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may, in fome inftances, be impoffible to have more than one befides the reprehending minifter, without fending to a neighbouring circuit and as no public cenfure can pass upon the offending preacher in this cafe till the fitting of the yearly conference, it would not be proper to take a minifter of the gofpel from his labours in another circuit, for two or three days, to anfwer the prefent purpose.

"The fervant of the Lord," fays St. Paul," must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient; in meeknefs inftructing thofe that oppofe themfelves," 2 Tim. ii. 24, 25. "He [Chrift] turned, and rebuked them, and faid, Ye know not what manner of fpirit ye are of," Luke ix. 55.

3. It will, we believe, be allowed by all who love the truth as it is in Jefus, that the heretical doctrines are as dangerous, at least to the hearers, as the immoral life of a preacher; and, therefore, the fame procefs is provided for both cafes. Those must indeed be blind, who can fit for any time under the ministry of an arian, focinian, univerfalian, or any other heretical minifter: " and if the blind lead the blind, both fhall fall into the ditch," Matt. xv. 14. and Luke vi. 39. But as we would guard against a hafty and arbitrary measure in a matter which fometimes, perhaps, it may be difficult to determine, the cafe alluded to at present thall lie over to the yearly conference, if the preacher be perfectly filent, in public and private, on the fubjects objected to. But if he will go on to difhonour Chrift, or to oppofe the doctrines of holinefs, or to introduce novel fentiments or "vain jangling" (1 Tim. i. 6.) to draw our people from the one thing needful, CHRIST DYING FOR AND LIVING IN US, an immediate ftop must be put to fuch dangerous, fuch pernicious proceedings.

2 Pet.

Matt. vii. 15, 16. "Beware of falfe prophets, which come to you in fheeps' clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." Tit. iii. 10, II. "A man that is an heretick, after the first and fecond admonition, reject;" (here the authority of judging and rejecting is invested in Timothy) "knowing that he that is fuch is fubverted, and finneth, being condemned of himfelf." ii. 1-3. "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there fhall be falfe teachers among you, who privily fhall bring in damnable herefies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves fwift deftruction. And many fhall follow their pernicious ways; by reafon of whom the way of truth fhall be evil fpoken of. And through covetoufhefs fhall they, with feigned words, make merchandise of you: whofe judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation flumbereth not." Rev. ii. 2. "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them

which are evil: and thou haft tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and haft found them lyars." ii. 20. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou [the angel of the church in Thyatira] fuffereft that woman, Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetefs, to teach and to feduce my fervants to commit fornication, and to eat things facrificed unto idols."

Before we conclude our notes on this fection, we must entreat our reader to notice, not only here, but throughout the whole of our economy, the appeals which are allowed upon all occafions, as far as the nature and circumstances of things will poffibly allow of them, without making our economy intricate and burdenfome.

SECTION XX.

How to provide for the Circuits in the Time of Conference, and to preferve and increase the Work of God.

Quest. WHAT can be done to fupply the circuits

during the fitting of the conference?

Anf. 1. Let all the appointments ftand according to the plan of the circuit.

2. Engage as many local preachers and exhorters as will fupply them; and let them be paid for their time in proportion to the falary of the travelling preachers.

3. If preachers and exhorters cannot attend, let fome perfon of ability be appointed in every society to fing, pray, and read one of Mr. Wefley's fermons.

4. But if that cannot be done, let there be prayermeetings.

NOTE S.

If the reader compare this fection with the third queftion of the third fection of this chapter, and the notes upon it, it will appear that we have taken every step in our power, confiftently with the well-being of our conferences, to fupply the circuits with the miniftry of the word, whilft the conferences are fitting. And, we truft, our people are too well acquainted with the im portance of our conferences to the general work, not to be wil

ling to make fome facrifices on their account. And we have no doubt but every member of our conferences can, with heart-felt affection, addrefs their brethren with whom they are acquainted refpectively, in the words of the apoftle, " Only let your conver fation be as it becometh the gofpel of Chrift; that, whether I come and fee you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye ftand faft in one spirit, with one mind, ftriving together for the faith of the gofpel; and in nothing terrified by your adverfaries," Phil. i. 27, 28.

SECTION XXI.

Of the Local Preachers.

Quefl. 1. WHAT directions shall be given con

cerning our brethren the local preachers, in respect to their being received as preachers, or admitted into the order of deacons?

