Anfw. By the bishop, according to the united judgsment of himself and the yearly conferences.

Queft. 6. In what manner fhall the accounts of the general book-fteward be examined?

Anfw. The Philadelphia conference fhall from year to year appoint a committee, who fhall examine quarterly his receipts and disbursements and other accounts. Queft. 7. What mode shall be ftruck out for the recovery of bad or fufpected book-debts?

Anfw. 1. Let every yearly conference appoint a committee or committees for the examination of the accounts of the travelling book-stewards in their refpective districts.

2. Let every prefiding elder, and every preacher who has the overfight of a circuit, do every thing in their power to recover all the debts in their circuit or district, and also all books which may remain in the hands of perfons who fhall have refigned, or been withdrawn from the office of a travelling book-fteward.

Queft. 8. Shall any drafts be made on the book-fund before all its debts are difcharged?

*

Anfw. There fhall be none, till the debts are difcharged, except in the cafe of diftreffed travelling preachers.

Queft. 9. What directions fhall be given concerning the regulation of our prefs?

Anfw. The general book-fteward fhall print no books or tracts of any kind, without the confent of a bishop and two-thirds of the Philadelphia conference.

Queft. 10. Will the conference recommend, and en-1 gage to promote the publication of a Magazine, intitled The Methodist Magazine, which fhall confift of compilations from the British magazines, and of original accounts of the experience of pious perfons, and. fhall be published in monthly numbers?

Anfw. The conference will recommend fuch a magazine, and defire that it may be printed.

NOTE S.

The propagation of religious knowledge by means of the prefs, is next in importance to the preaching of the gofpel. To fupply the people, therefore, with the moft pious and useful books, in order that they may fill up their leizure hours in the most profitable ways, is an object worthy the deepest attention of their paftors. On this account we are determined to move in the most cautious manner in respect to our publications. We have a great efteem for our general book-fteward, and are much obliged to him for his fidelity and usefulness in his important office: but we fhall in future fubmit our publications to the judgment of no fingle perfon. The books of infidelity and profancnefs with which the ftates at prefent abound, demand our strongest exertions to counteract their pernicious influence: and every step shall be taken, which is confiftent with our finances, to furnish our riends, from time to time, with the most useful treat fes on every branch of religious knowledge. And the confideration that all the profits fhail be lodged in our chartered fund for the benefit of the diftreffed preachers, both travelling and fuperannuated, will, we truft, prove a confiderable additional inducement to our brethren, to purchase our books.

SECTION III.

The plan of Education recommended to all our Seminaries of Learning.

To the Public, and to the Members of our Society in particular.

HE first object we recommend, is to form the minds of the youth, through Divine aid, to wifdom and holiness; inftilling into their tender minds the principles of true religion, fpeculative, experimental, and practical, and training them in the ancient way, that they may be rational fcriptural chriftians. For this purpose we recommend that not only the masters, but alfo our elders, deacons, and preachers, embrace every opportunity of inftructing the ftudents in the great branches of the chriftian religion.

It is alfo our particular defire, that all who fhall be educatad in Methodist feminaries, be kept at the utmost distance, as from vice in general, fo in particular, From softness and effeminacy of manners.

The mafters, therefore, fhould inflexibly infift on their rifing early in the morning; and we are convinced by conftant obfervation and experience, that this is of vast importance both to body and mind. It is of admirable use, either for preferving a good, or improving a bad, conftitution. It is of peculiar service in all nerv ous complaints, both in preventing and removing them. And by thus ftrengthening the various organs of the body, it enables the mind to put forth its utmost exertions.

On the fame principle the mafters fhould prohibit play in the ftrongest terms; and in this we have the two greatest writers on the fubject which perhaps any age has produced (Mr. Locke and Mr. Rouffeau) of our fentiments; for though the latter was effentially miftaken in his religious fyftem, yet his wifdom in other refpects, and extenfive genius, are indisputably acknowledged. The employments which we would recommend for the recreation of the ftudents, are fuch as are of the greatest public utility, agriculture and architecture; ftudies more efpecially neceffary for a new fettled country; and of confequence the inftructing of youth in all the practical branches of thofe important arts, will be an effectual method of rendering them more ufeful to their country. Agreeably to this idea, the greatest ftatesman that perhaps ever fhone in the annals of hiftory, Peter the Ruffian emperor, who was deservedly ftiled the Great, difdained. not to ftoop to the employment of a hip-carpenter. Nor was it rare, during the pureft times of the Roman republic, to fee the conquerors of nations and deliverers of their country, return with all fimplicity and cheerfulnefs to the exercife of the plough. In conformity to this fentiment, one of the completeft poetic pieces of antiquity (the Georgics of Virgil) is

a

written on the fubject of husbandry; by the perufal of which, and fubmiffion to the above regulations, the ftudents may delightfully unite the theory and the practice together. We fay delightfully, for we are far from wishing that thefe employments fhould be turned into drudgery or flavery, but into pleasing recreations for the mind and body.

In teaching the languages, care fhould be taken to read thofe authors, and thofe only, who join together the purity, the ftrength, and the elegance of their feveral tongues. And the utmost caution fhould be used, that nothing immodest should be found in any of their books.

But this is not all. We fhould take care that the books be not only inoffenfive, but useful; that they contain as much strong fenfe, and as much genuine morality as poffible: As far, therefore, as is confiftent with the foregoing obfervations, a choice and univerfal library fhould be provided for the ufe of the ftudents, according to their finances: and on this plan, we truft that our feminaries of learning will in time send forth men who will be bleffings to their country in every laudable office and employment of life, thereby uniting the two greatest ornaments of intelligent beings, which are too often feparated, deep learning and genuine religi

on.

The rules and regulations with which you are here prefented, have been weighed and digefted in our conferences: But we alfo fubmit them to your judgment.

7

GENERAL RULES propofed for the Methodist Seminaries of Learning.

I .BL

THE ftudents fhall rife at five o'clock in the morning, fummer and winter, at the ringing of a bell. 2. All the ftudents fhall affemble together at fix o'clock, for public prayer, except in cafes of ficknefs; and on any omiffion, fhall be refponsible to the master.

3. From morning prayer till feven, they fhall be allowed to recreate themfelves as is hereafter directed. 4. At feven they fhall breakfast.

5. From eight till twelve, they are to be clofely kept at their respective studies.

6. From twelve to three, they are to employ themfelves in recreation and dining-Dinner to be ready at one o'clock.

7. From three till fix, they are again to be kept clofely to their ftudies.

8. At fix they shall fup.

9. At feven there shall be public prayer.

10. From evening prayer till bed-time, they fhall be allowed recreation.

11. They fhall all be in bed at nine o'clock, without fail.

12. Their recreations fhall be gardening, walking, riding, and bathing, without doors; and the carpenter's, joiner's, cabinet maker's, or turner's business, within doors.

13. A large plot of land fhall be appropriated for a garden, and a perfon skilled in gardening be appointed to overlook the ftudents when employed in that recrea tion.

14. A convenient bath fhall be made for bathing.

15. A mafter, or fome proper perfon by him ap-pointed, fhall be always prefent at the time of bathing. Only one fhall bathe at a time; and no one fhall remain in the water above a minute.

1}

16. No student shall be allowed to bathe in the river. 17. A Taberna Lignaria fhall be provided on the premifes, with all proper inftruments and materials, and a fkilful perfon be employed to overlook the ftudents at this recreation.

18. The ftudents fhall be indulged with nothing which the world calls PLAY. Let this rule be observed with the ftrictest nicety; for those who play when they are young, will play when they are old.

* A place for working in wood