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tually prevent them from oppress- days and times, we esteem to be incompatible with the simplicity and sincerity of a Christian life; and public diversions, gaming, and other vain amusements of the world, we cannot but condemn. They are a waste of that time which is given us for nobler purposes; and divert the attention of

ing, much more from enslaving, their brethren (of whatever colour or complexion), for whom, as for themselves, Christ died; and would even influence their conduct in their treatment of the brute creation, which would no longer groan, the victims of their avarice, or of their false ideas of the mind from the sober duties of pleasure. life, and from the reproofs of in

yet we are sensible that a true and living faith is not produced in the mind of man by his own effort, but is the free gift of God in Christ Jesus, Eph. ii, 8. nourished and increased by the progressive operation of his spirit in our hearts, and our proportionate obedience, John vii, 17. Therefore, although for the preservation of the testimonies given us to bear, and for the peace and good order of the society, we deem it necessary that those who are admitted into membership with us should be previ

"Some of our tenets have instruction, by which we are guided former times, as hath been shewn, to an everlasting inheritance. subjected our friends to much suf- "To conclude: although we fering from government, though have exhibited the several tenets to the salutary purposes of go- which distinguish our religious sovernment our principles are a se-ciety as objects of our belief, curity. They inculcate submission to the laws in all cases wherein conscience is not violated. But we hold, that, as Christ's kingdom is not of this world, it is not the business of the civil magistrate to interfere in matters of religion, but to maintain the external peace and good order of the community. We therefore think persecution, even in the smallest degree, unwarrantable. We are careful in requiring our members not to be concerned in illicit trade, nor in any manner to defraud the revenue. "It is well known that the soci-ously convinced of those doctrines ety, from its first appearance, has which we esteem essential, yet we disused those names of the months require no formal subscription to and days, which, having been given any articles, either as a condition in honour of the heroes or false of membership, or a qualification gods of the heathen, originated in for the service of the church. We their flattery or superstition; and prefer the judging of men by their the custom of speaking to a single fruits, and depending on the aid of person in the plural number, as Him, who, by his prophet, hath having arisen also from motives of promised to be a spirit of judg adulation. Compliments, super-ment to him that sitteth in judgfluity of apparel and furniture, ment,' Isa. xxviii, 6. Without this, outward shews of rejoicing and there is a danger of receiving nummourning, and the observation of bers into outward communion,

without any addition to that spiritual sheep-fold, whereof our blessed Lord declared himself to be both the door and the shepherd, John. x, 7, 11; that is, such as know his voice, and follow him in the paths of obedience.

"In the practice of discipline, we think it indispensable that the order recommended by Christ himself be invariably observed, Matt. xvii, 15 to 17.

move into other monthly meetings certificates of their membership and conduct; without which they cannot gain membership in such meetings. Each monthly meeting is required to appoint certain persons, under the name of overseers, who are to take care that the rules of our discipline be put in practice; and when any case of complaint, or disorderly conduct, comes to their knowledge, to see that private admonition, agreeably to the Gospel rule before mentioned, be given, previously to its being laid before the monthly meeting.

"To effect the salutary purposes of discipline, meetings were appointed at an early period of the society, which, from the times of their being held, were called quarterly meetings. It was after- "When a case is introduced, it wards found expedient to divide is usual for a small committee to the districts of those meetings, and be appointed to visit the offender, to meet more frequently: from to endeavour to convince him of whence arose monthly meetings, his error, and to induce him to subordinate to those held quarter-forsake and condemn it. If they ly. At length, in 1669, a yearly meeting was established, to superintend, assist, and provide rules for the whole, previously to which general meetings have been occasionally held.

"A monthly meeting is usually composed of several particular congregations, situated within a convenient distance from each other. Its business is to provide for the subsistence of the poor, and for the education of their offspring; to judge of the sincerity and fitness of persons appearing to be convinced of the religious principles of the society, and desiring to be admitted into membership; to excite due attention to the discharge of religious and moral duty; and to deal with disorderly members. Monthly meetings also grant to such of their members as re

succeed, the person is by minute declared to have made satisfaction for the offence; if not, he is disowned as a member of the society.