Anfw. 1. No local preacher thall receive a license to preach, till he has been examined and approved at the quarterly meeting of his circuit; which licenfe fhall be drawn up in the following words, figned by the prefident of the meeting, viz. "N. M. has applied to us for liberty to preach as a local preacher in our circuit: and after due inquiry concerning his gifts, grace, and ufefulness, we judge he is a proper person to be licensed for this purpofe; and we accordingly authorize him to preach."

2. Before any perfon fhall be licenfed as a local preacher by a quarterly meeting, he fhall bring a recommendation from the fociety of which he is a member.

3. A local preacher fhall be eligible to the office of a deacon, after he has preached for four years from the time he received a regular licenfe, and has obtained the teftimonial which is directed in the fourth fection of the first chapter of the form of difcipline.

Queft. 2. Shall any regulations be made in refpect to allowing a recompence to local preachers for their work in given cafes ?

Anfw. 1. Whenever a local preacher fills the place of a travelling preacher, he fhall be paid for his trouble a fum proportionable to the falary of a travelling preacher; which fum fhall be paid by the circuit at the next quarterly meeting, if the travelling preacher whose place he filled up, was either fick or neceffarily abfent; or, in other cafes, out of the falary of the travelling preacher himself.

2. If a local preacher be diftreffed in his temporal circumstances on account of his fervice in the circuit, he may apply to the quarterly meeting who may give him what relief they judge proper, after the falaries of the travelling preachers, and of their wives, and all other regular allowances to the travelling preachers, be discharged.

Queft. 3. What directions fhall be given concerning the trial of local preachers, local deacons, or loal elders?

Anfw. If a charge be brought against a local preacher, or local deacon, or elder, the preacher who has the overfight of the circuit, fhall fummon three or more local preachers of the neighbourhood, or, for want of local preachers, fo many leaders or exhorters. And if they, or the majority of them, on due examination, judge that the local preacher, deacon, or elder aforefaid, has been guilty of fuch a crime, or has preached fuch falfe doctrines, as require his fufpenfion. from all public offices in our church, till the enfuing quarterly meeting, the preacher who has the overfight of the circuit, fhall accordingly fufpend him from all public offices till the enfuing quarterly meeting.

And in fuch cafe, and in every cafe where a meeting affembled as above defcribed, fhall deem the faid local preacher, deacon, or elder, culpable, the next quarterly meeting fhall proceed upon his trial, and shall have authority to clear, cenfure, fufpend, or expel him according to their judgment. And the prefiding elder, or the preacher who has the overfight of the circuit, fhall at the commencement of the trial, appoint a fe

cretary, who fhall take down regular minutes of the evidence and proceedings of the trial, which minutes, when read and approved, shall be signed by the said prefiding elder or preacher, and alfo by the members of the faid quarterly meeting, or by the majority of them.

And in cafe of condemnation, the local preacher, deacon, or elder condemned, fhall be allowed an ap peal to the next yearly conference, provided that he fignify to the faid quarterly meeting his determination to appeal; in which cafe the faid prefiding elder, or preacher who has the overfight of the circuit, fhall lay the minutes of the trial above mentioned, before the faid yearly conference, at which the local preacher, deacon or elder, fo appealing, may appear: and the faid yearly conference fhall judge and finally determine from the minutes of the faid trial, so laid before them.

NOTE S.

By this mode of trial we are defirous of fhowing the most tender regard towards our local brethren. We are all but men. The best of us may fall into fin, or be drawn into dangerous and pernicious errors; and it is fometimes neceffary to ftop the plague by an immediate stroke of difcipline. But we would not have fo important a character as that of one of our local brethren, even touched to its disadvantage, by only one preacher, who poffibly might be younger than the accufed. We have, therefore, provided, that a small meeting of refpectable perfons shall be held, before a single step be taken in the business. The trial will then come before the most weighty assembly in the circuit.

We have directed the yearly conference, upon an appeal, to determine upon the merits of the caufe from the memorial of the quarterly meeting, on account of the difficulty, if not impoffibility, of bringing the neceffary witneffes, perhaps thirty, fifty, or a hundred miles from their home: Nor have we any right or authority to lay fuch a burden on any of our people. In fhort, we have done the best we can, according to the nature of the circumstances in which we are placed.

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