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DUKE 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 DIVINITY SCHOOL 
 LIBRARY 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2018 with funding from 
 Duke University Libraries 
 
 https://archive.org/details/bookofdiscipline01iowa 
 
IOWA YEARLY MEETING 
 
 FRIENDS. 
 
 Book of Discipline.. 
 
 1 
 
 OSKALOOSA HERALD 
 PRINT. 
 
The Revision of 1891. 
 
THE RISE OF THE SOCIETY OF 
 FRIENDS. 
 
 The religious Society of Friends dates 
 its rise from about the year 16d7. This 
 was, in England, a period in which many 
 -of the props, on which men had long been 
 accustomed to leau, both in civil and re¬ 
 ligious matters, were shaken or removed. 
 The fears, troubles, and heart-stirring 
 thoughts connected with the domestic com¬ 
 motions which then prevailed in the na¬ 
 tion, led many into a deep search as to 
 the grounds of their opinions, and the real 
 stability of their religious hopes; but the 
 movements of this period must be traced 
 to a much earlier date. To go to their 
 source, we must at least go back to the 
 •days of the enlightened Wickliffe and the 
 persecuted Lollards; but this would lead 
 us beyond our space. 
 
 The English Reformers who tied into 
 
4 
 
 RISE OF THE 
 
 Switzerland, during the persecution in the 
 reign of Queen Mary, and who returned 
 from their exile on the accession of Eliza¬ 
 beth to the throne, were far from being 
 content with the point to which the Queen 
 allowed the Reformation to be carried. 
 Many of them, however, appeared to sat¬ 
 isfy their conscience with the hope that 
 they were doing more good by takings 
 offices under her auspices than by leaving 
 them to be filled by those wdio were less- 
 attached than themselves to the Protest¬ 
 ant cause. But others could not be per¬ 
 suaded thus to compromise their religious 
 judgment, and chose rather to remain 
 without office and profit than to conform 
 to all the rites and ceremonies which the 
 Queen had chosen to impose upon the 
 nation. Uniformity in matters of religion 
 was at this time the favorite doctrine of 
 all parties, and was hardly less espoused 
 by Elizabeth than it had been by her sister 
 Mary; for very severe laws were made in 
 the reign of Elizabeth, under which both 
 Papists and Protestant Dissenters were 
 cruelly persecuted, and some of them even 
 
SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 
 
 5 
 
 put to death. A religious movement, 
 -deep and inward, though not very active, 
 was going on during the subsequent reign 
 of James the First; and it may fairly be 
 said, that the continued denial to the peo¬ 
 ple of the right of private judgment in 
 religious matters, and the unchristian 
 efforts which were made by his successor, 
 ■Charles the First, to force conscience, con¬ 
 tributed not a little to that convulsion of 
 the State, in which the monarchy was for 
 a time overthrown. 
 
 The proceedings of Archbishop Laud 
 and his party, during the reign of this 
 monarch, in endeavoring to assimilate the 
 Episcopal Church of England more closely 
 to the Church of Rome, excited a strong 
 feeling of revulsion in the minds of many 
 Episcopalians, and led the way to that 
 extraordinary ascendancy which the Scotch 
 Presbyterians suddenly obtained in En¬ 
 gland in those days. There was among 
 this people, at that time, much high reli¬ 
 gious profession, united with bitter intol¬ 
 erance towards all who could not accept 
 their Directory on matters of worship 
 
<3 
 
 RISE OF THE 
 
 and other outward services. There was. 
 however, also to be seen much deep and 
 practical religious conviction, and in not 
 a very few an earnest search after truth. 
 The strictness of their lives and the ear¬ 
 nestness of their preaching doubtless rec¬ 
 ommended them to the more serious part 
 of the nation, of various classes ; but, in 
 connection with the power which they 
 obtained, it is evident that they sought 
 primarily the absolute ascendancy of their 
 own church polity and doctrine. Though 
 they had strongly denounced, in their own 
 case, papal and prelatical imposition upon 
 the conscience, yet they did not scruple, 
 in the case of others, to attempt to rule in 
 that seat of God; and they were no less- 
 ready than their predecessors to punish 
 those who could not bow to their author¬ 
 ity. Thus it was evident that presbytery 
 and prelate alike sought to be lords over 
 God’s heritage, and that amidst the earnest 
 discussion respecting church government 
 and the forms of religious worship, the 
 essential, experimental work of the Holy 
 Spirit in the heart, and the true liberty of 
 
SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 
 
 7 
 
 the Gospel, were in great measure over¬ 
 looked. All the chief religious parties 
 of the day so mistook the nature of Chris¬ 
 tianity as to endeavor to obtain their 
 objects by the power of the sword; and 
 many who were extensively engaged in 
 the enterprise of reformation, if sincere- 
 in the outset, became corrupt by success, 
 and sought selfish ends under the guise of 
 patriotism and religion. 
 
 There was, however, a large number 
 who were constant and earnest in their 
 desire for the establishment of truth and 
 righteousness; and these, grieved with the 
 versatility and hypocrisy which prevailed, 
 were led to search more deeply into things- 
 within them and around them, Many 
 prayers ascended to Heaven from indi¬ 
 viduals and from little communities, scat¬ 
 tered about in various places, that they 
 might see more clearly the path in which 
 they should walk, and be strengthened to- 
 follow Christ wherever He would lead 
 them. The earnest cries of these were 
 not in vain : they came to see that they 
 had been too much engaged in discussion 
 
8 
 
 RISE OF THE 
 
 about outward forms, and had too much 
 depended upon man in the great work 
 of religion, and for its establishment in 
 the earth. They continued steadfast in 
 the great doctrine that the door of God’s 
 mercy was freely opened to sinful man, 
 through the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ 
 alone; but they were awakened to see 
 themselves and the condition of things 
 around them in a new light. The require¬ 
 ments of a disciple, the denial of self, the 
 transforming power of the Spirit, their 
 introduction into the divine presence that 
 they might really become sons of God 
 and brethren of Christ, were things which, 
 though they had heard them discussed, 
 now tool§ possession of their minds with 
 the force and energy of new truths, and 
 as they dwelt upon them, they were led 
 to believe that there was for them a fuller 
 deliverance from sin, and a closer union 
 with Christ, than they had hitherto found. 
 They were told indeed, that a state was 
 not to be attained in this life, in which 
 man walks before the Lord in entire alle¬ 
 giance to His will; but they believed, that 
 
SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 
 
 9 
 
 though from weakness he may slip or fall, 
 yet his heart may nevertheless be so 
 renewed by grace, as that his love shall be 
 pure and simple, and his eye being single 
 to the Lord, his whole mind may be enlight¬ 
 ened to see truly and to pursue steadily 
 the things which belong unto his peace. 
 They felt and deeply lamented how short 
 they were of this experience, which they 
 believed to be the privilege of the Chris¬ 
 tian, and they sought help from many 
 quarters ; for nothing less than this expe¬ 
 rience could satisfy their inward cravings, 
 or their thirst after the knowledge of the 
 very truth as it is in Jesus. These seek¬ 
 ing people found, however, but little help 
 from those who were esteemed the most 
 eminent religious teachers, and they came 
 to place less and less dependence upon 
 man, and to look to the Lord only for 
 light and strength. 
 
 Such appears to have been, with differ¬ 
 ent degrees of clearness, the state of many 
 minds in various parts of England when 
 George Fox, who had himself been simi¬ 
 larly led and deeply instructed in the 
 
10 
 
 RISE OF THE 
 
 school of Christ, went forth preaching the 
 truth, as he had found it to his own peace. 
 Many received his message as the expres¬ 
 sion of their deepest thoughts, and as an 
 answer to their fervent prayers. He 
 preached Christ the light of the world, 
 Christ crucified for the sins of all men,, 
 opening the way of reconciliation to all 
 who believe in Him and receive Him into- 
 their hearts as their rightful Lord, Christ 
 come in the flesh, and Christ, according 
 to His promise, come in the Spirit, to be 
 with His disciples in their individual and 
 collective capacity to the end of the world. 
 
 These were the fundamental doctrines 
 which George Fox preached; and it was 
 not at all in disparagement of the doctrine 
 of Christ having come in the flesh, that 
 he dwelt more conspicuously upon that of 
 Christ come in the Spirit, seeing the latter 
 was that which, in the professing Church, 
 Satan had been most busy in restricting- 
 and perverting. “1 was glad,” says- 
 George Fox, “when the Lord God, and 
 His Son Jesus Christ, sent me forth into- 
 the world, to preach His everlasting Gos- 
 
SOCIETY OF FKIENDS. 
 
 11 
 
 pel and Kingdom, that I was commanded 
 to turn people to that inward light, spirit 
 and grace by which all might know their 
 salvation and their way to God, even that 
 Divine Spirit which would lead them into 
 all truth.” Christ dwelling in the heart 
 by faith, ruling there, and subjecting 
 everything to Himself by the power of 
 His Spirit, was the experimental knowl¬ 
 edge to which George Fox called men. 
 T1 )is, he declared, was the state of liberty 
 which Christ had promised to give to His 
 followers, and which they only know who 
 believe in and accept that “light, spirit 
 and grace,” which convicts of sin, and 
 leads through deep repentance and living 
 faith into righteousness. The Lord Jesus 
 promised to be “with IIis disciples alway, 
 even unto the end of the world.” And 
 these words, in George Fox’s view, 
 referred to His spiritual presence in the 
 soul, as the teacher, bishop and prophet 
 of His people; superseding all the Jewish 
 priesthood, and excluding all those cor¬ 
 rupt imitations of it, by which man, in 
 various ages, had sought to exalt himself. 
 
12 
 
 RISE OF THE 
 
 and to evade that spiritual rule of Christ, 
 to which the flesh and the devil ever were, 
 and still are, so strongly opposed. 
 
 lie traveled unweariedly from place to 
 place, calling men to repentance, and to 
 come to Cod through Christ their Saviour, 
 who had died for them, and who, by His 
 Spirit within them, was enlightening, con¬ 
 victing, and seeking to convert them. 
 There were many who heard this call with 
 gladness of heart, and who came to sit 
 under Christ’s teaching, and to learn in all 
 humility in' His school. These, when 
 deserted by kindred and friends, and per¬ 
 secuted on every hand, yet not forsaken 
 by their gracious Lord, felt that it was 
 “enough for the disciple to be as his Mas¬ 
 ter.” And indeed their sufferings were 
 grievous and long. For when the Dis¬ 
 senters, who had complained so heavily 
 of church tyranny, and who had spoken 
 so well of liberty of conscience, and of 
 the evils of state impositions in religious 
 matters, had superseded the Presbyte¬ 
 rians, they were not proof against the 
 temptation of power : it was soon appar- 
 
SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 
 
 13 
 
 out that they also, but too generally, 
 “loved the uppermost seats in the syna¬ 
 gogues, and to be called of men, Rabbi.” 
 They were ready not only to take the 
 pulpits of the ejected ministers, but also 
 to extort from others who conscientiously 
 differed with them that forced mainte¬ 
 nance for preaching which had been gall¬ 
 ing to many of themselves, when it was 
 imposed by prelatical or presbyterian 
 authority. It is due to the cause of truth 
 as maintained by the early Friends, to 
 remark that they upheld liberty of con¬ 
 science, not only when suffering under per¬ 
 secution, but also when they were raised 
 to power in the province of Pennsylvania. 
 
 Those who united with George Fox in 
 his views of the presence of Christ in 
 the Church and in its individual members, 
 and who believed in His spiritual guidance 
 and teaching, could not conform to the 
 customary modes of worship. They met 
 together to worship God, who is a spirit, 
 in spirit and in truth. They could not 
 offer to Him words which did not truly 
 express their feelings. They believed that 
 
14 
 
 RISE OF THE 
 
 in true worship all acts must be performed 
 in the abasement of self, and under the 
 leading of the Holy Spirit. When assem¬ 
 bled, they were often strengthened and 
 comforted together in silent waiting be¬ 
 fore the Lord ; whilst, individually, they 
 breathed their secret aspirations unto God, 
 and realized that Christ was amongst 
 them by His Spirit, uniting their hearts 
 together in mutual love to Him and His 
 great cause. And when any amongst 
 them, under this deep feeling of true wor¬ 
 ship, were constrained in spirit to speak 
 the word of exhortation, prayer, or praise, 
 they gratefully accepted it, as from the 
 Lord, and as drawing to Him. But pre¬ 
 concerted human arrangements for preach¬ 
 ing or prayer; the setting up of one man 
 as the sole teacher in the congregation ; 
 the establishment of a body of such min¬ 
 isters by the State; the imposition of their 
 maintenance upon those who differed with 
 them ; all these were, in their view, viola¬ 
 tions of great Christian principles, inter¬ 
 fering with Christ’s authority and govern¬ 
 ment in His Church, and excluding the 
 
SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 
 
 15 
 
 free exercise of the various gifts bestowed 
 by Him for its edification. They admitted 
 freely the preaching of women, as well as 
 that of men, according to the practice of 
 the apostolic age, when sons and daugh¬ 
 ters prophesied, and the Spirit of the 
 Lord was poured out upon “servants and 
 handmaidens,” not limiting the number 
 in any church. 
 
