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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 worshipped.

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 redempiton, 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 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 rebuked openly, that others may fear to do the like, as one that offendeth against the common order of the church, and woundeth the consciences of weak brethren.

Every particular church may ordain, change, or abolish rites and ceremonies, so that all things may be done to edifica

tion.

XXIII. Of the Rulers of the United States of America.-The president, the congress, 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.*

XXIV. Of Christian Men's Goods.— The riches and goods of Christians are not 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.

GOVERNMENT.

The government of this church, as its title imports, is episcopal. But that the reader may have a clear perception of the entire economy of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the following analysis of its several parts is given:

1. There is the society, which includes all the members of the church attached to any particular place.

2. The classes, which originally consisted of about twelve persons each, but unhappily have often increased to from

lieve 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

As far as it respects civil affairs, we be

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 government, will behave themselves as peaceable and orderly subjects.

twenty to forty, meet together weekly for mutual edification, in singing, prayer, and exhortation.

3. The class leader, who is appointed by the preacher, has charge of a class, and it is his duty to see each member of his class once a week, to inquire how his soul prospers, and to receive what he is willing to give for the support of the church and poor.

4. The stewards, who are chosen by the quarterly meeting conference, on the nomination of the ruling preacher, have charge of all the money collected for the support of the ministry, the poor, and for sacramental services, and disburse it as the Discipline directs.

5. The trustees have charge of all the church property, to hold it for the use of the members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. They are elected by the people in those states where the law so provides, in other places as the Discipline directs.

6. There are the exhorters, who receive their license from the quarterly meeting conference, and have the privilege of holding meetings for exhortation and prayer.

7. A preacher is one who holds a license, and is authorized to preach, but not to baptize or administer the Lord's Supper. He may be either a travelling or local preacher. A local preacher generally follows some secular calling for a livelihood, and preaches on sabbath, and occasionally at other times, without any temporal emolument, except when he supplies the place of a travelling preacher. A travelling preacher devotes himself entirely to the work of the ministry, and is supported by the people among whom he labors. All these, after being recommended by the class to which they respectively belong, or by the leaders' meeting, receive their license from the quarterly meeting conference, signed by the presiding elder.

8. A deacon holds a parchment from a bishop, and is authorized, in addition to the discharging the duties of a preacher, to solemnize the rite of matrimony, to bury the dead, to baptize, and to assist the elder in administering the Lord's Supper. It is his duty, also, to seek after the sick and poor, and administer to their comfort.

9. An elder is ordained to that office by a bishop, assisted by several elders, and, besides doing the duties above enumerated, has full authority to administer all the ordinances of God's house. These generally, whenever a sufficient number of them can be had, have the charge of circuits or stations, and the administration of the several parts of Discipline.

10. A presiding elder, though no higher as to order than an elder, has charge of several circuits and stations, called collectively a district. It is his duty to visit each circuit or station once a quarter, to preach, to administer the ordinances, to call together the travelling and local preachers, exhorters, stewards, and class leaders of the circuit or station for the quarterly meeting conference; and, in the absence of a bishop, to receive, try, suspend, or expel preachers, as the Dis cipline directs. He is appointed to his charge by the bishop.

11. A bishop is elected by the General Conference, and is responsible to that body for his official conduct, and is consecrated to that office by the imposition of the hands of three bishops, or by a bishop and several elders, or if there be no bishop living, by any three of the elders who may be appointed by the General Conference for that purpose. It is his duty to travel through the work at large, to superintend the temporal and spiritual affairs of the church, to preside in the Annual and General Conferences, to ordain such as may be elected by the annual conferences to the order of deacons or elders, and to appoint the preachers to their several circuits or stations.

12. A leaders' meeting is composed of the class leaders in any one circuit or station, in which the preacher in charge presides. Here the weekly class collections are paid into the hands of the stewards, probationers are received as members or dropped, as the case may be, inquiry is made into the state of the classes, delinquents are reported, and the sick and poor inquired after.

