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THE
GENIUS AKD THEOKY
op
METHODIST POLITY.
4
OB THE
MACHINERY OF METHODISM.
practicably illustrated through a series of
questions' and answers.
BY
BISHOP H. M. TURNER, D.D., ll.d.
APPROVED by the general conference of the A. m. E. CHURCH.
PHILADELPHIA:
publication department, a. m. e. church,
631 Pine Street.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in tne year 1885, by
H. M. TURNER,
III the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
DEDICATORY.
In consideration of the possible union of the A. M. E.
Church and the A. M. E. Zion Church* —committees
having been appointed by the respective bodies at their
late General Conferences to meet and treat with a view
to the accomplishment of that much-desired result—■
also, being apprized of the general anxiety for such
a union, both among the ministry and laity of the
two denominations, and believing that the consumma¬
tion is only a question of the near future, is my only
apology for dedicating this little work to the Bishops
and Ministry of these two leading branches of Afri¬
can Methodism. Should they find anything in the
same that will enable them to make their ministry more
effective, I shall be grateful to the Giver of all good.
This little work is by no means what I intended to
make it, but if I find this to be profitable, I shall, the
Lord willing, enlarge and amplify it, and at the same
time treat other phases of our common Methodism not
reached in the present writings.
Author.
* The reason the organization and government of the A. M. E. Z.
Church is not treated and quoted more largely in this book, is be¬
cause we were told that that Church had nothing in ^rint bearing
upon it. oince, however, we learn Bishop Moore had wiitten such
a work some years ago. Sorry we did not know of it: if we can pro¬
cure it, we hope to supplement this book with the organization and
mode of operation of our sister church in the near future.
iii
NOTE.
Methodist Polity, having been unanimously
adopted by the General Conference of the A. M.
E. Church, in its session of May, 1888, on mo¬
tion of Rev. John T. Jenifer, D.D., and made a
guide book for the ministry and laity in said
church, and given the sanction of authority by
the same, it is just and proper that I should say
that the first and second chapters were written
in their entirety since the General Conference
adopted the book. The autho'r is, therefore,
wholly responsible for the contents of these two
chapters. The other modifications and enlarge¬
ments, which were made at the time of revision,
were indicated in the first edition, and present
no new aspects except what may appear so in
their amplifications. Thus the contents are the
same except the first and second chapters.
Author.
iv
PREFACE.
The following pages are intended to supply a want
long felt among the neophyte ministry and laity of our
church. Even college training seldom, if ever, fits
young men for practical work in the Methodist min¬
istry. There is a qualification that comes only through
years of experience—an ordeal of toil and hard labor
which is indispensable to an effective ministry; and
a ministry that is void of effectiveness is worthless to
God and man. The young minister, therefore, who
allows himself to be flattered into the idea that he is
fitted for the pastorate because he happens to under-
. Btand a little about the rules of college classicality, is
laboring under a lamentable mistake, a mistake he may
discover too late to remedy ; the sooner, therefore, he
rids himself of it the better for him and the people he
may serve.
This small work, which has been written at intervals,
or at spare times, will be found wanting occasionally in
both connection and symmetry; repetitions of ques¬
tions and answers will doubtless be found. But I am
sure the reader will be charitable when he discovers
them, in consideration of the fact that the book has
been written while thousands of other duties engaged
attention, and my travels were incessant. No one,
therefore, could expect a regular line of thought pur¬
sued. The repetitions, however, in some instances, may
v
vi
PREFACE.
serve to make the subject treated more transparent. I
have endeavored also to avoid all technical terms and
to use the simplest language, so that the laymen as well
as the uneducated ministry could understand.
In the preparation of this work I am greatly in¬
debted to the voluminous works of Bishop McTyeire,
Bishop Wayman, Bishop Baker, Bishop Simpson, Bishop
Payne, Bishop Tanner, Dr. Whitehead's Life of Wesley,
Life and Times of Bishop McKendree, Watson's Life
of Wesley, Watson's Institutes and Dictionary of the
Bible, Buck's Theological Dictionary, Appleton's Cyclo¬
pedia, Encyclopedia Britannica, Porter's Helps to Offi¬
cial Members, Haddan and Stubbs' Church History,
Cutts' Turning Points in History, Clarke's Commenta¬
ries, Stevens' Church Polity, Mosheim's Church His¬
tory, Waddington's Church History, Canon Words¬
worth's Elements of the Church, Summers' Systematic
Divinity, Southwell's What is the Church? Randall's
Churchman, Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History, Gibbon's
History of Rome, Hore's Eighteen Centuries of the
Church, Dean Stanley's Christian Institution, Jahn's
Biblical Archaeology, Judge Henry and Bishop Harris'
Ecclesiastical Law, Burton's Ecclesiastical History,
Home's Introduction to the Study of the Scriptures,
Sherman's History of the Discipline, Smith's Bible
Dictionary, Neander's Life of Christ, Disciplines of the
A. M. E. Church, A. M. E. Z. Church, M. E. Church
South, M. E. Church, General Conference Minutes and
other minor works which I cannot recall at present.
While many things in this small work may appear
iiovel and somewhat odd to those who have not studied
Methodism—for too few of our preachers have, and
PKEFACE.
vii
few of them would be willing to be tested by an ex¬
amination—I am sure they will find nothing that con¬
flicts with it in word or spirit.
All I have endeavored to do in these pages was to
bring out and set before the preachers and people the
soul of operative Methodism, that fact which is far
more important than the mere body. Methodism is as
much a creature of a soul as its members, and till we
reach its soul it can never reach our souls. I have also
tried to define the duties of each functionary in the
church, from the most subordinate to the most ex¬
alted ; and to set forth the rights of our lay members,
and to show that they are more than creatures of mere
ministerial whims, to be kicked out of the church at
pleasure, without charges, specifications, trials, time to
prepare, and many other prerequisites to which no
attention is frequently given. Few people are aware
that it takes ten times the labor to turn a person out
of the church it does to get him into it; that members
have vested rights which cannot be trampled upon with
impunity. Scores of ministers also have but little defi¬
nite knowledge of the prerogatives that inhere in their
respective positions; but if they will study this little
work, I believe they will be prepared to comprehend
them more clearly and discharge them more fully.
Hoping the Great Head of the Church may make
these pages a blessing to many now living and to others
unborn, I am, very truly
H. M. Turner.
CONTENTS.
pag!
CHAPTER I.
Whence the Church *
CHAPTER II.
Ministerial Succession §
CHAPTER III.
Organization of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church 36
CHAPTER IV.
General Conference 40
CHAP'lER V.
Annual Conference 46
CHAPTER VI.
District Conference 52.
CHAPTER VII.
Quarterly Conference 61
CHAPTER VIII.
Church Conference 67
ix
x CONTENTS.
page
CHAPTER IX.
Official Board 72
CHAPTER X.
Exhorters 77
CHAPTER XI.
Evangelists 80
CHAPTER XII.
Call to Preach 83
CHAPTER XIII.
Ministers and People ... . . . . . 87
CHAPTER XIV.
Ministerial Support before and after Christ 90
CHAPTER XV.
Local and traveling Preachers 95
CHAPTER XVI.
Itinerant Ministers 102
CHAPTER XVII.
Bishops «... 114
CHAPTER XVIII.
Presiding Eldership 134
CHAPTER XIX.
Trustees i47
CHAPTER XX.
Stewards x$7
CONTENTS. xi
page
CHAPTER XXI.
Stewardesses 165
CHAPTER XXII.
Class-leaders 170
CHAPTER XXIII.
Trial of lay Members 177
CHAPTER XXIV.
Appeals 198
CHAPTER XXV.
Love-feasts 209
CHAPTER XXVI.
General Rules, Prayers and Fasting 215
CHAPTER XXVII.
Special Answers 219
CHAPTER XXVIII.
The Power of the Preacher 226
CHAPTER XXIX.
Liturgic Service 235
CHAPTER XXX.
Growth of the African M. E. Church . . . . 239
CHAPTER XXXI.
Questions on Admission * • 844
CHAPTER XXXII.
Forms of Quarterly Conference Reports * * 25a
sli CONTENTS.
pa'ie
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Rules of General Conference 257
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Literary Association e6o
CHAPTER XXXV.
A few Bible Doctrines 266
CHAPTER XXXVI.
General Rules 285
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Historical and Literary Department 289
CHAPTER XXXVIII,
The Preacher cannot Succeed without Power from on
High 305
Decision in Equity 311
Official Forms in the A. M„ E. Church 323
A few Forms of Charges . . 334
METHODIST POLITY.
CHAPTER I.
WHENCE THE CHURCH?
SECTION I.
1 Question. What is the church of Christ ?
Answer. The visible church of Christ is a congrega¬
tion of faithful men, in which the pure word of God is
preached, and the sacraments duly administered, accord¬
ing to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that of ne¬
cessity are requisite to the same. - (See 13 Art. Relig.)
2 Q. What does the term "church'' mean?
A. Primarily, it means "the Lord's House" (Kupia-
xov), but ordinarily implies an organized body of Chris¬
tian believers, observing the same rites and acknowl¬
edging the same ecclesiastical authority.
3 Q. What is meant by " congregation " ?
A. An assembly of persons, especially an assembly
of persons met for the worship of God{ and for reli¬
gious instruction.
4 Q. What is a "sacrament"?
A. A sacred ordinance enjoined by Christ, the Head
of the Christian Church, to be observed by his follow¬
ers, and which binds us to him anew—a rebinding.
1
2
METHODIST POLITY.
5 Q. How many sacraments are there ?
A. Two, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, or, as it 18
more properly called, " The Holy Eucharist."
3 Q. How does Baptism bind us to Christ anew ?
A. It is a public declaration that we have espoused
the cause of Christ, and that our hearts are open to his
grace and will, and that we will serve, honor and obey
him all the days of our lives.
7 Q. Do we enter into any covenant; if so, what?
A. We covenant to " renounce the devil and all his
works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all
covetous desires of the same, and the carnal desires of
the flesh, and that we will not follow, nor be led by them."
8 Q. What is meant by " The Visible Church ? "
A. Organization, faith in Christ our Saviour, a living
ministry, plans for its perpetuation and ordinances of
divine service. The Church is visible as far only as it
is seen by men ; it is invisible as it is known by God.
*
9 Q. Who are the members of the Visible Church ?
A. All who profess and call themselves Christians,
having been baptized in ths name of Christ, are mem¬
bers of the visible Church, but only those who are
sincere believers are members of the invisible Church.
10 Q. Is there an invisible church also?
A. Yes; and all truly converted and regenerated
persons are members of it; although in some instances
they may not be members of the visible Church, such as
infants and in some possible cases heathens.
11 Q. Who constitute the invisible Church ?
A. Such as have " joy and peace in the Holy Ghost/'
and love their neighbors as they do themselves. The
WHENCE THE CHURCH?
3
members of the invisible Church are those only whose
names are written in heaven.
12 Q. "What other name is often used?
A. It is sometimes referred to in works on theology
as the " Church Mystical." The invisible church may
be reckoned as the soul or vitalizing force of the visible
church. The visible church is the body and the invisi¬
ble church is the circulating power.
13 Q. What do the visible and invisible church constitute?
A. The church militant, or military church, which is
engaged in constant warfare against the world, the flesh
and the devil, and in that respect is distinguished from
the " church triumphant."
14 Q. What do you mean by " Church Triumphant? "
A. The church triumphant is in heaven, and consists
of those who have washed their robes and made them
immaculate and pure " in the blood of the Lamb."
15 Q. The church militant then is upon earth ?
A. Yes; and comprehends all Christian denomina¬
tions ; viz., Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Congre-
gationalists, Episcopalians and many others.
16 Q. Do you mean to say that it takes all the church de¬
nominations of the world to constitute the "church militant?"
• A. I do. For all these so-called churches are only
so many religious societies forming the " Church mili¬
tant," which are recognized by Christ in the aggregate.
17 Q,. Is the visible church a unit in doctrine and Polity ?
A. No. The visible church is composed of many
distinct organizations, which differ in Creeds, Articles of
Faith, and opinions as to what the Bible teaches. But
all must accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour before
they can be recognized as a Christian body.
4
METHODIST POLITY.
18 Q. What are the different forms of church government
called, and why ?
A. Some are denominated Episcopal, because they are
presided over by Bishops ; others are said to be Pres-
byterial, because Presbyters are at the head of affairs;
while still others are called Congregational, because
the will of the congregation is the highest authority in
them.
19 Q. What number of persons is necessary in a congrega¬
tion or assembly for the Worship of God?
A. " Where two or three are gathered together in my
name, there am I in the midst," says Jesus. Tei'tullian,
who lived in the third century, the first man to oppose
infant baptism, says, Three are sufficient to constitute a
church, even though they be laymen.
20 Q. What form of Church Government does the Bible
prescribe?
A. None whatever. Dr. Bangs says, " No specific
form of church government is prescribed in the Scrip¬
tures, and therefore it is left to the discretion of the
church to regulate these matters as the exigencies of
time, place and circumstances shall dictate to be most
expedient, and likely to accomplish the most good,
always avoiding any and everything which God has
forbidden.'' Bishop Tomline and Mr. Watson say the
same. The Bible is a mere Code of sacred principles
and virtues, which may be fermented by prayer and
faith in God, and appropriated to our eternal salvation;
but the mode of their application is left to the highest
and purest judgment of the Church.
WHENCE THE CHURCH?
5
SECTION II.
21 Q. Have we any evidence that God had a church on earth
before the day of Pentecost ?
A. Yes; in the fact that he had a people before that
day, who were organized for his service, with in¬
stitutions of his own appointment. Abraham believed
God's promise of a Saviour. Noah was a perfect man
and a preacher of righteousness, and Job had faith in a
Redeemer.
22 Q. Where do we find the church before Christ, most
beautifully and systematically organized, and its entire ma¬
chinery given in detail ?
A. In the twenty-eighth chapter of Exodus; read it.
The Bible calls this organization " the Church." (See
Acts vii. 38.)
23 Q. Where was this church located?
A. "In the wilderness," and Aaron, Nadab, Abihu,
Eleazar and Ithamar were its ministers, and St. Paul
says it had " ordinances of divine service and a worldly
sanctuary." A sanctuary, of course, means a place in
which to worship God in public ; church houses are
called sanctuaries at the present day.
24 Q. Did Christ, while on earth, ever organize another
church?
A. No; He recognized and was a member of the
church organized " in the wilderness." He read the
Scriptures and taught in the synagogues on the Sabbath
day, and in the Temple, whither the Jews resorted
to worship. There were only two sacraments in the
Jewish Church, circumcision and the Passover, and our
Lord was circumcised in the Temple and partook of the
Passover as God had ordained.
6
METHODIST POLITY.
25. Q. How far back can we trace the church of which
Christ was a member ?
A. About fifteen hundred years before the birth of
John the Baptist, in Acts vii. 38, it is said there was
a church in existence during the journey from Egypt to
the promised land. The Israelites went out of Egypt
about the year a.m. two thousand five hundred and
fourteen, and John the Baptist was born about a.M.
three thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine. Taking
the former from the latter date, the exact difference is
one thousand four hundred and ninety-two years .
26 Q. What became of that church which existed so long
before John the Baptist was born ?
A. It was carried into the promised land, where its
members " desired to find a tabernacle for the God of
Jacob." There Solomon built a house or temple for
the Lord and consecrated it to His worship forever.
And from there the word of the Lord radiated, emit¬
ting rays of the prophetic gospel into every land and
among all people.
27 Q. Was the Temple built for religious uses purely, or
for civil and political purposes ?
A. When Jesus drove the traders out of it on one
occasion, He said, " My house shall be called the
house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves."
In this " house of prayer," which stood at Jerusalem,
God's word was read and expounded and the sacraments
(circumcision and the Passover) were duly administered;
civil questions were frequently disposed of also.
28 Q. Were Baptism and the Lord's Supper then recognized
as sacraments in the Church; if they were not, why ?
'A. No ; because circumcision called for blood. God
had said, " without the shedding of blood there is no
WHENCE THE CHURCH?
remission of sins/' and there is no blood-shedding in
Baptism. The Lord's Sapper could not have been ,i
use, because the bread and wine used in it represented
the broken body of our crucified Redeemer.
29 Q. Was the consecration of Aaron and his sons to the
ministry of the " church in the wilderness" the beginning of
that church ?
A. No; it was only a more permanent organization and
formal establishment of the visible affairs belonging
to it. For there are some evidences of an organized
Church among the Israelites while in Egypt. Note
the following expressions : " Let us go and do sacri¬
fice to the Lord." "We will go three days' journey
into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God
as he shall command us." " Let my people go, that
they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness." " Go
and gather the elders of Israel together." All of these
words were uttered while Israel was still in Egypt, and
imply that there was organization among God's people
long before the consecration of Aaron. The church as
an organization is really first seen in Genesis iv. 3, 4.
" It came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit
of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And
Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and
of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto
Abel and to his offering." This evidently teaches us that
God had an assembly or congregation of worshippers
in the primitive days of man's existence upon the earth.
The church of God is therefore without a date, in
regard to its antiquity. To the promise given immedi¬
ately after the fall of man, That the seed of the Woman
shall bruise the serpent's head, may be traced the
birth of the church of God.
3
METHODIST POLITY.
30 Q. What conclusion may be drawn from the facts nar¬
rated and many more of a similar nature?
A. That God has always had a people who wor¬
shipped and served him,—a Church, a ministry and
" ordinances of divine service."
31 Q. What was the first mode of church superinten-
dency called ? And why ?
A. Patriarchal—Because it obtained in an age in which
the father of the family performed all the religious ser¬
vices for his household.
32 Q. How long did this mode of church government exist?
A. From Adam until the departure of the Israelites
from Egypt.
33 Q. What was the second period denominated? And
why ?
A. The Levitical period or age—because the priests
—sons of Levi—performed the rites of the church for
all the people, as the Patriarchs had formerly done on
a smaller scale. The church under the priesthood is
sometimes called "The Hebrew church" and "The
Jewish Church " and " The Israelitish Church."
34 Q. What was the Church called in the third period of its
history? And why?
A. The Christian Church—Because some of the
common people of Antioch gave the name Christian to
all those who followed Christ, and his followers have
gloried in the name for eighteen hundred years.
35 Q. In the foregoing you stated that Christ was a member
of the " Church in the wilderness," or, as it is often called, the
Israelitish or Jewish Church. Did he recognize that church,
especially after he was baptized by John ?
A. Yes. For it was the church of God still, although
in our Saviour's time the ministry of that church had
MINISTERIAL SUCCESSION.
9
become exceedingly corrupt; yet He recognized them as
having divine authority, and after this manner coun¬
selled His disciples, " The Scribes and the Pharisees
sit in Moses' seat: all, therefore, whatsoever they bid
Vou observe, that observe and do, but do not after their
works." Dr. Adam Clarke says, u Christ meant for His
disciples to observe all things read out of the Law and
prophets, and all things which the Scribes taught con¬
sistent therewith." Our Lord Jesus Christ did not come
to destroy the Law and the prophets, but He came to
purge the church of its impurities, idolatries, supersti¬
tions, corruptions, vices, and to reform and re-establish
it; as well as through His crucifixion to fulfill His
promised atonement, and leave with it the Holy Spirit,
to reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of
a judgment to come. And as Dr. Abel Stevens says,
" To give the church a Moral Discipline rather than
any form of ecclesiastical government."
CHAPTER II.
MINISTERIAL SUCCESSION.
section I.
36 Q. We have taken a meagre glance at the church of God,
through the Patriarchal and Levitical dispensations; may we
not with profit take a superficial survey of it under the Chris¬
tian ?
A. We may with inestimable profit, I think, for no
one is in a proper condition to appreciate and value his
own church or denomination, unless he has some idea of
its origin. While form, polity and regulations may be
very beautiful and io some instances quite effective for
1*
10
METHODIST POLITY.
good; yet, there is a historic prestige that mankind will
ordinarily look for about a Christian Church or denomi¬
nation .
37 Q. Who is the Head of the Christian Church?
A. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
38 Q. Was he always the Head of the Church of God ?
A. Yes. He is "a High-priest forever after the order
of Melchizedek," who was without precession or succes¬
sion,—-just as Christ is u without beginning of days or
end of years." The Head of the Church of God and
Church of Christ is the same. Jesus says, " I and my
Father are one," and again he says, " All that the Father
hath are mine.'' "He is Head over all and blessed for¬
ever."
39 Q. Can a church prosper if it be severed from its Head ?
A. It cannot. Jesus says, " As the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more
can ye, except ye abide in me." Again He says, " With¬
out me ye can do nothing." But the church is directed
only by the Bible. Whatever is not written therein,
nor proved thereby, is not required to be believed as an
article of faith nor a matter of duty.
40 Q. In taking our baptismal vows, we are asked if we " be¬
lieve in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the com¬
munion of saints," etc. What is meant by the Holy Catholic
Church ?
A. The term Catholic is from a Greek word, which
means general or universal, and comprehends all of the
followers of Christ regardless of denominational titles
or minor points of distinction—the church militant.
41 Q. In what respect are we to regard this general church
Holy ?
A. In respect to Christ Jesus its Head. Its Holy
MINISTERIAL SUCCESSION. 11
calling—Holy regeneration—Holy Baptismal vows and
service—Holy offices performed in it—Holy lives required
of its members,—and the inheritance, Holy and unde-
filed, which God has promised to its faithful members.
42 Q. But suppose bad men, and basely wicked preachers
should get into the church sometimes; would it still be the Holy
Catholic Church ?
A. It would by all means. Such men, women and even
preachers have mingled with it, in all ages; the most
cruel human monsters have been found among its
Bishops. " All are not Israel who are of Israel."
The church is the Ark in which were clean and un¬
clean animals,—the Holy City in which the Jebusites
remained mixed with God's faithful people,—the apos¬
tolic company, in which was a Judas as well as Peter,
James and John. St. Paul recognized the church at
Corinth, although it contained persons " contentious,
carnal, envious, fornicators, litigious and insubordinates."
St. Paul, again, calls the Society at Galatia a church,
though some of their number had relapsed into Judaism.
The church of Pergamus contained Nicolaitans, that of
Thyatira a Jezebel, and that of Laodicea was lukewarm;
yet they were still churches. Jesus says," Let the tares
and the wheat grow together until the harvest."
43 Q. Is it the duty of all persons to become members of the
church; and if so, why ?
A. Yes; every person should be a church member
"who desires to be saved. God having instituted the
church on earth, in which men are to receive the means
of grace and salvation, and having neither revealed nor
provided any other way than this, if we do not enter
into the privileges of the church, we deny ourselves the
blessings which help to a Christian life, and endanger
12
METHODIST POLITY".
our eternal happiness. The Bible represents the church
as the " body of Christ;" again " His espoused ; " again,
"His Bride;" again, "His vineyard;" again, "The
Kingdom of heaven;" again, "the pillar and ground
of truth," and again, " the mother of us all."
44 Q. You told us that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the
Head of the church, both under the old and new dispensations.
Who were the Apostles ?
A. The twelve disciples whom Christ called and ap¬
pointed to accompany him during His three years' min¬
istry on earth. We might call them the twelve first
preachers and teachers of the New Testament dispensa¬
tion. True, Matthias, Paul and Barnabas were also
called apostles, because of their contemporarity and
intimate connection with the honored twelve; but no
other deacon, elder or Bishop has ever assumed that
title.
45 Q. St. Paul speaks of a large number of church officials
in his day; were they all to be permanent except the Apostles?
A. We judge not, as the church has never attempted
to keep them up by specific designation ; yet, in a meas¬
ure, most of them have been retained in one character
and another.
46* Q. Will you give us a list of the sacred offices mentioned
by St. Paul ?
A. Yes. In 1 Cor. xii. 28, we have a minute cata¬
logue. God hath set some in the church—1st, Apos¬
tles ; 2d, prophets ; 3d, teachers ; 4th, after that miracles ;
5th, gifts of healing; 6th, helps ; 7th, Governments (or
Governors) ; 8th, diversities of tongues. As Dr. Abel
Stevens says, "We have here eight different sorts of
spiritual men, and if we add the tenth verse, we will
there find, 9tL, discerning of spirits, and 10th, inter-
MINISTERIAL SUCCESSION.
13
pretation of tongues." (See also Eph. iv. 12, another
classification.)
47 Q. Since tlie days of the Apostles, it seems from all his¬
tory, th.it ministers of almost every grade have been consti¬
tuted or set apart by the imposition of hands and prayer;
wh cncc tliis cjs om tiricl whut uuthontj ?
A. The custom is very aucient. Jacob laid his hands
upon the heads of Ephraim and Manasseh, and " blessed
the lads." Jesus " laid his hands upon little children and
blessed them." St. Paul says (2 Tim. i. 6), " Where¬
fore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the
gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my
hands." Grotius declares, in his learned history of the
primitive church, that, "all the rulers and elders of the
synagogue were ordained by the imposition of hands,
from whence the custom was translated into Christian¬
ity." Dr. Abel Stevens says, " The titles of the church
officers, among the first Christians, were borrowed from
the synagogues," "And from the synagogues they de¬
rived the right of ordination by the imposition of
hands." Again, Dr. Stevens says, " The office of Dea¬
con, like that of Presbyter, was derived from the syna¬
gogue ; three Deacons officiated in each synagogue."
(Also see Dr. Adam Clarke on Acts vi. 4.) Dr. Clarke
also says " the fitle of Bishop came from the syna¬
gogue."
48 Q. Did not our Lord Jesus Christ ordain to the ministry
while he was in the flesh upon earth ?
A. Yes ; but it is doubtful whether the ordination
which Christ performed was that of laying on hands.
In Mark iii. 14, we read as follows, " And he ordained
twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might
send them forth to preach." But the word ordain in
14
METHODIST POLITY".
tha Greek is epoicse, and in the Vulgate fecit, whieQ
means to make, appoint, choose. And our Lord uses the
latter term in John vi. 70, where he says, "Have not I
chosen you twelve and one of you is a devil ?" Dr.
Adam Clarke says, " Here is nothing of what we call
ordaining; Christ simply appointed them to be with him."
The learned Bishop Stillingfleet says, Ordination of
presbyters or elders is from the Jews; their priests were
not ordained but succeeded by birth to office ;" but the
rulers and elders of the synagogue received ordination
by the " imposition of hands." Thus it would appear
that Christ ordained, no one while upon earth, beyond a
call—a choice—a selection of such as he sent out to
preach the Gospel.
49 Q. Why did the apostles copy the models of the syna¬
gogue rather than the temple services and orders ?
A. Because the Temple and its Priests, with all its
forms and services, were only typical, and were then
passing away. Had the apostles essayed to follow the
temple worship, with its washings, sacrifices, incense
burnings, and things too numerous to mention, it would
have been a positive declaration of their ignorance of
Christ or their unbelief in His Messiahship.
50 Q. Were not the Hebrew Priests ordained to their office,
as ministers of the Gospel are, before entering upon duty; take
for example a High Priest ?
A. They were consecrated, not ordained by imposi¬
tion of hands. Their bodies were washed, sacred robes
put upon them, a bullock w-as offered for a sin-offering,
a ram for a burnt-offering, another ram for consecration,
with their meat and drink-offerings. Part of the blood
of the ram of consecration was sprinkled around the altar,
and a part was put upon the right toe, thumb and ear, to
ministerial succession.
15
signify that atonement was made for the whole man ;
and to consecrate him to the service of God, another part
of tl le blood, mingled with anointing oil, was sprinkled
on the above-mentioned extremities of his body and on
his garments. After these ceremonies, which lasted for
seven days, during which time the priest remained in
the tabernacle or temple, a sin-offering to expiate former
guilt, and a burnt-offering to procure acceptance, were
offered for him. After thus being consecrated, they
took the oversight of the tabernacle or temple. So
you see it took seven days to consecrate a High Priest,
while it takes but a short time to ordain an elder or
Bishop. While we will examine the subject of ordina¬
tion hereafter, we might say in this connection, the near¬
est service, among the Levitical Priests, that approaches
to our ordination, was the anointing them with the
sacred oil; but this was done when prophets and kings
entered upon duty as well as the priests. The Church
of England holds, that her Bishops, Priests and Dea¬
cons correspond to those of High Priests, Priests and
Levites ; while we hold that the Rulers, Elders and Dea¬
cons of the synagogues better answer to our Bishops,
Elders and Deacons.
SECTION II.
51. Q. What advantages did the model of the synagogues
give? Were they not built to represent the temple as much aa
possible ?
A. Yes. " But they found," says Richard Watson,
" in the institution of the synagogues, a plan admirably
adapted to the simplicity and purity of Christianity,
and which was capable of being applied to the new dis-
METHODIST POLITY.
pensation. It secured the assembling of the people on
the Sabbath, the reading of the Scriptures, the preaching
of sermons and the offering of public prayers and
thanksgivings. It provided, too, for the Government
of the church by a council of elders ordained solemnly
to their office by imposition of hands and prayer. It
admitted of a presidency chosen by the others, which
was necessary for order and unity, and by which age,
piety and gifts might preserve their proper influence in
the church. It was the first step of scriptural epis¬
copacy to episcopacy in another form." And I may add
that the synagogues were scattered in all directions, both
among the Jews and Gentiles ; they were often converted
into Christian churches, and they had deacons, elders
and rulers (answering to Bishops)—in short, the machin¬
ery of the synagogues was the nearest to that which
Christianity proposed to run throughout the new dispen¬
sation.
52 Q. What ordinance then did Christ institute in the
Christian church, or the church of the new dispensation ?
A. The Holy Eucharist or the Lord's Supper, which
he first instituted in the evening and at the close of the
Passover Supper. He Baptized none, nor did he ordain
after the manner of laying on of hands. He did, how¬
ever, Baptize with fire and with the Holy Spirit, and
ordain to the ministry by enduing them with power
from on high.
53 Q. We have noticed a few facts connected with apostolic
times. Let us pass on to some Post-Apostolic events. At what
date does the New Testament history close?
A. About a.d. 63 or 64, as far as the Acts of the
apostles is concerned. Some of the epistles, particularly
those of Timothy and Titus, furnish a little historical
MINISTERIAL SUCCESSION. 17
information besides, which are supposed to have been
written after the Acts of the Apostles—about 66 or
*57 A.D.
54 Q. What is the source of information about the church
after the apostolic times ?
A. The writings of profane historians and those
Christians who were uninspired, known as the fathers,
such as Josephus, Seutonius, Pliny, Eusebius, Justin,
Jerome, Tertullian, Irenseus, Chrysostom, Ambrose,
Hilary, Athanasius and other historians and divines.
55 Q,. What were the duties of deacons in the primitive
church ?
A. At first, they were a sort of stewards, whose duty
it was to wait upon the poor of the church, but after¬
wards they became helpers in the ministry—assistant
ministers—known as " holy functionaries."
56 Q. What were the duties of Elders?
A. To perform all the functions of the ministry.
57 Q. What were the duties of Bishops ?
A. They were, in a measure, the overseers, overlook¬
ers or superintendents of the church—presiding over
the elders and directing them in their labors. At the
first councils of the apostles the presiding officer was
called a Bishop. Mr. Watson says, "At a very early
period, probably from the time of the apostles themselves,
a distinction arose between Bishops and presbyters " (el¬
ders) yet, the term appears to have been used interchange¬
ably at times.
58 Q. Who first obtained the title of Bishup 1
A. James the Less, if we except Christ, who is called,
" The shepherd and Bishop of our souls."
18
METHODIST POLITY.
59 Q. Were females permitted to fill these offices ?
A. Women were appointed to the office of deacon,
but not that of elder or Bishop, chiefly for the reason,
some men think, that the itinerant system is not adapted
to women. The objection to them being called to the
higher ministry, is thought by great scholars to be more
upon the ground of inexpediency than divine disfavor.
60 Q. What were the forms of worship in the apostolic
and post-apostolic periods ?
A. From all we can gather from history, about the
same as now. They met upon the Sabbath or first day
in the week—read the Scriptures—expounded and com¬
mented upon the same—sung—-prayed—often shouted
praises to God aloud—told their experience when con¬
venient—in some instances confessed their faults.to each
other—made vows and pledges to live more devoted to
Christ and closed with collections for the church or
poor. I find that Amen has been used by Christians in
all ages to express approval in time of worship, or to
terminate religious service.
61 Q. You said in the foregoing that a church must ha^>
the " pure word of God preached, and the sacraments duly ad¬
ministered, according to Christ's ordinance." What indispens¬
able functionary must a " congregation " have to make it a
church ?
A. A Pastor, or an ordained minister, who can
preach the " pure word of God" and administer the
sacraments.
G2 Q. Is the ordination of the minister an indispensable
prerequisite ?
A. Yes, it has been so held in all the ages of the
Christian Church, as we have said before. The He¬
brew or Jewish priests were not ordained by the laying
MINISTERIAL SUCCESS^**. 19
on of hands, because they were typical and temporary;
but as the Gospel ministry is to be perpetual—coeval
with the existence of man—a form of ordination, by the
laying on of hands, is necessary for its transmission to
future ages.
63 Q. Do all Christian societies or bodies observe a form of
ordination ?
A. All who are recognized as church denominations
do. History records some religious bodies who tried to
ignore this sacred form, but they were of short duration.
The Quakers have no form of ordination to this day,
however; but they are non-progressive.
64 Q. Is there any such thing as a succession of ordinations
back to the apostolic times?
A. We think there is. Dr. Abel Stevens says:
"There is a succession in a qualified sense." Mr. Wat¬
son says: " There can be no doubt of a Presbyterial
(elders) succession, which runs back to the earliest
ages."
SECTION III.
65 Q. What is meant by Apostolic succession ?
A. That there has been a regular chain of Bishops,
from the days of the Apostles to the present, and who¬
ever has not received ordination through this line has
not received the seal of divine authority, and is there¬
fore not a legitimate Christian minister—a doctrine or
theory which cannot be proven by historic narration or
catalogue. But that there has been a chain or a series
of ordinations, amounting to a concatenation, through
bishops, presbyters or elders, is quite evident, We may
not be able to name each ordainer in succession, any
more than we can name our fathers and mothers ia
20
METHODIST POLITY.
succession to prove that we are not brutes; yet the fact
of the church existing in all ages, and ordination being
the universal rule, demonstrates the perpetuation of the
ordination series.
Ministerial succession and the succession claimed by
the Roman Catholic Church, or the prelatical claim of
the High-Church party of England, or the Protestant
Episcopal High-Church party, are two different things,
and those who confound them are either wanting in
scholarship or cool and deliberate judgment. To deny
ministerial succession is to assume that—well, say—the
Methodist Church came from nowhere—no legitimate
source; that it is a mere secular association. But to
deny the High Church and Roman Catholic Church
theory of a succession through a line of Bishops, and
that all who have not received ordination from them
are spurious and illegitimate, carries with it no such
assumptions.
66 Q. Does not the Roman Catholic Church claim her apos¬
tolic succession through her Popes ?
A. No; the Popes of Rome never ordain any one.
They do not ordain the Bishops of their church. Popes
themselves, Cardinals, Archbishops and such like church
dignitaries are not ordained at all to their positions.
They only have three orders—Deacon, Priest (elder) and
Bishop. Therefore, they only claim apostolic succession
through the Bishops—the same as the Greek Church,
Coptic Church, Church of England and the Protestant
Episcopal Church. Several Protestant divines and
theologians have attempted to show that if there ever
was any such thing as Apostolic succession in the
Roman Catholic Church, the fact that so many of her
MINISTERIAL SUCCESSION. 21
Popes had been corrupt men, and the further fact that
one was a woman, had broken the line and vitiated the
entire chain of succession. But they were evidently-
ignorant of the fact that the succession is claimed to be
through the Bishops, and not through the Popes. One
Pope never knows who his successor will be, as the
Cardinals never elect till the predecessor is dead; so
that a dead Pope could hardly ordain a living Pope.
That fact alone shows the illogicalness of such reason¬
ing. That the Roman Catholic Church has a succession
that runs back to near the times of primitive Christi¬
anity, or the primitive church, all persons acquainted
with history will admit. But we deny her power to
present historically an unbroken catalogue—succession,
as she claims to have.
67 Q. Did I understand you to say, there is no &uch thing
as Apostolic succession, or an ordination, which has come down
to the present time, through a chain of Bishops, from the
Apostles ?
A. No ; I would not dare say such a thing. I only
said there was no historic catalogue of such a line or
chain of Bishops. For example, like St. Matthew gives
genealogically of the ancestry of our Lord Jesus Christ,
in his first chapter, or St. Luke gives in the third chap¬
ter, or the learned Calmet gives of the Hebrew high-
priests, The presumption of history is in favor of a
succession. As Bishop Hooker says : " Rather than
deny a ministerial succession by the imposition of hands,
I had rather believe the succession passed beyond the
Apostles to the Aaronic Priesthood," while the High-
Priest was not really ordained. But no one upon the
face of the globe knows about the truth of the theory
of succession but God. History certainly does not
22
METHODIST POLITY.
record the links in such a chain. True, presbyterial
ordination is quite ancient, and may be coeval with Epis¬
copacy, although most of the presbyterial, as any histo¬
rian will concede, has come from Episcopal dissenters or
malcontents. While we are bound to grant that the
Presbyterial form has accomplished much good in the
salvation of men, I nevertheless believe the Episcopal
form is more in unison with the divine plan. The
great Ignatius, who lived one hundred years after the
birth of Christ, says : " The Bishop, Presbyters (elders)
and Deacons were appointed according to the will of
God."
68 Q. Does any church, that confers only one ordination, hold
to Apostolic succession ?
A. Yes, the Presbyterian Church does, and a few
others, but not on the Roman Catholic Church theory.
69 Q. From whence did the African M. E. Church procure
the right to ordain ministers of the Gospel ?
A. From the Church of England and the Protestant
Episcopal Church of the United States.
70 Q. How did she get it from the Church of England?
A. Rev. John Wesley, A.M., a great and holy man,
was a priest, presbyter, or elder in that church in Eng¬
land, and he and four or five other ministers of the same
church, and of the same grade of ordination ordained
Rev. Thomas Coke, LL.D., another minister of the same
church and grade, a Bishop. And Bishop Coke came
to the United States and he, with other ministers, or¬
dained Rev. Francis Asburv, a man of great piety,
also, a Bishop. And the said Bishop Asbury ordained
to the ministry Rev. Richard Allen, also a good and
faithful man. After many years of faithful service in the
.fllNISTEKlAL SUCCESSION.
church, the s«id Rev. Richard Allen, with a number of
other ministers and laymen founded the A. M. E.
Church, and he was elected first Bishop of the same.
71 Q. Did they rest his ordination to the Bishopric upon the
mere ground that he was a minister of the Gospel and had
been elected to the office of a Bishop ?
A. No. Several elders, assisted by Rev. Absalom
Jones of the Protestant Episcopal Church ordained him
a Bishop as Mr. Wesley and others had done Dr. Coke
years before, by the imposition of hands and prayer,
reading of the Scriptures, imposing obligations and ad¬
ministering to him the Lord's Supper.
72 Q. Where did Rev. Absalom Jones receive his ordina'.ion ?
and what was his ministerial rank?
A. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Wm. White,
D.D., of the Protestant Episcopal Church, who had been
ordained a Bishop, by the Archbishop of Canterbury,
Primate of the church of England,—the same church
from which Mr. Wesley received his ordination as a
Priest.
73 Q. What grade or form of ordination would that enable
Bishop Allen to transmit to the A. M. E. Church?
A. Ecclesiastical, Episcopacy, or to use the defi¬
nition of Bishop Whittingham, "Conventional Epis¬
copacy." But I prefer the first definition, because
Episcopal Methodists usually hold, that the strength of
their Episcopacy is in the election of the person to be a
Bishop, and not in the ordination, as it is presbyterial,
and that no number of Presbyters or Elders can impart
an ordination higher than they possess themselves.
Therefore they hold that a Bishop with them is only
primus inter pares,—a Presbyter Bishop.
24
METHODIST POLITY.
74 Q. Is that the universal theory maintained by Episcop*.,
Methodists?
A. Xo. Many hold that the voice of the church in
calling a man to the Bishopric, and giving him conse¬
cration amid vows and affirmations, imparts a rank, an
order, which not only imposes more responsibilities, but
a superior grade. There is as much authority found in
the history of the primitive church for conceding a
higher ecclesiastical order to the Bishop, as there is for
conceding to the deacon any ministerial order at all.
SECTION IV.
75 Q. You have quite satisfactorily shown, that the Metho¬
dist Episcopal Church, Methodist Episcopal Church South, and
Methodists in general, received a presbyterial ordination from
the English Church, wW.h you call through the co-operation
of election and ordination, "Ecclesiastical Episcopacy."
You have further shown, that the Protestant Episcopal Church
received her ordination and organization from the Church of
England, and that the African M. E. Church received a pres¬
byterial ordination jointly from the Church of England and
the Protestant Episcopal Church, which carries the entire
claim of all Methodists back to the Church of England, for the
right to ordain persons to the Christian ministry. Now from
whence comes the chuvch of England ?
A. This question will be hard to answer, for we have
no definite history of its organization.
76 Q. Did the church of England not shoot off from the
Roman Catholic Church, in consequence of a rupture between
Henry VIII., King of England, and Clement II., Pope of the
Roman Catholic Church, because the Pi pe refused his consent
to the divorce of Queen Catharine, of Aragon, his lawful wife,
that the King might marrv Anne Boleyn,her maid of honor?
A. The Church of England took advantage of that
rupture, to declare her independence from Papal Supre-
MINISTERIAL SUCCESSION.
25
roacy. But she had an existence which antedated that
event by at least a thousand years.
77 Q. Have you ever examined the history of the church
of England from a Presbyterial as well as from an Episcopal
standpoint ?
A. Yes, I have spent hundreds of dollars for books
to examine this question, that I might ascertain what
my ordination as a Deacon, Elder or Bishop was worth,
for if it was worth nothing—came from nowhere—
rested upon no foundation, I wanted to know it, so that
I might stop humbugging the people. How could I
dare to assume to be the pastor of a church, expect sup¬
port and claim rights and prerogatives which the ordi¬
nation imparts, when I possessed no more than the
people I was pretending to serve ? I would be a base
impostor, a counterfeit, a cheat and a robber. There¬
fore, I have purchased histories, and the writings of
several Fathers of the primitive church, and spent
years in reading them to satisfy my conscience, to see
whether or not I am an ordained minister of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
78 Q. What would be a summary of the history of the
Church of England?
A. I concur with the historian, Barrett, who says :
" (1.) From the first to the seventh century she may
be called ' The British Church/ " and was without the
shadow of Romish influence.
" (2.) From the seventh to the eleventh century she
may be called the ' Anglo-Saxon Church.' This was
not a new Church, but the British Church with a com¬
paratively mild infusion of Romanism.
" (3.) From the eleventh to the sixteenth century she
may be called the ' Anglo-Romish Church.' This was
26
METHODIST POLITY.
the same British Church, with a strong infusion of
Romanism.
" (4.) From the sixteenth to the nineteenth century
she may be called ' The English Church,' which, like
each of the other names, does not indicate a new
Church, but only a new state, viz.: the state in which
ancient British privileges had been resumed, by a thor¬
ough expulsion of Romanism in any form."
This old historic Church has now branches in many
lands, and through presbyterial ordination, it has denom¬
inational branches of many names and forms of relig¬
ious service and worship
79 Q. What does he say about the ancient authorities?!
A. He says, " Many ancient authorities concur in
the testimony that St. Paul himself preached in Britain
about the year 60. In the second century the British
Church was fully organized. In 314 three British
Bishops were present at the Council of Aries. When
Augustine, the first emissary of the Roman Church,
came to England, A.D. 596, he found the British Church
fully established with one Archbishop and seven Bish¬
ops."
80 Q. What says that learned Methodist theologian, Rev.
Richard Watson, about this church ?
A. He says, " When and by whom Christianity was
first introduced into Britain, can not at this distance of
time be exactly ascertained. Eusebius, indeed, positively
declares that it was by the Apostles and the Disciples.
Bishops Jewel and Stillingfleet, Dr. Cove and others,
insist that it was St. Paul, and Baronius affirms, on the
authority of an ancient mauuscript in the Vatican
librarv, that the gospel was planted in Britain by Simo
MINISTERIAL SUCCESSION.
27
Zelotes, the apostle, and Joseph of Arimathea, and that
the latter came over a.d. 35, or about the twenty-first
year of Tiberius, and died in this country [England].
According to Archbishop Usher the British Churches had
a school of learning in the year a.d., 182, to provide them
with proper teachers, and it appears that they flourished,
without dependence on any foreign church, till the ar¬
rival of Austin the Monk, in the latter part of the
sixth century." Mr. Watson further says, " Episcopacy
was early established in this country, and it ought to be
remembered to the honor of the British Bishops and
clergy, that during several centuries they withstood the
encroachments of the Romish Church."
81 Q. What says Clement of Rome, and others of fame ?
A. He says, " But whether the British Church was
planted by one of the Apostles, or by one of their imme¬
diate successors, it is certain, from the writings of the
ancient fathers, Tertullian, Origen, Athanasius and
others, that there were Christian Churches existing in
Britain, so early as the second century, or within about
a hundred years of the death of the last apostles."
Mosheim, whose church history all denominations
accept as authority, says, "We are assured by the most
unexceptionable testimonies that Christ was worshipped
as God, among the Germans, Spaniards, Celts, Britons
and many other nations, but which of them received
the Gospel in the first, and which in the second century,
is a question unanswerable at this distance of time."
Spence, in his " Equitable Jurisdiction," says, "So early
as the second century, Tertullian at Carthage in Africa,
could record the progress of Christianity in Britain,
even beyond the bounds of the Roman conquest." Dr.
28
METHODIST POLITY.
Bright, the historian, says, " Between a.d. 196 and 201,
places in Britain not yet visited by the Romans were
subject to Christ." Origen, born in Alexandria, a.d.
185, says, " The power of our Lord and Saviour is both
with those in Britain who are divided from our world,"
etc. Bright says, " The great Council of Aries, a.d.
314, shows among the Bishops present, the names of
three from Britain." Haddan & Stubbs, vol. 1, page 7,
give the names of these three English Bishops as
" Eborius, Restitutus and Adelfius." Again, Con-
stantine the Great in his " Letter to the Churches re¬
specting the Council of Nice, a.d. 325, includes the Bri¬
tons among those who accepted the ruling of this Coun¬
cil as to the calculation of Easter." Haddan & Stubbs,
vol. 1, page 9, say, " In a.d. 359, three British Bish¬
ops took part in the Council of Ariminum." Again,
Chrysostom, from a.d. 387 to a.d. 407, and Jerome,
from a.d. 378 to a.d. 400, bear witness that there was
settled, " a church in Britain, with churches, altars,
Scriptures, discipline, holding the general faith, and
having intercourse with both Rome and Palestine."
But why continue to refer to these authorities ? I have
given them from historians and theologians of all
church creeds and denominations. True, we could
compose a book out of them alone, but why waste time
and space, when, " out of the mouth of two or three
witnesses, every word shall be established ? " And no
greater witnesses can be found on earth, than I have
quoted to prove the existence of the British church, in
the days oi primitive Christianity, hundreds of years
before the Roman Catholic Church ever thought about
sending her monks there as missionaries. Thus history
shows, that the Church of England came in a direct
MINISTERIAL SUCCESSION. 29
line from this old British Church, which had Bishops,
Presbyters, Deacons, Church houses, Altars, prayers,
songs, preaching, the sacraments, fast days, Easter ser¬
vices and synods or Councils as early, if not earlier than
the church of Rome.
section v.
82 Q. Well, you have shown that the British Church ap¬
proaches the Apostolic age very closely ; and you have shown
it from authorities which the learned world would not dare to
disrespect. Now, will you tell us at what time the Roman
Catholic Church was sent into Britain, or England, if you
choose that name ?
A. I will. Pope Gregory I., surnamed the Great,
sent Augustine and forty monks (missionaries) there to
convert the old Pagan Saxons, a.d. 596, which was the
first entrance of the Romish Church into that territory.
Let us here quote a little more history, which may throw
some light upon the time and circumstances. The his¬
torian Edward Cutts, in his "Turning-Points of Eng¬
lish History," says: " One day, as Gregory the Arch¬
deacon was crossing the Forum in the city of Rome, he
saw groups of slaves exposed for sale. One group of
children attracted his attention,—their complexions were
fair, eyes blue and hair flaxen. He asked from what
country they came, and was told they were Angles. He
said, ' They would not only be Angles, but Angels, if
they were Christians.' He then asked, ' From what
province do they come ?' and was told they came from
' Deira' (now ' York'). ' Truly,' said he, 1 they should
be called de-ira (from the wrath of God), and brought
to the mercy of Christ. And how is their king named?'
said he. ' Aella,' was the reply. 'Yea,' said Gregory,
eo
METHODIST POLITY.
'may Alleluias be sung there.'" These captive slaves
were Saxon Pagan children of the conquering race,
whicli had overrun England and driven the Britons
into Wales and Cornwall. This good man Gregory he-
came Pone Gregory the Great, a.n. 592. .Remembering
" I ' & ^ O
the Saxon captives, he determined to send missionaries
there to convert the nation. The historian Bode, who
was horn A.D. GTS, tells us "that in a.d. 596 Pope
Gregory sent Ainmstine and furtv monks to convert the
Pagan Saxons."
But without being tedious in ouoting the exact words
of history, suffice it to say, after many hardships and
discouragements, Augustine with his monks landed on
the Isle of Thanet in August, A i>. 596, and was kindly
reeeivul by Ethelhort, the Saxon King of Kent. Says
Bode : " in the year 60-> (seven years after he landed),
Augustine, with the aid of King E-helbert, drew to¬
g-ether a conference of the Bishops of the next province
of the Britons, at a place which, is called Augustine's
Oak to this day, and proposed fraternal admonitions
and unity with the Bishops of Britain ; that they all
should :nvach the Gospel together to the Gentiles. But
the British Bishops answered that they could not depart
from their a uncut customs -without the consent and leave
of their people." This conference, therefore, failed ; but
a second one was appointed, to which seven of the
Bishops of the Britons came, with a number of their
most learned men. Here stood the representatives ot
the Church of Borne and the Ancient British Church,
face to face, right in the very heart of England. The
Ancient British Church, of which Tertuliian, Origen,
Athanasius, Hilary, Chrysostom and Jerome had writ¬
ten. But the union sought by Augustine was not
MINISTERIAL SUCCESSION.
31
effected, nor was it ever, by the consent of the British
Church.
Sir William Blackstone, in his Commentaries, says:
"The Ancient British Church, by whomsoever planted,
was a stranger to the Church of Rome and all its pre¬
tended authorities." Haddan and Stubbs, Vol. I., tell
us, "that while Paulinus, a missionary appointed by
Augustine (after he failed to unite with the British
Ancient Church), is said to have baptized in North um-
bria as many as ten thousand persons a day, and
planted the Romish Church in four of the seven Saxon
kingdoms, yet, in fifty years, it had passed away. The
work of Augustine had been fruitier of permanent re¬
sults everywhere save in Kent."
8.3 Q. Thank you for the historic accounts of the entrance
of the Romish Church into England, and for some of the de¬
tails of its representatives meeting with the British bishops.
Will you now give me a brief sketch of the later career of
the British Church?
A. I will ; but it must be brief, indeed, as we have
consumed so much space upon the existence of the
British Church prior to the arrival of Augustine and
his forty missionaries in England. Nevertheless, I
have scarcely touched the historic proofs that might
be compiled sustaining the fact. Now, let me say, to
trace the British Church, up through the hundred and
fifty years' struggle with the Saxons, which terminated
in the Saxon conquest, which Hume, Vol. I., describes
so lucidly, and the Norman conquest under William
the Conqueror in a. d. 10(36, till Iving John surren¬
dered his crown to the Pope of Rome in a. i>. 1213,
would require more space and time than we are able to
give the subject.
32
METHODIST POLITY.
Let me say, at this point, no one could properly
realize the ordeal through which the old British Church
had to pass, not fully acquainted with English history.
It must be remembered that the dark ages have set in,
and wars, revolutions and. corruptions stalk abroad; one
party succeeds another; the Britons, Saxons, Scots,
Normans, Danes, Welsh, Romans, Popes, archbishops,
cardinals, generals, admirals and many other mighty
actors play prominent parts, and the church is some¬
times on this side of the revolution, and sometimes on
that. But the student of history will find the old
British Church maintaining her individuality, though
somewhat Romish at times, up till long after the Nor¬
man Conquest, notwithstanding the removal of all her
bishops who supported King Harold after a.d. 1066.
We see this Ancient Church in a.d. 729 dealing with
the cycle of time. Again, in a. d. 809 she is accepting
the same. Again, after the conquest of William of
Normandy by the aid of Pope Alexander II., her
Archbishop of Canterbury is removed from office. And
thus the Church mixed with corruption, immorality in
some instances, and some Romish vices, comes down
the highway of centuries, till John the King of Eng¬
land takes off his crown, and hands it over to Pope
Innocent III. in a.d. 1213, While I grant that the
British Church and the Church of Rome made some
terms of agreement in the ninth century, which com¬
promised the original purity of the British Church, or
we might call it at this period the Anglo-Saxon
Church, yet I deny that history gives an instance
where any Pope of Rome ever claimed England for
the Church till after King John, who, in an unfortu¬
nate hour of military weakness, surrendered his crown
MINISTERIAL SUCCESSION.
33
to the Pontiff. The question now arises,—How long
was the British or Anglo-Saxon Church absolutely
under the Roman Catholic Church? We answer,—
From a. d. 1213 until a.d. 1530; if we estimate from
the revolt of King Henry VIII., it will be exactly 317
years. But as King Henry of England would not
allow the reformers of the British Church to rid it of
its Roman corruptions, and as he lived 17 years after
his revolt, we owe it to the truth of history to add the
17 years to 317; which would make the entire time the
British Church was a vassal of the Church of Rome
334 years.
84 Q. But did not these 334 years' subjugation to the Roman
Catholic Church blot out the original existence of the old
British Church?
A. No. For all the time she was subject to the
church of Rome, history assures us, she was protesting
against the corruptions of the Roman See, and trying to
throw off the Roman yoke. Her Bishops in England
refused to obey at least a score of orders which came
from the Pope of Rome.
85 Q. Was not her ministerial ordination vitiated or cor*
rupted, while mixed with the Roman Catholic Church?
A. No. For both churches claim apostolic succes¬
sion any way. The Roman Church claims St. Peter for
her founder, and the British Church claims St. Paul, so
instead of weakening the claim, it doubles its strength,
if there be any virtue in the theory at all.
86 Q. But since the English Church was, as you affirm, re¬
stored at the reformation, can we say that she could have been
properly called a church while she was infected with so many
papal corruptions as she was before it?
A. Yes ; under Popery she was a church, although in
2*
34
METHODIST POLITY.
an error by reason of enforced obedience or subjection
by civil authority. The Israelitish Church remained a
church even under Ahab. The Jewish Church still
existed under the Pharisees and Scribes. The Ark of
God was still the Ark of God, even when in the hands
of the Philistines, and the vessels of the Temple were
holy even at Babylon. The English Church was as
much the old English Church after she was reformed
as Naaman was Naaman after he had washed in the
river Jordan and been healed.
87 Q. Did any sovereign of England ever protest against the
church of R-jme before King Henry VIII. got mad at the
Pope and threw off his civil authority ?
A. Yes; Egfrid, king of Northumberland; King
Alfred, his successor; King Edward, the Confessor;
King Henry I., and several other sovereigns.
88 Q. But did not King Henry VIII. bring about the revo¬
lution which freed the English Church from Roman Catholic¬
ism for corrupt purposes?
A. Yes; for a most base purpose. So was the Tem¬
ple of Solomon built by cedars of Lebanon hewn by
workmen of heathen Tyre. Jehu did not please God,
the Bible informs us, but his reformation did. Neb¬
uchadnezzar was idolatrous, but his edict for the
services of God was religious. The bloody and cruel
Herod repaired the Temple; but Jesus Christ, the "Son
of God, preached in it. The colored race was freed
as a war measure, but they accepted free lom as a I)i-
vine providence
89 Q. Now what do you claim for the African M. E. Church,
through this old British Church, which you say has come
down to us through all these centuries of years ?
A. I claim for the A. M. E. Church just what the
MINISTERIAL SUCCESSION.
35
Presbyterian, Moravian and the Reformed Dutch
Churches do through other channels, that we have a
consecutive chain of ordinations back to the primitive
days of the Christian Church.
90 Q. What ? Do you mean a line of orders, through a suc¬
cession of Bishops, back through the English Church, then
the Anglo-Ilomish Church, then the Anglo-Saxon Church, and
then the old British Church, up to the Apostles?
A. No. I cannot say anything about the Apostles;
nor do I claim a line of orders through prelatical
Bishops, for the reason that I know better, as neither
Mr. Wesley, Dr. Coke, Richard Allen, Absalom Jones,
nor any of the founders of the Methodist Churches were
Bishops ; they were only Priests, Presbyters or Elders;
but I do claim that through them, and the Church
of England, the A. M. E. Church has a ministerial
(Prcsbyterially) succession to the primitive (lays of the
Christian Church, and that our right to ordain men to
preach the Gospel, baptize, give the Communion, and
pastor churches came from somewhere and not from
nowhere. And thus the A. M. E. Connection is a
Christian Church, and not a more association of men
and women, with no historic foundation or authority.
I hold further, that our Episcopacy, consisting as it
does of a call from the entire Connection and the conse¬
cration of its Bishops, amounts to Ecclesiastical
Episcopacy.
36
METHODIST POLITY.
CHAPTER III.
ORGANIZATION OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST
EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
91 Q. When was the African M. E. Church organized ?
A. In the month of April, 1816.
92 Q. By whom was it organized ?
A. Rev. Richard Allen and fifteen others.
93 Q. Will you give me the names of the other fifteen ?
A. I will. Jacob Tapsico, Clayton Durham, James
Champion, and Thomas Webster, of Philadelphia;
Daniel Coker, Richard Williams, Henry Harden, Ste¬
phen Hill, Edward Williamson and Richard Gailliard,
of Baltimore, Maryland; Peter Spencer, of Wilming¬
ton, Delaware; Jacob Marsh, Edward Jackson,
and Wm. Andrews, of Attleborough, Pennsylvania;
and Reuben Cuff, of Salem, New Jersey.
94 Q. Why did these men organize a new church?
A. Because they were treated unchristianly by their
white brethren.
95 Q. To what white brethren do you refer?
A. To those of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of
which they were members.
96 Q. Will you tell me in what that unchristian treatment
consisted ?
A. In pulling them from their knees while at prayer,
forcing them to back seats aud in the gallery, and using
abusive language to them.
ORGANIZATION OF THE A. M. E. CHURCH. 31
97 Q. What was the result of this treatment?
A. It led to them building a church, where they
*>uld worship God unmolested.
^8 Q,. What church was built ?
A. Bethel Church in Philadelphia.
99 Q. Did they really build a new house?
A. No ; they purchased a blacksmith shop and re¬
moved it to their lot on Sixth street near Lombard street.
100 Q. When did this transaction occur ?
A. In the year 1787, the lot was bought, and the
house was built in 1793.
101 Q. What were they doing from 1787 up to 1816, when
they permanently organized ?