 Though the Friends maintained the 
 right and duty of the members of a 
 Christian church to exercise the spiritual 
 gifts with which they were severally en¬ 
 dued, they held that the authority to judge 
 of the offered services of the members 
 rested with the assembled body of the 
 church, under the direction of its spiritual 
 Head. Entire individual independence in 
 society is a contradiction in terms. In the 
 primitive Church, though there was the 
 utmost liberty of prophesying, it is declared 
 that “the spirits of the prophets are subject 
 to the prophets, for God is not the author 
 of confusion, but of peace, as in all the 
 churches of the saints.” The members 
 were “subject one to another in the fear 
 
16 
 
 RISE OF THE 
 
 of Christ, 1 ' and this subjection, as well as 
 the duty of caring for and watching over 
 one another for good, was clearly recog¬ 
 nized by Friends, and formed the basis 
 of that system of discipline which was es¬ 
 tablished amongst them, and under which,, 
 as members of the body, they enjoyed so- 
 large a measure of liberty in connexion 
 with true order. Under this discipline 
 the poor were cared for, the education of 
 the youth was promoted, religious efforts 
 were used to reclaim the erring and delin¬ 
 quent members, and when Christian labor 
 had failed, the ultimate proceeding was 
 the declaration of the Society’s disunity 
 with the offender as one of its members. 
 This proceeding carried with it no pro¬ 
 scription from its religious worship or the 
 ordinary intercourses of human kindness, 
 and the Society was open at all times to 
 receive the disowned person into fellow¬ 
 ship on the evidence of reformation. As 
 the Society declined conscientiously the 
 usual rites in connexion with marriages, 
 births and deaths, the registration of these 
 events was under the special care of the 
 
SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 
 
 17 
 
 meetings for discipline. After two hun¬ 
 dred years from its establishment, the orig¬ 
 inal system of church government is with 
 much benefit steadily acted upon, and 
 those principles which, at its rise, united 
 the members of the Society in Christian 
 fellowship, continue to be maintained by 
 their successors and to distinguish them 
 from other religious bodies. 
 
 Believing that no typical or ceremonial 
 rites were appointed by Christ or IIis 
 apostles for the continual or universal 
 observance of the Church, in accordance 
 with their views of the spirituality of the 
 Gospel dispensation, they abstained from 
 the use of Water Baptism, and from 
 what is called the Sacrament of the Lord’s 
 Supper. In the declaration of Christ, that 
 the time was at hand when “they that 
 worship the Father, must worship Him in 
 spirit and in truth,” they saw the essential 
 abolition of all ritual religious services, 
 and the opening of a real spiritual rela¬ 
 tion and intercourse between man and his 
 Creator. 
 
 The imposition of tithes on the people 
 
18 
 
 RISE OF THE 
 
 they esteemed to be a virtual recognition 
 of the continued authority of Judaism, 
 and a practical denial that Christ had 
 come, had superseded the whole Judaical 
 economy, and had placed upon the site of 
 its departed glories the spiritual temple in 
 which He was the great High Priest. Pie 
 said to His disciples, “Freely ye have re¬ 
 ceived, freely give.'’ Those whom He 
 sent to minister to His flock in spiritual 
 things were entitled to partake of the 
 carnal things of those who received their 
 message ; but this natural claim gave no 
 authority, they asserted, to the imposition 
 of payment. Such an imposition, in their 
 view, was utterly opposed to the liberty 
 and nobility of the Christian system, and 
 was an evidence of corruption in the 
 church which practiced it, whatever name 
 that church might bear. They called men, 
 therefore, to come out of it; to leave hire¬ 
 ling priests and mere lip services ; and to 
 come to Christ alone for the supply of 
 their spiritual necessities. To pay the 
 ecclesiastical demands imposed upon them 
 would, in their judgment, be a virtual 
 
SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 
 
 19 
 
 recognition on tlieir part of an unchristian 
 system, for they esteemed it a case in 
 which they must act upon the apostolic 
 rule, “to obey God rather than men.” 
 
 In obedience also to Christ’s command, 
 “Swear not at all,” they refused all judi¬ 
 cial as well as other oaths; and in like 
 accordance with His command to love 
 one’s enemies, and not to return evil for 
 evil, they believed that all war was unlaw¬ 
 ful to the Christian. They did not seek 
 to be singular ; but in the maintenance of 
 strict truth, and the avoidance of pride 
 and flattery, they were led into great sim¬ 
 plicity in dress, manners, and language. 
 
 These various testimonies brought upon 
 them much contumely from the high pro¬ 
 fessors as well as from the profane. They 
 were said to be “against ministry, magis¬ 
 tracy, and ordinances;” but being brought 
 into an entire submission to whatever, in 
 their enlightened consciences, they be¬ 
 lieved to be the will of their Lord, they 
 acted simply and decidedly upon their con¬ 
 victions of duty, and gave up all that they 
 counted dear, in faithful allegiance to 
 
20 
 
 RISE OF THE 
 
 Him; and many of them went forth into- 
 the highways and hedges to proclaim the 
 truth, believing themselves called to invite 
 others to come and enjoy the Gospel lib¬ 
 erty which they had found. Great were 
 their sufferings when the professors of Oli¬ 
 ver Cromwell's days had the rule in En¬ 
 gland; and still greater were they under 
 the government of the second Charles, 
 when the Episcopalians were to be restored 
 to power, and when the prominent mem¬ 
 bers of “Church and State” seemed to vie 
 with each other, both in licentious indul¬ 
 gence and in cruelty. A systematic, legal¬ 
 ized effort appears, at this period, to have 
 been made to exterminate the “Quakers”! 
 Cruel laws of Henry the Eighth and Queen 
 Elizabeth, made originally against the 
 Papists, were revived, especially those for 
 the regular attendance at “church” and the 
 taking of the oath of allegiance, and were 
 executed with severity upon the Friends. 
 
 The Conventicle Act, passed in the year 
 16G4, prohibited the meeting together of 
 five or more persons for the exercise of 
 religion, in a manner contrary to the liturgy 
 
SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 
 
 21 
 
 or practice of the Church of England, un¬ 
 der pain of being committed to prison for 
 the first offence, and transported beyond 
 the seas for the second ! An act had pre¬ 
 viously been passed against those who, 
 “on the ground that it was contrary to the 
 word of God,” refused to take an oath 
 before a lawful magistrate; or who should, 
 •“by printing, writing, or otherwise, go 
 about to maintain and defend, that the 
 taking of an oath is, in any case whatso¬ 
 ever, altogether unlawfuland this offence 
 was in the Conventicle Act also made pun¬ 
 ishable by transportation! 
 
 With these and similar legal measures, 
 bishops, clergy, judges and magistrates, 
 with the aid of a host of wicked inform¬ 
 ers, betook themselves to the work of hunt¬ 
 ing down these Christian people. At one 
 period more than 4,200 of them were shut 
 up in close and noisome prisons, chiefly 
 for meeting together to worship God in 
 such manner as they believed He required 
 of them, and for refusing to take oaths. 
 When the plague was raging in London in 
 lt>G5, the persecutors were busily engaged 
 
22 
 
 RISE OF THE 
 
 in committing Friends to infected prisons, 
 and putting them on board vessels for 
 transportation. Many died in prison, and 
 out of fifty-five put on board one vessel, 
 designed to transport them to the colonies, 
 twenty-seven died of the plague, rescued 
 from the hands of cruel men, and, as we rev¬ 
 erently believe, taken to be with their Lord, 
 All the trials, however, which were per¬ 
 mitted to attend them did not shake their 
 faith and constancy. Though the world 
 hated them, they were heartily united in 
 love to God and one another. At the 
 hazard of their own liberty, those who 
 were at large visited their brethren who 
 were in prison, and ministered to them. 
 And at a time when many of them were 
 sick and dying from their confinement in 
 filthy holes and dungeons, a large number 
 of their friends entreated, that if their 
 afflicted brethren could not otherwise be 
 relieved, they themselves might be allowed 
 to take, body for body, the places of the 
 most suffering prisoners. The govern¬ 
 ment, unmoved, rejected the offer, but the 
 love which directed it was not without its 
 
SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 
 
 2 Z 
 
 influence on the minds of the people, who 
 could not avoid observing how largely the 
 despised “Quakers” evinced the charity, 
 as well as the zeal and constancy, of the 
 primitive Christians. 
 
 Many persons were led by the treat¬ 
 ment and by the conduct of the early 
 Friends to look more carefully into their 
 doctrines and manners : they remembered 
 that, heretofore, the way of truth had 
 been everywhere spoken against ; and 
 when they found that these objects of 
 general reproach were industrious in their 
 callings and exemplary in all the duties of 
 social life, and that they were also ready 
 to forsake houses and lands, parents and 
 children, rather than disobey what they 
 believed to be the law of Christ, the 
 inquirers were often led to conclude that 
 these much despised people were indeed 
 true followers of Him who, with Ilis dis¬ 
 ciples, was not of this world, and there¬ 
 fore the world hated them. 
 
 It is worthy of remark how much this 
 kind of conviction, not founded on minute 
 reasoning, but resting chiefly on the prac- 
 
RISE OF THE 
 
 "24 
 
 tical and internal evidence of the truth, 
 whether furnished by the lives of its con¬ 
 verts, or by the fruits produced by the 
 operation of the Spirit in the hearts of 
 those to whom it is preached, has marked 
 the course through which Christ, the 
 great Head <>f His own Church, has in all 
 ages, thought fit to gather His people out 
 of the world. In the opening of the 
 Gospel day, though then accompanied by 
 extraordinary miracles, there was much of 
 this process to be observed: and in the sub¬ 
 sequent- revivals of religious life, whether 
 in Germany, Switzerland, or England, a 
 large majority of the converts were brought 
 to Christ through an inward sense of the 
 Truth, finding, as they did, that the doc¬ 
 trine preached conformed both to Scrip¬ 
 ture and to the testimony of the Holy 
 Spirit, the witness for God in their own 
 hearts. 
 
 Many among the early converts to the 
 Truth, who had been wise and great in 
 this world, were made willing to become 
 fools in the sight of men. They humbly 
 sought to learn of that promised Com- 
 
SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 
 
 25 
 
 ■forter, who the Saviour declared, should 
 ■“teach” His disciples “all things,” and 
 bring to their “remembrance whatsoever 
 He had said unto them.” Their delight 
 was in the law of the Lord, and they 
 gloried in nothing save in the cross of 
 Chirst, by whom the world was crucified 
 unto them, and they unto the world. 
 
 They found, as one of them has said, 
 that it was the nature of true faith to pro¬ 
 duce a holy fear of offending God, a deep 
 reverence for His precepts, and a most 
 tender regard to the inward testimony of 
 His Spirit. They proved that those who 
 truly believe, receive Christ in all His 
 offers to the soul ; and that to those who 
 thus receive Him, is given power to be¬ 
 come the sons of God, — ability to do 
 whatsoever He requires; strength to mor¬ 
 tify their lusts, to control their affections, 
 deny themselves, and to overcome the 
 world in its most enticing appearances. 
 This is the true bearing of that blessed 
 cross of Christ, which, according to His 
 own words, is the great and essential 
 characteristic of His disciples. That the 
 
2t> 
 
 RISE OF THE 
 
 early Friends were among these true cross- 
 bearing disciples, was abundantly evi¬ 
 denced before the world in their lives; 
 and by these, as well as by their preach¬ 
 ing, they held out to mankind the apos¬ 
 tolic invitation, “come and have fellow¬ 
 ship with us; for truly our fellowship is 
 with the Father, and with His Son Jesus 
 Christ.” 
 

TIIE DECLARATION OF FAITH.* 
 
 Believing that God has designed that 
 our branch of Ilis Church, which the Good 
 Shepherd has gathered into one flock, and 
 who have received the Gospel of Salva¬ 
 tion as fellow-members of the body of 
 Christ, should hold the truth in righteous¬ 
 ness, keep the unity of the Spirit and con¬ 
 stantly seek to attain unto the unity of 
 the faith and of the knowledge of the Son 
 of God, we, therefore, humbly adopt and 
 will faithfully profess and publish these 
 fundamental doctines of Christian Truth: 
 
 OF GOD. 
 
