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this may take place at any time or place before his "institution" (or installation) over a parish as its Rector. The service of institution may be performed by a Priest appointed by the Bishop as "the institutor." Priests have all the functions of Ministers, except that of ordination, confirmation and supreme authority, which are invested in Bishops (the third and highest order of the ministry). Bishops are chosen Bishops are chosen by the Convention of a diocese. A diocese is a certain territory, containing at least six parishes, set apart by the General Convention to be under the jurisdiction of a Bishop. The Convention of a diocese is composed of the Rectors and lay deputies (representing the several churches). These sit together, but vote separately as clergy and laity. The election of a Bishop must receive the approval of the House of Bishops, and of the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, in General Convention, or, if these be not in session, the approbation of a majority of the Bishops and of the Standing Committees of several dioceses. The ordination of a Bishop is by three or more Bishops, with the laying on of their hands. Their peculiar functions are confirmation, ordination and supervision, each having supreme authority within his own diocese, and together, as the House of Bishops, having the general oversight and highest power of the Church.*

How are Candidates received into the ministry of the Congregational Church?

Candidates apply to some Association for license to preach. An Association is composed of Ministers for prayer and mutual counsel and improvement. It exercises no ecclesiastical function, except that of licensing

*Digest of Canons, 1878, title i., canons 1-15; Book of Common Prayer.

Candidates. This is done after a careful examination according to the custom of that Association. Application for ordination must be made to a Council composed of Ministers and delegates of churches, called by a congregation choosing a Pastor or approving of a Licentiate's desire to be ordained sine titulo. When a Candidate has preached to the satisfaction of a congregation, the communicants, as the church, hold a meeting and vote to call him as their Pastor. The society, which is a self-perpetuating body, composed of persons holding the property and having charge of the financial affairs of the church, also must hold a meeting to concur, if they see fit, in the call voted by the church and to determine the salary of the new Pastor. The action of these two bodies must be laid before the Council; the Candidate is examined by the Council. The ordination is by a committee of three or more Ministers, with the laying on of their hands, in the presence of the congregation. Charges are given to Pastor and people, and a Minister is appointed to represent the ministry and to give to the new Minister the right hand of fellowship in their name.*

How are the Candidates received into the ministry of the Baptist Church?

The Baptist churches are congregational in their polity. They have adopted the following plan in regard to those seeking the ministry: When a young man desires to be a Candidate, he applies to the local church, which after trial of his gifts generally licenses him when he begins his theological studies. The license may be recalled or continued until the young man receives a call to be Pastor of a church; a Council is then summoned to examine and ordain him, as in Congregational churches.

* Congregationalism, pp. 136, 152, 168–172.

How are Candidates received into the ministry of the Methodist Church?

In the Methodist Church the communicants are arranged in classes under Class-leaders. Any one on the recommendation of the class, or of the Leaders and Stewards' Meeting of the circuit, may be licensed by the Preacher in charge as an Exhorter. His duties are to hold meetings for prayer and exhortation under the direction of the Preacher in charge, and to attend the District and Quarterly Conferences. The license is for one year, and may be renewed.* Persons are often thus licensed as Exhorters who do not look forward to the ministry. A Local Preacher is one who is licensed from year to year, according to the judgment of the Quarterly Conference, upon passing a prescribed examination. He usually continues in secular business, but may be employed by the Presiding Elder in the pastorate. If he desire ordination, he must submit to a four-year course of study before he can be ordained as a Deacon.† A Deacon is examined by the Annual Conference, and ordained by the laying-on of the hands of a Bishop. His duties as a traveling Deacon are (1) "to administer baptism and solemnize matrimony; (2) to assist the Elder in administering the Lord's Supper; (3) to do all the duties of a traveling Preacher." He may be a Local Deacon, performing these duties occasionally. He must continue his work and fulfill a prescribed course of study for two years before he can be made an Elder.‡ An Elder is examined by the Annual Conference, and ordained by the Bishop and two or more Elders. His duties are those of a Minister in full orders. If a Local

* Discipline, 1880, ¶¶ 192, 293.

† Ibid., ¶ 91, 4, and ¶ 189. ‡ Ibid., ¶¶ 172, 174, 175, 189.

Elder, he is stationary, without a particular charge; he exercises his office as occasion may require. If admitted to the Conference as a traveling Elder, he receives annually an appointment as Pastor of a church or churches, and may be reappointed to the same charge for three successive years.* A Presiding Elder is one chosen by the Bishop to preside over a district for not more than four years. He must travel over his district, take charge of the Elders, Deacons and Exhorters, exercise discipline, hold Quarterly Conference, oversee the spiritual and temporal business of the churches, attend the Bishop when present in his district, direct Candidates in their studies, and with other Presiding Elders form the advisory council of the Bishop.† A Bishop is elected by the General Conference and ordained by three Bishops, or at least one Bishop and two Elders. His duties are to preside over Conferences, form districts, fix appointments for Preachers, exercise discipline, travel, oversee the churches, ordain, decide questions of law, and prescribe courses of study for Candidates.‡ (In regard to the Lutheran Church, see p. 203.)

CHAPTER XVI.

OF TRANSLATION, OR REMOVING A MINISTER FROM ONE CHARGE TO ANOTHER.

I. Should the pastoral relation be considered permanent? The Assembly has often called attention to the fact that the constitution of the Presbyterian Church recog* Discipline, 1880, ¶¶ 160, 169, 170. † Ibid., ¶¶ 164-168.

Ibid., ¶¶ 158-163.

nizes the pastoral relation as a permanent one, “which time and years shall only serve to strengthen and to hallow, and which may suitably represent in outward form the stable tendencies of our orthodox faith. Our people must be encouraged to call Pastors with a view of keeping them, and our Ministers must enter the pastorate to abide."*

When may it be dissolved?

By death, or under circumstances described in the next chapter, or when the Pastor's services are demanded by another church or by the General Assembly in its Boards or seminaries. But "no Bishop shall be translated from one church to another, nor shall he receive any call for that purpose, but by the permission of the Presbytery." If the General Assembly demands his services, the Presbytery may remonstrate, but cannot oppose the action of the supreme court. The Professors of the seminaries are now called by the Directors, subject to the veto of General Assembly.† Before the Assembly has taken action the call may come before Presbytery, as any other call; their decision will be an important item to be considered by the Assembly when it acts upon the choice of the Directors.

II. If the Pastor be of the same Presbytery as the church desiring him, how shall the call be prosecuted?

The call must be made out according to the previous chapter. "Any church, desiring to call a settled Minister from his present charge, shall, by commissioners properly authorized, represent to the Presbytery the ground on which they plead for his removal." This is often the peculiarities of their church, its importance, its field of useful

* Minutes G. A. 1877, p. 543. See p. 403.

See p. 368.

† See

p. 342.

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