minister be re-appointed to a Circuit or Mission within a less interval than six years.

5. On the division of a Circuit, no minister who has travelled successively the three preceding years on such Circuit shall be appointed to either part of it; nevertheless, this rule shall not apply to those places which may be transferred in adjusting the work by the Annual District Meeting, which transfer has been sanctioned by the Stationing Committee.

6. The President of an Annual Conference, and the Chairman and Financial Secretary of each District concerned, shall have authority to change the stations of ministers or probationers in the intervals of Conference, when the interests of the work shall appear to them to demand such change.

CHAPTER II.

DISTRICT MEETINGS.

SECTION I.

The Annual District Meeting.

143. The territory occupied by each Annual Conference. is divided into Districts.

144. The Annual District Meeting shall consist of all ministers and probationers for the ministry within its bounds, and one lay delegate for each minister or proba

tioner in the active work from each Circuit, Mission, or Station in the District, who shall have been elected by ballot by the Quarterly Official Board. Where a Circuit or Mis sion has no minister or probationer, but only a supply, the Quarterly Official Board may elect by ballot a lay delegate who shall be a member of the Annual District Meeting.

145. The Chairman shall appoint the time and place of the first District Meeting, after which he shall appoint the time and the District Meeting shall appoint the place. In the absence of the Chairman, the District Meeting shall elect from among its ministerial members, by ballot, without debate, a Chairman pro tem.

146. After the Chairman has opened the meeting by the usual devotional exercises, a Secretary shall be elected by ballot, who shall keep a record of the proceedings in a book procured for that purpose. At the close of each meeting the Minutes shall be signed by the Chairman and Secretary. The book shall be kept by the Chairman and brought to the Conference, and delivered by him to his successor.

147. The Examination of Ministerial Character shall be the business of the first day of the District Meeting, and shall be confined to the ministerial members alone.

148. Method to be observed in conducting the business of the District Meeting. The Chairman shall inquire1. What members are now present?

2. Are the ministers and probationers blameless in life, conversation, and doctrine?

149. In the examination of ministers and probationers in the District Meeting, the Chairman is required to ask the following questions, distinctively and successively, concerning every brother :

:

1. Is there any objection to his moral and religious character?

2. Does he believe and preach all our doctrines?

3. Has he duly observed and enforced our discipline? 4. Has he been punctual in attending all his appoint

ments?

5. Has he competent abilities for our itinerant work? A separate answer to each of these questions is expected to appear in the District Minutes.

150. Regulations to be observed in relation to Probationers for the Ministry:

1. Every Probationer for the ministry shall pursue the course of study prescribed by the General Conference, except as hereinafter provided; and before he shall be received into full connexion he shall give satisfactory evidence to the Annual District Meeting, from year to year, of his knowledge of the subjects and books included in such course of study.

2. The Chairman shall also examine every probationer for the ministry respecting his acquaintance with the books recommended to him, and the general course of reading which he has pursued during the preceding year. For this purpose every such probationer is required to deliver to the Chairman of his District a list of the books which he has read since the preceding Annual District Meeting. This list shall be laid before the meeting, that the senior ministers may have an opportunity of giving to the probationers such advice and directions respecting their studies as may appear necessary.

3. In addition to the preceding course of inquiry the

following questions are to be put every year by the Chairman to every probationer for the ministry on the District, but they need not be inserted in the District Minutes.

It

is enough to say that the usual questions were put to the probationers and satisfactorily answered; or, if otherwise, to state the case.

a. Have you now faith in Christ, and are you going on to perfection?

b. Have you attended regularly to private prayer, and to the devotional reading of the Scriptures, and books of a spiritual and experimental kind, in order to keep up devout and lively religious feelings in your own heart?

c. Have you carefully visited the sick under your charge, and others to whom you could obtain access?

d. Have you visited the people at their houses, inquiring into their religious state, praying with them, and administering wholesome counsel; and have you catechized the children of the schools, and those of your friends and hearers, as you have had opportunity?

e. Have you had fruit of your ministry during the year, and are you endeavoring so to state the leading truths of Christian doctrine and experience in your discourses, and so to apply them with affection, and earnestness, and prayer, as to do all in your power to secure success in your work? f. Answer the following questions in such terms as you would use in stating the doctrines they contain to an inquirer under religious impressions, or in your sermons :What is Evangelical Repentance? What is Justification ? What is Justifying Faith? What is the direct Witness of the Spirit? What is the indirect Witness of the Spirit?

What is Christian Perfection? What is the difference be tween Justification and Sanctification? What is the difference between Justification and Regeneration? What is the difference between Sanctification and Entire Sanctification?

Let these points be proved in order by appropriate passages of Holy Writ.

The brethren will see the propriety of conducting this part of the proceedings with peculiar deliberation and solemnity, as in the immediate presence of God; and they may enlarge on doctrinal questions as they may deem it necessary, so as to lead the candidates to a right understanding, and an appropriate expression of our leading doctrinal peculiarities as a Church.

4. In the annual examination of probationers for the ministry, it shall be the duty of the Chairmen of Districts to include the disciplinary question, "Do you take snuff, tobacco, or intoxicating drinks?" and a distinct answer in the negative shall be required in every case, as a condition of continuing on probation, from year to year.

5. The time for a candidate for our ministry to remain în trial, as a probationer, except as elsewhere provided, shall be four years; at the end of which period, if recommended by the Annual District Meeting, he shall, after examination and approval by the Conference, be received into full connexion, and be publicly recognized.

6. Every such probationer, who has been thus recommended by the Annual District Meeting, shall attend the Conference of that year, except those laboring in distant Missions.