13. A quarterly meeting conference is composed of all the travelling and local preachers, exhorters, stewards, and leaders, belonging to any particular circuit or station, in which the presiding elder pre

c. 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. d. They shall not revoke or change the General Rules of the United Societies. e. They shall not do away the privi leges 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.

sides, or in his absence the preacher in | such annual conference shall be entitled charge. Here exhorters and local preach- to an additional delegate for such fraction: ers are licensed, preachers are recom- and provided also, that no annual confermended to an annual conference to be re- ence shall be denied the privilege of two ceived into the travelling ministry, and delegates. also local preachers are recommended to the annual conference as suitable persons to be ordained deacons or elders; and likewise appeals are heard from any member of the church, who may appeal from a decision of a committee by whom he may have been tried for any delinquency. 14. An annual conference is composed of all the travelling preachers, deacons, and elders within a specified district of country. These are not legislative, but merely executive and judicial bodies, acting under rules prescribed by the General Conference. Here the character and conduct of all the travelling preachers within the bounds of the conference are examined yearly; applicants for admission into the travelling ministry, if accounted worthy, are admitted, continued on trial, or drop-dren. ped, as the case may be; appeals of local preachers, which may be presented, are heard and decided; and those who are eligible to deacon's or elder's orders are elected. An annual conference possesses an original jurisdiction over all its members, and may therefore try, acquit, suspend, expel, or locate any of them, as the Discipline in such cases provides.

15. The General Conference assembles quadrennially, and is composed of a certain number of delegates elected by the annual conferences. It has power to revise any part of the Discipline, or to introduce any new regulation, not prohibited by the following limitations and restric

tions:

a. The General Conference shall not revoke, alter, or change our articles of religion, nor establish any new standards or rules of doctrine contrary to our present existing and established standards of doctrine.

b. 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 thirty: provided, nevertheless, that when there shall be in any annual conference a fraction of two-thirds the number which shall he fixed for the ratio of representation,

f. 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 travelling, supernumerary, superannuated, and worn-out preachers, their wives, widows, and chil

Provided, nevertheless, that upon the concurrent recommendation of threefourths of all the members of the several annual conferences, who shall 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, except the first article; and also, whenever such alteration or alterations shall have been recommended by two-thirds of the Genera' Conference, as soon as three-fourths o the members of all the annual conferences shall have concurred as aforesaid, such alteration or alterations shall take place.

Under these limitations, the General Conference has full power to alter or modify any part of the Discipline, or to introduce any new regulation which the exigencies of the times may require; to elect the book-stewards, editors, corresponding secretary or secretaries of the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and also the bishops; to hear and decide on appeals of preachers from the decisions of annual conferences; to review the acts of those conferences generally; to examine into the general administration of the bishops for the four preceding years; and, if accused, to try, censure, acquit, or condemn a bishop. The General Conference is the highest judicatory of the church

SALARIES OF THE PREACHERS.

The amount allowed each preacher is one hundred dollars annually, and his travelling expense; if married, one hundred dollars for his wife; sixteen dollars for each child under seven years of age; and twenty-four dollars a year for each child over seven and under fourteen years of age, In addition to this, the quarterly meeting conference of the circuit or station appoints a committee to estimate what farther allowance shall be made for fur

nishing fuel and table expenses for the family or families of preachers stationed among them.

The allowance to the bishops is the

same. The committee to estimate the

family expenses of the bishop is appointed by the annual conference within the bounds of which he may reside, and the amount thus allowed him is paid out of the avails of the Book Concern.

THE MANNER IN WHICH THE SALA

RIES ARE RAISED.

This is done by the voluntary contributions of the people among whom the preacher labors. For this purpose, a weekly class collection is made in all the classes, in which it is expected that every member will contribute something according to his or her ability; and also by a public collection in all the congregations once in three months; and to make up the deficiencies of those who labor in poor circuits, a yearly collection is made in every congregation, which is taken to the annual conference, and this, together with the avails of the Book Concern and Charter Fund, is divided among the several claimants, including the disciplinary allowance of the bishops, the supernumerary, superannuated preachers, their widows and children.

FUNDS OF THE CHURCH.

The only funds of the church, beside that which is in the hands of the people, and which is drawn forth in voluntary contributions, are the avails of the Book Concern and the Charter Fund. The annual income of the Charter Fund is now $1,360, and that of the Book Concern

varies from $17,000 to about $27,000 a year. In 1841-2, it amounted to $27,000, which is the largest sum ever realized in any one year, and in 1842-3, to $17,000; and this amount is equally divided among thirty-four annual conferences, making from $540 to $840 to each conference; and this is again divided among the several

claimants, amounting, probably, to over one thousand, giving from $18 to $28 to each claimant.