A. They were contending for their religious rights.
102 Q. Did God raise them up any friends from among the
white people?
A. He did, namely, Dr. Benjamin Rush, R. Ralston,
Wm. McKean, Richard Mosely, Jupiter Gibson and
Bishop White, of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
103 Q. Who was elected and ordained the first Bishop of
the A. M. E. Church ?
A. Rev. Richard Allen, a good and great man, who
had been ordained to the Christian ministry seventeen
years before, by Bishop Francis Asbury of the M. E.
Church.
104 Q. When was Richard Allen consecrated a Bishop?
A. April 11th, 1816.
105 Q. Did Bishop White ordain Rev. Richard Allen a
Bishop ?
A. No; I wish it had been possible, but Bishop Allen
was ordained to the Episcopacy by five regularly-ordained
ministers, among whom was Rev. Absalom Jones.
38
METHODIST POLITY.
106 Q. Who was Absalom Jones?
A. A priest of the Protestant Episcopal Church, who
had been ordained by Bishop White.
107 Q. What does tradition say about him?
A. Tradition says that Jones bore the greetings of
Bishop White, and assisted in this ordination by Bishop
White's consent.
108 Q. What does this establish ?
A. That our ordination is not bogus, and connects
the A. M. E. Church with historic Christianity.
109 Q. Do you mean that the ordination of the A. M. E.
Church is Episcopally historic ?
A. No. I mean that it is Presbvterially historic, or,
in oilier words, that through the ordination of four
Methodist ministers and Absalom Jones, a Priest of the
Protestant Episcopal Church, Bishop Allen received a
succession of hands, though through Priests, Presbyters,
or elders, which gives his ordination the stamp of primi¬
tive Christianity, and made him, through the call of the
entire church an Ecclesiastical Bishop, though not
prelatically apostol ical.
110 Q. Do wc find anything in history about the creation of
a Presbyter-Bishop ?
A. Yes. The Church in Alexandria made one by
the imposition of the hands of elders, A.d. 246 ; and the
great Reformer, Rev. Martin Luther, D.P., with three
others, ordained Nicolas Amsdorf a Bishop, January 20,
A.d. 1542. Archbishop Usher tells us it was successively
done in olden times; and Mr. Wesley and three others
ordained Dr. Thomas Coke a Bishop September 10, a.d.
1784. According to Archbishop Usher, the status of
the Bishop of Alexandria was never questioned by the
church or his Episcopal colleagues.
ORGANIZATION OF THE A. M. E. CHURCH.
111 Q. Is historic ordination either Episcopallv or Presbyte-
rially essential to the establishment of a Christian Church ?
A. It is so held by all Christian denominations that
amount to a Church.
112 Q. Is that held as a cardinal postulate in the A. M. E.
Church ?
A. Yes; for it will not allow even preachers who are
not ordained to baptize, marry or consecrate the Lord's
supper. If they do, they are expelled from the church
for it; as guilty of sacrilege. Proper and legitimate or¬
dination is held by the A. M. E. Church to be a Divine
rite or ordinance, and any attempt upon the part of an
unordaincd person to exercise its prerogatives, is a dese¬
cration of the sacred rite.
113 Q. Has the ordination of the A. M. E. Church ever been
strengthened or augmented since the consecration of Bishop
Allen to the Episcopacy?
A. Yes, considerably strengthened. Ministers in full
orders have united with the A. M. E. Church from the
Presbyterian, Lutheran, Congregational, Episcopal, and
Baptist Churches, as well as from all branches of Meth¬
odism ; and they in turn have helped, by the imposition
of hands, to ordain our Bishops and Elders. So that,
if the A. M. E. Church had started with a bogus ordi¬
nation (Presbyterially). it would have been as genuine
as any by this time, as it is in possession of the ordina¬
tions of all the leading churches of the land.
114 Q Then ordination is not regarded in the A. M. E.
Church as a sacrament?
A. By no means. The Church of Rome, however,
holds that it is a sacrament; but Methodists simply
maintain that it is a divine rite or ordinance, which im¬
poses sacred obligations, equally as binding as sacramental
40
METHODIST POLITY.
vows; for, until ordination is conferred, the preacher
cannot administer the Holy Sacraments. While ordina¬
tion is not a sacrament, it is an indispensable prerequi¬
site to the administration of the sacraments.
CHAPTER IV.
GENERAL CONFERENCE.
SECTION I,
115 Q. What is meant by Conference in Methodist govern¬
ment ?
A. A formal meeting of ministers and members to
do church business.
116 Q. What are like assemblies called in other churches ?
A. Synods, conventions, associations, councils, presby¬
teries, etc.
117 Q. How many kinds of conferences does your church
hold?
A. Five, the General Conference, Annual Conference,
District Conference, Quarterly Conference, and Church
Conference.
118 Q. Which of these conferences possesses the highest
powers ?
A. The General Conference, which meets every four
years.
119 Q. What are the powers of this conference ?
A. It has full power to make rules, regulations and
modifications under certain limitations and restrictions.
GENERAL CONFERENCE.
41
120 Q. Can any of the other conferences make laws ?
A. Yes; provided they do not conflict with those
made by the General Conference.
121 Q. How far would the laws made by other conferences
be recognized?
A. Only to the extent of the membership or bounds
of the conference that made the laws.
122 Q. Who compose the General Conference?
A. All the bishops, general officers, ministerial and
lay delegates elected by the several annual conferences
and electoral colleges. General officers were deprived
of membership by the General Conference of 1888, by
a mere resolution ; but according to the usages of Meth¬
odism, a two-thirds vote of all the Annual Conferences
was necessary. Therefore they are really members yet.
123 Q. How are the delegates elected ?
A. The ministers of each Annual Conference elect
one representative for every twenty of their number,
while each official board within the bounds of an An¬
nual Conference sends one of its number to compose an
electoral college, and they elect two laymen to repre¬
sent the laity in the General Conference.
124 Q. When did the General Conference become a delegated
body?
A. In May, 1868, at its session in Washington, D. C.,
both ministerial and lay delegates were provided for.
Prior to that time the General Conference was com¬
posed of all the ministers who had been traveling six
consecutive years.
125 Q. How long does a session of the General Conference
last ?
A. Generally about three weeks. However, there is
no limit to the time.
42
METHODIST POLITY.
126 Q. What class of men should compose the General Con¬
ference ?
A. Men :> sound piety, rarely those who have not
had at least ten years' experience, with good common
sense, and who love the church.
127 Q. Do the lay and ministerial delegates deliberate
together or separately ?
A. Together. They act as one body. Other Epis¬
copal Methodists sometimes divide the ministerial and
lay delegates when an important issue is pending ; yet,
no measure can pass without the concurrence of both
wings of their General Conference. We may have to
come to the same mode of deliberation, but no special
need has yet been developed.
SECTION II.
Limitations and Restrictions.
128 Q. What are the " limitations" called under which the
General Conference makes laws and regulations?
A. The Restrictive Rules. They are very few, but
are intended to put the vital interests of the church be¬
yond the reach of extraordinary and impassioned legis¬
lation.
129 Q. How could a change or modification be made on
any subject protected by the Restrictive Rules?
A. Really there is no provision made for that at all,
except the 5th restriction, which may be altered by
a two-thirds vote of the General Conference. As for
the other restrictions, I see no way to legally alter
them without the consent of every man, woman and
baptized child in the church. ^Nevertheless, a two-
thirds vote of the General Conference, all the An-
GENERAL CONFERENCE.
43
nual Conferences, and all tlie churches might be recog¬
nized.
130 Q. What is the purpose of these constitutional limita¬
tions and restrictions?
A. To give stability to the church and its doctrines.
Where a change is so difficult to make, it will not be
made unless the wisdom and necessity of it are very
plainly seen.
131 Q. Could our Articles of Religion and standards of theol¬
ogy be altered or revoked at all ?
A. They could not legally without the unanimous
consent of the entire connection.
132 Q. Is there any veto power provided to intercept
rash, imprudent and prejudicial legislation by the General
Conference ?
A. No, there is none; yet, the necessity of such
an inhibition is seen and felt, especially in recent
years.
133 Q. Why did not the great founders and organizers
of Methodism provide for such a contingency?
A. Because they were pious and holy men, and it did
not enter their minds that men would rise up and try to
run the Church of God as a political club.
134 Q. What remedy has been suggested ?
A. Several, but we will only name a few : 1st, that
the unanimous disapproval of the Board of Bishops to
any measure passed, after three days' meditation, should
serve as a veto. 2d, that the Board of Bishops and all
the general officers should constitute an upper house,
and no measure should become a law until it passed
both houses. 3d, that the Board of Bishops and one
elder elected from each episcopal district should con¬
stitute an upper house, and no measure should become
44
METHODIST POLITY.
law till it received the majority approval of this alsu
4th, that one delegate at large should be elected by each
Annual Conference, and they should form a church sen¬
ate—rather, be to the church what the United States
Senate is to the nation.
135 Q. Is it likely that the General Conference of the
A. M. E. Church will be converted into two bodies ?
A. No, not for the present at least, but fears are en¬
tertained that the time will come, owing to the rapid
growth of the church, when either a double legislative
house will be called for, or the power to veto hasty leg¬
islation demanded.
136 Q. When does a new law enacted by the General Con¬
ference, or any change, modification or alteration become
binding upon the ministry and members of the church ?
A. Legally speaking, not till they are all codified and
printed in the Discipline, which is alone binding, unless
the Bishop should announce the same in advance of
their publication, and then they would not be of force
without being announced through the proper organ of
the church.
137 Q. Suppose, when the Discipline is compiled, one por¬
tion or provision of a law should contradict or appear to con¬
tradict another, what would be the remedy ?
A. The General Conference of 1872, which held its
session in Nashville, Tennessee, made provision for such
a contingency by authorizing the Board of Bishops to
give such an interpretation of said law as would per¬
petuate the running machinery of the church till the
next session of the General Conference.
138 Q. Does the General Conference, which meets only once
in four years, always find it necessary to make new rules and
regulations ?
A. Yes. The cause of Education, Missions, Book
GENERAL CONFERENCE. 45
Department, Finance, Sabbath-Schools, and the election
of general officers, sometimes Bishops, creation of new
Annual Conferences, and the adjustment of the church
to the times, all require new legislation and regulations
to be made once in four years, to meet the growing want
of the church.
139 Q. In what form does the General Conference publish its
laws ?
A. In a book called " The Discipline," which every
member of the church should purchase, read and study.
It stands in importance next to the Holy Scriptures
themselves.
140 Q. Does the Gentral Conference always carefully con-
aider and weigh all questions presented to it, before taking
action upon them pro or con ?
A. No. The cultured and thoughtful men of the
church can seldom have an opportunity to consider
questions as the fathers did. We hope, however, a
reformation is just ahead of us. Cool deliberation is
rather wanting of late years.
141 Q. Who presides over the General Conference?
A. The Bishops, from day to day, as their seniority
entitles them to the Chair. The General Conference
opens with the oldest or senior Bishop in the Chair, and
then each takes his turn as his day arrives, grading his
right to the Chair by the date of election.
142 Q. If one General Conference enacts a law, can another
repeal it?
A. No. Civil law-making bodies repeal; ecclesias¬
tical bodies let the old laws, or rules, simply drop into
disuse. No church law-making body, wi*h any sense or
experience, will attempt to repeal.
46
METHODIST POLITY,
CHAPTER Y.
ANNUAL CONFERENCES.
SECTION I.
143 Question. What is an Annual Conference ?
Answer. The ministers occupying a certain territory,
organized into an ecclesiastical body, for the purpose of
transacting the business of that division of the church.
144 Q. How are the Annual Conferences bounded?
A. Sometimes by State lines, and sometimes by nat¬
ural lines, for the convenience of the work. Large
States may be divided into two or more conferences,
while the New England States compose but one Annual
Conference.
145 Q. Who compose an Annual Conference?
A. All the traveling ministers and preachers within
its limits, and such local preachers as have conformed to
the rules granting them admission.
146 Q. Are Annual Conferences equally divided in ministe¬
rial and lay members?
A. No. An Annual Conference may be composed
of twenty ministers, or it may have three hundred ; and
the same liberty prevails with the laity. There is no
definite number in either case.
147 Q. How are names for these conferences derived ?
A. In some instances from States, as the Ohio and
North Carolina Conferences, and sometimes from cities,
as the Baltimore and Philadelphia Conferences.
ANNUAL CONFERENCES.
47
148 Q. How often does an Annual Conference meet?
A. As the name implies—once a year. They are
sometimes called yearly conferences.
149 Q. How is an Annual Conference subdivided ?
A. Into District Conferences, according to the num¬
ber of Presiding Elders.
150 Q. How is a District Conference subdivided ?
A. Into Quarterly Conferences, according to the num¬
ber of circuits and stations.
151 Q. What is the principal business of an Annual Confer¬
ence when in session ?
A. To admit candidates for the pastoral work on
trial; receive reports of pastors for the year's work;
receive ministers into full connection who have served
an acceptable probation ; examine into the moral, reli¬
gious and official character of all its members ; to try,
acquit, censure, suspend or expel such as are guilty of a
crime or misconduct, or of disseminating false doctrine;
examine into the qualifications of candidates for deacon's
and elder's orders, and elect the same, provided they
have completed the course of study. Also, to promote
the work of Sabbath-schools, missions, education,
church publications, temperance and equity, within its
bounds, and to gather and distribute funds for the re¬
lief of worn-out ministers, their widows, orphans, and
decent interments; and, finally, for the Bishop to ap¬
point the ministers to their fields of labor for another
year.
152 Q. What is the length of an Annual Conference
Bession ?
A. The law requires it to sit at least a week.
153 Q. Who is the presiding officer?
A. A Bishop; in case no Bishop is present, it is
48
METHODIST POLITY.
proper for the senior Presiding Elder to call the house
to order, conduct religious services, and hear a motion
for a presiding officer till the Bishop arrives.
154 Q. Suppose no Bishop should put in an appearance
during the conference session ?
A. Then the president of the conference would pro¬
ceed with everything except ordinations ; candidates for
orders may be elected, but he cannot ordain them. He
may make out the appointments with the Presiding
Elders, and adjourn the session. But modesty would
suggest the wisdom of the president returning to the ap¬
pointment he served the previous year, and await the
pleasure of the Bishop.
155 Q. By whom is the place of meeting selected?
A. By the Annual Conference.
156 Q. Who fixes the time of meeting ?
A. The presiding Bishop.
157 Q. Are preachers who are on trial members of the An*
nual Conference?
A. They are not. Preachers on trial may speak, but
cannot vote without permission, except as to where con¬
ference shall meet; they vote then by right of custom.
158 Q. How long is a preacher kept on probation ?
A. Not less than two years; but the time may be ex¬
tended indefinitely.
159 Q. What is the object of probation?
A. To try and prove the candidate by such experi¬
mental tests as will satisfy the conference that he is a
suitable person to be placed in charge of churches and
souls. Should the conference not be satisfied in two
years, the time may be extended.
ANNUAL Ct FEEENCES.
49
160 Q. When a minister in orders comes from another
church and is admitted into the Annual Conference, is he on
the same trial as a regular probationer?
A. A minister thus coming and qualifying by taking
our ordination vows has all the rights the other minis¬
ters enjoy; yet, he is naturally on trial for two years;
this trial is a mutual one; the conference tries him and
he tries the conference, so as to see if he can conform to
its rules and regulations. As to his right to vote on
questions before the conference, our Bishops differ in
their interpretations of the law. Some say he may,
others that he cannot. I think he can vote unless objec¬
tions are made. Then it would devolve upon the confer¬
ence to grant or deny him the privilege, or to say how far
they would limit him in the exercise of his franchise.
161 Q. Can a minister on probation vote for delegates to the
General Conference?
A. They did until the General Conference of 1888,
which deprived them of that privilege. There was no
specific law for it, however, but they did so by the grant
of the Annual Conferences. They can do so no more,
however.
SECTION II.
162 Q. Who determines the number and boundaries of the
Annual Conference?
A. The General Conference, the highest judicatory.
163 Q. What provision is made for the supervision of Annual
Conferences?
A. Among others, this: Every Annual Conference
must keep a record of its proceedings ; said record must
be signed by the presiding Bishop and the Secretary,
and a cony of the same be sent up to the General Con*
♦orence which meets quadrennially.
50 METHODIST POLITY.
164 Q. What disposition is made of these journals
there ?
A. A committee appointed by the General Con¬
ference should examine them and report any irreg¬
ularity that may appear, and thus uniformity of
procedure and administration be perpetuated.
165 Q. Can an Annual Conference overrule the decision
of a Bishop?
A. No. Not when he decides a law point, but in
the general business of an Annual Conference the
will of the conference is supreme. The Bishop has
no power to tell the members howr to vote, or
threaten, or punish ministers for not voting as he
may desire. Still, the Bishop must guard all law
points and compel the conference to respect every
part of the Discipline.
166 Q. Can an Annual Conference vote a man to mem¬
bership against the will of a Bishop and compel him to
give the objectionable man work?
A. By no means, unless the candidate meet every
requirement of the law. 1st. He must have master¬
ed all the studies laid down in the lists of prere¬
quisites. 2d. He must have all the moral, religious
and official requirements the law demands. Then if
the Bishop refuses him recognition, he can appeal
to the Bishops' Council or General Conference, and
have the Bishop overruled.
167 Q. When a motion is made and seconded, can a
Bishop rule it out in an Annual Conference?
A. He can, provided it is in contravention of law.
But he must state the law upon which he bases his
objections to the resolution. He cannot rule it out,
however, because he disapproves of the measure.
ANNUAL CONFERENCES. 51
_ 168 Q. Is a Bishop required to write all his legal de¬
cisions given in an Annual Conference?
A. He is by order of the General Conference of
1872. This does not include every little parlia¬
mentary decision, however, nor the general run¬
ning work of the conference, for then there would
be no end to them.
169 Q. Is there not a similarity between the govern¬
ment of an Annual Conference and that of the United
States ?
A. There is. The President of the United States
has a veto power, so as to protect the Constitution,
and the Bishop has a veto power in an Annual Con¬
ference, so as to protect the Discipline.
170 Q. Am I to understand that an Annual Conference
is devoid of judicial powers?
A. By no means. It has them to the extent of
determining the guilt or innocence of its members,
and such as can appeal to it under the law. But it
has no power to construe, interpret or define the
provisions of the Discipline as such. That right
vests only in the Bishops in the interval of the
General Conference.
171 Q. Cannot an Annual Conference legislate and ad¬
judicate its matters and business in harmony with the
Discipline ?
A. Most certainly ; that is what it must do, but
at the same time the final exposition of the law is
with the Bishop, the same as with the Presiding
Elder in Quarterly Conference, or a pastor in his
official board. If it were otherAvise these func¬
tionaries could not be held responsible for allow¬
ing matters to go wrongly.
172 Q. Does history show that the Church in any age
has ever patterned after the Civil Governments of the
land ?
A. No. Governments in many instances have pat-
82
METHODIST POLIT,.
terned after the church. But in the trial of meiub^rf,
the forms of civil trials are accepted, where no specific
church law, exist. The Bishop, Presiding Elder and
Pastor, under such circumstances act as a civil judge.
CHAPTER VI.
DISTRICT CONFERENCE.
SECTION I.
173 Q. What is a district?
A. It is a portion of the territory of an Annual Con¬
ference, a dozen or more circuits, stations or missions.
174 Q. What is a circuit?
A. It is a collective term, implying several churches
or charges under one minister, who has the spiritual
oversight of them, he being in charge of them all, goes
round among them, and is often denominated circuit-
rider.
175 Q. Is there any Scriptural precedent for circuit travel¬
ing?
A. Yes. It is written of Samuel the prophet: "And
he went from year to year in a circuit to Bethel and Gil-
gal and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places,
and his return was to Ramah
176 Q. What is the extent of a circuit?
A. Ciicuits differ in size. In thinly inhabited regions
a circuit may be one or two hundred miles around • in
thickly settled regions, ten or fifteen miles.
DISTKICT CQNEEKENCE.
177 Q. How long is a minister usually making the round of
a circuit ?
A. There are two-week circuits, three-week circuits
and four-week circuits; four weeks is the longest limit;
circuit ministers should have mid-week services also.
178 Q. Why, in some instances, have such large circuits ?
A. Because sometimes the laborers are few, and by
this means people get the gospel who otherwise would
not. And more, the Lord has ordained that those who
preach the gospel shall live by the gospel, and the
churches are often so poor that several of them must be
joined together in order to support a pastor.
179 Q. When is a circuit called a mission ?
A. When it is not self-supporting and has to be aided
in part or wholly from the missionary funds in sustain¬
ing a pastor.
180 Q,. What is the difference between a circuit and a sta¬
tion ?
A. A station is where the pastoral charge consists of
only one church. When two churches are so close to¬
gether that a pastor can preach at both the same Sab¬
bath, it is called a station also.
181 Q. What church officer has the oversight of a district?
A. The Presiding Elder.
182 Q. Gun a station or circuit pastor organize new work and
enlarge his pastoral charge without the permission of the Pre¬
siding Elder ?
A. Of course he can, or without the permission of
the Bishop ; it is his business to extend the work.
183 Q. Which has priority in rank, a station or a circuit ?
A. A circuit, by all means; circuits existed long be¬
fore stations. The Wesleyans have no stations.
METHODIST POLITY.
184 Q. What are the relative advantages of the two to
the respective pastors?
A. A station is more conducive to learning, giv¬
ing the pastor more time for study and meditation.
But circuits are more conducive to spiritual and
moral development.
185 Q. Are there not ministers who are not fitted for
both classes of charges?
A. There are. A man who does not study reg¬
ularly will wear out in any station in four or five
months. Then there are other men who are good,
but imprudent; I mean not cautious in their re¬
marks, and will say things thoughtlessly that will
work injury to themselves and the church; such
men should always be traveling. There are others,
again, who are not tidy in their dress, with clean
collars, and head combed, etc. These may be re¬
ligious men, but soon wear out in a station, while
if they are on a circuit their constant travel will
be an excuse for them.
186 Q. Has not the station minister a better chance to
cultivate his preaching powers?
A. Not at all. The circuit minister can preach
along the way, through the woods, over the hills,
till, as it was said of Bishop Bascom, when he ar¬
rives at his appointment he is charged with thun¬
der.
SECTION II.
187 Q. Who compose the District Conference?
A. All the traveling ministers, local preachers
and one steward from each Quarterly Conference
within every Presiding Elder District. All except
the preachers are elected prior to the meeting of
the District Conference.
DISTRICT CONFERENCE.
55
188 Q. When shall the District Conference meet?
A. It meets at the call of the Presiding Elder,
yet, if the assessment of the Presiding Elder has
to be arranged for at the District Conference, it
must be called within six weeks after the adjourn¬
ment of the Annual Conference. Nevertheless, if
the Presiding Elder finds it absolutely impossible
to meet so early, he must adjust the call to pos¬
sibilities. The Bishop, however, can call it to meet
at any time.
189 Q. Who determines the number and boundaries of
the District Conferences?
A. The Annual Conference.
190 Q. How long does a District Conference continue
in session?
A. Generally two or three days ; a longer time
if it is profitable.
191 Q. Who presides over this conference?
A. A Bishop, or in his absence a Presiding Elder;
if both are absent, conference elects a chairman,
who proceeds with business.
192 Q. What subjects are considered before the Dis¬
trict Conference?
A. The spiritual condition of the several charges
is inquired into. The whole territory is scanned to
see if there is any unoccupied ground where a
mission might be established, or that can.be em¬
braced by extending the lines of the circuits.
Pastors and stewards arrange for the Presiding
Elder's allowance under the law. The business con¬
dition of the people may be considered within the
district. Plans may be adopted to aid the finances,
not in violation of the laws of the Discipline. It
shall consider the condition of the Sunday-schools of
METHODIST POLITY".
the district, and the best method of supporting them,
See if the ministers, itinerant and local, are taking the
church literature. The Presiding Elder may inquire
into the books and studies of the preachers, connectional
literary societies, etc.
193 Q. How are the financial' and temporal affairs of the
church affected by the District Conference?
A. They are all helped. One good example here
brought out provokes others to go and do likewise. The
officers of a circuit or station who have been measuring
themselves by themselves learn in this exposition and
comparison of financial systems how defective their own
is, and they are improved. These improved methods
enhance the work of the church and stimulate each other
generally.
194 Q. What advantage does the Sunday-school causereceive?
A. Much every way. The District Conference is the
best form of Sunday-school convention. One of the
duties prescribed is to inquire into the Sabbath-schools,
and the manner of conducting them. Here are assem¬
bled the workers, or those who ought to be, men who
know the real difficulties to be overcome. They are in
no danger of becoming mere theorists, and having other
church interest in hand, they are not'likely, in pushing
this one, to run into extremes. The Sabbath-school
cause will never prosper, especially in the country, un¬
less the class of men who mainly constitute a District
Conference take hold of it in deep earnest.
195 Q. What of the social power of a District Conference?
A. Laborers in the Lord's vineyards, who have toiled
apart and remained strangers on adjoining circuits, are
here brought together, and join hands and are strength-
DISTRICT CONFERENCE.
57
ened. The social element of our religion ought to be
cultivated, and thus maintain the doctrine of the com¬
munion of saints: " They that feared the Lord spake
often one to another."
196 Q. What of the moral and religious influence of the
District Conference ?
A. It is good in mutual edification. It is expected at
these conferences prominence should be given to reli¬
gious exercises, such as preaching, prayer-meetings, love-
feasts, and the administration of the holy sacraments.
Revivals and protracted meetings frequently grow out of
them and always should. Equally removed from the
Quarterly and Annual Conferences, larger and more in¬
spiring than the former, and less absorbed in business
than the latter, the District Conference affords the best
facilities for effective preaching for Christian fellowship
and spiritual development.
197 Q. What is one of the chief differences between the Dis¬
trict Conference and the Quarterly and Annual Conferences ?
A. The District Conference is much like the first con¬
ferences held by Mr. Wesley, in which free and exten¬
sive "conversations" were held on various church in¬
terests.
198 Q. Should these interchanges of words and thoughts be
encouraged?
A. By all means. The grandest and most effective
plans for the accomplishment of good often are suggested
by a casual remark from one who does not understand
the force of his own utterance. A pastor, Presiding
Elder or Bishop, who desires to hear no one but himself,
is a bigot, and unfit for his office.
58
METHODIST POLITY.
District Camp-Mcctings
SECTION III.
199 Q. When was the District Conference instituted
in the A. M. E. Church?
A. Its existence has been implied ever since the
adoption of the Presiding Elder system, which was
done by the General Conference of 1868.
200 Q. Was it on the large scale and in the legal form
we now have it?
A. No. Its duties were defined and made a per¬
manent institution in the church by the General
Conference of 1876.
201 Q. Can a District Conference organize a high
school?
A. There is no objection that I know of; I have
heard of some trying the experiment, but do not
know of any that have succeeded.
202 Q. Should not a District Conference consider the
district parsonage for the Presiding Elder?
A. It should, and buy and furnish the same, lo¬
cating it at some convenient place most accessible
to every point in the district. A district is as much
bound to furnish a house for the Presiding Elder
as a circuit or a station is for their pastor, not¬
withstanding no attention scarcely has ever been
given to that duty in our church.
203 Q. If a District Conference bought a parsonage,
would the Presiding Elder be bound to live in it the
same as other pastors?
A. Most assuredly, and if he did not, the district
would not be bound to furnish house expenses, un¬
less the elder could show that the location was
DISTRICT CONFERENCE.
59
sickly, and would involve the health and life of his
family. At the same time the house must be com¬
fortable, and ought to be convenient to water and
a school centre for the benefit of his children;
otherwise the elder's objection to the place would
be legal.
204 Q. Suppose his wife objects?
A. Then that is his misfortune and • not the
church's. Our law supposes man and wife to be
one ; if she desires to be an opposite factor, they
must settle that between themselves; the church
has nothing to do with it, and is by no means re¬
sponsible for it.
205 Q. Is there any other great interest the District
Conference might serve?
A. Yes ; it should assist the Presiding Elder in
arranging for district camp-meetings.
206 Q. Suppose the entire District Conference should
object to holding a camp-meeting, is the Presiding Elder
bound thereby?
A. Not at all; he can exercise his own judgment
still. Nevertheless, he should weigh wrell the ob¬
jections, and if reasonable, respect them; if not,
proceed, for camp-meetings are held to be the crea¬
tures of the Presiding Elders' alone.
207 Q. Are not camp-meetings of very recent date?
A. Not at all. The Israelites wrere commanded
to dwell in booths seven days every year, and
to observe it as a statute forever. And a booth
means temporary shelter of boards or boughs of
trees. And in the days of Nehemiah we find the
people going forth into the mountains and bring¬
ing pine branches, olive branches, myrtle branches,
palm branches, and branches of thick trees to
make booths, in which to worship God and hear
60
METHODIST POLITY.
his law read. Besides, the exercise is healthy, while it
is a reminder of where those worshipped who have
transmitted the church to us.
208 Q. Do you understand that God sanctions camp-meet¬
ings?
A. Yes ; and more than that, God instituted them,
and they have had the approval of the Holy Spirit in
all ages, when held for the salvation of souls, and not
merely for riot, money-making and pastime.
209 Q. Is it not said that people do much wickedness at
camp-meetings, etc.?
A. Yes, and that may be true ; much wickedness may
be carried on there, but the same people would do three
times as much at their homes. Then, that is no argu¬
ment against these meetings at all; if camp-meetings
were gotten up to encourage vice, then they would be
responsible, but they are intended to abolish it, and
often do it to a marvelous extent.
210 Q. Are there any other benefits growing out of district
meetings?
A. It greatly aids in the Episcopal supervision of the
temporal and spiritual interests of the church, and can
be made beneficial in other respects.
211 Q. Can a member appeal from the action of a quarterly
conference to the Dis'rict Conference?
A. Yes, if the Bishop is presiding, or if the Presid¬
ing Eider was not present at the quarterly conference
appealed from, yet, the case nuist be in a proper condi¬
tion to have the right of appeal.
212 Q. Does the District Conference arrange for J/e sup¬
port of the Presiding Elder?
A. Yes, it first calculates what his and family's
QUARTERLY CONFERENCE. 61
board shall be, then his fuel, house-rent and traveling-
expenses, and adds four hundred dollars salary, and
sums up the amount and assesses each station, circuit,
and sometimes strong missions, according to their abili¬
ties, to make up the full amount, which the Presiding
Elder collects (if not collected before) at his quarterly
meetings.
CHAPTER VII.
QUARTERLY CONFERENCE.
SECTION I.
Composition and Business.
213 Q. What is a Quarterly Conference?
Answer. It is a stated meeting of the church officers
of a circuit, station or mission, to attend to the business
of the church.
214 Q. How often does it meet?
A. Four times a year, as its name implies.
215 Q. Who compose the Quarterly Conference?
A. The Quarterly Conference is composed of the
traveling ministers on a circuit, station or mission ; all
the local preachers, either ordained or unordained; all
the exhorters, stewards, class-leaders, and male superin¬
tendent of the Sabbath-school, provided he be a member
of the church where the Sabbath-school is located.
216 Q. What is the business of this body?
A. It takes cognizance of all the temporal and spir¬
itual affairs of the church or churches for which it is
62
METHODIST POLITY.
held ; hears written reports from the stewards and
trustees covering' their affairs for the past three
months, including all moneys raised and when, and
all moneys paid out and what for. It also hears
reports from the Sabbath-school superintendents,
leaders of the choirs, and any other church organ¬
ization. It examines the moral, religious and of¬
ficial character of its members, grants license to
proper persons to preach or exhort, renews the
license of local preachers and exhorters annually,
confirms or rejects the nomination of stewards, etc.
217 Q. Has it any judicial duties and powers?
A. Yes. It acquits, suspends -or expels accused
local preachers, and is a court of appeal for lay¬
men who may have been censured or expelled by
lower courts.
218 Q. What other duties has it?
A. No preacher can be admitted into the Annual
Conference on trial without first procuring a rec¬
ommendation from the Quarterly Conference, and
•candidates for deacon's and elder's orders in the
local ministry must first be approved by their
Quarterly Conference.
219 Q. What is the difference between a Quarterly Con¬
ference and a quarterly meeting?
A. None. These terms are used interchangeably;
strictly speaking, the last refers to the religious
service, which usually includes Saturday and Sun¬
day, and is a season of more than ordinary interest,
wherein, besides preaching, the sacraments (bap¬
tism and the Lord's supper) are administered and
love-feast is held, while the first refers to the of¬
ficial body simply transacting business. The quar¬
terly meeting always, however, includes the Quar¬
terly Conference, for the reports of the stewards,
QUARTERLY CONFERENCE. 63
trustees, Sabbath-school and choir, which have
been adopted by the Quarterly Conference, must
be read before the people at the quarterly meetings.
220 Q. What number of the Quarterly Conference is
necessary to make a quorum for the transaction of
bu siness ?
A. When a regular call has been made by the
Presiding Elder, any number of members present
can proceed with business.
221 Q. Is this so in reference to the other four con¬
ferences ?
A. This rule applies to all, except the General
Conference, wherein a majority of all the delegates-
elect is necessary for a quorum, because the Gen¬
eral Conference makes laws, and the other con¬
ferences keep them. The other conferences meet
oftener, and their duties are judicial and executive
rather than legislative.
222 Q. Why is the time of meeting left to the judgment
of the Presiding Elder?
A. Because his duty is to hold all the Quarterly
Conferences in his district, and he must therefore
have the power to regulate their assembling in
order to get around four times a year. Should any
one else appoint it, though he be the pastor, and
transact business without the Presiding Elder's
knowledge or consent, everything done will be
illegal, unless it is ordered by the Bishop, for rea¬
sons which may appear to him legitimate.
223 Q. Has any Quarterly Conference the right to meet
in secret session and refuse admission to the members
to hear and see what goes on?
A. No. It is the high court of the church, and no
one can bar the members out, unless it be to at¬
tend to some private matter involving character or
reputation. The members have a right to hear all
reports, and see what goes with their money, etc.
64
METHODIST POLITY.
SECTION II.
224 Q. Are there not other persons -who are members 01
the Quarterly Conference than those you enumerated?
A. Well, yes. All general officers are members of
such Quarterly Conferences as are designated by the
Bishop. Then, there are the supernumerary and
superannuated ministers, who are not designated by
the Discipline in the list of membership, yet are in¬
tended to come under the term of local ministers, for
the reason that they are local when not in active
work.
225 Q. What relation to the ministry does the Quarterly
Conference bear ?
A. A very important relation. All ministers of
every office and grade must first be licensed by the
church of which they are members. There they begin.
That body, composed by a large majority of laymen,
must recommmend all who afterward become pastors,
and no local preacher can reach deacon's or elder's orders
without its consent.
226 Q. What prerequisite is necessary to obtaining license
to preach ?
A. First, an examination by the Presiding Elder,
then by the pastor, and then by every member of the
body who may desire.
227 Q. Can any member of the Quarterly Conference ask
the candidate questions ?
A. Most assuredly. They can interrogate him in
the course of studies laid down in the Discipline, require
him to preach before them, read, write, calculate; &ud
answer all questions touching his conversion, sanctifioa-
QUARTERLY CONFERENCE.
65
tion, call to the ministry, as well as those that affect his
life and character.
228 Q,. Can they xamine local preachers, too, at any time
after giving them license ?
A. Certainly. It is the duty of the Quarterly Con¬
ference to renew the license of all unordained local
preachers every year, and no Quarterly Conference can
legally renew the license of a preacher till he has been
publicly examined before the conference. A mere res¬
olution for renewal before examination should always
be ruled, out by the Presiding Elder, and he mal-ad¬
ministrates the intention and spirit of the law if he
allows such a motion to pass. Some experts in the
law say, that even local deacons are subject to yearly
examinations, and I do not see why they should not
be; as I see it, elders alone are exempted. If itiner¬
ant deacons have to be examined from year to year by
the Annual Conference, local deacons have no more
rights.
229 Q. How ought a vote to be taken on licensing preach¬
ers, or on recommending them for orders ?
A. The better way is by ballot, that every one may
vote candidly, conscientiously and act without personal
or social constraint in so grave a matter.
230 Q. What, then, is the relative importance of the Quar¬
terly Conference in our ecclesiastical economy ?
A. It is very high. Its executive and judicial work
is closely related to the church in its order and prosper¬
ity. Its functions are organic, and in the present sys¬
tem cannot be dispensed with.
231 Q. What supervision does the District Conference hold
Over the Quarterly'Conference ?
A. None as I see. I notice, however, that some
66
METHODIST POLITY.
Methodist connections send their Quarterly Con¬
ference records up to the District Conference for an¬
nual examination and approval. I wish it was the
express law of our church also, as so few records
are kept; it might improve us in that direction.
232 Q. Is it the duty of Presiding Elders to see that
the records are carefully kept?
A. It is, but few, I regret to say do it.
233 Q. Why should the proceedings of the Quarterly
Conference be recorded?
A. Because the unrecorded action of the Con¬
ference is of no legal authority. The minutes of
the Conference should be kept by a secretary, and
read and approved at the close of the session when
they are taken. They cannot properly be approved
by a subsequent session.
234 Q. Of what value are these records?
A. Much every way. They preserve important
facts in the history of the church, and authenticate
acts that concern Christian character, ministerial
standing, and church property.
235 Q. What provision is made for preserving the
journals in permanent and convenient form?
A. One of the stewards is elected who is known
as the Recording Steward. To him the secretary
of the Quarterly Conference turns over the minutes
when approved, and he records them in a book
of which he is the custodian. Should he go out of
office, another must be chosen to take his place and
books, and thus the records are kept for the ben¬
efit of the work, for the inspection of the Bishop,
and for the use of history.
CHURCH CONFERENCE.
67
236 Q. What may be said in general of the Quarterly
Conference ?
A. It ought to be magnified in public estimation;
those who are members of it should be made to feel
it an honor to attend its sessions, and discharge
their official duties conscientiously, and all the re¬
ligious services connected with it ought to be occa¬
sions of special interest and spiritual edification. It
should be announced weeks beforehand, and the
people instructed to fast and pray, and to cleanse
themselves from all ungodliness and worldly lusts,
and to place themselves in that relation with God
which will secure his smiles and benedictions.
237 Q. Can the preacher in charge vote, discuss ques¬
tions and take full part in the Quarterly Conference pro¬
ceedings ?
A. Yes; he is a member of the Quarterly Confer¬
ence. But if he is presiding over the conference
he must act in all respects as the Presiding Elder.
CHAPTER VIII.
CHURCH CONFERENCE
SECTION I.
238 Q. Has the A. M. E. Church any meeting known as
a Church Conference?
A. Yes ; such a Conference has been in existence
ever since the birth of the church ; but it only had
the right of custom and expediency, which natural¬
ly vest in self-government, until the General Con¬
ference of 1888, which approved of such a Confer¬
ence, owing to the duties of a church congregation
which arise from time to time.
68
METHODIST POLITY.
239 Q. What duties do you refer to?
A. Well, for instance, calling the roll of member¬
ship, recommending persons to the Presiding Elder and
members of the Quarterly Conference for license to
preach, adopting petitions to the Bishop and Annual
Conference for the ordination of local deacons and
elders for the use of the church, trying persons before
the whole congregation of members, as is sometimes
done, and as the Discipline permits, when the reasons
are sufficient, but which should never be done in a sta¬
tion, and rarely on a circuit.
240 Q. Then what must a Church Conference be?
A. A meeting of the members and ministers residing
and worshiping at a given place for the consideration
and transaction of local church business.
241 Q. Who should preside over this Conference ?
A. The minister in charge.
242 Q. How often should it meet?
A. Not over once a month, nor less than once in
three months.
243 Q. What is the object of the Church Conference?
A. To encourage church love, patriotism and unity;
give all the members information of what is being done
in church work; seek their co-operation in all its enter¬
prises of benevolence and mercy, the sick, the poor and
needy, in efforts to build up the Sabbath-school; search
out for poor children, and enlist all the members in
measures for extending the kingdom of God at home
and abroad, such as home and foreign missions, liter¬
ary societies, lectures and sinless sociables for the
young, etc.
CHURCH CONFERENCE.
69
244 Q. At what time should it meet?
A. In the week, if possible; but on the Sabbath, if
that will secure the greatest number of members. But
if on the Sabbath, the hour of public worship must not
be interfered with, and no discussions permitted calcu¬
lated to excite bitterness or bad feelings among the
members; if so, the pastor must dismiss the meeting
at once.
245 Q. Should any record be kept of its proceedings ?
A. A secretary should be elected annually at the
first meeting after the Annual Conference. His duty
should be to make a record of the proceedings, and
keep them in a book.
246 Q. Should the roll of members be called ?
A. It might be, if necessary, though it is not expe¬
dient at all, unless the roll of membership is under
consideration.
247 Q. Should inquiry be made into the moral conduct or
character of members at this meeting?
A. By no means. This is not the place for enter¬
taining charges, complaints or making accusations
against each other. Other tribunals have been pro¬
vided for that purpose, and to attempt the examina¬
tion of character in the Church Conference would per¬
vert the good designed and injure the church. Indis¬
creet persons would get up strife and schism, and every
evil work would follow such an abuse of the Church
Conference.
248 Q. Then how about trying members before the body of
the church ?
A. It should never be done if it can be avoided. That
provision of the Discipline was intended to meet the
wants of sparsely-settled circuits, where it was impos-
70
METHODIST POLITY.
sible to get the members together, except on Sab¬
bath days, and then members of the Quarterly Con¬
ference cannot participate, as it would destroy the
right of appeal.
SECTION II.
249 Q. What other business ought to be performed by
the Church Conference?
A. The pastor ought to report to the church his
labors, burdens, cares, and point out places where
they could work for the glory of God. The officers
ought to give information of their work, and sug¬
gest plans for the help of members ; explain the in¬
debtedness of the church, and fix upon a time for
making great efforts to raise money; create com¬
mittees to help with the poor, sick and distressed,
as the more feet and hands the church employs, the
better for it spiritually, morally, financially and pro¬
gressively.
250 Q. How might this conference be made helpful to
the Sabbath-schools?
A. By enlisting teachers and other workers;
often, in attending appointments, the circuit min¬
ister organizes a Sabbath school and puts it in opera¬
tion, and it expires before he returns. The people,
in many instances, are mean enough to regard it as
his school and not theirs. If the matter was fully
considered in a Church Conference, the result might
be different by making them see and feel that the
Sabbath school is theirs, and it is their duty to nurse
it and protect it.
251 Q. What else might be considered?
A. Whether or not the church is doing its duty for
the cause of missions ; for a church that has not the
spirit of missions has not the spirit of Christ. Are our
CHURCH CONFERENCE. 71
religious publications circulated, namely, Christian
Recorder, Church Review, Sabbath-School Review,
etc.; can the church extend its work by establish¬
ing additional prayer meetings, either in the church
or at the houses of members; is there any place in
the neighborhood around where the exhorters could
be useful, and where applicants for license could
exercise their gifts beforehand, which they can do
by permission of the pastor?
252 Q. What should be the chief object and end of a
Church Conference?
A. To put all the members to work for our Lord
Jesus Christ; that all should realize that they belong
to the body of Christ, as Paul says, "For the body
is not one member, but many." "Now ye are the
body of Christ, and members in particular."
253 Q. Do you not think many church troubles arise
from unemployed members?
A. They almost invariably come from that source.
If we do not keep the people employed in good
works, they will employ themselves in evil things;
man cannot be neutral.
254 Q. Then do you mean to say that all can do some¬
thing for the glory of God?
A. Yes; all can do something, and these Church
Conferences should, with the advice and consent of
the pastor, find work for every member.
255 Q. Suppose some are too weak, may they not be
excused ?
A. No well member is too weak. St. Paul says,
"Nay, much more those members of the body whrch
seem to be more feeble are all necessary." This
takes in everybody.
72
METHODIST POLITY.
256 Q. But Buppose some of the members are not well
spoken of; what then?
A. Every member of a church not charged and found
guilty is in a condition to do work for the church; they
may not suit here, but will suit there. There is a place
for them ; hunt till you find it. Here the pastor should
come down from his ministerial loftiness, and the weak¬
est and most suspicioned member should come from the
lowest plains, and all be on a level, to plan, devise and
suggest measures that will marshall the forces with their
varied gifts to work for the church and the honor of
heaven.
CHAPTER IX.
OFFICIAL BOAED.
SECTION I.
257 Q. What is an Official Board ?
A. It is the weekly meeting of the spiritual officers
of a church, provided for in the General Rules.
258 Q. What name did this meeting formerly bear,—I mean
in the early days of Methodism ?
A. It was called " the leaders' meeting." But in
1872 the General Conference legislated it into a board
and defined its duties and limitations, though it ex¬
isted by custom under the same restrictions from the
earliest days of the connection and of the Methodist
Church.
259 Q. Of whom is this board composed?
A. All the class-leaders, stewards and exhorters, with
the pastor in charge, who ex-otficio is chairman.
OFFICIAL BOARD.
73
260 Q. What are the duties of this board ?
A. To meet the minister once a week; to inform him
of any who are sick, or who walk disorderly, and
will not be reproved ; for the leaders to pay over to
the stewards what they have received from their sev¬
eral classes the week preceding toward the relief of
preacher, church or poor; for the class-leaders to report
any who may have left without certificate, those who
neglect their classes, those who have died; inquire into
rumors touching the moral or religious character of any
member, or send out committees of inquiry, and com¬
mittees to restore delinquent members by appealing to
them for reformation; drop probationers who absent
themselves from the church in willful disregard of its
authority; for the stewards to pay over to the minister
whatever is due him; make any report the pastor may
require of them, and for the stewards, leaders, exhort-
ers and local preachers to receive any orders of duty
the pastor may choose to give.
261 Q. Why are local preachers denied membership in the
Official Board?
A. They are not denied membership; they never
were members; but for a great while in the history
of our church they were allowed to come into the
board and participate in matters about which they
never concerned themselves on the outside, and in
many instances they were great annoyances to the pas¬
tors and legal members of the board, both by meddling
with the pastor's support and presuming upon their
ministerial standing as authority for stirring up strife
in other respects; therefore, the General Conference
defined their status.
4
74
METHODIST POLITY.
262 Q. Can local preachers not be legal members of
the board under any circumstances whatever ?
A. No; for they are barred by the General Rules,
which limit membership to the ministers, stewards
and class leaders. Yet they can be leaders or stew¬
ards, and thereby get membership, but not as local
preachers per se.
263 Q. How is it, then, that exhorters are members of
the Official Board?
A. That is a grave question. They were not
made members in the act of the General Conference
of 1872. They sustained the same relation to the
board as that of a local preacher, and I think it was
a clerical mistake which placed them in the list of
membership. They, too, are barred by the Gen¬
eral Rules, which the General Conference has no
power to override. The truth is, the General Con¬
ference has no power that can legally make either
local preachers or exhorters members of the Offi¬
cial Board.
SECTION II.
264 Q. Has the Official Board the power to try and
expel members?
A. No. Such procedure is regarded as maladmin¬
istration, and the pastor guilty of so torturing the
laws, if found out, will be dealt with accordingly.
265 Q. The expulsion of a member, then, by the Official
Board is not binding?
A. No. A person so expelled is not expelled; the
trial was a farce; therefore, the expulsion is null
and void, and the accused is still a member of the
church, and the Bishop and Presiding Elder would
be bound under the law to protect such a member
in his church privileges.
OFFICIAL BOARD.
75
266 Q. Why cannot this Board try and expel members ?
A. Because it would destroy the right of an ap¬
peal provided for in the third Restrictive Rule. The
same officers, or a majority of them, who compose
the Official Board, compose the Quarterly Confer¬
ence, to which the lay members only can appeal
for redress, if they think the first trial was not
adjudicated fairly, and to appeal to the same per¬
sons would be no appeal at all.
267 Q. When and why should the pastor change a
leader ?
A. The pastor should invariably make these
changes in his official seat while presiding over the
Official Board. The leader may or may not be
present. He may change a leader because of age
and infirmity; because he willfully neglects his
duties; because he is ignorant and will not improve
his intellect; or dirty in his person and renders
himself repulsive to his members ; or his moral and
religious life may be bad; or he may be disloyal to
the church and its rules ; his financial reports mav
be suspicious, he may be destitute of natural gifts
and Christian graces ; and he may be indolent. For
any of these reasons, the pastor is justified in
changing him. A man should never be the leader
of a class, who is not proud enough of it to take
care of himself and those committed to his over¬
sight. '
268 Q. How long should a leader be in charge of the
same class?
A. Just as long as he is profitable. Some men
can hold a class a lifetime, and some never succeed.
Sometimes it is profitable to exchange leaders
among themselves and give them different classes.
269 Q. Why give the pastor this power over a leader?
A. The pastor, like the Bishop of a conference,
76
METHODIST POLITY.
is responsible for the spiritual success of the church, and
its peace and harmony, and class-leaders are virtually
assistant pastors; therefore, if the pastor could not re¬
move the leader at his option, he would be unable to
run the machinery of the church, for which he is held
responsible by the Annual Conference.
270 Q. If the pastor should remove a leader from his class,
has the Presiding Elder the power to restore him to the posi¬
tion over the head of the pastor?
A. No ; nor a Bishop either ; the Bishop, or even the
Presiding Elder, might, in the interest of peace and har¬
mony, change or remove the pastor. But they could
not then restore the leader any longer than a new pastor
took possession of the church. A class-leader is purely
the creature of the pastor.
271 Q. Can the pastor move a steward from office also?
A. He cannot move him from office permanently, but
he can, for reasons to him sufficient, suspend him from
the exercise of his functions till the meeting of the
Quarterly Conference.
272 Q,. Can the Presiding Elder then restore him to his
office ?
A. Not at all; the Presiding Elder has no restorative
powers in the matter. The majority of the Quarterly
Conference, however, can refuse to withdraw their con¬
firmation, or sanction his removal, which naturally
leaves him in office as a steward. But as the stewards
are the pastor's cabinet, and are his private counselors,
as well as the custodians of his character and support,
the Quarterly Conference rarely ever forces a man upon
the pastor whom they know to be objectionable to him,
even though they may vindicate the steward's character
and approve of his conduct in the premises.
EXHOKTERS.
77
273 Q. Does anything more of importance come under the
Official Board?
A. Yes. There are several other things it can pass
upon. The most important is determining the penalties
for minor faults and offenses where humiliation and
repentance are allowed. The pastor, with the board, can
inflict mild punishment, such as denying the Lord's
Supper and Love-feast for one or two months.
274 Q. Would it be any violation of law for a pastor and
his board to set a member back a limited time for a minor
offence?
A. None whatever, as there is no specific law pro or
con, and the Board is the court of investigation, and can
dispose of minor matters, even affecting character, since
it does not involve a trial and expulsion.
CHAPTER X.
EXHORTERS.
275 Q. Who is an exhorter?
A. One who has been licensed to read a Scripture
lesson, make a practical application of its teachings to
the congregation, ply his powers in the praver-meeting,
yet not formally to announce a text and confine himself
to its exposition, but who can speak at liberty from any
portion of Scripture that will excite the people to re¬
pentance and reformation.
276 Q. Is authority t« exhort the first step to the ministry?
A. It may be, or it may not. Bishop Hedding says:
" Those who are not called to expound God's Holy
78
METHODIST POLITY.
Word may be useful in this mode of spiritual ex¬
citation." An exhorter may not feel himself called
to preach the gospel as a specialty, yet be prompt¬
ed to use his powers for the saving of souls.
277 Q. But is it not preaching, after all?
A. Well—yes. An exhorter is what might be
defined as a margin or random preacher. St. Luke
tells us in the third chapter that "John (the Baptist)
preached many things unto them in his exhorta¬
tions."
278 Q. Is the office of an exhorter authenticated by the
sacred Scriptures?
A. Yes. It abounds in the New Testament both
by precept and example. St. Paul exhorted regu¬
larly, and so did other apostles. The spirit of ex¬
hortation has been committed to the church, and
will be a permanent institution in the Christian
Church as long as there is a sinner upon earth.
279 Q. How old is the office of an exhorter in the
Methodist Church?
A. The office runs coeval with Methodism in any
form. We find Methodist preachers licensing ex-
horters as far back as 1769, and assigning them
work; but we first read of exhorters in the British
Methodist Church in 1746, doing effective work in
soul saving.
280 Q. By whom are exhorters licensed?
A. Formerly by the pastor in charge, after giv¬
ing satisfaction to said pastor of their fitness for
the work. But of late years they mush produce to
the Quarterly Conference a recommendation from
the class of which they are members, and after pass¬
ing a creditable examination before that body, they
mav be licensed.
EXHORTERS.
79
281 Q. Are they examined to the same extent as one
applying for license to preach?
A. No; not by more than half.
282 Q. What are the requisites for a license to exhort?
A. Bishop Hedding says: "They should have gifts
for the work,"—"speak justly, readily, clearly and
have fruits." Again—"Have any been truly con¬
vinced of sin and converted by their preaching?"
But we have no course of study in our Discipline
for exhorters, for the reason that much depends
upon their own usefulness in procuring" an exhor-
ter's license.
283 Q. Are there not men who are only adapted to this
kind of work?
A. Yes. Hundreds are trying to preach now, who
are ordained deacons and elders, and who will never
be anything, in fact, but exhorters while they live;
Heaven never designed that they should be.
284 Q. Is it not, after all, a high calling to be an ex-
horter ?
A. Certainly it is. A good exhorter can bring
more persons to Christ and His Church than thous¬
ands of preachers who are able to teach the pro¬
found doctrines of the Bible, and analyze a text
systematically. It is one of the special offices of
the Holy Spirit, as I have before stated.
285 Q. What are the duties of an exhorter?
A. To employ his talents and time in the Sab¬
bath school as a teacher; lead and manage prayer
meetings under the appointment of the elder, dea¬
con or preacher having the charge. He should
be powerful in prayer—a man full of the Holy
Ghost ; he should always be ready to speak in
thundering tones to the wicked, and offer them
salvation " through our Lord Jesus Christ. He
should be bold, defiant, aggressive, and wield the
80
METHODIST POLITY.
battle-axe of the gospel on all occasions like a master.
He is not expected, as a preacher, to be systematic in
his remarks; therefore he should always be ready. Hu
should be a man on fire.
286 Q. Are the licenses of exhorters renewed yearly, as are
the licenses of local preachers?
A. Yes; just the same in every respect. The ex¬
horters must be examined annually also to ascertain
what improvement they are making.
287 Q. Does a man necessarily have to become an exhorter
before making application for preacher's license?
A. Not at all. Neither office presupposes the other.
If an applicant to preach can stand the examination,
the way is open for him.
288 Q. To whom are exhorters responsible for the duties
imposed ?
A. To the pastor in charge. An exhorter is bound
to obey all orders imposed by the pastor, or the pastor
can suspend him at any moment, till the meeting of the
Quarterly Conference, which has the power to revoke
his license.
CHAPTER XI.
EVANGELISTS.
289 Q. It is reported that the Bishops of the A. M. E.
Church, while in council at Detroit, Mich., in 1884, resolved
to encourage evangelists by appointing one, if possible, in
each Annual Conference to do evangelistic work. Who is an
evangelist ?
A. An evangelist is one,- says the learned Calmet,
" who publishes good news, or declares happy tidings."
EVANGELISTS.
81
They were next in order to the apostles, and were
sent out by them, not to settle anywhere, but to travel
through the primitive churches, and build up what the
apostles had begun.
290 Q. Have we any examples in the early church ?
A. Yes; Philip the Deacon, Timothy, Titus, Mark,
Silas, etc., were evangelists.
291 Q. Did this gift, grace or special endowment die out or
cease to exist with the apostles?
A. No ; they were still in the church at work in the
times of the Emperor Trajan about the year a.d. 116.
I know the position is assumed by men of rare learning,
that their office was temporary, aud expired with the
apostles and prophets, but history does not appear to
sustain it. Besides, it is doubtful if the Holy Spirit
ever created any temporary offices.
292 Q. What appears to have been the character of their
work?
A. They appear to have been attached to no partic¬
ular church ; to have been commissioned by the apostles
to instruct the nations, or did so, if they preferred, vol¬
untarily ; to have abandoned every worldly attachment,
including their homes ; to have consecrated their lives
to traveling and preaching ; that they acted in some
instances as assistant apostles ; and, therefore, ordained
deacons and elders, but had no authority to set apart
and ordain their own successors in office. They appear
to have traveled under the immediate direction of the
Holy Ghost.
293 Q. What qualification then would be necessary to consti¬
tute an evangelist?
A. None; but, as St. Paul says, " The manifesta¬
tion of the Spirit to be given to profit withal," " for
4*
82
METHODIST POLITY.
there are diversities of spiritual operations." An
evangelist may be a preacher, deacon, elder or Bishop ;
a special gift compounded with other functions in the
ministry.
294 Q. What then would be his chief calling?
A. To save souls and build up churches and congre¬
gations by spiritual arguments and Bible doctrines, pre¬
sented forcibly, grandly and eloquently.
295 Q. Does the Discipline of the A. M. E. Church recog¬
nize such an office ?
A. Not abstractly, but concretely, it does.
296 Q. Then did not the Bishops transcend their authority
when they resolved upon such a functionary?
A. By no means. Nobody can make an evangelist
but God himself; but where they could be found the
Bishops resolved to utilize them in helping weaker
brethren to spiritualize their churches and congrega¬
tions.
297 Q. Have they the power under the law ?
A. They have. They are the chief pastors and must
use their judgments, when not in contravention to
specific law, in promoting the interest of the church and
the glory of God. Bishops who do not think, plan and
devise measures for the good of the church over which
they preside are not worthy of their office.
298 Q. Would not such a functionary create a jealousy
among the pastors?
A. No; not if they were pastors indeed. They
would rejoice at the arrival of a soul-stirrino- evan-
gelist. Christ says: " He that is not against me is for
me."
299 Q. What did the General Conference of 1888 do, in
regard to evangelists ?
CALL TO PKEACH.
83
A. It recognized the office by not reversing the action
of the Council of Bishops in Detroit, Mich., in 1884.
300 Q. Then it would appear that evangelists are permanent
officials in the A. M. E. Church ?
A. Yes, and have the same authority as any other
portion of the ministry.
301 Q. Who appoints evangelists to their fields of labor and
gives ihem orders and defines their duties ?
A. The presiding Bishop of the conference, " But
the evangelists are responsible to their Annual Confer¬
ences for their behavior, while they may not report
their work as regular pastors," says Bishop Simpson.
CHAPTER XII.
CALL TO PREACH.
302 Q. What is a call to preach the gospel ?
A. Such a divine manifestation and spiritual impulse
as leads the individual to a conviction of duty in that
direction.
303 Q. Who is to be the judge of the genuineness of a call
by the Holy Ghost to preach the gospel ?
A. The person making the application for license to
preach, as the call rests solely with his own experience,
and only God can read the heart.
304 Q. What steps are necessary to obtain a license to
preach in the A. M. E. Church?
A. Before anv person can be licensed to preach as a
local preacher, which is the first step toward the minis¬
try, he must bring a recommendation from the church
84
METHODIST POLITY
of which he is a member, and be personally examined
before the Quarterly Conference upon the course of
studies prescribed for local preachers, together with his
gifts and graces for preaching.
