4.> 
F R I 
public concern, in winch utility to mankind is the lead¬ 
ing motive ; but in Come cafes of this kind they forbear 
to intermeddle ; eitlter when an oath is required to be 
taken, from which they fcrupuloufly refrain, or when 
the buCinefs leads to Come promotion of the claims of the 
clergy, from the acknowledgment of vvhofe right to pe¬ 
cuniary pay they are pertinacioufly averfe. In unifon 
with this latter Icruple, they have adopted among them- 
felves a mode of marriage, which the legiflature hath re- 
cognifed ; and they inter among themfelves, without ce¬ 
remony, the remains of their dead : at the fame time alfo 
it fhould be mentioned, that they fupport their own poor, 
without claiming for thefii their inherent right to paro¬ 
chial maintenance. For.thefe, and other purpofes, which 
naturally occur in a fociety fo much embodied in itfelf as 
this is, they have a regular fyftem of difeipline, which 
is fimple in its condruftion, efficacious in its operation, 
and in general well and difinterededly fupported, and 
withoutexpence to their community for thepay of officers. 
The execution of this difeipline is by monthly meet¬ 
ings of the members of certain diflrifts', in which meet¬ 
ings every member of orderly condudb hatli a feat. Here 
the wants of the poor are attended to; aiiplications from 
perfons defirous of joining the fociety received and de¬ 
termined ; diforderly members difunited ; colleftions for 
the common exigencies ordered, and regifters kept. As 
it is evident that fome or moft of thefe purpofes may re¬ 
quire attention beyond that whicli can be given in a fit¬ 
ting of a few hours, and where information on many points 
may be wanted, committees are there formed to fupply 
tliefe wants : and, generally fpeaking, as the quakers pro¬ 
ceed vt itli great deliberation in moft things they do, the 
ufe and continuance of rhefe committees are very great. 
Several of thefe diftritts are fuperintended by a quar¬ 
terly meeting; and all the quarterly meetings in the 
country are under the direftion of a yearly meeting; 
which may not only be confidered as the legiflative body, 
but as the decifive court of appeal : for as perfons con¬ 
ceiving themfelves to be aggrieved by the decifion of a 
monthly meeting, may appeal to the quarterly meeting, 
fo from this latter lies an appeal, but a final one, to the 
yearly meeting. This general meeting requires from the 
quarterly ijteetings an annual accoutit of the ftate of the 
fociety, which is given in the form of anfwers to certain 
queries, relative to the condudt of tiie members at large, 
and their conformity with their principles; and thefe 
queries are alfo put by the quarterly to the monthly 
meetings: thus a conftant connexion is preferved. Be- 
fides the concourfe of members wliich attend thefe laft- 
menlioned meetings, reprefentatives are alfo appointed, 
on whom the tranfmiftion of accounts is particularly en- 
trufted ; but great latitude is given in this fociety for the 
employment of all vt ell-quahfied members in the manage- 
nient of their public concerns. Such is the general out¬ 
line of the quakers’ difeipline. There are, neverthelefs, 
a few other particulars on which it may be proper briefly 
to touch. 
Monthly meetings are themfelves often fiib-divided, 
when they confift of more than one congregation for 
worlhip. The ftib-divifions are called preparative meet¬ 
ings, bccaufe they prepare biifinefs for their monthly 
meeting ; but they are not allowed to keep records of 
their proceedings, and feldom to decide on any point. 
In feveral of the countries in which yearly meetings are 
eftabliftied, thefe meetings have dependent bodies fettled 
in tlie principal town, w ho watch during the intervals of 
the yearly meeting over wliat may aff'eft the welfare of 
the whole, particularly ihe 'operaiion of tlie politics of 
the day, or of pendent, as well as of exiftitig, laws ; and 
thefe meetings, or rather the oldeft of them, (that of 
London,) which was inftituted in a time of perfecution, 
are called “ meetings for fufl'erings.” The approved mi- 
nifters alfo of this (bciety, and certain other experienced 
members denominated elders, have meetings by them- 
felves attached to the meetings for difeipline, tuider the 
VoL.VIII. No. 482. 