In addition to this, some of the annual conferences, at the centennial celebration of Methodism, in 1839, appropriated a portion of what was collected, as a Permanent Fund, the avails of which should be given to the superannuated preachers. the widows and orphans of preachers. The total amount of this money is not exactly known; but, as near as can be ascertained, the interest on the sums invested amounts to about $1,300.

The avails of these funds are sacredly devoted for the relief of the most worthy objects, namely, the supernumerary and superannuated preachers, and to the widows and orphans of those men of God who have died in the work.

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At an early period of Mr. Wesley's ministry he established a printing office, under his own control, and in 1773 he commenced the publication of a monthly periodical called the Arminian Magazine, which was filled with a variety of useful matter, on theological, scientific, and biographical subjects. It has now reached its 65th volume, much enlarged from its original size, changing its name to the Wesleyan Methodist Magazine, containing at the present time upwards of nine hundred octavo pages in each volume. This publication together with a variety of tracts and volumes on religious, scientific, and philosophic subjects, have done immense good to the community in Great Britain and other parts of the world; and the Wesleyan Connexion in England has produced some of the first writers of the age, such as Wesley, Fletcher, Clark, Benson, Watson, and others, who have done much in spreading the light of truth by means of the press.

Soon after the organization of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a similar establishment was commenced in this country, the first book being published in the year 1789, by the Rev. John Dickens, who was the first book-steward, and was at that time stationed in the city of Philadelphia, where the book business was begun. Its commencement was very small, for it had no capital to begin with, except about six hundred dollars, which John Dickens lent to the Concern, to enable it to commence its benevolent operations. It has gone on from that time, however, gradually increasing the number and variety of its publications, until it has reached its present enlarged dimensions. Its location is 200 Mulberry Street, in the city of New York.

The entire establishment is under the control of the General Conference, who elect the agents and editors, and appoint the Book Committee, to the general supervision of which, together with the general superintendence of the New York Conference, all its concerns are committed during the interval of the General Conference. Here are published a great variety of books on theological, historical, scientific, and philosophical subjects, Bibles and Testaments, Commentaries upon the Holy Scriptures, a Quarterly Review, and a Weekly Religious Journal, Sunday School books, and tracts, all of which have an extensive circulation throughout the United States and Territories.

Maine, and New Hampshire Conferences, and the latter on its own responsibility. These, it is believed, are exerting a highly favorable influence on the community, in proportion to their circulation respectively, which, though not as large as the others, is very considerable.

The primary object of this book establishment, is identical with the preaching of the gospel, namely, to spread scriptural holiness over the land, by bringing sinners to the " knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus," and the building of believers " "up in their most holy faith." Whatever pecuniary profits may arise from the sale of books, are devoted to the noblest of purposes, to the support of indigent and worn-out preachers, and the widows and orphans of those who have fallen in the itinerant field of labor. For this purpose was it established, and for this same benevolent purpose it is now kept in operation.

EDUCATION.

It is not to be supposed that a man of that expanded intellect by which Mr. John Wesley was distinguished, and who owed so much of his celebrity to the education which he received, first from his mother, and then from the academy, and which was completed at the University of Oxford, would be indifferent to the cause of education. Accordingly we find him, at an early period of his ministry, exerting himself in establishing a school at Kingswood, in the principles of Christianity, combining, as far as practicable, piety and knowledge together. This, though established at first chiefly for the benefit of the sons of itinerant preachers, has received youth from other sources, and has gone

There is also a branch establishment at Cincinnati, Ohio, where all the works issued at New York are sold, and, some of them re-published; two periodicals are issued, one monthly, called the Ladies' Repository, and the other weekly, called the Western Christian Advocate and Jour-on prosperously to the present time; and nal. These have a wide circulation, particularly in the Western States and Territories, and are doubtless doing much good. In addition to these there are four weekIv papers: one at Richmond, Va.; one at Charleston, S. C.; one at Nashville, Tenn., and another at Pittsburg, Pa., published under the patronage of the General Conference; and two others, one at Boston, Mass., and the other at Geneva, N. Y.; At the conference at which the Methothe former is published under the patron-dist societies in this country were organized age of the New England, Providence, into an independent church, a plan for the

the Wesleyan Methodists in England have added another, called Woodhouse Grove School, which is accomplishing the same benevolent and enlightened object; and finally they have established a theological institute, for the instruction of those young candidates for the Christian ministry, who are not immediately wanted in the itinerant ranks.

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