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not, he hath no more place among us. We have delivered our own souls.

Temperance.

¶ 36. Temperance in its broader meaning is distinctively a Christian virtue, scripturally enjoined. It implies a subordination of all the emotions, passions, and appetites to the control of reason and conscience. Dietetically, it means a wise use of useful articles of food and drink, with entire abstinence from such as are known to be hurtful. Both science and human experience unite with the Holy Scriptures in condemning all alcoholic beverages as being neither useful nor safe. The business of manufacturing and vending such liquors is also against the principles of morality, political economy, and the public welfare. We, therefore, regard voluntary abstinence from all intoxicants as the true ground of personal temperance, and complete legal prohibition of the traffic in alcoholic drinks as the duty of civil government. We heartily approve of all lawful and Christian efforts to save society from the manifold and grievous evils resulting from intemper

ance, and earnestly advise our people to co-operate in all measures which may seem to them wisely adapted to secure that end. We refer to our General Rule on this subject, and affectionately urge its strict observance by all our members. Finally, we are persuaded that, under God, hope for the ultimate success of the Temperance Reform rests chiefly upon the combined and sanctified influence of the family, the Church, and the State.

Slavery.

T 37. We declare that we are as much as ever convinced of the great evil of Slavery. We believe that the buying, selling, or holding of human beings, to be used as chattels, is contrary to the laws of God and nature, and inconsistent with the Golden Rule, and with that rule in our Discipline which requires all who desire to continue among us to "do no harm," and to "avoid evil of every kind." We therefore affectionately admonish all our preachers and people to keep themselves pure from this great evil, and to seek its extirpation by all lawful and Christian means.

Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

¶ 38. Let every adult person, and the parents of every child to be baptized, have the choice either of immersion, sprinkling, or pouring.

T 39. We will on no account whatever make a charge for administering baptism, or for burying the dead.

T 40. Let persons who have scruples concerning the receiving of the Lord's Supper kneeling, be permitted to receive it either standing or sitting.

T 41. No person shall be admitted to the Lord's Supper among us who is guilty of any practice for which we would exclude a member of our Church.

Rules Relating to Marriage.

T 42. Many of our members have married with unawakened persons. This has produced bad effects; they have been either hindered for life, or have turned back to perdition.

43. To discourage such marriages, 1. Let every preacher publicly enforce the apostle's caution, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbeliev

ers." 2 Cor. vi, 14. 2. Let all be exhorted to take no step in so weighty a matter without advising with the more serious of their brethren.

¶ 44. In general a woman ought not to marry without the consent of her parents. Yet there may be exceptions. For if, 1. A woman believe it to be her duty to marry: if, 2. Her parents absolutely refuse to let her marry any Christian: then she may, nay, ought to marry without their consent. Yet even then a Methodist preacher ought not to be married to her.

¶ 45. We do not prohibit our people from marrying persons who are not of our Church, provided such persons have the form, and are seeking the power, of godliness; but we are determined to discourage their marrying persons who do not come up to this description.

Concerning Dress.

¶ 46. Let all our people be exhorted to conform to the spirit of the apostolic precept, not to adorn themselves "with gold, or pearls, or costly array." 1 Tim. ii, 9.

PART I-CHAPTER II.

THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE CHURCH,

Receiving Members into the Church.

¶ 47. In order to prevent improper persons from insinuating themselves into the Church,

§ 1. Let no one be received into the Church until such person has been at least six months on trial, and has been recommended by the Leaders and Stewards' Meeting, or where no such meeting is held, by the Leader, and has been baptized, and shall, on examination by the Minister in Charge before the Church, give satisfactory assurances both of the correctness of his faith and of his willingness to observe and keep the rules of the Church.* Nevertheless, if a member in good standing in any other orthodox Church shall desire

* Persons baptized in infaney must publicly assent, before the Church, to the Baptismal Covenant. The re-baptism of persons known to have been previously baptized is inconsistent with the nature and design of baptism as set forth in the New Testament.

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