 We believe in one holy, almighty, all¬ 
 wise, and everlasting God, the Father, the 
 Creator and Preserver of all things; and 
 in Jesus Christ. His only Son, our Lord, 
 bv whom all things were made, and by 
 
 * This Declaration of Faith was prepared by the Gen¬ 
 eral Conference of Friends, held iu Richmond, Indiana, 
 in 18 bV. 
 
so 
 
 DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 whom all things consist; and in one Holy 
 Spirit, proceeding from the Father and 
 the Son, the Reprover of the world, the 
 Witness for Christ, and the Teacher, 
 Guide,- and Sanctifier of the people of 
 God ; and that these three are one in the 
 eternal Godhead ; to whom be honor, 
 praise, and thanksgiving, now and for¬ 
 ever. Amen. 
 
 THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. 
 
 It is with reverence and thanksgiving 
 that we profess our unwavering allegiance 
 to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 
 No man hath seen God at any time ; the 
 only begotten Son, who is in the bosom 
 of the Father, He hath declared Him. In 
 Him was life, and the life was the light 
 of men. He is the true Light which 
 lighteth every man that cometli into the 
 world ; through whom the light of truth 
 in all ages has proceeded from the Father 
 of lights. He is the eternal Word who 
 was with God and was God, revealing 
 Himself in infinite wisdom and love, both 
 as man’s Creator and Redeemer; for by 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 31 
 
 Him were all things created that are in 
 heaven and that are in earth, visible and 
 invisible. Conceived of the Holy Ghost, 
 born of the virgin Mary, the Word was 
 made flesh and dwelt amongst men. He 
 came in the fulness of the appointed 
 time, being verily foreordained before the 
 foundation of the world,' that He might 
 fulfill the eternal counsel of the righteous¬ 
 ness and love of God for the redemption 
 of man. In Him dwelleth all the fulness 
 of the Godhead bodily. Though He was 
 rich, yet, for our sakes, He became poor, 
 veiling in the form of a servant the bright¬ 
 ness of His glory, that through Him the 
 kindness and love of God towards man 
 might appear in a manner every way suited 
 to our wants and finite capacities. He 
 went about doing good; for us He endured 
 sorrow, hunger, thirst, weariness, pain, 
 unutterable anguish of body and of soul, 
 being in all points tempted like as we are, 
 yet without sin. Thus humbling Himself 
 that we might be exalted, He emphatic¬ 
 ally recognized the duties and the suffer¬ 
 ings of humanity as amongst the means 
 
32 
 
 DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 whereby, through the obedience of faith,, 
 we are to be disciplined for heaven, sanc¬ 
 tifying them to us, by Himself perform¬ 
 ing and enduring them, leaving us the one 
 perfect example of all righteousness in 
 self-sacrificing love. 
 
 But not only in these blessed relations 
 must the Lord Jesus be ever precious to 
 His people. In Him is revealed as true 
 God and perfect man, a Redeemer, at 
 once able to suffer and almighty to save. 
 He became obedient unto death, even the 
 death of the cross, and is the propitiation 
 for our sins, and not for ours only, but 
 also for the sins of the whole world; in 
 whom we have redemption through His 
 blood, the forgiveness of sins according 
 to the riches of His grace. It is our joy 
 to confess that the remission of sins which 
 any partake of is only in and by virtue of 
 His most satisfactory sacrifice and no 
 otherwise. He was buried and rose again 
 the third day, according to the Scriptures, 
 becoming the first fruits of them that 
 sleep, and having shown Himself alive 
 after His passion, by many infallible 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 33 
 
 proofs, lie ascended into heaven, and hath 
 sat down at the right hand of the Majesty 
 on high, now to appear in the presence of 
 God for us. With the apostles, who be¬ 
 held His ascension, we rest in the assur¬ 
 ance of the angelic messengers, “This 
 same Jesus, which is taken up from you 
 into heaven, shall so come in like manner 
 as ye have seen him go into heaven .’ r 
 With the Apostle John, we would desire 
 to unite in the words, “Amen; even so T 
 come, Lord Jesus.” And now, whilst 
 thus watching and waiting, we rejoice to> 
 believe that He is our King and Saviour. 
 He is the one Mediator of the new and 
 everlasting covenant, who makes peace 
 and reconciliation between God offended 
 and man offending; the great High Priest 
 whose priesthood is unchangeable. He 
 is able to save them to the uttermost that 
 come unto God by Him, seeing He ever 
 livetli to make intercession for them. All 
 power is given unto Him in heaven and 
 in earth. By Him the world shall be 
 judged in righteousness ; for the Father 
 judgeth no man, but hath committed all 
 
3i DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 judgment unto the Son, that all men 
 should honor the Son even as they honor 
 the Father. All that are in the graves 
 shall hear His voice, and shall come forth, 
 they that have done good unto the resur¬ 
 rection of life, and they that have done 
 evil unto the resurrection of judgment 
 (R. V.). 
 
 We reverently confess and believe that 
 divine honor and worship are due to the 
 Son of God, and that He is in true faith 
 to be prayed unto, and His name to be 
 called upon, as the primitive Christians 
 did, because of the glorious oneness of 
 the Father and the Son ; and that we can 
 not acceptably otter prayer and praises to 
 ■God, nor receive from Him a gracious 
 answer or blessing, but in and through 
 His dear Son. 
 
 We would, with humble thanksgiving, 
 bear an especial testimony to our Lord's 
 perpetual dominion and power in His 
 Church. Through Him the redeemed in 
 all generations have derived their light, 
 their forgiveness, and their joy. All are 
 members of this Church, by whatsoever 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 35 
 
 name they may be called amongst men, 
 ■who have been baptized by the one Spirit 
 into the one body; who are budded as 
 living stones upon Christ, the Eternal 
 Foundation, and are united in faith and 
 love in that fellowship which is with the 
 Father and with the Son. Of this Church 
 the Lord Jesus Christ is the alone Head. 
 All its true members are made one in Him. 
 They have washed their robes and made 
 them white in His precious blood, and He 
 has made them priests unto God and His 
 Father. He dwells in their hearts by 
 faith, and gives them of His peace. His 
 will is their law, and in Him they enjoy 
 the true liberty, a freedom from the bond¬ 
 age of sin. 
 
 THE HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 We believe that the Holy Spirit is, in 
 the unity of the eternal Godhead, one 
 with the Father and with the Son. He is 
 the Comforter “Whom,” saitli Christ, 
 *‘the Father will send in My name.” He 
 convinces the world of sin, of righteous¬ 
 ness, and of judgment. He testifies of 
 
36 
 
 DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 and glorifies Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit 
 who makes the evil manifest, lie quick¬ 
 ens them that are dead in trespasses and 
 sins, and opens the inward eye to behold 
 the Lamb of God that taketh away the 
 sin of the world. Coming in the name 
 and with the authority of the risen and 
 ascended Saviour, He is the precious 
 pdedge of the continued love and care of 
 our exalted King. He takes of the things, 
 of Christ and shows them, as a realized 
 possession, to the believing soul. Dwell¬ 
 ing in the hearts of believers, He opens- 
 their understandings that they may under¬ 
 stand the Scriptures, and becomes, to the 
 humble and surrendered heart, the Guide, 
 Comforter, Support, and Sanctifier. 
 
 We believe that the essential qualifica¬ 
 tion for the Lord’s sendee is bestowed 
 upon His children through the reception 
 and baptism of the Holy Ghost. This 
 Holy Spirit is the seal of reconciliation to 
 the believer in Jesus, the witness to his 
 adoption into the family of the redeemed; 
 the earnest and the foretaste of the full 
 communion and perfect joy which are 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 37 
 
 reserved for them that endure unto 
 d:he end. 
 
 We own no principle of spiritual light, 
 life, or holiness, inherent by nature in the 
 mind or heart of man. We believe in no 
 principle of spiritual light, life, or holi¬ 
 ness, but the influence of the Holy Spirit 
 of God, bestowed on mankind, in various 
 measures and degrees, through Jesus 
 Christ our Lord. It is the capacity to 
 receive this blessed influence, which, in 
 an especial manner, gives man pre-emi¬ 
 nence above the beasts that perish; which 
 distinguishes him in every nation and in 
 every clime, as an object of the redeem¬ 
 ing love of God ; as a being not only 
 intelligent but responsible ; for whom the 
 message of salvation through our crucified 
 Redeemer is, under all possible circum¬ 
 stances, designed to be a joyful sound. 
 The Holy Spirit must ever be distinguished, 
 both from the conscience which He enlight¬ 
 ens, and from the natural faculty of rea¬ 
 son, which,when unsubjected to His Holy 
 influence, is, in the things of God, very 
 foolishness. As the eye is to the body, 
 
38 
 
 DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 so is the conscience to our inner beings 
 the organ by which we see; and, as both 
 light and life are essential to the eye, so- 
 conscience, as the inward eye, cannot see 
 aright, without the quickening and illu¬ 
 mination of the Spirit of God. One 
 with the Father and the Son, the Holy 
 Spirit can never disown or dishonor our 
 once crucified and now risen and glorified 
 Redeemer. We disavow all professed 
 illumination or spirituality that is divorced, 
 from faith in Jesus Christ of Nazareth, 
 crucified for us without the gates of Jeru¬ 
 salem. 
 
 THE HOLY SCRFITURES. 
 
 It has ever been, and still is, the belief 
 of the Society of Friends, that the Holjr 
 Scriptures of the Old and New Testa¬ 
 ment were given by inspiration of God 
 that, therefore, there can be no appeal 
 from them to any other authority whatso¬ 
 ever; that they are able to make wise 
 unto salvation, through faith which is in 
 Jesus Christ. ‘‘These are written that ye 
 might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the- 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 33 
 
 Son of God; and that believing ye might 
 have life through His name.” The Scrip¬ 
 tures are the only divinely authorized rec¬ 
 ord of the doctrines which we are bound", 
 as Christians, to accept, and of the moral 
 principles which are to regulate our actions. 
 Ho one can be required to believe, as an 
 article of faith, any doctrine which Is?> 
 not contained in them; and whatsoever 
 any one says or does, contrary to the 
 Scriptures, though under profession of the. 
 immediate guidance of the Holy Spirit,, 
 must be reckoned and accounted a mere 
 delusion. To the Christian, the Old Tes¬ 
 tament comes with the solemn and re¬ 
 peated attestation of his Lord. It is to 
 be read in the light and completeness of 
 the New; thus will its meaning be un¬ 
 veiled, and the humble disciple will be- 
 taught to discern the unity and mutual 
 adaptation of the whole, and the many- 
 sidedness and harmony of its testimony 
 to Christ. The great Inspirer of Scrip¬ 
 ture is ever its true Interpreter. He per¬ 
 forms this office in condescending love,, 
 not by superseding our understandings. 
 
40 
 
 DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 but by renewing and enlightening them. 
 Where Christ presides, idle speculation is 
 bushed ; His doctrine is learned in the 
 doing of His will, and all knowledge 
 .ripens into a deeper and richer experience 
 of His truth and love. 
 
 xian’s creation and fall. 
 
 It pleased God, in His wisdom and 
 goodness, to create man out of the dust 
 of the earth, and to breathe into his nos¬ 
 trils the breath of life, so that man became 
 a living soul; formed after the image 
 .and likeness of God, capable of fulfilling 
 the divine law, and of holding commun¬ 
 ion with his Maker. Being free to obey, 
 or to disobey, lie fell into transgression 
 through unbelief, under the temptation of 
 Satan, and thereby lost that spiritual life 
 •of righteousness, in which he was created; 
 and so death passed upon him as the 
 inevitable consequence of sin. As the 
 children of fallen Adam all mankind bear 
 bis image. They partake of his nature, 
 and are involved in the consequences of 
 bis fall. To every member of every sue- 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 41 
 
 cessive generation, the words of the Re¬ 
 deemer are alike applicable, “Ye must be 
 born again.” Rut while we hold these 
 views of the lost condition of man in the 
 fall, we rejoice to believe that sin is not 
 imputed to any until they transgress the 
 divine law, after sufficient capacity has 
 been given to understand it; and that 
 infants, though inheriting this fallen 
 nature, are saved in the infinite mercy of 
 ■God, through the redemption which is in 
 Ghrist Jesus. 
 
 JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION. 
 
