CHAPTER III.

DISCIPLINE.

Purposes and fundamental rule of Discipline.Meetings for conducting it.—Monthly Meetings. -Poor.-Convinced persons.-Certificates of Removal.-Overseers.-Mode of dealing with

Offenders.-Arbitration.-Marriages.-Births

and Burials.-Quarterly Meetings.-Queries. -Appeals.-The Yearly Meeting.—Women's Meetings.-Meetings of Ministers and Elders. -Certificates to Ministers.-Meeting for Sufferings. Conclusion.

THE purposes which our discipline hath chiefly in view, are, the relief of the poor,—the maintenance of good order,-the support of the testimonies which we believe it is our duty to bear to the world, and the help and recovof such as are overtaken in faults:-in a few words, the promotion of piety and charity.

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In the practice of discipline, we think it indispensable that the order recommended by Christ himself be invariably observed: "If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother; but if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be es tablished and if he shall neglect to hear them,

tell it unto the church." (Matt. xviii. 15. 17.) 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 afterwards found expedient to divide the districts of those meetings,* and to meet more frequently; from whence arose Monthly-meetings, subordinate to those held quarterly. At length, in 1669,† a Yearly-meeting was established, to superintend, assist, and provide rules for the whole previously to which, general meetings had been occasionally held.

Its

A Monthly-meeting is usually composed of several particular congregations, situated within a convenient distance from each other. 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;

Where this is the case, it is usual for the members of each congregation to form what is called a Preparative meeting, because its business is to prepare whatever may occur among themselves, to be laid before the Monthly. meeting.

On an application of this kind, a small committee is appointed to visit the party, and report to the Monthly-meeting; which is directed by our rules not to admit any into membership, without allowing a seasonable time to consider of their conduct.

and to deal with disorderly members. Monthly-meetings also grant to such of the members as remove 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.

When a case is introduced to the Monthlymeeting, it is usual for a small committee to be appointed to visit the offender, in order to endeavour to convince him of his error, and induce him to forsake and condemn_it.* Time is allowed to judge of the effect of this labour of love, and if needful the visit is repeated. If the endeavours prove successful, 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 *This is generally done by a written acknowledgment, signed by the offender.

This is done by what is termed a Testimony of denial; which is a paper reciting the offence, and sometimes the steps which have led to it; next, the means unavailingly used to reclaim the offender; after that, a clause disowning him; to which is usually added an expression of desire for his repentance, and for his being restored to membership.

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 together and propose their intention to the Monthlymeeting; and if not attended by their parents or guardians produce a written certificate of their consent, signed in the presence of witnesses. The meeting then appoints a committee to inquire whether they are clear of other engagements respecting marriage and if at a subsequent meeting no objections are reported, they have the meeting's consent to solemnize their intended marriage. This is done in a public meeting for worship, towards the close whereof the parties 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 marriages the Monthly-meeting keeps a record; as also of the births and burials of its members. certificate of the date, of the name of the infant, and of its parent, signed by those present at the birth, is the subject of one of these last

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mentioned records; and an order for the interment countersigned by the grave-maker, of the other. The naming of children is without ceremony. Burials are also conducted in a simple manner. The body, followed by the relations and friends, is sometimes, previously to interment, carried to a meeting; and at the grave a pause is made; on both which occasions it frequently occurs, that one or more friends present have somewhat to express for the edification of those who attend; but no religious right is considered as an essential part of burial. Several Monthly-meetings compose a Quarterly-meeting. At the Quarterly-meeting are produced written answers from the Monthly-meetings, to certain queries respecting the conduct of their members, and the meeting's care over them. The accounts thus received, are digested into one, which is sent, also in the form of answers to queries, by representatives, to the Yearly-meeting. Appeals from the judgment of Monthly-meetings are brought to the Quarterly-meetings; whose business also it is to assist in any difficult case, or where remissness appears in the care of Monthly-meetings over the individuals who compose them.

The Yearly-meeting has the general superintendence of the society in the country in which it is established* and therefore, as the accounts

*There are nine 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, 8 Ohio, 9 Indiana.