305 Q. How do we try those who profess to be called to
preach and desire to enter the traveling work?
A. In three ways. They are asked if they know God
as a pardoning Saviour, as those who offer to teach
others the way of salvation must themselves have an
experimental knowledge of it. The blind cannot lead
the blind.
306 Q. How does St. Paul put the order of conversion and
preaching?
A. Conversion is first. "God, who hath reconciled
us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us the
ministry of reconciliation."
307 Q. Being satisfied with the religious experience and
character of one who professes to be called to preach, what is
the second particular of inquiry ?
A. Is he able and apt to teach ? Has he gifts as well
as graces for the work ? Has he in some tolerable de¬
gree a clear, sound understanding, a right judgment in
the things of God? Does he speak justly, readily and
clearly ?
308 Q. What else is necessary ?
A. Has he fruits ? Have any been truly convinced
of sin and converted to God by his preaching? Are
believers edified and built up by him ? As long as
these three marks—gifts, grace and usefulness—concur
in any one, we believe him to be called of God to
preach. These we receive as sufficient proof that he is
moved bv the Holy Ghost to preach.
CALL TO PREACH.
65
309 Q. Do you mean to say that no one should be admitted
into the traveling work who has not had fruits in the conversion
of some one?
A. I do mean that very thing. Any one who has
been a local preacher, exhorter, Sabbath-school superin¬
tendent, class-leader, steward, or a layman, long enough
to exercise his gifts, and has not been the instrument, in
the hands of God, of some one's conversion, has no call
from the Holy Spirit to preach.
310 Q. What are those called who are being tried for the
ministry ?
A. They are called probationers and licentiates,
licensed, but not yet ordained. The Holy Scriptures
require that some trial be previously had before any
are fully admitted into the ministry, that this sacred
office be not degraded by being committed to weak or
unworthy men. St. Paul ordered Timothy, " Lay
hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of
other men's sins."
311 Q. What is the difference between a licentiate and an
ordained minister?
A. The licentiate preaches and exhorts only; to him
the sacraments are not committed. The Quarterly
Conference votes a license, but for ordination the An¬
nual Conference must concur. The Quarterly Confer¬
ence may refuse to renew a license at the end of a year,
and it is thereby withdrawn, or ceases to exist; but one
invo ted by ordination with the rights and character
of the ministry can be deprived only on a formal
arraignment and trial.
O
312 Q. How long must a probationer remain on trial before
he can be admitted to the ministerial office?
A. Two years is the limit, but some remain three,
four and longer.
86
METHODIST POLITY.
313 Q. Does any licentiate or probationer ever fail to be
admit! ed ?
A. Some do ; otherwise it would be no trial.
314 Q. If a church request the Annual Conference to ordain
a deacon or an elder, is the conference not bound to do it, par¬
ticularly if he is local ?
A. By no means. He must have gifts, graces, fruits,
and then stand his examination on the course of studies.
Local preachers should be as able, as learned and as
polished as the itinerant ministers. They have to
preach the same gospel and address and appeal to the
same people. Then an ignorant local preacher is dan¬
gerous in a church.
315 Q. Would it not be well for all applicants for preacher's
license to spend a year or so as exhorters ?
A. That is just my opinion. Give them a chance to
drill a little; in common parlance, " Let them try their
hand a while." Yet I would not like to see that made
a law in our church.
316 Q. What does the apostle John say that seems to bear
with special force upon this subject—I mean as it relates to
ministerial tests?
A. " Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the
spirits whether they are of God, because many false
prophets are eone out into the world."
ILNISTERS AND PEOPLE.
87
CHAPTER XIII.
MINISTERS AND PEOPLE.
317 Q. Has not the doctrine of a divine call to the ministry
been objected to among soma professing Christians ?
A. Yes; some professing Christians, but really dead
formalists, have objected even to the doctrine of a
change of heart and the witness of the Holy Spirit;
therefore, it is not strange that they object to a call to
preach the gospel by the same Spirit they virtually say
does not exist.
318 Q. What is the cause of this daring presumption upon
the part of some who would bear the name of Christian?
A. The cause is simple. They have never been
born again, as our Lord enjoins, and therefore know
nothing about the operations of the Holy Spirit. Their
Christianity is only intellectual formalism, which wor¬
ships through forms, abstractions and speculations, and
retires from service none the more enlightened than if
they were respectable people outside of any church.
319 Q. What is the general experience of those who are
truly called to the ministry?
A. They are overwhelmed with the thought of its
responsibility: they contrast its greatness with their lit¬
tleness; its holiness with their unworthiness; its diffi¬
culties with their weakness, and nothing but a sense of
duty impels them forward.
320 Q. What was the language of St. Paul upon ministerial
burdens ?
A. " For necessity is laid upon me,—yea, woe is
unto me if I preach not the gospel."
88
METHODIST POLITY.
321 Q. What then may be said of a call to the ministry ?
A. The profoundest humility is associated with the
conviction of this call.
322 Q. Is the Christian ministry a profession ?
A. No. It is often so denominated; but the term is
misapplied. It is a vocation, because the true minister
is called of God. Jesus said to the first ministers:
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and
ordained you, that ye should go forth and bring
fruit."
323 Q. Ministers are spoken of in the New Testament as
"embassadors." What aie the points in common between
them?
A. Embassadors do not appoint themselves, neither
do they represent themselves. They are not chosen by
the people to whom they go. They are appointed by
the king, president or sovereign that sends them, and
by him only. St. Paul, speaking for himself and com¬
panions, says: " Now then we are embassadors for
Christ, as though God did beseech you by us. We
pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."
324 Q. Has Jesus given us any directions for replenishing
the ministry ?
A. " The harvest truly is great; but the laborers are
few. Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest that
He would send forth laborers into the harvest."
325 Q. All earnest Christians are laborers in a sense. Have
we any warrant in the Bible for regarding ministers as a dis¬
tinct class of laborers ?
A. Yes ; in the context of the Scriptures just quoted,
Jesus is sending out the seventy evangelists—two and
two—without purse or scrip or the ordinary worldly
provision for support. They are to be fed by those for
MINISTERS AND PEOPLE.
89
whom they preach, and pray, and minister; " for," said
He, " the laborer is worthy of his hire."
326 CJ. What other evidence have we of this distinction ?
A. Ministers are spoken of as messengers, watch¬
men, angels (not celestial but terrestrial), and stew¬
ards of the Lord ; they are shepherds and the people
are the flock; they are builders and husbandmen,
while to the people it is said, " Ye are God's hus¬
bandry"Ye are God's building;" certain qualifica¬
tions are laid down for ministers that are not required
of other Christians. Certain charges are addressed to
them that are not applicable to the people, and cer¬
tain promises are made to them as such. In a pecu¬
liar and eminent sense they are laborers together with
God.
327 Q. Does the church expect of them separation and con¬
secration ?
A. In their ordination vows they are solemnly re¬
minded, "into how high a dignity and to how weighty
an office" they are called, and are exhorted to apply
themselves wholly to this one thing, and draw all their
cares and studies this way, laying aside the study of the
world and the flesh.
328 Q. Was any provision made for ministerial subsistence
or support, under the Mosaic economy, which is still of force?
A. Yes; under the Israelitish dispensation one-tenth
of all the production of the lands and increase of the
flocks was consecrated to the use of the sacred minis¬
try (priest, tabernacle and temple service), and that
provision (of the old church law) is still in force. .
329 Q. Wh«t Scripture authority have you for such an
assertion ? *
A. "When Jesus told his disciples to go and preach
90
METHODIST POLITY.
to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, he said to
them, " Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in
your purses, nor scrip for your journey, neither two
coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves ; foe the work¬
man is worthy of his meat," implying most em¬
phatically that our Saviour meant to ratify or confirm
the same rule or order for the New Testament dispensa¬
tion which existed under the old dispensation. But we
will notice ministerial support m our further considera¬
tion of the ministry.
CHAPTER X IY.
MINISTERIAL SUPPORT BEFORE AND AFTER
CHRIST.
section i.
330 Q. Do the Holy Scriptures provide for the support of
the ministry, when they give themselves absolutely to the work
of soul saving ?
A. Yes. (See 1st Corinthians, ix. 7. Deut. xxv. 4.)
331 Q. How were the ministers supported before the coming
of Christ ?
A. A tenth of all the offerings (oblations) were
reserved for their support (that is, of all their sub¬
stance).
332 Q. What does St. Paul say of this plan for the support
of the ministry after Christ ?
A.. That as God had ordained this (plan) for those
who served in the temple, so it was to be perpetuated
for those who continued to preach the Gospel (see 1st
MINISTERIAL SUPPORT.
9i
Corinthians, ix. 13, 14). The same law for ministerial
support which existed under the old, exists under the
new dispensation. In short, one dollar out of every
ten, one hundred out of every ten hundred throughout
the wide earth, properly belongs to the Church of
Christ.
333 Q. Did the ministry of the Church of God preach the
Gospel before Christ came?
A. Yes; St. Paul says, the Gospel, in the days
of " Esaias " was not believed (see Romans x. 16). And
that " the Gospel was preached before to Abraham."
(See Galatians, iii. 8.)
334 Q. What does St. Paul mean by the beginning of the
Gospel (see Philippians iv. 15) ?
A. Only the introduction of the Gospel at Philippi,
when he went there from Macedonia.
335 Q. When was that ?
A. In a. d. 50, about seventeen years after the day
of Pentecost. (See Home's " Chronology")
336 Q. When was the law,—"as the Lord hath prospered,"
—" a tenth of all their substance,"—introduced ?
A. It is not known. The custom is very ancient.
Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek. (See Genesis xiv.
20 ; also see Leviticus xxvii. 30-32.)
337 Q. What does our Lord say about it in Matthew
xxiii. 23?
A. "Ye pay tithes of mint, etc., and neglect the
weightier matters of the law, etc. These ought ye to
have done, and not to leave the others undone."
338 Q. What advice does St. Paul give to the Corinthians
on this subject?
A. " Upon the first day of the week let every one of
you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him."
92
METHODIST POLITY.
339 Q. Is there any other provision in the Bible for the
support of the ministry than that given before Christ ?
A. There is not. Offerings according to the degree
of success in business is the only gospel plan. Christ,
being a member of the Israelitish church, simply per¬
petuates the plan for ministerial support which had
been in vogue for at least twenty-five hundred years
before He was born of woman.
340 Q. What did our Lord tell the seventy whom He sent
out to preach ?
A. The laborer is worthy of liis hire. (See Luke
x. 7.)
341 Q. What does St. Paul say as a clincher to ministerial
support?
A. See Romans x. 14, 15. The logical conclusion of
the Bible is that upon the support of the ministry de¬
pends the success of the Christian Church.
section n.
Support Under the Gospel.
342 Q. What plans under the gospel dispensation have been
advanced favoring ministerial support?
A. Those to whom they minister spiritual things are
to minister to them carnal things. As in the Old Test¬
ament dispensation, they which waited at the altar were
partakers with the altar, " even so hath the Lord or¬
dained that they which preach the gospel should live
of the gospel."
343 Q. What then is the duty of the people in this respect?
A. To supply the temporal wants of their pastors, so
that they may give themselves wholly to study, prayer
and the ministry of the word of the Lord.
MINISTERIAL SUPPORT.
93
844 Q. What is the relation of the pastor to the people in
respect of church guidance and government?
A. To pastors is committed the administration of dis¬
cipline. Therefore, St. Paul says, " Remember them
which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto
you the word of God, whose faith follow." Again,
"Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit
yourselves, for they watch for your souls as they that
must give an account, that they may do it with joy and
not with grief."
345 Q. Do the Holy Scriptures qualify this on the other
Bide?
A. In his exhortation to the elders, Peter says, " Feed
the flock of God, which is among you, taking the over¬
sight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for
filthy lucre, but of a ready mind ; neither as being lords
over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall re¬
ceive a crown of glory that shall not fade away."
346 Q. Has any church, conference, convention, synod, or
assembly the right to determine rules and regulations for the
ministry not indicated or sanctioned by the Holy Scriptures ?
A. No; not if it claims the Bible as its warrant of
authority.
347 Q. What may be replied to the objection that since we
see ministers who are not learned or eloquent, therefore God
does not select and call them ?
A. Human wisdom would doubtless choose great and
eloquent men only for the propagation of the gospel, and
then its success would be attributed to the human
means employed. "We, perhaps, with the world before
us to choose from, would have chosen a dozen men like
Demosthenes and Cicero, and not the fishermen of
94
METHODIST POLITY".
Galilee, such as Peter, and James, and John, plain men
who were criticised as unlearned and ignorant. But
God's ways are not as our ways, nor His thoughts as
our thoughts.
348 Q. Because one is called to preach, does it therefore fol¬
low that he is qualified ?
A. No; but we must not dispense with the use of
means in mental preparation and enlightenment, for
these are the correlatives of the call. Any other as¬
sumption would be fanaticism. In order to teach we
must learn—the very call implies study.
349 Q. What is Paul's direction to Timothy, a young
preacher ?
A. " Study to show thyself approved unto God; a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth."
350 Q. Have not men who were regarded as ignorant by the
world been of great use to the church, even in efforts to preach
the gospel ?
A. Yes; when they were reputed as men of great
piety, and displayed great Christian experience, and
were extraordinarily gifted in prayer and song. These
were, however, properly exhorters, and not preachers.
LOCAL AND TRAVELING PREACHERS. 95
CHAPTER XV.
LOCAL AND TRAVELING PREACHERS.
SECTION I.
Deacon and Elder's Orders.
351 Q. You have stated possibly more than once how
license to preach is obtained. Now, how is such license au¬
thenticated ?
A. By the signatures of the Presiding Elder, or
President, and the Secretary of the Quarterly Confer¬
ence.
352 Q. How long does this license remain good ?
A. As has been indicated, for one year, at the end
of which time it must be renewed by the Quarterly
Conference, after the holder has been examined upon
some topic connected with his calling; otherwise, the
license expires by limitation.
353 Q. By what name is the licensed person then called ?
A. A licentiate, or a local preacher.
354 Q. How long after that before he may be ordained a
deacon ?
A. A local preacher is eligible to the office of a dea¬
con after he has preached four years from the time he>
was licensed, and has obtained a recommendation from
the Quarterly Conference by the request of the church
of which he is a member.
355 Q. Should he be known as a Rev. till then ?
A. By no means. A preacher is not a minister, and
96
METHODIST POLITY.
cannot carry before his name Rev. until he becomes one»
which follows ordination only.
356 Q. What probation has a local deacon before lie is
eligible to the office of an elder ?
A. Four years from his ordination to the diaconate,
provided he has obtained a recommendation from his
Quarterly Conference, certifying to his qualification
in doctrines, discipline, talents and the necessity
of his services on the circuit or station where he re¬
sides.
357 Q. What body passes upon this recommendation ?
A. The Annual Conference examines into the char¬
acter and qualifications of the candidates for orders;
and, if satisfied with attainments and the necessities of
the case, elects.
358 Q. When a traveling preacher enters the field, how
long does he remain before he is eligible to deacon's orders ?
A. Two years is the time of probation, but he may
not be able to pass even then.
359 Q. Is it the same for elders ?
A. Yes; every traveling deacon must remain in that
office for two years more before he is eligible to the
office of elder.
360 Q. How are deacons and elders ordained ?
A. Bv the election of an Annual Conference, Script¬
ure readings, praver, placing them under solemn obli¬
gations, and the laying on the hands of a Bishop. Sev¬
eral elders assist in laying on hands when an elder ia
ordained.
3(>1 Q. Are there any exceptions in the time of probation?
A. Yes; when the Bishop selects and appoints a man
to do missionarv work, the Annual Conference may
LOCAL AND TRAVELING PREACHERS.
elect him to deacon's and elder's orders sooner if they
judge it expedient.
362 Q. What is this service called?
A. The ordination or consecration of men for the
sacred ministry.
363 Q. Do the British Methodists, or Wesleyans, ever ordain
local preachers?
A. No; the English Methodists never ordain them
so'long as they remain local. Those only are ordained
to whom the care of souls is committed.
364 Q. What is the difference between our custom of or¬
daining local ministers and the British Methodists who do
not?
A. Ours is the result largely of expediency, and
theirs is strictly apostolic, as I have been able to under¬
stand it.
SECTION II.
Local, Traveling and Female Preachers.
365 Q. What is the official difference between a local and
traveling minister?
A. The local preacher, or minister, remains at home,
preaching wherever it is convenient. He is allowed,
under his obligations, to pursue secular business, and
thus provide for himself and family.
366 Q. What are the duties of a traveling minister ?
A. He holds himself in readiness to go wherever the
church needs him, in the exercise of his ministry to act
in all things, not according to his own will, but to en¬
gage his time in the manner the authorities of the
church direct. He cannot follow any secular calling,
and must be supported by the people for wThom he
5
98
METHODIST POLITY.
preaches and labors, who are also bound to provide him
a home.
367 Q. Are local preachers ever employed to do pastoral
work?
A. They are, if needed. The Bishop or Presiding
Elder can appoint them to vacancies created in the in¬
terval of the Annual Conference, or as a supply when
pastors are scarce. Yet, the appointing power must not
involve them in material loss. When so appointed,
their pay is the same as a regular pastor, provided they
give their entire time.
368 Q. Should pastors expect full pay unless they devote
their full time to the people?
A. They should not, and cannot require it.
369 Q. To what tribunal are preachers responsible for their
moral, religious and official conduct?
A. The local to the Quarterly Conference, and the
traveling to the Annual Conference.
370 Q. Has any church but the Methodist adopted the plan
of preaching the gospel by other than pastors and ordained
ministers?
A. Yes; under different names—as lay evangelists,
lay readers, lay preachers, and some have been emi¬
nently successful.
371 Q. Has not the A. M. E. Church made, in many in¬
stances, fearful blunders in licensing so many local preachers,
particularly in the same congregation?
A. No; I cannot say that she has, if they were in
the main pious men. The blunder is in the executive
department; I mean in the pastors and Presiding El¬
ders, for not compelling them to go out and preach.
Good men will often become corrupt and disturbers, if
LOCAL AND TRAVELING PREACHERS. 99
they are allowed to go unemployed. Let the pastors
find work for them.
372 Q,. Can a pastor send local preachers outside of his im¬
mediate pulpit?
A. Most assuredly. The pastor of a church is the
Bishop of all his local preachers. He can employ their
talents on the Sabbath as he may dispose—in his
Sabbath-schools, or in the adjacent country, teaching,
preaching or holding prayer-meetings.
373 Q. But suppose the local preachers will not obey him ?
A. Then let the pastor, with the aid of the proper
committee, suspend them till the next Quarterly Con¬
ference, which will be bound to take away their
license, without satisfaction is given of a reformation.
As Bishop Capers once said, " Every preacher must
preach, and every preacher must be under preaching
orders."
374 Q. Then you imply that much of the trouble that grows
out of interfering and meddlesome local preachers is due to the
pastors not having them at work ?
A. Just so. Let the pastors keep them employed,
sending them out every Sabbath from one to five miles
around to preach, exhort, take probationers into the
church, etc., and they will not have time to plan and
execute mischief.
375 Q. Should women preach also?
A. Upon this question I hesitate to speak; yet in
Bible times there were prophetesses and deaconesses, and
women who helped the apostles in various ways.
"376 Q. Did not St. Paul order women to be. silent in the
church ?
A. Yes; but only in the Greek churches, where
women kept their faces veiled, and, according-to custom,
100
METHODIST POLITY.
only disreputable women harangued the public. There¬
fore, St. Paul advised the Christian women to place
themselves on the side of respectability, that the gospel
be not blamed. " Let not your good be evil spoken of."
377 Q. In the event of a Quarterly Conference licensing
women to preach, should not that be the limit of their minis¬
terial functions?
A. It possibly should ; for while they were prophet¬
esses under the Mosaic dispensation, they were never
admitted into the priesthood; and while they were
deaconesses under the New Testament dispensation,
we have no account of them being recognized as
apostles.
378 Q. But what does the learned Calmet say?
A. He says: " They served the church in those
offices which the deacons could not themselves ex¬
ercise—visiting those of their own sex in sickness, or
when imprisoned for the faith. They were persons
of advanced age when chosen, and appointed to the
office by imposition of hands. It is probably of these
deaconesses that the apostle speaks, where he describes
the ministering widows."
379 Q. At what time does history say the order of deacon¬
esses was abrogated ?
A. It was abrogated in France in the Council of Or¬
ange, a.d. 441, and gradually disappeared in the Western
Church, but did not become extinct in the Greek Church
till the twelfth century; so that deaconesses existed in
the church for eleven hundred years after Christ.
380 Q. Why would you object to women being ordained
ministers, if deaconesses were ordained in apostolic times?
A. Because it does not appear that, although set apart
for their work by the imposition of hands, they were
LOCAL AND TRAVELING PREACHERS. 101
allowed to preach under the apostolic constitution, which
constitution is of very doubtful credibility. They may
have had the right to administer baptism, but certainly
not the privileges of the pastor.
381 Q. What special reasons existed, if any, for assigning
them to their own sex ?
A. Because in those days men were not allowed, un¬
der the civil proprieties, to visit the female portion of
families, and, until Christianity could change the cus¬
toms, aged women appear to have been selected for reli¬
gious visitation and ministration.
382 Q. Has the A. M. E. Church any officers that are similar
to them ?
A. Yes ; the General Conference in 1884 adopted the
following:
Whereas, Female evangelists are becoming very numerous,
and, as they are not amenable to any one, therefore, be it
Resolved, That those sisters who have, and who shall receive
licenses from the hands of any of our ministers in the future,
shall be subject to the same requirements aa local preachers,
and they shall be amenable to the Quarterly Conference of the
church of which they are members, subject to all the require¬
ments of a local preacher.
383 Q. Then do you mean to say that the action of the Gen¬
eral Conference of 1884 recognizes female preachers, and gives
them a legal standing in the A. M. E. Church, the same as
local preachers, when licensed and doing evangelistic work?
A. Yes; the language of the resolution is emphatic,
applying to those then holding license , and to such as
may be licensed in the future, provided they hold mem¬
bership in some Quarterly Conference.
102
METHODIST POLITY.
CHAPTER XVI. '
ITINERANT MINISTERS.
SECTION I.
384 Q. How are itinerant ministers classified?
A. Into three classes,—effective, supernumerary and
superannuated.
385 Q. What is an effective minister ?
A. One who is always ready to do any work, and
go anywhere he may be assigned by the appointing
power.
386 Q. What would be the result of a minister refusing to
go where assigned?
A. According to Methodist rule, he is guilty of a
grave offence against the regulations of the church. If
the failure be not justified by sickness, debility or other
uncontrollable circumstances, he is liable to be sus¬
pended till the ensuing Annual Conference, and then
expelled.
387 Q. Who is the judge of the offence?
A. A committee summoned by the Presiding Elder
in the interval of the Conference, and the Conference,
when it meets, gives the final verdict.
388 Q. Suppose he fails to meet the committee when ordered
by the Presiding Elder?
A. Unless he is known to be sick or prevented by
high water or other natural causes, the committee will
proceed with the trial as if he were present, and pro-
ITINERANT MINISTERS.
103
nounce the decision and publish the same; but thfl
Conference can review it when it meets.
389 Q. Suppose the disobedient minister is in the district ol
another Presiding Elder?
A. That is no bar to the Presiding Elder proceeding
with the trial. As the law presumes he is in the proper
district, the law expects him to be there, if he is not.
390 Q. Suppose the minister finds the itinerant work too
hard for him, and desires to avoid some unpleasant appoint¬
ment to which the Bishop has assigned him ?
A. Then he should have honorably located at the
previous Annual Conference, which is ever bound to
grant such a request.
391 Q,. Cannot a minister resign an appointment to a Bishop
or a Presiding Elder in the interval of the Conference ?
A. Yes; he may, for good reasons, for the same
kind of reasons he would under any circumstances re¬
sign an appointment; but he has no power to resign an
appointment because he does not like it; should he do
so, the ensuing Conference will hold him guilty of
leaving his work.
392 Q. What is a supernumerary minister ?
A. Bishop Wayman says—so do other expounders
of Methodist law—that a supernumerary preacher is
one who is so disabled by affliction as to be unable to
take regular work, but will do so as far as he is able.
393 Q. What says Bishop Payne ?
A. He says that a supernumerary preacher is one
who is above the number for which the. Bishop has
work, or one awaiting work.
394 Q. Which of these Bishops is correct ?
A. Both; Wayman, by the interpretation of Meth-
104
METHODIST POLITY.
odist custom, and Payne, by the definition of the
term.
395 Q. Who is a superannuated preacher?
A. One who is worn out in the itinerant service, and
to whom no work is assigned.
396 Q. Are any provisions made for the support of superan¬
nuated ministers ?
A. Yes; each Annual Conference allows them a
small amount yearly, whatever they are able to appro¬
priate.
397 Q. What may be done when a traveling minister is
complained of as unacceptable, inefficient, and as no longer
useful to the people ?
A. The Annual Conference investigates the case, and
if the complaint is well founded, and he does not give
the Conference satisfaction that he will amend, or retire
voluntarily, it may locate him without his consent. This
is generally called involuntary location.
398 Q. Can a traveling minister be located without his con¬
sent as a penalty for misconduct or immorality ?
A. By no means; for that would be casting a re¬
proach upon the moral character of our local ministry,
which must be just as irreproachable and incorruptible
as that of the traveling ministry.
399 Q. What is the position of one who has been located
without his consent?
A. He is remitted in good standing to the commu¬
nity where he lives, or desires to live, which has power
to depose him from the ministry, if he should there
prove unacceptable or inefficient.
400 Q. What method is prescribed in admitting a preacher
into full connection at the Conference ?
A. After solemn fasting and prayer, every person
ITINERANT MINISTERS.
105
proposed shall be asked, before the Conference, certain
questions touching his Christian experience and his
willingness to be subject to the discipline of the church
—special emphasis being laid upon the requirements of
the itinerancy.
401 Q. Which is the most important requirement the candi¬
date assents to ?
A. "Above all, if you labor with us in the Lord's
vineyard, it is needful that you should do that part of
the work which we advise, at the times and places which
we judge most for his glory." This is called the enlist¬
ing clause.
402 Q. How is this ceremony concluded ?
A. If his answers are satisfactory, the Conference, by
a majority vote, may admit him. But if the Conference
is not satisfied, he may be continued longer, or discon¬
tinued, and his name appears upon the minutes "as dis¬
continued, and he falls back to the local ranks.
403 Q. What is the custom of the English Methodists in re¬
spect to probation ?
A. They require the candidate to travel four years
on trial, during which time he cannot marry.
404 Q. Are we not rather unwise in admitting so many men
into our Conferences who, in many respects, are incompetent,
and then burdened with large families?
A. We are; among other evils that grow out of such
a custom is, that the preacher is at one place, and the
wife and children at another, forced apart by a neces¬
sity that grows of scanty work and large families,
which, in many instances, is destructive to morals, and
terminates in jealousy, wrangle and separation, and is
ruinous to the minister, wife and virtually fatherless
children.
5*
106
METHODIST POLITY.
SECTION II.
405 Q. How do you manage to keep effective men in the
itinerant ranks?
A. First, by adhering to the plan of probation, put¬
ting candidates for the traveling work on two years*
trial before final admission. Second, involuntary loca¬
tion, which rids the itinerancy of inefficient and unac¬
ceptable men.
406 Q. Does the Annual Conference always exercise thia
precaution, and thus keep up an effective itinerant ministry?
A. By no means, I am sorry to say; in many in¬
stances, men who should be located for ineffectiveness
are promoted to the Presiding Eldership, a position
which requires the greatest ability in the church to prop¬
erly fill.
407 Q. Suppose a preacher should be admitted on trial and
his health fails, should the conference receive him into full
connection nevertheless ?
A. Not at all. His physical condition is as much
on trial as his moral and official character. His recep¬
tion would involve his immediate superannuation, a
place held in sacred trust for such old worn-out vet¬
erans as have rendered the church great and protracted
service.
408 Q. What is the better course in dealing with those
whose probation brings to light either physical, mental, or
moral unfitness for the itinerancy ?
A. Lay them aside at once, so they may return to
other pursuits for a living, and not encourage them to
go farther, where they will be an encumbrance and a
burden to themselves and the church.
ITINERANT MINISTERS.
409 Q. What is an effective ministry ?
A. A ministry that holds the membership of the
church together ; increases its membership and congre¬
gation ; can instruct the people, lead revivals and
bring souls to Christ; that sets an example in good
works, such as fasting, praying, searching out the poor
and needy; to relieve and comfort them ; can induce
the people to give of their means to meet the require¬
ments of the church, and thus be an instrument in God's
hands for good.
410 Q. What if a minister has no gifts for revival work ?
A. Then he is unfitted for pastoral work in a Method¬
ist church, and unless the church has other employ¬
ment for him, such as writing, teaching, managing some
department, or editing a paper, he had better retire from
the itinerant ranks.
411 Q. May not a pastor be devoid of revival gifts, and still
have a spiritualized church ?
A. Most assuredly ; not, however, unless he leads off,
puts his officers and people at work, invites his brother
ministers to assist him, and exhibits an interest in the
salvation of souls.
412 Q. Does the success of a .church depend upon what we
commonly call big preaching?
A. By no* means; some of the deadest churches are
pastored by some of the most learned and eloquent
men, while some of the most lively churches are pastored
by men who cannot preach at all—who are mere exhort-
ers, yet they are usually men who live righteously and
who pray, sing, fast and work much.
413 Q. Which is the most necessary in the'ministry, to be a
great preacher or a great worker?
A. No man is a great minister in whom both of these
108
METHODIST POLITY.
requisites do not centre. Both are indispensable; a
great preacher can always be a great worker, but a
great worker can not, however, always be a great
preacher, yet a minister should strive to be both.
414 Q. What is meant by the examination of character in
an Annual Conference ?
A. At every annual session of the conference the roll
of ministers is called, and at the call of each name the
Bishop inquires if there is anything against his "moral,
religious or official character ; " if there is, any member
of the conference can hold up his hand, which marks
him and thus stops the passage of his character.;
415 Q. What is the effect of this mark ?
A. It brings any and all causes of complaint before
the conference, which proceeds to investigate the same,
and either determines his guilt or acquits him, and
passes his character. If there is no complaint at all,
when the name is announced, the Bishop declares his
character passed.
416 Q. When a minister's character passes at an Annual
Conference, does that prevent complaints and charges being
still made against him during the same session ?
A. No; the Bishops have decided that his character
can be reopened, but not upon any issue that has been
under consideration. It must be upon charges un¬
known to the conference when his character passed.
417 Q. For what purpose is this annual examination of
characters kept up ?
A. To guard against an impure, neglectful, ignorant,
mischievous and worthless ministry, and to preserve to
the church an efficient pastorate.
418 Q. Do all Christian denominations observe this rule ?
A. No. It is peculiarly Methodisfcic, and is essential
ITINERANT MINISTERS. 109
to the itinerant system, that no evil report follow a
minister when transferred or removed into a strange
community.
419 Q. In changing pastors, does it not derange the work
and bother the next minister ?
A. Not in the least when the rules are adhered to.
Each pastor is required to report to the conference the
status of the work he has served, viz.: the several
churches, preaching places, number of members, officers,
subscribers to the church literature, and to leave to his
successor a full account of the entire work. Where this
is done, the incoming pastor can go right to work, and
there is no trouble, and where a pastor fails to do it, he
is guilty of a breach of our rules.
420 Q. Suppose a minister is too negligent to have hi3
church books kept, or keep them himself; what then ?
A. Such a pastor ought to be dropped from the con¬
ference, or starved out by the people. He is not fit for
the pastorate in any respect. He may be a good
preacher, but not fit to pastor a church.
SECTION III.
421 Q. What suggested the itinerant system in the economy
©f Methodism ?
A. History does not fully state. It appears to have
grown out of necessity on the one hand, and the idea
of apostolic custom upon the other—a consequent
evidently, of field preaching inaugurated by Whitefield.
422 Q. Do you think it has met with divine favor?.'
A. I do, for the reason that no church, since the days
of the apostles, has grown so rapidly and impressed its
power for good upon the world. Not even those that
110; METHODIST POLITY.
had the sword to aid them have increased their member¬
ship more rapidly.
423 Q. Is there not quite a resemblance betwee-n the
itinerant plan and the customs which prevailed in Bible
times ?
A. We think so. The prophets, apostles, evangelists
and the primitive preachers were all migratory in their
ministerial labors.
424 Q. What is the condition of a Methodist congrega¬
tion when a pastor is not satisfactory to a majority or a large
minority ?
A. Those who are not pleased can wait patiently for
the expiration of his time, knowing it will last for a
short term only. Christian forbearance will also incline
them to do so.
425 Q. What is the principle of itinerancy ?
A. The greatest good to the greatest number. In
this way the most people can be reached and saved by
the gospel.
426 Q. What are some of its subsidiary advantages ?
A. It gives freshness and variety to preachers and
to people, and thus meets a want of human nature that
cannot be ignored without loss. It prevents stagnation
by too much sameness.
427 Q. What did John Wesley say about it ?
* A. He said that" congregations got as dead as a stone
when his preaching was confined to the same people for
a long time together."
428 Q. How does the itinerancy agree with the diversity of
gifts which the Holy Spirit has imparted to the ministry ?
A. The philosophyof the system is therein seen.
No preacher has all the gifts of the Spirit, but, as the
scripture saith, " Every man hath his proper gift of
ITINERANT MINISTERS. Ill
God, one after this manner and another after that."
A congregation ministered to by several in turn is in
a favorable condition for an all-sided culture and a
full proclamation of the gospel. " All are yours—
whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas—and the people
need them all. "Variety "is the order of nature,
whether seen in the earth beneath or in the heavens
above.
429 Q. How is the itinerancy maintained ?
A. All the societies and congregations are one church.
The preachers all make up one body of pastors.
From the latter are drawn those who serve the for¬
mer, and as nearly as possible the right man for the
right place.
430 Q. How is the distribution effected?
A. By mutual concession this is left to an umpire
a president, a superintendent, selected by both; thfe
Bishop, who, with the advantages of the best counsel as
to the condition, wishes and wants of preachers and
people, makes the appointments.
431 Q. What length of time may an itinerant minister
remain in one charge?
A. Four years is the longest limit, yet the Bishop
can change him yearly if he thinks it best.
432 Q. Has the church grown as fast under the four-year
limitation as the two ?
A. No; not by a great deal. Few men are able to
feed an intelligent congregation four years with fresh
preaching, and the moment the pulpit becomes stale, it
loses its power for good. It takes a great man to pre¬
sent the gospel in new colors for two years, much less
Sour.
METHODIST POLITY
433 Q. What is the limit generally allowed by Methodista
for pastoring a charge ?
A. The British Methodist, three years; M. E. Church,
three years; M. E. Church, South, four years, and the
A. M. E. Z. Church, three years.
434 Q. Who are reckoned as some of the most eminent itin¬
erant men upon record?
A. St. Paul, in the early ages of the church; John
Wesley, the founder of Methodism ; Bishop Asbury, of
the M. E. Church, and Bishop Quinn, of the A. M. E.
Church. But few men of modern times have equaled
Bishop Asbury.
435 Q. What does history say of Bishop Ashury's labors ?
A. It says, his circuit was from New England south¬
ward to Georgia, and westward to Tennessee and Ken¬
tucky, which he made annually for thirty years. He
crossed the Alleghany Mountains sixty times, traveled
two hundred and seventy thousand miles on foot and
horseback, preached sixteen thousand four hundred and
seventy-five sermons, besides over ten thousand exhort¬
ations and lectures which he delivered; sat in two hun¬
dred and twenty-four Annual Conferences; ordained
four thousand ministers, and preached the gospel forty-
five years, and for the first fifteen years without ordi¬
nation.
436 Q,. Should not the example and labors of Bishop Asbury
humiliate much of our px-ide and hush many of our excuses ?
A. I think so; especially that class who are afraid
to open their mouths, who will not brave either cold or
heat, nor make any sacrifice for the church or the salv
vation of souls.
437 Q. What does history say of the labors of Mr. Wesley ?
A. That in an itinerant ministry of fifty years he
ITINERANT MINISTERS. 113
traveled over two hundred and seventy-five thousand
miles, and preached forty thousand five hundred and
sixty sermons, besides delivering an infinite number of
exhortations.
438 Q. What is said of his liberality during the same period
of fi fty yeara ?
A. That he gave away to the poor, needy and his
toiling brethren one hundred and twenty-five thousand
dollars, and lived on a hundred and forty dollars a year
himself, nor would he allow himself to spend more on
his own subsistence.
439 Q. What is said of the labors of Bishop Quinn ?
A. That he traveled over three hundred thousand
miles, preached nearly thirteen thousand sermons, de¬
livered over ten thousand exhortations, and organized
nearly a thousand preaching centres.
440 Q. Did all these preaching centres develop into churches?
A. No; many of them died out for the want of
preachers to hold them. His travels were mainly in
the Western States, where at that time pious men were
scarce, and the people were very ignorant; ministerial
men were, therefore, hard to procure, and many that he
did license and send out were incompetent, and thus
failed to hold the work assigned them.
441 Q. Have not ministerial sacrifice and labors degenerated
of late years ?
A. Yes; most fearfully, in the A. M. E. Church, at
least; most of our young ministry have but little idea
of the heroic spirit that should characterize a Methodist
preacher.
442 Q. How do you account for it?
A. 1st. The histories of great pioneer preachers are
114
METHODIST POLITY.
not read; thus their examples impart no inspiration to
the young men of our day.
2d. The professors of theology in our schools which
train young men are not trained themselves; therefore
they cannot train others.
3d. Ministers are not rated for the souls they bring
to Christ, but for the money they report to Conference.
4th. There is more importance attached to learning
and systematic preaching than to the accompanying
power of the Holy Spirit.
443 Q. What does history say about Bishop Bascom's preach¬
ing, even before he was a deacon ?
A. That he traveled three thousand miles on foot and
horseback; preached four hundred times in three hun¬
dred days, and received twelve dollars and ten cents for
his labors and mighty work accomplished; for he was
without an equal in his day, in point of pulpit power
and eloquence. Strong men fell before his preaching
as dead, while thousands were brought to Christ and
saved through faith.
CHAPTER XVII.
BISHOPS.
SECTION I.
Executive Department of the Church.
444 Q. What is a Bishop in the A. M. E. Church ?
A. One who has the general oversight of the connec¬
tion; presides over General and Annual Conferences;
BISHOPS.
115
may preside over District and Quarterly Conferences;
makes out the appointments of all ministers anrmally>
with the assistance of the Presiding Elders ; ordains
deacons, elders and Bishops, with the assistance of the
other ministry, etc.
445 Q. What does the word Bishop mean ?
A. It answers to the Greek word Episcopos, and
means overseer or superintendent.
446 Q. How is a Bishop made?
A. He is elected by the General Conference after
fasting and fervent prayer for divine direction, and then
consecrated by solemn and protracted service, and tne
laying on of the hands of at least one Bishop and five
elders upon his head, invoking, at the same time, the
Holy Spirit upon him.
447 Q. How does the General Conference elect?
A. It lays aside all other business, and appoints
judges of election, calls the roll of members, each mem¬
ber walking forward and depositing his ballot as his
name is called, and whoever gets the majority of all the
votes cast is declared elected.
448 Q. Who puts the candidates for the Bishopric in
nomination ?
A. No one, as no one is supposed to be a candidate.
The Lord is supposed to choose his own Bishop by in¬
clining the members to vote for the right man.
449 Q. Suppose, when the votes are counted, no one has a
majority of all the votes cast, what follows then?
A. The conference proceeds with a second ballot, and
a third ballot, and so on until some one is elected.
450 Q. Are Bishops itinerant ministers also?
A. They are. The general superintendency is the
genius of Episcopal Methodism, and the duty of a
116
METHODIST POLITY.
Bishop is to travel at large among the churches ancl
people of his district in order to preach, give directions
and oversee both the spiritual and temporal affairs of
the church.
451 Q. Cau he cease to travel ?
A. Not without the consent of the General Confer¬
ence ; otherwise he cannot exercise the Episcopal office,
unless sickness or inability in some respect shall prevent
him.
452 Q. To what body is he amenable for the faithful per¬
formance of his duties?
A. To the General Conference, which meets quadren¬
nially. This being the body that inducted him into
office and imposed his duties', it has a right to see that
he faithfully executes them.
453 Q. How does the General Conference take cognizance
of a Bishop ?
A. The General Conference appoints a committee on
Episcopacy, composed of one member from each Annual
Conference, which reviews his labors for the past four
years, as well as his moral, religious and official char¬
acter, and this committee reports to the body of the
General Conference, which has power to suspend, expel
or reprimand him for improper or imprudent conduct.
454 Q. As the chief executive, what is the duty of a Bishop?
A. To see that all the rules and regulations enacted
by the General Conference are faithfully carried out in
every part of the church, and that the Articles of Re¬
ligion, General Rules and Doctrines of the Church are
cautiously observed.
455 Q. How is the work divided among the Bishops?
A. The General Conference, through the Episcopal
Committee, at each session, divides up the whole con-
BISHOPS.
117
flection into ao many Episcopal districts as there are
Bishops and assigns each Bishop to one of the said dis¬
tricts.
456 Q. What does the Board of Bishops think of this action
upon the part of the General Conference ?
A. A majority of them regard it with disfavor, and
do not hesitate to pronounce it an invasion of their
vested prerogatives, while a minority are rather indiffer¬
ent.
457 Q. Is the four-year district plan thought to be better
than annual alternations of the Bishops?
A. Yes; we think it is for the present, principally
for the reason that our church has not an adequate sup¬
ply of able, experienced, broad-minded and comprehen¬
sive ministers to pastor our first-class churches and sup¬
ply the demands for Presiding Elders. Therefore, a
Bishop should remain in a work long enough to become
somewhat acquainted with his preachers, and know per¬
sonally the needs of the churches.
458 Q. How are the several districts known from each
other?
A. They are numbered, and are called First, Second,
Third Districts, etc.
459 Q. Does the Episcopal district system limit the super¬
vision of the several districts to the respective Bishops ap¬
pointed over them?
A. No; not in fact, yet a large majority of our min¬
isters and members think so; but a Bishop has the
right to exercise his Episcopal prerogatives in any part
of the connection he may be found, whether he by spe¬
cial assignment be in charge of that district or not J
otherwise, the Restrictive Rules bearing upon Episco¬
pacy would be null and void.
118
METHODIST POLITY.
460 Q. What does the Restrictive Rale say ?
A. It says : " The General Conference shall not
change or alter any part or rule of our government so
as to do away with Episcopacy, or destroy the plan of
our Itinerant General Superintendency."
461 Q. Then the superintendency would not be general if
the Bishops' power was limited to only one district, I under¬
stand you to say ?
A. Yes; that is my meaning. The very term general
means everywhere and on all occasions when acting in
the exercise of his office.
462 Q. How do the Bishops manage to make the superin¬
tendency general under the district system ?
A. They meet and hold an Episcopal Council once
or twice a year, and each Bishop makes a report of his
work to the council, and the said council gives such
general directions as it mav there agree upon. The
General Conference of 1888 declared the Bishops in
power all over the connection notwithstanding the dis¬
trict system.
463 Q. What are the advantages of this programme?
A. The unity of the church is maintained ; also uni¬
formity of usage, doctrine and administration are per¬
petuated.
464 Q. What is the philosophical inference of the Bishops'
Council as held by Episcopal Methodists ?
A. That the Bishops, as such, are not only one body,
but one man, superintending the general affairs of the
church.
465 Q. Is this theory sustained by existing facts?
A. No. Therefore the General Conference of 187°;
tried to unify the Bishopric by requiring all decisions
made by the Bishops to be published, and for every
BISHOPS.
119
other Bishop to conform to that decision, unless over¬
ruled by the Council of Bishops or the General Confer¬
ence.
466 Q. What was the origin of Episcopacy ?
A. It is a very ancient, if not an apostolic form of
church government. Dr. Beecher, of the Congregational
Church, a man of great learning and research, says
" that Episcopacy furnishes the assurance of an unbro¬
ken unity, from Jesus Christ through the apostles by a
line of authentic Bishops."
467 Q. What theory is held by non-Episcopal Christians in
regard to ministerial rank ?
A. Most of them recognize one ordination as ade¬
quate to all purposes, and hold to the theory of minis¬
terial parity or equality, while a few others extend
their ordination to deacons and elders, but deny the
third ordination as either scriptural or as being sanc¬
tioned by the customs of the primitive church.
468 Q. Then this would seem to be a debatable subject ?
A. Yes; it has been debated in the Christian church
since the days of the Reformation, which began a.d.
1517. Prior to that time ecclesiastical history scarcely
mentions a discussion over it. Even the much agitated
question of apostolic succession never marshaled its op-
posers or defenders till about the middle of Queen Eliz¬
abeth's reign, which began a.d. 1558.
section ii.
Executive Department of the Church.
469 Q. What is the collective body of Bishops called?
A. When in official session the body of Bishops is
called the Bishops' Council, or the Episcopal Council.
120
METHODIST POLITY.
470 Q. How often, and for what purpose, do they meet I
A. They are compelled to meet at least once a year,
at which time they review the administration of each
other, hear reports from each other's districts, inquire
into the spiritual, financial, educational and material
growth of each other's work. They enter into council
upon such matters as affect the general interest of the
church, and devise measures for future success. The
Bishops of the A. M. E. Church are to meet semi¬
annually hereafter.
471 Q. Who is the chairman or president of the Bishops'
Council ?
A. The senior or oldest Bishop in Episcopal orders.
472 Q. What are the judicial duties of a Bishop?
A. To hear and decide appeals from Quarterly Con¬
ferences on questions of law, when he shall be presiding in
an Annual Conference, and to decide all questions of law
coming before him in the regular business of an Annual
Conference. Other questions involving church troubles
and ministerial disorder he can dispose of at any time.
473 Q. How shall a Bishop define or interpret a question
of law ?
A. By an order of the General Conference, adopted in
1872, he is required to write it out in full, that it may ap¬
pear in the printed mimitee for future reference or review.
474 Q. Is there any provision for an appeal from the de¬
cision of a Bishop ?
A. Yes; when a Bishop has decided a question of
law, the Conference has the right to appeal from such
decision to the General Conference for a final verdict.
475 Q. Can the Bishops' Council, when in a regular or
called session, review, reverse or modify the decision of a
Bishop ?
BISHOPS.
121
A. No; I believe that power has never been con¬
ceded to the Bishops' Council, for the reason that there
has never been any legislation requiring it; yet I have
known the Bishops to do it. It is evidently implied
in the very existence of the Council.
476 Q. Has the Bishops' Council any veto power upon the
hasty or animated legislation of the General Conference?
A. None whatever.
477 Q. Do any of the great Methodist connections place an
embargo, temporary or otherwise, upon hasty legislation in
their chief or highest judicatories?
A. Yes; two of which only I am able to recall at
present: the British Methodist Church, which through
its " legal hundred " can veto any legislation, and the
M. E. Church, South, which can for a limited time
through the objection of its Bishops.
478 Q. What provisions exist for guarding the Constitution
and established Eules in the M. E. Church, South?
A. When any rule or regulation is adopted by their
General Conference, which, in the opinion of the
Bishops, is unconstitutional, the Bishops may present
to the Conference which enacted said rule or regulation
their objections thereto, with their reasons in writing;
and if the General Conference shall, by two-thirds vote,
adhere to its action on said rule or regulation, it shall
then go down to the Annual Conferences, and must,
before becoming a law, receive the concurrent recom¬
mendation of three-fourths of all the members of the
several Annual Conferences who shall be present,
voting.
479 Q. Do you not think that a like rule would be of great
benefit in our church also?
A. I do, provided it was limited to the general phases
6
122
METHODIST POLITY.
of Methodist polity, and not to the choice and selection
of men for positions of responsibility, as the Bishops'
opinion, in that respect, should count for no more than
other ministers.
480 Q. Wherein is the trial of a Bishop peculiar from other
persons ?
A. In that he has no appeal. If a private member
is expelled, he may appeal from the committee that tried
him to the Quarterly Conference; the local preacher can
appeal to the Annual Conference, and the traveling
minister to the General Conference.
481 Q. How is this accounted for?
A. Because, as the highest officer in the church, he is
tried by the highest court; beyond there is no tribunal
for review and correction.
482 Q,. Are there any securities for justice in this court of
original jurisdiction which may be regarded as equivalent to an
appeal from the sentence of a lower court?
A. Yes, several. The General Conference, the original
and final court for the trial of a Bishop, is made up of
men from every part of the church, and is therefore free
from local prejudice.
483 Q. What other?
A. Convening once in four years, and usually in ses¬
sion for nearly a month, this body, when sitting as a
court, is supposed to be comparatively free from errors
arising from haste and heat of passion. Also, this
court is presumed to be composed of mature men, noted
for intelligence and moral character — men who are
expounders and makers of law themselves. The source
of errors so frequent in lower courts is largely avoided.
From the nature of the case, this court acts in the eyes
of the whole church, and has every reason that can
BISHOPS.
123
be drawn from this fact to proceed with circum¬
spection.
484 Q. What conclusion may be derived from the foregoing?
A. That a Bishop may safely trust to this tribunal
for a first and final hearing, and if, in the lower courts,
there were such deliberation, patience and guarantees for
justice, there would be less use for forms of appeal. It
is analogous to civil government, where the chief execu¬
tive and judicial officers of a State, or of the United
States, when impeached, are tried by the highest court
and have no appeal from its findings or sentence.
SECTION III.
Executive iJepartment of the Church.
485 Q. Has the appointing power been primarily vested in
the Bishops from the birth of Episcopal Methodism?
A. It has.
486 Q. Has there ever be^n any effort made to deprive the
Bishops of this power or to limit this power?
A. Yes. The General Conference of the M. E.
Church, November the 1st, 1792, then embodying all
Methodists in America, had this question under pro¬
tracted consideration : 1st. Shall the Bishop appoint the
preachers to the circuits? 2d. Shall a preacher be
allowed an appeal from the appointment of the Bishop,
if dissatisfied with it?
487 Q. What disposition was made of the matter?
A. The first was decided in the affirmative, and the
second was decided in the negative.
488 Q. Did it in any aspect ever assume form again ?
A. It did in after years, when it was proposed to
transfer the power of choosing Presiding Elders and
124
METHODIST POLITY.
stationing che preachers from the Bishops to the Annual
Conferences.
489 Q. What put a final quietus to the agitation of this
question ?
A. The memorable paper of Bishop McKendree, read
before the General Conference.
490 Q. What did he say about it ?
A. The Bishop said : " Take this prerogative from
the Bishops, and there will remain with them no power
by which they can oversee the work, or officially manage
the administration ; and therefore the (General) Confer¬
ence must, in justice, release them from their responsi¬
bilities as Bishops. . . . But such a change in the
government would deprive the General Conference of
an important, perhaps an essential, part of their author¬
ity, and put it out of their power to enforce and carry
our system of rules into effect. This will appear from
the peculiar relation between the Bishop and the (Gene¬
ral) Conference, or the connection between making our
rules and enforcing them. The Bishops are chosen by
the General Conference, and are the repositories of
executive power, are held responsible as overseers of
the whole charge. By calling upon them, the adminis¬
tration, in every part of the work, may be brought
under the inspection and control of the General Con¬
ference. But if the power of superintending the work
were taken from the Bishops, they must be released
from the responsibility ; and if they should be released,
there would be no person or persons accountable to the
General Conference for the administration ; and conse¬
quently the connection between making rules and en¬
forcing them would be dissolved. The legislative body
BISHOPS.
125
would then have no control over the executive—no
po vver to enforce their rules or laws. The several
Annual Conferences are under the control of the Gene¬
ral Rules, enforced by responsible superintendents ; so
that, if a preacher should depart from the Discipline or
doctrine of the church, it is the Bishop's duty to correct,
remove from office, or bring him to trial, according to
the Discipline. Should an Annual Conference dissent
from the doctrine or Discipline of the church, the
Bishop should enter his protest and bring the case
before the ensuing General Conference. Should the
Bishop join with the conference in such a departure, the
next General Conference will call him to an account for it;
and by this medium the General Conference takes cog¬
nizance of the acts of the Annual Conferences; so that
while the Bishops serve as a centre of union and har¬
mony among the conferences, they (i. e., the Annual
Conferences) become responsible to, and are brought
under the inspection and control of the General Confer¬
ence." (Life and Times of ¥m. McKendree, pp.
356, 357.)
491 Q. How has Bishop McKendree's review of that ques¬
tion been regarded by Episcopal Methodists ?
A. It has been accepted from that time (1820) up to
the present, as authority, by all branches of the same.
492 Q,. From whence came Episcopacy in the Methodist
Church ?
A. Rev. John Wesley, A.M., a great and good man
of England, and theTounder of the Methodist connec-
O /
tion, both in Europe and America, set apart and conse¬
crated (in 1784) Rev. Thomas Coke, D.C.L., a Bishop
of the Methodist Church in America, who (Cokp^l
126
METHODIST POLITY.
secrated to the same office Rev. Francis Asbury the
same year in Baltimore, Md. Bishop Allen's ordina¬
tion has been set forth in the first chapter.
493 Q. Who ordained Wesley and Coke?
A. Both had received ordination to the diaconate and
priesthood from the Bishops of the Church of England
prior to their connection with Methodism.
494 Q. Does history give another instance ?
A. Yes; Rev. Martin Luther, D.D., the great foun¬
der of the Reformation, assisted by three other Pres¬
byters (elders), ordained the first Lutheran Bishop,
Rev. Nicholas Amsdorf, January 20th, 1542. And
thus originated the Lutheran Episcopacy of Germany
and Europe.
495 Q. What has the Christian world thought of this source
of Episcopal authority or rights?
A. Opinions, views and discussions have been infin¬
ite pro and con. Methodists, however, generally main¬
tain that the Bishopric is an office, and not a divine
order.
496 Q. What did the learned Richard Watson say of Meth¬
odist Episcopacy in America ?
A. He said: "Their (American) Episcopacy is
founded upon the principle of Bishops and Presbyters
of the same degree—a more extended office only being
assigned the former (Bishops) as in the primitive
church, who presided in the meetings of the Presby¬
ters (elders), and invested with the government of seve¬
ral churches, with their respective Presbyteries (Confer¬
ences)."
497 Q,. Has any Methodist Bishop ever ordained to the min¬
istry candidate-* who had not been elected by an Annual Con¬
ference ?
BISHOPS.
127
A. None that I can recall, except Bishop Asbury,
who was allowed large discretion, by reason of tne fact
that he was a great pioneer Bishop; distances were
great, and travel inconvenient.
© '
498 Q. Has any Bishop ever exercised authority somewhat
\milar?
A. Yes ; in some instances Bishops have, by written
certificate, empowered licentiates to baptize and marry,
where they had given special evidence of fitness, and
the work was in great need of that kind of service.
Yet it is an unusual exercise of prerogative. Though
some latitude ought to vest in the Bishops where emer¬
gencies exist, as they are responsible for the extension
and protection of the church as no other one can be.
Bishops Harris and Simpson, of the M. E. Church, have
so empowered licentiates in extreme necessities, and we
have heard that Bishop Payne of our church has done
the same.
SECTION IV.
jExecutive Department of the Church.
499 Q. What is the theory of Episcopacy as generally main¬
tained by Episcopal Methodists ?
A. That it is an expedient forw of church order,
promotive of ministerial efficiency, and doctrine, and
purity, and Christian unity, but that it does not exist
in the church jure divino, and thus become an indispen¬
sable necessity.
500 Q. What results from this theory ?
A. That while we are Episcopal, we fellowship with
Presbyterian and Congregational ChurcNs.
501 Q. Are all Methodists under an Episcopal form of gov¬
ernment ?
128
METHODIST POLITY.
A. No. A common classification of Methodists is
into Episcopal and non-Episcopal.
502 Q. Which is the principal body of non-Episcopal Meth¬
odists?
A. The Wesleyan Methodists of Great Britain. Their
Conferenoe is a body of Elders or Presbyters, exercising
legislative and judicial powers, with a president an¬
nually elected.
503 Q. Why are they non-Episcopal?
A. Because in England there were Bishops with
whose jurisdiction Mr. Wesley would not seem to inter¬
fere. In America the case after the Revolution was
different.
504 Q. Can you give his words on this point ?
A. In his letter explaining the ordination of Dr.
Coke as Bishop, and through him Rev. Francis As-
bury, for the Methodists of this country, he said ; "As
our American brethren are now totally disentangled
from both the State and from the English hierarchy,
we dare not entangle them again either with the one or
the other. They are now at full liberty simply to fol¬
low the Scriptures in the Primitive Church."
505 Q. What did Mr. Wesley recommend?
A. That they be organized into an Episcopal Church ;
and to this end he not only ordained their first Bishop,
but he abridged the Liturgy and Ritual of the Church
of England into forms of ordination for Bishops, Elders
and Deacons, and also for the administration of the
Holy Sacraments—all of which the first American Gen¬
eral Conference, in 1784, accepted and adopted.
506 Q. Was Bishops Coke's and Asbury's ordination to the
Episcopacy wholly satisfactory?
A. It would appear from history tnat they enter-
BISHOPS.
129
tained some scruples or doubts. As they both sought
re-ordiuation at the hands of Bishops White and Sea-
bury, of the Protestant Episcopal Church, but as the
Methodists contemplated remaining a separate organiza¬
tion, under the government of their existing Bishops,
the proposition was not acceded to.
See "Appleton's Cyclopaedia," pages 56 and 197.
507 Q. What has been said by eminent Wesleyan authority
in England ?
A. That it is to American Methodism we must look
for Wesley's ideal of church government. Here the
scheme most nearly agreeing with his views of the
Scriptures and the Primitive Church has been adopted.
508 Q. What were Mr. Wesley's views upon this subject?
A. He held, with a number of learned and trust¬
worthy scholars and divines, that neither Christ nor his
apostles prescribed any particular form in church gov¬
ernment ; that the Scriptures only lay down general
principles, and leave the details to Christian expediency
and existing circumstances.
509 Q. How do we receive ministers who offer to unite
with us from other Christian churches, and present proper
evidences of ordination according to their rights and usages?
A. After they have been properly recommended, and
the Annual Conference satisfied of their gifts, graces,
and usefulness, and of their agreement with us in doc¬
trine and discipline, they are recognized as in orders
without the re-imposition of hands, after taking upon
themselves our ordination vows.
510 Q. Are there any examples of Episcopal ordination in
the Primitive Church by Presbyters or Elders?
A. One example occurs in the great Church of Alex¬
andria, founded by St. Mark, which, in the time of
fi*
130
METHODIST POLITY.
Heraclas, who died a.d. 246, upon the death of 4
Bishop, the elders of that city elected and ordained
another, without calling in any other Bishop to do it
for them.
511 Q. Who assisted Mr. Wesley in ordaining Dr. Coke a
Bishop ?
A. History informs us he was aided by other Presby¬
ters or Priests of the Church of England, September
10th, 1784.
512 Q. Did any distinguished Predate ever venture an opinion
that would seem to sanction the ordination of a Bishop by
Presbyters or Elders?