 “God so loved the world that he gave 
 His only begotton Son, that whosoever 
 believeth in Him should not perish, but 
 have everlasting life.” We believe that 
 justification isof God’s free grace, through 
 which, upon repentance and faith, He 
 pardons our sins, and imparts to us a new 
 life. It is received, not for aDy works of 
 righteousness that we have done, but in 
 the unmerited mercy of God in Christ 
 Jesus. Through faith in Him, and the 
 shedding of His precious blood, the guilt 
 
42 
 
 DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 of sin is taken away, and we stand recon¬ 
 ciled to God. The offering up of Christ 
 as the propitiation for the sins of the 
 whole world, is the appointed manifesta¬ 
 tion both of the righteousness and of the 
 love of God. In this propitiation the 
 pardon of sin involves no abrogation or 
 relaxation of the law T of holiness. It is 
 the vindication and establishment of that 
 law, in virtue of the free and righteous 
 submission of the Son of God Himself to 
 all its requirements. He, the unchange¬ 
 ably just, proclaims Himself the justifier 
 of him that believeth in Jesus. From 
 age to age, the sufferings and death of 
 Christ have been a hidden mystery, and a 
 rock of offense to the unbelief and pride 
 of man’s fallen nature; yet, to the hum¬ 
 ble penitent whose heart is broken under 
 the convicting power of the Spirit, life is 
 revealed in that death. As he looks upon 
 Him who was wounded for our transgres¬ 
 sions, and upon whom the Lord was 
 pleased to lay the iniquity of us all, his 
 eye is more and more opened to see, and 
 his heart to understand, the exceeding sin- 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 43 
 
 fulness of sin for which the Saviour died;, 
 whilst in the sense of pardoning grace, 
 he will joy in God through our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, by whom we have now received 
 the atonement. 
 
 We believe that in connexion with jus¬ 
 tification is regeneration: that they who- 
 come to this experience know that they 
 are not their own; that being reconciled 
 to God by the death of His Son, we are- 
 saved by His life; a new heart is given 
 and new desires; old things are passed 
 away, and we become new creatures, 
 through faith in Christ Jesus ; our wills 
 being surrendered to His holy will, grace 
 reigns through righteousness, unto eternal 
 life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 
 Sanctification is experienced in the ac¬ 
 ceptance of Christ in living faith for jus¬ 
 tification, in so far as the pardoned sinner, 
 through faith in Christ, is clothed with a 
 measure of His righteousness and receives 
 the Spirit of promise; for, as saith the 
 Apostle, “Ye are washed, ye are sancti¬ 
 fied, ye are justified, in the name of the- 
 Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. n 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 44 
 
 We rejoice to believe that the provisions 
 •of God's grace are sufficient to deliver 
 from the power, as well as from the guilt, 
 of sin, and to enable His believing chil¬ 
 dren always to triumph in Christ. How 
 full of encouragement is the declaration, 
 *‘According to your faith be it unto you.” 
 Whosoever submits himself wholly to 
 God, believing and appropriating His 
 promises, and exercising faith in Christ 
 Jesus, will have his heart continually 
 -cleansed from all sin by His precious 
 blood, and, through the renewing, refining 
 power of the Holy Spirit, be kept in con¬ 
 formity to the will of God, will love Him 
 with all his heart, mind, soul and strength, 
 and be able to say with the Apostle Paul, 
 “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ 
 Jesus hath made me free from the law of 
 sin and death.” Thus, in its full expe¬ 
 rience, sanctification is deliverance from 
 fhe pollution, nature, and love of sin. To 
 this we are every one called, that we may 
 serve the Lord without fear, in holiness 
 and righteousness before Him, all the days 
 of our life. It was the prayer of the 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 45 - 
 
 Apostle for the believers, “The very God 
 of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray 
 God your whole spirit and soul and body 
 be preserved blameless unto the coming- 
 of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he 
 that calletli you, who also will do it.” Yet 
 the most holy Christian is still liable to 
 temptation, is exposed to the subtle 
 assaults of Satan, and can only continue 
 to follow holiness as he humbly watches 
 unto prayer, and is kept in constant 
 dependence upon his Saviour, walking- 
 in the light, in the loving obedience of 
 faith. 
 
 THE RESURRECTION AND FINAL JUDGMENT. 
 
 We believe, according to the Scriptures, 
 that there shall be a resurrection from the 
 dead, both of the just and of the unjust, 
 and that God hath appointed a day in 
 which He will judge the world in right¬ 
 eousness, by Jesus Christ whom lie hath 
 ordained. For, as saith the Apostle, 
 “We must all appear before the judgment 
 seat of Christ, that every one may receive 
 the things done in his body, according to 
 
40 
 
 DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 that lie hath done, whether it be good or 
 bad.” 
 
 We sincerely believe, not only a resur¬ 
 rection in Christ from the fallen and sinful 
 state here, but a rising and ascending into 
 glory with Him hereafter; that when He 
 at last appears we may appear with Him 
 in glory. But that all the wicked, who 
 live in rebellion against the light of grace, 
 and die finally impenitent, shall come 
 forth to the resurrection of condemnation. 
 And that the soul of every man and 
 woman shall be reserved, in its own dis¬ 
 tinct and proper being, and shall have 
 its proper body as God is pleased to give 
 it. It is sown a natural body, it is raised 
 a spiritual body; that being first which is 
 natural, and afterward that which is spir¬ 
 itual. And though it is said, “This cor¬ 
 ruptible shall put on incorruption, and 
 this mortal shall put on immortality,” the 
 change shall be such as will accord with 
 the declaration, “Flesh and blood can 
 not inherit the kingdom of God, neither 
 doth corruption inherit incorruption.” We 
 shall be raised out of all corruption and 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 47 
 
 corruptibility, out of all mortality, and 
 shall be the children of God, being the 
 children of resurrection. 
 
 “Our citizenship is in heaven” (R. V.), 
 from whence also we look for the Saviour, 
 the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change 
 our vile body that it may be fashioned 
 like unto His glorious body, according to 
 the working whereby He is able even to 
 subdue all things unto Himself. 
 
 We believe that the punishment of the 
 wicked and the blessedness of the righteous 
 shall be everlasting, according to the dec¬ 
 laration of our compassionate Redeemer, 
 to whom the judgment is committed, 
 “These shall go away into eternal punish¬ 
 ment, but the righteous into eternal life” 
 (R. V.). 
 
 BAPTISM. 
 
 We would express our continued con¬ 
 viction that our Lord appointed no out¬ 
 ward rite or ceremony for observance in 
 His Church. We accept every command 
 of our Lord in what we believe to be its 
 genuine import, as absolutely conclusive. 
 
48 
 
 DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 The question of the use of outward ordi¬ 
 nances is with us a question, not as to the 
 authority of Christ, but as to His real 
 meaning. We reverently believe that, as 
 there is one Lord and one faith, so there 
 is, under the Christian dispensation, but 
 one baptism, even that whereby all be¬ 
 lievers are baptized in the one Spirit into 
 the one body. This is not an outward 
 baptism with water, but a spiritual expe¬ 
 rience ; not the putting away of the filth 
 of the flesh, but that inward work which, 
 by transforming the heart and settling the 
 soul upon Christ, brings forth the answer 
 of a good conscience towards God, by the 
 resurrection of Jesus Christ, in the ex¬ 
 perience of His love and power, as the 
 risen and ascended Saviour. Ho baptism 
 in outward water can satisfy the descrip¬ 
 tion of the Apostle, of being buried with 
 Christ by baptism unto death. It is with 
 the Spirit alone that any can be thus bap¬ 
 tized. In this experience the announce¬ 
 ment of the Forerunner of our Lord is 
 fulfilled, “He shall baptize you with the 
 Holy Ghost and with fire.” In this view 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 49 
 
 we accept the commission of our blessed 
 Lord as given in Matthew xxviii. 18th, 19tli 
 and 20th verses: “And Jesus came to 
 them and spake unto them saying : All 
 authority has been given unto me in heaven 
 and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make 
 disciples of all the nations, baptizing 
 them into the name of the Father and of 
 the Son and of the Holy Ghost ; teaching 
 them to observe all things whatsoever I 
 commanded you, and, lo, I am with you 
 alway, even unto the end of the world’' 
 (R. V.). This commission, as we believe, 
 was not designed to set up a new ritual 
 under the new covenant, or to connect the 
 initiation into a membership, in its nature 
 essentially spiritual, with a mere ceremony 
 of a typical character. Otherwise it was 
 not possible for the Apostle Paul, who 
 was not a whit behind the very chiefest 
 apostles, to have disclaimed that which 
 would, in that case, have been of the 
 essence of his commission when he wrote, 
 “Christ sent me not to baptize, but to 
 preach the Gospel.” Whenever an exter¬ 
 nal ceremony is commanded, the particu- 
 
50 
 
 DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 lars, the mode and incidents of that cere¬ 
 mony, become of its essence. There is 
 an utter absence of these particulars in 
 the text before us, which confirms our 
 persuasion that the commission must be 
 construed in connection with the spiritual 
 power which the risen Lord promised 
 should attend the witness of His apostles 
 and of the Church to Him, and which, 
 after Pentecost, so mightily accompanied 
 their ministry of the word and prayer, 
 that those to whom they were sent were 
 introduced into an experience wherein 
 they had a saving knowledge of, and 
 living fellowship with, the Father and the 
 Son and the Holy Spirit. 
 
 THE SUPPER OF THE LORD. 
 
 Intimately connected with the convic¬ 
 tion already expressed is the view that we 
 have ever maintained as to the true supper 
 of the Lord. We are well aware that our 
 Lord was pleased to make use of a variety 
 of symbolical utterances, but He often 
 gently upbraided His disciples for accept¬ 
 ing literally what He had intended only 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 51 
 
 In its spiritual meaning. His teaching, as 
 in His parables or in the command to 
 wash one another’s feet, was often in sym¬ 
 bols, and ought ever to be received in the 
 light of His own emphatic declaration, 
 •‘The words that I speak unto you, they 
 are spirit and they are life.” The old 
 ■covenant was full of ceremonial symbols ; 
 the new covenant, to which our Saviour 
 alluded at the last supper, is expressly de¬ 
 clared by the prophet to be “not accord¬ 
 ing to the old.” We cannot believe that 
 in setting up this new covenant the Lord 
 Jesus intended an institution out of har¬ 
 mony with the spirit of this prophecy. 
 The eating of His body and the drinking of 
 His blood cannot be an outward act. They 
 truly partake of them who habitually rest 
 upon the sufferings and death of their 
 Lord as their only hope, and to whom the 
 indwelling Spirit gives to drink of the 
 fulness that is in Christ. It is this inward 
 and spiritual partaking that is the true 
 supper of the Lord. 
 
 The presence of Christ with His Church 
 is not designed to be by symbol or repre- 
 
52 
 
 DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 sentation, but in the real communication 
 of His own Spirit. “I will pray tlie 
 Father and He shall give you another 
 Comforter, who shall abide with you for¬ 
 ever.” Convincing of sin, testifying of 
 Jesus, taking of the things of Christ, this 
 blessed Comforter communicates to the 
 believer and to the Church, in a gracious, 
 abiding manifestation, the REAL PRES¬ 
 ENCE of the Lord. As the great remem¬ 
 brancer, through whom the promise is 
 fulfilled, He needs no ritual or priestly 
 intervention in bringing to the experience 
 of the true commemoration and commun¬ 
 ion. “Behold,” saith the risen Redeem¬ 
 er, “I stand at the door and knock. If 
 any man hear my voice and open the door, 
 I will come in and sup with him and he 
 with me.” In an especial manner, when 
 assembled for congregational worship, are 
 believers invited to the festival of the Sav¬ 
 iour’s peace, and in a united act of faith 
 and love, unfettered by any outward rite 
 or ceremonial, to partake together of the 
 body that was broken and of the blood 
 that was shed for them, without the gates 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 53 
 
 of Jerusalem. In such a worship they 
 are enabled to understand the words of 
 the apostle as expressive of a sweet and 
 most real experience: “The cup of bless 
 ing which we bless, is it not the commun¬ 
 ion of the blood of Christ? The bread 
 that we break, is it not the communion of 
 the body of Christ? For we, being many, 
 are one bread and one body; for we are 
 all partakers of that one bread.” 
 
 PUBLIC WORSHIP. 
 
 Worship is the adoring response of the 
 heart and mind to the influence of the 
 Spirit of God. It stands neither in forms 
 nor in the formal disuse of forms. It may 
 be without words as well as with them, 
 but it must be in spirit and in truth. We 
 recognize the value of silence, not as an 
 end, but as a means toward the attain¬ 
 ment of the end; a silence, not of listless¬ 
 ness or of vacant musing, but of holy 
 expectation before the Lord. Having 
 become His adopted children through faith 
 in the Lord Jesus Christ, it is our privi¬ 
 lege to meet together and unite in the 
 
54 
 
 DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 worship of Almighty God, to wait upon 
 Him for the renewal of our strength, for 
 communion one with another, for the dec¬ 
 laration of the glad tidings of salvation to 
 the unconverted who may gather with us_ 
 This worship depends not upon numbers. 
 Where two or three are gathered together 
 in the name of Christ there is a church, 
 and Christ, the living Head, in the midst 
 of them. Through His mediation, with¬ 
 out the necessity for any inferior instru¬ 
 mentality, is the Father to be approached 
 and reverently worshiped. The Lord Jesus 
 has forever fulfilled and ended the typical 
 and sacrificial worship under the law, by 
 the offering up of Himself upon the cross 
 for us, once for all. He has opened the 
 door of access into the inner sanctuary, 
 and graciously provides spiritual offerings 
 for the service of His temple, suited t» 
 the several conditions of all who worship 
 in spirit and in truth. The broken and 
 the contrite heart, the confession of the 
 soul prostrate before God, the prayer of 
 the afflicted when he is overwhelmed, 
 the earnest wrestling of the spirit, the 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 55 
 
 outpouring of humble thanksgiving, the 
 spiritual song and melody of the heart, 
 the simple exercise of faith, the self-deny¬ 
 ing service of love, these are among the 
 sacrifices which He, our merciful and 
 faithful High Priest, is pleased to prepare, 
 by His Spirit, in the hearts of them that 
 receive Him, and to present with accept¬ 
 ance unto God. 
 
