for the government of the body. This power is, how- ever, restricted within certain limits prescribed in v.hat is known as "the deed of declaration," executed by John Wesley a little while before his death, and enrolled in the archives of the high court of chancer}- in 1794. IJy the provisions of this deed, the Conference consists of one hundred ministers, who were originally named therein, and to whom and to their successors was committed the duty of filling vacancies as they occur. The Conference, by the deed of declaration, is to meet annually, and to contiinie in session not less than five days nor more than three weeks. Other minbters attend and take part in the discussions, but the legal body consists of the " hun- dred" only. Their first business, after tilling vacancies, is the election from their own number of a president, who holds liis office for one year, but is eligible to a re- election after an interval of eight years. Any member of the " legal hundred" absenting himself without leave from two successive Conferences, and not aiipearing on the first day of the third, forfeits his seat. The Confer- ence admits jireachers on trial; receives them into full membership by ordination; examines and scrutinizes the character of every minister in the connection, and has power to try those against whom any charge is brought, and to censure, suspend, or excommunicate, if necessary. Hy the Conference the proceedings of sub- ordinate bodies are finally reviewed, and the state and prospects of the Church at large are considered, and reg- ulations enacted for its increasing efficiency. The most important of these subordinate judicatories is " the dis- trict meeting," which is composed of ministers and lay- men " residing within a district of countrj' embracing from ten to twenty or more circuits" — a circuit being the prescribed field of labor for two, three, or, in some cases, four ministers. The district meeting has authority: 1. To examine candidates for the ministry; and with- out their recommendation no candidate can come before the Annual Conference. 2. To try and suspend minis- ters who are found immoral, erroneous in doctrine, un- faithful to their ordination vows, or deficient in aliility for the work they have undertaken, 3, To deciilc pre- liminary (juesfions concerning the building of chapels. 4. To review the demands from the less wealthy church- es, which draw upon the public funds of the connection for aid in supporting their ministers. 5. To elect a representative, who is thus made a member of a com- mittee appointed to sit previously to the meeting of "the Conference," in order to prepare a draft of the sta- tions of all the ministers for the ensuing year; regard being had to the wishes of the people in the allocation of individual pastors. The judgment of this "station- ing committee" is conclusive until Conference, to which an appeal is allowed in all cases, either from ministers or people. But the appointments are made for one year only, and no preacher can be appointed to tlie same charge more than three years successively. In the Dis- trict Conference laymen take part, equally with minis- ters, in all that afTects the general welfare of the body; I and the lay influence predominates still more in "the I (juarterly meeting," which is held, as its name indicates, ! every three months on every circuit. All local jmiich- trs, a numerous and influential body of men, who ]ireach on Siuidays, and follow some secular employments for a livelihood; s/** (ro? y/.<, whose duty it is to attend more isi)icially to the temporalities of the society ; chiss-lead- I era, of whom mention is made above in the general j rules, are members of the quarterly meeting, at which candidates for the s.acred office are first proposed, and, if rejected by their fellow-members, they have no appeal to another trilnnial. A similar balance of power is maintained in the "leaders' meeting." which is lield monthly, in regard to various affairs of the particular society to which it belongs. Many of these meetings are attended by one minister only, or, at the most, by two or three, while the lay members are very numer- ous. No leader, or other society officer, is appointed but with the concurrence of a leaders' meeting; no stew-
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ard without that of the quarterly meeting. Among | the usages peculiar to Methodism we have already no- ticed " the class-meeting," at which, although chietly designed for spiritual instruction and improvement, it is expected that weekly contributions shall be made for the support of the ministry; and in which it is necessary for all wlio desire to become Methodists to undergo a period of probation of three among the Methodists of England, and of six months among those of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church (in the Church South there is no probatiouship), and attendance upon which thereafter is a term of membership. There is also in England what is known as the band-meeting, which ditfers from the class-meeting in that it is a voluntary association, and does not allow males and females to meet together, nor the married to belong to the same "band" with the single. The love-feast is a meeting held at the discre- tion of the preacher, quarterly or oftener ; and the watch- night is a meeting for prayer, preaching, and mutual exhortation, held at first frequently, but now only on the last night of the year, and continuing until after midnight. John Wesley is claimed to have been the originator of religious tracts for gratuitous distribution, and of cheap volumes for the dissemination of the prin- ciples of Christianity. His followers have continued the system of publishing, and from " the Book-room" in London still emanate religious publications, tracts, and periodicals, the profits arising from the sale of which are applied to connectional purposes. For further de- tails, see Wesleyaxs.