Of their dif

Of their church difcipline, from the fame author,

W. Penn.

In the next place, in order to form fome idea cipline, &c. of the religious care, difcipline, and practice, which they used as a Christian and reformed fociety, alfo in a collective capacity, that they might live orderly and confiftent with their principles and profeffion, the following extract, from W. Penn, exhibits the church power, which they owned and exercised, and that which they rejected and condemned, with the method of their proceedings againft erring and diforderly perfons, of their community, viz.

"This people encreasing daily both in town and country, an holy care fell upon fome of the elders among them, for the benefit and fervice of the church. And the first business, in their view, after the example of the primitive faints, was the exercife of charity; to fupply the neceflities of the poor, and anfwer the like occafions. Wherefore collections were early and liberally made for that, and divers other fervices, in the church, and intrufted with faithful men, fearing God, and of good report, who where not weary in well doing; adding often of their own, in large proportions, which they never brought to account, or defired fhould be known, much lefs reftored to them, that none might want, nor any fervice be retarded, or difappointed."

65

They were alfo very careful, that every one, who belonged to them, anfwered their profeffion, in their behaviour among men, upon all occafions; that they lived peaceably, and were, in all things, good examples. They found themfelves engaged to record their fufferings and fervices; and in the cafe of marriage, which they could not perform in the ufual methods of the nation, but among themfelves; they took care that all things were clear between the parties, and all others, and it

was

was then rare, that any one entertained an inclination to a perfon, on that account, till he, or fhe, had communicated it fecretly to fome very weighty and eminent friends among them, that they might have a fenfe of the matter; looking to the counfel and unity of their brethren, as of great moment to them. But because the charge of the poor, the number of orphans, marriages, fufferings and other matters, multiplied; and that it was good, that the churches were in fome way and method of proceeding in fuch affairs, among them, to the end they might the better correfpond, upon occafion, where a member of one meeting might have to do with one of another; it pleafed the Lord, in his wisdom and goodness, to open the understanding of the first inftrument of this difpen- G. Fox, the fation of life, George Fox, about a good and orderly first inftruway of proceeding; who felt a holy concern to ment, &c. vifit the churches, in perfon, throughout this nation, to begin and establish it among them: and by his epiftles, the like was done' in other nations and provinces abroad; which he also afterwards vifited and helped in that fervice."

"Now the care, conduct and difcipline I have been fpeaking of, and which are now* practifed among this people, are as follow:

"This godly elder, in every county where he travelled, exhorted them, that fome out of every meeting of worship, fhould meet together, once in the month, to confer about the wants and occafions of the church. And as the cafe required, fo thofe monthly meetings were fewer, or more in number, in every refpective county; four or fix meetings of woríhip ufually making one monthly meeting of bufinefs. And accordingly the brethren met him from place to place, and began the faid meetings, viz. for the poor, orphans, orderly walking, integrity to their profeffion, births, marriages, burials, fufferings, &c. And thefe monthly meetings

Written in 1694,

should

Of their

difcipline, &c.

fhould, in each county make up one quarterly meeting (held once every quarter of a year) where the most zealous and eminent friends of the county fhould affemble, to communicate advice, and help one another, especially when any bufinefs feemed difficult, or a monthly meeting was tender of determining a matter."

"Alfo that these several quarterly meetings should digeft the reports of their monthly meetings, and prepare one for each refpective county, once a year, against the yearly meeting, in which all quarterly meetings refolve; which is held in London: where the churches, in this nation, and other nations and provinces, meet, by chosen members of their respective counties, both mutually to communicate their church affairs, and to advise and be advised, in any depending cafe, to edification. Alfo to provide a requifite ftock, for the discharge of general expences, for general fervices, in the church not needful here to be particularized."

"At these meetings any of the members of the churches may come, if they please, and speak their minds freely, in the fear of God, to the matter; but the mind of each quarterly meeting therein reprefented, is chiefly understood, as to particular cafes, in the fenfe delivered by the perfons deputed or chofen, for that service by the said meeting.

During their yearly meeting, to which their other meetings refer, in their order, and naturally refolve themselves, care is taken by a select number for that fervice, chofen by the general affembly, to draw up the minutes of the faid meeting, upon the feveral matters, that have been under confideration therein, to the end that the refpective quarterly and monthly meetings may be informed of all proceedings; together with a general exhortation to holiness, unity and charity.. Of all which proceedings, in yearly, monthly and quarterly meetings, due record is kept by fome one ap

pointed

pointed for that fervice, or, that hath voluntarily undertaken it. These meetings are opened, and ufually concluded, in their folemn waiting upon God; who is fometimes gracioufly pleafed to anfwer them with as fignal evidences of his love and prefence, as in any of their meetings of worthip."

"It is further to be noted, that, in thefe folemn affemblies, for the churches fervice, there is no one prefides among them, after the manner of the affemblies of other people; Christ only being their prefident, as he is pleased to appear in life and wifdom, in any one, or more of them, to whom, whatever be their capacity, or degree, the reft adhere with a firm unity, not of authority, but conviction; which is the divine authority and way of Chrift's power and fpirit in his people; making good his bleffed promife, that he would be in the midst of his, where and whenever they were met to gether, in his name, even, to the end of the world.

So be it."

church

"Now, it may be expected, I fhould here fet of their down what fort of authority is exercised by this peo power and ple, upon fuch members of their fociety as corref- authority. pond not, in their lives, with their profession, and that are refractory to this good and wholefome or der, fettled among them; and the rather, because they have not wanted their reproach and fufferings from fome tongues and pens, upon this occafion, in a plentiful manner.

"The power, they exercife, is fuch as Chrift has given to his own people, to the end of the world, in the perfons of his difciples, viz. to overfee, exhort, reprove, and, after long suffering and waiting upon the disobedient and refractory, to disown them, as any more of their communion, or, that they will any longer ftand charged, in the fight and judgment of God or men, with their conversation, or behaviour, as any of them, until they repent. The fubject matter about which this authority, in [10] any

any of the foregoing branches of it, is exercifed, is firft, in relation to common or general practice. And, fecondly, about thofe things, that more ftrictly refer to their own character and profeffion, and which distinguishes them from all other profeffors of Christianity; avoiding two extremes, upon which many fplit, viz. perfecution and libertinifm; that is a coercive power, to whip people into the temple; that fuch as will not conform, though against faith and confcience, fhall be punished, in their perfons and eftates: or, leaving all loofe, and at large, as to practice; and fo unaccountable to all but God and the magiftrate. To which hurtful extreme, nothing has more contributed, than the abufe of church power, by fuch as fuffer their pasfion, and private intereft to prevail with them, to carry it to outward force, and corporal punishment. A practice, they have been taught to diflike, by their extreme fufferings, as well as their known principle for an univerfal liberty of conScience."

“On the other hand, they equally dislike an independency, in fociety, an unaccountableness in practice and converfation, to the rules and terms of their own communion, and to thofe, that are the members of it. They diftinguifh between impofing any practice, that immediately regards faith or worfhip (which is never to be done, or fuffered, or fubmitted to) and requiring Chriftian compliance with those methods, that only refpect church businefs, in its more civil part and concern; and that regard the difcreet and orderly maintenance of the character of the fociety, as a fober and religious community. In fhort, what is for the promotion of holiness and charity, that men may practise what they profefs, live up to their own principles, and not be at liberty to give the lye to their own profeffion, without rebuke, is their use and limit of church power. They compel none to them; but

oblige