not less than five nor more than nine Members of the Conference to investigate the case, and, if possible, bring the accused and accuser face to face; and he shall cause a correct record of the examination to be kept and transmitted to the Annual Conference. If the charge be sustained, the accused shall be suspended from all Ministerial services and Church privileges until the ensuing Annual Conference, at which his case shall be fully considered and determined.

§ 2. But if the accused be a Presiding Elder,

three of the Senior Preachers of his District shall inquire into the character of the report, and, if they judge it necessary, they shall call in the Presiding Elder of any adjoining District of the Conference, who shall appoint a Committee of not less than five nor more than nine Elders of the Annual Conference of which the accused is a Member, to investigate the case, and he shall also preside at the examination.

§ 3. If the accused, after due notice given him, shall refuse or neglect to appear before the Committee, the investigation shall proceed in his absence.

§ 4. A Supernumerary or Superannuated Preacher residing without the bounds of his own Conference shall be subject, under the authority of the Presiding Elder of the District within which he resides, to the investigation prescribed in 222, § 1. But, in such case, all the papers, includ

ing the record of the investigation, charges, evidence, and findings, shall be transmitted to the Annual Conference of which the accused is a Member at its ensuing session, on which papers, and such other evidence as may be admitted, the case shall be finally determined.

$5. Any Traveling, Supernumerary, Superannuated, or Local Preacher who shall hold religious services within the bounds of any Mission, Circuit, or Station when requested by the Preacher in Charge not to hold such services, shall be deemed guilty of imprudent conduct, and shall be liable to charges and trial under such Rules and Regulations as are provided in our Book of Discipline for these several classes of Preachers. A Local Preacher offending against this provision may be tried on the Charge where the offense is committed.

§ 6. If, in any of the foregoing cases, counsel has not been provided for the Church, or for the accused, the Presiding Elder shall have power to appoint counsel for both, or for either.

T223. If the charge be tried by the Conference, an Elder may be appointed by the Bishop, as a Commissioner, to take testimony; and he shall cause a faithful record of the proceedings and testimony to be laid before the Conference, the testimony to be reduced to writing and signed by the witnesses, on which, with such other evidence as may be admitted, the case shall be decided. ¶ 224. In cases of improper tempers, words,

or actions, the person so offending shall be admonished by his senior in office. Should a second transgression take place, one, two, or three Ministers or Preachers are to be taken as witnesses. If he be not then cured, let the Presiding Elder proceed as in T 222, § 1.

¶ 225. When a Member of an Annual Conference fails in business, or contracts debts which he is not able to pay, the Presiding Elder shall appoint three judicious Members of the Church to inspect the accounts, contracts, and circumstances of the supposed delinquent; and if, in their opinion, he has behaved dishonestly, or contracted debts without the probability of paying, let the case be disposed of according to ¶ 222.

226. When a Minister or Preacher disseminates, publicly or privately, doctrines which are contrary to our Articles of Religion or established Standards of Doctrine, let the same process be observed as is directed in T222, §1; but if the Minister or Preacher so offending do solemnly engage not to disseminate such erroneous doctrines in public or in private, he shall be borne with till his case be laid before the next Annual Conference, which shall determine the matter.

¶ 227. When a Traveling Preacher, in the interval between the sessions of the Annual Conference, refuses to attend to the work assigned him, let the Presiding Elder proceed as directed in T 222, § 1.

¶ 228. In cases of alleged maladministration: § 1. A Minister or Preacher shall be answerable to his Conference on the charge of corrupt, negligent, or partisan administration, but not for errors in judgment.

§ 2. Errors or defects in Judicial Proceedings shall be duly considered when presented on Appeal. But errors of Law made by a Presiding Elder, in cases of Appeal to a Quarterly Conference, are to be corrected on Appeal to the President of the next Annual Conference.

§ 3. Errors of Administration not connected with Judicial Proceedings may be presented to the Annual Conference, which may order just and suitable remedies when the rights of Members of the Church have been affected.

¶ 229. Should the Conference having jurisdiction in any of the foregoing cases judge it expedient to try the accused by a Select Number, it may appoint not less than nine nor more than fifteen of its Members for that purpose, the accused having the right to challenge for cause; which Select Number, in the presence of a Bishop, or of a Chairman whom the President of the Conference shall have appointed, and one or more of the Secretaries of the Conference, shall have full power to consider and determine the case according to the Rules which govern Annual Conferences in such proceedings; and they shall make a faithful report of all their doings to the Secretary of the Confer

ence in writing, and deliver up to him the bill of charges, the evidence taken, and the decision rendered, with all other documents brought into the trial. Or the Annual Conference may, when a case cannot be tried during the session for want of testimony, refer it to one of the Presiding Elders, who shall proceed as directed in ¶ 222, § 1.

¶ 230. In no case, of either an investigation or the trial of a Preacher, shall any person act as Counsel who is not a Member of an Annual Conference.

¶ 231. When a Traveling Preacher is accused of immorality and desires to withdraw from the Church, the Annual Conference may permit him to withdraw, in which case the record shall be, "withdrawn under complaints." If formal charges have been presented he may be permitted to withdraw; in which case the record shall be, "withdrawn under charges;" and if withdrawn under "complaints," or under "charges of immorality," the relation to the Church of the Preacher thus withdrawn shall be the same as if expelled.

Proceedings against Preachers on Trial.

T232. A Preacher on Trial who may be accused of crime shall be accountable to the Quarterly Conference of the Circuit on which he travels, or to the District Conference within