A. Archbishop Usher, when asked by the King if he
had found in antiquity that " Presbyters did ordain,"
replied, "Yes, I will show your majesty more—even
where Presbyters alone successfully ordained Bishops,"
and pointed to the case at Alexandria as an instance.
513 Q. Did Archbishop Usher hold that Bishops, Presbyters
or Elders were equal in orders?
A. No; he believed in the third ordination, and that
the Bishopric was the highest.
514 Q. Do the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Method¬
ist Episcopal Church, South, entertain the same views on the
Epi scopacy ?
A. No. While both have a general itinerant super-
intendency, Southern Methodism holds that the Epis¬
copacy is, constitutionally, a co-ordinate part of the
church government and authority; that Bishops are
officers and pastors of the whole church, though elected
by the General Conference; that although Barnabas
and Saul were accredited ministers of the gospel, they
were, nevertheless, by fasting and prayer and the
laying on of hands, set apart or separated, to a special
BISHOPS.
131
work in the ministry. (See Acts xiii. 2, 3.) This,
though an " order v jure humano and different from jure
divino, yet justifies the third ordination and carries with
it authority.
515 Q. What is the position of the Methodist Episcopal
Church ?
A. That a Bishop is merely an officer of the General
Conference —in a sense its creature—and may be sum¬
marily deposed, or set aside, at its will, by a majority
vote, by preamble and resolution, without showing
cause. This is clearly set forth in the discussions which
divided the M. E. Church in 1844. (See Gen. Conf.
Minutes of 1844.)
516 Q. What position does the African Methodist Episcopal
Church assume upon this point ?
A. That a Bishop is an authoritative functionary in
the church—is invested with certain rights and prerog¬
atives inherent in the office; that he cannot be deposed
without due process of trial and conviction for a crime
committed, and that he has the right to enforce the rules
enacted, by the general Conference, and is therefore a
responsible factor in the church, both at the General
and Annual Conferences and elsewhere; as such is
accountable for the failure or success of the connection,
except when confronted by specific legislation, and is in
duty bound to oversee its spiritual, educational and
temporal affairs.
517 Q. Should a candidate be elected to Deacon's or Eder's
orders and should the Bishop regard him unworthy of
ordination, is the Bishop compelled to ordain him neverthe¬
less?
A. They are in all Episcopal Methodist Churches
except the A. M. E. Church. Bishops Payne, Camp-
{32
METHODIST POLITY.
bell, Shorter and Brown have decided that the Bishops
can bar the ordination of a candidate whom they may
judge unfitted; and as their decisions have never been
overruled by the Council of Bishops, or reversed by the
General Conference, the power is conceded.
518 Q. Can a Bishop in the A. M. E. Church give the
casting vote in case of a tie in an Annual or General Confer¬
ence ?
A. They invariably do it, and their right has never
been questioned; to the contrary, the General Confer¬
ences of 1872, 1880, 1884 and 1888 asked for it without
a dissenting voice. In the General Conference of the
M. E. Church in 1840, Bishop Andrew (May 19th)
gave the casting vote, and the same was accepted; but
Bishop Hedding (May 28th), in the same General
Conference, refused to give the casting vote, denying
that a Bishop had the right to do so. Thus the resolu¬
tion then pending was lost.
519 Q,. Can a Bishop in the A. M. E. Church offer a resolu¬
tion, speak to a pending question, or vote in the General Con¬
ference ?
A. The right to offer a resolution or make a motion
has never been formally denied, while it has been
partially questioned. They may speak unless objections
are made, when it requires a majority vote to allow them
to proceed. They are invariably expected to vote when
the roll is called and the yeas and nays are taken. In
the General Conference of 1804 (M. E. Church), Bishop
Asburv made seven motions and Bishop Coke thirteen,
not all of which prevailed. This liberty, however, has
been curtailed in late years.
520 Q. What theory would seem to justify a Bishop in taking
part in the proceedings of a General Conference ?
BISHOPS.
133
A. Bishop McKendree defined the General Confer¬
ence to be composed of Bishops and representatives from
the Annual Conferences; that the representatives and
the General Superintendents who compose the General
Conference do not act as separate and distinct bodies ;
and yet, such are their respective relations to their con¬
stituents, that they form a check on each other in order
to preserve the constitutional rights and privileges of the
preachers and people.
See Life and Times of McKendree, Vol. II., pp. 364,
365.
521 Q. Is there any other?
A. Yes; the general officers all speak and vote by
virtue of their responsibilities to the General Church.
And the Bishops evidently have as weighty a claim
upon the attention of the General Conference as a general
officer can possibly have. Yet, it would be highly im¬
prudent, regardless of his conceded rights, for a Bishop
to be constantly on the floor wrangling with every minor
question.
,134 METHODIST POLITY.
CHAPTER XVIII.
PRESIDING ELDERSHIP.
SECTION I.
Assistant Executive Department of the Church.
522 Q. What is a Presiding Elder in the A. M. E. Church ?
A. He is a high ministerial functionary, charged with
weighty responsibilities. He is, in fact, an assistant
Bishop, or Superintendent—a sub-episcopate.
523 Q. What gave rise to Presiding Elders in the Methodist
Church ?
A. It was developed out of necessity in the early days
of American Methodism. After the organization of the
church, Mr. Wesley requested that no more Elders be
elected and ordained than were absolutely necessary for
the administration of the sacraments, and out of eighty-
three preachers then in the field only twelve were se¬
lected as Elders, and that the church might have the
benefit of their services, these Elders were authorized to
travel, not only over their own circuits, but over
contiguous circuits, where the preachers were not or¬
dained, that they might overlook the work and adminis¬
ter baptism and the Lord's supper—and thus evolved
the Presiding Eldership.
524 Q How is a Presiding Elder appointed?
A. By the Bishop ; but he shall not allow any Elder
to preside in the same district more than four years con¬
secutively.
PRESIDING ELDERSHIP.
135
525 Q. What are the duties of a Presiding Elder?
A. To travel through his appointed district in order
to preach and to oversee the spiritual and temporal af¬
fairs of the church ; preside over Quarterly Conferences
and District Conferences in the absence of a Bishop, and
to take charge of all the Elders, Deacons and preachers,
both local an 1 ^raveling, and also exhorters in his dis¬
trict ; be pre^: t and take the oversight of quarterly
meetings, and see that the reports of trustees, stewards
and Sabbath-schools, or the substance of them, are read
or set forth quarterly before the people; that the mem¬
bers, where the Quarterly Meeting Conference is held,
may be apprised regularly of the temporal and spiritual
condition of the church.
526 Q. How often is he to visit each pastor's charge in his
district ?
A. Four times a year; when, besides attending the
quarterly meetings, he is to call together the members
of the Quarterly Conference over which he presides.
527 Q. What are his relations to the other preachers?
A. In the absence of the Bishop, he is to take charge
of all the traveling and local preachers and exhorters in
his district, and to see that those who are effective are
doing; service for the church.
528 Q. Flow far dies hi-s jurisdiction extend?
A. If, first of all, in the absence of a Bishop, a ne¬
cessity arises for any of the traveling preachers on his
district to be changed, the Presiding Elder shall make
the change. But the General Conference of 1884 re¬
stricted the Presiding Elders, by requiring them to ob¬
tain the consent of a majority of the legal members,
provided that it does not meet the approval of the said
136
METHODIST POLITY.
preacher or the preacher holding the charge. The Pre¬
siding Elders now cannot, as formerly, change preachers
from place to place ad libitum. If any preacher dies or
leaves his work, the Presiding Elder, as far as possible,
fills his place with another.
529 Q. What is required of the Presiding Elder concerning
any pastor who neglects his duty ?
A. To correct the evil, as far as possible, at the very
time; and when the inquiry is made at the Annual
Conference, " Is there anything against his moral, relig¬
ious or official character?" the Presiding Elder reports
the names of all the delinquent preachers within his
district.
530 Q. In case a traveling minister is accused of immor¬
ality, ia the interval of the conference, what is the Presiding
Elder to do ?
A. In the absence of the Bishop, he calls the accused
before a committee of investigation, and, if found guilty,
suspends him until the session of the Annual Confer¬
ence, and supplies his place with another preacher.
531 Q. Can a Presiding Elder remove a pastor from his
work in the interval of the conference, unless he be suspended,
and leave him without work?
A. By no means, unless the Presiding Elder has a
fund from which the deposed preacher can draw his
Subsistence. When a minister receives an appointment
at the Annual Conference, the said conference virtually
contracts with him for employment till its next session ;
and for a Presiding Elder to remove him and leave
him without work is to break the contract, and would
be a case of grave maladministration upon the part of
the Presiding Elder. Any pastor so treated should
immediately inform the Bishop, who is bound to take
'cognizance of it immediately
IltiiiSIDING ELDERSHIP.
137
532 Q. What is expected of a Presiding Elder toward can¬
didates tor admission on trial, orders or into full connection ?
A. He must direct their attention to those studies
prescribed as prerequisites in our Book of Discipline,
and give them all necessary assistance in preparing for
examination by the committees. He should examine
them himself on his quarterly rounds and thus help in
their preparations.
533 Q. What are the Presiding Elder's duties toward local
preachers and exhorters ?
A. To take cognizance of all the local preachers and
exhorters in each circuit, station or mission, and to
assist the pastor in charge in giving them systematic
and regular employment, so that such labor as they may
be able to perform shall be most profitable to the
church ; and, through the Quarterly Conference, to in¬
quire annually into the gifts, labors and usefulness of
each by name. He shall examine each local preacher
and exhorter also upon their studies before renewing
their annual license, and send them out to work in ad¬
jacent missions and preaching-places, so that the borders
of Zion may be extended.
534 Q. Besides executive, are there any judicial duties
attached to this office ?
A. Yes. The Presiding Elder must decide all questions
of law which may arise in the regular business of the
Quarterly Conference, subject to an appeal to the Bishop
or the next Annual Conference; he may require all such
questions to be submitted to him in writing. The Pre-
jiding Elder, like the Bishop, is not allowed to decide
any "imaginary" or "supposed" cases, but only such
AS arise in the transaction of business.
138
METHODIST POLITY.
SECTION II.
Assistant Executive Department of the Church.
535 Q. It would appear from the foregoing that the Presiding
Eldership is a part of the executive department of our church.
Is that so?
A, Yes; the Presiding Elder is to take care that every
part of the Discipline be enforced within his district.
536 Q. What other directions are in the Discipline concern¬
ing him ?
A. He is to attend the Bishops when present in his
district, and to give them, when absent, all necessary
information, by letter, of the state of his district.
537 Q. During the session of the Annual Conference, what
is his work ?
A. To attend his preachers while making their annual
reports; see that they do not misrepresent any part of
their work; present the recommendations of Quarterly
Conferences ; for admissions on trial, orders in the local
ministry, and represent every interest in his district.
While other members are free to speak, for or against,
he is looked to especially for information to guide the
conference safely in acting upon these matters. He is
also expected to give all necessary information involving
the character of the ministers of his district, and should
any of them fail to attend the Annual Conference he
must supply the statistical reports of the charge.
538 Q. What is another and most important duty of a Pre¬
siding Elder?
A. To give the Bishop all information in his pos¬
session for the proper making out of the appointments.
PRESIDING ELDERSHIP. 139
regardless of his personal likes or dislikes of the
preachers.
539 Q. Should a Presiding Elder be a man of prejudices?
A. Under no circumstances. A man of personal
prejudices, pro or con, is neither fit to be a Bishop nor
a Presiding Elder. Such a man would make out ap¬
pointments with a view to rewarding his friends and
punishing his enemies, or his imaginary enemies, and
any one so disposing of the power entrusted to him by
the church would be unworthy of his office and a curse
to the church.
540 Q. By what process do the Presiding Elders advise with
the Bishops concerning the appointments ?
A. At certain hours during the session of the Annual
Conference, the Bishop calls together all the Presiding
Elders (which meeting is called the Episcopal Cabinet),
and in this cabinet meeting the wants, wishes, fitness,
adaptability and intelligence of pastors and churches are
patiently canvassed so that a suitable distribution of the
ministers may be made for the ensuing year.
541 Q. By what mode do they proceed in making out the
appointments in the Episcopal Cabinet?
A. Each Presiding Elder appears in the cabinet with
his recommendations and requests written out, and after
solemn and fervent prayer for the guiding presence of
the Great Head of the church, the Bishop calls upon
the Presiding Elder of the first district for his recom¬
mendations, and as the Elder proceeds to suggest pastors
for the respective churches, the names of the preachers
suggested, and the stations or circuits for which the
suggestions or recommendations are made by the Pre¬
siding Elder are carefully canvassed, so that the Bishop
140
METHODIST POLITY.
can get all the light possible from all the members of
the cabinet, and when he is satisfied he approves or dis¬
approves, and thus proceeds with each Presiding Elder
district, and with the name of each minister or member
of the conference till all of the circuits, stations and mis¬
sions are supplied with pastors.
542 Q. Should a Bishop refuse to accede to any recommenda¬
tion made by a Presiding Elder or the entire Cabinet of Elders,
would such a refusal imply disrespect toward said Elder or
Elders ?
A. Not in the least, for the church expects the appoint¬
ments to emanate from the Bishop's judgment, and not
from the Elders per se. Besides, the General Confer¬
ence holds the Bishop responsible for the appointments,
and not the Presiding Elders. Even if they mislead
him by their counsel, the Bishop is nevertheless indi¬
vidually responsible. Yet the Bishop is in duty bound
to hear their counsel.
543 Q. Are Presiding Elders a necessity in our church ?
A. Yes; they are indispensable. Think of it. There
are only eleven Bishops in the A. M. E. Church, which
extends over the civilized portion of North America,
with mission centers in distant lands, with forty-four
Annual Conferences, with about two thousand traveling
ministers and over four hundred thousand members,
with eight or ten distinct departments, and other varied
interests. Yet these eleven Bishops are charged with the
general administration of all this great work, and are
bound to see that all the rules and regulations of the
General Conference are carried out. Now, it is im¬
possible for the Bishops personally to superintend every
portion of this vast field, and visit every point annually,
PRESIDING ELDERSHIP.
141
but by the aid rf-the Presiding Elders they can accom¬
plish their work.
544 Q. What relation does the Presiding Elder hold to the
Episcopacy ?
A. The Presiding Eldership, as Bishop McKendree
said, is not separate and distinct from it, but is inseparably
connected with a certain important function of the Epis¬
copacy, and included in it.
545 Q. Why do the Bishops appoint Presiding Elders ?
A. This question has already been answered. But
the Bishops are responsible alone to the General Confer¬
ence for the administration of the church, and therefore
Presiding Elders, as their assistants, must be deputized
by them.
546 Q. What are the powers of Presiding Elders?
A. They represent the official authority of the Bishop
within their districts, and in his absence exercise all his
functions, ordination excepted.
547 Q. To whom is a Presiding Elder responsible or ame¬
nable?
A. Like other itinerants, he is amenable to the Annual
Conference for his moral and religious conduct, and for
the general work of a Methodist minister; but for his
special work as Assistant Superintendent over a district,
he is amenable to the Bishop, who has the power of
appointment and removal.
548 Q. May it happen, then, that the coherence approves
and the Bishop disapproves the same man 9
A. It does so occur sometimes. In answer to the
question, " Is there anything against his moral, religious
or official character?" his character passes—that is, the
conference, to the extent of its jurisdiction, approves.
142
METHODIST POLIT1.
But the Bishop may not find him suitable, or the most
suitable, for this special service, and so may change,
remove or decline to re-appoint.
549 Q. Is a Presiding Elder re-appointed every year to hia
field of labor, or does one appointment to a district hold good
for four years ?
A. The certificate of every itinerant minister expires
annually, or at his subsequent conference, unless pre¬
vented from attending conference by Providential
causes. In such an event his appointment holds good
till his successor arrives, or he gets directions from the
appointing power.
550 Q. What class of ministers should be selected for Pre¬
siding Elders?
A. Men of large and broad views, cool and calculat¬
ing heads, established piety, well informed, able preach¬
ers, good singers, fervent in prayer, given to fasting and
self-denial, free from prejudice, kind, generous and
charitable to ministers, members and children, not in¬
clined to give or receive insults, nor to the use of abusive
language, industrious, practical in business, and learned
in Methodist doctrine and polity.
SECTION III.
Assistant Executive Department of the Church.
551 Q. Why does the phrase, "Quarterly Meeting Confer¬
ence,'' so frequently occur in our Book of Discipline, and in
all the old Methodist Disciplines? Why not Quarterly Con¬
ference only ?
A. History says the founders of Methodism intended
thereby to forever unite and make inseparable the
Quarterly Conference and the quarterly meeting, so
PRESIDING ELDERSHIP. 143
»
that the Presiding Elders and the people should know
that one included the other.
552 Q. What are the quarterly meeting duties of a Presiding
Elder?
A. He should urge the people to fast and pray on the
previous Friday, preach Friday night; and should have
public worship both on Saturday and Sunday. He should
preach Saturday at eleven o'clock, by all means, and have
preaching or religious service at three and seven o'clock,
if possible. He should hold love-feast at six o'clock Sab¬
bath morning, preach and administer the Holy Com¬
munion at eleven o'clock, hold service again at three and
seven o'clock. He should invite persons forward both
for prayer and membership with the church ; baptize and
receive into full membership, when such cases are pre¬
sented to him ; inform the people of the spiritual and
temporal condition of the church, including money col¬
lected and for what it was spent, and debts pending.
553 Q. Could a Presiding Elder endure such hard work
from week to week the year round?
A. Likely not, if his health were poor. But we mean
that it is his business to do it or see that it is done. He
has the presence of the pastor to assist him, and the
power to call preachers to his aid from adjacent portions
of the work.
554 Q. Suppose he is holding a quarterly meeting at a sta¬
tion where the pastor administers the Lord's Supper to his
members once a month on a stated Sabbath, as every pastor of
a station ought to do, and the quarterly meeting should be on
the Sabbath following, should the Presiding Elder administer
the Lord's Supper at his quarterly meeting nevertheless?
A. Not at all. Where there are stated monthly com¬
munions, that is sufficient; and the Presiding Elder
144 . METHODIST POLITY.
will be glad to spend that time in trying to bring soula
to Christ. As every good Presiding Elder will always
endeavor to make his quarterly meeting a special time
for the ingathering of souls, as well as in trying to
raise money for his own quarterage, or, if his quarter¬
age is raised, collecting other finances for the pastor or
other interests of the church.
555 Q. You say the Presiding Elder should urge or demand
the people to fast and pray the Friday previous to the quar¬
terly meeting. How could a Presiding Elder order the peo¬
ple to fast on the previous Friday when he might not reach
the place of the quarter before Saturday morning himself?
A. The Presiding Elder gives the order to the people
through the pastor of the work. Indeed, the pastor
should not wait for orders from the Presiding Elder; he
himself should fast and call upon his members to do the
same before every quarterly meeting, and thus prepare
the hearts of the people for a gracious outpouring of the
Holy Spirit during the quarter and afterwards.
556 Q. Is it customary in the A M. E. Church to have pub¬
lic service on Saturday, as well as Sunday, upon quarterly
meeting occasions ?
A. No ; I am sorry to say it—that old time-honored
rule of Methodism hasalmost died out in our church. The
conferences of Illinois and Missouri are all that observe
the rule, to my knowledge ; but it is a Methodistic rule
and custom, nevertheless, and is rigidly observed by the
British Wesleyan Church, and very largely by the
M. E. Church, both North and South.
557 Q. Would it be proper for a Presiding Elder to hold
a quarterly love-fea-t on Monday or Tuesday night after
the quarterly meeting of the previous Saturday and Sunday ?
A. No; it is not exactly Methodistic, as the love-
feast (a service which Mr. Wesley borrowed from
PRESIDING ELDERSHIP.
145
the Moravians) was instituted in the Methodist Church
as a preparational service to the Lord's supper, and
should always be held at some hour before partaking
of the emblems of the broken body and shed blood of
Christ.
558 Q. At which time did the early Christians hold love-
feast—before or after the Holy Communion?
A. The learned Drs. Lightfoot, Whitby and Townley
concur in the opinion that the love-feast was held pre¬
vious to the administration of the Lord's supper; but
St. Chrysostom gives an account of it as being held
afterwards. It is possible that the primitive Chris¬
tians had no fixed time except to make it an accompani¬
ment of the Lord's supper; yet it is strictly Methodistic
to hold it before. Presiding Elders, however, should
be allowed to utilize contingencies.
559 Q. It has been said by ministers making some pre¬
tension to learning in our church that a Presiding Elder could
not open the doors of the church, receive a member into full
membership, baptize or perform any official duty on the Sab¬
bath of his quarterly meeting. Is such a construction of our
regulations and usages true ?
A. No, and those who say so know nothing about
the genius and theory of Methodism. It is eqaal to
saying that neither the Bishop nor the regular pssw*
can do it. The Bishop is the pastor (in chief) of s«M
the churches in the connection, and the Presiding
is the pastor (in chief) of all the churches in Ivp
trict, and all the prerogatives that vest in the lower
pastors are vested in the higher, unless restricted by a
specific law, and there is no moral or religious-service
restriction found in the law. Such an assumption is
therefore literally monstrous.
7
146 METHODIST POLITY.
560 Q. Has a Presiding Elder any right to interfere with
the running machinery of the church between the Quar¬
terly Meeting Conferences?
A. None whatever, unless invited by the pastor
in charge, or summoned by virtue of a disturbance.
Otherwise, he comes in and goes out as a mere
visiting minister.
561 Q. What of a Presiding Elder who visits among
the members of a church, and speaks disrespectfully and
reflectingly of its pastor?
A. He is simply out of his place, and is infinitely
a worse man than the pastor. If the pastor is a
bad man, the Presiding Elder should proceed
against him, or suspend him, or should surrounding
circumstances make that impracticable, he should
lay the conduct of the pastor before the Bishop.
Till then he should be silent.
562 Q. What is the duty of a Presiding Elder when he
changes a preacher from the charge assigned him at
the Annual Conference by the Bishop?
A. He should report the removal or change, and
the reasons therefor, at once to the Bishop.
563 Q. Are the duties of a Presiding Elder confined
to Quarterly Conferences and quarterly meetings?
A. Not by any means. Bishop McKendree says
of the Presiding Elder: "It is his business fully to
attend to every part of the execution of the Disci¬
pline. He is interested in every charge, and the
pastor is, in some sense, his aid. Administering
discipline, giving the sacraments and pastoral visi¬
tations, are all a part of his work."
564 Q. Is a Presiding Elder confined to circuits, stations
and missions only in his district?
A. No. He plans for new fields and should be an
TRUSTEES.
147
effective leader in home missions. It is his duty to
search for and establish new preaching places, and
supply those places with such supernumeraries and
local preachers, and even exhorters, as he may have
at command. He has the right to authorize even
laymen or lay women to organize and carry on
prayer meetings till the work assumes such pro¬
portions as will demand higher attention.
565 Q. What has the Presiding Elder done for the
itinerant pastorate in our church alone?
A. He has multiplied and strengthened it great¬
ly. Young, inexperienced men and unordained
men, through his supervision, have become avail¬
able, effective and successful pastors. It would
have been inexpedient, if not cruel, to have sent
them out alone, but an adviser, helper, director was
at hand in the Presiding Elder. By him our doc¬
trines, usages and customs have been maintained
and administration of law made uniform. The Pre¬
siding Eldership has been the mightiest agency in
the progress of Methodism wherever it existed.
CHAPTER XIX.
TRUSTEES.
SECTION I.
566 Q. What are trustees in the African Methodist
Episcopal Church?
A. Trustees are church officers, elected by the
respective church congregations throughout the
148 METHODIST POLITY.
connection, for the purpose of holding the legal title
to the respective church lots, church edifices, par¬
sonages, school houses, cemeteries and all other
church property which belongs to the members of
said connection.
567 Q. What is meant by the phrase members of the
said connection?
A. All the members of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church constitute by its genius and the¬
ory but one great body. Yet, for the convenience
of its members living in different portions of the
world, separate church organizations and other
local interests exist for the benefit of the whole.
568 Q. In what respect does this church differ from the
Congregational and Baptist?
A. With them each congregation is separate with
its pastors, and claims to be independent of every
other congregation, and thus sovereign, and have
no common unity among their members and min¬
isters and central source of legislation, where the
laws and rules are binding that are enacted.
569 Q. What number of trustees are elected for the
respective churches or places of worship?
A. Three, five, seven or nine. But none shall
have less than three nor more than nine.
570 Q. What are the qualifications of trustees?
A. They shall be twenty-one years of age, and
members of the church of six months' standing,
except in case of missions, new work or other emer¬
gencies, when probationers or persons friendly to
the church may act as trustees for the time being.
571 Q. Can a woman serve as a trustee?
A. Yes; there is no specific law in the church
TRUSTEES.
149
against it. She has the right to vote for trustees,
and might be voted for, where the laws of the State
did not contravene. But, as the trustees are tem¬
poral officers, and are bound to keep order, even to
the extent of quelling a riot, or possibly attending
the courts of the land, the position is hardly adapt¬
ed to the sphere of females.
572 Q. What are the duties of trustees?
A. To manage all the temporal matters of the
church, not otherwise provided for, guard all the
real estate, churches, parsonages, school houses and
other property owned by the people in the con¬
nection. They shall make improvements upon said
property only when authorized to do so by a ma¬
jority of the legal voters of the respective churches
and congregations; procure, by purchase or hire, a
house for the minister's family, furnish it com¬
fortably and provide fuel for use.
573 Q. Are these all the duties involved?
A. No. They must either do it themselves or
employ a sexton to open and close the church at the
proper hours of worship; keep the same clean, de¬
cent and comfortable, and supply the pulpit with
drinking water. They must see that order, quiet
and good behavior are observed in and around the
church; attend seating the people; see that they
do not dun in and out during preaching. They
may, in Trustee Board, upon the nomination of the
pastor, elect a limited number of young men as
ushers to aid in seating the people, preserving order
and lifting penny collections. They shall repre¬
sent the members in all law suits, and defend the
property before the courts in the interest of the
legal members of the connection, and do such
things, all and singular, as honest and faithful
Christians, to whom the interest of the members
has been committed, ought to do.
150 METHODIST POLITY.
574 Q. To whom is the sexton of a church subject?
A. To the pastor in charge, who may dismiss
him if neglectful of his duties, and appeal to the
trustees for another, more dutiful and obedient.
575 Q. How are the trustees elected?
A. Wherever the law of the land requires a speci¬
fic mode of election, that mode shall be observed in
electing trustees. But where the law does not in¬
tervene, they shall be elected annually by the mem¬
bers of the church.
576 Q. By what mode do the members elect?
A. The minister in charge appoints the time and
place for holding the election, and must give notice
of the same from his pulpit from one to two Sab¬
baths previously. The minister, at the meeting of
the election, nominates twice the number to be
elected, and every member of the church twenty-
one years of age, and in full communion, and who
may be present at the time, has the right to vote
for such of the nominees as he may choose.
577 Q. How do the members vote for the nominees?
A. The law implies that they must vote by ballot.
Should the members, however, not be able to write,
as a whole, they sometimes use black and white
beans as ballots, and when pressed for time in
country churches, the minister often places two
names at the time before the people and they vote
by raising their right or left hands.
578 Q. Suppose, when the minister in charge places his
TRUSTEES.
151
nominations before the members, they should fail to elect
any of them, what then?
A. The minister must nominate another set, and
thus continue till the people make a selection, as
the law expects the members to be satisfied with
those to whom they are to trust their interest. The
minister in charge shall then make a declaration of
the result.
579 Q. How shall the trustees be installed into office?
A. The minister in charge should have them to
appear before the altar, either then or at the earli¬
est convenience, before the congregation, and ask
them the following question: Do you promise, in the
presence of God and this congregation, that you zvill
faithfully perform the duty of trustees, and obey the
laws and regulations as set forth in the Discipline of
the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and defend
the same against every attempt to violate the said laws
and regulations, the Lord being your helper? And,
after their assent, introduce them to the members
and congregation as their trustees for the ensuing
year, that the people might know them in person,
and respect, obey and reverence them in the dis¬
charge of their official duties.
SECTION II.
580 Q. What if a trustee should cease to be a member
of our church?
A. Any trustee, ceasing to be a member of our
church, by reason of expulsion or otherwise, im¬
mediately ceases to be a trustees, except in case
of debts, or where he is a joint security, and then
no longer than such relief can be given as will
satisfy the creditors.
152
METHODIST POLITY.
581 Q. Who is the chairman of the Trustee Board?
A. The minister in charge is always chairman of
the Board of Trustees (where the laws of the State
or Territory do not otherwise provide), and his
signature is necessary at all times to make the
acts of the trustees valid. In the absence of the
minister in charge, he may appoint a president pro
tcin, and in all such cases his signature is legal.
582 Q. To what body are the trustees responsible for
their report.
A. The trustees shall make a report of all mon¬
eys received and wThen, and all moneys expended
and what for, to the Quarterly Conference, which
report, if adopted, the Presiding Elder must have
read to the members of his quarterly meeting. The
Quarterly Conference being the high court of the
church, it has a right to review the doings of the
trustees in full, and while it cannot remove them,
it can impeach them, and thus disqualify them, and
require the membership, with the pastor, to meet
and supply their places ; though Bishop Payne said,
unofficially, "that as the trustees are amenable to
the Quarterly Conference, the law implied power to
impeach, suspend and remove." As this is some¬
what a disputed point, no risk is ventured when
the Quarterly Conference impeaches and disquali¬
fies and remands the impeached back to the mem¬
bership of the church for final disposition. But the
members have no power to restore them to office,
for impeachment by the Quarterly Conference dis¬
qualifies them or any one of them for the time,
as the Quarterly Conference is the high court of
the church.
583 Q. In case of the death of a trustee, how shall the
vacancy be filled?
TRUSTEES.
153
A. If not indispensable to the good of the church,
the vacancy might remain till the end of the year,
or the pastor may call the membership together
and have them supply the vacancy. It is custom-
ary, however, for the trustees, when in regular
session, to elect one to supply the vacancy them¬
selves, and have the Quarterly Conference to con¬
firm.
584 Q. Do the Bishops hold any chief claim upon the
property of the connection?
A. No; Bishop Wayman says, neither the Bish¬
ops, the General nor the Annual Conferences have
ever claimed the church property beyond placing
as estoppel upon any proceedings designed to di¬
vert the use of the property from the purposes for
which it was originally intended.
585 Q. What, then, do the Bishops definitely claim and
demand ?
A. All that the Bishops demand is the mere
right to supply the pulpit with properly accredited
ministers and preachers of the A. M. E. Church,
who shall preach and expound the Word of God,
administer the Holy Sacraments and carry out the
provisions of the Book of Discipline.
586 Q. What if the trustees should close the doors of
the church upon the minister sent by the Bishop?
A. Bishop Baker, of the M. E. Church, says: "If
the trustees of any church should refuse to receive
the minister or preacher, and shut the doors against
him, the court would issue a peremptory manda¬
mus, commanding the trustee to admit the preach¬
er thus appointed to said churchand the same
would apply to the A. M. E. Church. The great
jurist, Chancellor Wadsworth, says: "That over
the church, as such, the legal or temporal tribunals
do not profess to have any jurisdiction whatever,
154
METHODIST POLITY.
except so far as it is necessary to protect it, or
where it is necessary to protect the civil rights of
others, and to protect the public peace. All ques¬
tions relating to the faith and practice of the
church and its members belong to the church judi¬
ciary, to which they have voluntarily subjected
themselves." Another jurist, eminent for learning,
Judge William J. Henry, of New York, says: "The
civil government has no just or lawful authority
over the conscience, or faith, or form of wrorship,
or church creed, or discipline, as long as their
fruits neither undermine the civil supremacy, de¬
moralize society, nor disturb its peace and security.
But if a disturbance should arise, the members of
a church should first appeal to their own ecclesiast¬
ical courts." The above authorities, learned in
civil and ecclesiastical law, show that the trustees
have no right to close the doors upon a minister
properly accredited before first appealing to the
church authorities arid judicatories.
587 Q. Suppose it should happen that the trustees
should know that the minister was guilty of a crime ex¬
pressly forbidden in the Word of God and the Bishop nor
Presiding Elder had not been apprised of it?
A. Even then it would not be the business of the
trustees to close the doors or attempt to eject the
pastor. The Board of Stewards are the guardians
of the pulpit and altar, and the Book of Discipline
informs them what to do in such cases.
588 Q. Can any portion of the church property be mort¬
gaged or placed in security to raise money to pay the
salary or allowance of the pastor by the trustees?
A. By no means. The General Conference of
1880 decided against such a procedure, also the
Council of Bishops in its annual session of 1884,
TRUSTEES.
155
and made it grave penalty for a pastor to receive
such money if it should happen to be thus illegally
gotten ; nor can the trustees mortgage the church
for anything without a majority vote of the legal
members thereof. Besides, it is not the business
of the trustees, as such, to raise the pastor's salary.
It is the legal duty of the stewards to collect and
pay the pastor his entire allowance, including his
salary, board and traveling expenses, and as the
pastor is the chairman of the board of stewards,
he is chiefly responsible for his own allowance.
Every pastor enters the ministry of the A. M. E.
Church with a full knowledge of this fact, and
takes the risk. Thus such a mortgage would be
null and void.
589 Q. How often should the pastor call the trustees
together for the transaction of business?
A. Once a month in all of our stations, and once
a quarter on all of our circuits—oftener if neces¬
sary.
590 Q. Can trustees speak in the Quarterly Conference?
A. They can on all matters connected with their
business, and at other times by permission.
591 Q. Should the Trustee Board have a secretary?
A. P>y all means, and regularly kept books of
their doings, open to the inspection of the Bishop
or Presiding Elder.
592 Q. What should the trustees do with the deeds of
property belonging to the members?
A. See that they are properly drawn up as per
Discipline, send them to the ensuing Annual Con¬
ference for inspection and approval, and when cor¬
rect have them recorded in harmony with the laws
of the State, and let the treasurer of the Trustee
Board, or the secretary, or any one the board or
156 METHODIST POLITY.
pastor may make its custodian, carefully preserve
a copy and transmit the same to their successors
in office.
593 Q. Can the trustees legally hold property not in¬
corporated by civil law?
A. Bishop McTyeire says: "Trustees can legally
protect church property against all lawless vio¬
lence and injury, even if the society has never
been legally incorporated, and may maintain an
action against the trespassers for the injury which
is done."
594 Q. Will you give me the decision made by the
Council of Bishops, relative to the claimants of back
pay?
A. Yes; here it is; read it:
We, the Council of Bishops of the African M. E.
Church, convened in official session, and the legal inter¬
preters of all laws enacted by the General Conference of
said Church, having been informed that some of the
pastors of said Church have entered legal proceedings in
the Courts of some of the States, to recover back salary
and allowance after their removal from the Charges
or Churches they had pastored.
Assert and aver, that no pastor, or minister acting as
pastor, in any of our Churches, is authorized by the polity,
genius or usages of our Church to enter suit, legal pro¬
ceedings or prosecution, in any civil or State Court, for
any salary, allowance or back pay which might be due
him. The pastors are the directors of their respective
Churches or Congregations, and as such can, at any con¬
venience, collect or see collected their own support, and
are chiefly responsible for any failure to get their sup¬
port. The pastors, morever, can select their stewards,
and secure men who will deal justly with them and pro¬
cure their support if the means are obtainable. All
claims for back support expire when the pastor is re¬
moved from a Church or Congregation, unless it be for
moneys loaned, or for work performed by special con¬
tract. Nor has the pastor any right to take the advan¬
tage of the ignorance of his Trustees, and contract with
them for his support, when the law of our Church makes
it the duty of the Stewards.
STEWARDS.
157
We aver, however, that it is the duty of all the mem¬
bers and officers to pay their pastors the support pro¬
vided for in our book of discipline. But, in case they
fail, it is not recoverable through the Courts of the land,
to the detriment of the peace and harmony of the Church.
Our Ch urch law, re-echoing the teaching of the Holy
Scripture, is rigid against one brother going to law with
another, and each pastor is bound to keep that law, and
not himself to rush into the civil Courts for a support
which he has the right to collect. And any pastor so
doing or acting forfeits his ministerial standing in the
A. M. E. Church. The same also applies to Presiding
Elders, and did apply to Bishops when they were paid
by their districts.
BISHOP A. W. WAYMAN, Chairman.
BISHOP J. M. BROWN,
Secretary of Bishop's Council.
CHAPTER XX.
STEWARDS.
SECTION I.
595 Q. What are stewards in the African Methodist
Episcopal Church?
A. Stewards are spiritual officers in the church,
charged in part with temporal responsibilities;
they serve three tables—the table of the Lord, the
table of the minister and the table of the poor.
596 Q. In what respect?
A. 1st. They provide elements for the Lord's
supper. 2d. They make estimates for the support
and expenses of the ministry, and take measures,,
by private and public collections, for paying the
same. 3d. They inquire into the cases of the
needy and distressed, and, out of a church fund
raised for that purpose, relieve them according to
158 METHODIST POLITY.
the liberality of the members. Stewards were early
appointed by Mr. Wesley to receive, account for
and disburse the collections, and in the primitive
days of Methodism they also performed duties of
which they in part are now relieved by the trustees.
597 Q. Do the pastor and stewards when in official
session constitute a Board by themselves, I mean without
the presence of the class leaders?
A. Yes; the stewards with the pastor are con¬
stituted a Board by the General Rules, which no
power can overrule in the church.
598 Q. What are the qualifications of stewards
A. They must be men of solid piety, practical
business habits, who both know and love the Meth¬
odist doctrine and Discipline. They must be men
of good, natural and acquired ability to transact the
temporal business of the church.
599 Q. What is the relation of stewards to the pastor
in charge?
A. The stewards constitute the pastor's cabinet,
and therefore they are an important factor in the
running machinery of the church. Being selected
and chosen by the pastor as his aides-de-camp,
from among all the other members of the church,
the}' hold a relation to the pastor far more intimate
and responsible than any other persons connected
therewith.
600 Q. Then it would appear that the stewards share
a part of the successes and failures of the pastor's ad¬
ministration ?
A. The}' do. They sustain the same relation to a
pastor that a Presiding" Elder does to a Bishop, be¬
cause they are a part of the pastor, as they con¬
stitute his private advisers, and any blunder the
pastor may be upon the verge of making, it is
STEWARDS.
159
their business, either individually or collectively,
to warn him at once, and if he will not hear them,
and still persists in a course that is likely to result
in his failure, it is their duty to secretly call the
Bishop's or Presiding Elder's attention to it, that
authority may operate where advice is unheeded
and thus ward off coming trouble.
601 Q. What is the duty of stewards?
A. They are to take an exact account of all the
moneys or other provisions collected for the sup¬
port of the prachers in the circuit or station; make
an accurate return of every expenditure of money,
whether to the preachers, church, sick or poor;
seek out the needy and distressed in order to re¬
lieve and comfort them; attend the Quarterly Con¬
ferences of their circuit or station; to give advice;
read their reports for the last quarter; present
plans for the extension of the work and for the
benefit of existing circuits or stations; attend com¬
mittees for the application of money for churches
and give counsel in matters of arbitration; w'rite
circular letters to the societies of the circuit when
occasion requires; register the marriages and bap¬
tisms ; provide elements for the Lord's supper, pro¬
vide for baptisms and wait upon the minister in the
administration of the same; prepare the table for
love-feast services and serve in the distribution of
the same; they are to stand up during the time
that the pastor is administering the Lord's supper
to the people, and see that the people kneel around
the altar properly, and that no more approach the
altar at a time than can conveniently kneel around
it, so that the pastor may not be compelled to bend
over the heads of some to hand the elements of
the Lord's supper to others in the rear, which is
160 METHODIST POLITY.
highly improper, and no stewards should force the
pastor to do so by a neglect of their duties; seek
out for ministers to fill the pulpit when the pastor
is sick or absent and no one is left in charge of
the pulpit by the pastor; visit the different classes
when necessary, and encourage the people to pay
their class dues to their leaders and aid the class-
leaders in whatever respect they are able; be more
liberal, if possible, than others, and thus set an
example of liberality in behalf of the minister,
church and poor, and be subject to the Bishop,
elders, deacons and preachers of the circuit or
station.
602 Q. To whom are the stewards accountable for the
performance of their duties?
A. They are accountable to the pastor in charge
of the work for the constant and regular discharge
of their duties, and finally to the Quarterly Confer¬
ence, which has power to remove them when they
fail or refuse to do their duty. For willful neglect
or refusal to discharge their duties, the pastor can
suspend them and fill the vacancy till the next
meeting of the Quarterly Conference, which shall
dispose of the case.
603 Q. What number of stewards is allowed to a cir¬
cuit or station?
A. Not less than three, nor more than nine.
604 Q. How are stewards appointed?
A. They are nominated by the pastor in charge
of the circuit or station, and confirmed by the
Quarterly Conference.
605 Q. How are stewards put into office ?
A. After they have been elected by the Quarterly
Conference, the Presiding Elder or Pastor should
present them to the people on the Sabbath of the
STEWARDS 161
Quarterly Meeting, by calling them before the
altar, and obligate them as follows: Do you promise,
in the presence of God, that you all and singular will
faithfully discharge the duties of stewards in this
church, the Lord being your helper? And if they assent,
let them be introduced to the people as stewards.
606 Q. How long may the stewards hold their office?
A. They can only serve for one year at a time, un¬
less by some accident no successors are elected at
the expiration of that time; then they hold over till
an election is held.
607 Q. Who is the chairman of the Board of Stewards?
A. The minister in charge of the circuit or sta¬
tion.
608 Q. Who arranges with the pastor for his support
or allowance ?
A. The Board of Stewards.
609 Q. Is it not customary for ministers going into
new work to call together all of the officers, including
trustees, stewards, class-leaders, local preachers and ex-
horters, to arrange for their support?
A. Yes. It is a common thing to do so; but such
preachers are either ignorant of the law and duty
of stewards, or they voluntarily adopt this course
because of what they conceive to be good policy,
whereas it is bad policy; for it is imparting a false
education to the people and inconveniencing their
successors, who may know the law.
610 Q. How are the Board of Stewards usually divided,
so as to make them the more effective officers?
A. 1. By electing one of their number as secre¬
tary, who is called the Recording Steward, who
records all the business of the Official Board, includ¬
ing baptisms, marriages, deaths, roll of members,
162 METHODIST POLITY.
list of probationers and Conference moneys in a
book regularly labeled for the use of the Board.
2. A Treasurer, who holds the moneys of the
Board and pays the minister as directed by the
same. He is usually called the Preacher's Stew¬
ard, for the reason he is supposed to plan and devise
more measures for raising the preacher's support.
3. Poor Steward, which, Mr. Wesley said, "fur¬
nished the minister and stewards with the names
and addresses of sick and poor members, in order
that pastoral attention may be given and means
furnished for their relief."
4. Holy Steward—a sobriquet generally applied,
but not irreverently at all, to the steward who pro¬
vides elements for the Lord's Supper and for love-
feasts, and water for baptismal purposes.
But, while this division may exist among the
stewards, yet each one is personally bound to ren¬
der any service to the church that he may see to
be needed.
SECTION II. ■
611 Q. What is a circuit steward?
A. A circuit steward is one that estimates the
salary of the circuit minister and apportions the
amount among the several congregations compos¬
ing the circuit, and communicates, by person or let¬
ter, with the several congregations for the collec¬
tion of said apportionment. He is also the officer
who generally attends to procuring a residence for
the pastor's family, and in some instances becomes
the agent of the trustees of the different churches
in renting and furnishing a residence for the pastor
where the circuit has no regular parsonage.
STEWARDS
163
612 Q. What did Bishop McKendree say about the re^
suit of stewards not discharging their duty?
A. He said: "Stewards should remember that if
they fail to discharge their duties, the cause of God
would inevitably suffer. No other members of the
church feel at liberty to act in this capacity without
an appointment; and unless the finances of the
church are properly managed, the ministers must
be embarrassed, or retire from the work."
613 Q. Is the recording steward the secretary of the
Official Board?
A. Yes. The Official Board has no secretary ex¬
cept the one furnished by the Stewards' Board, for
it is the duty of the recording steward to record
the business of the Official Board.
614 Q. Why, then, does the Discipline say, "The Official
Board shall annually elect a secretary, who shall keep a
strict account of its proceedings ?"
A. It is a part of that hasty legislation which too
often is thoughtlessly rushed through our General
Conferences without due consideration. The Dis¬
cipline, in defining the office and duty of stewards,
requires them to keep a labeled record, and all the
accounts that arise in the Official Board, and then
says, "The Official Board shall elect a secretary,"
which literally makes two secretaries for the same
board, and for recording the same business and
items, for there can be no Official Board without
the stewards. The General Rules determine that
point; therefore the election of a secretary by the
Official Board is unprecedented, unmethodistic, and
can have no legal sanction while the General Rule
exists.
615 Q. Did you say that the stewards should remain
164 METHODIST POLITY.
upon their feet and guard the altar while the Lord s
supper is being administered; if so, what is meant.
A. The stewards are spiritual officers, as has been
already said, and the pastor's chief assistants in run¬
ning the church. Their business is to attend and
wait around him while he ministers in holy things,
and render all needed help; attend around the altar
when the pastor calls persons forward for prayer;
find such as may come a place to kneel, and when
persons come forward to join on probation, seat
them if necessary, but be around them at all events;
place such persons as may come forward to be re¬
ceived into full membership in proper position;
also, such as may come forward for baptism,
whether children or adults, and when the Lord's
supper is being administered at least three stew¬
ards should stand around the altar and see that
the communicants are kneeling in proper positions,
and that no unbaptized, suspended, expelled, in¬
toxicated or improper person is allowed to take
communion.
616 Q. What else is required of the stewards?
A. They are to guard the pulpit and altar from
improper encroachment or desecration, while the
trustees guard and defend the other portion of the
church and yard, and in view of these grave,
weighty and sacred responsibilities the stewards
should be polite, mild in expression, respectful to
people and children, and especially clean in their
dress and person, that the church of the living
God may suffer no harm or blame through these
responsible officers.
617 Q. Who is the treasurer of the Official Board?
A. One of the stewards elected by the Stewards'
Board.
STEWARDS.
165
618 Q. Why does the Discipline direct the Official
Board to elect annually its own treasurer to hold all
moneys collected or obtained under the auspices of the
stewards ?
A. It is another one of those conflicts of tke law
which has grown out of hasty legislation in our
General Conferences. The stewards, with the pas¬
tor, constitute the Executive Department of the
church, and therefore are a board corporate under
the law, protected by the Restrictive Rules, and,
as such, are responsible to the Quarterly Conference
and members for the faithful discharge of their
duties and use of the people's money, and, as such,
are bound to elect their own secretary and treas¬
urer, as much so as the trustees ; otherwise they
could not be held responsible for the faithful dis¬
charge of their duties, and even if the Official
Board did usurp the power to elect a secretary
and treasurer, they would have to elect stewards;
otherwise it would destroy the board by forcing
irresponsible men into it, not confirmed by the
Quarterly Conference. The only power in the
church that could elect and force into the Stewards'
Board a secretary and treasurer would be the
Quarterly Conference, and it would have no right
to do so unless it intended to disorganize the Stew¬
ards' Board.
CHAPTER XXI.
STEWARDESSES.
619 Q. What constitutes the Board of Stewardesses in
the A. M. E. Church?
A. The stewardesses are a collection of sisters,
numbering not less than three nor more than nine,
166 METHODIST POLITY.
who assist the stewards, class-leaders, and pastor
in managing the spiritual and sometimes the tem¬
poral, affairs of the church, but cannot always be
recognized as a board, as they have no legislative
or judicial discretion, but are merely assistants.
620 Q. How are they appointed?
A. They are nominated by the preacher in charge
and confirmed by the Board of Stewards only in
a regular stewards' meeting.
621 Q. To whom are they responsible?
A. To the pastor and Board of Stewards, which
has power to remove them whenever it may seem
to the interest of the church.
622 Q. How often are they appointed?
A. They have no limited term of office; they
hold during the pleasure of the Board of Stewards.
They may, however, be elected annually, and pos¬
sibly should.
623 Q. What should be the character of the steward¬
esses ?
A. They should be highly pious women of irre¬
proachable reputations, and of sufficient age and
standing in the community to guarantee respect¬
ability. They should be able to read the Holy
Scriptures, sing and offer prayer in the sick-room
without timidity or fear, and not too sensitive and
proud to go among the lowly, poor and needy and
work for God among the people, including adults
and children.
624 Q. What are the duties of stewardesses?
A. They are especially charged with looking af¬
ter the females of the church; going into sick¬
rooms and attending to such duties among the
females as might be imprudent for a man to per¬
form; to attend and prepare the females for bap-
STEWARDESSES.
167
tism, and to accompany and direct mothers around
the altar when they are having their children bap¬
tized ; take special care of all female mourners
when they approach the altar for prayer, and see
that they are properly cared for; look after all
females under religious excitement, and attend
around the altar when needed or necessary. They
should assist the stewards in preparing the table
fro the Lord's supper and love-feast; prepare the
parsonage for the incoming preacher and call upon
the trustees for necessary comforts of the same;
report to the minister, stewards and class-leaders
anything that they may see disorderly in a mem¬
ber, provided they think the attention and services
of such officers are needed, and do all such things
as are becoming mothers in Israel.
625 Q. Are stewardesses members of the Official Board
or Quarterly Conference?
A. No. Yet they may attend either for any
specific business, if requested by the pastor or
stewards. Nevertheless, great caution should be
exercised in requiring them to be present in these
boards at nights.
626 Q. Should the pastor call the stewardesses to¬
gether at stated times for the transaction of business?
A. No. There is no provision made in the law, or
even implied, for stewardesses to hold stated meet¬
ings ; yet the pastor may call them together from
his pulpit whenever he adjudges it necessary; but
even then such stewardess meeting should be hid
in the day-time, in order to avoid any conflict
which might arise with their husbands or in their
families, that the gospel may not be blamed.
627 Q. Can a minister and his Board of Stewards create
more than three, five, seven or nine stewardesses?
A. No. I have heard, however, that some pastors,
168 METHODIST POLITY.
with their stewards, have pretended to make fifteen
and twenty stewardesses. But it shows that they
are either unpardonably ignorant or willful viola¬
tors of the laws of the church. In either case it
demonstrates their unfitness for the ministry.
628 Q. What about women preaching in the A. M. E.
Church?
A. We have discussed that subject in Section II.,
of the Chapter entitled Local and Traveling Preach¬
ers. Turn to it, and read it, as it covers all we
have to say.
629 Q. I understand the General Conference of the M.
E. Church, in 1888, created the office of Deaconesses, and
has given certain rules for their regulations. What about
it?
A. Well, they are female church workers, that
about answer to our stewardesses. They are called
Deaconesses, but are far from corresponding with
the old apostolic Deaconesses.
630 Q. Please give a short sketch of the creation and
duties of Deaconesses in the M. E. Church?
A. All right. Here is the law copied directly
from the discipline of the M. E. Church. It reads
as follows:
DEACONESSES.
The duties of the Deaconesses are to minister to the
poor, visit the sick, pray with the dying, care for the
orphan, seek the wandering, comfort the sorrowing, save
the sinning and, relinquishing wholly all other pursuits,
devote themselves, in a general way, to such forms of
Christian labor as may be suited to their abilities.
No vow shall be exacted from any Deaconess, and any
one of their number shall be at liberty to relinquish her
position as a Deaconess at any time.
In every Annual Conference within which Deaconesses
STEWARDESSES.
169
may be employed, a Conference Board of nine members,
at least three of whom shall be women, shall be ap¬
pointed by the Conference to exercise a general control
of the interests of this form of work.
This Board shall be empowered to issue certificates to
duly qualified persons, authorizing them to perform the
duties of Deaconesses in connection with the Church,
provided that no person shall receive such certificate
until she shall have served a probation of two years of
continuous service, and shall be over twenty-five years
of age.
No person shall be licensed by the Board of Deacon¬
esses except on the recommendation of a Quarterly Con¬
ference, and said Board of Deaconesses shall be appoint¬
ed by the Annual Conference for such term of service
as the Annual Conference shall decide, and said Board
shall report both the names and work of such Deacon¬
esses annually, and the approval of the Annual Confer¬
ence shall be necessary for the continuance of any
Deaconess in her work.
When working singly each Deaconess shall be under
the direction of the Pastor of the Church with which she
is connected. When associated together in a home all
the members of the home shall be subordinate to and
directed by the Superintendent placed in charge.
631 Q. Do you approve of this plan of female work?
A. I approve of anything that puts the people to
working for God and his church. Women ought
to be utilized in any way suitable to their condi¬
tion and circumstances, while I think Deaconesses
is not the proper name for them. I believe God
will bless their efforts to do good.
170
METHODiSi' POLITS.
CHAPTER XXII.
CLASS-LEADERS.
SECTION I.
632 Q. What are class-leaders in the African Methodist
Episcopal Church ?
A. They are sub-pastors, and as such are appointed
by the preacher in charge. The minister is bound to
take heed of all the flock over which the Holy Ghost has
made him overseer, and to enable him to discharge this
duty the more effectively, the leader is a proxy-pastor.
633 Q. What did Bishop Hedding say about class-leaders?
A. He said: " If the leaders cannot, or will not, do
their duty, let them be changed for others who will be
more faithful; and then, if it be necessary, appoint
other agents to assist the leaders (assistant leaders), so
as to be sure and have a report from all the members.
Sometimes, when females are to be searched out, visited,
comforted, exhorted or reproved, it may be very proper
and useful to appoint judicious and pious persons of
their sex to perform that service (we have stewardesses),
and thus the sisters may follow the example of those in
the apostolic church, who labored with St. Paul in the
gospel."
634 Q. What should be the qualifications of class-leaders?
A. They should be of deep personal piety, mature
experience, ability to give religious counsel and advice
wisely and affectionately, and to influence the members,
CLASS-LEADERS.
171
young and old, to the systematic discharge of their
Christian duties. They should be well versed in the
Discipline of the church, daily readers of the Bible,
sufficiently familiar with the Holy Scriptures to apply
the Word of God to the varied cases of every person
they may lead. They should read the lives of persons
eminent for piety; commit to memory the sayings of
holy men in all ages, the better to become acquainted
with the different shades of experience and the Christian
duties devolving upon the church. They should be
good singers, and should have from twenty to forty
hymns committed to memory; should be men who ob¬
serve family prayer at their homes, and see that their
children attend both Sabbath-school and public preach¬
ing, and they themselves, regularly. They should be
men who attend the house of God forenoon on the Sab¬
bath, and worship when all nature lends a helping
hand, and not wait till Sabbath night to bestir them¬
selves, when the owls, bats, coons, frogs and other ani¬
mals, which are afraid of light, creep forth from their
dark retreats. They should also be polite, mild in ex¬
pression, accustomed to speaking to the members, not
gossippers, news-carriers, haughty, light, triflers and
given to too much joking, but on all occasions should
be grave and venerable.
635 Q. What are the qualifications of an assistant leader?
A. The Discipline does not provide for and recognize
the office of an assistant leader, yet they have existed
in the Methodist Churches since 1771, possibly earlier,
but history does not confirm it. Assistant leaders are
generally appointed by the leaders themselves, and not
by the pastor. Some pastors, however, claim the right
172
METHODIST POLITY.
to confirm them, and other pastors claim the right
to appoint them. Where the pastors appoint the
assistant leaders, they are generally allowed to
represent the leader in charge, in his absence, at
the Official Board. They should have the same
qualifications of a regular leader. This would be
an excellent method, if generally adopted, to utilize
young men and train them for effective leaders in
the future.
636 Q. Who instituted the class-leadership?
A. Air. Wesley, at the very birth of Methodism.
Each society (congregation) was divided into small
companies, called classes, accroding to their re¬
spective places of abode, and one of them was ap¬
pointed the leader.
637 Q. What is meant by their respective places of
abode ?
A. In the primitive days of Methodism, class-
meetings were rarely held at the place where they
met to have preaching. The members in different
neighborhoods met and held class-meetings in each
other's parlors or sitting-rooms often, till they went
the circuit of their dwellings. Thus the meaning
of their respective places of abode.
638 Q. How man}- members are allowed to a leader?
A. Primitive Methodists only allowed twelve, in¬
cluding the leader, to a class, and the General Rules
really provide only for that number yet. But all
branches of Methodism have departed from that
old custom, so that our classes now number from
ten to fifty, and sometimes more. But no leader
can do justice to over fifteen or twenty members
without an indefinite number of assistant leaders
639 Q. What is the duty of class-leaders?
CLASS-LEADERS.
173
A. The General Rules, which is the fundamental
law of Methodism, in speaking of the leader, says:
It is his duty, 1. To see each person in his class
once a week at least, in order, first, to inquire how
their souls prosper; second, to advise, reprove, com¬
fort or exhort, as occasion may require; third, to
receive what they are willing to give towards the
relief of the preachers, church and poor. 2. To
meet the ministers and stewards of the society once
a week, in order, first, to inform the minister of
any that are sick, or of any that walk disorderly
and will not be reproved; second, to pay the stew¬
ards what they have received from their several
classes in the week preceding.
640 Q. What should a leader infer when he meets his
class and finds a member absent?
A. That the member is sick, or dead, or has been
unexpectedly summmoned away from home, or
that there is indisposition in the family, for every
good Methodist will endeavor to be at class.
641 Q. What should the class-leader do then?
A. Inquire after the cause of the absence, in
person, or through his first of second assistant
leaders, if he has any. Yet, a class-leader should
not be presumed to be a regular church constable,
running day and night after church criminals.
642 Q. What should a class-leader do with a member
who constantly neglects class and will not amend his
ways ?
A. Before reporting him to the pastor, the
leader, with a number of members, should visit
the house of the said delinquent—sing, pray,
and lead him a few times at his own resi¬
dence, and if this with the other means
that the Discipline provides, does not reform him
174
METHODIST POLITY.
let the leader report him to the minister, as the law
requires, and the law will naturally take its course; but
the pastor should visit the delinquent, also, as well as
the leader before he applies the law; no pastor can
expel members for neglecting class, until he has visited
them and urged reformation.
SECTION II.
643 Q. What if a class-leader allows an expelled member to
enjoy the privilege of class-meeting, or furnish such with a
ticket for love-feast ?
A. He shall instantly be removed by the preacher in
charge, says the law; yet, when a leader is endeavoring
to recover a lost member, he is invariably allowed to
exercise his judgment in permitting an expelled mem¬
ber to visit his class. There is not so much secrecy
attached to class-meetings as formerly, and inasmuch as
a leader has the right to exhort, he should be allowed to
use his gifts and privileges to the best advantage.
644 Q. How may the leaders of classes be rendered more
useful?
A. Let them be diligently examined concerning their
method of conducting class. Let this be done with all
possible exactness, at least once a quarter, taking sufficient
time, and allowing the class-leader to give full illustra¬
tions.
645 Q. Who shall examine the class-leaders concerning their
gifts and usefulness?
A. The pastor in charge should do it in the Official
Board at his pleasure. But the Presiding Elder should
always make it a part of his Quarterly Conference du¬
ties, though he may only have time to examine two or
three.
CLASS-* KA.DK11S.
175
646 Q. What particular feature of a class-leader's duty
should be the most carefully examined into ?
