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont
Conferences,
ANDES T. BULLARD.
4. Philadelphia, New  Jersey, and Newark
Conferences,
JOSEPH CASTLE.
5. Baltimore and East Baltimore Conferences,
CHARLES B. TIPPETT.
6. Troy and Black River Conferences,
BARNES M. HALL.
7. Oneida and Wyoming Conferences,
DANIEL W. BRISTOL.
8. Genesee and East Genesee Conferences,
FREEBORN G. HIBBARD.
9. Erie, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia Conferences,
WILLIAM HUNTER.




xxiv           APPENDIX.
Boor   COMMITTEE AT CINCINNATI.
1. Ohio Conference,
BARZILLAI N. SPAHR.
2. Cincinnati and Kentucky Conferences,
WILLIAM YOUNG.
3. Central Ohio and North Ohio Conferences,
HENRY WHITEMAN.
4. Indiana and Southeastern Indiana Conferences,
JOHN W. MELLENDER.
5. North Indiana and Northwest Indiana Conferences,
JOHN L. SMITH.
6. Detroit and Michigan Conferences,
FRANCIS B. BANGS.
7. Illinois and Southern Illinois Conferences,
JAMES B. CORRINGTON.
8. Rock River and Central Illinois Conferences,
RICHARD HANEY.
9. Iowa, Upper Iowa, and Des Moines Confer
ences,
JACOB G. DIMMITT.
10. Wisconsin, West Wisconsin, Northwest
Wisconsin, and Minnesota Conferences,
SAMUEL C. THOMAS.
1]. Missouri and Arkansas, Kansas, and
Nebraska Conferences,
SAMUEL HUFFMAN.
12. Central German, Southwestern German,
and Northwestern German Conferences,
GEORGE L. MULFINGER.




COURSE OF STUDY
I. FOR CANDIDATES FOR ADMISSION ON
TRIAL IN TIIE TRAVELING CONNECTION.
English Grammar - Modern Geography —
rire's Logic-Newman's Rhetoric.
[Read Porter's Compendium of Methodism
-Wesley's Sermons.]
II. FOR CONFERENCE MEMBERSHIP AND
FOR ORDERS.
FIRST YEAR. - The Bible -Doctrines.
The Existence of God-The Attributes of
God, namely: Unity, Spirituality, Eternity,
Omnipotence, Ubiquity, Omniscience, Immlutability, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Mercy, Love,
Goodness, Holiness-The Trinity in UnityThe Deity of Christ- The Humanity of Christ
-The Union of Deity and Humanity-Personality and Deity of the Holy Ghost-Depravity - Atonement - Repentance - Justifi
1




COURSE OF STUDY.
cation by Faith - Regeneration - Adoption -
The Witness of the Spirit -Growth in Grace
-Christian Perfection-Possibility of Final
Apostasy- Immortality of the Soul - Resurrection of the Body-General JudgmentRewards and Punishments.
[The examination on the above to be strictly
Biblical, requiring the candidate to give the
statement of the doctrine and the Scripture
proofs. To prepare for this he should read the
Bible by course, and make a memorandum of
the texts upon each of these topics as he proceeds.]
Watson's Institutes, 1st Part-Wesley's
Plain Account of Christian Perfection - Fletcher's Appeal - Clark's Mental Discipline.
Essay or Sermon.
[Read Wesley's Notes- Stevens's History
of Methodism -Willson's General History.]
SECOND YEAR. -The Bible- Sacraments.
The Sacrament of Baptism: Its Nature,
Design, Obligation, Subjects, and Mode —The
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper: Its Nature,
Design, and Obligation.
[Mode of study and examination same as on
Bible in the first year.]
2




OOIRSE OF STUDY.
Watson's Institutes, 2d Part - Peck's Christian Perfection, 12mo.-Fletcher's Christian
Perfection-Strickland's Manual of Biblcal
Li;erature - Methodist Discipline - Mitchell's
Ancient Geography.
Essay or Sermon.
[Read Bishop Emory's Defense of our Fathers - Powell on Apostolical Succession -
Dr. Emory's History of the Discipline - Wesley on Original Sin, and Wesley's Doctrinal
Tracts- Johnston's Natural Philosophy.]
THIRD YEAR.- Bible -History and Chronology.
Watson's Institutes, 3d Part -Butler's Analogy —Peck's Rule of Faith —Hibbard      on
Baptism - Ruter's Church History - Blair's
Lectures on Rhetoric, University EditionHedge's Logic.
Essay or Sermon.
[Read Bangs's History of the Methodist Episcopal Church - Elliott on Romanism - Fletcher's  Works - Rollin's  Ancient History —
Smith's Patriarchal Age -Hallam's Middle
Age - Russell's Modern Elurpe.]
20           3




