the church is (1) to evangelize the negroes, and (2) to educate and elevate them. There are 23 annual conferences, with 129,383 members. It will be noticed that the church is almost entirely confined to the South. It is strongest in Georgia, where it has 22,840 members; Mississippi comes next, with 20, 107; Tennessee third, with 18,968; and Alabama fourth, with 18,940. There are 1759 organizations, with 1653 church. edifices, valued at $1,713,366. The average seating capacity of each edifice is 328, and the average value $1036. There are 64 halls, with a seating capacity of 6526. 14. THE PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHURCH. The Primitive Methodist Church is not a branch of American Methodism, but it came from England, being introduced first into Canada in 1843 and then into the United States. In England the Primitive Methodist Church came into existence in 1812. It was organized by ministers and members of the Wesleyan Methodist Church who believed in camp-meetings and persisted in holding them. The Wesleyan conference declared camp-meetings "highly improper and likely to be productive of consider able mischief." Primitive Methodism differs from Wesleyan Methodism chiefly in the larger use it makes of the lay element. For many years there were in the United States two annual conferences, the Eastern and the Western. These were separate until 1889, when they united in organizing a general conference. There are now three annual conferences, the Eastern, the Pennsylvania, and the Western. Each conference is subdivided into districts, as is the custom in other branches of Methodism. They also have itinerant and local ministers, class leaders, etc. The Primitive Methodists are represented only in eight States, nearly one half of the total of communicants, 4764, being found in Pennsylvania. They have 84 organizations, with 78 edifices, valued at $291,993. The average value of each edifice is $3743, and the average seating capacity is 268. There are 11 halls, with a seating capacity of 1670. 15. THE FREE METHODISTS. This body was organized in 1860 at Pekin, N. Y., at a convention of ministers and members who had been expelled or had withdrawn from the Methodist Episcopal Church. The movement arose within the bounds of the Genesee conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church over differences concerning membership in secret societies, other questions of discipline, and the emphasis to be placed in preaching on certain doctrines, particularly sanctification. In the course of the controversy several ministers were tried and expelled from the church on charges of contuA number of laymen were also excluded. macy. The new organization adopted the discipline of the mother church with important changes. There are no bishops, but general superintendents are elected every four years. District chairmen take the place of presiding elders. Persons are not received on probation simply on the expression of "a desire to flee the wrath to come," but are required to give evidence of conversion. Members are required to "lay aside gold, pearls, and costly array" and dress plainly, and are forbidden to join secret societies or to indulge in the use of intoxicants and tobacco. Attendance at class-meeting is a condition of membership. Church choirs and the pew system are not approved. Two new numbers were added to the Articles of Religion, one setting forth the doctrine of entire sanctification, which is described as salvation "from all inward sin, from evil thoughts and evil tempers," and as taking place instantaneously subsequently to justification. The second pertains to future rewards and punishments. There are quarterly, district, annual, and general conferences. Laymen are admitted to all on equal terms with ministers. The aver |