graciously entitled to Baptism; but as Infant Baptism contemplates a course of religious instruction and discipline, it is expected of all parents or guardians who present their children for Baptism, that they will use all diligence in bringing them up in conformity to the word of God; and they should be solemnly admonished of this obligation, and earnestly exhorted to faithfulness therein.

138. We regard all children who have been baptized as placed in visible covenant relation to God, and under the special care and supervision of the Church.

¶ 39. The Preacher in Charge shall preserve a full and accurate register of the names of all the baptized children within his pastoral care; the dates of their birth, baptism, their parentage, and places of residence.

140. The Preacher in Charge shall organize the baptized children of the Church, at the age of ten years or younger, into Classes, and appoint suitable Leaders, (male or female,) whose duty it shall be to meet them in Class once a week, and instruct them in the nature, design, and obligations of Baptism, and the truths of religion necessary to make them "wise unto salvation;" urge them to give regular attendance upon the means of grace; advise, exhort, and encourage them to an immediate consecration of their hearts and lives to God, and inquire into the state of their

religious experience; provided, that children unbaptized are not to be excluded from these Classes.

¶ 41. Whenever baptized children shall have attained an age sufficient to understand the obligations of religion, and shall give evidence of piety, they may be admitted into Full Membership in the Church, on the recommendation of a Leader with whom they have met at least six months in Class, by publicly assenting before the Church to the Baptismal Covenant, and also to the usual questions on Doctrines and Discipline.

¶ 42. Whenever a baptized child shall, by orphanage or otherwise, become deprived of Christian guardianship, the Preacher in Charge shall ascertain and report to the Leaders and Stewards' Meeting the facts in the case; and such provision shall be made for the Christian training of the child as the circumstances of the case admit and require.

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PART I.—CHAPTER III.

MEANS OF GRACE.

Public Worship.

¶ 43. In order to establish uniformity in public worship among us on the Lord's day,

§ 1. Let the morning service be ordered, as far as possible, in the following manner: 1. Singing one of the hymns of our hymn-book, the people standing. 2. Prayer, concluding with the Lord's Prayer, repeated audibly by the congregation, the minister and people kneeling. 3. The reading of a lesson from the Old Testament, and another from the New, either of which may be read responsively. 4. The collection. 5. Singing another of our hymns, the people sitting. 6. Preaching. 7. A short prayer for a blessing on the word. 8. Singing, closing with a doxology, the people standing. 9. The pronouncing of the apostolic benediction.

§ 2. Let the afternoon or evening service follow the same order, except that either of the Scripture lessons may be omitted.

§3. At the service during which the sacraments are administered any of the items of the preceding order may be omitted except singing, prayer, and the apostolic benediction.

§ 4. In administering the Sacraments, and in the burial of the dead, let our form of Ritual invariably be used.

§ 5. Let the people be earnestly exhorted to take part in the public worship of God—first, in singing; secondly, in prayer, in the scriptural attitude of kneeling, by the repetition of the Lord's Prayer.

§ 6. Let the Society be met, wherever it is practicable, on the Sabbath day.

The Spirit and Truth of Singing.

144. To guard against formality in singing. §1. Choose such hymns as are proper for the occasion, and do not sing too much at once; seldom more than four or five verses.

§ 2. Let the tune be suited to the sentiment, and do not suffer the people to sing too slowly.

§ 3. In every Society let due attention be given to the cultivation of sacred music.

§4. Should the Preacher in Charge desire it, let the Quarterly Conference appoint annually a Committee of three or more, of which Committee the Preacher in Charge shall be chairman, and they co-operating with him shall regulate all matters relating to this part of divine worship. The action of said Committee shall be in every respect subject to the control of the Quarterly Conference. 5. As singing is a part of divine worship in

which all ought to unite therefore exhort every person in the congregation to sing, not one in ten only.

Classes and Class Meetings.

¶ 45. The design of the organization of Classes and the appointment of Leaders is,

§ 1. To establish a system of pastoral oversight that shall effectively reach every Member of the Church.

§ 2. To establish and keep up a meeting for social and religious worship, for instruction, encouragement, and admonition, that shall be a profitable means of grace to our people.

3. To carry out, unless other measures be adopted, a financial plan for the raising of moneys.

46. The primary object of distributing the Members of the Church into Classes is to secure the sub-pastoral oversight made necessary by our itinerant economy. In order to secure this oversight,

§ 1. Let the Classes, wherever practicable, be composed of not more than twenty persons, and let the Leader report at each Quarterly Conference the condition of his Class as follows:

1. Number of Members in his Class. 2. Number of Probationers.

3. Average attendance.