E N D. 
appointment of which they are held.. In thefe meetings 
of niinifters and elders, the condutl of tliat part of the 
body is enquired into, and advice applied without unne- 
ceffary public expofure. 
This fociety alfo affigns to women a confiderahle ffiare 
in the management of their difeipline, believing that iii 
many cafes concerning their own fex their affiftance is pe. 
ciiliarly proper. The women, therefore, at the fame 
time, and in the fante town, witli the men, hold monthly^ 
quarterly, and yearly, meetings; in which the bufinefs is 
condudfed according to rules preferibed to them by the 
men’s meetings. The quakers think, that in a religious 
Chriftian fociety there is no fubordination of man to man, 
but that the fpirit of Chrift alone ought to prefide: 
therefore, iii no one of their meetings have'hey any pre- 
fident or chairman. 
With refpedt to their peculiar dodlrines, we give them 
nearly in the words of a thort account, publiffied a few 
years fince, entitled A Summary of the Hiftory, DoclrinCi 
and Difeipline, of Friends, written at the defire of the 
Meeting for Sufferings in London, 
“We agree (fay they), wi;h other profefibrs of the 
Chriftian name, in the belief of one Eternal God, five 
creator and preferverof the univerfe; and iri Jefus Chrift^ 
his foil, the Meffiah, and mediator of the 'new covenant, 
Heb.'nW. 24, When we fpeak of grace, of the miracu- 
lous conception, birth, life, miracles, death, refurredftionp 
and afcenfion, of our Saviour, we prefer the u(e of Icrip- 
ture terms ; and contented with that which divine wif-, 
dom hath feen meet to reveal, we attempt not to explain 
tliofe inyftericswhich remain under the veil: neverthe- 
lefs, vve acknowledge and affert tlie divinity of Chrift, 
who is the Toifdom and power of God unto falvaticn. 1 Cor. i. 
24. To Chrift alone, and not to the Scriptures, we give 
the title of the JVord of God-, John, i. i. although we 
highly efteem thole facred writings, in fubordination to 
the Spirit, from which they were given forth ; iPet.\. 21. 
and we hold that they are able to make wife unto falvation 
through faith in Chrijl Jefus. sT'm. iii. 15. We reverence 
thofe moft excellent precepts wliich are recorded to have 
been delivered by our great Lord, and we firmly believe 
that they are prabticable, and binding on every Chriftian ; 
and that in tlie life to come every man will be rewarded 
according to his works. Matt. xvi. 27. And turtlier, it is 
our belief that, in order to enable mankind to put in prac¬ 
tice tliefe facred precepts, many of which are contradic¬ 
tory to the unregenerate will of man, every man coming into 
the world is endued with a mealure of the light, grace, or 
good fpirit, of Chrift, John, i. 9, by which, as it is at- 
tended to, he is enabled to diftiiiguifli good from evil, 
and to correct the diforderly palfions and corrupt propen- 
fities of his fallen nature, which mere reafon is altogether 
infufficient to overcome. For all that belongs to man is 
fallible, and within the reach of temptation; but this 
divine grace, which comes by him who hath overcome the 
world, John, xvi, 33, is to thoJ'e who liumbly and fincerely 
leek it, an all-fufiicient and prefent help in time of need. 
By this the fnares of the enemy are detected, and deli¬ 
verance is experienced through faith in its operation, 
wjiereby the foul is tranflated out of the kingdom of 
darknefs, into the marvellous liglit and kingdom of the 
Son of God. 
“ Being thus perfuaded that man, without the fpirit of 
Chrift inwardly revealed, can do nothing to the glory of 
God, or to effect his own falvation, we think this influence 
efpecially neceffary to the performanee of the bigheft aCt 
of which the human mind is capable, even the vvorfliip 
of the Father of Lights and of Spirits, in fpirit and ip 
truth; therefore we conGder as obftruCtions to pure wor- 
ftiip all forms which divert the attention .of the mind 
from the fecret influence of this unElion from the Holy-one, 
1 John, ii. 20, 27 ; and, in the performance of vvorfliip, we 
dare not depend for our acceptance with hint, on a formal 
repetition of the words and experiences of others; bur, 
ceafing from the aSivity of the uuaginatioii, we believe 
N it 