COURSE OF STUDY.
FOUREH YEAR.-Review of the whole Course.
Watson's Institutes, 4th Part- Claude's Essay on the Composition and Delivery of a
Sermon -   orne's Introduction, abridged —
Stewart's Mental Philosophy.
Essay or Sermon.
[Read Smith's Hebrew People - Mosheim's
Ecclesiastical History-Townley's Illustrations of Biblical Literature-Watson's Ser.
mons —History of the United States-Stevens's Church Polity- Hibbard's Palestine:
Its Geography and Bible History.]
11. FOR LOCAL PREACHERS WHO          ARE
CANDIDATES FOR DEACON'S ORDERS.
The Bible- Doctrines.
The Existence of God-The Attributes of
God, namely: Unity, Spirituality, Eternity,
Omnipotence, Ubiquity, Omniscience, Imrnutability, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Mercy, Love,
Goodness, Holiness-The Trinity in UnityThe Deity of Christ- The Humanity of Christ
-The Union of Deity and Humanity-Personality and Deity of the Holy Ghost-Depravity - Atonement - Repentance - Justifl4




COURSE OF STUDY.
cation by Faith - Regeneration - Adoptio —
The Witness of the Spirit-Growth in Grace
-Clhristian Perfection-Possibility of Final
Apostasy -Immortality of the Soul -Resurrection of the Body —General Judgment —
Rewards and Punishments.
The Bible -Sacraments.
The Sacrament of Baptism: Its Nature,
Design, Obligation, Subjects, and Mode - The
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper: Its Nature,
Design, and Obligation.
[The examiitation on the above subjects is tn
be str;ctly Biblical, requiring the candidates to
give thi statement of the doctrine and the Scripture roots. To prepare ior this, lie should read
the Bil'e by course, and make a memrorandun m
of tlie texts upon each of these topics as he
proceeds. ]
Systemiatic Divinity.
Watson's Institutes, Part First a;id Second
- Wesley's Plain Account kf Christian Perfection - Fletcher's Appeal.
Chlrch Government: Methodist Discipline.
Cormmoan Eiaglish: English Grammar - Modern Geography.
[Read Watson's Life of Wesley-Wesley's
Sermons - Emory's Defense of our Fathers -
Powell on Apostolical Succession.]
5




COURSE OF STUDY.
IV. FOR LOCAL PREACHERS WHO ARE
CANDIDATES FOR ELDER'S ORDERS.
Review of the previous course.
Bible - History.
The leading events recorded in the Old and
New Testaments.
Systematic Divinity: Watson's Institutes, Part
Third and Fourth.
An Essay or Sermon.
[Read Fletcher's Checks-Smith's Hebrew
People - Ruter's Church History - Porter's
Compendium of Methodism.]
V. FOR     THE   GERMAN    TRAVELING
PREACHERS.
FIRST YEAR.-The Bible- Doctrines.
(Same as in the English Course.)
Wesley's Sermons, vol. i-Compendium of
Methodism- Church History, published by the
Norddeutschen Yerein, vol. i -  urst's Grammar of the German Language, sections 1-8,
43,-80 -A Written Sermon.
[Read Watson's Apology for the BibleD'Atibig(n's History of the Reformation, vol. 
- Fletcher's Appeal.]
6




COURSE OF STUDY.
N.B.-Those who find Wurst's Grammar toc
difficult may use Splittegarb's Grammar. To
those who understand the English language
we recommend Woodbury's Grammar of the
German Language.
SECOND YEAR.-The Bible- Sacraments.
(Same as in the English Course.)
Hare on Justification -Wesley's Christian
Perfection - The Discipline - Church History,
vols. ii and iii  Wurst's Grammar of the German Language, sections 9-42 —A     Written
Sermon on Baptism.
[Read Nelson's Causes of Infidelity - Haldane's Genuineness and Justification of the
Holy Scriptures - D'Abigne's History of the
Reformation, vol. ii -Wesley and his Coadjutors, by W. Nast.]
THIRD YEAR.
Kurtz's Sacred History - The Philosophy of
the Plan of Salvation - Zeller's Psychology -
Church History., vols. iv and v —Woodbury's
Grammar of the English Language- A Written Sermon on the Difference of Justification
and Sanctification.
[Read D'Aubigne's History of the Reformatlon, vol. iii - Ralston's Elements of Divinity -
Hibbard on Baptism.]
7




COURSE OF STUDY.
FOURTH YEAR.
Lisco's Exposition of the Apostles' Creed -
Nast's General Iltroduction into the New Testamentt- Bishop Baker's Guide to the Discipline-Church History, vols. vi and viiWoodhbry's Grammar of the English Lanrguage
-A Written Sermon on the Lord's Supper.
[Read Weber's Uriversal History - D'Aubigne's History of the Reformation, vols. iv
and v — Stevens's History of Methodism, vol. i.]
TVI. FOR   GERMAN    LOCAL DEACONS.
Compendium of Theology, by L. S. Jacoby -:Discipline - Wesley's Sermons, vol. i - Hare
ou Justification.
[Read Fletcher's Appeal - Compendium  of
Methodism - Watson's Apology.]
VII. FOR GERMAN LOCAL ELDERS.
Lisco's Exposition of the Apostles' CreedWesley's Sermons, vol. ii - Wesley's Christian
Perfection - Calwer Church History.
[Read Nast's Wesley and his CoadjutorsHaldane on the Genuineness and Inspiration of
the Holy Scriptures - Zeller's Psychology.]
Sl