DECISIONS AND RESOLUTIONS.

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43. Has a preacher a right to give a love-feast ticket to any person not a member or probationer of the church? He has no such right. Tickets with the word “member" printed on them, should be given only to members; tickets without the word member, should be given only to probationers: “notes" of admission should be given to those who are neither members nor probationers.

44. Has an annual conference a right to require its members to take up an annual collection for the purpose of sustaining the literary institutions under its care? It has such right.

45. Can an annual conference refuse a location to one of its members in good standing, when such location is demanded? It cannot, and is obliged to give him a certificate of such loca

tion.

46. Is the recommendation of a quarterly conference, in the case of local preachers, candidates for the travelling connection, &c., of any force after the ensuing annual conference? It is

not.

47. Has the presiding elder of a district a right to give leave of absence to any of his preachers? He has not.

48. Has the president of an annual or quarterly conference a right to decline putting the question on a motion, when in his judgment such motion does not relate to the proper business of the conference? He has.

49. Are questions relating to the admissibility of testimony, questions of law? They are. (Consequently the president or chairman of a trial must decide on the admissibility of testimony.)

50. To what quarterly conference or Society does a superannuated preacher belong? If he resides within the bounds. of his own conference, he belongs to such bodies where he resides; if in the bounds of another conference, he belongs to no Society, or quarterly conference, but has a right, as all preachers have, to meet in class.

The above decisions and resolutions are given, not in the exact words of the authorities referred to, but so as to embrace the substance in the fewest words possible, and yet retain the meaning.

BOOK I V.

BENEVOLENT AND LITERARY INSTITUTIONS AND STATISTICS OF METHODISM.

CHAPTER I.

BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS.

SECTION I.

BOOK CONCERN.

1. THE Book Concern may properly be called a benevolent institution, as the design-in part, at least-is to furnish a fund for the relief of the superannuated, or worn-out preachers, the widows and orphans of those who have died in the regular work of the ministry, and the profits of that establishment are, in the main, sacredly devoted to that purpose. It is true that this is by no means the only design of its institution; the circulation of bibles, Sunday-school books, tracts, and religious works of various kinds, all prove that another prominent object is the furnishing of wholesome reading to the thousands of our Israel, who naturally look to their own church and ministry for a supply of their wants in this respect.

At an early period in the history of English Methodism, Mr. Wesley became an author, and indirectly a publisher on an extensive scale. The voluminous works which he found it necessary to print "for the use of the people called Methodists," de

manded a press of his own, which was, and is, located in the city of London. Soon after the organization of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the importance of having Methodist books printed in America, was deeply felt. Hitherto, the minutes, Sunday service, hymn-books, &c., had been published at Mr. Wesley's press in London, and had to be imported at great risk and expense, besides loss of time. In the year 1787, the subject of printing and publishing books in America is first alluded to in the discipline. At the conference which assembled in the above year, it was resolved to print such books as the conference should recommend, and that the profits of sale should be applied "toward Cokesbury College, the preachers' fund, the deficiencies of the preachers, the distant missions, or the debts on our churches." The first attempt at publishing books was in Philadelphia, and in 1792, the Rev. John Dickins was appointed to manage the printing business. His annual allowance was, "two hundred dollars for a dwelling-house, and for a book-room; eighty dollars for a boy; fifty-three and one third dollars for fire-wood; and three hundred and thirty-three dollars to clothe and feed himself, his wife, and his children. In all, six hundred and sixty-six dollars, and one third. The first book-committee appointed to regulate the concern, were John Dickins, Henry Willis, and Thomas Haskins. In 1796, the publication of the Methodist Magazine was recommended by the conference, and in 1800, Ezekiel Cooper was appointed superintendent of the Book Concern, and it was made the duty. of each presiding elder to see that his district was duly supplied with books; to order such books as were wanted; to distribute them among the different circuits, and to charge the same to the preachers. The latter were required to sell as many as possible, and account to the presiding elder for the same, and when they left a circuit, they were to collect all the books remaining on their hands in one place, and leave an inventory of the same with the presiding elder. No preacher was allowed

to print or circulate any book or pamphlet without the consent of the conference, previously obtained.

and

In 1804, the Book Concern was removed to New York, Ezekiel Cooper was re-appointed general book steward, and John Wilson, assistant editor and book steward. At this time it was resolved that the profits be applied to the support of distressed travelling preachers and their families.

In 1820, a book agent was appointed to reside in Cincinnati, and manage the Concern in the western country, under the direction of the editor in New York. The system of issuing books on commission still obtained, and it was only in 1828 that the General Conference resolved thereafter to issue no more books on commission. In 1826 the publication of the "Christian Advocate" was commenced in New York, and at the conference of 1828, an editor was appointed to superintend the same, and to edit the Child's Magazine. In 1832, a branch concern, or general depository, was established in New Orleans, and in 1836 the book concern at Cincinnati was made independent of the one in New York,* yet so as to co-operate with the agents at New York" in the publication of books, &c. In the last named year, in addition to the Christian Advocate and Journal, and Western Christian Advocate, provision was made for issuing weekly papers from Charleston, S. C., Richmond, Va., and Nashville, Tenn.

In 1840, provision was made for the publication of the Methodist Quarterly Review, Youth's Magazine, the Christian Apologist, in German, Pittsburgh Christian Advocate, and the Ladies' Repository.

In 1844, the Northern Christian Advocate, in Auburn, was

* On the 18th Feb. 1836, the entire book establishment in New York, with its buildings, presses, books, papers, &c., was destroyed by fire. Through the liberality of friends, in and out of the church, however, the loss was partly made up, and better buildings were erected on the site of the old ones, so that the "glory of the latter house," far surpasses "that of the former.” 23