to try the accused Bishop, and to suspend him from the functions of his Office, or expel him from the Church, as they may deem his offense requires. One of the Bishops shall preside at his trial.

T215. The accused shall have the right of peremptory challenge, yet not so as to reduce the number of the Judicial Conference below twenty

one.

1 216. In case of imprudent conduct, the Presiding Elder within whose District the alleged offense occurred shall take with him two Traveling Elders, and shall admonish the Bishop so offending. In case of a second offense, one of the Bishops, together with three Traveling Elders, shall call upon him, and reprehend and admonish him. If he still persist in his imprudence, he shall then be tried in the manner ordered in TT 214, 215.

¶ 217. In case the alleged immorality or imprudence has been committed without the bounds of any District, the Presiding Elder within the bounds of whose District the Bishop may reside shall proceed as hereinbefore specified.

T218. When a Bishop disseminates, publicly or privately, doctrines which are contrary to our Articles of Religion or established Standards of Doctrine, the same process shall be observed as is prescribed in TT 214, 215.

T219. The President of such Judicial Conference shall, at the commencement of the trial ap

point a Secretary, who shall take regular minutes of the trial, and of all the evidence in the case, which, when read and approved, shall be signed by the President and Secretary.

¶ 220. A Bishop shall have the right of Appeal to the ensuing General Conference, if he signify his intention to appeal at the time of his conviction, or when informed thereof. And in case of an Appeal, the minutes of the trial and all the documents relating to the case, including the charges and specifications, shall be transmitted to the ensuing General Conference, which minutes and documents only shall be used in evidence in the trial of the Appeal.

¶ 221. Complaint against the administration of a Bishop may be forwarded to the General Conference, and entertained there: provided, that in its judgment he has had due notice that such Complaint will be made.

The Method of Proceeding against accused Traveling Ministers or Preachers.

¶ 222. When a Member of an Annual Confer ence is under report of being guilty of some crime expressly forbidden in the word of God. sufficient to exclude a person from the kingdom of grace and glory:

§ 1. In the interval between the sessions of the Annual Conference the Presiding Elder shall call

not less than five nor more than nine Members of the Conference to investigate the case, and, if possible, bring the accused and accuser face to face; and he shall cause a correct record of the examination to be kept and transmitted to the Annual Conference. If the charge be sustained, the accused shall be suspended from all Ministerial services and Church privileges until the ensuing Annual Conference, at which his case shall be fully considered and determined.

§ 2. But if the accused be a Presiding Elder, three of the Senior Preachers of his District shall inquire into the character of the report, and, if they judge it necessary, they shall call in the Presiding Elder of any adjoining District of the Conference, who shall appoint a Committee of not less than five nor more than nine Elders of the Annual Conference of which the accused is a Member, to investigate the case, and he shall also preside at the examination.

§ 3. If the accused, after due notice given him, shall refuse or neglect to appear before the Committee, the investigation shall proceed in his absence.

§ 4. A Supernumerary or Superannuated Preacher residing without the bounds of his own Conference shall be subject, under the authority of the Presiding Elder of the District within which he resides, to the investigation prescribed in ¶ 222 § 1. But, in such case, all the papers, includ

ing the record of the investigation, charges, evi dence, and findings, shall be transmitted to the Annual Conference of which the accused is a Member at its ensuing session, on which papers, and such other evidence as may be admitted, the case shall be finally determined.

§ 5. Any Traveling, Supernumerary, Superannuated, or Local Preacher who shall hold religious services within the bounds of any Mission, Circuit, or Station when requested by the Preacher in Charge not to hold such services, shall be deemed guilty of imprudent conduct, and shall be liable to charges and trial under such Rules and Regulations as are provided in our Book of Discipline for these several classes of Preachers. A Local Preacher offending against this provision may be tried on the Charge where the offense is committed.

§ 6. If, in any of the foregoing cases, counsel has not been provided for the Church, or for the accused, the Presiding Elder shall have power to appoint counsel for both, or for either.

T223. If the charge be tried by the Conference, an Elder may be appointed by the Bishop, as a Commissioner, to take testimony; and he shall cause a faithful record of the proceedings and testimony to be laid before the Conference, the testimony to be reduced to writing and signed by the witnesses, on which, with such other evidence as may be admitted, the case shall be decided. ¶ 224. In cases of improper tempers, words,

or actions, the person so offending shall be ad monished by his senior in office. Should a sec、 ond transgression take place, one, two, or three Ministers or Preachers are to be taken as witnesses. If he be not then cured, let the Presiding Elder proceed as in T 222, § 1.

¶ 225. When a Member of an Annual Conference fails in business, or contracts debts which he is not able to pay, the Presiding Elder shall appoint three judicious Members of the Church to inspect the accounts, contracts, and circumstances of the supposed delinquent; and if, in their opinion, he has behaved dishonestly, or contracted debts without the probability of paying, let the case be disposed of according to ¶ 222.

¶ 226. When a Minister or Preacher dissemi nates, publicly or privately, doctrines which are contrary to our Articles of Religion or established Standards of Doctrine, let the same process be observed as is directed in T222, § 1; but if the Minister or Preacher so offending do solemnly engage not to disseminate such erroneous doctrines in public or in private, he shall be borne with till his case be laid before the next Annual Conference, which shall determine the matter.

¶ 227. When a Traveling Preacher, in the interval between the sessions of the Annual Conference, refuses to attend to the work assigned him, let the Presiding Elder proceed as directed in T 222, § 1.