 By the immediate operations of the 
 Holy Spirit, He, as the Head of the Church, 
 alone selects and qualifies those who are to 
 present His messages or engage in other 
 service for Him, and, hence, we cannot 
 commit any formal arrangement to any 
 one in our regular meetings for worship. 
 We are well aware that the Lord has pro¬ 
 vided a diversity of gifts for the needs, 
 both of the Church and of the world, and 
 we desire that the Church may feel her 
 responsibility, under the government of 
 her Great Head, in doing her part to foster 
 these gifts, and in making arrangements 
 for their proper exercise. 
 
 It is not for individual exaltation, but 
 for mutual profit, that the gifts 
 
 are 
 
56 
 
 DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 ibestowed; and every living church, abid¬ 
 ing under the government of Christ, is 
 humbly and thankfully to receive and 
 •exercise them, in subjection to her Holy 
 Head. The church that quenches the 
 .Spirit and lives to itself alone must die. 
 
 We believe the preaching of the Gos¬ 
 pel to be one of the chief means, divinely 
 appointed, for the spreading of the glad 
 tidings of life and salvation through our 
 crucified Redeemer, for the awakening 
 and conversion of sinners, and for the 
 comfort and edification of believers. As 
 it is the prerogative of the Great Head of 
 the Church alone to select and call the 
 ministers of His Gospel, so we believe 
 that both the gift and the qualification to 
 exercise it must be derived immediately 
 from Him; and that, as in the primitive 
 Church, so now also, He confers spiritual 
 gifts upon women as well as upon men, 
 .agreeably to the prophecy recited by the 
 Apostle Peter, “It shall come to pass in 
 the last days, saith God, I will pour out 
 of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your 
 sons and your daughters shall prophesy;’’ 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 57 
 
 respecting which the apostle declares, 
 “the promise is unto you, and to your 
 children, and to all that are afar off, even 
 as many as the Lord our God shall call.” 
 As the gift is freely received, so it is to 
 be freely exercised, in simple obedience 
 to the will of God. 
 
 Spiritual gifts, precious as they are, 
 must not be mistaken for grace; they add 
 to our responsibility, but do not raise the 
 minister above his brethren or sisters. 
 They must be exercised in continued 
 dependence upon our Lord, and blessed 
 is that ministry in which man is humbled, 
 and Christ and His grace exalted. “He 
 that is greatest among you,” said our 
 Lord and Master, “let him be as the 
 younger; and he that is chief as he that 
 doth serve. I am among you as he that 
 serveth.” 
 
 While the church cannot confer spiritual 
 gifts, it is its duty to recognize and foster 
 them, and to promote their efficiency by 
 all the means in its power. And while, 
 on the one hand, the Gospel should never 
 be preached for money, on the other, it is 
 
58 
 
 DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 the duty of the church to make such pro¬ 
 vision that it shall never be hindered for 
 want of it. 
 
 The Church, if true to her allegiance, 
 cannot forget her part in the command, 
 “Go ye into all the world, and preach 
 the Gospel to every creature.” Know¬ 
 ing that it is the Spirit of God that can 
 alone prepare and qualify the instruments 
 who fulfill this command, the true disciple 
 will be found still sitting at the feet of 
 Jesus, listening that he may learn, and 
 learning that he may obey. He humbly 
 places himself at his Lord’s disposal, and 
 when he hears the call, “Whom shall I 
 send, and who will go for us?” is prepared 
 to respond, in child-like reverence and 
 love, “Here am I, send me.” 
 
 PRAYER AND PRAISE. 
 
 Prayer is the outcome of our sense of 
 need, and of our continual dependence 
 upon God. He who uttered the invitation, 
 “Ask and it shall be given you,” is Him¬ 
 self the Mediator and High Priest who, 
 by His Spirit, prompts the petition and 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 59 - 
 
 who presents it with acceptance before 
 God. With such an invitation, prayer 
 becomes the duty and the privilege of all 
 who are called by His name. Prayer is, 
 in the awakened soul, the utterance of the 
 cry, “God be merciful to me, a sinner;” 
 and, at every stage of the believer’s 
 course, prayer is essential to his spiritual 
 life. A life without prayer is a life prac¬ 
 tically without God. The Christian’s life 
 is a continual asking. The thirst that 
 prompts the petition produces, as it is sat¬ 
 isfied, still deeper longings, which prepare 
 for yet more bounteous supplies, from 
 Him who delights to bless. Prayer is not 
 confined to the closet. When uttered in 
 response to the promptings of the Holy 
 Spirit, it becomes an important part of 
 public worship, and, whenever the Lord’s 
 people meet together in His name, it is 
 their privilege to wait upon Him for the 
 spirit of grace and supplication. A life 
 of prayer cannot be other than a life of 
 praise. As the peace of Christ reigns in 
 the Church, her living members accept all 
 that they receive, as from His pure bounty. 
 
'CO 
 
 DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 and each day brings them fresh pledges 
 of their Father’s love. Satisfied with the 
 goodness of Ilis house, whether as indi¬ 
 viduals, as families, or as congregations, 
 they will be still praising Him, heart 
 answering to heart, “Bless the Lord, O 
 my soul: and all that is within me, bless 
 His holy name.” 
 
 LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE IN ITS RELATION 
 TO CIVIL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 That conscience should be free, and that 
 in matters of religious doctrine and wor¬ 
 ship man is accountable to God, are truths 
 which are plainly declared in the New 
 Testament, and which are confirmed by 
 the whole scope of the Gospel, and by the 
 example of our Lord and His disciples. 
 To rule over the conscience, and to com¬ 
 mand the spiritual allegiance of His crea¬ 
 ture man, is the high and sacred prerogative 
 of God alone. In religion every act ought 
 to be free. A forced worship is plainly a 
 contradiction in terms, under that dispen¬ 
 sation in which the worship of the Father 
 must be in spirit and in truth. 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 61 
 
 We have ever maintained that it is the 
 duty of Christians to obey the enactments 
 of civil government, except those which 
 interfere with our allegiance to God. We 
 owe much to its blessing. Through it we 
 enjoy liberty and protection, in connection 
 with law and order. Civil government is 
 a divine ordinance, instituted to promote 
 the best welfare of man, hence magistrates 
 are to be regarded as God’s ministers, who 
 should be a terror to evil doers and a praise 
 to them that do well. Therefore, it is with 
 us a matter of conscience to render them 
 respect and obedience in the exercise of 
 their proper functions. 
 
 MARRHAGE. 
 
 Marriage is an institution graciously 
 ordained by the Creator Himself for the 
 help and continuance of the human family. 
 It is not a mere civil contract, and ought 
 never to be entered upon without a refer¬ 
 ence to the sanction and blessing of Him 
 who ordained it. It is a solemn engage¬ 
 ment for the term of life, designed for 
 the mutual assistance and comfort of both 
 
62 
 
 DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 sexes, that they may be helpmeets to each 
 other in things temporal and spiritual. 
 To this end it should imply concurrence 
 in spiritual as well as temporal concerns, 
 and should be entered upon discreetly, 
 soberly, and in the fear of the Lord. 
 
 PEACE. 
 
 We feel bound explicitly to avow our 
 unshaken persuasion that all war is utterly 
 incompatible with the plain precepts of 
 our divine Lord and Lawgiver, and the 
 whole spirit of His Gospel, and that no 
 plea of necessity or policy, however urgent 
 or peculiar, can avail to release either 
 individuals or nations from the paramount 
 allegiance which they owe to Him who 
 hath said, “Love your enemies.” In 
 enjoining this love, and the forgiveness 
 of injuries, He who has brought us to 
 Himself has not prescribed for man pre¬ 
 cepts which are incapable of being carried 
 into practice, or of which the practice is to 
 be postponed until all shall be persuaded 
 to act upon them. 
 
 We cannot doubt that they are incum- 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 63 
 
 bant now, and that we have in the pro¬ 
 phetic Scriptures the distinct intimation 
 of their direct application, not only to 
 individuals, but to nations also. When 
 nations conform their laws to this divine 
 teaching, wars must necessarily cease. 
 
 We would, in humility, but in faithful¬ 
 ness to our Lord, express our firm per¬ 
 suasion that all the exigencies of civil 
 governinant and social order may be met 
 under the banner of the Prince of Peace, 
 in strict conformity with His commands. 
 
 OATHS. 
 
 We hold it to be the inalienable priv¬ 
 ilege of the disciple of the Lord Jesus 
 that His statements concerning matters 
 of fact within his knowledge should be 
 accepted, under all circumstances, as ex¬ 
 pressing his belief as to the fact asserted. 
 We rest upon the plain command of our 
 Lord and Master, “Swear not at all;” and 
 we believe any departure from this standard 
 to be prejudicial to the cause of truth and 
 to that confidence between man and man, 
 the maintenance of which is indispensable 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 64 
 
 to our mutual well-being. This command, 
 in our persuasion, applies not to profane 
 swearing only, but to judicial oaths also. 
 It abrogates any previous permission to 
 the contrary, and is, for the Christian, 
 absolutely conclusive. 
 
 THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK. 
 
 Whilst the remembrance of our Creator 
 ought to be, at all times, present with the 
 Christian, we would express our thank¬ 
 fulness to our Heavenly Father that He 
 has been pleased to honor the setting 
 apart of one day in seven for the purposes 
 of holy rest, religious duties, and public 
 worship; and we desire that all under 
 our name may avail themselves of this 
 great privilege, as those who are called to 
 be risen witli Christ, and to seek those 
 things that are above, where He sittetli at 
 the right hand of God. May the release 
 thus granted from other occupations be 
 diligently improved. On this day of the 
 week especially ought the households of 
 Friends to be assembled for the reading 
 of the Scriptures and for waiting upon 
 
DECLARATION OF FAITH. 
 
 65 
 
 tli3 Lord; and we trust that, in a Chris- 
 tianly wise economy of our time and 
 strength, the engagements of the day may 
 be so ordered as not to frustrate the gra¬ 
 cious provision thus made for us by our 
 Heavenly Father, or to shut out the oppor¬ 
 tunity either for public worship or for pri¬ 
 vate retirement and devotional reading. 
 
 In presenting this declaration of our 
 Christian faith, we desire that all our 
 members may be afresh encouraged, in 
 humility and devotedness, to renewed 
 faithfulness in fulfilling their part in the 
 great mission of the Church, and through 
 the Church to the world around us, in the 
 name of our crucified .Redeemer. Life 
 from Christ, life in Christ, must ever be 
 the basis of life for Christ. For this we 
 have been created and redeemed, and, by 
 this alone, can the longings of our im¬ 
 mortal souls be satisfied. 
 
The Form of Government. 
 
THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE CHURCH. 
 
 Tlie Church of Christ is spiritual and 
 consists of all who are born of the Spirit. 
 But in this world it is also an organization, 
 consisting of all those Christians, together 
 with their children, who voluntarily asso¬ 
 ciate themselves together in separate 
 churches, or in societies of churches, for 
 fellowship, for divine worship, for the 
 promotion of truth and righteousness, and 
 for the edification and oversight one of 
 another. As Christ is the Head of the 
 spiritual and invisible, so He is the Head 
 of the organized and visible Church. In 
 all her assemblies of every kind all mem¬ 
 bers of His Church should, therefore, 
 cheerfully heed the precept of our Lord, 
 “One is your Teacher, even Christ, and 
 
70 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 all ye are brethren.” All are to submit 
 themselves one to another in the fear of 
 Christ. 
 