A. The ability of the leader to advise, reprove, com¬
fort, or exhort, as the occasion may require.
647 Q. Why is this so necessary in a class-leader ?
A. Because upon this qualification, more than any
other, is suspended his power for good or evil with his
class. If the leader is ignorant, indolent and does not
read and keep himself posted in the Scriptures and all
religious matters, he will become common, insipid, and
a drone to his members, and fall into the use of the same
set of words till his members become as familiar with
them as with the fingers upon their hands, which ends
his usefulness at once.
648 Q. What then is necessary to his effectiveness ?
A. After hearing his members relate their varied ex¬
periences, he should, as the General Rules require, suit
his remarks to their several conditions, and advise,
reprove, comfort, or exhort, just as the stated condi¬
tions of the members require or demand. The leader
who studies, prays and prepares himself so to address
his members will be always effective, successful, and
an instrument for good in the hands of God.
649 Q. What portion of the Discipline, of all others, should
a class-leader be most familiar with ?
A. The General Rules, because these rules embody
the very heart, constitution and fundamentalities of
practical Christianity, as understood and required to
be lived by every branch of Methodism, and formed
the landmarks and catalogue of religious duties for
over forty years before the twenty-five Articles of
Rei jKj-ion" were drawn up and adopted by Mr. Wesley
and his associates.
176
METHODIST POLITY.
650 Q. Then it would appear that class-leaders should
make the study of the General Rules a specialty?
A. Yes. Next to the Word of God, Methodist
ministers and class leaders should familiarize them¬
selves with the General Rules. They furnish ma¬
terial for the pulpit, for the class-room, for the
mourner, for the backslider, for the sinner, as well
as for the Christian. No one observing the pro¬
visions of these rules will ever lose membership in
the church, the respect and confidence of civil so¬
ciety, nor a place at the right hand of God when
done with earth.
651 Q. What is meant by the trial leader, or the proba¬
tioner's leader?
A. The Discipline provides that all persons unit¬
ing with our church on probation shall be placed
upon a separate class or classes. This makes it
compulsory upon the pastor to appoint them a
special leader and, from the organization of Meth¬
odism to the present such a leader has been known
as the trial leader, or the probationer's leader.
652 Q. Why was it adjudged necessary to place the
probationers upon a class to themselves?
A. Because the General Rules which were drawn
up by the two great Wesleys—John and Charles—
and adopted in 1743 for the use of the Methodist
societies, provides that persons having the form and
seeking the power of godliness should join the church
on six months' probation—that is, before they ex¬
perience justification b}- faith, or, as we commonly
say, are converted; therefore, it was thought that
the kind of training needed by these unconverted,
but penitent seekers, was different from that which
would be profitable to regular Christians; hence,
men of age, great experience, adapted to train-
TRIALS OF LAY MEMBERS.
177
lng the young, were appointed over these classes and
known as the trial leaders.
653 Q. Is this rule still enforced in the African Methodist
Episcopal Church?
A. Certainly, and in every other Methodist Church
that has the General Rules in its Book of Discipline,
and holds them sacred, as every Methodist is in duty
bound to do. Trial leaders, however, should be men
of such age and godly lives as will always be examples
of such Christian piety and fatherly bearing that the
probationer may never suffer harm through the effects
of their conduct or influence.
654 Q. How do the English class-leaders often stir up their
delinquent members who neglect class meetings ?
A. Send them the following cards—often printed :
Mr. James Farnell, your class leader, sends his kind re¬
gards, and will be happy to see you at class next Tues¬
day, at seven and a half o'clock in 4he evening. He is
sure you will be greatly benefited, and hia heart will be
greatly relieved by your presence.
CHAPTER XXIII.
TRIAL OF LAY MEMBERS.
SECTION I.
655 <3,. We often hear of members of the church being brought
to trial and expelled, suspended, reprimanded and censured.
What is the object of all such trials and punishments?
A. To rid the church of bad persons who are incorri¬
gible, after every effort possible has been made to save
8*
178
METHODIST POLITY.
them. No church member should be expelled until
every form of advice, exhortation, counsel, rebuke, re¬
proof and endeavors to reclaim the person have been
exhausted, for expulsion from the church implies dis¬
grace. Immorality and expulsion are regarded by the
public as inseparable, so that when a person is expelled,
his Christian standing in the church is not only severed,
but his reputation in the community where he resides is
injured, his or her family is reflected upon to a greater
or less extent. Hence the reason so many persons have
gone to the civil courts to have their characters vindi¬
cated, when the church trials have been hasty, and in
many instances unjust, and in other instances the trials
were before preachers who were ignorant of both church
and civil law; thus the results.
656 Q. What is the moral and religious philosophy of church
trials and punishments?
A. To make offenders better—to induce them to think
upon their evil ways, repent of their sins, reform their
habits, and seek and find everlasting life. Also to deter
others from pursuing a similar course of conduct. Any
trial that does not contemplate the salvation of the
person tried is wicked, and will turn upon the prose¬
cutor.
657 Q. How jhall an accused member be brought to trial?
A. Before a select committee (which should never be
less than five nor more than fifteen), of the church of
which he is a member, in the presence of a Bishop,
Elder, Deacon or licentiate, since he is the pastor, or is
authorized to try the case by competent authority. I
mean by competent authority, when the pastor is the
prosecutor or a witness, then the Bishop or Presiding
TRIAL OF LAY MEMBERS
179
Elder must appoint another minister to try the case, as
the pastor cannot be the prosecutor or witness and pre¬
siding officer, too; nor can the pastor himself appoint
another minister to preside. But while the other minister
is trying the case, says Bishop Baker, he is in full charge
of the church till the trial is over.
658 Q. For what length of time, after the commission of an
offence, can a person be tried ?
A. Bishop Baker says, " That any crime, committed
at however remote a period, if it be within the time in
which the accused has been a member of the church, it
is indictable, but it can not be extended to any period
beyond membership," while Bishop Harris, of the same
church, differs, and says, " The limit should be within
reason, and that circumstances should operate." Bishop
Brown in reviewing a case before the Alabama Confer¬
ence, ruled out an allegation upon the ground that it was
several years old, but said, " a man who had two or three
wives had no limitation-bar to his offence." I am like
Bishops Harris and Brown ; when an offence against the
church becomes old, and the person has been a consistent
member ever since, it does appear that time and circum¬
stances should be a bar to a trial, or should operate as a
bar.
659 Q. What were the effects of expulsion or excommunica¬
tion among the ancient Israelites and afterwards the Jews?
A. Excommunication, among the ancient Jews, de¬
prived the person of many social rights and enjoyments,
and affected in some instances, says " Home's Introduc¬
tion," " their civil status, and entailed upon them griev¬
ous ourdens." In short, it was a disgrace.
660 Q. What does Jesus say about it?
A. He said, " If thy brother shall trespass against
180
METHODIST POLITY.
thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him
alone. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy
brother; but if he will not hear thee, then take with
thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three
witnesses every word shall be established ; and if he
shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church, but
if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as
a heathen man and a publican." Expel him, I think,
is what Christ meant.
661 Q. What did St. Paul say about it?
A. He said, " If any man obey not our word by this
epistle, note that man, and have no company with him,
that he may be ashamed; yet, count him not as an
enemy, but admonish him as a brother." St. Paul again
says to Titus, " A man that is an heretic after the first
and second admonition reject." Everything we can find
in the Scriptures relative to excommunicating members,
shows that Bishop Payne was right when he told the
Florida Conference, Let the last thing you do be to
expel a member from the church."
662 Q. For what may a person be expelled from the church?
A. Anything, or rather for any crime, expressly for¬
bidden by the Word of God, and sufficient to exclude a
person from the kingdom of grace and glory, which is
generally termed " immoral conduct."
663 Q. What constitutes immoral conduct?
A. Wilful disobedience of the moral law or Ten Com¬
mandments. All the Ten Commandments are equal in
magnitude and enormity, and for the violation of either
a person is liable to expulsion, no more for one than
another, says Boyd, when no hope of a reformation
is seen.
TRIAL OF LAY MEfo^LRS.
181
664 Q. What is imprudent and unchristian conduct?
A. Neglect of duties, indulging sinful tempers, ut¬
tering sinful words, buying, selling or using intoxicat¬
ing liquors, speaking evil of ministers, dealing in lot¬
teries, playing cards, sowing dissension, gambling in
any form, disobedience to the order of Discipline of
the church, insubordination, dancing and such like
conduct. First, let private reproof lie given by -a
preacher or leader, and if there b£ an acknowledgment
of the fault, and proper humiliation, the person may
be borne with. On a second offense the preacher or
leader may take one or two discreet members of the
church. On a third /offense let him .be brought to
trial, and, if found guilty, and there still be no signs of
real humiliation, he shall be expelled.
665 Q. After a member has committed the offense, and^has
been tried and found guilty, can he still be borne with, if he
shows signs of real humiliation?
A. Bishop Harris, of the M. E. Church, says " he
can." Everything must be done by the minister to
save a member to the church, as expulsion implies
damnation.
666 Q. When a member habitually neglects the means of
grace, namely. Public, worship, class-meetings, the Lord's Sup¬
per, love feast, family and private prayer, reading the Script¬
ures, prayer-meetings, &c., what shall be done with him ?
A. Let the preacher in charge visit him, and explain
the consequences, if he continues in such course. And
if he do not amend, let the preacher in charge bring
the case before a select committee (at least five) and if
he be found guilty and there are no signs of a reforma¬
tion, let him be expelled.
667 Q. Under what circumstances would a Bishop or a Pre
182
METHODIST POLITY".
siding Elder be justified iu presiding at the trial of a lay
member, when either might be appealed to ?
A. "A Bishop can preside," says Bishop Baker,
" when there is no pastor of a church; so could a Pre¬
siding Elder." If a church has a pastor, it is his busi¬
ness, however, as the case might, by appeal, come be¬
fore the Quarterly Conference for review, and ulti¬
mately reach the Annual Conference.
668 Q. When a member is under trial, who decides all
questions of law bearing upon the case, pro or con f
A. If a layman is being tried the preacher in charge
decides all law points. Each decision must, as all
other proceedings connected with a trial, be written
down, otherwise the Presiding Elder can rule out any¬
thing or the entire trial, if brought before him for re¬
view. I do not mean every speech or word uttered;
but all points of evidence must be recorded by the sec¬
retary, or, as we have just said, the Presiding Elder
can declare the trial a nullity.
SECTION II.
669 Q. Who has the right to prefer charges against mem¬
bers for immoral, imprudent or unchristian conduct?
A. Any member of the church or the connection.
In the form of a Bill of charges and specifications, no
pastor can call a member to trial upon rumors, gossip
or flying reports. Yet, he can send out committees
from his Board to examine into rumors, who can inves¬
tigate the matter and have charges formulated if they
are reasonably true.
670 Q. Can a member be called to trial without written
charges preferred, and a copy of the same furnished to the ac-
TiiiAL OF LAY MEMBERS.
183
cused long enough before the time for the accu-ed to prepare
for the defense?
A. No, the accused must have a copy of the charges
and reasonable time to prepare, if it takes a month.
They must have time to look up witnesses, if thev
have any; give a list to the preacher in charge, that he
may summons them at the same time he summonses the
witnesses for the prosecution, get the depositions or
sworn testimony of absent witnesses and make such
other preparation as is reasonable, and in keeping with
church trials.
671 Q. How long may the pastor or elder allow a trial to
proceed '?
A. Neither the pastor, elder nor Bishop lias any¬
thing to do with the length of a trial. It may last a
week or more. It must last, however, till all the wit¬
nesses, documentary evidence and pleadings desired by
either side have been heard, unless there should be a
large number of witnesses who only state the same
thing when a less number is sufficient to prove or dis¬
prove the count—three witnesses are enough to prove
any one fact in a civil court.
672 Q Has any member, when under trial, the right to be
represented by an attorney?
A. Yes ; if they choose to get another member to
represent them, it is their privilege to do so. Bishop
Pavne has allowed civil lawyers to come into his Con¬
ferences and represent ministers under trial. Bishop
Campbell also conceded the right. Dr. H. J. Young,
in the famous trial with the trustees of our New York
church, allowed white lawyers not members of any
church to appear and plead before him pro and con.
A gentleman, not a member of our church, represented
184
METHODIST POLITY.
his wife before a church court in the presence of the
writer. Any member is justified in doing any honora¬
ble thing to save him from the disgrace of expulsion.
673 Q. C;in a lay member be tried before members of the
Quarterly Conference ?
A. No; for should there be an appeal to the Quar¬
terly Conference from the lower court, the member or
members of the Quarterly Conference before whom the
accused was first tried would not be competent to re¬
hear the case. The trial must be before laymen (some¬
times women may be used) who are not members of the
Quart e r 1 y C o a fe r e n ee.
674 Q. Can members of another A. M. E. Church serve on
the committee before whom the accused is tried ?
A. Yes. " The whole trial can be before members
of another church," says Bishop Harris. The ends of
justice are often better served when members of another
A. M. E. Church impartially hear and dispose of the
case; there can then be no prejudice if any prejudice
should exist. But another pastor cannot preside unless
the regular pastor is disqualified by reason of being a
witness or the prosecutor.
675 Q. Has a minister the right to prefer charges against a
member and preside himself at the trial, or put a steward, local
deacon or local elder in the chair?
A. tf a pastor presents charges against a member of
his church, lie naturally becomes the accuser, and is
wholly disqualified from presiding at the trial. Bishon
Baker sav.-i in such a case (where the pastor becomes
th e accuser): " The Presiding Elder or Bishop shall
appoint some other preacher in charge of the church to
try the case." "When the case is disposed of, the pastor
TKIAL Oi?" LAV MEMBERS.
185
proper can then resume the charge. As for a steward
or any local preacher presiding at the trial of a member
is mere idle talk.
076 Q. Has a member a proper trial without a copy of a
written charge and ample time to prepare for defense?
A. No; anything less than that would be no proper
trial, and unless it was a proper trial it would be no
trial at all. It would merely be a mob. Hundreds of
our members are mobbed out of the church ; and in all
such cases the Presiding Elders are duty-bound to de¬
clare such trials null and void, which is a restoration of
the person to membership. But he must order a legal
trial to be had at the same time, as the charges may be
correct.
677 (). Has the pastor the right to decide who is a compe¬
tent witness as soon a-> they take the stand and commence
giving in evidence?
A. No; if there is anything disqualifying a person
from acting as a witness in a case, it must be determined
after hearing argument pro and con before they take the
stand. Otherwise, it would appear the witness was ruled
out because the evidence being given was not pleasing
to the pastor, which he has no right to meddle with.
678 Q. After testimony is given before a committee, has the
pastor the right to rule out or decide what is proper testimony
or not?
A. No, not after it has been given without objec¬
tions. If the evidence was improper or out of place,
the witness should be stopped at the moment and told
so, where the counsel could protect the witness under
law, if right.
()71> Q. tf the pastor should prefer charges against a member
of his church, and thus disqualifying himself from acting as
186
METHODIST POLITY.
chairman during the trial of said member, could not the Pre
siding Elder himself conduct the trial?
A. Yes; under very extraordinary circumstances he
might. So could a Bishop, says Baker, when vir¬
tually he is the preacher in charge," though only for a
short time by either contingency or intention. The
Presiding Elder, however, being the chairman of the
Quarterly Conference, and having to preside over the
appeal cases of lay members, should not be placed in a
condition to prejudge any case that might come before
him for a re-hearing at the Quarterly Conference.
680 Q. How would the Presiding Elder, acting as chairman
at the primary trial of a member, appear to raise a doubtful
issue in the administration of ecclesiastical justice?
A. Bishop Baker says: " It is a principle universally
regarded in civil proceedings, that no judge shall be
counsel, nor act as attorney, nor advise, nor assist any
party in any case which will come before him; and
the principle is so manifestly founded in justice that
it should not be disregarded in ecclesiastical proceed¬
ings." Therefore, should exceptions be taken to the
primary trial, the rulings of the chairman almost in¬
variably form a part, and would disable the Presiding
Elder from reviewing the case in the Quarterly Confer¬
ence,—I mean, provided any exceptions should be taken.
681 Q. Should the Presiding Elder appoint another minister
in charge of a church while a case between the real pastor and
m?mber was pending, would the minister trying the case be
the actual pastor in all respects?
A. Yes. Otherwise, he would be hampered, and to
hamper him would be to hamper justice, and the trial
would be a farce. Therefore, lie must be in full posses¬
sion till the matter is disposed of.
TRIAL OF LAY MEMBERS.
187
682 Q. I have heard of members being tried before two com¬
mitteemen ; was that lawful ?
A. No. Three is the lowest number our Discipline
allows ; five ought to be the lowest; any number under
three, however, is no trial at all, and the person is not
expelled, although he may be declared expelled.
683 Q. Would it not be in violation of our Discipline, and
an injustice to the accused, for any chairman of a trial to ap¬
point the time of trial in the day, or at any other time when
the defendant's witnesses could not attend ?
A. The trial should be set for a time when most con¬
venient to all parties concerned. The chairman should
not seek a time when he knows the witnesses cannot be
present, but ordinary business is not a sufficient reason
for the absence of the defendant's witnesses.
684 Q. Can an accused member object to being tried by a
member of the committee, when he or she may think the com¬
mittee man has prejudices against them?
A. Yes, says Bishop McTyeire ; " they can object to one
out of three, two out of five, three out of seven, and so
on." But no honest pastor would keep any one upon
the committee who was objected to, unless he saw the
objections were for the purpose of evading any trial at all.
685 Q. Would it be lawfiil for a chairman or pastor to retire
with the jury or committee, when they go out to make up the
verdict?
A. No. The chairman has no business with the com¬
mittee ; he must give all instructions in open court, up?n
the law, evidence, or any information desired or necscsar^.
686 Q. Has the pastor the power to grant the accused a new
trial in ciise'the verdict of the committee should be, for an;"
reason, ut>jusf, not, according to law, new evidence discovered,
and such like ?
A. Oar Book of Discipline does not say so ; yet, the
188
METHODIST POLITY.
right is implied, as the. pastor occupies the character of
a civil Judge, while the Quarterly Conference is the
appellate court, and can confirm, overrule and grant new
trials. Nevertheless, the pastor should hear argument
pro and con'in his court -before he grants the new trial.
He should not g'raitt it "on the street, along the road or
from orie-gided evidence ; but he can form his court any¬
where he'^easfes,:iri the church or in his house; he is the
Court, true, but hemusf heat arguments pro and con, to
make his decision official, after which he grants the trial
or not, as jie^nay understand the law in the case.
,687 ,Q. Gan, the niejnb.ers of a committee take part ,in the
proceedings .of a, trial?.
A. No. They can ask questions when they do not
understand an item, or some thing ; but the moment
they express an opinion about the merits of the case, or
commence to argue the question before the Court, they
must be dismissed. The committee of trial is a jury,
and must hear alone, till they retire to make up a verdict.
688 Q. O n a member of the committee give in testimony
or evidence?
A. No. Anything the committee may know cannot
affect the case, nor can he express it before the court.
The trial and its results rest alone upon the evidence
presented to the Court. What a member of the com¬
mittee i«3v know is his private matter.
SECTIOX III.
689 Q,. D i yen mean to say, that if I were on a committee
of five, nine, el veil or any number, ami a. case was beinsr tried
before me, that I, as a member of the committee, could not
state what I personally knew of the case being tried?
A. Yes, I mean iust that; you can not be a juryman
TRIAL OF LAY MEMBERS.
189
and a witness too. What you know is a private matter
when you go on the committee, nor would any honest
committee allow you to relate your personal knowledge
of' til e case, because if you were biased with a personal
knowledge, you would be a mean, treacherous man for
going on the committee ; you should have remained off
and told what you knew, otherwise you are basely dis¬
honest.
690 Q. When a church court is organized to try a case, what
should the chairman first ask them?
A. Brethren, James Smith is charged with a crime for¬
bidden by the word of God, I have constituted you a court
to hear the same and determine the guilt or innocence of
the accused, have you, upon your Christian honor, any¬
thing in your heart against brother Smith which would
prevent you from giving an impartial decision after you
have heard the case f Should all answer, There is noth¬
ing, the chairman should then turn to the accused, and
ask him, Do you see any one on that committee which 1
have appointed to hear the charge and specifications pre¬
ferred against you, whom you believe would not give you
a just and impartial verdict ? And if he says no, the
court is properly organized, but not till then
691 Q. Should the chairman swear witnesses in a church
court the same as in a civil court ?
A. There is no objection to it, and as Bishop Harris
and Judge Henry say, that " the church is justified in
following the civil forms, where no specific church
forms exist," it would be eminently proper to obli¬
gate them to the truth by kissing the Bible.
692 Q. Bat suppose a witness objected to kissing the Bible f
A. I should at once suspect his integrity, for an hon-
190
METHODIST POLITY".
est Christian man who loves the Bible and lives by ita
rules, should be glad to kiss it. No man, particularly,
not a member of our church, should ever be allowed to
testify in a church court, without kissing the Bible.
693 Q. Who should act as secretary or keep the records of
the court, when a member is being tried ?
A. The recording secretary of the Official Board;
yet, the chairman can appoint whoever he likes, as it is
his court, and, as there is no legal trial without keeping
the records for review by the Presiding Elder or Bishop.
While he may appoint any competent scribe he desires,
he should not, however, be a member of the committee
trying the case.
694 Q. How long after a trial is over before the committee
must return a verdict of guilty or not guilty ?
A. After a few moments' deliberations, if possible,
but if they can not agree, the chairman may grant them
whatever time he likes.
695 Q. But suppose they cannot agree at all upon a verdict?
A. Then let them be dismissed and a new committee
appointed and a new trial had. It is a mistrial.
69f5 Q. In c:»sp of a new trial, does everything start anew?
A. Yes. Nothing that took place before the court
dismissed, can be referred to in the new trial. Every
witness testifies as though they had never been heard
before. They are presumed to say the same things,
however,
697 Q. Can a member, tried and acquitted upon a charge, be
tried for the .same arts a sec Mid time?
A No. A member once acquitted can not be tried
tor the same act, but may be tried again if the same
act is repeated, provided the act was not justuied in the
first trial.
TRIAL OF LAY MEME^KS.
191
698 Q. Give me a short form of charges and specifications
which is so often referred to in the irial of members?
A. All right. Here is but a short form. In draw¬
ing up a bill of indictment the following should be
observed, sa)rs Bishop McTyeire:
(1) A statement of the charge.
(2; The specification or specifications by which it is sus¬
tained, arranged under it; each specification should be num¬
bered.
This order should be observed until every charge is
presented, and the different specifications are arranged
under their appropriate heads. (See Form page
G99 Q. Suppose a member charged and ordered to trial, alter
due notice, should be absent, wlint then?
A. Unless it was on account of sickness, or some
other good reason for absence, which the accused could
not control, the court would proceed with the case.
But the charges must be established bv evidence even
then, before he could he expdled. The pastor could
not expel till the committee rendered a verdict of guilty,
although the accused be absent wilfully.
700 Q. Suppose the accused should come in court and
fess guilt, wliot then ?
A. The trial need go no farther. The fact must be
recorded upon the minutes, however, and the committee
can render a verdict accordingly.
701 Q. T) es it require a unanimous verdict of the com¬
mitter to find ti;c accused guilty or to acquit, as in the civil
courts
A. Sr.-. Our Book of Discipline says a majority,
hence the necessity of not less than five, although,
three is tolerated where members are scarce and difficult
to gv,t together. Seven and nine are good numbers, v
132
METHODIST POLITY.
702 Q, Suppose all the charges and specifications in an
indictment should not be established or proved in the judg¬
ment of the committee ?
A. Then, let them bring in a verdict accordingly ;
state what they find the accused guilty of, and what not
guilty of, in the charges and specifications of the indict¬
ment.
703 Q. Do the committee, when they find the accused guilty,
also fix the penalty ?
A. No. The pastor pronounces the sentence of ex¬
pulsion, suspension, censures, etc. ; he is the judge of
the law, and its application, when the committee finds
the accused guilty. But Bishop Hedding says, " For
scandalous crimes expulsion should undoubtedly take
place; also, for contumacy and contempt." Bishop
McTyeire says, u The law allows alternative censures."
Bishop Hedding says, " Prior to 1808 the preacher in
charge could determine the guilt and expel also; but,
deciding upon the guilt of the accused was taken away,
while fixing the grade of penalties remains with the
preacher in charge," subject to reviews by the Bishop
or Presiding Elder.
704 Q. Will you give me a form of a church trial ?
A. I will. A form too, that will cover any trial
however high or low :
1. Let the Presiding officer sing, pray and comment upon
the gravity of the meeting and the interest at stake.
2. Appoint secretary and call the roll of committee, if they
are present.
3. Ask the committee if they have any prejudice against the
accused.
4. Ask the accused if he is satisfied with every member of
the committee.
5. Read the charge and specifications.
TRIAL OF LAY MEMBERS.
193
6. Ask the accused if he is guilty or not.
7. Send out each class of witnesses, so only one can be
called at a time.
8. Witnesses for the prosecution examined and cross-ques-
tioned by the accused.
9. Witnesses for the accused examined and cross-questioned
by the prosecution.
10. Rebutting testimony by the prosecution.
11. Rebutting testimony by the accused.
12. The prosecutor heard in his argument.
13. The accused heard with his defence.
14. The prosecutor closes, unless defence desires to explain
a point.
15. The Presiding officer explains any law to the committee
he may think necessary, but he has nothing to do with the
•verdict; the committee must be free.
16. The committee retires and deliberates.
17. Committee returns with the verdict.
18. Presiding officer pronounces the sentence.
19. The decision and sentence entered on record by the
secretary.
20. Appeal taken if desired, or notice given, and the same
entered upon the minutes.
705 Q. Will this form apply to members, preachers and
Bishops alike?
A. Yes. With some minor variations in case of an
Elder or Bishop.
706 Q,. Is this form in harmony with Methodist authorities ?
A. It is, for I have examined them all.
SECTION IV.
707 Q. Is this form of procedure not quite lengthy?
A. Possibly it is, but it is a terrible thing to be ex¬
pelled from the church ; and no one should be without
a fair trial. Moreover, if the civil courts allow such
9
394
METHODIST POLITY".
trials to secure the ends of justice, what ought a court of
the church of God do?
708 Q. Are class leaders, stewards, trustees and exhortera
tried before the Quarterly Conference?
A. No, they are tried before laymen the same as
other members for their religious and moral characters,
but may be tried for their official characters before the
Quarterly Conference, and dismissed from office. They
are official laymen, and are subject to lay trials.
709 Q. What if a pastor should threaten a committee if
they did not bring in a verdict to suit hiai ?
A. He should be reported to the Bishop at once, for
it would be a grave offense, and such a pastor should be
moved at once. And any sane Bishop would do it,
unless he exhibited humility and signs of reformation.
710 Q. When a member is found guilty and expulsion is the
penalty, when and where shall the pastor proclaim the expul¬
sion ?
A. The old time Methodist preachers used to expiJ
members at love-feast. Of late years they perform it
often in general class. The proper place and time,
however, is in the Church Conference, which has been
legalized by the General Conference—explained else¬
where in this book. But under no circumstances should
a person be expelled from the pulpit in the public con¬
gregation, before saint and sinner.
711 Q. H ion<r a iter rs have been expelled before
they ciin joi i the church ajr-in ?
A. At the next subsequent meeting, if the doors are
open, provided they are not expelled for a crime that
they persist in living in. For example, if a man were
expelled for having two wives, lie could not join while
he persisted in living with two wives.
trial of lay members.
195
Vl2 Q. When a person has been expelled for a crime—well,
say for stealing, idolatry, Sabbath breaking, adultery, telling
lies, killing, blaspheming the name of God, or any of the
high crimes, must he confess and beg pardon before he can
rejoin the church?
A. No; Bishop Heckling says "The highest pen¬
alty the church can inflict is expulsion." The church
can require nothing after expulsion. For a person to
return and join the church on probation, is begging all
the pardon required or that any church should desire.
Dr. John R. Pickett, than whom there was no abler ex¬
pounder of Methodist rules, used to expel members
and open the doors of the church immediately, for their
return. Our Baptist brethren often require pardon
begging, as a pre-requisite to membership after expul¬
sion, but not Methodists.
713 Q. But does not the law of the A. M. E. Church say
that a minister expelled for adultery shall not be allowed tr
preach for four years after rejoining the church?
A. Yes, but it is a wrong law, as it makes the viola¬
tion of one of the ten commandments a greater sin
than another, whereas, all the ten commandments are
equal, and the church has no right to magnify one and
rainifv the other. It is doubtful whet lief a man ex¬
pelled from the ministry should ever be allowed to re¬
enter the pulpit. I do not think he should.
714 Q. Suppose a member is tried for slander, h;is he the
ri'.:ht t'> prove bis statement true if he can?
A. Yes; Bishop McTyeire says "It is lawful to
prove the truth of his statements as a ground of justi-
)rat ion."
71 "i Q. What i-; the difference between the trial of a layman,
I rrx'-n members, cl:!<s-l<>:ider», stewards, trustees and ex¬
torters, &t., and the trial of local preachers?
196
METHODIST POLITY.
A. In the trial of a layman the committee finds him
guilty or not guilty. Bat the pastor gives the sentence,
or applies the penalty according to law, while a local
preacher is tried before a Quarterly Conference, which
determines his guilt and affixes the penalty, leaving the
Presiding Elder only to pronounce the sentence, be it
expulsion, censure, reprimand, <fcc. But the local
preacher can appeal to the Annual Conference for a re¬
hearing, while the layman can only appeal to the
Quarterly Conference.
716 Q. What is the difference between the trial of a local
preacher or minister and an itinerant preacher or minister ?
A. While the local minister is tried before the
Quarterly Conference, the itinerant minister is tried be¬
fore the Annual Conference, and can appeal to the Gen¬
eral Conference, if necessary.
717 Q. Can a local Deacon or Elder be tried before a Quar¬
terly Conference?
A. Most assuredly. And the Quarterly Conference
can demand his Deacon or Elder's parchment if it
should expel him from the ministry or church. A lo¬
cal minister, while ordained by the Annual Conference,
is ordained for the Quarterly Conference, or the church
where it has Jurisdiction.
718 Q. What kind of members should be selected to consti¬
tute a committee to try another when under charges?
A. Bishop Hedding savs: " They should be wise,
pious, and candid men, who will do justice to the ac¬
cused and to the church." Bishop Baker savs: " They
must be men of acknowledged virtue ai.d iiiuegritv."
Again Bishop Baker says : " The Preacher in charge is
required to Receive, Try and Expel members according
TRIAL OF LAY MKMBKKS.
197
to the I)is;-ipliuc," which shows that, whatever may be
he spoth-ss character of the committee, they are only to
ncd a \ci<lict of guilty, or not guilty, or to what extent
the accused is guilty or not guilty. But, savs Bishop
Baker, "receiving, expelling, censuring, reprimanding,"
denying members the privileges of class-meetings, love-
feasts, the Lord's Supper, for a limited time, not to ex¬
ceed six months, belong absolutely to the pastor. He
should advise with his Board of Stewards, however, if
he feels the need of consultation.
719 Q. How are probationers tried?
A. They are not formally tried as full members. The
official Board holds jurisdiction over probationers ; yet,
the official Board may direct a formal trial, if it desires
or thinks justice demands it. Formerly, the preacher
in charge held supreme control of the status of proba¬
tioners, and could drop them as well as receive them.
But the General Conference of 1872 made the official
Board the high court of the probationers; beyond that
they have no appeal.
720 Q. Suppose a pastor does not know how to try a
member?
A. Then he is a poor tool, and should leave the pas¬
torate at once.
721 Q. Will you now give me the form of trials for local and
itinerant ministers, Bishops, &c. ?
A. No. Every minister should understand the law
sufficiently to defend himself. However, the general
principles that govern the trials of the laity apply to the
niinisti v. The forms of the court may vary somewhat,
but the procedure is about the same.
722 Q. Suppo-e a member should be brought before the civil
courts, lor some crime forbidden in the Word of God, should
198
METHODIST POLITY.
the church proceed to expel the member so charged before the
courts could dispose of the case ?
A. No. Bishops Payne, Way man and Brown have
waited for the courts to dispose of cases, when ministers
were indicted, and the same must apply to members;
yet, the church court is by no means bound by the ver¬
dict of the civil courts.
CHAPTER XXIV.
APPEALS.
SECTION I.
723 Q. When a member has been tried before a committee
selected by the pastor, or the society of which he is a member,
and is dissatisfied for the reason that he believes injustice has
been done him, what redress has he ?
A. If an an itinerant minister he can appeal to the
General Conference; if a local preacher he can appeal
to the Annual Conference, but if he be a lay member
or a class leader, steward, trustee, or exhorter, lie can
appeal to the Quarterly Conference only,
724 Q. Is the right of an appeal inherent in the constitution
of M>thodism'?
A. It is, under certain limitations. The General
Conference " xhMl not do away wi/h the priviler//v of
mini*terx, preachers and of our Icy members of trial by
a committee, or society arid of av appealvot the con¬
demned person snu.-t .-i^nify an intention of appeal within
a s^ivea time.
APPEALS.
199
725 Q,. Which court is to judge whether the party has a right
to appeal ?
A. The court appealed to, and not the court appealed
from, nor can the minister in charge deny or refuse the
appeal.
726 Q. Can any court, even the court appealed to, refuse to
hear an appeal when the Restrictive Rules make no conditions,
and forbid the same to the legislation of the General Confer¬
ence?
A. It is very doubtful; yet the General Conferences of
all Methodist Churches have ventured to regulate appeals
by express enactments, and such great judgment must
be respected. Some order, system or custom should
certainly govern appeals to avoid confusion and ecclesi¬
astical anarchy. Nevertheless, great license should be
given to the right of an appeal, as the Restrictive Rules
contemplate.
727 Q When a person absents himself from a trial, does not
that destroy the right of appeal?
A. Yes; if he does it willfully. Bishop Baker savs,
however: "Mere absence from the place of trial does
not show that the accused person evaded a trial by
absenting himself in the meaning of the Discipline;
therefore he has the right to show to the Quarterly
Conference that his absence from the trial was not de¬
signed or his fault, and if he so satisfies the Quarterly
Conference his appeal holds good and must be heard."
728 Q. How long may an appeal remain before the church,
awaiting !11:; 11 adjudication?
A. All appeals for members must be brought before
the next •.•n.--.uing Quarterly Conference. Nevertheless,
sii'kn"-;-. unavoidable absence from home, and provi¬
dential .-auses ought to have merited consideration, if a
loiioer t situ; is uesired.
200
METHODIST POLITY.
729 Q. Can a Quarterly Conference try an appeal when the
testimony is not duly and properly recorded?
A. When accurate minutes have not been taken in the
original trial before the society, or a select committee
(says Bishop Hedding), the case should be referred back
for a new trial. Bishop Payne says: "The appeal must
be limited to the recorded testimony; any new evi¬
dence calls for a new trial."
730 Q. What is the difference between the trial and the
appeal courts?
A. In the trial court the church is prosecuting the
accused member for some alleged offense against its laws
or rules. In the appeal court, the accused member is
really prosecuting the court below for not administering
justice to him.
731 Q. Then it would appear that the appellant has the
closing argument, in person or by his attorney ?
A. Yes; in all appeal courts the appellant has the
concluding remarks just as the representative of the
church has in the trial.
732 Q. To what extent can the appeal court award punish¬
ment?
A. It cannot award any. The appeal court must
either affirm or reverse the decision of the court below,
or remand the case for a new trial.
733 Q,. What if there should be a tie vote upon any of these
three prop, sitions ?
A. The Presiding Elder might, as the Bishops do in the
General Conference, give the casting vote, otherwise the
accused is not found guilty.
734 Q,. Suppose the accused should desire to present new evi¬
dence in the appeal court, which he did not have or know of
in the trial, could the appeal court consider it?
A. By no means. It would be the duty of the ap-
APPEALS.
201
pel late court to remand the case for a new trial. Any
new evidence would call for a new trial.
735 Q. When an appeal is taken by a member to the Quar¬
terly Conference, and the conference orders the case back for
a new trial, what is the precise relation of the appellant to the
church ?
A. He is an accused member, and the pastor should
proceed to try him again, unless the charges are with¬
drawn.
736 Q. What relation does an accused member sustain to the
church pending a trial?
A. There is no defined relation. He is still entitled
to the respect of pastor and members, and is presumed
to be innocent till proven guilty. Yet, if he is an officer
of the church, he must vacate the office till the matter is
disposed of. He is naturally denied the Lord's supper,
speaking in love-feasts, class-meetings, etc., if the charge
is for immorality.
737 Q. Could he not visit his class-meetings if he desired to
do so?
A. Y< s ; he could visit his or any other class, but he
could not lead in prayer, be examined publicly by the
leader, and receive the recognition of a regular member;
although the leader might, in passing, halt and exhort
him, or snv a word of consolation to him, if he felt in¬
clined. The privileges of an accused member, however,
are about whatever is granted bv the preacher in charge,
who still has the oversight of him.
738 Q. When the appellate court reverses the decision of the
court below, in what position does ii place the app^i'ant?
A. He is reinstated in his former membership, regard¬
less of the court below. But the restoration to member¬
ship does not carry with it restoration to the office of
9*
202
METHODIST POLITY.
leader or steward ; that belongs to the executive depart¬
ment of the pastorate alone.
739 Q. When a decision on a point of law is made by the
Presiding Elder in the Quarterly Conference, that affects the
membership of a member of that conference, is such action
final ?
A. Yes; provided he takes no appeal to the Bishop
of the next Annual Conference, which he can do, from
the Presiding Elder's decision.
SECTION II.
740 Q. When lay members and such as are tried as laymen
have appealed to the Quarterly Conference, and still believe
justice has not been accorded, can they carry their cases any
higher ?
A. Yes; but only when the appeal is from the de¬
cision of the Presiding Elder or chairman of the Quar¬
terly Conference, or the Quarterly Conference acts under
his decision contrary to the meaning and intent of the
Discipline, or maladministration is apparent. All grades
of members from any church court can appeal to the
Presiding Bishop when maladministration is manifest,
and tho Bishop is bound to review the case. But unless
these conditions exist the Quarterly Conference places a
finality upon the appeal.
741 Q. Can a Quarterly Conference try and expel its mem"
bers from the church?
A. Only local ministers and preachers who can appeal
to the Annual Conference for redress if they desire, out
the Quarterly Conference can only remove stewards,
exhorters, etc., from office, and if necessary remand them
to the pastor for trial. The Quarter:;.- Conference could
not expel and then be a court of appeals. It can itn-
APPEALS.
203
peach leaders and compel the pastor to remove them
from office also.
742 Q,. Suppose a Presiding Elder allowed a Quarterly Con¬
ference to expel a leader or a steward from the church, would
he not be out of the church?
A. No; and the pastor would be bound to recognize
such a member until he gave him a fair trial, and report
the conduct of the Presiding Elder to the next Annual
Conference.
743 Q. Where may an exhorter appeal ?
A. An exhorter is tried as other lay members, and
can only appeal to the Quarterly Conference.
744 Q. Under what circumstances may appeals not be enter¬
tained ?
A. 1. When the accused willfully absents himself from the
trial.
2. When he does not indicate an intention to appeal.
3. When no censure or reproof was administered as a pen¬
alty.
4. When the apellant declares himself withdrawn from the
church subsequently to the adjudication of his case and his in¬
tention to appeal.
But unless one of these conditions exists the appeal must
be heard. And even in the above cases circumstances
may modifiy the seeming inexorabilities of the law.
745 Q. Whut nre the grounds of an appeal?
A. Bishop McTyeire says : " Any material irregu¬
larity in Hie proceedings of the court below, declining
to admit important testimony, hurrying to a decision
before the testimony is fully taken, or the discovery
of new, material testimony, a manifestation of preju¬
dice in (lie case, or mistake or injustice in the decision
of the presiding officer at the trial, are all proper
o"ror.n:ls of appeal."
204
METHODIST POLITY.
746 Q. What is the mode of conducting an appeal before
the Quarterly Conference ?
A. Bishop McTyeire says:
1. A statement or communication from the appellant setting
forth his appeal and the grounds of it.
2. The charges, specifications and the judgment of the court
below are heard.
3. Inquiring if conditions of appeal are met.
4. When admitted, reading the records of the trial.
5. The appellant himself or counsel is heard.
6. The court below, by its representative, replies.
7. The appellant closes.
8. The appellant and representatives of court below retire,
and the Quarterly Conference decides the case.
747 Q. What is the mode of conducting an appeal before au
Annual or General Conference ?
A. The correct method is as follows :
(1) A statement or communication from the appellant, setting
forth his appeal, and the grounds of it.
(2) The charges and specifications, and the judgment of the
Court below, are read.
(3) Inquiring if conditions of appeal are met.
(4) If they are met, reading the records of the trial.
(5) The appellant himself, or through counsel, is heard.
(6) The Court below, by its representative, replies.
(7) The appellant closes.
(8) The appellant retires, and the conference decides the cuse.
748 Q, When an appeal is brought before a conference, is a
motion to admit it necessary to bring it before the body for dis¬
position ?
A. No. I am aware some authorities so teach, but it
I •
is wrong; if all the previous requirements have been
complied with, the conference must hear it. Bishop
Harris and Judge Henry, in their " Ecclesiastical Law.'*
say : An appeal is granted as a matter of strict right.
Bishop Baker says: A motion to admit may serve to in-
APPEALS.
205
quire whether the accused was absent, and if so, was it
as per Discipline; if he had given notice of an-appeal-,
at the proper j time j if. he had declared himself with¬
drawn from the church since the trial from which he
appeals {See conditions elsewhere.)
749 Q. Do not ^ome Quarterly Conferences refuse to admit
the appeal by resolution, and thereby drive the appellant from
before the body, before hearing the'merits of the case ?
A. Yes; when a weak or a malicious minister is pre¬
siding. But no minister witli.seuse and r$ppect for
right will put such a motion. A Quarterly, Annual or
General Conference is obliged to hear an appeal, if the
prerequisites have been complied with, for they are ap¬
peal courts.
750 Q. Could an Annual or General Conference send an ap¬
peal case before a committee of their own creation, it they de¬
sired to do so, for adjudication?
A. Yes; but still the appellant would have the right
to appeal from said committee to the body of the con¬
ference in case he deemed it extremely necessary.
751 Q,. Can. any other power than a court oi appeals order a
new trial ?
A. No; not according to Methodist usage; yet, it
does appear that, as our forms of trial are so largely
drawn from the civil courts, the pastor in charge, like a
presiding judge, is allowed, under certain contingencies,
to hear arguments pro and con for a new trial, and that
he, like a judge in civil courts, is allowed to set aside
the verdict of the committee and grant a new trial pro¬
vided he believes, from all the evidence and facts in the
ease, that the accused has not had a fair and impartial
decision from the committee, especially if he finds out
206
MKTHOD1ST POLITY.
that previously existing prejudice shaped the findings or
decision.
752 Q. Has any Methodist body ever forbid their pastors, by
special enactment, from exercising this privilege ?
A. None as I know of. The A. M. E. Church, I am
sure, never has, nor any of the other Episcopal Method¬
ist Churches, as I recollect, but they all follow the same
usage, and the custom has been reduced by years of
usage to virtually a common law.
753 Q. Then it is evident that the pastor is allowed, under
some circumstances, to grant a new trial. Do you think the
chairman of the Quarterly and Annual Conferences should be
allowed the same privilege ?
A. No; not necessarily, for the conferences, being
composed of select men, usually learned in the law, noted
for piety and living at distances from each other, are not
liable to the local prejudices that may exist in small
congregations; but both a Bishop in an Annual Confer¬
ence and a Presiding Elder in a Quarterly Conference
have the power to set aside, when the law has not been
complied with, a verdict in a preliminary trial, which is
equal to granting a new trial.
754 Q. Well, according to Methodist usage, how would a
pastor get a new trial for a member whom he may think has
not been dealt with justly, if he had doubts about granting a
new trial himself?
A. The pastor would wait till the meeting of the
Quarterly Conference and ask of it permission to set
aside the decision of the committee and give the said
member a new trial. When the trial is proceeded with,
as though no trial had ever been heir5 'a the case, there
must be a new presentation of charges, specifications and
a new notification of the party, witnesses, evidence and
APPEALS.
207
rendering of verdict. New testimony may also be taken
and old withdrawn.
755 Q. How does Bishop McTyeire say appeals may reach
the highest seats of authority ?
A. He says appeals may be taken from the decision
of a preacher in charge to the Presiding Elder, from the
Presiding Elder to the Bishop, and from the Bishop to
the College of Bishops, or from the select committee, or
society, to the Quarterly Conference, from the Quarterly
Conference to the Annual Conference, and irom the An¬
nual Conference to the General Conference.
756 Q. Does that rule operate in the A. M. E. Church ?
A. Well, yes, so far as decisions are concerned. A
pastor's decision may be carried up through the channels
of the church to the Bishops' Council; but the sentences
of church courts could not, unless they were passed up
through sufferance. Such cases, however, would have
to be extraordinary in their character and magnitude.
757 Q. When a pastor of a church tries a member and vio¬
lates, or rather misapplies, the law to the injury of the good
name of said member, and pleads ignorance of the law as an
excuse for so doing, does that exempt him from the charge of
maladministration ?
A. By no means. The pastor of a church must know
the law and govern his church by its provisions; igno¬
rance of the same is equal to a willful perversion of it,
and such pastors are guilty of maladministration.
758 Q. Suppose a Quarterly Conference should exhibit such
prejudice toward an appellant that the Presiding Elder was
satisfied that he could not get an impartial review of the case,
what would be the duty of the Presid ng Elder?
A. In such an exhibition of prejudice or excitement,
it would be the duty of the Presiding Elder to defer
208
METHODIST POLITY.
hearing the appeal till a better spirit prevailed, or to
order the case to another Quarterly Conference, where
the appeal could be heard and considered in the proper
spirit. No Presiding Elder should allow an appeal to
come before a Quarterly Conference when it exhibits
manifest prejudice toward the appellant, or if the appel¬
lant believes he could not get an impartial decision.
Both the pastor and Presiding Elder can remove a case
before an impartial court. The pastor can call in mem¬
bers of another sister church to form a committee of
trial, and a Presiding Elder can remove an appeal to
another Quarterly Conference.
759 Q. Has a presiding elder the power to transfer an ap¬
peal from one Quarterly Conference to another?
A. Certainly he has, provided it is in his own district;
he has no power5 however, to remove it beyond his own
jurisdiction.
7(50 Q. Can a member appeal from any penalty less than an
expulsion ?
A. Yes ; he can appeal from a censure, reproof or
even a reprimand, to protect his or her good name, for
the Ciimvh has no jnils, penitentiaries or money fines to
inflict, but a bad name from the Church is a great injury.
LOViW EASTS.
CHAPTER XXV.
LOVE-FEASTS.
SECTION I.
761 Q. You have told us much about preaching, Confer¬
ences, and class-meetings, while describing the duties of the
Leaders, Stewards, and many things about the church. Now
what about Love-Feasts?
A. Love-Feast is a devotional service, which is ob¬
served by the Moravians aud Methodis-ts, and generally
precedes the administration of the Lord's Supper, and
is intended to be preparatory to the same.
762 Q. Whence its origin ?
A. The love-feast, or Agapse, as the Greek has it,
Bishop Baker says, was instituted in the Apostolic age.
But had the learned Bishop searched history a step fur¬
ther, he would have discovered similar feasts long before
" o
the age of the Apostles. The Apostles, however, may
have improved and Christianized the old form an I
given it a new cast; but a like service long antedates
the Apostolic age. (See Dent. xii. 18 ; also Deut. xxvi.
12.) The Greeks and Romans both had feasts of about
the same kind, in connection with their sacrifices, an I
made them advantageous to the poor and needy. i,i
imitation of cither the Jew or Gentile love-feasts, or
possibly both, the carlv Christians, in each church, had
likewise their love-feasts, when the members contributed
for the needy according to their several abilities. And,
the love-feast of the Jews especially had been an-
210
METHODIST POLITY.
nexed to their sacrifices, the primitive Christians
connected their love-feasts with the commemora¬
tion of the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ at the
Lord's Supper. And it was usually held on the
Lord's day just before or after the supper. I think
it was held in the early morning before. The learn¬
ed Dr. Whitby, in commenting' upon 1 Cor. xi. 21,
is of the opinion that love-feasts were held before
the Lord's Supper. But Chrysostom mentions an
instance wrhere the love-feast succeeded the Supper
of the Lord. However, history, sacred and pro¬
fane, concur in establishing the fact, that love-
feasts, in one form and another, and for one object
and another, are very ancient.
763 Q. Well, how did the primitive Christians conduct
their Jove-feast?
A. They ate and drank together in token of
Christian affection for each other. They washed
their hands before partaking of the repast (hand¬
washing much needed, now m some cases) ; offered
prayers. Services were conducted by a Bishop or
Presiding Elder. Portions of the Scriptures were
read. Questions were propounded to tne minister,
and he answered them lor the benefit of all present.
Religious intelligence from other churches was re¬
lated. Letters from Bishops and those planting
churches read. Those who had been put to deatn
for the Gospel were mentioned, and their deaths
referred to, if triumphant. Psalms and hymns were
sung; experiences and growth in grace were re¬
lated. Collections for the poor were lifted, and
the prisoner prayed for.
764 Q. Has it not been held, that there were sacred
mysteries, certain signs, pass-words, and possibly hand¬
grips, associated with love-leasts in the early days oi
the church?
A. Yes; and likely there were. Christians were
LOVE-FEASTS.
211
hunted down like wild beasts; at times, murdered
in every conceivable form. So if they had such
signs, token and grips, for mutual recognition and
protection, all honor to their sagacity!
765 Q. Did not love-feasts in the Western Church fin¬
ally fall into bad repute?
A. Yes, some impure persons gave occasion for
the belief that the same kind of immoralities was
practiced in the Christian love-feasts as were in¬
dulged among the pagans. Hence, they were dis¬
continued in the Western Church A. D. 397.
766 Q. Who revived the love-feasts so far as we are
able to glean from history?
A. The Moravians.
767 Q. From who did Mr. Wesley copy the institution
and give it to the Methodist church?
A. From the Moravians, as early as 1737. Mr.
Wesley says, "I joined in one of their love-Feasts.
It was begun and ended with thanksgiving and
prayer, and celebrated in so solemn a manner, that
the Christians of the apostolic age, would have al¬
lowed it to be worthy of their churches." But why
consume time in dealing writh love-feasts in all
ages, and their establishment in the Methodist
church? Suffice to know we have them, and mil¬
lions in time and eternity will bless God for them.
For we use them as the early Christians did, to help
us to bridle our tongues and to promote love to¬
ward God and man.
768 Q. When should love-feasts be held in Methodist
churches ?
A. The object of love-feasts in Methodism, is to
prepare the church for the Lord's supper. To have the
people bury all bickerings, malice, envy, strife, and
2i2
METHODIST POLITY
if any are not speaking, to get them to make up and
start upon a new Christian career. So this necessitates
holding the love-feast before the Lord's supper.
SECTION II.
769 Q. How long before the Lord's Supper ?
A. Well, it should be in less time than a week.
Thursday night before the Sabbath of the communion
is the most common time. Some have it Friday nights,
and others early Sabbath morning. The time is of no
great moment, the object is to clean the .church up spir¬
itually before the communion.
770 Q. What should be read at every love-feast?
A. The General Rules.
771 Q. What! read the General Rules twelve times a year
if you have love-feast and communion once a month ?
A. Yes, they should be read at every love-feast, if
not all, enough of them for the minister to enforce with
strong comments. That is the order of Mr. Wesley,
the founder of Methodism. Nor can any minister on
earth find better instruction to impart.
772 Q. Is the love-feast a Sacrament like the Lord's Sapper
and Baptism ?
A. No, this service is not enjoined by Christ; it is an
old form of worship which the church finds useful,
Laving the example of nges behind it.
773 Q. Is it proper when the bread and water js handed
around to e it the bread or hold a piece in your hand, and at
the wor 1 of the pastor rise and break it with each other?
A. Methodists follow iv>th modes. Some eat it and
others rise and break it, and afterward shake hands.
LOVE-FEASTS.
213
T 774 Q. Why use bread and water for this service?
A. A world-renowned divine says the term bread means
good—good will—and water is emblematical of a puri¬
fication. Love-feast is intended to siguify a re-washing,
preparatory to the Holy Communion, when the church
should be clean and ready.
775 Q- What else did the early Methodists do at love-feast?
A. They read out the names of members who were
expelled, and commended them to the prayers of the
Church. They also announced the names of all proba¬
tioners who had been dropped ; also, all members who
had been set back, or suspended from love-feast, class
meetings, the Lord's Supper, for one, two, or even six
months, and commended them to the prayers of the
Church, and announced the names of all whose suspen¬
sion had expired, and lifted a collection for the poor.
The minister mentioned the names of sick or poor
persons who needed the visitations of the members, and
finally opened the doors of the church.
776 Q. Should not that custom still be kept up?
A. Yes, it should, and stop exposing every fault and
misfortune before the world, which only helps to weaken
the Church and bring Christianity into ridicule. As
members are not tried and expelled for the benefit and
protection of the world, but of the Church, and beyond
the Church it is nobody's business.
777 Q. Can any person come into love-feast at any time?
A. No. Two stewards are required to keep the doors
of entrance into love-feast, and admit no one without a
quarterly ticket from his or her leader, and then not
later than the members begin to give in their experience.
778 Q. Are quarterly tickets always given to members?
A. Yes. Where the pastor adheres to the rules of
214 METHODIST POLITY.
the Church, he will supply his leaders with quarter¬
ly tickets every three months, and the leaders sup
ply their members.
779 Q. Do not some pastors give the members yearly-
tickets ?
A Yes. While it is not the law of the church,
yet yearly tickf+s are better than none.
780 Q. What is the rule, or usage, when the leaders
give out quarter.lv tickets.'
A. For the members in turn to give the leaders a
quarter of a doUar for the quarterly connection.
While this is not law, it is an old custom, and mem¬
bers should observe it.
781 Q. Can any pf *oti, not a member -of the church,
visit love-feast?
A. Yes, but not ov-* chree times.
782 Q. Suppose a member should come to the love-feast
door and desire to come in, and had no quarterly ticket?
A. He could send word to his leader, and he
could send him a ticket or come and pass him in;
or, if the leader was sick or absent, the pastor could
order him let in.
783 Q. Suppose a strange member of our church were
to desire admission, what then?
A. His quarterly ticket would be good from his
own church, or a member could vouch for him, who
knew him ; otherwise he should see the pastor be¬
fore the meeting', and convince him of his mem¬
bership, and get a permit, or stay out.
784 Q. Suppose the settlements are sparse, and tickets
upon circuits and missions should be impracticable what
then? '
A. Well, the love-feast could go on without tic-
GENERAL RULES, PRAYER AND FASTING 215
kets, but the pastor should inquire if they are all
members who are in the house.
785 Q. In conclusion, what are the benefits of the love-
feast?
A. It has many benefits. Malice is dropped, tres¬
passes are forgiven, insults overlooked, speech is
restored to silent-tongued members, promises are
made for better living, and the heart in general is
purged and cleaned out.
CHAPTER XXVI.
GENERAL RULES, PRAYERS AND FASTING.
786 Q. What other phases of Methodism do you pro¬
pose to notice?
A. There is much that might be discussed or
commented upon very profitably, but as we have
glanced at the principal parts—I mean the leading
features of operative Methodism—I think we had
better close till we see the result of what has been
noticed.
787 Q. What else might be considered with profit?
A.'Well, the General Rules, twenty-five Articles
of Religion, the band societies, singing, public wor¬
ship, and a great many matters not yet referred to,
still are indispensable to the success of the church.
788 Q. What are the General Rules anyhow?
A. They are the constitution of Methodism—one
of the most unique and complete systems of moral
ethics found anywhere upon the face of the globe,
and ought to be known by heart by every Meth¬
odist in the world.
216
METHODIST POLITY".
789 Q. What did the primitive Methodists do with these
rules ?
A. They read them at every love-feast to the mem¬
bers and once a quarter to all the people from the pul¬
pit or altar, and prized them next to the Bible itself?
799 Q. What is still the duty of every Methodist minister?
A. To read the General Rules on every love-feast
occasion, study them regularly, and to weave them into
their sermons next to the Word of God.
791 Q. How often should a Methodist preacher open the
doors of the church for the reception of probationers ?
A. At every sermon he delivers, but under no cir¬
cumstance should he allow a whole Sabbath to pass
without it, even though it be a station; otherwise that
preacher is like one that sows but fails to reap.
792 Q. In what particular do the most of our pastors shame¬
fully neglect their officers and members ?
A. In many things, but especially in not training
them when to respond, Amen, while going through
the communion service, baptismal service and such
like. The pastors should train their officers in their
Official Boards, and their members in love-feast, if at no
other time.
■ 793 Q. What else do they do that looks little an3 childish?
A. Allow the members to repeat the Lord's prayer
and General Confession behind them, instead of with
them, just as though they were children at their mother's
knee.
794 Q. How should the General Confession and Lord's
prayer be proceeded with ?
A. Just as though the whole congregation was one
man praying in one breath, which can easily be done
GENERAL RULES, PRAYER AND FASTING. 217
when the pastor is not too negligent to give his members
a little training.
795 Q. What advantage is derived from the unit manner of
which you speak ?
A. It makes the service impressive, beautiful, intel¬
ligent and attractive, and thus reaches the hearts of
the ungodly and causes them to reverence divine wor¬
ship.
796 Q. What benefit have choirs been to our public wor¬
ship ?
A. Very little. Most of them have been not only
nuisances, but curses to our churches; not because they
need be—they might be blessings. They are as old in
the church as the time of David, but it is owing to the
fact that only one in a hundred will sing in reach of
the people, and whatever keeps the people from singing
keeps them from worshipping God, and thus destroys
the vital power of the church.
797 Q. Should not a pastor take part in prayer-meetings at
times ?
A. Yes, at any time. A pastor who is too high
strung to lead a prayer-meeting is too high strung to be
of any account, and should be invited to employment in
some other field at the earliest moment.
798 Q. What is meant by fasting ?
A. To not eat anything from morning till night, and
give the time to prayer and spiritual devotion, was the
custom of the ancients.
799 Q. When did they fast?
A. In times of sorrow and great lamentation,
whether the sorrow was personal or among the people
collectively. •
10
218
METHODIST POLITY.
800 Q. What length of time do Methodists fast?
A. They, too, fast from morning till night- The
ancient did not eat from the rising of the sun to
the going down of the same. Methodists abstain
from all food from supper to supper time again.
801 Q. What is meant by abstinence?
A. The ancient meant by it not to eat any meats
of a particular kind, but Methodists eat none of
any kind during the day. They, however, eat veg¬
etables, fruits, eggs, and sometimes a little fish.
Some interpret abstinence to eat nothing whatever
till after mid-day.
802 Q. Is drinking water allowed when a person fasts
or abstains?
A. I find in no instance where water in inter¬
dicted. It may, therefore, be left to the conscience
of the individual, yet it should not be used excess¬
ively.
803 Q. Wherein does fasting or abstinence benefit
Christians or those who are seeking the forgiveness of
their sins?
