V. Q. WHAT further directions does the Conference give in reference to the Children's Fund?

A. 1. That, in case of the death of any of those Children who are provided for by this Fund, the Parents shall be permitted to receive for them the usual Allowance to the end of the year in which they died, in order to enable them to pay the expenses of their affliction and funeral, when those expenses are not paid by the Circuits in which they are stationed.

2. All Letters on business relating to this Fund should be post-paid. 1822.

V. THE PREACHERS' FUND.

1. Q. ARE any directions necessary concerning the management of the Preachers' Fund?

A. No money that has been or shall be subscribed to that Fund, shall be applied on any account to the discharge of contingencies or to any other purposes whatsoever, except hose which the Rules of the Fund direct. 1791.

II. Q. Are there any Regulations to be made in respect to the Preachers' Fund?

A. The Subscriptions of the Travelling Preachers shall, in future, be considered as separate from the Subscriptions of the People; and the Subscriptions of the People shall be considered as forming a Fund of Charity, which is to be applied only to the assistance of real objects of mercy among the Supernumerary and Superannuated Preachers, and the Widows of Preachers: nevertheless, those who have hitherto received allowances from the Fund, shall continue to receive them, notwithstanding this Regulation, as a retrospective law would be unjust. The Subscriptions of the Preachers, being their own money, subscribed, in general, with great difficulty, out of their little pittance, shall be distributed among the Supernumerary and Superannuated Preachers and Widows, according to strict and impartial Rules of justice. 1799.

III. THE "Rules and Regulations of the Methodist Preachers' Annuitant Society," shall be printed in Octavo, and a Copy sent to every Member, for which he is to pay One Shilling. 1813.

362

RULES AND REGULATIONS

OF

AN INSTITUTION

CALLED THE

ITINERANT METHODIST PREACHERS'

ANNUITANT SOCIETY,

FORMED IN Liverpool,

August 12, 1813,

CERTAIN Itinerant Preachers of the People called Methodists, late in Connection with the Reverend John Wesley, deceased, having agreed to form a Benefit Society, to be known by the name of the ITINERANT METHODIST PREACHERS ANNUITANT SOCIETY, for the relief of Superannuated Preachers among themselves, and of the Widows of those who have died in connexion with the Conference of the above-named People ;-and the said Preachers having formed a set of Rules and Regulations for the above purpose, at their Annual Conference held in Bristol, in the year 1798, and having exhibited the said Rules and Regulations at the General Quarter Sessions, held in and for the City and County of Bristol, -they were duly examined, allowed, and registered in the Court of the said City, on the 15th day of July, 1799:-And the said Preachers having afterwards agreed

revise and alter the said Rules, the alterations then

made were exhibited, allowed, and also registered at the Quarter Sessions held in and for the aforesaid City, on the 17th day of January, 1800:-And the said Preachers in their present Conference, held in Liverpool by adjournments from the 26th day of July to the 12th day of August, 1813, having agreed to revise, alter, and amend all the Rules made and registered as aforesaid, do now make and adopt the following Rules and Regulations, in the place of the aforesaid Rules and Regulations; and therefore do unanimously resolve:

I. That this Institution shall be called, THE ITINERANT METHODIST PREACHERS' ANNUITANT SOCIETY.

II. That every Preacher, who is now, or shall be here

after, received into full Connexion with the Conference of the People called Methodists, may become a member, if approved of by a majority of the Society.

III. That as the Methodist Preachers, late in connection with the Rev. John Wesley, deceased, have a property in books, in their Book-Room, City-Road, London, which property is valued at, and is worth, Six Thousand Pounds Sterling; the said Preachers, including the members of this Society, have agreed to convey the said property to this Society, to be subject to its disposal, and applied to its use, according to the Rules and Regulations of the same; and they have agreed also, that the Steward of the said BookRoom, for the time being, shall give a bond to the Treasurer of this Society, for the time being, for the above sum of Six Thousand Pounds Sterling, bearing legal interest from the date of these presents; which interest is to be paid annually into the hands of the said Treasurer, to be applied

to the use of this Society, according to its Rules and Regulations.

IV. That every new member shall, on his admission, pay Ten Guineas into the Funds of this Society; and that every Preacher shall subscribe annually One Guinea and a Half: the money to be paid at the time of the meeting of Conference.*

V. That every member of this Society, who is considered as superannuated by the Conference, or by them declared incapable of fulfilling the duties of an Itinerant Preacher, shall receive an Annuity from this Institution, according to the plan hereunto subjoined; that is to say,

If he have travelled, under the direction of the Conference, less than twenty years, he shall receive annually Twenty-four Guineas:

If he have so travelled twenty years, and less than twenty-five years, he shall receive annually Thirty Guineas:

If he have so travelled twenty-five years, and less than thirty years, he shall receive annually Thirty-five Guineas:

If he have so travelled thirty years, and less than thirtyfive years, he shall receive annually Forty Guineas: And if he have travelled thirty-five years, or upwards, he shall receive Forty-five Guineas:

The payments shall be made every six months, and shall commence from the time at which the said member is superannuated, or declared incapable, as aforesaid.

The terms of admission now are Eleven Guineas, and the Annual cription Three Guineas.