CHAPTER VII.

OF APPEALS.

SECTION I.

APPEAL OF A TRAVELING PREACHER.

1. In all cases it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Annual Conference to preserve the documents relating to the trial of members, which documents only, in an appeal from the decision of an Annual Conference, shall be presented to the General Conference, in evidence on the case.

2. When an appeal is made, and allowed by the General Conference, there shall be a committee appointed consisting of one delegate from each Annual Conference, who, in the presence of a Bishop, and one

or more of the Secretaries of the General Conference, shall have full power to try the case; and their decision shall be final. And the said committee shall make a faithful report to the General Conference, in writing, and deliver up to the Secretary the whole record of the case, with the decision rendered.

3. No member shall be appointed to serve on any appeal when he has been a member of the committee that first tried the case.

4. 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 permitted to make his defense without interruption. After which the representatives of the Annual Conference from whose de

cision the appeal is made shall be permitted to respond in presence of the appellant, who shall have privilege of replying, which shall close the pleadings on both sides. This done, the appellant shall withdraw, and the committee shall decide.

5. No minister, after such form of trial and expulsion, shall be restored to the communion of the Church without giving satisfactory evidence of repentance, unless the Annual Conference shall become convinced that he was innocent of the crime for which he was expelled; in which case the Conference may restore him to his previous standing.

SECTION II.

APPEAL OF A LOCAL PREACHER.

1. When an appeal of a local

6

preacher is made and allowed by the Annual Conference, the President shall appoint a committee of not less than nine, nor more than thirteen, who shall have full power to try the case; and their decision shall be final.

2. No member of the Quarterly Conference that first tried the case shall be appointed on this committee.

3. The minutes of the trial in the Quarterly Conference shall be laid before this committee, which documents only shall be in evidence; and the said committee shall make a faithful report to the Annual Conference, in writing, and deliver up to the Secretary the whole record of the case, with the decision rendered.

4. 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 permitted to make his defense without interruption. After which the representative of the Quarterly Conference, from whose. decision the appeal is made, shall be permitted to respond in presence of the appellant, who shall have privilege of replying, which shall close the pleadings on both sides. This done, the appellant shall withdraw, and the committee shall decide.

SECTION III.

APPEAL OF A MEMBER.

1. If there be a murmur or complaint from any excluded person, that justice has not been done in the trial before the Church or com