A. The philosophy of it will bear elaborate com¬
ment, but it is sufficient for the present to say that
fast days have been observed from Moses to the
present time by the worshippers of God. It also
met the approval of Jesus, and those who fast and
pray have always been spiritually strong, accom¬
plishing more for God and the church than those
who did not.
804 Q. What physical benefits are said by doctors to
come from fasting?
A. That it cleanses the stomach, purges out the
effete matters, makes the person more healthy and
thus prolongs life.
805 Q. But suppose it makes you sick, as many people
say it does?
SPECIAL ANSWERS.
219
A. Well, it would be no cross if it did not, and
Jesus says we are to take up our cross and follow
him; medicine makes us sick, too, but it makes us
better in the end. It is enough for us to know that
Christ enjoins it. Our duty is to fast if it kills us,
for the reason that God requires it, and we are not
to account our lives dear to us when God speaks.
CHAPTER XXVII.
SPECIAL ANSWERS.
SECTION I.
Inquiries from Several Ministers, Personal and by Letter.
806 Q. Has a local preacher the right to sit within the
altar, in time of service, when it is disagreeable to the
officers of the church, or any considerable portion of
them ?
A. A local preacher has no special claims upon
the altar, whether it is disagreeable to any one or
not. The altar is a part of the pulpit, and as such
belongs to the pastor alone in the absence of the
Bishop and Presiding Elder when they are there
officially. Bishop J. M. Brown decided years ago
in Baltimore that the only portion of our ministry
entitled even by courtesy to a seat within the altar
were the following:
1. Itinerant ministers. 2. Superannuated elders.
3. Local elders who rendered great service to the
church. 4. Distinguished ministers of other denomi¬
nations when paying a fraternal visit. A seat within
220
METHODIST POLITY.
altar is equal to a seat within the pulpit, and should not
be entered by any minister without an invitation by th<
pastor, nor would any minister acquainted with minis¬
terial proprieties or etiquette ever think of doing so. 1 or
a minister to walk into a church and take a seat within
the altar without being asked by the pastor is bad man¬
ners an 1 great disrespect.
807 Q. When a minister is baptizing a child or an adult, is
it proper to pour or apply the water three times—once for the
Father, once for the Son and once for the Holy Ghost ?
A. No; but it is highly improper, if not heterodoxi-
cal. The minister who thus baptizes denies the unity of
the Godhead, and teaches the people that the three per¬
sons are three Gods, and not that the three persons in
the Godhead are only one God, as the Holy Scriptures
set forth. One application of the water in the name of
the Father, Son and Holy Ghost is all that is necessary
to constitute baptism.
808 Q. For what can the minister order the church opened
by virtue of disciplinary powers vested in him ?
A. I think I have already answered this question, but
for fear I have not, I will here state the pastor can order
or open the church for the following objects:
1st. For worship of any kind. 2d. For services of
morality. 3d. For literary or educational purposes. But
for all temporal or secular purposes the pastor must have
the consent of the trustees.
809 Q. Elas a Presiding Elder the right to change the time
for the Quarterly Conference after the last Sabbath before the
time designated ?
A. Not unless the cause is of the most extreme nature
such as sickness, death, or something of the kind, as the
SPECIAL ANSWERS.
221
pastor can preside over the conference if the Presiding
Eider is absent.
810 Q. Where ought a minister to stand when collecting
money for any cause ?
A. In the altar or in front of the pulpit; it is highly
improper to stand in the pulpit and do it. A minister
should never use the pulpit for any purpose other than
to preach, sing, pray and deliver religious lectures.
When he collects money, opens the door of the church,
receives into full membership, baptizes, delivers literary
or secular lectures, etc., he should leave the pulpit and
take a position in the altar.
811 Q. When is the proper time for holding watch-night
services ?
A. From one till six o'clock Christmas morning.
Christ is supposed to have been born about three o'clock
Christmas morning, and no Christian upon the face of
the globe should be in bed at that hour. Every church
upon earth should be lit up and filled with people prais¬
ing God at the time Christ was born of woman. The
primitive Christians, says history, were all up watching
Christmas morning for hundreds of years after the birth
of Christ, praising God in loudest strains.
812 Q. Is a Presiding Elder compelled to siarn the License
of a local preacher, when voted to him by the Quarterly Con¬
ference, notwithstanding he may know the local preacher—
applicant is not capable? Baker says the Presiding Elder is
compelled.
A. No. In the A. M. E. Church neither the Pre¬
siding Elder nor Bishop is bound to License a man or
give him an appointment when they know him to be
disqualified. Bishop Payne decided that question in
180'2, in the Baltimore Conference, and his decision has
222 METHODIST POLITY.
never been reversed by any General Conference nor
by the Bishops' Council. Bishop Payne further de¬
cided that a Bishop was not bound to ordain a
preacher if he knew any disqualifying reasons, and
that decision has never been reversed either.
813 Q. When a licentiate has served one year, and is
ordained to the deaconate under the missionary rule,
does it exclude him from his examination as per dis¬
cipline, Chapter II., page 140, in discipline of 1884?
A. No, and the man who would advocate it is
foolish.
814 Q. Should class leaders, in opening their class ser¬
vice, read the Holy Scriptures ?
A. Yes, General rules too, if convenient; it would
make them appear more intelligent, and it would
be highly beneficial to the members.
815 Q. Has a class leader or an exhorter the right to
pronounce the apostolic benediction after religious ser¬
vices ?
A. No; only an ordained minister has that right,
yet they must dismiss the people in some formal
manner. And until the church provides them with
some form of dismission I think it might be tol¬
erated.
816 Q. Should an official member be marked in the
last Quarterly Conference of the year for failing to pay
his dollar money?
A. Yes, and the presiding officer make the in¬
quiry to know if he refuses, or if it is willful
neglect; if so, hold him responsible, for how can
a Pastor succeed without the co-operation of his
officers? The Annual Conference holds the Pastor
responsible for this neglect.
817 Q. Has a Pastor the right to negotiate for property
or furniture tor the church or parsonage?
A. No, this is the work of the trustees. But he
can co-operate with them, as he should in every¬
thing.
SPECIAL ANSWERS.
223
818 Q. When a District Conference assesses the several
churches for the Presiding Elder's support, can an official
Board change the amount fixed upon any special church?
A. No, unless the Presiding Elder agrees to it.
Then, even, it should have the consent of the Pre¬
siding Bishop, as he is the only one who can revise
the action of the District Conference.
819 Q. Can a Pastor suspend a steward and refuse to
call his name on the roll at the Quarterly Conference?
A. No, the steward is a member of the Quarterly
Conference, and it must dispose of the case.
820 Q. If the members of an Annual Conference vote
their next session at a given place, and the station Pas¬
tor sees it impossible to hold the Conference, what ought
to be done?
A. Let the pastor report to the Presiding Elder,
and let him report to the Bishop, and inform him
of the place that got the next highest number of
votes at the previous Annual Conference, and the
Bishop will announce the Conference there.
SECTION II.
821 Q. How much money should the trustees have in
hand before they commence the building of a new
church ?
A. At least one-third, if possible, and the people
in such a condition as to raise the second third by
the time the house is completed?
822 Q. Ought not each Quarterly Conference to keep
on hand local preachers and exhorters' license to avoid
the difficulty we sometimes have to get them when ex¬
pelled, as they generally claim to have bought them?
A. No, it is the business of the Presiding Elder to
keep them on hand; but the Quarterly Conference
should pay for them to avoid that trouble. The An-
224
METHODIST POLITY.
nual Conferences pay for Deacons' and Elders' Certifi¬
cates of ordination. Also for all pastoral appointments
for the same reason.
823 Q. When a Bishop or a presiding elder goes to a church,
on official business, is it proper to charge them for their
board ?
A. The pastor and stewards are bound to get them a
place to stop; if the church chooses to pay for it, that
is not the business of the Presiding Elder or Bishop.
It is a mean church, and the pastor is meaner, not to be
willing to accommodate any brother a reasonable time.
824 Q. Have trustees of the A. M. E. Church the right in
their board, and the pastor absent, to transact any business
without his knowledge ?
A. No. But the pastor when leaving his charge
should always appoint some one to preside in the trustee
meeting. The pastor has no right to notice any trustee
meeting trumped up in his absence, possibly to do what
they feared or hesitated to do in his presence. See what
is said about the pastor's signature in the chapter on
trustees.
825 Q. When a pastor has an appointment at any point upon
ais circuit, and is not able to fill it, and sends a local
preacher as a supply, must the stewards pay his traveling ex¬
penses ?
A. Most assuredly. Do you suppose the stewards
are robbers ?
826 Q. Shall probationers who have never been baptized, be
allowed to take of the holy sacrament?
A. No. They should first be baptized, which is the
door of entrance into our church, provided it wis not
performed in infancy.
827 Q, If an ordained preacher comes to us from another de>
SPECIAL ANSWERS.
225
nomination can he administer or assist in administering the
sacrament of the Lord's Supper, before he takes o»r ordina
tion vows?
A. No. Because our law requires all such persons
on coming to us, to take our ordination vows, although
we consider their ordination valid.
828 Q. Should not a minister coming from a Church which
recognizes only one ordination, be ordained the second time
before he acts as an Elder in the A. M. E. Church?
A. The Bishops thought so, and recommended such
a law to the General Conference of 1884, but it refused
to enact it.
829 Q. Are local preachers who are members of the Annual
Conferences, to have their characters examined at each session
by both Quarterly and Annual Conferences ?
A. Yes. Nobody asks the local preachers to join
the annual conferences ; they join at their own option,
and they must take the responsibility. They can be
ordained deacon and elders without being members of
the annual conference, provided, their respective churches
can show that they are needed. But local preachers
usually join the Annual Conference to appear as big men,
so they can talk and vote among the itinerants and help
to vote the suspension or expulsion of the itinerant
ministers, if they choose. Now, must the itinerant minis¬
ters through some strange grace turn them loose, be¬
cause the Quarterly Conference is obliged to examine
their characters ? No, if they want double honor, let
them take double fare. A Quarterly Conference is the
arena of local preachers.
226
METHODIST POLITY.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE POWER OF THE PREACHER.
t SECTION I.
830 Q. What does the Discipline mean by "not speaking
too long or too loud" when a minister is preaching the
gospel?
A. Mr. Wesley, when he wrote that provision,
had reference to a class of noisy, boisterous ranters,
which had partially turned Methodist preaching in¬
to ridicule, who neither had system, rule, nor re¬
gard for time ; therefore, it was necessary to some¬
what check these ravers ; hence this interdiction.
831 Q. What does God say about it?
A. "Cry aloud; spare not; lift up thy voice like a
trumpet, and show my people their transgressions,
and the house of Jacob their sins."
832 Q. What is meant by lifting up the voice like a
trumpet ?
A. We learn from one of the Hebrew Talmuds
that when the jubilee trumpets were blown, an¬
nouncing the great year of release from debt and
freedom to the slave, that the trumpet-blast waxed
louder and louder, till the sound was heard through
the land, and the echo returned in the shouts of
the people. So God meant for His ministers to
proclaim His word louder and louder, till the peo¬
ple responded in shouts of salvation.
833 Q. Then Mr. Wesley never intended to instruct the
THE POWER OF THE PREACHER. 227
Methodist ministry not to use their strongest utterances
in the pulpit if they felt so prompted by the Holy Spirit?
A. By no means; for Mr. Whitfield, his compeer,
was heard at times from three to four miles, and
the Christian world has justly classed him as the
foremost preacher of his day.
834 Q. What does Dr. Hall say about preaching?
A. He says that the more force men put into
their sermons, when accompanied by the Spirit, the
better lungs they have, and the longer they live;
that a sermon should always produce perspiration,
as it is healthy ; that force in preaching is ifealthy
for the preacher physically, and healthy for the
people religiously; also, that hard preaching is
blessed almost universally with advanced age and
a quiet and peaceful death.
835 Q. How, then, should a man preach the gospel, so
far as his physical labor or exertion extends?
A. He should labor as hard to enforce the Word
of God and move sinners to repentance as he would
in any other occupation. He should maul men as
laboriously with the truth as he would maul rails
in the forest.
836 Q. How manj' sermons can a man preach consec¬
utively ?
A. I have preached three times on Sabbath and
every night in the week for four months. I have
known men to do the same for six and ten months.
I have read of men who did for years. The more
a man preaches, the stronger he becomes, the more
he can preach, and the better he can preach.
837 Q. How did the preachers of the old dispensation
speak to the people?
228
METHODIST POLITY.
A. They must have spoken with great force and
power. We find that Ezra, the scribe, stood upon a
pul|)it of wood, fashioned like a small tower, and
preached to fifty thousand souls, till they bowed their
heads and wept excessively, and with uplifted hands
exclaimed, Amen ! Amen !
838 Q. What is the chief weapon of the church under the
New Testament dispensation ?
A. Revival preaching, all the types, shadows, sym¬
bols, sacrifices, ceremonials, forms and predictions of the
old dispensation, having centred and terminated in our
Lord Jesus Christ, and the grace of God having ap¬
peared unto all men. There is nothing to do now but
arouse the people to duty and stir the multitude to ac¬
cept God in their hearts and lives.
839 Q. How was the Christian dispensation introduced?
A. It was introduced in a great revival, conducted
by John the Baptist, the most eloquent, forcible and
soul-stirring preacher who had lived up to that time.
840 Q. Did not John the Baptist have advantages over the
preachers of this day ?
A. No; we have a thousand advantages over John
the Baptist; but while space will not allow us to enu¬
merate them, one alone will suffice to establish the fact.
John the Baptist had not the Holy Ghost to endue him
with power from on high, as we have had since the
day of Pentecost, yet he called possibly a million of
people to the wilderness to listen to his burning words.
841 Q. Then you infer that, as the Christian dispensation
was born in a revival, revival work and revival preaching is
God's order for the Christian dispensation?
A- No; I infer no such thing; that is the order; the
/ THE POWER OF THE PREACHER.
229
fact is too plain and too well-established to require an
inference.
842 Q. What was the manner of John's preaching?
A. Elijah was his model. His subjects were few,
plain and important; his style was vehement, images
bold, his deportment solemn, his actions eager, and his
morals strict, just as all ministers should be.
SECTION II.
843 Q. What kind of a preacher was Jesus?
A. He was the prince of preachers; he was simple,
majestic; he alternated between softness and severity;
he was indefatigable in zeal; denounced wrong in with¬
ering terms; hurled death and eternal destruction in
the face of all kinds of sin; spared no class, sect or
titled pomp; yet he was merciful, tender and loving to
the penitents; drew the people of every grade to hear
his soul-ravishing words. So great were his charm and
attraction that, when he would cross the Sea of Galilee,
the multitudes would walk around it and throng him
on the other side.
844 Q. Does God expect us to draw the people like Jew*
did?
A. Yes; and thousands of preachers have done it
since, and thousands will do it in the future.
845 Q. Can a preacher accomplish as much as the Son of
God, and he a fallible creature?
A. Yes; and more than the Son of God. Jesus
said: " The works that I do ye shall do; and greater
works than these shall ye do, because I go unto my
Father," and will send the Comforter (Helper), " and
he shall guide you into all truth." A preacher who
230
METHODIST POLITY.
has the Holy Ghost in him, that could not run
every devil out of hell itself, ought to quit and go
at something else.
846 Q. Have any instances been recorded where preach¬
ers have had a success similar to our Lord Jesus Christ
in preaching?
A. Yes ; St. Peter preached on the day of Pente¬
cost, and three thousand souls, through the power
of the Holy Spirit, accompanying his words, were
made to cry out: "Men and brethren, what shall zve
do?" And the entire three thousand repented, and
were baptized and received into the church. St.
Paul stood before Felix and ''reasoned of righte¬
ousness, temperance and a judgment to come, till
Felix trembled and answered, Go thy way." Also,
Firmianus Lactantius, known in history as the
Christian Cicero, preached about A. D. 320, till his
opposers quaked, staggered and fell to the ground,
calling upon the God they had hated, to save their
souls.
847 Q. Can you instance any more cases?
A. Yes ; scores of them. But space will not per¬
mit it; yet we will notice a few more : Jerome Narni
preached in Lent at Rome, and half the city went
home from his sermons, crying along the streets,
"Lord, have mercy upon us; Christ, have mercy upon
us." When Connecte, that good man, preached, the
ladies lowered their head-dresses and committed
quilled caps by hundreds to the flames. From the
pulpits of Salamanca, Mr. Narni induced eight hun¬
dred students to forsake the world and become
penitents, and frightened forty pompous prelates,
who were wasting time, back to their fields of
THE POWER OF THE PREACHER.
231
labor. Would to God some one could rise up and
frighten a hundred or two of the tramp preachers
of the A. M. E. Church to their work.
848 Q. Who was the greatest ministerial success his¬
tory records?
A. Paulinus who went as a missionary from
Rome to Northumbria, A. D. 601, and who preach¬
ed with such marvelous and startling power that
ten thousand persons asked for baptism in one day
and received it.
849 Q. Can preachers accomplish as much in our day
as those you have mentioned, and the hundreds you'have
not named?
A. Yes, and more too; for there is not the per¬
secution to confront them now that they had. Be¬
sides, look at D. L. Moody, Sam Jones, H. L.
Hastings and others, who are marshaling their
tens of thousands daily for heaven, and thousands
of other preachers could do the same if they would
live and labor for it.
850 Q. Why is it they do not bring men and women to
Christ as do these good men you have mentioned?
A. They do not live, study, plan, scheme, pray,
fast and strive for it. There is too much levity,
jocoseness, nonsense, worldly-mindedness, and too
little interest for souls felt in the ministry, and un¬
less there is a revival in the salvation of souls
aroused very soon, we will have to write the
epitaph of our church.
SECTION II.
851 Q. Is there anything discouraging in the work of
the A. M. E. Church?
A. Well—yes. I have just been footing up the sta¬
tistics of the A. M. E. Church, and find about seven
thousand preachers in the church,itinerant and local,
232
METHODIST POLITY.
and only twenty-one thousand probationers—about
three probationers to every one preacher—when we
ought to have at least a hundred thousand. Our in¬
crease is scarcely equal to the deaths. But this is not
all: our membership is less than in 1880. We have
gone backward instead of forward, unless our statistics
are wrongly reported.
852 Q. What do you think of it ?
A. The great question is, what does God think of
it ? What do angels think of it ? What do Bishops
Allen, Waters, Brown, Q,uinn, Nazery, Dickerson, Cain
and Shorter think of it? What do all the fathers of
the church in heaven think of it? How do our con¬
sciences feel about it ? O ! you preaching men of the
A. M. E. Church, awake! awake!! awake !! ! God
calls upon us to " cry aloud and spare not," and we had
better do it. O thou God of heaven and earth, stir our
ministry !
853 Q. How ought the ministry to awake ?
A. " Woe unto me if I preach not the gospel," is
the declaration of Holy Writ. The ministry need keep
that awful woe before them, and to that end preach—
preach often, preach loudly, preach eloquently, earnestly 5
prayerfully, and faithfully; preach till men fear, trem¬
ble and their knees smite each other aud their hearts sink
within them ; preach till the people weep, cry out, la¬
ment their sins and turn to God.
854 Q. Suppose they can't move the people, in consequence
of their hoing such clevil-t?
A. Yes ; that is a common saying among worthless,
irreligious and unfaithful preachers. But it is a lie,
both upon God and his people. No man is a devil
THE POWER OF THE PREACHER.
233
while he lives. When God is ready to allow him to be
a total devil, he sends him to hell. But grant it could
be, still God sends us to preach to every man, and says
that signs and wonders shall follow. If a few faithful
preachers could roll back the curtains of the dark ages,
which had hung in blackness over the world for a thou¬
sand years, and, through Christ, light up the moral
earth, despite the ignorance, superstition and persecutions
of that day, let no preacher say, " I can't," in this
day.
855 Q. Some preachers argue that the gospel should be dis¬
pensed quietly, modestly and rather silently, like the silent
forces of nature. What about it ?
A. The silent forces of nature—let us repeat it, the
silent forces of nature. Nature has no silent forces.
Let us see: Rivers rise, roar and drive everything be¬
fore them, even to great granite boulders. Old ocean
lifts her waves sky-high and dashes mountains to pieces.
Winds in cyclones sweep the land and make continents
tremble. Electricity sounds her battle-gongs in the
heavens till man and beast and earth itself seem af¬
frighted. The sun, the god of day, and dispenser of
innumerable blessings, shoots out fiery billows to the
distance of two hundred thousand miles, and if it was
not for dead ether, the roar would resound through space
for billions of miles. The internal fires of the earth
roll in angry floods, and hurl up mountains higher than
clouds ever float. The planets in space, while riding in
their orbits, generate a music which makes the universe
a literal orchestra. Let the preacher go and do like¬
wise—preach till he stirs the universe of human hearts,
the universe of immortal souls.
234
METHODIST POLITY.
856 Q. What is the last call or invitation to sinners
left on record in the Bible?
A. "The Spirit and the bride say come, and let
him that heareth say come, and let him that is
athirst come, and whosoever will, let him partake
of the water of life freely."
857 Q. What lessons does this last invitation teach?
A. 1st. That God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost
invites the sinner to repent and be saved. 2d. That
the bride, or church, invites him through the Bible,
the ministry, exhorters, leaders, stewards, trustees,
Sabbath-school teachers, la}^ members, probation¬
ers, hymns, shouts, praises, press and all her
agencies and institutions, as well as through the
triumphant deaths of her faithful members. 3d. Let
him that heareth say come. Let all sinners, swearers,
gamblers, Sabbath-breakers and liquor drinkers,
who have heard the invitation, although they have
not come themselves, pass the invitation of that
God whose bread they eat, along the line. Let
them tell what they have read in the Bible or heard
from the pulpit. 4th. Let him that is athirst come.
Let those feeling the need of salvation come, be
they in high or low stations. Let them come from
the jail, dungeon, penitentiary, whiskey saloon, or
from the gallows itself, and take of the water of
life freely.
858 Q. What is the import of this last invitation?
A. That the Holy Spirit, the executive officer of
the Godhead; that the church through her minis¬
ters and all her machinery ; that the members per¬
sonally, of all grades and classes ; that the seekers,
mourners, and all who have been impressed, are
auothrized and even commanded to speak to some
LITURGIC SERVICE.
235
one else, and tell them that God says, "Whosoever
will, let him take of the zvater of life freely."
859 Q. What did the Methodist Conference say, as early
as 1780, about preachers rising in the morning to engage
in prayer, reading, meditation and preparing to preach
the gospel?
A. "All our preachers should make it a con¬
science to rise at four or five in the morning; that
it was a shame for a preacher to be in bed till six
o'clock."
860 Q. How long may a minister lie in bed, and be a
faithful student and powerful as a preacher?
A. Eight hours, if feeble; never longer, unless
confined by sickness. But five or six hours is suf¬
ficient time for sleep; longer than that produces
dullness, stupidness, laggardness and general
worthlessness.
CHAPTER XXIX.
LITURGIC SERVICE.
861 Q. Where did the Ritual or Liturgic Service of the
A. M. E. Church come from?
A. It is a part of the service of the Rev. John
Wesley's Prayer Book, which the General Con¬
ference adopted in 1880.
862 Q. Where did lohn Wesley get the original form
of his prayer book?
A. From the Church of England.
863 Q. Does the A. M. E. Church use the entire form?
A. No ; yet the entire Prayer Book was adopted in
1880, and could be used, if any minister and his con¬
gregation desired. All our ritual service is taken from
236
METHODIST POLITY.
it, viz.: The Lord's Supper, Baptism, Burial of the
Dead, Marriages, Ordinations, <fcc.
864 Q,. What part is commonly used in Congregational
worship ?
A. The Ten Commandments, Te Deum, and Litany,
with responses by the people.
865 Q. Has any Methodist Church, besides the A. M. E.
Church, ever adopted the Wesley Prayer Book?
A. Yes, the British Wesleyan Church, M. E. Church
in 1784, and the M. E. Church South in 1866.
866 Q. Do their laws compel the pastors to use this service
in all their Congregational worship?
A. No; none, except the British Wesleyan Church;
and then compulsion only exists when the President of
the Conference preaches. All can use it, however, when
they have a progressive pastor to lead them in the
service.
867 Q. Suppose the congregation desired the service, and the
pastor objected?
A. Then the pastor, if an honest man, would resign ;
otherwise the Bishop should remove him, as the mem¬
bers can demand any service or labor from the pastor
the law provides for them.
868 Q. But suppose all the people did not desire this form of
service ?
A. Then the pastor should divide the service up, if he
desired peace; use it one part of the day, and omit it
the other, and thus train them gradually, as every
Christian will soon enjov it, because the ten command¬
ments especially are the words of God Himself.
869 Q. What has been said by eminent divines about this
form of worship ?
LITURGIC SERVICE.
237
A. Dr. Adam Clarke (Methodist) says : " Next to the
Bible, the English Liturgy is the hook of my heart.''
Prof. Shield, of Princeton, says: " Next to the Bible,
the Prayer Book is the most wonderful product of any
age." Dr. Beeeher says : " No religious form can
stand a moment in comparison with the Prayer Book."
Rev. Albert Barnes says: "No one who delights to
worship God can dislike the Prayer Book." Dr. Hop¬
kins (Presbyterian) says: "Our church needs some
sacred form of worship, like the Book of Common
Prayer." Bishop Payne says : "Our members need this
service to inspire their devotions." Bishop Dickerson
said: " Since the choirs have stopped congregational
singing, the people must have something to do besides
giving a little money, and this service is the thing."
Dr. Hopkins (Presbyterian) again says: " The spirit of
Protestantism requires that the people shall take part in
■tfie public worship of God, and thus make it common
worship." " Not for the minister to say, Let us sing,
and the response come only from a half-dozen in the
organ-loft. Let us pray, which means, Let me pray."
870 Q. Do the assumptions of history support this form of
public worship, by reason of its antiquity ?
A. It might be safely assumed that a mode of wor¬
ship which has been employed by the Church under
both the Old and New Testaments must have strong
reason to recommend it. But the services of the temple,
where God was pleased eminently to manifest His
glory, was in a high degree elaborate and liturgical. The
people had their large vocal part in the worship. A
great orchestra of trumpets and cymbals, psaltery and
harps, accompanying the trained voices of the Levites,
238 METHODIST POLITY.
swelled the volume of praise. "All the children of Is¬
rael fell down on their faces to the ground, and worship¬
ped and praised the Lord, saying, 'For He is good, for
His mercy endureth forever.'" And as the Psalm
was chanted describing God's marvelous works of
creation and providence, still the people gave back
their glad multitudinous chorus : "0 give thanks unto
the Lord, for He is good," sang the priests : "Who over-
threzv Pharaoh and his hosts in the Red Sea; who smote
great kings, and sleiv mighty kings; Sihon king of the
Amorites, and Og king of Bashan," and, after each
clause, came rolling back the earthquake shout of
the people, "For His mercy endureth forever."
This example of prescribed and ritual devotion
was early followed by the Christian Church. It
will not be denied by any student of history, that for
fifteen hundred years at least, the worship of the
Church, in all its main branches, has been conducted
by means of prescribed forms. This carries us
back to about A. D. 400; but the perfected shape in
which we soon after find the great Oriental Litur¬
gies, those called by the names of St. Mark, St. Basil,
Chrysostoni, and others, suggests the strong proba¬
bility that their elements we're drawn from a much
earlier period. Many of the prayers (those en¬
titled ad paceni) refer distinctly to the existence of
persecution, which did not prevail after the year
323. And the lately published "Doctrine of the
Twelve Apostles," which is attributed by eminent
critics to a period somewhere between A. D. 80 and
A. D. 150, contains a precise service of prayer for
the administration of the Lord's Supper.
Certainly there must be some moderate presump-
GROWTH OF THE A. M. E. CHURCH 239
tion, at least, in favor of a mode of worship in
which, for almost three thousand years, the great
body of the Church has forever participated.
CHAPTER XXX.
GROWTH OF THE AFRICAN M. E. CHURCH.
SECTION I.
871 Q. When was the convention held that organized
the African M. E. Church into an independent and sep¬
arate connection?
A. The Organic convention assembled on April
7th, and the first Bishop was elected on the 9th and
ordained on the 11th of the same month in the year
1816.
872 Q. What number of delegates were present?
A. Sixteen.
873 Q. What number of members, circuits, stations and
church officers had the A. M. E. Church in 1816?
A. We are not able to state, for the reason that
if any report exists, we have never seen it. Tradi¬
tion says the records of the first convention were
lost, but the church never materially suffered on
that account, as many of the founders lived for a
generation afterwards, and have given us full nar¬
ratives of all the essential business transacted. Dr.
Tanner has collected, however, several historic
items contemporaneous with the times, which the
reader would do well to examine. You will find
them in his "Outlines of History."
240 METHODIST POLITY.
874 Q. About what was the strength of the church at
the end of the first decade or ten years?
A. In the year 1826 there were:
Bishops, 1.
Annual Conferences, 2.
Itinerant preachers, 17.
Circuits, 10.
Stations, 2.
Missions, 5.
Total membership, 7,937.
Money raised for all purpsoes, $1,151.75.
875 Q. What salaries did the ministers receive at the
end of the first decade?
A. The ten pastors belonging to the Philadelphia
Conference received in the aggregate only $604.20,
and the six pastors in the Baltimore Conference,
$448.30.
876 Q. Did they give their whole time to the itinerant
ministry for such a small income?
A. They did. True, some did a small business
besides, but they allowed nothing to prevent the
faithful discharge of their ministerial duties.
877 Q. What about the second decade, or 1836?
A. There were in 1836:
Bishops, 2.
Annual Conferences, —.
Itinerant preachers, 37.
Circuits, 18.
Stations, 3.
Missions, 10.
Churches, 86.
Value of property, $43,000.
Money raised for all purposes, $1,485.88.
GROWTH OF THE A. M. E. CHURCH 241
878 Q. What is thought of the amount of money re¬
ported as raised for all purposes at the end of the second
decade ?
A. It is most stubbornly denied by several of the
older men of our ministry as being correct. The
report makes the sum total far too small, accord¬
ing to the statement of those who ought to know,
but it must be remembered building expenses were
not then itemized as now.
879 Q. What about the third decade?
A. There were in the year 1846:
Bishops, 3.
Annual Conferences, 6.
Ministers, 69.
Stations, 16.
Circuits and missions, 40.
Churches, 198.
Value of property, $90,000.
Money raised for all purposes, $7,231.03.
Schools supported, 9.
Missionary societies, 3.
Publication department, 1.
880 Q. Who of the Bishops had died up to this time?
A. Only Bishop Allen. Bishop Waters died in
1847.
881 Q. What information can you give about the fourth
decade ?
A. We have none before us at present, though
the church is abundantly supplied with statistics
for 1856, and they will in due time be laid before
the world. The fourth decade found the church
largely manned by men of fine scholarship and in
many instances of surprising abilities.
11
242 METHODIST POLITY.
882 Q. What can be said about the fifth decade?
A. There were in 1866:
Bishops, 4.
Annual Conferences, 16.
Preachers, 360.
Stations, 80.
Circuits, 112.
Missions, 159.
Churches, 477.
Value of property, $843,000.
Sunday-school teachers, 10,000.
Volumes in libraries, 117,818.
Church members, 153,000.
For support of schools, $135,593.
883 Q. Have you the statistics of the sixth decade?
A. No, not in full; therefore we will give the
items of 1880, just four years later, which will
make no material difference.
884 Q. Will you give a synopsis of the chur-ch in the
year 1880?
A. There were in 1880:
Annual Conferences, 40.
Bishops, 9. ♦
General officers, 3.
Iti nerant ministers, 1,837.
Local preachers, 9,760.
Members, 391,044.
Sunday-schools, 2,345.
Teachers, 15,454.
Pupils, 154,549.
Volumes in libraries, 193,358.
GROWTH OF THE A. M. E. CHURCH 243
School-houses, 88,
Churches, 2,051.
Parsonages, 402.
Total value of property, $2,448,671.86.
885 Q. What is thought of the correctness of some of
these calculations?
A. Some of them have been regarded as too high
and some too low, but as all the minutes have been
published, it is only a question of time when the
necessary verifications will take place. I think
them mainly correct, however, and demonstrate the
wisdom of the great founders of the A. M. E.
Church.
886 Q. What departments of value have thse A. M. E
Church that might be included in the total estimate?
A. Wilberforce University, near Xenia, Ohio;
Allen University, at Columbia, S. C.; Paul Quinn
College, Waco, Texas; Morris Brown College, At¬
lanta, Ga.; Kittrell College, Kittrell, N. C.; the Di¬
vinity School, Jacksonville, Fla.; Brown Univer¬
sity, Quindaro, Kansas; Turner's Industrial College,
Shelbyville, Tenn.; Bethel Institute, Little Rock,
Ark.; and several other smaller centres of learning,
which might be valued at the lowest calculation at
$300,000.
887 Q. What other property values has the A. M. E.
Church ?
A. The Publication department at 631 Pine street,
Philadelphia, Pa.; the Sunday-school Union Build¬
ing, Public Square, Nashville, Tenn., and such con-
nectional property as is found in the several de¬
partments of the church, the real value of which,
in the aggregate, I am not able to state.
888 Q. At about what rate is it estimated the property
value of the A. M. E. Church increases?
244 METHODIST POLITY.
A. The lowest estimate is> that we build about
three churches in four weeks the year round, in¬
cluding large and small, and about thirty-six par¬
sonages a year. Parsonage building is on the in¬
crease of late years ; school buildings are on the
increase also.
CHAPTER XXXI.
, QUESTIONS ON ADMISSION.
The following questions were drafted for the pur¬
pose of mapping out a line of examination for those
entering our traveling ministry as the Discipline
directs. They are by no means as difficult as were
propounded to me during the nine hours I was un¬
der examination. Yet, while easy and simple, I
think them adequate to all necessary requirements
upon entering the itinerancy. Should any of them
be thought hard to answer, let the candidate pre¬
pare himself, as he should, in advance. The com¬
mittees of examination, of course, will ask any
other questions growing out of these which the
occasion may suggest. Strange that English gram¬
mar should be omitted in the catalogue for admis¬
sions, yet, it does not appear in the Discipline for
1884; committees should require it, however, as it
was evidently an omission. Remember, these ques¬
tions are for admissions only, and not for deacons
and elders' orders, which should be higher and far
more extended.
The General Conference of 1888 having adopted
this form, young men run no risk in preparing to
answer these questions, as they can hold the com¬
mittees to them.
QUESTIONS ON ADMISSION. 245
QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED ON ADMISSION TO THE
TRAVELING CONNECTION BY THE ANNUAL
CONFERENCE OR ITS COMMITTEE.
ON PERSONAL CHARACTER.
1. What is your age? What family have you? How
long have you been a church member? When licensed
to preach? Do you enjoy religion? Do you claim sanc-
tification? Have you the witness of the Holy Spirit?
2. Do you drink whisky? Do you advocate temperance
in your sermons? If not, will you? What books have
you? What are your hours of study? Have you read
the Bible through? If not, will you? Will you read it
daily ?
3. Do you fast? How often? When did you fast and
pray last? Will you conform to it? Will you obey or¬
ders? Go where appointed?
5. Will you keep your wife on your work? Have you
considered the danger of leaving your wife at a distance?
Will you see that your family attend church regularly?
6. Can you sing? Will you sing regularly? Hold fam¬
ily worship? Will you both be decent in person and po¬
lite to people? Etc., etc.
I.—ON READING.
1. What is orthography, and what does it embrace?
2. What is articulation, and what does it embrace?
3. What are oral elements, and how are they divided?
4. How may letters be classed?
5. Give a definition for each of the following terms,
viz.: Vowel, dipthong, proper dipthong, improper dip-
thong, triphong, consonant alphabetic equivalents, den¬
tal, lingual, palatal, cognate.
6. What is a word? Define a primitive, a derivative, a
simple, a compound word.
7. Define syllable, monosyllable, dissyllable, trisyllable,
polysyllable.
8. What is accent? What its use?
9. What is expression of speech? Give its general div¬
isions and define them.
10. What is the difference between prose and poetry?
246 METHODIST POLITY.
II.—ON WRITING.
1. What is writing?
2. From how many and what sources were the ancient
systems of writing probably derived?
3. What are the three essentials of good writing?
4. What does uniformity include?
5. How are the small letters divided?
6. What are the rules for sloping and spacing?
7. What is the rule for shading?
8. What systems of penmanship have you studied, if
any, and why do you prefer it?
9. Have you studied bookkeeping—single or double en¬
try? If so, whose system?
10. Are you conversant with the art of off-hand flour¬
ishing and drawing? How much time have you devoted
to this branch of penmanship?
III.—ON SPELLING.
1. Of what does orthography treat? And how are the
letters of the English alphabet divided?
2. Which are the vowels? How man}- and what sounds
have they respectively?
3. Spell and define ten names of parts of the human
body.
4. Spell and define ten pieces of clothing.
5. Spell and define ten parts of a building.
6. Spell and define ten pieces of household furniture.
7. Spell and define ten mathematical terms.
8. Spell and define ten geographical terms.
9. Spell and define ten names "genus mammalia."
10. Spell and define ten names of reptiles and fishes.
IV.—ON ARITHMETIC.
1. What is arithmetic? Of what does it treat, and how
is it classified?
2. What is notation? What is numeration? Give the
rules for each.
3. What is Roman notation? What letters are used?
What their values?
4. What is addition? What is the sign? Give the rule.
QUESTIONS ON ADMISSION. 247
5. What is subtraction? What is th sign? On what
principle does the operation depend? And what is the
rule ?
6. What is multiplication? What is the sign? On
what principle does it depend? And what is the rule?
7. What is division? What is the sign? On what
principle does it depend? And what is the rule? 1st,
for short. 2d, for long division?
8. Recite the following tables, viz.:
1. United States currency.
2. English currency.
3. French currency.
4. Troy weight.
5. Apothecaries' weight.
6. Avoirdupois weight.
7. Civil time.
8. Long measure.
9. Surveyor's measure.
10. Cloth measure.
11. Square measure.
12. Land measure.
13. Cubic measure.
14. Liquid measure.
15. Angular measure.
V.—ON GEOGRAPHY.
1. What is geography? What does it compromise?
How many and what motions has the earth?
2. What are natural divisions of land? Of water?
Describe them.
3. What is a zone? How many? Locate them. Give
names of principal mountains and rivers on the globe;
tell where they are.
5. Into how many general classes or races is mankind
divided? Describe each class; tell their peculiarities.
6. What do the political divisions of the world include?
Give definitions.
7. What is a hemisphere? How is the earth divided
with respect to hemispheres? Name the countries in
each.
8. Name the capital city of each country of the globe,
and tell where situated.
248
METHODIST POLITY.
9. How is the United States bounded? What is its
area and population?
10. Name and bound each State and Territory in the
United States.
VI—ON HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
1. Name the original thirteen colonies, and tell when
and by whom settled.
2. What causes produced the Revolutionary War?
When did it commence? When close?
3. How many States are there in the Union? What is
the national motto?
4. Who delivered the "Dred Scott" decision? W'hat
was that decision?
5. What caused the late Civil War? How many men
were under arms on either side? Name the leading gen¬
erals and principal land and naval engagements?
6. When and by whom was the Emancipation Proclam¬
ation issued? Who were its chief beneficiaries? In what
way ?
7. What was the intention of the framers of the 13th,
14th and 15th amendments? What the result of their
adoption ?
8. Which two Presidents were assassinated? When?
By whom and under what circumstances?
9. Name the colored men who have represented their
States in the United States Senate or House of Repre¬
sentatives, or reprsented the General Government at for¬
eign courts.
10. Name all the Presidents and tell the political party
to which they belonged.
11. Name those Justices of the Supreme Court of the
United States who declared the Cvil Rights Bill uncon¬
stitutional? If one dissented from that opinion, give
his name.
VII.—OX THE DISCIPLINE.
1. Why was the A. M. E. Church organized? When and
by whom?
2. Name all the Bishops; tell when elected and or¬
dained to that office. If any have deceased, tell whom,
where and when.
3. How many Articles of Religion do we accept, and
what do they severally treat of? Give the substance of
each.
4. Repeat the General Rules; directions for the bands;
QUESTIONS ON ADMISSION. 249
explain the duties of a leader, and the best method of
conducting class meetings.
5. Give an exposition of the composition and powers of
a General, Annual, District and Quarterly Conference,
Board of Trustee, Official Board, Board of Stewards,
Stewardesses, and of the Select Number.
6. What are the duties and powers of a Bishop? Pre¬
siding Elder? Elder in charge? Deacon? Traveling li¬
centiate? Local preachers and exhorters?
7. What is probation? How are probationers received?
How members from other denominations?
8. What is the duty of preachers to God, themselves
and one another? Do you ever contract debts without
the probability of paying them?
9. What is the best general and most effective way of
preaching?
10. Have you read our form of Discipline carefully?
Do you both know and love it, and will you conform
yourself thereunto in all things as a son in the gospel?
VIII— ON BINNEY'S THEOLOGICAL COMPEND.
What does the word theology mean? The word Scrip¬
ture? What does Testament signify? Apocrypha means
what? State something of the translations of the Bible.
What is meant by a Divine revelation? What does oral
revelation mean? What was the necessity for a revela¬
tion? Explain a miracle. What is meant by prophecy?
State the fulfillment of some. How is the existence of
God proved? What are the attributes of God? Name
them. What is meant by the Trinity? What was the
office of Christ? The Holy Ghost? What is repentance?
Justification? Sanctification ? Faith? Hope? Charity?
What is growth in grace? What is an angel A devil?
Prove by the Scriptures a future state. A resurrection.
A general judgment. What is the moral law? What
duties do we owe to God? To our neighbor? Define
baptism. What is the church? Etc., etc.
IX—SACRED HISTORY.
1. Give the history of the church from the creation
250 METHODIST POLITY.
to the deluge, and tell what you know of the principal
characters mentioned.
2. Name the principal events and persons, from the
deluge to the departure of the Israelites from Egypt.
3. What were the chief incidents connected with the
forty years' wandering in the wilderness?
4. Give the origin of the priestly and prophetic offices,
and tell what were the peculiar duties of each.
5. At what time were there judges in Israel? Name
them severally. Tell how long each judge served and
under what circumstances they came into the office.
6. Name the several kings of Judah and of Israel; their
character. Tell when and under whom the ten tribes
revolted, and what caused the final seventy years of
captivity and dispersion.
7. Which are the principal events in the history of the
church, from the captivity to the restoration under Zerub-
babel and Nehemiah?
8. Name all the major and minor prophets ; their pro¬
phecies, and cite any fulfillments thereof.
9. Give the history of the church from the restoration
by Cyrus to the ascension of Christ, and name the prin¬
cipal actors and the parts they performed.
10. Tell what was God's method for the redemption of
mankind, and means employed before and since the
coming of Christ. How may the church now be known?
X.—ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY.
1. Name and locate the bones in the human body.
2. Describe and classify the muscular system.
3. Which are the organs of nutrition and what their
office ?
4. What substances enter into the composition of
blood ?
5. Give the divisions of blood vessels, their composi¬
tion and character.
6. Which is the true and rational theory of the circula¬
tion of the blood?
7. How is secretion and excretion accomplished? of
what does the skin consist? what is insensible perspira¬
tion ?
8. What is respiration? what organs are employed? by
QUESTIONS ON ADMISSION.
251
what organs affected? the difference between inspired
and expired air?
9. Describe the nervous system; tell how nervous force
is produced; name the special senses; tell their uses and
action. What influence has external agents on the phy¬
sical and intellectual condition of man?
XI.—ANALOGY AND RELIGION.
1. What difficulties have been raised concerning our
personal identity implied in the notion of present and
future existence, and how may they be obviated?
2. What analogical proof can you produce of the gov¬
ernment of God by means of rewards and punishments?
3. How would you prove from analogy that our pro¬
bationary life implies trials, difficulties and dangers?
4. Is there such a thing as universal necessity? If so,
in what way will it influence our practice?
5. Is God's government a scheme or constitution? If
so, how much of it may we comprehend?
6. In what does the importance of Christianity consist
and are we competent of judging what was to be ex¬
pected in a revelation?
7. Explain the system of Christianity in relation to the
appointment of a Mediator and the redemption of the
world by Him.
8. Is revelation universal? If not, does this supposed
deficiency invalidate its claims? If not, why?
9. Give the particular evidence in favor of Christianity.
10. What objections can be urged against the analogy
of nature to religion, and by what arguments may those
objections be silenced?
252
METHODIST POLITY.
CHAPTER XXII.
FORMS OF QUARTERLY CONFERENCE REPORTS.
ORDERED BY THE BISHOPS OF THE A. M. E. CHURCH, IN
ANNUAL COUNCIL, AUGUST 29, 1884, AT DETROIT, MICH.
To Presiding Elders and Pastors of the A, M. E. Church:
The following is merely the form of Quarterly Con¬
ference reports, which every Presiding Elder must see
prepared by the respective boards, read before the Quar¬
terly Conference, corrected, if necessary, adopted by the
said conference and read before the church twice, if con¬
venient, and once without failure, so that the members
may be kept posted as to the condition of their churches.
This has always been the law of our church, but a great
many of our churches have failed to keep the rule up.
Hence much of the trouble which grows out of money
matters. These reports are to be read by the secretaries
of the respective boards on the Sabbath of the quarterly
meeting, when the Presiding Elder is there in person,
and while he has the general oversight and direction of
affairs, as he naturally has on the Sabbath of the quar¬
terly meeting. Remember, it is the business of the Pre¬
siding Elder to see that these reports are made to the
people, and for him to give any other explanation neces¬
sary for the people's enlightenment. He also should preach
at least twice on that day out of the three services, if
able, and if not, employ the best talent in his reach, so
as to make it an extraordinary occasion, that a general
revival may possibly follow the quarterly meeting, and
souls may be born to God. He should also open the
doors of the church, administer the Lord's supper, unless
in stations where they have stated monthly Sabbaths for
the same, baptize and receive into full membership if
any are presented to him on that day, and if his assess¬
ment has been raised by the pastor, then he is to assist
in raising the pastor's salary.
QUARTERLY CONFERENCE REPORTS. 253
FORM OF TRUSTEES' REPORTS.
Philadelphia, Pa., August 25, 1884.
To the Chairman and Members of the First Quarterly Conference
of Bethel A. M. E. Church. Greeting:
We, the Board of Trustees, most respectfully beg leave
to submit our report for the first quarter, ending August
25th, 1884, which we certify upon our honor and Christian
integrity is correct
Receipts.
Remaining in treasury from last quarter $125 00
Sabbath Collections.
June 6th—11 o'clock $ 22 00
June 6th—8 o'clock 28 50
July 10th—11 o'clock 19 25
July 10th—8 o'clock 26 00
August 7th—11 o'clock 15 75
August 7th—8 o'clock 30 00
June 15th—From supper given for church 40 00
July 8th—Lecture by Dr. John Blank 25 50
July 20th—Sabbath-school concert 21 00
August 8th—Donation by James Smith 5 00
August 13th—Contribution by society 12 00
Sum total $370 00
Expenditures.
June 7th—Fuel for pastor $ 3 00
June 11th—Dining table for parsonage 8 00
June 16th—Paid sexton 10 00
June 30th—Organist for services (if paid) 8 00
July 4th—Broom for sexton 50
July 6th—Gas bill 9 25
July 8th—Pitcher for pulpit 1 00
July 8th—Repairing stove 8 00
July 10th—Digging well for parsonage 70 00
July 19th—Rent for parsonage 12 00
August 2d—New floor in school-house 95 00
254 METHODIST POLITY.
August 13th—One ton of coal
August 15th—Water-bucket for parsonage
$ 7.00
1 00
Total amount
Leaving in the treasury
$233 25
$136 75
We, the trustees, beg also to say our department is in
good condition, etc. The people are generous, and good
behaviour characterizes their deportment, etc. We still
owe Mr. Williams three hundred dollars on the church,
etc.
As we have no authority to build, enlarge, or purchase
without the consent of a majority of the legal members
of the church, we respectfully suggest the need of a par¬
sonage for our minister, etc., and would ask for author¬
ity to purchase the vacant lot adjacent to the church,
for the erection of a suitable building to that end, etc.
Hoping the Great Head of the Church will continue
his blessings upon pastor and people, we subscribe our¬
selves your obedient servants.
FORM OF STEWARDS' REPORT.
To the Chairman and Members of the Second Quarterly Confer¬
ence of the Bethel A. M. E. Church, Greeting:
We, the Board of Stewards, most respectfully beg leave
to submit our report for the quarter ending August 25th,
1884, to the correctness of which we most positively
affirm, etc.
Henry J. Jones,
Wm. M. Johnson,
Joseph Richardson,
Samuel Wheeler,
James Adkins,
Wm. Mitchell, Secretary.
' I concur in the correctness of the report.
James Porter,
Pastor and Chairman.
QUARTERLY CONFERENCE REPORTS. 255
Receipts.
Remaining in treasury last quarter $ 75 00
From Class No. 1 5 00
From Class No. 2 7 50
From Class No. 3 8 00
From Class No. 4 6.25
Etc., etc., etc., etc
June 6th—Public collection 50 00
June 8th—Public collection 45 00
August 9th—Public collection 38 00
From quarterly tickets 28 00
July 10th—Love-feast collection 12 00
August 2d—Sacramental collection 15 00
Sum total $289 75
Expenditures.
June 4th—Pastor's board $ 10 00
June 6th—Pastor's salary 50 00
June 10th—Pastor's traveling expenses 8 00
June 25th—Elements for Lord's supper 2 50
June 30th—P. E. assessment 25 00
July 5th—Hymn book for pulpit ' 2 00
July 7th—100 Order of Church Service 3 00
July 8th—Pastor's salary 50 00
August 5th—Bishop's traveling expenses 12 00
August 13th—Paid to poor members 15 00
August 21st—New Bible for church 7 00
August 25th—Bread for Love-feast 25
Total $184 75
Annual Conference Collections.
June 22d—Dollar money raised $123 00
July 27th—Missionary money 40 00
August 8th—Contingent money, etc., etc 10 00
Total conference money $173 00
We further beg to say that since our last quarter
twenty-five have joined on probation, twelve childrert
256 METHODIST POLITY.
and five adults have been baptized, eight persons have
been admitted to full membership, three members of
precious memory have crossed the narrow stream of
death to join the heavenly hosts, two couples have been
united in holy wedlock, one has been expelled, we are
sorry to say ; two have been suspended from the spiritual
privileges of the church—one for two months and one
for five months. Our pastor is still well beloved, while
our local preachers and exhorters are punctual to Sab¬
bath-school, prayer-meetings, and doing all in their
power to extend the church by building up missions, and
our church, spiritually, is in fine condition, etc., etc.
Trusting you will remember us regularly at a throne
of grace, we have the honor to be your faithful servants,
Samuel Hutchenson,
Wm. H. Bryant,
John Backbone,
Roger Williams,
John Smith, Secretary,
Stcu'ards.
I concur in the correctness of the report.
James Porter,
Pastor and Chairman.
Note.—The same order that obtains with trustees and
stewards is the rule that governs the Sabbath-school
superintendents and leaders of the choirs, as well as
any other organization under the jurisdiction of the
church. All are to make quarterly report to the Con¬
ference, and after it is adopted by the Quarterly Con¬
ference it is to be read to the congregation at large.
The people, saint and sinner, who make up the congre¬
gation, have a right to know what goes with their money
to the last cent, and the business of the Presiding Elder
is to see that every cent is accounted for. And any
board or organization in a church that cannot account
for the money entrusted to them must be impeached by
the Quarterly Conference, and, after due time to make
corrections, removed. Trustees cannot be removed by
the Quarterly Conference, but they can be impeached,
and thus disqualified, and the members compelled to fill
their places. But it must be borne in mind that the pas-
RULES OF GENERAL CONFERENCE 257
tor of the church is the chairman of both the Trustees
and Stewards' Board, and is chiefly responsible for these
reports, yet circumstances may compel his absence at
times through sickness, distance, etc. Should this occur,
however, it does not serve as a bar in the preparation
of the Quarterly Conference reports by the respective
officers. Our last General Conference made a positive
order requiring pastors of all stations at least to hold
weekly services in the form of preaching and prayer-
meetings together, one night in the week. This order
must be obeyed.
This form must be rigidly adhered to, or some one
similar to it, or the Presiding Elder and Pastor must consent
to a change. After these reports have been read they must
be recorded in a book, kept for that purpose, and care¬
fully preserved in the archives of the church. Remem¬
ber, also, the Presiding Elders are to extend the church
by organizing missions, new work, and appointing preach¬
ers to them, etc.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
RULES OF GENERAL CONFERENCE.
The following parliamentary rules were drafted
by the writer and adopted by the General Confer¬
ence. They are inserted here to serve somewhat as
a guide for Annual, Quarterly and District Confer¬
ences ; also, for the use of official boards. But for
full information upon rules bearing on all questions,
see Bishop Wayman on Discipline:
Rules of Order for the Government of the General Conference of
the A. M. II. Church, adopted at the session held in Atlanta,
Ga., Mav 1, 1876; and also at the General Conferences of 1880
and 1884.
1. The conference shall convene at 9 o'clock A. M. and
adjourn at 2 o'clock P. M.. unless otherwise ordered.
258
METHODIST POLITY.
2. The president shall take the chair at the precise
hour to which the conference stood adjourned, and cause
the Holy Scriptures to be read, singing and prayer, and
on the appearance of a quorum (one-third) shall have
the journal of the preceding day read—which journal
shall be approved (with corrections if necessary), after
which business shall proceed in the following order: 1.
Reconsideration, if any. 2. Unfinished business. 3. Re¬
ports of Standing or Special committees. 4. Resolutions,
Petitions, Memorials, Appeals. But notice of all mo¬
tions to reconsider the action of the previous day must
be given while the journal is being read, unless the said
notice was announced on the day previous ; otherwise the
chair shall disregard them. The president shall strictly
require the order or orders of the day to be taken up
and considered at the time appointed, unless otherwise
directed by a two-thirds vote.
3. The president shall decide all questions of order,
subject to an appeal to the conference; but in case of
such appeal, the president and appellant only shall be
heard.
4. The president shall appoint all committees not other¬
wise ordered; but any member may decline serving on
more than one committee at the same time, unless on a
special committee.
5. All motions and resolutions shall be reduced to writ¬
ing. if the president, secretary or any three members
request it.
6. When a motion is made and seconded, or a report
is read and presented by the secretar}', or stated by the
president, it shall be deemed in possession of the con¬
ference : but any motion may be withdrawn by the mover
at any time before decision or amendment.
7. No new motions shall be made or resolutions offered
until the one under consideration is disposed of, except
a motion for adjournment, laying on the table, previous
questions (none of which are debatable), indefinite post¬
ponement, referring to a committee, offering a substi¬
tute, postponement to a certain time, an amendment, an
amendment to an amendment, or recommitting (which
are debatable).
8. No member shall be interrupted while speaking, ex¬
cept by the president to call him to order when he de-
RULES OF GENERAL CONFERENCE 259
parts from the question or uses personalities or discour¬
teous language ; but any member may call the attention
of the president to the subject when he deems the speak¬
er out of order; and a member may explain if he thinks
himself misrepresented, and should any one refuse to
come to order when so called, he may be silenced for a
day by the president, unless he makes the chairman a
satisfactory apology.
9. When any member is about to speak, debate or de¬
liver any matter to the conference, he shall rise from
his seat and respectfully address the chair.
10. No person shall speak more than twice on the same
subject, nor more than ten minutes at a time, without
special permission (unless to correct willful misrepre¬
sentation), nor shall any member speak more than once
until every member desiring to speak shall have spoken,
though he may represent another by his consent.
• 11. When a member rises to
of the chair to announce the
his conference.
speak, it shall be the duty
name of the speaker and
12. No member shall absent himself from the confer¬
ence without permission from the chair, unless he is
sick, or otherwise unable to attend.
13. No member shall be allowed to vote on any ques¬
tion who is not within the bar at the time when such
question is put by the president, except by special per¬
mission.
14. Every member who shall be within the bar at the
time a question is put shall vote, unless excused.
15. All questions pertaining to petitions, resolutions or
amendments, to change the Discipline, shall first be read
before the conference, and lie over a day before being
altered, rescinded or repealed, if desired by one-third
of the Conference, unless on the last day of the session.
16. All resolutions offered to amend, enlarge or change
the phraseology of the Discipline shall be read three
consecutive times before the conference, if desired by
any member, and referred to the appropriate committee,
if necessary.
17. The previous question shall never be demanded
upon any resolution before two members shall have
been heard pt'o and con, if desired.
18. A motion to lay an amendment upon the table re-
260
METHODIST POLITY.
moves the whole question from before the house for the
present, and if not lifted from the table is equal to an
indefinite postponement of the subject; but it does not
destroy the right of the further consideration of the
question at any future time.
19. Privileged questions are as follows : 1st, motion to
adjourn; 2d, motions relating to the rights and privileges
of the conference; 3d, motions relating to members in¬
dividually; 4th, motions for the order of the day.
20. When a question of order is raised, all other busi¬
ness must be suspended until the point is settled. The
president must decide the point without debate, subject
to an appeal to the conference; but nothing is a point
of order that does not involve a supposed breach of the
rules or special order.
21. Reasonable time should be given for the minority to
report before final action shall be taken on the report
of the majority.
22. Should the conference at any time go into the com¬
mittee of the whole, the presiding Bishop may call one
of the elders to the chair.
23. When a member rises and gives notice of an in¬
tention to offer a resolution, he maj' preface it.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
LITERARY ASSOCIATIONS.
SECTION I.
88D Q. What number of departments has the A. M. E.
Churcii :J
A. Publication Department, Financial Depart¬
ment, Sabbath-school Department, Educational De¬
partment, Quarterly Review Department, Mission¬
ary Department and Literary Department.
LITERARY ASSOCIATIONS.
261
890 Q. Will you explain the 1 aws governing these sev¬
eral departments, and the services respectively rendered
by them to the connection?
A. Yes; I could do it, but the departments of the
church have been fully set forth in "The Outlines
of African Methodist Episcopal Church History,"
by the learned Dr. B. T. Tanner—see page 115—
and as every minister and member is presumed to
have it, I think it would be a useless waste of time
to treat the subject again.
891 Q. Are the laws and rules of any of these depart¬
ments permanent?
A. All are subject to the fluctuating legislation of
the General Conference, except possibly the Lit¬
erary Department, which I think is destined to be
fixed and permanent for some years to come.
892 Q. By what name is it known?
A. The society is known by the name of the
"Connectional Literary, Historic and Educational
Association of the A. M. E. Church."
893 Q. When was this association legislated into ex¬
istence ?
A. Ry the General Conference of 1880.
894 Q. What is the object of this Connectional Associa¬
tion ?
A. The cultivation of literature, the study of his¬
tory, science, philosophy and the promotion of
Christian education among the members of our
church and ministry, and such other persons as
may desire to unite with them.
895 Q. How are the objects of this association to be
attained ?
A. By annual efforts in the wide field of general
literature—I mean by writing biographical sketches
262 METHODIST POLITY.
of eminent persons, living" or dead, also monograms
of places, churches, institutions and essays upon all
the great questions of the day; also by aiding
young men and ladies of talent and good moral
character, who give evidence of a noble future.
