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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: provided, nevertheless, no slaveholder shall be eligible to the office of an Elder or Deacon, where the laws will admit of emancipation, and permit the liberated slave to enjoy freedom.

4. 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, or at the place where he shall reside at the time of his location.

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 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.

5. 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.

CHAPTER V.

OF THE MEANS OF GRACE.

SECTION I.

Of Public Worship.

Quest. 1. 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 chapter out of the Old Testament, and another out of the New, and preaching.

2. Let the afternoon service consist of singing, prayer, the reading of one or two chapters out of the Bible, and preaching.

3. Let the evening service consist of singing, prayer, and preaching.

4. But on the days of administering the Lord's supper, the two chapters in the morning service may be omitted.

5. In administering the ordinances, and in the burial of the dead, let the form of Discipline invariably be used. Let the

Lord's prayer also be used on all occasions of public worship in concluding the first prayer, and the apostolic benediction in dismissing the congregation.

6. Let the society be met, wherever it is practicable, on the Sabbath-day.

Quest. 2. Is there not a great indecency sometimes practised among us, namely, talking in the congregation before and after service. How shall this be cured?

Answ. Let all the ministers and preachers join as one man, and enlarge on the impropriety of talking before or after service; and strongly exhort those that are concerned to do it no more. In three months, if we are in earnest, this vile practice will be banished out of every Methodist congregation. Let none stop till he has carried his point.

SECTION II.

Of 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. If you cannot sing yourself, let one or

two 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.

SECTION III.

Of Class-meetings and Love-feasts. 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

men of sound judgment, but men truly devoted to God.

Quest. 3. What shall we do with those members of our Church who wilfully and repeatedly neglect to meet their class?

Answ. 1. Let the Elder, Deacon, or one of the preachers visit them, whenever it is practicable, and explain to them the consequence if they continue to neglect, namely, exclusion.

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 wilful neglect by a decision of a majority of the members before whom their case is brought, let them be laid aside, and let the preacher show that they are excluded for a breach of our rules, and not for immoral conduct.

Quest. 4. How often shall we permit serious persons who are not of our Church to meet in class?

Answ. At every other meeting of the class in every place let no stranger be admitted. At other times they may; but the same person not above twice or thrice.

Quest. 5. How often shall we permit strangers to be present at our Love-feast?

Answ. Let them be admitted with the utmost caution; and the same person on no account above twice or thrice, unless he become a member.