590 History of Methodism 



Of Baptism. — We judge it proper to express our decided dis- 

 approbation of the administering of baptism in private chambers, 

 unless in cases of sickness, or some such urgency as will not admit 

 of its being administered in the Church. We also strongly disap- 

 prove of the deferring of the baptism of infants to some extraordi- 

 nary meeting, as a camp-meeting or quarterly-meeting, or until the 

 coming of a favorite minister. These are abuses which ought by 

 all means to be corrected. They take off from the reverence due 

 to this sacrament, and tend to its profanation by making it an occa- 

 sion of vain parade or idle compliment to a minister. We exhort 

 parents bringing their children to Christ in baptism to do so with 

 all purity and a single eye, as becomes those who draw near to God. 

 With respect to our own duty herein, we judge that, forasmuch as 

 the administering of the holy sacraments constitutes an essential 

 part of the duties of the pastoral office, the minister in charge 

 should feel no delicacy in inquiring if there be any under his over- 

 sight, either infants or adults, who ought to be baptized, and to 

 baptize all such at the earliest opportunity. 



With Bespect to the Sabbath. — We deprecate the profa- 

 nation of this holy day, whether by ordinary labor, or traffic, or 

 traveling on secular business, or idle amusements, or visiting, as on 

 other days. We lament that any who are so well instructed as to 

 avoid ordinary business on the Sabbath-day, and who would on no 

 account set out on a journey on that day, should be so blinded as not 

 to scruple at its profanation by idle visits, or even the prosecution 

 of a journey previously begun. It is holy time, and can be em- 

 ployed with propriety in no other than holy uses. Works of piety 

 and mercy are those alone which are appropriate to the Sabbath- 

 day. In such works, brethren, we would have you to spend it, and 

 prosper. And we beseech you, "Render unto God the things that are 

 God's," that you may be spared the retribution with which he is apt 

 to visit, even in the present life, those who profane the Sabbath-day. 



Of Secret Prayer. — The time was, as many of you know, 

 when the observance of stated hours of prayer daily was almost 

 universal among us, not excepting those on trial. And thus, we are 

 persuaded, it continues to be with as many as enjoy a prosperous 

 state. But we fear it is otherwise with not a few ; and that of those 

 w r ho no longer observe stated hours of prayer, the greater number 

 have either declined from the practice of secret prayer altogether 

 or limit it to a hasty confession at the time of going to bed. Such 

 persons have lost the relish of prayer, and the comfort which is 



