quarterly meeting conference, who may give him what relief they judge proper, after the allowance of the travelling preachers and of their wives, and all other regular allowances are discharged.

SECTION IX.

Of Slavery. Quest. What shall be done for the extirpa. tion of the evil of slavery ?

Answ. 1. We declare that we are as much as ever convinced of the great evil of slavery: therefore no slave holder shall be eligible to any official station in our church hereafter, where the laws of the state in which he lives will admit of emancipation, and permit the liberated slave to enjoy freedom.

2. When any travelling preacher becomes an owner of a slave or slaves, by any means, he shall forfeit his ministerial character in our church, unless he execute, if it be practicable, a legal emancipation of such slaves, conformably to the laws of the state in which he lives.

3. All our preachers shall prudently enforce upon our members the necessity of teaching their slaves to read the word of God; and to allow them time to attend upon the public

worship of God on our regular days of divine service.

4. Our coloured preachers and official members shall have all the privileges which are usual to others in the district and quarterly conferences, where the usages of the country do not forbid it. And the presiding elder may hold for them a separate district conference, where the number of coloured local preachers will justify it.

5. The annual conferences may employ coloured preachers to travel and preach where their services are judged necessary ; provided that no one shall be so employed without having been recommended according to the form of discipline.

CHAPTER I.

.

Sec. 1. Of the Origin of the Methodist Episcopal Church 5
Sec. 2. Articles of Religion
Sec. 3. Of the General and Annual Conferences

19
Sec. 4. Of the Election and Consecration of Bishops and of

their Duty
Sec. 5. Of the Presiding Elders, and of their Duty

73
79
81

84
85
86

CHAPTER II.
Sec. 1. The nature, design, and general rules of our United

Societies.
Sec. 2. Of Class Meetings
Sec. 3. Of the Band Societies
Sec. 4. Of the privileges granted to serious persons who are

not of our Church
Sec. 5. Of Marriage
Sec. 6. Of Dress
Sec. 7. Of bringing to Trial, finding Guilty, and reproving,

suspending, or excluding disorderly persons from

Society and Church privileges
Sec. 8. Of the sale and use of spirituous liquors

CHAPTER III.

Sacramental Services, &c.
Sec. 1. The Order for the administration of the Lord's

Supper
Sec. 2. The administration of Baptism to infants

The ministration of Baptism to such as are of

riper years
Sec. 3. The

form of solemnization of Matrimony
Sec. 4. The order of the Burial of the Dead

87
89

90
100

103
110
116

CHAPTER IV.
The form and manner of making and ordaining Bishops

Elders, and Deacons.
Sec. 1. The form and manner of making Deacons

119
Sec. 2. The form and manner of ordaining Elders

125
Sec. 3. The form of ordaining a Bishop

138
PART SECOND.
Sec. 1. Of the boundaries of the Annual Conferences, &c. 151
Sec. 2. Of building Churches, and the order to be observed
therein

156
Sec. 3. Of the qualifications, appointment, and duty of the
Stewards of Circuits

165
Sec. 4. Of the allowance

to the Ministers and Preachers,
and to their Wives, Widows, and Children 167
Sec. 5. Of raising annual supplies for the Propagation of

the Gospel, for the making up the allowance of
the Preachers, &c

169
Sec. 6. Of the Chartered Fund

179
Sec. 7. Of the Printing and Circulating of Books, and of
the Profits arising therefrom

181
Sec. 8. Local Preachers to have an allowance in given cases 186
Sec. 9. Of Slavery

187