 Yet our blessed Saviour, as at first, calls 
 those who shall be ministers of His word, 
 and elders in the churches, whom He 
 qualifies and puts forth to preach and to 
 teach, and to tend the flock of God, exer¬ 
 cising the oversight, for the edification of 
 the Church. Likewise, it is His will, that 
 the Church, as at the beginning, should 
 choose, under the guidance of the Holy 
 Spirit, these and other officers, who, with 
 the above, as examples of life and good 
 works, shall administer the affairs of the 
 Church, for preservation in faith and 
 unity, and against the unfaithful, the im¬ 
 moral, the schismatic and the lifeless pro¬ 
 fessor, that such may be restored, and 
 that all may be built up on their most holy 
 faith. Hence we have the injunction, 
 “Obey them that have the rule over you, 
 and submit to them : for they watch in 
 behalf of your souls, as they that shall give 
 account ; that they may do this with joy, 
 and not with grief.” And, “Ye younger, 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 71 
 
 be subject unto the elder. Yea, all of you 
 gird yourselves with humility.” 
 
 From the foregoing grounds the follow¬ 
 ing principles are clearly deducible : 
 
 1. That the rights of private judgment 
 in doctrine, the manner of worship, the 
 form of government and the methods of 
 promulgating the truth are matters of 
 conscience in which man is accountable 
 to God only. 
 
 2. That the same rights belong to every 
 Christian church, or to every association 
 of churches, so that each may determine 
 the terms of admission into fellowship, 
 the qualifications of its membership and 
 of its ministers and other officers, and its 
 entire system of polity. 
 
 3. That, consistently with these rights, 
 is the highest obligation upon Chris¬ 
 tians to maintain the truth against error. 
 For truth is in order to holiness ; faith 
 and practice, truth and duty, are insep¬ 
 arable. 
 
 4. That Friends believe it to be the 
 will of God that they shall steadfastly 
 maintain the scriptural form of govern- 
 
72 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 ment, which the founders of the Society 
 adopted under Christ. 
 
 o. That, while members who are of 
 the best Christian character in the same 
 society may differ, it is necessary to unite 
 in making effectual provision that only 
 teachers sound in the faith be admitted 
 and retained. 
 
 6. That the Holy Scriptures are the 
 only rule of faith and practice, and that 
 regulations and decisions of a church, or 
 a society of churches, can bind the con¬ 
 science only in so far as they are founded 
 upon the revealed will of God. 
 
 7. That the foregoing principles and 
 rights, founded upon the truth, themselves 
 constitute the unmistakable obligation 
 upon all members of churches and soci¬ 
 eties of churches cheerfully to submit in 
 harmony with their branch of the Church, 
 as a member of the body of Christ. Faith 
 in Christ must ever form the basis of 
 loyalty to the Church. 
 
 8. Constituted as above indicated and 
 holding the principles herein set forth, 
 the Society of Friends, consisting of 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 73 
 
 various meetings in their order and many 
 particular churches, is a distinct branch of 
 the Church of Christ. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 OFFICERS IN THE CHURCH. 
 
 The permanent officers of the Church 
 are the Elders, including Ministers and 
 other Elders. In no offices of the Church 
 is there any distinction as to sex. The 
 choice of Elders of both classes is based 
 upon moral character and the possession 
 of spiritual gifts and qualifications. 
 
 ELDERS. 
 
 The Elders in any church constitute the 
 pastoral body and have the spiritual over¬ 
 sight and care of the members. In their 
 particular churches they are all of equal 
 station and authority.* But certain cliar- 
 
 * In Scripture they received different names indicat¬ 
 ing their various duties. Since they have the overs ight 
 of the flock of Christ they are called overseers, or bishops. 
 Since they feed the flock they are called pastors. Since 
 they instruct in sound doctrine they arc called teachers. 
 Since they are to be examples and ensamples of flic flock 
 in gravity and prudence, and to govern well in the house 
 of God, the kingdom of Christ, they are called presbyters, 
 or elders. 
 
74 
 
 FOKM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 acteristics and qualifications, particularly 
 tlie nature and measure of their gifts, 
 divide the Elders into two classes, Minis¬ 
 ters and other Elders (1 Tim. v. 17.)* 
 
 Ministers. 
 
 1. Ministers are elders who possess 
 the additional special gift of the ministry of 
 the Gospel.f By virtue of ministerial gifts 
 the minister or ministers, therefore, chosen 
 by any church, fill the foremost place in 
 the worship and work of the congrega¬ 
 tion; yet they are only equal in station 
 and authority among the elders, and in 
 the church they are servants of all (1 
 Peter i. 1). Having the approval first 
 of the eldership, or pastoral body, and 
 then of the church, they speak and act 
 
 * This scriptural classification having been here made, 
 the two classes of elders will hereafter receive the cur¬ 
 rent. titles, ministers and elders. 
 
 + This is indicated in Scripture by the names the 
 minister obtained. As bearing the messages of God he is 
 termed a messenger, or an apostle (Mai. ii. 7; 2 Cor. viii. 
 23; Phil. ii. 25). As clothed with authority to proclaim 
 to a world of sinners the will of God, in order to recon¬ 
 cile them to Him, he is termed an ambassador. As ex¬ 
 pounding the wisdom and counsel of God he is termed a 
 steward of the manifold grace and of the mysteries of 
 God (Luke xii. 42; 1 Cor. iv. 1, 2). As engaged in the 
 special work of evangelization and ingathering he is 
 termed an evangelist (1 Tim. iv. 6 ). 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 75 
 
 with their authority. While they share, 
 with all the elders of the church, the 
 oversight and pastoral care, in which 
 they are given a leading part, their highest 
 duty is to proclaim the Gospel of God 
 and to instruct in the way of salvation 
 (1 Tim. i. 11), to preach the word, 
 being instant in season, out of season ; 
 to reprove, to rebuke, to exhort, with 
 all long-suffering and teaching (2 Tim. 
 iv. 2). 
 
 Elders. 
 
 2. The elders in the church are selected 
 on account of their spiritual gifts, the 
 same in kind, but not of the same order, 
 as the gift in the ministry. They must 
 be such as fear God, and are faithful, apt 
 to teach, able both to exhort in sound 
 doctrine and to convict gainsayers (Tit. i. 
 5-9), of good report, ruling their own 
 houses well, ensamples of the Hock in 
 wmrd and manner of life. They are to 
 tend and feed the flock of God, as a 
 charge allotted to them, watching in 
 behalf of their souls, as those that shall 
 
76 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 give account, exercising the oversight, 
 not as lords, nor for advantage, nor of 
 constraint, but willingly and humbly. It 
 is their duty to sympathize with all for 
 their growth in the grace and knowledge 
 of our Lord and Saviour, for the develop¬ 
 ment of spiritual gifts in the unity of the 
 Spirit, ‘-for the perfecting of the saints, 
 unto the work of ministering, unto the 
 building up of the body of Christ, till all 
 attain unto the unity of the faith and of 
 the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a 
 full grown man, unto the measure of the 
 stature of the fulness of Christ.” They 
 are to counsel with ministers in love, 
 tenderly encouraging and helping young 
 ministers, advising them all in the wisdom 
 of God. 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 77 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 GOVERNMENT.-THE SEVERAL KINDS OF 
 
 MEETINGS. 
 
 Notwithstanding the spiritual character 
 of the Church, some definite form of gov¬ 
 ernment is absolutely necessary; for the 
 promotion of fellowship and mutual edifi¬ 
 cation, for the assistance of the needy, 
 for the protection of the suffering under 
 persecution, for the exclusion of the dis¬ 
 obedient and disorderly, and above all for 
 the furtherance of the Gospel of salvation. 
 
 And seeing that the early Friends estab¬ 
 lished a system of church government 
 founded on Scripture and the practice of 
 primitive Christians, it seems to us expe¬ 
 dient and right to uphold the same and 
 to perfect it, as God gives us wisdom. 
 This system is based upon the priesthood 
 of all believers. The government shall 
 be administered by the members of each 
 particular church or congregation, trans¬ 
 acting the business as equals. For this 
 
FOKM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 "78 
 
 purpose they shall meet in Monthly, Quar¬ 
 terly and Yearly Meetings, the Monthly 
 being subordinate to the Quarterly and the 
 Quarterly to the Yearly Meeting, each 
 lower sending delegates to the next higher. 
 The pastoral body, together with the over¬ 
 seers, shall meet in Monthly, Quarterly 
 and Yearly Meetings on Ministry and 
 Oversight, corresponding in representation 
 and the order of subordination to the 
 executive department of the Church. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 MONTHLY MEETINGS. 
 
 Their Organization , Powers and Duties. 
 
 1. A Monthly Meeting is any regularly 
 organized church, and consists of all the 
 persons who are entitled to be recorded 
 on its list of members. Monthly Meet¬ 
 ings are subordinate to the Quarterly 
 Meeting of which they form a part, and 
 are to appoint two or more delegates to 
 the same. 
 
 2. The Monthly Meeting is charged 
 with the government of the church. It 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 79 
 
 has, therefore, authority to receive mem¬ 
 bers into the church and to dismiss them 
 from the church, to discipline offenders, 
 to grant appeals, to consider all other 
 questions affecting the membership of 
 persons, according to the Rules of Disci¬ 
 pline, and to adopt and carry out measures 
 for the instruction of their members and 
 for the promotion of the spiritual interests 
 of the congregation. In cases of serious 
 difficulty a Monthly Meeting may ask 
 advice of the Quarterly Meeting. 
 
 3. The Monthly Meeting shall annually 
 choose, through the nomination of a com¬ 
 mittee, two or more faithful and judicious 
 persons, usually from botli sexes, to serve 
 as overseers. They should be persons of 
 spiritual insight, steadfastness, meekness, 
 and love, who cherish an interest in the 
 spiritual welfare of their fellow-members 
 and a wholesome watchfulness over them. 
 It is their duty to exercise tenderness and 
 authority in all cases of disorder, disobe¬ 
 dience, dispute and other delinquences, in 
 order to lead offenders, without unneces¬ 
 sary publicity, to repentance towards God 
 
80 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 and to restore them to orderly deportment,, 
 harmony and full fellowship in the church. 
 They may counsel, exhort, reprove, and 
 warn the unfaithful. When it is deemed 
 wise they may ask the advice and assist¬ 
 ance of the elders individually, or collect¬ 
 ively. After due care has proved ineffect¬ 
 ual, it is their duty to enter complaints in 
 writing against offenders in the Monthly 
 Meeting. 
 
 4. In order to be complete in its organ¬ 
 ization every Monthly Meeting must have 
 two or more elders, and those who possess 
 the requisite gifts and qualifications should 
 be chosen (Chapter II. 2). JSTo new 
 Monthly Meeting should be established 
 without at least two elders. But a Monthly 
 Meeting appearing without the care of such 
 a pastoral body may retain its regular 
 organization during the pleasure of the 
 Quarterly Meeting. 
 
 5. Monthly Meetings shall appoint 
 committees every three years to propose 
 for the station of elder the names of per¬ 
 sons, who, in their judgment, possess the 
 proper gifts and qualifications of elders, 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 81 
 
 to serve for a period of three years. No 
 one shall be recorded as an elder whose 
 doctrinal views are not clearly in accord 
 with the affirmative of the questions oil 
 pages 311-114. Information of the re¬ 
 cording of elders shall be transmitted 
 through the Monthly Meeting on Ministry 
 and Oversight to the Quarterly Meeting 
 on Ministry and Oversight. 
 
 6. The chief object of every church, as 
 of every Christian, should be the conver¬ 
 sion of the unsaved and the building up 
 of Christians on their most holy faith. 
 Churches should, therefore, be careful to 
 provide for the preaching of the gospel in 
 their meetings and, as far as practicable, 
 in their communities. 
 
 7. In inviting a minister to the leader¬ 
 ship in the pastoral work of any church 
 the Monthly Meeting should, in all cases, 
 have the advice of the Monthly Meeting 
 on Ministry and Oversight. Monthly 
 Meetings shall require ministers settling- 
 in the churches to present their certificates 
 of membership, or credentials for religious 
 service, to the Monthly Meeting, and in 
 
82 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 receiving or issuing such certificates or 
 credentials they shall report their action 
 to the Quarterly Meeting on Ministry and 
 Oversight. 
 
 8. New fields of work entered upon by 
 any church shall be, unless transferred, 
 solely in the charge of the Monthly Meet¬ 
 ing, subject to the Quarterly Meeting. 
 The work should be carried on with a 
 view to organize, if practicable, a new 
 church. When the Monthly Meeting shall 
 deem it advisable to establish a new 
 church, it shall send a proposition to do 
 the same to the Quarterly Meeting; which 
 shall appoint a committee to consider the 
 subject and, if agreed upon, to establish 
 and open the same. 
 
 9. Monthly Meetings have the author¬ 
 ity to petition the Yearly Meeting, through 
 their Quarterly Meeting, or respective 
 Quarterly Meetings, to establish, or to 
 discontinue, or to divide a Quarterly 
 Meeting, or to unite two Quarterly Meet¬ 
 ings. 
 
 10. Monthly Meetings shall collect all 
 statistics and prepare answers to the Quo- 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 83 
 
 ries, as required by the Yearly Meeting, 
 and promptly forward them to the Clerk 
 of the Quarterly Meeting. 
 