896 Q. How can the members and ministers of our
church in all parts of the world belong to the same as¬
sociation ?
A. It can be done quite easily. The Connectional
Association is really composd of as many auxiliary
associations as there are Annual Conferences in
the connection, which auxiliary associations meet
every year at the several Annual Conference ses¬
sions, but all are under the same rules and regula¬
tions.
897 Q. Does the Connectional Association, as such,
ha\e a regular set of officers? If so, will you define
them ?
A. I will. The officers of the Connectional As¬
sociation consist of a president, of as many vice-
presidents as there may be Bishops of the A. M. E.
Church, and one of the Presiding Elders of each
Episcopal district, all of whom are elected at the
annual meeting; also one recording and one cor¬
responding secretary, a treasurer and a librarian;
also a board of managers of one from each Epis¬
copal district, the Bishops also being cx-officio mem¬
bers of the board, all of whom perform the duties
usually devolving upon such officers in any well
regulated association.
898 Q. Into^ how many divisions is the Connectional
Association formed?
A. I hree—rather, there are three separate con¬
stitutions—one for the Connectional Association
proper, one for the Annual Conferences and one for
the several churches, besides the bv-laws, which
are intended to apply to all the divisions alike.
LITERARY ASSOCIATIONS. 263
899 Q. Where can these three constitutions and by¬
laws be found?
A. They can all be found in "The Budget/' com¬
piled and published by Dr. P». W. Arnett, for 1884;
also in this book, from which they can be copied
and utilized at pleasure.
900 Q. What amount is required to be paid annually
by the members of the auxiliary associations?
A. One dollar for initiation and fifty cents as an
annual fee ; but the members of the church associa¬
tions pay such monthly fees as they may determine
upon, since the fee is not less than ten cents per
month, and ten per cent, of both is then sent to the
connectional treasurer, who is bound to return a
receipt.
901 Q. Who are members of the conference auxiliary
associations by virtue of an act of the General Confer¬
ence ?
A. Every traveling preacher, including proba¬
tioners ; also all the local members of the Annual
Conferences.
902 Q. What relation do Presiding Elders hold to the
associations ?
A. Every Presiding Elder is the president of the
district over which he presides, and is to see that
literary associations are established in all the
churches in his district, and is to hold the pastors
responsible for their support and maintenance.
903 Q. Suppose there should be a pastor in the district
who had not the literary qualifications necessary to man¬
age such an association ?
A. Then let the Presiding Elder call the people
together and organize the association himself, and
select a man competent to preside over and man¬
age the institution.
264 METHODIST POLITY.
904 Q. Can either the minister or trustees refuse the
use of a church to such an association?
A. No, for the reason that they are created and
organized by an act of the General Conference,
which no power in the A. M. E. Church can over¬
rule, that being the highest judicatory known to
the connection.
SECTION II.
905 Q. What provision has been made for the purpose
of securing harmony and unity of action throughout the
entire connection, that a common incentive may prevail
everywhere ?
A. The president of the Connectional Associa¬
tion shall annually give, through the columns of
the Church papers not less than four nor more than
six different subjects in the form of original essays,
book reviews, criticisms, poetic productions, etc.
90t> Q. What shall follow the announcement of these
different subjects by the president?
A. Every member of an Annual Conference
throughout the connection shall write an essay up¬
on whichever one of the designated subjects he
may select of not less than ten nor more than
twenty-five pages of cap paper.
907 Q. What shall be done with the essays when
written ?
A. I hey shall be examined by a competent com¬
mittee at the session of the association of each
Annual Conference, and the essay taking the prize
on each one of the respective subjects shall entitle
the author to not less than five nor more than
twelve dollars, according to the capacity of the
conference treasury.
^08 Q- V\ hat disposition shall be made of these prize
essays r
A. i he several essays taking the prizes at the
Annual Conferences shall be sent or carried to the
annual meeting of the Conectional Association, to
LITERARY ASSOCIATIONS. 265
be re-examined for the connectional prizes, and the
several essays taking the connectional prizes shall
entitle the author to not less than fifteen nor more
than twenty-five dollars each, according" to the
strength of the treasury, and the several connec¬
tional essays taking the several prizes on the re¬
spective subjects designated shall be published to¬
gether in pamphlet form yearly and sold at cost
price, for the purpose of replenishing our treasury
and giving to our church the best thoughts and
ablest reasoning of our own ministers and members.
909 Q. These prize essays, when published in a book,
you say, are to be sold for the purpose of replenishing
the treasury?
A. Yes. But not only for that purpose; far more
is contemplated than the mere sale and financial
benefits. The chief object is to get our best
thoughts and finest talents before the people;
make it a great medium for conveying such in¬
formation to the young men and women of the
land as will give inspiration and noble incentives
to higher aims.
910 Q. Then the whole A. M. E. Church is virtually
one great literary association?
A. That is what the General Conference of 1880
intended to make it in conjunction with Christian
principles and godly lives and deportment; min¬
isters who will not study and fit themselves to in¬
struct the people are to be taught that our pulpits
are not designed for them.
911 Q. Do you mean to imply that a man cannot preach
without learning?
A. I do mean to imply that no man can preach
without constant and hard study. There are dif¬
ferent grades of learning. A blind man may not
know a"letter, vet be learned in the gospel, in his-
12
266 METHODIST POLITY.
torv, science and philosophy, because he is a reg¬
ular student through such agencies as he may
utilize.
912 Q. What further information have you to give
about the Connectional Literary, Historic and Education¬
al Association ?
A. I think enough has been said to at least call
attention to it. It was not my purpose at first to
do more, as the constitutions and by-laws have all
been published in another part of this book. Let
everybody turn to them and read them carefully.
CHAPTER XXXV.
A FEW BIBLE DOCTRINES.
SECTION I.
The Holy Bible.
913 Q. What book should all men revere?
A. The Holy Bible.
914 Q. What is the Bible?
A. The Word of God.
915 Q. What does the word Bible mean?
A. The Book.
916 Q. What does the Bible teach us?
A. I he law of God and how to obey it.
This chapter and sections are a part of the Turner Catechism,
which was published some years ago. We believe that, although it
was published for children, there are several items meagrely treated
which may be proiitable to some of our young ministers and lay
members, and insert it here for the use of such as can find benefit
in reading the same.
A FEW BIBLE DOCTRINES. 267
917 Q. How is the Bible divided?
A. Into the Old and New Testaments.
918 Q. What does the Old Testament tell us?
A. All about the creation, and the first ages of
the world.
919 Q. Of what does the New Testament tell us?
A. Of the life, crucifixion and resurrection of
Jesus, and the early history of the Church.
920 Q. In what language was the Bible first written?
A. The Old Testament in Hebrew, and the New
in Greek.
921 Q. Why is the Bible called the word of God?
A. Because it was written by God's direction.
922 Q. In what manner?
A. Holy men wrote it as they were moved by
the Holy Ghost.
923 Q. What proves the Bible to be from God?
A. Because it teaches things that only God could
know.
924 Q. What are some of these things?
A. How the world was created, and wThat will
be its end.
925 Q. Can you name anything else?
A. Yes, it tells about a heaven for the good, and
a hell for the bad.
926 Q. Could man have known these without the Bible?
A. No, never.
927 Q. If the Bible is so valuable, how should we treat
it ?
A. We should love it, and read it continually.
928 Q. At what age should a child begin to study the
Bible ?
A. Just as soon as he or she can read it.
268 METHODIST POLITY.
929 Q. What does the Bible tell us first?
A. That God in the beginning created the heavens
and the earth.
930 Q. At what time was that beginning?
A. No one knows but God.
931 Q. Were the six days of creation sun-measured
days ?
A. It is supposed they were great periods, but
were days with God.
932 Q. How long has it been since the creation of man?
A. About six thousand years.
933 Q. What was made on the first day?
A. Light.
934 Q. What was made on the second day?
A. The firmament, which was called heaven.
933 Q. What was made on the third day?
A. Trees and all kinds of plants and vegetables.
936 Q. What was made on the fourth day?
A. The sun, moon and stars.
937 Q. What was made on the fifth day?
A. Fish and all kinds of fowls.
938 Q. What did God make on the sixth day?
A. Man, whom He made in His own likeness.
**
939 Q. Did all men come from Adam, the first man?
A. Yes, all nations, kindred and people.
940 Q. Was Adam the father of both white and colored
people ?
A. Yes, out of one blood God made all men.
941 Q. Wrhy are there so many colors among men?
A. For the same reason there are many colors
among flowers.
942 Q. Does God care any more for one man than an¬
other ?
A. No. Lie has no respect of persons.
A FEW BIBLE DOCTRINES. 269
943 Q. Does God make any distinction with men?
A. None, except between the righteous and the
wicked.
944 Q. Will He punish all alike who are sinners?
A. Yes, the wicked shall be turned into hell.
945 Q. Where did God place Adam and Eve?
A. In the Garden of Eden.
946 Q. What were they commanded to do?
A. To take care of the Garden.
947 Q. What were they allowed to eat?
A. Of all the fruit of the trees except one.
948 Q. What tree was that?
A. The tree of knowledge of good and evil.
949 Q. Did they obey God in this command?
A. No ; being tempted of the devil they disobeyed.
950 Q. What did they do?
A. The woman ate of the forbidden fruit and
gave to the man, and he likewise ate.
951 Q. What did they become then?
A. Sinners.
952 Q. What happened to them?
A. God was displeased with them and drove them
from the Garden.
953 Q. For what reason were they driven from the
Garden ?
A. That they might not eat of the tree of life and
live forever.
954 Q. Was any curse put upon them?
A. Yes, that they should work hard all their lives.
955 Q. Did the curse extend any further?
A. Yes, that they should have sickness, pain and
death.
270
METHODIST POLITY.
956 Q. Are we affected by the Fall of Adam?
A. Yes, his Fall corrupted his posterity.
957 Q. How?
A. Adam was a representative of all who sprang
from him ; and consequently they are born under
the curse put upon him.
958 Q. What is man's condition now?
A. He is sinful and miserable.
959 Q. Is there no way to get rid of sin?
A. Yes, by obtaining forgiveness from God.
SECTJOX II.
Salvation through Jesus Christ.
960 Q. For what purpose did Jesus Christ come from
heaven ?
A. To save sinners.
961 Q. Are all men saved through Christ?
A. Yes, if they will believe on Him.
962 Q. What did Christ do to save sinners?
A. He became man, lived, suffered, died and rose
again.
963 Q. How did He become man ?
A. Though He was God, He took upon Him
man's nature, and was born of a woman.
964 Q. What did Christ suffer for us?
A. I he abuse of the world, and the death of the
cross.
965 Q. Why did Christ thus suffer and die?
A. To make an atonement for the sin of the
world.
966 Q. How did His death atone for the sin of the
world ?
A. By satisfying the justice of God.
967 Q. Had Christ not died what would have become
of men?
A. They all would have been forever lost.
A FEW BIBLE DOCTRINES. 271
968 Q. Did Christ make this atonement for all man¬
kind ?
A. Yes, by the grace of God, He tasted death for
every man.
969 Q. What does Christ say about Himself?
A. I am the way, the truth and the life.
970 Q. What else?
A. No man cometh unto the Father but by me.
971 Q. What proves Christ to have been a man?
A. He ate, slept, wept, hungered and thirsted.
972 Q. What proves that He was God?
A. In His own name He healed the sick, cast out
devils, and raised the dead.
973 Q. What took place when Christ was crucified?
A. The earth quaked, the sun was darkened and
the rocks were rent.
974 Q. What did the wicked then say?
A. "Truly this man was the Son of God."
975 Q. What example is taught us in the life of Christ?
A. Perfect goodness, and true holiness.
976 Q. What is the chief end of man?
A. To serve and glorify God.
977 Q. Who helps us to serve and glorify God?
A. The Holy Ghost.
978 Q. Who is the Holy Ghost?
A. The Spirit of God.
979 Q. How does the Spirit of God help us?
A. He comes into our hearts to make us like God.
980 Q. Does He come to us because we are good?
A. No, He comes to sinners also.
981 Q. Why does the Holy Ghost come to sinners?
A. Because He is sent to make them holy.
272 METHODIST POLITY.
982 Q. Why is God so good to sinners?
A. Because Christ loved them and died to save
them.
983 Q. When does Christ save sinners?
A. When thev repent and forsake their sins.
984 What else must we do to be saved?
A. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
985 Q. What will God do if we repent and believe?
A. He will pardon our sins for Christ's sake.
986 Q. Does God only pardon for the sake of Christ?
A. Yes, for His sake and not our own.
987 Q. What else will God do for us?
A. He will send His Holy Spirit to make us holy.
988 O. What do holy people always do?
A. They keep all God's commandments.
989 Q. What is the character of those who keep His
commandments ?
A. They are regarded as righteous.
990 Q. How, for their own sake?
A. No, for the sake of Christ.
991 O. Then we receive the righteousness of Christ, do
we ?
A. "\ es, through Him alone are we made righte¬
ous and holy.
SECTION* III.
Hoiv to find Christ through Prayer.
992 Q. Did you say Christ was born of a woman?
A. He was, His mother was the Virgin Marv.
993 Q. Where was Jesus Christ born?
A. In Bethlehem of Judea.
994 Q. When was He born?
^ A. In the days of Herod, the king, and Augustus,
Emperor of Rome.
A FEW BIBLE DOCTRINES. 273
995 Q. Where is Ch rist now?
A. In heaven, but His presence fills heaven and
earth.
996 Q. What does He do in heaven?
A. He intercedes and prays for us.
997 Q. What then is He called?
A. Our Advocate.
998 Q. How are we to pray to God to be benefitted?
A. In His name.
999 Q. What is it to pray in Christ's name?
A. To pray believing we shall be saved.
1000 Q. What else is Christ for us?
A. Our Prophet, Priest and King.
1001 Q. How is Christ our Prophet?
A. He teaches us God's will by His Word and
Spirit.
1002 Q. How is He our Priest?
A. He gave Himself a sacrifice for us and prays
for us.
1003 Q. How is He our King?
A. He gives us laws, defends us, and conquers
our foes.
1004 Q. How then should we come to Christ in prayer?
A. Humbly, yet boldly by faith.
1005 Q. Why should we thus come to Christ?
A. Because Christ sympathizes with us when we
suffer, and are in trouble.
1006 Q. What did Christ say about children?
A. "Suffer the little children to come unto me,
and forbid them not."
1007 Q. What reason did He give?
A. "For of such is the Kingdom of heaven."
12*
274 METHODIST POLITY.
1008 Q. Before Christ ascended to heaven what did He
tell His disciples?
A. "Go into all the world and preach my Gospel."
1009 Q. What does the word "Gospel" mean?
A. Glad tidings, or good news.
1010 Q. What are the glad tidings of the Gospel?
A. That Jesus Christ died to save sinners.
1011 Q. To whom is this Gospel to be preached?
A. To every creature, or to all people.
1012 Q. What came of preaching the Gospel?
A. The Christian Church.
1013 Q. Who compose the Christian Church?
A. All true believers.
1014 Q. How many Sacraments has the Church?
A. Two.
1015 What are they?
A. Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
1016 Q. What does Baptism signify?
A. The cleansing of the heart from sin.
1017 Q. Does the water cleanse the heart?
A. No; it is the Holy Spirit; water is only the
outward sign.
1018 Q. What do you mean by outward sign?
A. As water cleanses the body, so grace cleanses
the soul.
1019 Q. What do we become on being baptized?
A. Members of the Church of Christ.
1020 Q. What is done in taking the Lord's Supper?
A. Christians eat bread and drink wine together.
1021 Q. What do the bread and wine signify?
A. The body and blood of Christ given to save
sinners.
A FEW BIBLE DOCTRINES. 275
1022 Q. Why do Christians partake of the Lord's
Supper ?
A. They take it in remembrance of Christ fc*ll
His coming again.
1023 Q. Who are at liberty to partake of this Sacra¬
ment ?
A. Members of the Church, who repent of their
sins, and love one another.
SECTION IV.
The Resurrection and Judgment.
1024 Q. What does the Bible teach us about the result
of sin?
A. By sin death came into the world.
1025 Q. But does not Christ save all Christians from
dying?
A. No, all must die ; but Christ will raise them
again.
1026 Q. Will Christ raise us to life after we have been
dead ?
A. Yes, our souls do not die ; it is only the body.
1027 Q. Then He will raise the body, will He?
A. Yes, in the morning of the resurrection.
1028 Q. What will then take place?
A. The soul and body will come together and
live again.
1029 Q. Will the body ever die again?
A. No, for the saints will be like Christ.
1030 Q. Will the body be raised just like it was buried?
A. No, it shall be changed and made immortal.
1031 Q. Will the body of sinners be raised too?
A. Yes, they will be raised, but not changed.
1032 Q. Why will not their bodies be like Christ?
A. Because they do not act like Him here on
earth.
1033 Q. Is it only those who imitate Christ here who
in the resurrection will be like Him?
276 METHODIST POLITY.
A. Yes, and none others.
1034 Q. To what shall the wicked be raised?
A. To the resurrection of damnation.
1035 Q. To what shall the good and holy be raised?
A. To the resurrection of eternal life.
1036 Q. What will be the condition of those then living?
A. The righteous shall be changed and made
glorious.
1037 Q. What will then happen to the wicked?
A. They will be driven away into everlasting
punishment.
1038 Q. What will become of little children then?
A. Good children will be raised as the righteous.
1039 Q. Will little babies be raised?
A. Yes, they will also rise with the Christians.
1040 Q. Will Christ ever return to this world?
A. He will, at the end of time.
1041 Q. Will people then see him?
A. Yes, every eye shall see Him.
1042 Q. How will He come next time?
A. Suddenly, in great power, with His holy
angels.
1043 Q. For what purpose will He come the second
time ?
A. To judge the living and the dead.
1044 Q. How can He judge the dead?
A. He will first raise them from their graves.
1045 Q. Where will He judge them?
A. Up in the air.
1046 Q. What will He then do?
A. Separate the wicked from the good.
1047 Q. Where will the wicked then go?
A. To a place of everlasting misery, called Hell.
A FEW BIBLE DOCTRINES. 277
1048 Q. Did God make hell for men ?
A. No, He made it for the devil and the fallen
angels.
1049 Q. Why for them, and not for man?
A. Because they sinned against God before man
was created.
1050 Q. Why then are bad people sent to the same
place ?
A. Because as sinners they act like devils, and
must go with devils.
1051 Q. Did not God make some men to go to hell?
A. No, men were made to enjoy heaven.
1052 Q. What is heaven?
A. Heaven is the throne of God.
1053 Q. What kind of a place is it?
A. A place where the good are eternally happy.
1054 Q. What kind of a place is hell?
A. A place where the wicked are tormented with
fire and brimstone forever.
1055 Q. What shall take place when the Judgment is
over ?
A. The world shall be destroyed, and a new earth
shall be made where Christ will dwell with His
saints forever.
section v.
The Moral Lazv.
1056 Q. Has God given any special law to man?
A. Yes, the ten commandments.
1057 Q. By whom were they given?
A. By Moses on Mount Sinai.
1058 Q. Upon what were these commandments written?
A. Upon two tables of stone.
1059 O. Where do we find these commandments re-
corded? _
A. In the twentieth chapter of Exodus.
278 METHODIST POLITY.
1060 Q. How did God first deliver them to men?
A. He clothed Himself in fire and smoke, and
spake with the voice of thunder.
1061 Q. What took place while God was thus speaking?
A. The mountain trembled beneath Him.
1062 Q. What did the people do?
A. Being awfully frightened they cried out for
God to stop.
1063 Q. What did God then do?
A. He taught His law to Moses, and Moses
taught the people.
1064 Q. What are the ten commandments called?
A. The Moral Law.
1065 Q. Will you repeat the Ten Commandments?
A. I will:
I. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven
image, nor any likeness of anything that is in heav¬
en above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is
in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow
down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the
Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity
of the fathers upon the children unto the third and
fourth generation of them that hate me ; and show¬
ing mercy unto thousands of them that love me,
and keep my commandments.
III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord
thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him
guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
IV. Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy.
Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but
the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy
God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor
A FEW BIBLE DOCTRINES.
279
thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor
thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger
that is within thy gates : for in six days the Lord
made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them
is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord
blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed it.
V. Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy
days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy
God giveth thee.
VI. Thop shalt not kill.
VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
VIII. Thou shalt not steal.
IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against
thy neighbor.
X.Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house,
thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his
man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor
his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.
1066 Q. What are we taught in the first commandment?
A. Our duty to God.
1067 Q. What are we taught in the second?
A. To worship no idol.
1068 Q. What does the third coitimandment teach?
A. Not to take the name of God in vain.
1069 Q. What does the fourth commandment require?
A. To keep the Sabbath-day holy.
1070 Q. What does the fifth require?
A. To honor and obey our parents.
1071 Q. What does the sixth forbid?
A. All kinds of murders and injuries.
1072 Q. What does the seventh forbid?
A. All uncleanness and filthy language.
280 METHODIST POLITY.
1073 Q. What are we taught by the eighth?
A. Not to steal, cheat or rob.
1074 Q. What does the ninth forbid?
A. Lying, slander, and speaking evil of others.
1075 Q. What does the tenth commandment forbid?
A. All envying and coveting of our neighbor's
goods.
1076 Q. How did Jesus say we could keep them all?
A. Love the Lord with all our heart and our
neighbor as ourselves.
1077 Q. Will you repeat these commandments in verse?
A. I will.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN VERSE.
1. Thou shalt have no gods but Me;
2. Before no idol bow thy knee;
3. Take not the name of God in vain;
4. Nor dare the Sabbath-day profane;
5. Give both thy parents honor due ;
6. Take heed that thou no murder do;
7. Abstain from words and deeds unclean;
8. Nor steal tho' thou art poor and mean ;
9. Nor make a willful lie, nor love it;
10. What is thy neighbor's dare not covet.
THE SUM.
With all thy soul, love God above,
And as thyself thy neighbor love.
Teacher. Lord, have mercy upon us.
Children. And incline our hearts to keep this
law.
SECTION VI.
The Lord's Prayer.
1078 Q. What is prayer?
A. Asking God for His Spirit and grace.
A FEW BIBLE DOCTRINES. 281
1079 Q. Who taught us how to pray?
A. Our Lord Jesus Christ.
1080 Q. What is the prayer He taught us called?
A. The Lord's Prayer.
1081 Q. Can you repeat the Lord's Prayer in verse?
A. 1 can.
THE LORD'S PRAYER IN VERSE.
Our Father in Heaven, we hallow Thy name;
May Thy kingdom in Heaven and earth be the same;
O, give to us daily our portion of bread ;
For 'tis from Thy bounty that all must be fed;
Forgive our transgressions and teach us to show
The mercy we ask to our bitterest foe;
Keep us from temptation, deliver from sin—
Thine the power and the glory forever. Amen.
1082 Q. How many petitions are in the Lord's Prayer?
A. Six is the general estimate.
1083 Q. Which is the first petition in the Lord's Prayer?
A. Hallowed be Thy name. [This is an address
to God.]
1084 Q. What is the second petition?
A. Thy kingdom come.
1085 Q. What is the third petition?
A. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
1086 Q. What is the fourth petition?
A. Give us this day our daily bread.
1087 Q. What is the fifth petition?
A. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who
sin against us.
1088 Q. What is the sixth petition?
A. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us
from all evil.
282 METHODIST POLITY.
1089 Q. Is God able and willing to give us the things
we ask for in this prayer?
A. O yes, for His is the kingdom, the power, and
the glory.
1090 Q. Are we'always to use these words in praying?
A. No. Jesus said, "After this manner shall ye
pray."
1091 Q. Then this is merely a form or petition of
prayer, is it?
A. Yes, but we ought to use this prayer too,
quite often.
1092 Q. Should children learn this prayer while young?
A. Yes, as soon as they can talk they should
learn it.
SECTION VII.
The Apostle's Creed and Baptism.
1093 Q. What is meant by Creed?
A. A form of words expressing articles of faith.
1094 Q. How many Creeds are there?
A. A large number are upon record.
1095 Q. What three have most generally been cited as
authority ?
A. The Apostolic, Athauasian, and the Nicene
Creeds.
1096 Q. Which of the three does the A. M. E. Church
hold sacred?
A. The Apostle's Creed.
1097 Q. Why does the Church not give its approval to
the other two?
A. Because they were drawn up for a special
purpose.
1098 Q. What was that special purpose?
A. To refute the false doctrine of an impostor.
A FEW BIBLE DOCTRINES. 283
1099 Q. Who was that impostor?
A. Arius, a learned man, who lived in the fourth
century.
1100 Q. What false doctrine did he teach?
A. That Jesus Christ was inferior to God the
Father.
1101 Q. Who drew up the Apostles' Creed?
A. It is supposed they did it themselves, while
at Jerusalem.
1102 Q. At what time?
A. Shortly after our Lord's ascension to heaven.
1103 Q. What reason is given for the Apostles adopt¬
ing this Creed?
A. That they all might agree in points of doc¬
trine.
1104 Q. Then this Creed was their guide after their
separation, was it?
A. Yes, that they all might preach one faith
wherever scattered.
1105 Q. Does the Apostles' Creed embrace the leading
points in the Gospel?
A. We believe it does; and is so regarded by the
Christian Church.
1106 Q. Will you repeat the Apostles' Creed?
A. I will.
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of
heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ His only be¬
gotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the
Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered un¬
der Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried;
the third day He arose from the dead; He ascended
to heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God
the Father Almighty; from whence He shall come
to judge the quick and the dead.
284 METHODIST POLITY.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic*
Church ; the communion of saints ; the forgiveness
of sins ; the resurrection of the body, and the life
everlasting. Amen.
1107 What is Baptism?
A. A covenant made with the Church to obey and
faithfully serve God the Father, God the Son, and
God the Holy Ghost, by the application of water.
1108 Q. Is not the application of water alone to the
person, baptism?
A. No, unless a person covenants, bargains and
affirms that he will forsake all sin, and obey and
serve the Three-one God,'or that he will obey the
Old Testament Scriptures, and all that Jesus Christ
directed, and all that the Holy Ghost inspired the
Apostles to write, he is not baptized.
1109 Q. Then baptism is not in water, it is the cove¬
nant, is it?
9. Yes, it is the covenant entered into.
1110 Q. Suppose water was applied without this cove¬
nant?
A. Well, the person would not be baptized,
though it was administered by all the preachers in
the world.
1111 Q. But suppose you were to sing and pray at the
time ?
A. No difference, it would not be baptism.
1112 Q. Of what use is water at all?
A. Water is the sign or seal of the covenant, and
outwardly confirms our inward motives.
1113 Q. Is the baptism of infants who cannot make a
covenant, worthless?
A. O no, their parents make a covenant for them.
1114 Q. Is there a covenant of baptism?
A. There is.
* Catholic means universal.
GENERAL RULES.
285
1115 Q. What does it require ?
A. It requires us to renounce the devil and all
his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world,
with all covetous desires of the same, and the car¬
nal desires of the flesh, so that we will not follow
nor be led by them.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
SECTION II.
General Rules.
(1). In the latter end of the year 1739, eight or
ten persons came to Mr. Wesley, in London, who
appeared to be deeply convinced of sin, and earnest¬
ly groaning after redemption. They desired, as
did two or three more the next day, that he would
spend some time with them in prayer, and advise
them how to flee from the wrath to come, which
they saw continually hanging over their heads.
That he might have more time for this great work,
he appointed a day when they might all come to¬
gether, which, from thenceforward, they did every
week, namely, on Thursday, in the evening. To
these, and as many others as desired to join with
them (for their number increased daily), he gave
those advices from time to time, which he judged
most needful for them ; and they always concluded
their meetings with prayer suited to their several
necessities.
(2). This was the rise of the United Society, first
in Europe, and then in America. Such a society is
286 METHODIST POLITY.
no other than a company of men having the form
and seeking the power of godliness, united in or¬
der to pray together, to receive the word of ex¬
hortation, and to watch over one another in love,
that they may help each other to work out their
salvation.
(3) That it may the more easily be discerned
whether they are indeed working out their salva¬
tion, each society is divided into smaller companies
(called classes), according to their respective places
of abode. There are about twelve persons in a
class, of whom one is styled the "Leader." It is
his duty,
I. To see each person in his class once a week,
at least; in order,
1. To inquire how their souls prosper.
2. To advise, reprove, comfort or exhort, as oc¬
casion may require.
3. To receive what they are willing to give to¬
wards the relief of the preachers, church and poor.
II. To meet the ministers, and the stewards of
the society, once a week ; in order,
1. To inform the minister of any that are sick,
or of any that walk disorderly, and will not be
reproved.
2. To pay the stewards what they have received
from their several classes in the week preceding.
3. There is only one condition previously required
of those who desire admission into these societies
—a desire to flee from the wrath to come, and to
be saved from their sins. But wrherever this is
really fixed in the soul, it will be shown by its
fruits. It is then expected of all who continue to
evidence their desire of salvation :
First. Bv doing no harm; by avoiding evil of
GENERAL RULES. 287
every kind, especially that which is most generally
practiced—such as,
The taking the name of God in vain.
The profaning the day of the Lord, either by
doing ordinary work therein, or by buying and
selling.
Drunkenness, or the drinking of spirituous
liquors, unless in cases of necessity.
The buying and selling of men, women and chil¬
dren, with an intention to enslave them.
Fighting, quarrelling, brawling; brother going to
law with brother; returning evil for evil, or railing
for railing; the using of many words in buying and
selling.
The buying and selling of goods that have not
paid duty.
The giving or taking things on usury, that is,
unlawful interest.
Uncharitable or unprofitable conversation, par¬
ticularly speaking evil of magistrates or ministers.
Doing to others as we would not they should do
unto us.
Doing what we know is not for the glory of God;
as,
The putting on of gold and costly apparel.
The taking such diversions as cannot be used in
the name of the Lord Jesus.
The singing those songs, and the reading those
books which do not tend to the knowledge or love
of God.
Softness, and needless self-indulgence.
'Laying up treasure on earth.
Bon-owing without a pbrobability of paying; or
taking up goods without a probability of paying
for them.
(4). It is expected of all those who continue in
288 METHODIST POLITY.
these societies, that they shall continue to evidence
their desire of salvation :—
Secondly. By doing good; by being in everything
merciful according to their power, as they have
opportunity; doing good of every possible sort,
and, as far as is possible, to all men.
To their bodies, of the ability which God giveth,
by giving food to the hungry, by clothing the
naked, by visiting or helping them that are sick
or in prison.
To their souls, by instructing, reproving or ex¬
horting all we have any intercourse with ; trampl¬
ing under foot that enthusiastic doctrine, that we
are not to do good unless we feel our hearts free
to do it.
By doing good, especially to them that are of
the household of faith, or groaning so to be; em¬
ploying them preferably to others, buying one of
another, helping each other in business; and so
much the more, as the world will love its own, and
them only.
By all possible diligence and frugality, that the
gospel may not be blamed.
By running with patience the race which is set
before them, denying themselves, and taking up
their cross daily, submitting to bear the reproach
of Christ, to be as the filth and offscouring of the
world, and looking that men should say all manner
of evil of them falsely, for the Lord's sake.
(5). It is expected of all who desire to continue
in these societies, that they should continue to evi¬
dence their desire of salvation :—
Thirdly. By attending upon all the ordinances of
God. Such are :
The public worship of God.
The ministry of the wrord, either read or ex¬
pounded.
HISTORICAL AND LITERARY. 289
The Supper of the Lord.
Family and private prayer.
Searching the Scriptures, fasting or abstinence.
(6). These are the general rules of our societies;
all of which we are taught of God to observe, even
in his written word, wrhich is the only rule, and the
sufficient rule, both of our faith and practice.
All these we know his Spirit writes on every
truly awakened heart. If there be any among us
who observe them not, who habitually break any
of them, let it be known unto them who watch
over that soul, as they who must give an account.
We will admonish him of the error of his ways;
we will bear with him for a season; but then if
he repent not, he hath no more place among us.
We have delivered our own souls.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
HISTORICAL AND LITERARY DEPARTMENT.
The following Constitution and By-Laws, main¬
ly drafted by the writer, have been appended for
the purpose of giving them a wider circulation, and
thus enabling the brethren to keep our literary
rules and laws convenient for use. Let every min¬
ister carefully examine them, and see that one of
these literary societies is organized in his church,
and if he has no mind to take part in its proceed¬
ings, let him induce others to do it, and it will help
both him and his congregation:
President, Bishop H. M. Turner, D.D., LL.D., Atlanta,
Ga.; Vice-Presidents, Bishops D. A. Payne, D.D., LL.D.,
290 METHODIST POLITY.
A. W. Wayman, D.D., J. P. Campbell, D.D., LL.D., J. A.
Shorter, T. M. D. Ward, D.D., J. M. Brown, D.D., D.C.L.,
Wm. F. Dickerson, D.D., R. H. Cain, D.D.
Episcopal District Presidents : First District, Rev. T. G.
Steward, D.D.; Second District, Rev. W. H. Hunter, D.D.;
Third District, Prof. S. T. Mitchell, A.M.; Fourth District,
Rev. C. S. Smith, M.D.; Fifth District, Rev. T. B. Cald¬
well, D.V.M.; Sixth District, Rev. M. B. Salter, D.D.;
Seventh District, Rev. M. E. Bryant, A.M.; Eighth Dis¬
trict, Professor James Porter; Ninth District, Rev. J. H.
Jones.
Recording Secretary, Rev. Richard Harper, B.D., Nash¬
ville, Tenn.
Corresponding Secretary, Rev. J. T. Jennifer, D.D.,
Boston, Mass.
Treasurer, Lewis Winters, Esq., Nashville, Tenn.
Historiographer, Rev. B. W. Arnett, D.D., Wilberforce,
Ohio.
Board of Managers : First District, Rev. Wm. H.
Thomas; Second District, W. G. Alexander; Third Dis¬
trict, Rev. Theo. A. Thompson, D.D.; Fourth District,
Rev. J. C. C. Owens; Fifth District, W. H. H. Butler,
D.D.; Sixth District, Rev. L. R. Nichols; Seventh District,
T. C. Denham; Eighth District, Rev. W. H. Weathers;
Ninth District, Rev. A. M. Green, A.M.
Executive Committee: Rev. J. H. A. Johnson, D.D.,
Rev. J. W. Beckett, B.D., John P. Turner, M.D., Rev. A.
W. Upshaw, A.M., J. M. Cargile, Rev. James T. Morris.
THE CONSTITUTION OF OUR CONNECTIONAL,
HISTORICAL AND LITERARY ASSOCIATION,
AS DRAWN UP AND ADOPTED BY THE BISHOPS AT THEIR
SITTING IN NEWPORT, R. I., IN AUGUST, 1880, AND SPRING¬
FIELD, OHIO, JUNE, 1881, AND IMPROVED IN DETROIT,
MICH., AUGUST, 1884, BY ORDER OF THE GENERAL CON¬
FERENCE.
Constitution of the Connectional Literary, Historic
and Educational Association of the African M. E. Church.
ARTICLE I.
This association shall be known by the title of "The
Connectional Literary, Historic and Educational Associa¬
tion of the African Alethodist Episcopal Church."
HISTORICAL AND LITERARY. 291
ARTICL-E II.
The object of this association will be the cultivation of
literature, and the study of history, science, philosophy,
and the promotion of Christian education.
ARTICLE III
The object of this association shall be attained by an¬
nual efforts in the wide field of general literature, by
biographical sketches of eminent persons who have pass¬
ed away, and of living persons who have distinguished
themselves in the arts, the mechanics, the sciences, and
in benevolent or evangelistic labors in behalf of man¬
kind; and also by writing monograms of particular places
or particular Christian churches, and by aiding indigent
young persons of talent and good moral character, who
give evidence of a noble nature.
ARTICLE IV.
Any member of the church or person of good charac¬
ter may become a member of this association by the
annual payment of fifty cents and an initiation fee of
one dollar.
ARTICLE V.
Auxiliary associations shall be organized in every one
of our Annual Conferences, which shall contribute one-
tenth of their annual avails to the funds of the Connec-
tional Association, which one-tenth from the auxiliaries
shall be forwarded by order of its president to the treas¬
urer of the Connectional Association within twenty-four
hours after the rise of the auxiliary; and every member
of the Annual Conference shall be a member of the aux¬
iliary association by virtue of express law in our Book
of Discipline. (See page 105.)
ARTICLE VI.
The officers of this Connectional Association shall con¬
sist of a president, of as many vice-presidents as there
may be Bishops of the A. M. E. Church, and one of the
presiding elders of each Episcopal district, all of whom
shall be elected at the annual meeting. Also there shall
292 METHODIST POLITY.
be one recording and one corresponding secretary, a
treasurer, and a librarian ; also a board of managers of
one from each Episcopal district; the Bishops also being
cx-officio members of the board, all of whom shall per¬
form the duties usually devolving upon such officers in
any well-regulated association, organized for the pro¬
motion of the objects named in article second.
ARTICLE VII.
The president shall call annual and extra meetings of
the Association, see that the provisions in the constitu¬
tion and all rules adopted in pursuance thereof are car¬
ried out, press the organization of auxiliary associations
in all our conferences, and through them in all our
churches and congregations. The vice-presidents shall
superintend their respective districts and see that asso¬
ciations are organized through the territory of the same,
and report the condition of their districts annually. The
vice-presidents shall also require reports from the sev¬
eral pastors in their districts quarterly, if desired, touch¬
ing the work accomplished, and aid the president in
executing the provisions of this constitution.
ARTICLE VIII.
That harmony and unity of action may exist through
the entire connection, and a common incentive every¬
where prevail, the president shall annually give, through
the columns of the Church papers, not less than four
nor more than six different subjects, in the form of
original essays, book reviews, criticisms, poetic produc¬
tions, etc. And every itinerant minister throughout the
connection shall write an essay upon whatever one of
the designated subjects he may select (others also, if
they desire), not less than ten nor more than twenty-
five pages of cap paper, which essays shall be examined
by a committee at each Annual Conference (read, if
possible), and the essay taking the prize 011 each one
of the respective subjects shall entitle the author to not
less than five nor more than twelve dollars, according
to the capacity of the conference treasury. And the
several essays taking the prizes at the several Annual
Conferences shall be sent or carried to the annual meet-
HISTORICAL AND LITERARY. 293
ings of the Association, to be re-examined for the con-
nectional prize, and the several essays taking the con-
nectional prizes shall entitle the author to not less than
fifteen nor more than twenty-five dollars each, according
to the strength of the treasury. And the several connec-
tional essays taking the several prizes on the respective
subjects designated shall be published together in pamph¬
let form yearly and sold at cost price, for the purpose of
replenishing our treasury, and giving to our church the
best thoughts and ablest reasoning of our own ministers
and members.
ARTICLE IX.
The board of managers shall have power to appoint
a sub or executive committee consisting of seven (who
shall also be members of the board), to execute the
purposes of the Association, which they may not be able
to accomplish at their regular meetings. The meetings
of the board of managers shall be held annually. The
meetings of the sub or executive committee shall be
quarterly, and shall be held at the seat of the operations
of the Connectional Association, which shall be in the
city of Washington, D. C.
ARTICLE X.
Any young man who has given such evidence, as canon
ten of our Discipline requires, that he has been called
to the Christian ministry, and is approved and recom¬
mended by a Quarterly Conference of our church, shall
be helped to the extent of the ability of the funds of
the Association.
ARTICLE XI.
Any young man or woman of good moral character,
and whose circumstances of poverty are such as to pre¬
vent them securing such an education as will qualify
them for efficient preachers and teachers, shall be estab¬
lished in this society, to give such aid as will enable
them to pursue a proper course of study to be more
effectual in the discharge of the important duties com¬
mitted to their care.
ARTICLE XII.
Every presiding elder shall be the chief president of his
district, and see that the respective churches and con-
294 ' METHODIST POLITY.
gregations in his work be organized into literary asso¬
ciations, and report the same or have them reported to
his Annual Conference, and to the Connectional Presi¬
dent, when required.
ARTICLE XIII.
This constitution may be amended at any time on the
suggestion of any member of this Association, notice
having been given, however, at a previous meeting of
the amendment and its import, which shall always be
submitted to the Council of Bishops for their final ap¬
proval, and no amendment will be considered valid with¬
out such approval.
CONFERENCE CONSTITUTION.
OF THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE LITERARY, HISTORIC AND
EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION.
ARTICLE I.
This Association shall be known as The Literary, His¬
toric and Educational Association of the
Annual Conference. Every member anod probationer of
an Annual Conference shall be a member of this Asso¬
ciation, and shall pay fifty cents annually.
ARTICLE II.
The object of this association shall be:
a. The intellectual and moral improvement of its mem¬
bers in knowledge and in religion.
b. The promotion of the cause of Christian education.
1. Through our own Wilberforce and Allen Universities,
and other educational interests of our church.
2. Through our publishing department. Its meetings
shall be held annually at the time and place of the sit¬
ting of the Annual Conference.
ARTICLE III.
This association shall be governed by a president, two
vice-presidents, a secretary, a treasurer, a librarian, and
a board of five managers.
HISTORICAL AND LITERARY. 295
ARTICLE IV.
The president shall preside at all meetings of the as¬
sociation, and, through the secretary, shall summon the
members to attend the annual and extra meetings when
necessary. He shall be competent to discharge all other
duties usually imposed upon presidents; but he may
waive the right of president whenever a majority of the
association request, if that majority believe that the best
interests of the association demand it, or will be pro¬
moted by so doing. In his absence either of the vice
presidents may preside in his stead.
ARTICLE V.
The secretary shall conduct the correspondence of the
association, shall keep faithful records of its proceedings,
make a detailed report of its condition, including his
views of its prospects, at the annual meetings, or extra
meetings, if necessary, and prepare an abstract of the
same for publication.
ARTICLE VI.
The treasurer shall keep the money and other property
of the association not entrusted to the librarian; he
shall make an accurate, written statement of the con¬
dition of the treasury to each annual meeting, aslo to
an extra meeting if it be required; but, if such statement
be demanded of him at any extra meeting, he shall be
notified at least thirty days before the extra meeting.
ARTICLE VII.
The librarian shall be the custodian of the library,
which shall embrace the books, pamphlets, manuscripts,
pictures, busts, ancient coins, etc., of the association,
and shall report in detail the condition of the same at
each annual meeting.
ARTICLE VIII.
The board of managers, or executive committee as it
may be called, shall have power to oversee the library
and treasury in the interval of the annual meetings; to
execute all orders of the annual meetings according to
their letter and spirit ; but neither their letter nor spirit
296
METHODIST POLITY.
are they permitted to construe so as to defeat any one
of the objects contemplated and expressed in Article II.
They shall also have power to devise such plans and
measures as will promote the interests and objects of
the association. The president, secretary, treasurer and
librarian are cx-officio officers of the board, a majority
of whom shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE IX.
The modus operandi of the association can attain its
ends—
a. By personal cultivation of head and heart according
to the Word of God. "Thou that teachest another,
teachest thou not thyself?" Therefore let us teach our¬
selves in order that we may be prepared to teach others.
Our first work, therefore, is to educate ourselves. Eng¬
lish grammar, geography, history, arithmetic are the first
things to be mastered, because they are fundamental.
Thoroughness in these will make other sciences easy of
acquisition; therefore, let us master these before we
aspire to the mastery of more difficult and higher studies,
then give attention to science, philosophy, the classics,
etc.
b. By plans wisely made and skillfully executed we
can, we must, promote the cause of Christian education
among our people.
c. By planning wisely and executing skillfully for the
success of our Publishing Department; we must emanci¬
pate it from its indebtedness, then erect a more com¬
modious house ; by helping to make the literature read¬
able and popular; by securing wide circulation and per¬
manent support for our church literature.
d. By persuading our adult members to attend the
night schools which are accessible to them.
c. By devoting one service every Sabbath, say after¬
noon, to Sunday-school instruction, gathering the adults
as well as the children and youth into the Sunday-
schools, in order that we may "diffuse Scriptural knowl¬
edge among the masses, wherever this is practicable.
ARTICLE X.
For the purpose of stimulating the energies of the
association there shall be district meetings, at which the
HISTORICAL AND LITERARY.
297
exercises shall consist of a lecture by one of the great
thinkers of the community, the State or the country,
who shall be invited to lecture to the association on
some subject relative to the studies, or work, or aims
of the association, and the reading of essays.
ARTICLE XI.
This constitution may be amended by an annual meet¬
ing, after the amendment proposed shall have been un¬
der consideration and discussion at least two days.
MOTIVES.
For the organization of this Historic and Literary
Association :
1. We ought to study literature and science, because
they furnish seed thoughts for the mind.
2. We ought to study history because it furnishes data
for comparing the past with the present, also for cal¬
culating the probabilities and possibilities of the future.
3. We ought to work in behalf of our colleges, schools
and Publishing Department, because it is proper, right
and Christian-like to do so. They are educational forces
by means of which our people can be enlightened and
made intelligent, useful Christians—intelligent as well as
Christian, and truly Christian as well as widely intelli¬
gent.
4. We are despised if we are ignorant and poor ; there¬
fore it is our duty to employ the most efficient means
to remove this formidable objection against us. We
know of no means so efficient as Christian education.
We are training Christian teachers and Christian min¬
isters at Wilberforce and in our other schools. We are
also diffusing Christian literature through our Publish¬
ing Department. Next to our own families they claim
our attention and demand our support.
5. In conclusion, we say that by our colleges and
schools, our press and our own Sunday-schools, we
ought to help diffuse general intelligence and Bible
knowledge among the masses, until the knowledge of
the Lord shall cover the entire race as the water covers
the sea. This ought to be our work for the present, our
298 METHODIST POLITY.
work for the future, in which we ought to persist until
we triumph. But who is sufficient in these things? In
Jehovah is our sufficiency; for Jehovah is the Lord God
Almighty, in whom let us trust.
The following is the constitution for the organizations
in the several churches in our connections :
CHURCH CONSTITUTION.
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE CONNECTIONAL LIT¬
ERARY, HISTORICAL AND EDUCATIONAL
ASSOCIATIONS.
For the respective churches and congregations through¬
out the entire connection of the A. M. E. Church, which
the pastors and presiding elders are required to organize
and keep in operation. One night in each week should
be set apart in every church for these exercises, but
under no circumstances must the meetings be less than
one night every month.
ARTICLE I.
This association shall be known as "The Connectional
Literary, Historical and Educational Association" of the
A. M. E. Church, for church in city.
ARTICLE II.
The object of this association shall be—
1. The moral, intellectual, scientific, philosophic and
historic improvement of its members.
2. To stimulate self-reliance in our young men and
ladies, and to develop the latent powers of our people
general!)', especially in a literary direction, in all our
churches.
3. To encourage a high, social pastime, where the
young and middle-aged can resort without the necessity
of running after balls, and lounging around grog shops,
bar-rooms and other places of vice and immorality.
HISTORICAL AND LITERARY. 299
ARTICLE III.
ihe officers of the association shall consist of a presi¬
dent, two vice-presidents, a secretary (two if desired), a
treasurer, librarian, lecturer, marshal (with assistants
if necessary), three, five or seven managers, and a chap¬
lain, who shall hold their respective offices one year.
ARTICLE IV.
The president shall preside at all meetings of the asso¬
ciation ; open and close as per constitution ; strictly en¬
forcing the rules. He shall call any member to order,
acting disorderly, three times, and if he refuse to obey
upon the third call, he shall fine him at his discretion,
not exceeding fifty (50) cents. He shall examine into
late attendance, absence from regular or extra meetings,
neglect of duties or orders, and impose fines for the
same. The president shall call the vice-president to the
chair when he desires to leave it; sign all orders on the
treasurer; submit all motions to the house; call extra
meetings at his discretion; appoint, in conjunction with
the lecturer, persons to speak, debate, lecture, read
papers or essays, sing, give sociables, and other exercises.
ARTICLE V.
In the absence of the president the first vice-president
shall perform all the duties of the president. He shall
also read the constitution to the association once a quar¬
ter, and oftener if required by a majority of the mem¬
bers present.
He shall constitute one of the managers, and be the
chairman of said board, and shall accompany the presi¬
dent in any procession.
ARTICLE VI.
The secretary shall record all the proceedings of the
meetings of the association; call the regular roll of
members; read the minutes of the previous meeting;
write notices to absent members and for extra meetings;
write orders upon the treasurer, with the approval of
the president; answer all official inquiries connected
with his duties, and submit his books for the inspection
of the managers when requested.
300
METHODIST POLITY.
The assistant secretary (if needed) shall perform such
duties as shall be assigned him by the secretary or presi¬
dent.
ARTICLE VII.
The treasurer shall hold all moneys of the association,
not exceeding twenty-five dollars ($25.00). All over that
shall be banked. He shall keep a correct account of all
orders, receipts and expenditures, which may pass
through his hands, and pay all orders from the secre¬
tary, signed by the president; submit a quarterly report
of the state of the treasury. When the association de¬
sires it may demand a reasonable bond of the treasurer.
ARTICLE VIII.
The librarian shall keep a complete list of all books
in the library, keep the same in order, note the names
of all books loaned out, and the names of the persons
to whom loaned; see that they are returned in good
order, or demand the price of the same; loan no mem¬
ber over two books at a time, and only then when the
member borrowing has a question to debate or a lecture
to prepare. He shall report to the association once a
quarter.
ARTICLE IX.
The lecturer shall arrange all lectures, addresses, de¬
bates, readings and literary exercises of the association,
subject to the approval of the president, and shall lec¬
ture himself at least once in two months, and oftener if
ordered by the president. He shall also seek for dis¬
tinguished persons, white and colored, male or female, to
lecture before the association; but all his appointments
must meet the approval of the president.
ARTICLE X.
The marshal shall assist in preserving order; see that
persons passing to and fro walk lightly; arrange for
regular and extra meetings, public demonstrations; serve
written or verbal orders from the president upon any
member; assume command of processions on public
occasions ; that is, in case of a turn-out at a funeral, etc.
HISTORICAL AND LITERARY. 301
ARTICLE XI.
_ The managers shall inspect the property of the associa¬
tion semi-annually ; examine the records of the secretary,
treasurer, librarian, and give their approval to the re¬
ports of said officers quarterly or semi-annually; make
annual reports of everything; serve orders upon mem¬
bers and ex-members for the property of the association
retained longer than a month at a time, except by special
agreement. The managers shall be the trustees of the
association, and the trustees of none of our churches
can prevent them using the churches for the purposes
aforesaid. They can only make them pay for lights,
fuel and sexton-fee, unless the marshal act as sextion
for the association. The pastors, however, will see that
there is no, conflict, as each are creatures of the General
Conference.
ARTICLE XII.
The chaplain shall open the meetings with prayer or
have it done, or the exercises may be opened by reading
a chapter in the Bible. The chaplain shall visit any who
are sick, report any needy cases to the association for
relief. He shall also install the officers at their annual
election, and encourage persons to join the association,
as well as try to reform wayward members.
ARTICLE XIII.
Church membership shall not be a prerequisite for
membership in this association. All denominations are
welcome to unite with it; also persons belonging to no
church at all. Nevertheless, it is expected that all per¬
sons uniting with the same will endeavor to maintain
habits of civility, decent behavior, encouraging respect¬
ability, and be vigilant in the impartation of knowledge,
as the object of this association is the annihilation of
ignorance and vice.
ARTICLE XIV.
Punctual attendance, obedience to orders, efforts to
advance the objects of the assocition, seeking for per¬
sons to unite with the same, collecting books, minerals,
various speciments, bones, shells and other property,
302 METHODIST POLITY.
such as telescopes to examine the heavens, microscopes
to examine objects invisible to the eye, and other lit¬
erary and scientific apparatus, will be expected of all
the members of this association; and those found most
faithful to its interests should be rewarded with posi¬
tions of honor or enduring mementoes.
ARTICLE XV.
The members shall pay such a monthly fee as they
may determine upon, since such fee is not less than ten
cents per month each, ten per cent, of which shall be
sent to the Connectional Treasurer, for which he shall
return his receipt.
ARTICLE XVI.
Anything in this, the constitution for the government
of the associations in the several churches, which con¬
flicts with the Constitution of the Connectional Literary,
Historical and Educational Association, is hereby de¬
clared null and void.
BY-LAWS
1. None but regular members of the association shall
be eligible to nomination or election to office.
2. The president shall express no opinion regarding
any motion before the house while in the chair, but can
fill the chair with the vice-president or a member, and
discuss at pleasure on the floor. In case of a tie he shall
give the casting vote.
3. Sickness or absence from home shall be an excuse
from the performance of duty; but all other excuses
must be determined by the president or managers, unless
they give it to the association to determine.
4. When two members rise to speak at the same time,
the president shall decide which has the floor.
HISTORICAL AND LITERARY. 303
5. Every motion shall receive a second before being
stated by the president; till then it is not the property
of the house. But the mover shall have the right to
withdraw any motion before it comes to a vote.
6. The president shall decide the constitutionality of
all disputed questions, subject to an appeal to the asso¬
ciation. In all business meetings no one shall speak
more than five minutes, nor more than twice upon the
same subject without permission, except distinguished
guests.
7. The president shall be removed from office for bad
conduct in the following manner: 1. He must be im¬
peached by the Board of Managers. 2. He must be tried
before over two-thirds of the members of the association,
and convicted by two-thirds of the members thereof.
Any member shall have a right to go before the Board
of Managers and show why the president should be im¬
peached; but the said Board may disregard the charges
if it adjudges them insufficient.
8. Any other officer, save the president, for bad con¬
duct, may be removed by the Board of Managers; but
such officer can appeal to the association if he or she
thinks injustice has been done them.
9. No member shall take exception to the ruling or
decision of the president without quoting the law upon
which such exceptions are founded. Then, if said mem¬
ber appeals to the house, only the president and appel¬
lant shall be heard before taking the vote upon said
appeal.
10. An amendment to an amendment may be in order;
an amendment destroying or altering the intention of
the original motion may be in order; but an amendment
which brings a different subject before the house shall
not be in order. A motion to strike out a sentence or
phrase and insert another in lieu thereof shall be in
order. But no amendment proposing to get rid of the
whole question is in order. That must come up as a
substitute for the whole, or under an indefinite post¬
ponement.
11. Privileged rights are as follows: 1. A motion to
adjourn. 2. Lay on the table. 3. Order of the day. 4.
Indefinite postponement. 5. Division of the house. 6.
Previous question. Business motions, amendments, post-
304
METHODIST POLITY.
poned to a certain time, points of order, are naturally
in order whenever a member can get the floor. Yet the
president must not allow any of these privileges and
rights to be abused, as it is the intention to clothe the
president of the association with ample power to pre¬
serve order under all circumstances.
12. A motion to adjourn, while always in order, is not
in order—(1) when a member is speaking; (2) when the
yeas and nays are being called; (3) when the members
are voting in any manner; (4) when adjournment was
the last preceding motion ; (5) when it has been decided
to take the previous question. A motion to adjourn to
a certain time is debatable.
13. Non-debatable questions are—(1) to adjourn; (2)
lay upon the table; (3) order of the day; (4) to read an
official paper; (5) previous question after two have
spoken pro and con. This does not imply, however, that
more than two may not speak upon the question.
14. Application for membership may be written or pre¬
sented by a member in person. When the name of the
applicant is announced publicly, the secretary shall re¬
cord it, unless objections are made; and should there be
objections, the application shall be referred to the man¬
agers, and their decision shall be final.
15. When a member desires to leave the association for
reasons, such member shall report the same to the man¬
agers, who may honorably retire said member; other¬
wise, the managers may read the name out publicly.
When a member is going to move away entirely, he is
entitled to a certificate of membership in good standing,
and under no circumstances must such certificate be
refused when asked for.
16. When a member is addressing the association, no
one shall interrupt him, except—(1) to call to order; (2)
ask a question with his consent; (3) ask to explain a
misunderstanding; but such interrogatories shall not as¬
sume the form of a speech.
17. The surviving members of the association shall al¬
ways see that a deceased member, however unfortunate
he may have been, receive a decent interment.
POWER FROM ON HIGH.
305
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
THE PREACHER CANNOT SUCCEED WITHOUT
POWER FROM ON HIGH.
But tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with
power from on high.—Luke xxiv. 49.
"Gethsemane and Calvary had to wait for Pente¬
cost. The facts, the letter without the Spirit, were
dead. The transfiguration, the cross, the blood,
the shock of the resurrection earthquake could not
project the gospel. These forces were staid for
their crowning glory, the Spirit's fiery tongues.
The power of Christ's dispensation is a fiery pulpit
—not a learned pulpit, not a popular pulpit, not an
eloquent pulpit, but a pulpit on fire with the Holy
Ghost! A pulpit may be fired with unhallowed
flames; the fire of popularity, the fire of ambition,
the fire of party, of sect, of creed may inflame the
pulpit, and much heat of one kind or another may
be kindled. Fiery tongues of this sort will not give
vent to the energy of the Holy Ghost. Only the
energy of a false, delusive flame will issue from
these. The true pulpit is God's fire in the world.
It s flame is Heaven-kindled, its power the Holy
Ghost 011 the preacher.
"This feature of power from on high distin¬
guishes preaching from all other systems of dia-
dactic propagandism. This power is not the mere
iteration or reiteration of truths well learned or
well told, but it is the enabling force to declare
revealed truth with superhuman authority. The
preacher must have the power given by direct con-
306 METHODIST POLITY.
nection with God. As the golden pipes transmitted
the golden oil in the prophet's vision, so the rela¬
tion between the preacher and God must be preci¬
ous and without intermission. The pipes must be
kept open; everything that will in any measure,
hinder or choke the freest and fullest flow of this
divine current must be removed. The pipes must
be clean and kept clean. The preacher must empty
himself of self, of the world, and of sin, and keep
himself perpetually and scrupulously emptied. The
unseen and mighty spiritual forces must continual¬
ly be imparted to him from God, giving divine
power to the preacher and his word in a way that
is foreign to the utterances of unanointed or se¬
cular lips.
"The speaker for God may lack all else that
gives human lips audience, yet having this power
he has that which qualifies him for the work,
though it may be unseemly done by human esti¬
mates, and may gain but shame to the speaker.
Although endued with all the aggregated forces
which captivate, convince, and enforce truth or
opinions in the judgment; yet if he lacks this power,
which is not taught in earthly schools or imposed
by human hands or learned by artful rules, which
defies rhetoric, taste, eloquence, his ministry by
God's estimate and in spiritual results will fall far
below zero.
"God does not mix this power with other solu¬
tions to give it efficiency. It is not some or much
of the Holy Ghost mixed with some or much of
other ingredients. This power is from the Holy
Ghost singular and alone. It is the one thing to
be sought and secured, the one thing whose im¬
portance discredits all other things, the one thing
which stands alone unrivaled, supereminent. The
circumstances and dignity of official position, the
show of human learning, the vain adornments of a
POWER FROM ON HIGH. 307
vicious eloquence must be despised in the pursuit
of this absolutely essential, all-important one thing.
"Literary taste, the erudition of science, pleasing
mannerisms, secular eloquence—these do not help
to clothe the preacher with that unique power
which only can enable him to perform his unique
work. These tend, like a luxuriant growth, to dis¬
sipate vital forces and abate the harvest fullness.