"In disputes between individuals, it has long been the decided judgment of the society, that its members should not sue each other at law. It therefore enjoins all to end their differences by speedy and impartial arbitration, agreeably to rules laid down. If any refuse to adopt this mode, or, having adopted it, to submit to the award, it is the direction of the yearly meeting that such be disowned.

"To monthly meetings also belongs the allowing of marriages; for our society hath always scrupled to acknowledge the exclusive authority of the priests in the solemnization of marriage. Those

who intend to marry appear to- ||have somewhat to express for the gether, and propose their intention edification of those who attend ; to the monthly meeting; and if but no religious rite is considered not attended by their parents and as an essential part of burial. guardians, produce a written cer- "Several monthly meetings comtificate of their consent, signed in pose a quarterly meeting. At the the presence of witnesses. The quarterly meeting are produced meeting then appoints a committee written answers from the monthly to enquire whether they be clear meetings to certain queries reof other engagements respecting specting the conduct of their memmarriage; and if at a subsequent bers, and the meeting's care over meeting, to which the parties also them. The accounts thus received come and declare the continuance are digested into one, which is of their intention, no objections sent, also in the form of answers be reported, they have the meet-to queries, by representatives to ing's consent to solemnize their in-the yearly meeting. Appeals from tended marriage. This is done in the judgment of monthly meetings a public meeting for worship, to- are brought to the quarterly meetwards the close whereof the par-ings, whose business also it is to ties stand up, and solemnly take each other for husband and wife. A certificate of the proceedings is then publicly read, and signed by the parties, and afterwards by the relations and others as witnesses. Of such marriage the monthly meeting keeps a record; as also of the births and burials of its members. A certificate of the date, of the name of the infant, and of its parents, signed by those "The yearly meeting has the present at the birth, is the subject general superintendance of the soof one of these last mentioned ciety in the country in which it is records; and an order for the in- established; and, therefore, as the terment, countersigned by the accounts which it receives discograve-maker of the other. The ver the state of inferior meetings, naming of children is without ce- as particular exigencies require, or remony. Burials are also con- as the meeting is impressed with a ducted in a simple manner. The sense of duty, it gives forth its adbody, followed by the relations vice, makes such regulations as and friends, is sometimes, pre-appear to be requisite, or excites viously to interment, carried to a to the observance of those already meeting; and at the grave a pause made; and sometimes appoints is generally made: on both which committees to visit those quarterly Occasions it frequently falls out meetings which appear to be in that one or more friends present need of immediate advice. Ap

assist in any difficult case, or where
remissness appears in the care of
the monthly meetings over the in-
dividuals who compose them.-
There are seven yearly meetings,
viz. 1. London, to which come
representatives from Ireland;-2.
New England;-3. New York ;-
4. Pennsylvania and New Jersey;
-5. Maryland;-6. Virginia ;—
7. The Carolinas and Georgia.

peals from the judgment of quar- any needless exposure. Such meetterly meetings are here finally de-ings are generally held in the comtermined; and a brotherly corres-pass of each monthly, quarterly, pondence, by epistles, is maintain- and yearly meeting. They are ed with other yearly meetings.

conducted by rules prescribed by the yearly meetings, and have no authority to make any alteration or addition to them. The members of them unite with their brethren in the meetings for discipline, and are equally accountable to the latter for their conduct.

"In this place it is proper to add, that, as we believe women may be rightly called to the work of the ministry, we also think that to them belongs a share in the support of our Christian discipline; and that some parts of it, wherein their own sex is concerned, devolve on them with peculiar propriety; accordingly they have monthly, quarterly, and yearly meetings of their own sex, held at the same time and in the same place with those of the men; but separately, and without the power of making rules: and it may be remarked, that, during the persecutions which in the last century occasioned the imprisonment of so many of the men, the care of the poor often fell on the women, and was by them satisfactorily admi-ly meetings. When a visit of this nistered.