 CHAPTER Y. 
 
 QUARTERLY MEETINGS. 
 
 Their Organization , Powers and Duties. 
 
 1. The Church is divided into many 
 separate congregations, and these need 
 mutual counsel and assistance in order to 
 maintain soundness of doctrine and regu¬ 
 larity of discipline, and to unite in uniform 
 measures and similar means and methods 
 for promoting Christian knowledge and 
 piety, and for preventing error and im¬ 
 morality. 
 
 2. A Quarterly Meeting consists of all 
 the Monthly Meetings and their members 
 within its limits and subordinate to it. 
 The Quarterly Meetings are subordinate 
 to the Yearly Meeting, of which they 
 form a part, and are to appoint from four 
 to eight delegates to the same. 
 
 3. The Quarterly Meeting has the 
 power to establish or to divide a Monthly 
 
84 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 Meeting, or to unite two Monthly Meet¬ 
 ings* 
 
 4. If Friends belonging to more than 
 one Quarterly Meeting or to Quarterly 
 Meetings in more than one Yearly Meet¬ 
 ing request the establishment cf a new 
 Monthly Meeting, the request shall be 
 sent to all the Quarterly Meetings to which 
 the signers of the request belong, and 
 their consent obtained. The request shall 
 state where and when the new Monthly 
 Meeting is desired to be held, and to what 
 Quarterly Meeting it is to be attached. 
 When the consent of all the interested 
 Quarterly Meetings has been obtained, 
 the Quarterly Meeting, to which the new 
 Monthly Meeting is to be attached, shall 
 proceed to establish it as requested. 
 
 5. In order to establish, or to discon¬ 
 tinue, or to divide a Quarterly Meeting, 
 or to unite two Quarterly Meetings, appli¬ 
 cation should be made by the Monthly 
 Meetings concerned through their Quar¬ 
 terly Meeting, or respective Quarterly 
 Meetings, to the Yearly Meeting for its 
 action. 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 85 
 
 6. The Quarterly Meeting has author¬ 
 ity over the Monthly Meetings. It may 
 review their proceedings and the records 
 thereof, and shall receive appeals from 
 the Monthly Meetings and decide upon 
 them, and shall grant appeals from its 
 own decisions to the Yearly Meeting 
 
 7. The Quarterly Meeting shall have 
 the general oversight and care of the 
 work of the Church within its borders, 
 shall be diligent to assist the churches in 
 carrying it on, and has authority to open 
 and assume charge of new fields of labor. 
 
 8. At its last meeting before the 
 Yearly Meeting, the Quarterly Meeting 
 shall receive from the Monthly Meetings 
 all statistics required, together with the 
 answers to the Queries, summarize the 
 same and promptly forward them to the 
 Clerk of the Yearly Meeting. 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 86 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE YEARLY MEETING. 
 
 Its Organization and Powers. 
 
 1. The design of the Yearly Meeting 
 and of its annual assemblies is the more 
 general and perfect ordering and regu¬ 
 lating the affairs of the Society of Friends 
 in all the churches and in the service of 
 God, and for maintaining and promoting 
 the Christian faith, love, unity, life and 
 practice throughout the several Quarterly 
 Meetings. 
 
 2. Iowa Yearly Meeting consists of 
 all subordinate Quarterly and Monthly 
 Meetings, together with their members, 
 within its limits. It shall be held annu¬ 
 ally at Oskaloosa, Iowa, and meets at two 
 o’clock in the afternoon on Third-day 
 following the first First-day in Ninth 
 Month.* 
 
 3. The Yearly Meeting shall be opened 
 
 * Iowa Yearly Meeting was established by Indiana 
 Yearly Meeting in 1863. 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 87 
 
 at the appointed time and place by the 
 Clerk of the last annual meeting, and he 
 shall till his place until a successor is 
 chosen. 
 
 4. The Yearly Meeting shall receive 
 and decide all cases of appeal regularly 
 brought before them from any of the 
 Quarterly Meetings. It may review the 
 proceedings ' of any Quarterly - Meeting,, 
 and shall give advice and instruction, 
 when it is requested or thought necessary, 
 to Quarterly Meetings. Thus the Yearly 
 Meeting shall constitute a bond of union, 
 peace and confidence among all the 
 churches. 
 
 5. The Yearly Meeting has the power 
 to decide questions of doctrine and 
 discipline, and to define the same by 
 legislation ; to counsel, to admonish and 
 to discipline delinquent Quarterly and 
 Monthly Meetings ; to institute measures 
 and provide means for the promotion of 
 truth and holiness; and to inaugurate and 
 carry on departments of work, as the 
 Evangelistic, the Bible School, the Mission 
 and other departments. 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 $s 
 
 6. All propositions from Quarterly 
 Meetings, all resolutions and all proposed 
 legislation upon doctrine and discipline 
 shall be introduced to the Yearly Meeting 
 in writing. 
 
 7 . All propositions to amend or to 
 revise the Declaration of Faith, or the 
 Dorm of Government, shall be referred 
 to the Representative Meeting for one 
 year, and returned with their judgment; 
 and all proposed changes in the Rules of 
 Discipline shall receive the consideration 
 of the Yearly Meeting on at least two 
 days before their final adoption. 
 
Christian Ministry and Oversight. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE MINISTRY. 
 
 The ministry of the Gospel is not of 
 man, but of God only, and the gift and 
 call come through Jesus Christ, the Head 
 over all to His Church. Ministers are 
 to be recognized and endorsed by the 
 churches and accounted as stewards of the 
 mysteries of God. Yet they should 
 constantly remember that they have the 
 divine gift as a treasure in earthen vessels. 
 They may preach only Christ Jesus as 
 Lord and themselves as servants of others 
 for Jesus’ sake. Their ministry should be 
 in the demonstration of the Spirit and 
 power. Although they must declare the 
 whole counsel of God in divers forms, 
 their central theme must be Christ Jesus, 
 the power of God and the wisdom of 
 God. 
 
90 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 OVERSIGHT. 
 
 In the ordering of God there should be 
 elders in every church as co-laborers with 
 the ministers. In addition to the general 
 care and oversight of all the members, 
 elders should entertain and exercise special 
 care for the growth and improvement of 
 ministers in soundness and clearness in 
 doctrine and in an interesting and fitting 
 manner of delivering their communica¬ 
 tions, sympathizing with them in their 
 trials. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 MONTHLY MEETINGS ON MINISTRY AND 
 OVERSIGHT. 
 
 Their Organization , Powers and Duties. 
 
 1. A Monthly Meeting on Ministry 
 and Oversight is composed of all the min¬ 
 isters, elders and overseers within the 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 91 
 
 limits of the Monthly Meeting of which 
 they are members. It shall meet once in 
 three months or oftener, and a meeting 
 maybe called on the request of two mem¬ 
 bers as occasion requires. Monthly Meet¬ 
 ings on Ministry and Oversight shall 
 appoint delegates to the Quarterly Meet¬ 
 ing on Ministry and Oversight. 
 
 2. The Monthly Meeting on Ministry 
 and Oversight shall have the care of the 
 work in the Monthly Meeting. They 
 shall be careful of the reputation of min¬ 
 isters and others who labor in public, 
 being diligent in counsel and encourage¬ 
 ment, and preventing injury to the cause 
 of Christ. They shall guard ministers 
 and other teachers against misquoting and 
 misapplying texts of Scripture, or draw¬ 
 ing wrong conclusions from them, and 
 against promulgating doctrines not in 
 harmony with the principles of the Gospel 
 as held by Friends. 
 
 3. Members of the Monthly Meeting 
 on Ministry and Oversight shall watch 
 over one another for good, that all may 
 lead a blameless life. When occasion 
 
92 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 requires, it is their duty to advise and 
 admonish their fellow-members. If any 
 one of their members is clearly chargeable 
 with unsoundness in doctrine, immorality, 
 or insubordination, they shall extend due 
 Christian care in the case. If this prove 
 unavailing, they shall present a statement 
 of the case to the Quarterly Meeting on 
 Ministry and Oversight. 
 
 ■A. The Monthly Meeting on Ministry 
 and Oversight shall recommend to the 
 Quarterly Meeting on Ministry and Over¬ 
 sight persons for the ministry, who have 
 given satisfactory evidence that they 
 possess the requisite gifts and qualifica¬ 
 tions of ministers. 
 
 5. The Monthly Meeting on Ministry 
 and Oversight shall prepare and read in 
 its meetings answers to the Queries, as 
 required by the Yearly Meeting, and 
 promptly forward them to the Clerk of 
 the Quarterly Meeting on Ministry and 
 Oversight in time for its last meeting 
 preceding the Yearly Meeting. 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 93 - 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 QUARTERLY MEETINGS ON MINISTRY AND 
 OVERSIGHT. 
 
 Their Organization , Powers and Duties. 
 
 1. A Quarterly Meeting on Ministry 
 and Oversight is composed of the delegates 
 from all the Monthly Meetings on Ministry 
 and Oversight within its limits and such 
 other members of these meetings as may 
 be present. It shall meet regularly before 
 the Quarterly Meeting, and near the time 
 of it, to transact the business pertaining 
 to its department of church government, 
 and it shall appoint delegates to the Yearly 
 Meeting on Ministry and Oversight. 
 
 2. The Quarterly Meeting on Ministry 
 and Oversight has authority to visit by 
 committee any of its churches, and to 
 inquire into the conduct and soundness in 
 doctrine of its teachers, when it is clearly 
 advised of the necessity of such action. 
 In such case it may give advice and admo¬ 
 nition to ministers, elders, or overseers. 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 •94 
 
 It shall consider cases of delinquency 
 referred to it by the Monthly Meeting on 
 Ministry and Oversight against ministers, 
 elders or overseers, or it may otherwise 
 call them to account; and, if due care 
 and forbearance prove ineffectual, it may 
 ask the Monthly Meeting to depose them 
 from their official positions; or it may 
 refer the case to the Monthly Meeting for 
 such other action as the latter may think 
 right. When the Quarterly Meeting on 
 Ministry and Oversight has asked that a 
 minister, elder or overseer be deposed, he 
 shall cease to sit in meetings on Ministry 
 and Oversight, until the Monthly Meeting 
 disposes of the case. Deposed ministers, 
 who give satisfactory evidence of repent¬ 
 ance and amendment of life, may be 
 restored to their official position. 
 
 3. The Quarterly Meeting on Ministry 
 and Oversight shall have the general care 
 of the pastoral work within its limits. It 
 shall be diligent and judicious in devising 
 measures and means for the promotion 
 of spiritual life and godliness, and shall 
 give special attention to new congrega- 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 95 
 
 tions, weaker churches and those without 
 a minister. 
 
 I. The Quarterly Meeting on Ministry 
 and Oversight shall receive and carefully 
 consider all memorials of deceased Friends. 
 If, in its judgment, the faith and Christian 
 life and example set forth in any memorial 
 will prove decidedly useful in encouraging 
 the living to trust in Him who was the life 
 and salvation of the deceased member, it 
 may refer it to the Representative Meeting 
 for such use as it may make of it. 
 
 5. At its last meeting before the Yearly 
 Meeting the Quarterly Meeting on Ministry 
 and Oversight shall report all deaths of 
 ministers to the Yearly Meeting on Min¬ 
 istry and Oversight. 
 
 6. At its last meeting preceding the 
 Yearly Meeting the Quarterly Meeting on 
 Ministry and Oversight shall prepare a 
 summary of the answers to Queries re¬ 
 ceived from the Monthly Meetings on 
 Ministry and Oversight and transmit the 
 same to the Clerk of the Yearly Meeting 
 on Ministry and Oversight. 
 
DG 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE YEARLY MEETING ON MINISTRY AND 
 OVERSIGHT. 
 
 Its Organization , Powers and Duties .. 
 
 1. Tlie Yearly Meeting on Ministry 
 and Oversight is composed of the dele¬ 
 gates from the Quarterly Meetings on 
 Ministry and Oversight and other min¬ 
 isters, elders and overseers of Iowa Yearly 
 Meeting. It shall meet annually at Oska- 
 loosa, Iowa, on Fourth-day morning, at 
 eight o’clock, after the opening of the 
 Yearly Meeting on Third-day. This meet¬ 
 ing may hold adjourned meetings, but 
 shall not suffer them to conflict with the 
 sessions of the Yearly Meeting. 
 
 2. In connection with the reading of 
 the Queries and Summaries of Answers 
 from the Quarterly Meetings on Ministry 
 and Oversight, the Yearly Meeting on 
 Ministry and Oversight shall consider the 
 state of its membership, and shall make 
 an annual report to the Yearly Meeting 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 97 
 
 on the spiritual condition of its members. 
 It may address epistles of advice and 
 instruction to its subordinate meetings, 
 and may appoint committees to visit 
 them. 
 
