treats given by candidates before or at elections, and not to be partakers, in any respect, of such iniquitous practices. Method of Receiving Traveling Preachers on Trial. T 147. A Preacher is to be received on trial by an Annual Conference. T 148. But no one should be received unless he first procure a recommendation from the Quarterly Conference of his Circuit or Station. We may then, if he give us satisfaction, receive him on trial. But before any such candidate is received on trial, or into full connection, or is ordained Deacon or Elder, he shall give satisfactory evidence respecting his knowledge of those particular subjects which have been recommended to his consideration. ¶ 149. When a Preacher's name is not printed in the Minutes, he must receive a written license from a Bishop or Presiding Elder; but while he is on trial, the Annual Conference alone has jurisdiction over the question of his authority to preach: and his continuance on trial shall be equivalent to the renewal of his license to preach. 217050 ¶ 150. Observe! taking on trial is entirely different from admitting a preacher into full connection. One on trial may be either admitted or rejected without doing him any wrong: otherwise it would be no trial at all. 151. At each Annual Conference, those who are received on trial, or are admitted into full connection, shall be asked whether they are willing to devote themselves to the missionary work, and a list of the names of all those who are willing to do so shall be taken and reported to the Corresponding Secretaries of the Missionary Society; and all such shall be considered as ready and willing to be employed as missionaries whenever called for by any of the Bishops. Manner of Receiving Traveling Preachers into Full Conrection. ¶ 152. In receiving a Preacher at the Conference into full connection, after solemn fasting and prayer, every verson proposed shall be asked, before the Conference, the following questions, with any others which may he thought necessary Famely:- 1 Have you faith in Christ? 2. Are you going on to perfection? 3. Do you expect to be made perfect in love in this life? 4. Are you earnestly striving after it? 5. Are you resolved to devote yourself wholly to God and his work? 6. Do you know the General Rules of our Church? 7. Do you keep them? 8. Have you studied the doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal Church? 9. After full examination, do you believe that our doctrines are in harmony with the Holy Scriptures, and will you preach and maintain them? 10. Have you studied our form of Church Discipline and polity? 11. Do you approve our Church government and polity, and will you support and maintain them? 12. Have you considered the Rules of a Preacher, especially the first, tenth, and twelfth? 13. Will you keep them for conscience' sake? 14. Are you determined to employ all your time in the work of God? 15. Will you diligently instruct the children in every place? 16. Will you visit from house to house? 17. Will you recommend fasting or abstinence, both by precept and example? 18. Are you in debt so as to embarrass you in the work of the ministry? 19. Will you wholly abstain from the use of tobacco? ¶ 153. Then if he gives us satisfaction, after he has been employed two successive years in the regular itinerant work on Circuit, in Stations, or in our institutions of learning, which is to commence from his being received on trial at the Annual Conference, and being approved by the Annual Conference, and examined by the President of the Conference, he may be received into full connection. T154. A Missionary employed on a Foreign Mission may be admitted into full connection, if recommended by the Superintendent of the Mission where he labors. without being present at the Annual Conference for examination; but he shall in all cases answer the questions in T 152 in the presence of the Annual Meeting of the Mission when practicable, otherwise in the presence of the Superintendent. The Reception of Ministers from other Evangelical Churches. T 155. Ministers who may offer to unite with us from other Christian Churches shall be received in the following manner: § 1. If they come to us properly accredited from any branch of the Methodist Church, or from any Church agreeing with us in doctrine, they may be received either as Local or Itinerant Ministers, according to such credentials, by giving satisfaction to an Annual or Quarterly Conference of their literary qualifications, and of their willingness to conform to our Church government and usages. § 2. Those ministers of other evangelical Churches who may desire to unite with our Church may be received accord ing to our usages as Deacons or Elders, on condition of their taking upon them our ordination vows, without re-imposition of hands, if they shall give satisfaction to an Annual Conference of their being in orders, and of their agreement with us in doctrines, in discipline, and usages; provided, the Conference is also satisfied with their literary qualifications, gifts, grace, and usefulness. T156. Whenever a minister is receivod |