A Short History Of The Methodists... - Media Sabda Org

10. "Be punctual. Do every thing exactly at the time. And do not mend our rules, but keep them:
not for wrath, but for conscience sake.
11. "You have nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore spend and be spent in this work. And
go always, not only to those that want, but to those that want you most.
"Observe. It is not your business to preach so many times, and to take care of this or that society;
but to save as many souls as you can; to bring as many sinners as you possibly can to repentance, and
with all your power to build them up in that holiness without which they cannot see the Lord! And
remember! a Methodist preacher is to mind every point, great and small, in the Methodist discipline!
Therefore you will need all the sense you have, and to have all your wits about you!
12. "Act in all things, not according to your own will, but as a son in the gospel. As such, it is your
part to employ all your time in the manner which we direct: partly in preaching and visiting from
house to house: partly in reading, meditation and prayer. Above all, if you labor with us in our Lord's
vineyard, it is needful you should do that part of the work which we advise, at those times and places
which we judge most for his glory."
In some cases we had been imposed on by strange preachers, who, coming among us under the
character of Methodist preachers, had been encouraged to preach for a season, even till they were
found out to be bad men. It was now thought proper to guard against such impostors; and the
following rule was formed. "Let no person be employed as a traveling preacher, unless his name be
printed in the minutes of the conference preceding, or a certificate be given him under the hand of
one of the superintendents; or, in their absence, of three assistants. And for this purpose, let the
minutes of the conference be always printed."
From that time all the minutes of the conferences have been printed regularly every year.
Q. 37. "What shall be the regular annual salary of the elders, deacons, and helpers"'
A. "$64 and no more" And for each preacher's wife, $64. And for each preacher's child, if under
the age of six years, there shall be allowed $16; and for each child of the age of six, and under the
age of eleven years, $21 33 cts."
This rule for allowing a support for the children was not pleasing to our societies in general; and
as there were many objections raised against it, the conference in 1787 resolved, that no allowance
should be made in future for the children of our married preachers.
And there was no regular provision made for them after that, until the year 1800, when the general
conference settled an allowance for the children, which still continues in our discipline.
There were also some rules drawn up respecting the emancipation of slaves, which were in
substance as follows: "Every member in our society who has slaves, in those states where the laws
will admit of freeing them, shall, after notice given him by the preacher, within twelve months,
(except in Virginia, and there within two years) legally execute and record an instrument, whereby