"It is to a meeting of this kind in London, called the second-day's morning meeting, that the revisal of manuscripts concerning our principles, previously to publication, is entrusted by the yearly meeting held in London; and also the granting, in the intervals of the yearly meeting, of certificates of approbation to such ministers as are concerned to travel in the work of the ministry in foreign parts, in addition to those granted by their monthly and quarter

kind doth not extend beyond "In order that those who are Great Britain, a certificate from in the situation of ministers may the monthly meeting of which the have the tender sympathy and minister is a member is sufficient: counsel of those of either sex, who, if to Ireland, the concurrence of by their experience in the work of the quarterly meeting is also rereligion, are qualified for that ser-quired. Regulations of similar vice, the monthly meetings are tendency obtain in other yearly advised to select such, under the meetings. denomination of elders. These, and ministers approved by their monthly meetings, have meetings peculiar to themselves, called meetings of ministers and elders; in which they have an opportunity of exciting each other to a discharge of their several duties, and of extending advice to those who may appear to be weak, without

"The yearly meeting of London, in the year 1675, appointed a meeting to be held in that city, for the purpose of advising and assisting in cases of suffering for conscience-sake, which hath continued with great use to the society to this day. It is composed of friends, under the name of correspondents, chosen by the several

tain are kept), a clerk is hired to have the care of them; but except a few clerks of this kind, and persons who have the care of meeting-houses, none receive any sti

quarterly meetings, and who reside in or near the city. The same meetings also appoint members of their own in the country as correspondents, who are to join their brethren in London on emer-pend or gratuity for their services gency. The names of all these correspondents, previously to their being recorded as such, are submitted to the approbation of the yearly meeting. Those of the men who are approved ministers are also members of this meeting, which is called the meeting for sufferings; a name arising from its original purpose, which is not yet become entirely obsolete.

in our religious society." See a pamphlet entitled A Summary of the History, Doctrine, and Discipline of the Quakers; Sewell's and Rutty's Hist. of the Quakers; Besse's Sufferings of the Quakers } Penn's Works; Barclay's Apology for the Quakers; Neal's Hist. of the Puritans; Claridge's Life and Posthumous Works; Bevan's Defence of the Doctrines of the Qua"The yearly meeting has entrust-kers; Adams's View of Religions; ed the meeting for sufferings with Tuke's Principles of Religion as the care of printing and distribut-professed by the Quakers. ing books, and with the management of its stock; and, consider-wards the close of the seventeenth ed as a standing committee of the century. They were so called yearly meeting, it hath a general from a kind of absolute rest and care of whatever may arise, dur- inaction, which they supposed ing the intervals of that meeting, the soul to be in when arrived at affecting the society, and requiring that state of perfection which they immediate attention, particularly called the unitive life; in which of those circumstances which may state they imagined the soul wholoccasion an application to govern-ly employed in contemplating its

ment.

"There is not, in any of the meetings which have been mentioned, any president, as we believe that Divine Wisdom alone ought to preside; nor hath any member a right to claim pre-eminence over the rest. The office of clerk, with a few exceptions, is undertaken voluntarily by some member; as is also the keeping of the records. Where these are very voluminous, and require a house for their deposit (as is the case in London, where the general records of the society in Great BriVOL. II.

Z z

QUIETISTS, a sect famous to

God, to whose influence it was entirely submissive, so that he could turn and drive it where and how he would.

Molinos, a Spanish priest, is the reputed author of Quietism; though the Illuminati, in Spain, had certainly taught something like it before. Molinos had numerous disciples in Italy, Spain, France, and the Netherlands. One of the principal patrons and propagators of Quietism in France was Marie Bouvieres de la Motte Guyon, a woman of fashion, and remarkable for her piety. Her

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