"This power is something distinct from and su¬
perior to all forms of human power that may be
in the pulpit, and which may give it influence. This
power is not the force of a mighty intellect, hold¬
ing in its giant grasp great truths, flooding them
with light and forming them into shapeliness and
beauty. Neither is this power the effect of great
learning; neither is it the result of an address
faultless and complete by rule. This power is not
held in the keeping of any of these earthly sources
of power. The effect and energy of these forces
are essentially different in source, character, and
result from this power on high.
"It is the transmission of power from God, a
bestowment in measure and force of that energy
which pertains only to God, and which is trans¬
mitted to the preacher in answer to the waiting,
longing, wrestling attitude of his soul before God,
conscious of his impotency and seeking God's om-
nipotency. This power may be found in combina¬
tion with one or all of the sources of human power;
but must not be confounded with them, is not de¬
pendent on them. Whatever of human force may
be present in the preacher, it is not to be trusted
in or made conspicuous. The human must be hid¬
den, lost, or inspired by this divine power.
"The preachers of the present day excel those of
308 METHODIST POLITY.
the past in many, perhaps in all, the human ele¬
ments of success. They are well abreast of the
age in learning, in profound research and intellec¬
tual vigor; but the presence of these do not insure
the gift of power from on high; neither do the
largest measure of these, and that in the most
commanding and impressive form, in the least
abate the necessity for the added and full endow¬
ment of the Holy Ghost. Modern preaching seems
to fail in the very thing that creates and distin¬
guishes true preaching, and which is essential to
its being, and which only can elevate it into a
divine and powerfully aggressive agency. It lacks
the heavenly unction; it fails as the channel
through which God's saving power may thunder
on consciences. Modern preaching fails by a lack
of that sacred, potent influence which disturbs the
sinner in his sleep of eternal security, and awakens
by its thunder peals his terror-stricken soul; which
quickens and arouses the conscience from its ig¬
noble and fatal stupor, which convulses the will by
a mighty revolution, which searches into the secret
parts of man's inner being, divides the joints and
marrow, and opens the awful and mysterious
depths and lays them bare to self and God; which
infuses new blood into the heart and veins of faith,
and arms it with courage and skill for the battle
and the victory. These ends can never be secured
by a pulpit clothed only with the human elements
of power, however gracious, comfortable, helpful
they may be.
"This power from on high is the one element
upon which God stakes the success of the pulpit,
his one supreme condition of success—so supreme
as to stand alone as the one universal, enduring,
changeless enduement for God's preachers in all
ages and among all classes. Without it the pulpit
POWER FROM ON HIGH. 309
will always be veering between faith and philos¬
ophy, always powerless to stem the torrent of sin
and worldliness, and will itself founder in the storm
of doubt or infidelity. This power is the only thing
that can save the ministry to Christ and his Church,
the only thing that can save the Church through
the ministry. This power cannot be girdled by a
definition. It eludes description. It is the com¬
mon patrimony, the indispensable need of every
preacher. It is the great promise, the richest pro¬
vision of Christ's dispensation. But it does not
come simply by promise or provision; it is condi¬
tional. It must be waited for, sought for, wrestled
for until received, realized. This power does not
inhere in the word of God; it does not lie in the
facts of the gospel. It is the fire of God which
has descended on the preacher, and which gives
to these divine facts and truths their dynamic
force. This power belongs to the preacher by a
conscious divine endowment. It pervades his soul
as a fragrant unguent. It is on his head and heart
and tongue, exudes through his life, sets tongue
and heart on fire, lays soul and body on the altar—
God-touched, God-illumined, God-inflamed, God-
empowered. By it the whole man is transformed,
his utterances pointed, barbed, transfixed with con¬
victing force and saving power."
Reader, are you a minister of the gospel? Have
you this power ? Then you will succeed anywhere
the Bishop appoints you; but if you are void of this
power, discontent, grumbling, fault-finding, crit¬
icizing the Bishop, Presiding Elder, wrangling with
your officers and members, failing to have converts
in your charge, turning out members, quarreling
310 METHODIST POLITY.
from the pulpit, leaving your work, carrying malice
in your heart, sipping whiskey or lager beer on the
sly, neglecting opportunities to preach the gospel,
and breaking down here or there, will attend you
through life, and eternal damnation will be your
doom when death overtakes you.
May you therefore, take God at His word, tarry,
tarry, tarry, until you are endued with power from
on high. Pray, sing, fast, deny yourself, bridle your
tongue, look to God and tarry, and the power will
come.
DECISION IN EQUITY.
The following decision in equity in the Court of Com¬
mon Pleas was rendered in behalf of the stewards of
Bethel A. M. E. Church, Philadelphia, Pa., March 6, 1891.
It is very important and elaborate, and will no doubt
settle many questions which have bred mischief and cre¬
ated disturbances.
The suit was brought because the Trustees claimed the
right to fix and pay the pastor's salary. The corpora¬
tion took the same ground. The President of the cor¬
poration was chairman of the Trustees' Board. But the
court declared that it is the duty of the stewards per
Discipline to fix and pay the pastor's salary.
The court sustains the Discipline and clearly sets forth
the duties of Trustees and stewards, and holds that the
acts of the stewards are legal, having the Pastor as
Chairman, and a Secretary and Treasurer.
The Master in equity recites the law of the Discipline
which makes the Pastor chairman of the Trustees, and
the court confirms this. The duties of Trustees as set
forth in the Polity is also recited and confirmed by the
court. The acts of Trustees are legal only when signed
by the Pastor or in his absence some one appointed by
him.
The decision goes further, and declares no charter can
be granted by any court to supersede the Discipline of
the church, for such a charter is in conflict with the con¬
stitution of the states and United States. The church and
state are independent of each other and every church
makes its polity according to the dictates of the con¬
science of those banded together forming said church.
This decision will be useful as a reference for Jurists
throughout the United States in church difficulties.
311
312 METHODIST POLITY.
IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, No. 4
IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF PHILADELPHIA.
The African Methodist Episcopal
Church of the City of Philadelphia
in the Commonwealth of Pennsyl¬
vania
vs.
Fielding Ford, et al.
Jan. Term, 1887.
No. 849.
December 2, 1890. Master's Report and Exceptions filed
in the following words to wit:
The Master to whom was referred the bill, answer, and
proofs in the above entitled case would respectfully re¬
port that the case was argued before him by the Hon. F.
* Carroll Brewster for the plaintiff, and Mr. Eli K. Price,
Jr., for the defendants.
The bill was originally filed June 23d, 1887, and subse¬
quently an amended bill was filed September 19th, 1888, to
which the defendants duly make answer.
The bill as amended sets forth (1) that the plaintiff is
a corporation created under the laws of the Common¬
wealth of Pennsylvania as an association for religious
purposes, and that its original charter, which was grant¬
ed September 15th, 1796, was amended February 17, 1852,
and August 17, 1875; (2) that by the provisions of the
last amendment to the charter the officers of the cor¬
poration are "a president, a secretary, a treasurer, and
a board of nine trustees," and that in the board of trus¬
tees is vested exclusively all powers over the affairs of
the corporation and its property, real and personal;" (3)
that the treasurer is to give security and to make month¬
ly reports of his receipts and expenditures to the board
of trustees and an annual report to the corporation; and
(4) that "the charter nowhere provides for or contem¬
plates the existence of more than one treasurer;" (5) that
the defendants are the stewards of said church, appoint¬
ed by the presiding elder, and (6) as such exercise cer¬
tain offices which belong under the charter to the board
of trustees. That they have collected moneys from the
congregation for the preacher, church, and poor which
they have refused to pay over to the treasurer of
the corporation or to give any account thereof to the
treasurer or to the trustees, they claiming the right to
dispense the same in such ways as they think proper;
(7) that they have assumed the right to fix the amount
DECISION IN EQUITY. 313
of the pastor's salary (the bill says "presiding elder's,"
but it was agreed at the argument that this should read
"pastor's") and to pay the same to him directly. All
of which acts of the said stewards the corporation
claims are unlawful, and therefore prays—
1. For an injunction enjoining and restraining the
above-named defendants, or any and all of them, from
paying over to any person whomsoever, other than the
treasurer of said church, any of the money collected
or received by them or any of them as stewards of said
church.
2. For a decree that the said defendants forthwith ac¬
count to your orators for all moneys collected or received
by them or any and all of them as stewards of said
church, and forthwith pay in the same to the legally con¬
stituted treasurer of the church.
3. For a decree that all moneys hereafter collected or
received by the defendants as stewards of said church
shall be paid by them at once to the treasurer of the
church.
4. For a decree that the action of the defendants in
increasing the salary of the presiding elder was outside
the scope of their duties as stewards, and null and void.
5. For general relief.
The joint and several answers of the defendants admit
the original incorporation of the plaintiff and the several
amendments to the charter, but avers that the provisions
of the original charter and its several amendments prior
to 1852 have been superseded by the amendments of
March 7th, 1852, and August 17th, 1875, which they aver
contain the whole of the present charter of the corpora¬
tion, subject "to the rules, discipline, and doctrines of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States
of America," etc.
They further admit that the governing body of the cor¬
poration is the board of trustees, and that its executive
officers are as stated in the second paragraph of the
bill, but they aver that their powers and duties are lim¬
ited by part VI., chapter X., section v. of the Discipline
to the care of the real estate of the corporation and the
management only of those "temporal concerns of the
church not otherwise provided for."
They further admit that the charter provides for only
one treasurer of the boards of trustees, and that he is
required to give security, but they aver that the official
board, which is composed chiefly of the stewards, is also
required to "elect a treasurer" to hold all moneys col¬
lected or obtained by other means under the auspices of
the stewards," and that this treasurer is by the Discipline
314
METHODIST POLITY.
entirely independent of the board of trustees and its
treasurer.
They 'deny that they were appointed stewards of the
church by the presiding elder or preacher, but aver that
they were nominated for their office by the preacher in
charge and duly confirmed by the quarterly conference
in accordance with the Discipline.
They deny that they have assumed the duties of any
offices which do not belong to their position as stewards
and which should be exercised only by the board of
trustees, and aver that they have performed and are
now performing the duties of stewards in exact accord¬
ance with the Discipline and the charter of the church.
They aver further that in the collection and expenditure
of moneys they do not act as agents of the corporation
or its trustee or treasurer, and the money does not
belong to the corporation.
They admit that they have fixed the amount of the
pastor's salary and paid it directly to him, and aver that
in doing so they have been performing their duty in ac¬
cordance with the Discipline and charter and the usage
of this church ever since its organization, and in con¬
formity with the practice of the other churches of the
connection. They deny that there is any provision of
the charter or Discipline which confers these powers
upon the board of trustees of the corporation, and pray
that the whole of the Doctrine and Discipline of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church, published by order
of the General Conference held in Baltimore City, Md.,
May 18th, 1884, may be taken as part of the answer.
In view of the careful pleading filed, the proofs sub¬
mitted, excepting the act of Assembly, approved March
17th, 1852, and the amendment to the charter, approved
by Common Pleas, No. 3, August 17th, 1875, offered by
the plaintiff, and the doctrine and discipline of the Af¬
rican Methodist Episcopal Church offered by the defend¬
ants, are of little assistance in determining this cause.
The rights of the parties must be determined by their
charter as amended and the doctrine and discipline of
the church. (It makes little difference that the treas¬
urer of the corporation demanded of the stewards the
money which they had in their hands, and that the stew¬
ards declined to accede to this demand, as they had no
money in their hands that they considered to be the
money of the corporation.) The question is as to the
legal status of the corporation and the stewards in re¬
lation to each other.
It was in evidence that at one time the stewards and
the trustees met together, and the moneys collected then
DECISION IN EQUITY. 315
were divided, part going to the trustees and part going
to the stewards, according to their respective require¬
ments. But this practice seems to have been very ir¬
regular, and not of sufficient stability to establish a cus¬
tom which would have the force of a rule; "it does not
prove that any law of the congregation or of the denom¬
ination, but only an indulgence or liberty." It also was
prior to the charter of 1852 and its supplement. It was
further in evidence that the general method of fixing the
amount of the pastor's salary in the African Methodist
Episcpal Church was by the board of stewards. The only
exception shown was in one instance in Baltimore, where
the congregation, stewards, and a majority of the leaders
had seceded, leaving the trustees in possession of the
building, and there being no stewards the trustees as¬
sumed the responsibility of the support of the pastor
for one year, until a reorganization was affected and
stewards appointed.
To clearly understand the questions arising in the
present cause, and which affect the entire body of Meth¬
odists, and not only the parties hereto, it will be neces¬
sary to take a glance at least at the general polity of
the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States.
In 1787, owing to the unkind treatment the colored breth¬
ren received from their white brethren in the places of
worship of the latter, there was held a conference of
colored Methodists to devise means to secure a special
place of worship, but it was not until six years later that
the Rev. Richard Allen, at his own expense, erected for
them an independent meeting house, which was named
Bethel. This church was incorporated September 15th,
1796, and by its charter it was declared thtt the corpora¬
tion should hold the building called Bethel Church, and
such other churches as should become the property of the
corporation in trust, for the religious use of the minis¬
ters and preachers of the Methodist Episcopal Qiurch
who are in connection with the general conference of
said church, and also for the ministers and teachers of
the African brethren, duly licensed or ordained, accord¬
ing to the form of the Discipline. It was further declar¬
ed that the trustees and members of this corporation
acquiesced in and accorded with the rules of the Metho¬
dist Episcopal Church for their church discipline and
worship, and that they would continue forever in union
with the Methodist Episcopal Church of Philadelphia,
subject to the government of the present bishops and
their successors in ecclesiastical affairs and transactions,
so long as the articles and creed remain unaltered. In
1816 the African Methodist Episcopal Church separated
316 METHODIST POLITY.
from the white Methodists, and promulgated their book
of doctrine and discipline, which is as revised to the
present day, with very slight and immaterial changes,
the same as that of their white brethren.
In Methodist Church government the conference an¬
swers to convention, synods, councils, etc., in other
churches. There are four conferences orgnized: The
general conference, which meets every four years; the
annual conference and the quarterly conference, which
meet according to their respective title; and the district
conference, which meets at the call of the presiding elder
of the district.
The quarterly conference is composed of the traveling
ministers on a circuit, station, or mission, all the local
preachers, exhorters, stewards, class-leaders, and male
superintendent of the Sabbath-school, and its business
is to take "cognizance of all the temporal and spiritual
affairs of the church or churches for which it is held;
hear written reports from the stewards and trustees
covering their affairs for the past three months, includ¬
ing all moneys raised, and when, and all moneys paid
out, and what for."
The official board is a weekly meeting of the spiritual
officers, composed of all the class-leaders, stewards and
exhorters, with the pastor in charge, and its duty is,
among other things, to "elect a secretary"; to "elect a
treasurer to hold all moneys collected, or obtained by
other means, under the auspices of the stewards"; to re¬
quire the leaders to pay over to the stewards whatever
sums they may have received from their several classes
the week preceding for the church, the pastor, and the
poor"; "for the stewards to pay over to the minister
whatever is due him"; and to see "that the pastor re¬
ceives his regular support, and it shall devise ways and
means to pay him and the presiding elder all that is
due them."
A bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church
has general oversight of the district assigned to him by
the general conference, and presides over the general
and annual conference.
A presiding elder is quasi assistant bishop, appointed
by the bishop, and presides over quarterly and district
conferences in absence of the bishop.
Class leaders are sub-pastors appointed by the preacher
in charge, and among their duties are to see each mem¬
ber of the class once a week at least, and to "receive
what they are willing to give toward the relief of the
preachers, church and poor," and "to pay the stewards
what they have received from their several classes in the
week preceding."
DECISION IN EQUITY. 317
The provisions of "The Doctrine and Discipline of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church, published by order
of the General Conference held in Baltimore City, Md.,
May 18th, 1884," in regard to the two bodies chiefly con¬
cerned in the present litigation—trustees and stewards—
are very plain and simple, and readily understood with¬
out any forced interpretation.
These provisions are so important for a proper under¬
standing of the questions under discussion that those
having any bearing are here transcribed.
CHAPTER X. (Page 386-90.)
TRUSTEES OF CHURCH PROPERTY.
SECTION I.
Concerning the Number.
1. Where proper persons can be procured let nine trus¬
tees be elected for our meeting-houses; otherwise seven,
five or three.
2. Each board shall consist of not less than three, nor
more than nine persons.
SECTION II.
Qualifications.
1. Each person to be elected trustee shall be twenty-one
years of age, and shall have been not less than six months
a member of our church—except in case of missions, new
work, or other emergencies.
2. No person shall be eligible as trustee of any of our
houses, churches, or schools who is not a regular mem¬
ber of our church.
SECTION III.
Mode of Election.
1. Wherever the law of the land requires a special
mode of election, that mode shall be observed in electing
trustees.
2. When the civil law does not intervene the trustees
shall be elected annually by the members of the church.
3. The minister in charge shall appoint the time and
place for holding the election and give notice of it from
the pulpit at least one Sabbath previous to it.
4. The minister at the meeting for the election shai!
nominate twice the number of persons to be elected.
5. Then every member of the church, twenty-one year ;
of age and in full communion, shall have the right t >
vote for the nominees, and if present at the meeting shall
318 METHODIST POLITY.
cast his ballot for those of his choice; and so the elec¬
tion shall proceed until by a majority of votes cast the
required number of trustees are elected. The minister
in charge shall then make a declaration of the result.
SECTION IV.
Chairman of the Board.
1. Where the law of the State does not otherwise direct,
the minister in charge shall be chairman of the Board
of Trustees, and his signature shall be necessary to make
the acts of the trustees legal.
2. When he is chairman of the Board, and is at any
time unable to be present at a meeting, he shall appoint
a president pro. tem., whose signature also shall be legal.
SECTION V.
Duty of Trustees.
1. The Trustees shall manage all the temporal concerns
of the church not otherwise provided for, and shall have
a treasurer of the Board elected by the Board.
2. They shall guard all the real estate, churches, par¬
sonages, school-houses, and other property owned by the
people in the connection.
3. They shall make improvements upon the said prop¬
erty or real estate, etc.
4. They shall procure, by purchase or hire, a house
for the preacher's family, etc.
SECTION VII.
Concerning Reports.
1. The Trustees shall make a report of all their receipts
and expenditures every quarter to the Quarterly Confer¬
ence.
2. The Conference shall cause a report of the doings
of the Trustees to be made at least once a year to the
church.
CHAPTER XI. (Pages 391-393.)
On Church Steivards.
SECTION I.
The Appointment of Steivards.
1. The number of Stewards for each church shall not
be less than three nor more than nine.
2. The preacher in charge shall nominate the number
DECISION IN EQUITY. 319
of Stewards needed for his circuit or station, and sub¬
mit the nomination to the Quarterly Conference, which
shall confirm it or, if it see proper, reject it.
3. The Stewards then so nominated and confirmed shall
serve for the term of one year, or be appointed an¬
nually.
4. To be qualified for their office they must be men
of solid piety, who both know and love the Methodist
doctrine and discipline. They must be of good natural
or acquired ability to transact the temporal business of
the church.
SECTION II.
The Duty of the Stewards.
1. They shall take an exact account of all the money
or other provisions collected for the support of the
preachers in the circuit or stations.
2. They shall make an accurate return of every expen¬
diture of money, whether to the preachers, church, sick,
or poor.
3. They shall seek out the needy and distressed, in
order to relieve them and comfort them.
4. They shall attend the Quarterly Conference of their
circuit or station to give advice, if asked, in planning the
circuit or station ; attend committees for the application
of money to churches; and give counsel in matters of
arbitration.
5. They shall write circular letters to the societies of
a circuit when occasion requires, to let them know the
state of the temporal concerns at the last quarterly meet¬
ing, and to urge them to be more liberal in their contri¬
butions.
6. They shall register the marriages and baptisms, and
be subject to the bishops, elders, deacons, and traveling
preachers of their circuit or station.
7. The stewards shall provide the elements for the
Lord's Supper.
SECTION III.
The Accountability of the Stezvards.
1. The Stewards for the faithful performance of their
duty shall be accountable to the Quarterly Conference
of their circuit or station, and it shall have power t<
remove them when they shall fail or refuse to do their
duty.
2. In the interval of the Quarter^ Conference Sessions,
the preacher in charge shall have power to suspend
steward who refuses, neglects, or fails to discharge hi ;
duty, and to fill a vacancy until the next meeting or the
Quarterly Conference, which shall dispose of his case.
320
METHODIST POLITY.
The foregoing extracts seem to clearly define the divis¬
ion of duties between the trustees and the stewards, and
show that each body is equally and independently re¬
sponsible directly to the quarterly conference.
Notwithstanding this there seems to have been from
time to time, in the Methodist Episcopal Church, con¬
stantly recurring contentions over the respective rights
of the trustees and stewards, and the text-writers of the
church have expressed themselves in regard to it with no
uncertain meaning.
Bishop H. M. Turner, LL. D., in his "Genius and Theory
of Methodist Polity," (1885), discusses each of these bod¬
ies and sets forth their duties and obligations. In treat¬
ing of the trustees he says (page 106) : "Trustees are
church officers elected by the respective church congre¬
gations throughout the connection for the purpose of
holding the legal title to the respective church lots,
church edifices, parsonages, school-houses, cemeteries,
and all other church property which belongs to the
members of said connection." (Page 107.) "The duties
of the trustees" are "to manage all the temporal matters
of the church not otherwise provided for, guard all real
estate, churches, parsonages, school-houses, and other
property owned by the people in the connection. They
should make improvements upon said property only
when authorized to do so by a majority of the legal
voters of the respective churches and congregations;
procure by purchase or hire a house for the minister's
family, furnish it comfortably and provide fuel for use."
"They must either do it themselves or employ a sexton
to open and shut the church at the proper hours of
worship; keep the same clean, decent, and comfortable,
and supply the pulpit with drinking water. They must
see that order, quiet, and good behavior are observed in
and around the church, attend seating the people, see
that they do not run in and out during the preaching.
They may, in trustee board, upon the nomination of the
pastor, elect a limited number of young men as ushers
to aid in seating the people, preserving order, and lifting
penny collections. They shall represent the members in
all lawsuits and defend the property before the courts
in the interest of the legal members of the connection,
and do such things, all and singular, as honest and faith¬
ful Christians, to whom the interest of the members has
been committed, ought to do."
(Page 108-9.) Trustees shall be elected annually by the
members of the church, twenty-one years of age and in
full communion; and a trustee is installed into office
by promising, in the presence of the congregation, to
DECISION IN EQUITY. 321
faithfully perform the duty of trustee and obey the
laws and regulations as set forth in the Discipline of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church."
(Page 110.) The trustees shall make a report of all
the moneys received, and when, and all moneys expended,
and what for, to the quarterly conference, and adds
(page 113) : "It is not the business of the trustees, as such, to
raise the pastor's salary."
Subsequently he takes up stewards, and (page 114)
says: "Stewards are spiritual officers in the church,
charged in part with temporal responsibilities; they serve
three tables—the table of the Lord, the table of the min¬
ister, and the table of the poor." First: They provide
elements for the Lord's Supper. Second: They make
estimates for the support and expenses of the minister,
and takes measures by private and public collections for
paying the same. Third: They inquire into the cases of
the needy and the distressed, and out of a church fund
raised for that purpose relieve them according to the
liberality of the members. Stewards were early appoint¬
ed by Mr. Wesley to receive, account for, and disburse
the collections, and in the primitive days of Methodism
they also performed the duties of which they in part are
now relieved by the trustees."
"Stewards constitute the pastor's cabinet and sustain
the same relation to the pastor that presiding elders to
to the bishops. They are nominated by the pastor in
charge of the circuit or station, and confirmed by the
quarterly conference to whom they are accountable."
(Page 115.) Their duty is to take an exact account of
all the money or other provisions collected for the sup¬
port of the preachers in the circuit or station ; make an
accurate return of every expenditure of money, whether
to the preachers, church, sick, or poor; provide elements
for the Lord's Supper, etc.
(Pages 116,117.) The board of stewards arrange with
the pastor for his support and allowance; and (page 118)
as each pastor has his stewards, if he be a circuit pastor
he may have several churches, and each incorporated
church will have its trustees, but there will be only one
board of stewards for all churches in the circuit.
The stewards are "bound to elect their own secretary
and treasurer as much as the trustees," and they are the
secretary and treasurer of the official board.
Baker on the Discipline (1884) tersely says (page 183) :
"The power of trustees in the Methodist Episcopal Church
seems to be restricted to the holding of real estate and
such personal property as has been raisesd or acquired
for the benefit alone of the temporalities of the church.
322 METHODIST POLITY.
They may take up subscriptions and collections for the
purpose of creating church property, for the payments
of debts previously contracted, and for repairing and
improving the real estate of the society; but they have
no authority to forbid the stewards raising voluntary
contributions for the support of the gospel and the
various benevolent instiutions of the church, nor can they
claim that the funds raised for thesfe purposes, either in the
classes or in the public congregation, shall be deposited in their
hands. Our economy requires that these funds shall be
disbursed by the stewards, and the trustees cannot ex¬
ercise their powers in such a manner as to defeat the
very purposes of their creation." (Bangs' Hist. M. E.
Church, vol. 4, page 175-181.) And Bishop Merrill in his
Digest of Methodist Law (1888) forcibly adds (page 106) :
"The temporalities over which the trustees have juris¬
diction do not include the support of the preachers. This
board as a board, has no voice or function in that di¬
rection. Its work is to hold, control, and care for the
property of the church, and all this in trust for the
church and in obedience to the Discipline. The stewards
care for the finances involved in the support of the preachers
and the charities of the church in giving relief to the poor,
while the trustees create and care for the property. It there¬
fore belongs to the trustees to make all expenditures for
repairs, improvements, renovations, fuel, light and ser¬
vices of janitor. In a word, whatever moneys relate to
the church property for buying, building, and keeping
the same in running order, and other services rendered
in this line, are under the control of the trustees."
From the foregoing authorities it would seem that the
trustees and the stewards each have their duties clearly
and sharply defined by the law of the Church itself; and
that the acts complained of by the plaintiff against the
defendants, and admitted by them, are authorized and
directed by that law.
It is contended, however, by the plaintiffs, that by the
fourth paragraph of the amendment of August 17th,
1875, to the charter of the corporation, that the pro¬
visions of the law of the Church conferring powers upon
the defendants to collect and disburse certain moneys is
superseded and vested in them. This paragraph provides,
among other things, that "in said board of trustees shall
be vested exclusively all powers over the affairs of the
corporation and its property, real and personal;" and
the use of the word "exclusively," it is contended, gives
it this force and effect.
The charter of the corporation to-day is the act of
Assembly, approved March 17th, 1852, P. L., 135, with the
DECISION IN EQUITY.
323
amendment granted by Court of Common Pleas, No. 3,
August 17th, 1875, bv virtue of the act of Assembly, of
April 29th, 1874, P. L., 73, so far as it is valid. These
were offered in evidence by the plaintiff, and all of the
preceding legislation upon the subject has been super¬
seded by them, as it is provided by the act of 1852, in
section 7: "That the articles of association and the
amendments thereto, referred to in the preamble to this
act, shall be superseded hereby from and after the first
election of officers herein authorized." That it was in¬
tended to have this effect is shown by the preamble to
the act of 1852, which recites that "Bethel Church has
suffered great inconvenience from the imperfect and de¬
fective character of its original articles of association
* * * and the several articles amending the same * * *
and 'Whereas, at a public meeting of the members of
said church * * * it was resolved that a revision of the
charter of the said church was expedient and necessary;
therefore, section 1, Be it enacted, * * * that the male mem¬
bers of the church * * * who are over the age of twenty-
one years, shall be and are hereby continued, as a cor¬
poration,' " &c. "Provided, That the said corporation
shall continue as heretofore to be subject to the rules,
discipline, and doctrines of the African Methodist Epis¬
copal Church, in the United States of America, in all
matters of church government, as the same have been
and may be adopted and published from time to time by
the general conference of the said African Methodist
Episcopal Church, so far as they may be in accordance
with the laws of the State and of the United States."
It is provided by section 2, "That the temporal affairs
of the said corporation shall be managed by a board of
nine trustees, a secretary and a treasurer; the first
election of said officers shall take place * * * at which
time the members of the said corporation shall elect," &c.
Provided, That "no person shall be eligible * * * who
shall not have been a full member of the connection of
the African Methodist Episcopal Church in the United
States of America for at least two years, and a member
of the corporation for at least one year previous to the
election, nor shall any person hold any secular office in
the corporation after he ceases to be a member of said
church or corporation according to the Discipline," &c.
Section 3 provides that "The church or churches belong¬
ing to the said corporation shall be held in trust for
the religious use of the regular appointed ministers and
the members of the said church according to the dis¬
cipline and usages of the said African Methodist Epis¬
copal Church.
324 METHODIST POLITY.
The only important changes made by the amendment
of 1875 in addition to the paragraph already cited were
the provisions for the election of a president of the cor¬
poration, and the nomination of the officers by the
members of the corporation; both of which seem to be
in conflict with the Discipline, which provides that the
minister shall make the nomination (page 387), and that
he shall be chairman of the bard of trustees when the
law of the State does not otherwise direct. (Page 388.)
It will thus be seen that the legislature in granting to
this corporation a charter, specially made it subservient
"to the rules, discipline, and doctrines of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States of
America in all matters of church government," and in
the opinion of the Master this is in nowise changed or
affected by the amendment of 1875. Prior to the amend¬
ment the board of trustees by authority of the Doctrine
and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church in the United States of America had exclusive
power over the affairs of the corporation and, its property,
real and personal, and the court no power by its
amendment to enlarge or curtail this, and it did not.
A charter granted under the act of April 29, 1874, con¬
fers no ecclesiastical status upon the corporation; to
acquire ecclesiastical rights and powers the corporation
"must bring itself within the regulations" of the par¬
ticular church with which it seeks connection. Hare, J.,
In Re Charter Church of the Holy Communion, 37 Int.,
194; Walnut Street Presby. Church, 7 Philada., 310.
"The legislature never means by granting or allowing
such charters to change the ecclesiastical status of con¬
gregations, but only to afford them a more advantage¬
ous civil status."
Winebrenner vs. Colder, 7 Wr., 252.
Therefore this amendment to the old charter could not
alter the ecclesiastical regulation of the church with
which the corporation was originally connected, and even
if it had sought to do so.
The difficulty seems to be that the plaintiff does not
distinguish the difference between the church as a cor¬
poration and the church as an ecclesiastical body, al¬
though there is a well-settled dinstinction (Baptist
Church vs. Scammel, 3 Grant, 48), and it is very pointed
in the Methodist connection, and specially recognized in
the charter of 1852. The members of the corporation
can only be males over the age of twenty-one years ; the
members of the church are both males and females of
any age.
That the trustees are entitled to receive certain moneys
DECISION IN EQUITY.
325
and the stewards certain moneys there can be no ques¬
tion. Each body moves in its own sphere; neither can
interfere with the other. The trustees are to have the
care of the real estate and to manage "the temporal con¬
cerns of the church not otherwise provided for." What
temporal concerns of the church are otherwise provided
for? The support of the preacher, the maintenance of
the church services, and the relief of the sick and poor.
These three duties, we have seen, are specially imposed
upon the stewards—Discipline, 392. To decently perform
them they are entitled to receive and distribute the class
moneys, the love-feast collections, the sacrament collec¬
tions, and all special collections and contributions made
for preachfers, church and poor. All other receipts be¬
long to the trustees, chief among which is the penny col¬
lection taken up at each service, and to collect which the
trustees may, "upon the nomination of the pastor," depute
young men of the congregation. In a word, the moneys
derived from the legal corporation properly belong to the
trustees, and the moneys derived from the ecclesiastical
body, the individual members of the spiritual society,
those who are in communion with it, and not merely
from those belonging to the legal corporation, belong to
the stewards. This is the requirement of the law of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States
of America, and the law of the Church is the law of the
State in determining ecclesiastical questions.
German Reformed Church vs. Commonwealth, 3
Barr., 282;
McGinnis vs. Watson. 5 Wr., 9;
Winebrenner vs. Colder, 7 Wr., 251;
Henderson vs. Hunter, 9 P. F. Sm., 335.
In McGinnis vs. Watson, Lowrie, C. J., lays down the
law that "Under the Constitution of Pennsylvania every
religious society has its laws within itself as to its own
internal order and the mode in which it fulfils its func¬
tions."
The same distinguished jurist in Winebrenner vs. Col¬
der, says, "The State having prescribed no law for the
action of any church, leaves each church or denomina¬
tion to the guidance of its own law, and looks to that
as the standard by which all internal disputes are to be
i tried •" and Agnew, J., in Henderson vs. Hunter, says,
"The rule in the civil court is that the churches are left
to speak for themselves in matters of discipline and
('°The trustees complain that the stewards have collected
moneys from the congregation for the preacher, church,
and poor which they have refused to pay over to the
326 METHODIST POLITY.
treasurer of the corporation or give him any account
thereof, but have disbursed the same themselves, and
that they have fixed the amount of the pastor's salarj-
and paid the same to him directly. These things are
precisely what the stewards are bound to do under the
law of their appointment—the Discipline of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States of
America. By this law the stewards are accountable only
to the quarterly conference, the body which confirms
their nomination, and which is a body wholly indepen¬
dent of the corporation. Had the stewards complied
with the demands of the trustees they would have ceased
to adhere to the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church.
In support of the authority given to the law of the
Methodist Church, as set forth in its Discipline by the
Master, reference is made to the following cases :
Commonwealth ex rel. vs. Cornish, 1 Harris, 290;
Henderson vs. Hunter, 9 P. F. Sm., 335.
Judge Gibson in Commonwealth vs. Cornish had before
him the original charter of the plaintiff corporation
which, like the present charter, was superservient to the
Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church,
and there refused to give effect to a clause in the char¬
ter which violated a fundamental article of the Dis¬
cipline. The learned Chief Justice says: "If the mean¬
ing of the article in the amendments on which the ques¬
tion turns, be that the trustees, ministers, exhorters, and
leaders should elect their pastors from among them¬
selves, the members of the corporation have not been,
as they most certainly intended and supposed them¬
selves to be, in communion with the African Methodist
Episcopal Church."
In Henderson vs. Hunter, Judge Agnew examines and
discusses at length the constitution and government of
the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States, in
which he emphasizes the fact of the supremacy of the
ecclesiastical control over temporal affairs. "The gov¬
ernment of the church is clerical and not lay;" and so
■far as the questions now under consideraiton are con¬
cerned, the provisions of the Discipline of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church are identical with those of
the parent Church.
The Master is of the opinion that there is no conflict
between the charter and the Discipline, as to the re- i
spective rights of the trustees and the stewards, but if
there is then the action of the stewards must be sus¬
tained, and the members of the congregation and cor¬
poration who unite with them in adherence to the
Discipline would be entitled to the church property or
the corporation.
DECISION IN EQUITY.
327
A church organized and endowed as belonging to
any particular sect, or in subordination to any particular
form of church government, cannot break from that con¬
nection or government."
Atty. Gen. vs. Pearson, 3 Merivale, 352.
"In church organization those who adhere and submit
to the regular order of the church, local and general,
though a minority, are the true congregation and cor¬
poration, if incorporated. The title to the church prop¬
erty of a divided congregation is in that part of it which
is acting in harmony with its own law and the ecclesi¬
astical laws, usages, customs and principles which were
accepted among them before the dispute began, are the
standards for determining which party is right."
Sharswood, J., in Scholl's App. 17, P. F. Sm. 146. To the
same effect are the decisions in—
Sutter vs. Trustees, 6 Wr. 503;
Wilnebrenner vs. Colder, 7 Wr., 244;
McGinnis vs. Watson, 5 Wr., 9;
Roshi's App. 19 P. F. S., 462;
Christ Church vs. Church of the Hcly Commun¬
ion, 8 W. N. C., 542.
After a very careful consideration of this case, the
Master is of the opinion that the plaintiff's bill should
be dismissed with costs.
CHAS. HENRY HART,
M aster.
EXCEPTIONS TO MASTER'S REPORT.
And now, September 8th, 1890, the plaintiff excepts to
the report of the learned Master as follows—
1. The learned Master erred in reporting that "it makes
" little difference that the treasurer of the corporation
" demanded of the stewards the money which they had
" in their hands, and that the stewards declined to ac-
" cede to this demand as they had no money in their
" hands that they considered to be the money of the
" corporation."
2. The learned Master erred in reporting that "the
" trustees and the stewards each have their duties clear-
" ly and sharply defined by the law of the Church itself,
" and that the acts complained of by the plaintiff against
" the defendants and admitted by them, are authorized
" and directed by that law.
3. The learned Master erred in finding "that the legi-
" lature in granting to this corporation a charter,
" specially made it subservient to the rules, discipline,
" and doctrines of the African Methodist Episcopal
" Church in the United States of America, in all matters
328
METHODIST POLITY.
" of church government," and "that this is in no wise
" changed or affected by the amendment of 1875."
4. The learned Master erred in finding that the moneys
derived "from the legal corporation properly belongs to
" the trustees, and the money derived from * * * the
" individual members of the spiritual society belong to
" the stewards."
5. The learned Master erred in finding that the stew¬
ards are bound under the law of their appointment to
collect the moneys from the congregation, to disburse
the same themselves, and to fix the amount of the salary
of the pastor, and to pay that salary to him directly.
6. The learned Master erred in finding that there is
no conflict between the charter and the Discipline as to
the respective rights of the trustees and the stewards
must be sustained.
7. The learned Master erred in not finding that the
charter only contemplates the existence of one treasurer.
8. The learned Master erred in not finding that the
moneys collected by the stewards should be paid to the
treasurer of the corporation, and accounted for.
9. The learned Master erred in finding that the stew¬
ards had no right to fix the amount of the pastor's salary
and to pay said sum to him directly.
10. The learned Master erred in finding in favor of
defendants.
11. The learned Master erred in not finding in favor
of the plaintiff.
12. The learned Master erred in not submitting a de¬
cree in favor of the plaintiff.
13. The learned Master erred in reporting that the
bill should be dismissed with costs.
14. The learned Master erred in not imposing the costs
on the defendants.
March 6, 1891, Exceptions dismissed and Master's Re¬
port confirmed and it is decreed that the Bill be dis¬
missed, plaintiff to pay the costs.
Coram Hon. Judges
M. I. THAYER,
MICHAEL ARNOLD,
ROBERT H. WILSON.
And now to wit, August 31st, 1891, I do hereby certify
the above and foregoing to be true and correct copies of
the Master's Report and Exceptions as filed in the above
case and the decree of the Court made in the within case.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set
my hand and affixed the Seal of the Said Court
of Common Please No. 4 at Philadelphia, this
the 31st day of August, A. D. 1891.
CHAS. H. WHITE,
Per Prothy.
OFFICIAL FORMS IN THE A. M. E. CHURCH.
No. 1.
Exhorter's License.
The bearer hereof , having been
duly recommended, and having been examined by
the Quarterly Conference of Church, of
District, of Annual
Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church, is hereby authorized to exhort, according
to the rules and regulations of said church. License
to be renewed annually after an examination (if
creditable). But if he does not study, license must
not be renewed.
Signed, in behalf of said Quarterly Conference,
P. E.
Date
No. 2.
Local Preacher's License.
The bearer hereof, having been
duly recommended, and having been examined, as
the Discipline directs, by the Quarterly Conference
of Church of District, of
; Annual Conference of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church, is hereby authorized
to preach the gospel, according to the rules and
regulations of said church. To be renewed annual¬
ly, after an examination (if creditable).
Signed in behalf of said Quarterly Conference,
P. E.
Date
329
330 METHODIST POLITY.
No. 3.
Local Preacher or Exhorter's License.
This is to certify that the bearer,
is licensed to in the African
Methodist Episcopal Church.
Signed in behalf of the Quarterly Conference of
said Church, to be renewed once a year, so long as
his life corresponds with the Gospel, and he sub¬
mits to the rules of the Discipline of said Church.
But he must be examined before this license can
be renewed each year.
Given under my hand
Presiding Elder. 18
No. 4.
Recommendation for Admission on Trial into
the Traveling Connection.
To the Bishop and Members of the
Annual Conference of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church, to be held at
, 18....
Dear Fathers and Brethren:— ,
having been examined by the Quarterly Conference
of Church, of District,
of Annual Conference of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church, according to the rules
and regulations of the same, is hereby recommend¬
ed as a suitable person for admission on trial into
the traveling connection. Signed in behalf of said
Quarterly Conference,
P. E.
Date
Sec.
OFFICIAL FORMS.
331
No. 5.
Recommendation for Local Deacon's Orders.
To the Bishop and Members of the Annual
Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church, to be held at , 18....
Dear Fathers and Brethren:— ,
having been for years consecutively a
local preacher, and having been duly examined by
the Quarterly Conference of Church,
of District, of Annual
Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church, is hereby recommended as a suitable per¬
son to be ordained Deacon church
prays for his ordination for the benefit of the said
church.
Signed in behalf of said Quarterly Conference,
P. E.
, Sec.
Date
No. 6.
Reception into Conference of an Ordained
Minister from another Church.
This is to Certify that has been
admitted into Conference as
preacher, he having been ordained to
the office of according to the
usages of the •••■ Church. And
he is hereby authorized to exercise the functions
pertaining to his office, in the African Methodist
Episcopal Church, so long as his life and conver¬
sation are such as becomes the Gospel of Christ.
Given under my hand and seal at
this day of in the year
of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
Bishop.
14
332 METHODIST POLITY.
No. 7.
Certificate of Reception of a Local Preacher.
This is to Certify that the Bearer,
formerly of the Church, has
been received, after a satisfactory examination in
doctrine and discipline, by the Quarterly Confer¬
ence of of the Annual
Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church, as a Local Preacher, he having been or¬
dained to the office of according to the
usages of the Church, of which he
was a member and minister; and he is hereby au¬
thorized to exercise the functions pertaining to
his office in the African Methodist Episcopal
Church, so long as his conduct and teaching agree
with the Gospel of Christ.
Signed Bishop of African
Methodist Episcopal Church.
Date 18
No. 8.
Certificate of Location.
The Annual Conference
of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, of
which has been a member,
consents that he shall cease to travel from this
date. He is, therefore, authorized to exercise his
ministry as a local in this Church,
according to the rules and regulations ordained by
the same. We recommend him to the ministers
and members of the Church, wherever he may
travel, so long as he observes our rules and doc¬
trine.
, Bishop.
, Secretary.
Date
18.
OFFICIAL FORMS.
333
No. 9.
Infant Certificate of Baptism.*
This Certifi es that on the day of
■: in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and ,
was baptized by me in
County, State of
Names of parents.
Member of
Conference A. M. E. Church.
No. 10.
Adult Certificate of Baptism.*
This certifies that on the day of
in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and , was by
me baptized in Church, in
County, State of
Remember your baptism vows, that you are a
member of the Church of Christ, and that you are
to train your children in the fear and admonition
of the Lord.
Member of Conference A. M. E.
Church.
Date
*While no minister in our Church can charge for bap- -
tizing either a child or an adult, yet, they may charge
a reasonable fee for the printed Certificate of Baptism,
which the minister can only get with the Church seal
upon them, from the Publishing House of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church, for which he must pay.
All children or adults are in duty bound to procure cer¬
tificates of their baptism, to avoid the mistakes and
blunders of the past, where parents and guardians have
died, leaving no trace of baptism upon the records of
the Church. Ministers must furnish their baptized with
certificates, and also see that a proper record is kept.
334 METHODIST POLITY.
No. 11.
Sabbath School Certificate of Membership.
This certifies that
is a member of Sunday-school,
connected with Charge,
District, Annual
Conference, African Methodist Episcopal Church.
, Pastor.
, Superintendent.
No. 12.
Certificate of Full Membership.
This is to certify that
of , was received a full member
into the African Methodist Episcopal Church, ac¬
cording to the usages of said Church, and that the
same is entitled to all the rights and privileges en¬
joyed by any other member in the world, so long
as the conduct of the party is in keeping with the
discipline of said Church. We, therefore, com¬
mend the bearer to the Bishops, Ministers and
members of the same everywhere.
Member of Conference,
African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Date
To be framed and hung up in the house.
No. 13.
Trustee Certificate, A. M. E. Church.*
This is to certify that
was at a regular Trustee election, held by the
members of Church, elected a Trustee,
to serve for one year, subject to the laws, regula¬
tions, usages and customs of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church. All members and persons con¬
cerned will please respect him in the discharge of
his official duties.
, Pastor.
Date 18....
*This certificate should be handed to the Trustees when in¬
stalled before the congregation. They can be procured of the
A. M. E. Church Publishing House, also Leaders', Mem¬
bers' and all other certificates.
OFFICIAL FORMS. 335
No. 14.
Steward's Certificate, A. M. E. Church.*
This is to certify that
was, upon the nomination of the Pastor and the
confirmation of the Quarterly Conference, elected
a Steward of Church, to serve
for one year, subject to the laws and regulations
of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. All
members will respect him in the discharge of his
official duties.
Pastor.
Date 18....
No. 15.
Class Leader's Certificate, A. M. £. Church.
This is to certify that
having the respect and confidence of the Pastor
and members of the Church worshipping at
has been appointed the Leader of Class
No , during the pleasure of the Pastor
of said Church. He is authorized to sing, pray,
see each person in his class once a week, in order
to inquire how their souls prosper, to advise, com¬
fort reprove, rebuke and exhort as occasion may
require. And receive what the class is willing to
give toward the relief of preacher, church and poor,
and meet the minister and stewards once a week
and report, as the discipline provides. We com¬
mend him to the members of his class as their
subaltern pastor, and to the Church as a spiritual
father.
Pastor.
Date 18....
*This certificate should be handed to the Steivards when in¬
stalled before the congregation. They can be procured of the
A. M. E. Church Publishing House, also Leaders', Mem¬
bers' and all other certificates.
336 METHODIST POLITY.
No. 16.
Certificate of Membership in the African Methodist
Episcopal Church.
This is to certify that the bearer, has
been an acceptable member of the African Methodist
Episcapal Church, in Charge, District,
Conference.
Pastor.
Date , 18
The above Certificate and the following address must
be printed together:
My Dear Christian Comrade:—Accept a word of exhorta¬
tion and advice. Having received your Certificate, you
take leave of a people with whom you have held sweet
counsel, and now you are like a child away from home.
But remember, Church-membership is a duty as well as
a privilege, and while your Certificate entitles you to
membership in any Methodist Society, you must present
it to a pastor where you wish to be a member. The
Methodist Church is so widely disseminated that it is
not likely you will settle where there is no class; but
if you do, you may hear the voice of the Master bidding
you start one, which is your privilege and duty, if pos¬
sible. At all events, be identified with God's people, of
one name or another, and let not the probability of a
short stay in one place hinder you from handing in this
letter to some African Methodist Episcopal Church, if
possible. You may be tempted to delay this duty. Va¬
rious motives and reasons may present themselves. In
your eyes the Church-members may seem cold, distant,
and unsocial, and their customs strange to you; and you
may be inclined to say, "I will wait awhile, and see how
things will go;" but while you wait, or stand off, Satan
will be at work to seduce you and lead you from duty,
God and heaven. Many thousands have been lost to the
Church and Heaven by this "waiting to see." This dan¬
ger is great when persons move to a distant point, where
a change is considerable in the outward circumstances,
church-arrangements, and social habits of the people.
But let not the richness, nor the poverty, the purple and
fine linen, nor plain clothes, spires, pews and fine cush¬
ions, nor the plain log meeting-house, the reading of
sermons, the existence of organs, choirs, and Christians
sitting in time of prayer, nor congregational singing, nor
a humble, earnest company, keep ycu out of the Church
OFFICIAL FORMS.
337
that has done so much for you. With all their different
ways, are they not God's chosen ones, "a holy nation,
a royal priesthood, a peculiar people?" Say in the lan¬
guage of Scripture, "I will go with you." May the Lord
bless you in all your relations in your new home, and
make you holy, useful, and happy—a living branch of
the true vine!—is the earnest prayer of your pastor and
the brothers and sisters you leave behind.
Your affectionate pastor.
No. 17.
Presiding Elder's Form of Appointments.
Copied, from Presiding Elder I. L. Butt, of the Virginia
Conference.
TABULAR SCHEDULE OF THE PRESIDING EL¬
DER'S APPOINTMENTS, 1887-88.
DANVILLE DISTRICT.
Virginia Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
PLACES
Danville Station...
Harmony Circuit..
Jacksonville Cir...
Martinsville Cir....
Penn Store Miss...
Leatherwood Cir...
New Haven Cir....
Chatham Circuit...
Rocky Mt. Circuit
Boon's Mill Cir
Cave Spring Cir....
Salem -station
Black sburg Cir
Max Meadow's Cir
Red Bluff Circuit...
China Branch Cir..
Grason Circuit
Wytheville Station
Bland County Miss
Glade Spring Cir...
Lynchburg Station
Amherst Circuit...
±< rst
Second
Tftird
F oui
th
Quarter
Quarter Quarter
Quarter
May
6
Aug.
20
Nov.
4
Jan.
6
May
r3
Aug.;
26 Nov.
4
Jan.
13
May
20
Aug.
V
Nov.
8
Jan.
11
May
27
Sept.
2
Nov.
n
J an.
20
May
3'
Sept.
Nov.
4
Jan
17
June
i
Sept.
7
Nov,
161 Jan.
23
June
3
Sept.
8
Nov.
17 Jan.
25
June
10
Sept
10
Nov.
J 8
Jan.
27
June
17
Sept.
16
Nov.
25 Feb.
3
June
24
Sept.
20
Nov.
28 Feb.
7
July
I
Sepi.
23
Dec.
2
Feb.
10
July
8
Sept. 30
Dec.
9 feb,
17
Julv
IS
Oct.
7
Dec.
1.3
FeD.
24
]uly
iq
Oct.
14
Dec.
1
Feb.
27
July
22
Oct,
17
Dec.
17
Feb.
2q
luly
29
Oct.
19
Dec.
20
Mar.
2
July
26
Oct.
21
Dec.
22
Mar.
5
Ail*.
S
Oct.
21
Dec.
23
Mar.
q
Aug.
9
Oct
25
Dec
27 Mar.
13
Aug.
T I
Oct.
27
Dec.
29
Mar
IS
Aug.
13
Oct.
28
Dec.
•Si
Mar.
17
Aug.
l6
NOV.
1
Jan.
3
Mar.
23
Rev
Rev
Rev.
Rev.
Rev.
Rev.
Rev.
Rev,
Rev.
Rev.
Rev.
Rev.
Rev.
Rev.
Rev.
Rev.
Rev.
Rev.
Geo. D. Jimmerson
. G. W'. t iukart,
. Lemuel Sears.
. F. F. Crawford.
Jesse Young.
S. P. Cormick.
Richard Lemons.
J. Cuffee.
A. B. Jenning.
Peter Shepard.
Robert Armsted.
J. H. Scott.
G. T. Mussington
G. W. Nick olson,
James H. Blunot.
George Rose.
G. W. Blount.
G. W, Taylor
Edward Mitchell
S. Smith.
G, G. Vreeland.
George Lee.
Reverend and Dear Brothers:—You will insist upon fast¬
ing and prayer on Fridays before Quarterly Meeting.
338 METHODIST POLITY.
Quarterly Conference in the Stations Friday night.
Preaching on all Circuits at 11 o'clock A. M. Saturday,
and Quarterly Conference immediately after preaching.
If you wish me to visit some of the other churches
while on the Circuit, you will prepare accordingly in
the time allotted you.
Arrange for your Quarterly Love-Feast that I may
be present. You will please strictly comply with the law
of the Book of Discipline, page 117, section 7, paragraph
4. The District Conference will be held at Danville on
the 18th day of August, 1887.
Each Circuit and Station will bring a contribution to
defray expenses.
The Sunday-School Institution will meet on Monday,
August 22d, after the District Conference. Each Sab¬
bath-school will bring or send one dollar to help defray
expenses. The Electoral College at Danville, second
Wednesday in September, 1887.
Rally for your "Missionary Collection" on Easter Sun¬
day. "Children's Day," collection, twelfth of June. The
eleventh of September is "Endowment Day." Make an
increase all along the line, Brethren, for Education, and
above all let us bring our District to the front in "Dollar
Money."
Labor to show yourselves workmen approved of God.
Yours truly, I. L. BUTT, P. E.
OFFICIAL FORMS
339
A Form Copied from Rev. Jacklin Strange, Presid¬
ing Elder in the Virginia Annual Conference.
PORTSMOUTH, VA., DISTRICT, A. M. E. CHURCH.
QUARTERLY REPORT.
Name of place County.
Date 18....
No. 18. FORM OF BUSINESS.
Questions.
1. Are there any appeals from members of this
society?
2. Are there any applications for license to
preach or exhort?
3. Are there any licenses to be renewed?
1st. Of Preachers
2d. Of Exhorters
4. How many persons have been received on pro¬
bation?
5. How many persons have been received into
full membership?
1st. At A
2d. At B
3rd. At C
6. How many persons are to be received into
full membership?
7. How many members have been received by
certificate ?
8. How many have left with certificates?
9. How many have left without certificates?
10. How many have been exypelled from this
society, or any of the societies?
11. How many members have died this quarter
and what were their names?
12. What number of full members in this society
or on this circuit?
If on a circuit—1st. At A
2d. At B
3rd. At C
Total
13. What number of probationers in this society
or on this circuit?
If a circuit—1st. At A, &c.
14. What has been the increase of full members
this quarter?
15. How many infants and adults have been bap
tized this quarter?
1st. Infants
2d. Adults
Answers.
340 METHODIST POLITY.
FORM OF BUSINESS—Continued.
Questions.
Answers.
16. What are the names of those who have been
Baptized?
17. How many Sunday schools and what number
of pupils? Schools.
If a circuit Pupils at A
Pupils at B
Pupils at C
Total
18. What number of books in the library or
libraries ?
If a circuit 1st at A, &c.
19. How much collected for Sunday-school pur¬
poses ?
1st at A, &c.
20. How and for what purpose has this amount
been appropriated?
21. How much has been collected to pay the
minister or ministers this quarter?
For Presiding Elder at A
For Presiding Elder at B
For Presiding Elder at C
Total
For Pastor at A
For Pastor at B
For Pastor at C
Total
22. Has anything been collected for building pur¬
poses or repairs?
How much? How has it been expended?
How much? How has it been expended?
23. What is the present indebtedness?
1st. Of the Trustees
2d. Of the Stewards
SPECIAL.
1. How much raised on Quarterly Meeting day?
2. How much paid to Presiding Elder of this
amount ?
3. How much paid to Presiding Elder of this
amount ?
3. How much paid to Pastor of this amount?
4. How much dollar-money raised this quarter?
5. What number of Periodicals taken?
6. Have you Mission Work?
Name of Pastor
JACKLIN STRANGE, P. E.
OFFICIAL FORMS.
341
A FEW FORMS OF CHARGES.
In drafting charges and specifications for the trial of
an accused member of the church, there should be a brief
statement, defining the offence by name, says Bishop
Harris of the M. E. Church, such as lying, defamation of
character, dishonesty, imprudent conduct, indulging sin¬
ful tempers or words, disobedience to the order of the
Discipline of the church, neglecting prayer-meetings,
neglecting class-meetings, etc. Each charge ought to
have one or more specifications, suitable to the charge.
The following forms may assist in giving an idea of the
proper manner of preparing charges and specifications.
The charges and specifications must be so varied in the
several cases as to meet the facts or evidence relied upon
for conviction. The bill of charges must be signed by
one or more members of the church, and must be ad¬
dressed to the pastor in charge of the church or circuit
in which the accused person holds membership.
Form 1.—Immorality, or Immoral Conduct.
No. 19. Vicksburg, Miss., April S, 1889.
Rev. T. W. Stringer,
Pastor in charge of Bethel A. M. E. Church.
Dear Brother:—The undersigned, a member in
regular standing in the A. M. E. Church, beg to
complain of John Wilson, a member of your charge,
for being guilty of immoral conduct, and while I
deeply regret it, a sense of my religious obligation
compels me to hereby prefer the following charge:
CHARGE—DEFAMATION OF CHARACTER.
Specification 1.—The said John Wilson, on the
day of , 1889, at did
write and publish in violation of the rules of our
Discipline, the following false and libelous matter
of, and concerning James Smith, to wit:—(Here
copy the writing complained of.)
Specification 2.—The said John Wilson, on the
day of 1889, at did
utter and maliciously publish, in violation of the
rules of the said discipline, the following defama¬
tory and libelous matter of, and concerning James
Smith, to wit:—(Here copy the matter published.)
Specification 3.—The said John Wilson, on the
day of 1889, at , did,
with wicked intent and purpose, utter and thus
publish in the hearing of several persons, the fol¬
lowing slanderous and untruthful words, namely,
that James Smith is a liar and a thief.
Very obediently, E. P. HOLMES.
342 METHODIST POLITY.
Form 2.—Imprudent, or Unchristian Conduct.
In this class of cases preliminary labor is necessary
before the accused is liable to be arraigned and tried,
and it should be averred in the complaint that such
preliminary labor has been performed, for without such
averment there is nothing to show that the person is
liable to be tried as per Discipline. The following form
may be used:
No. 20.
Charleston, S. C., April 5, 1889.
Rev. B. H. Williams,
Pastor in charge of Emanuel A. M. E. Church.
Dear Brother:—The undersigned, with emotions
of deep regret, is compelled to complain to you
of the conduct of Henry Simpson, a member of
your charge, who indulged sinful tempers, and was
afterwards reproved as our Discipline allows, yet
the said Henry Simpson was guilty of a second
transgression, and he was again reproved as our
Discipline permits, yet, notwithstanding these re¬
peated reproofs, the said Henry Simpson continues
impenitent, and persists in indulging sinful tem¬
pers, thereby bringing reproach upon the church.
Therefore, the undersigned charges him as follows :
CHARGE—INDULGING SINFUL TEMPERS.
Specification.—The said Henry Simpson, on the
day of 1889, at and at other
places, did, on three several occasions, become
angry and boisterous, exhibiting and indulging sin¬
ful tempers contrary to the rules of the Discipline.
Yours, obediently,
BEDFORD GREEN.
OFFICIAL FORMS.
343
Form 3.—Neglect of Means of Grace.
No. 21.
Boston, Mass., April 5, 1889.
Rev. Theodore Gould,
Pastor in charge of Charles St. A. M. E. Church.
Dear Brother: Inasmuch as Thomas Walker, a
member of your church, had for a long time ne¬
glected Class Meetings, and, having so neglected,
was visited repeatedly by his leader, and then by
the preacher, who explained to him the conse¬
quences, should he continue such neglect, and yet,
notwithstanding such visits and explanation, he
does not amend, but continues to neglect Class
Meetings. Therefore, the undersigned complains'
to you of the conduct of Thomas Walker, and here¬
by charges him as follows:
CHARGE—HABITUAL NEGLECT OF CLASS MEETINGS.
Specification 1.—That said Thomas Walker, un¬
mindful of his duty, and in violation of the rules
of the Discipline, does habitually neglect Class
Meetings.
Specification 2.—The said Thomas Walker, in
thus disregarding the rules of our Discipline, is
bringing our religious services into disrepute, and
is, therefore, doing great harm to our religion by
his bad example.
Yours obediently,
G. T. WATKINS.