 3. The Yearly Meeting on Ministry 
 and Oversight shall carefully consider 
 subjects which have reference to the 
 spiritual needs of the Society, and it may 
 report its judgment to the Yearly Meeting 
 for its action. 
 
 4. The Yearly Meeting on Ministry 
 and Oversight shall keep a record of 
 deceased ministers as reported to it from 
 the Quarterly Meetings on Ministry and 
 Oversight. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 RECORDING MINISTERS. 
 
 1. When the public services of any 
 one of our members have convinced the 
 Monthly Meeting on Ministry and Over¬ 
 sight that a gift in the ministry has been 
 conferred upon him, and it is satisfied that 
 it should be recognized by the Church, 
 
ffS 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 it should send a proposition to record him 
 as a minister to the Quarterly Meeting on 
 Ministry and Oversight. 
 
 2. Having received a proposition from 
 the Monthly. Meeting on Ministry and 
 Oversight to record any person as a min¬ 
 ister, the Quarterly Meeting on Ministry 
 and Oversight shall appoint a committee 
 to consider the subject and report its 
 judgment as to the person’s spiritual gifts 
 and qualifications for the ministry, and as 
 to his manner of life and doctrinal views. 
 No one should be recorded as a minister 
 whose doctrinal views are not clearly in 
 accord with the affirmative of the Ques¬ 
 tions on pages Ill-lit. If, after due and 
 prayerful deliberation, the Quarterly Meet¬ 
 ing on Ministry and Oversight fully ap¬ 
 prove of the person for the station, it 
 shall transmit a recommendation to the 
 Monthly Meeting to record him as a min¬ 
 ister of the Gospel. 
 
 3. When the Monthly Meeting has 
 received from the Quarterly Meeting on 
 Ministry and Oversight the recommenda¬ 
 tion of any person to the ministry, it shall 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 99 
 
 carefully consider the subject, and if it 
 unite with the meeting recommending the 
 person, it shall record him as a minister 
 -of the Gospel ; and it shall report its 
 action to the Quarterly Meeting on Min¬ 
 istry and Oversight. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 LIBERATING MINISTERS. 
 
 1. When any minister believes that lie 
 Is called of God to ministerial service out¬ 
 side his Quarterly Meeting, the following 
 •course shall be pursued : 
 
 (1) If the proposed service lie within 
 the limits of Iowa Yearly Meeting the 
 minister shall bring the concern before 
 the Monthly Meeting and request a certifi¬ 
 cate of its unity and concurrence in the 
 service. The Monthly Meeting may grant 
 the certificate, defining the nature and field 
 -of the service. 
 
 (2) If the proposed service involve a 
 general visit within the limits of Iowa or 
 other American Yearly Meetings, and the 
 Monthly Meeting unite and concur, it shall 
 
100 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 transmit a written statement oft the nature 
 and field of the service, and of its unity 
 and concurrence therein, to the Quarterly 
 Meeting. If that body also unite and 
 concur in the service, it shall grant the 
 minister requesting it a certificate for the 
 service, defining the nature and field 
 thereof and the unity and concurrence 
 therein of the Monthly Meeting. 
 
 (3) If the proposed service lie beyond 
 the limits of the American Yearly Meet¬ 
 ings, the Monthly Meeting concurring 
 shall transmit to the Quarterly Meeting, 
 and the Quarterly Meeting to the Yearly 
 Meeting on Ministry and Oversight, and 
 the Yearly Meeting on Ministry and Over¬ 
 sight to the Yearly Meeting, a written 
 statement of the nature and field of the 
 service and of their concurrence therein. 
 If the Yearly Meeting also unite and 
 concur in the service, it shall grant the 
 minister requesting it a suitable certificate 
 for the service, defining the nature and 
 field thereof and the unity and concur¬ 
 rence therein of each of the meetings 
 which have considered the subject. 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 101 
 
 2. In every case where a certificate 
 for ministerial service is granted, the 
 •Clerk and the Correspondent shall sign it, 
 and the meeting granting it shall see that 
 the minister is properly provided for. 
 
 3. Certificates for ministerial service 
 shall, after the performance of the labor, 
 be seasonably returned to the meeting or 
 meetings granting them. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE EXECUTIVE AND REGULAR OFFICERS. 
 
 1. The executive and regular officers 
 of business meetings are : the Clerk for 
 business meetings of every kind, the 
 Recorder for the Monthly Meeting, the 
 Correspondent and the Treasurer for the 
 Monthly, the Quarterly and the Yearly 
 Meeting, and three Trustees for the 
 Monthly and five for the Yearly Meeting. 
 The Correspondent and the Trustees shall 
 be chosen and vacancies filled from time 
 to time as occasion requires. The other 
 ■officers shall be chosen annually. All 
 
102 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 officers shall hold their offices until their 
 successors are chosen. 
 
 2. It is the duty of the Clerk of any 
 business meeting to preside over such 
 meeting, to arrange the business and give 
 it direction according to the Form of Gov¬ 
 ernment, the Rules of Discipline and the 
 usages of Friends, and to decide upon all 
 questions considered according to the pre¬ 
 vailing sentiment of the meeting, with 
 due Christian regard for members offering 
 serious objections on grave questions. 
 
 It is further the duty of the Clerk to 
 make and keep a clear and complete record 
 of all business of the meeting, to sign the- 
 minutes of each meeting, to transmit to 
 other business meetings and to receive 
 from them such business as the nature of 
 the office requires. 
 
 3. It is the duty of the Recorder to 
 keep, in a book provided for the purpose,, 
 a carefully revised list of all members be¬ 
 longing to the Monthly Meeting, record¬ 
 ing all births, deaths and marriages.* 
 
 4. It is the duty of the Correspondent 
 
 * See Form of Record at the end of this Volume. 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 103 
 
 of the Monthly or Quarterly Meeting to 
 conduct all correspondence not naturally 
 belonging or specially assigned to the 
 Clerk, and to authenticate all documents 
 issued by the Meeting. 
 
 The Correspondent of the Yearly Meet¬ 
 ing shall have charge of the correspond¬ 
 ence between the Yearly Meeting and 
 other Yearly Meetings, shall authenticate 
 all documents directed to them, and shall 
 sign the certificates of ministers liberated 
 for service outside of the American Yearly 
 Meetings and certificates of membership 
 to be sent to foreign countries. 
 
 5. It is the duty of the Treasurer of 
 any meeting to receive all moneys due 
 the meeting from assessments and other 
 sources, as provided for by the meeting, 
 to hold the same in trust and to expend them 
 for purposes designated by the meeting, 
 lie shall keep an accurate account of the 
 finances of the meeting and submit the 
 same to the meeting at the expiration of 
 his term of office. 
 
 6. It is the duty of the Trustees of 
 the Monthly Meeting to hold in trust all 
 
104 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 the real estate or other properties belong¬ 
 ing to the Monthly Meeting, and to have 
 .all deeds of property recorded. 
 
 It is the duty of the Trustees of the 
 Yearly Meeting to hold in trust all build¬ 
 ings, lands and other properties in order 
 dor their appointed purposes, guarding 
 them from injury and improper use. 
 They shall have all deeds of property 
 legally recorded in the name of Iowa 
 Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends. 
 They shall report annually the condition 
 of all properties requiring the attention of 
 the Yearly Meeting, with such suggestions 
 as they may deem wise. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE REPRESENTATIVE MEETING. 
 
 Its Organization , Powers and Duties. 
 
 1. The Representative Meeting is com¬ 
 posed of twenty-five members, who shall 
 be appointed by the Yearly Meeting every 
 five years, with a view to fitness and 
 to the convenience with which they can 
 assemble, and one member appointed by 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 105 
 
 ■each Quarterly Meeting. Remote Quar¬ 
 terly Meetings may choose their Represen¬ 
 tatives from Quarterly Meetings more 
 conveniently located. The Trustees of 
 the Yearly Meeting shall he fix-officio 
 members of the Representative Meeting. 
 They shall meet at seven o’clock on Third- 
 day evening following the opening of 
 the Yearly Meeting at Oskaloosa, Iowa. 
 Twelve members shall constitute a meet¬ 
 ing to transact business. Vacancies occur¬ 
 ring on any account should be promptly 
 filled by the respective meetings. 
 
 2. The Representative Meeting shall 
 represent the Yearly Meeting in the interim 
 of its annual assemblies. It may meet 
 on its own adjournments, or on the call 
 of five members special meetings may be 
 held; of which the Clerk shall give ten 
 days’ notice to all the members, and shall 
 specify the subjects which are to claim the 
 attention of the meeting. 
 
 3. The Representative Meeting may 
 draw on the Treasurer of the Yearly to 
 pay necessary expenses incurred in the 
 ■execution of its duties. 
 
106 
 
 FOKM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 4. It is further the duty of the Repre¬ 
 sentative Meeting : 
 
 (1) To act on behalf of the Yearly 
 Meeting in cases where the interest or 
 reputation of the Society may render it 
 necessary. 
 
 (2) To attend to such business as the 
 Yearly Meeting may refer to them. 
 
 (3) To examine all books and pam¬ 
 phlets proposed to be printed and profess¬ 
 ing to be the doctrines and principles of 
 the Society, and to promote or discourage 
 the publication of them according to its 
 judgment. Our members are required to 
 submit their doctrinal treatises, purporting 
 to set forth the doctrine of Friends, to the 
 examination of the Representative Meet¬ 
 ing, and they should not publish them 
 without the approbation of that body. 
 
 (4) To reprint and republish any^ 
 writings which they shall judge suffi¬ 
 ciently useful. 
 
 (5) To examine memorials of deceased 
 members transmitted to them from the- 
 Quarterly Meeting on Ministry and Over¬ 
 sight; and, if they shall judge it desirable- 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 107 
 
 and expedient, to recommend their publi¬ 
 cation to the Yearly Meeting. 
 
 (6) To inspect and ascertain titles to 
 lands and other estates belonging to any 
 of the meetings when necessary; to attend 
 to the appropriation of charitable legacies 
 and donations; and, if need be, to give 
 advice on such matters. 
 
 (7) To extend such advice and assist¬ 
 ance to persons suffering for our Christian 
 testimonies, as the case may require; and, 
 if necessary, to apply to the Government 
 or to persons in authority on their behalf. 
 
 (8) To keep a record of their pro¬ 
 ceedings and to lay the same annually 
 before the Yearly Meeting. 
 
 Ministers, and members of other Rep¬ 
 resentative Meetings, may attend the 
 sessions of the Representative Meeting. 
 
108 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 CHAPTER XYI. 
 
 THE QUERIES. 
 
 General Queries. 
 
 To be read and answered in the Month¬ 
 ly and Quarterly Meetings next pre¬ 
 ceding the Yearly Meeting and written 
 answers accompanied by the Statistical 
 Report to be forwarded by the Monthly 
 Meeting to the Quarterly Meeting, and a 
 summary thereof by the Quarterly to the 
 Yearly Meeting. 
 
 1. Are your meetings for worship and 
 for discipline regularly held, and are they 
 well attended ? 
 
 2. Are you united in the bonds of 
 Christian fellowship? Are your lives 
 and deportment consistent with your pro¬ 
 fession ? 
 
 3. Are the rules of the Discipline 
 administered timely, impartially, and in 
 a Christian spirit? And is a spirit of 
 restoring love evinced toward offenders ? 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 100 
 
 4. Do you have daily family worship? 
 And do you frequently read the Holy 
 Scriptures? Are you careful to instruct 
 your children in a knowledge of the same, 
 and to train them for upright and useful 
 lives? and do you labor for their early 
 conversion and growth in grace? 
 
 5. Do you inspect and relieve the 
 necessities of those among you requiring 
 aid ? 
 
 6. Are your members well informed 
 in the doctrines of the Christian Religion? 
 and in our Christian principles concerning 
 War, Oaths, Secret Societies and Lot¬ 
 teries? and are they careful to maintain 
 them ? 
 
 7. The Statistical Queries are answered 
 by filling out the Statistical Table at the 
 end of this Volume. 
 
 Queries for Meetings on Ministry and 
 Oversight. 
 
 To be read in the Monthly Meeting 
 m Ministry and Oversight preceding the 
 second Quarterly Meeting on Ministry 
 and Oversight, and also in the Monthl 
 
110 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 Meeting on Ministry and Oversight pre¬ 
 ceding the fourth Quarterly Meeting on 
 Ministry and Oversight, and written an¬ 
 swers to be forwarded by the former to 
 the latter. The Quarterly Meeting on Min¬ 
 istry and Oversight shall consider the an¬ 
 swers, and at the fourth Quarterly Meeting 
 it shall transmit a summary of them to the 
 Yearly Meeting on Ministry and Oversight. 
 
 1. Are you diligent and punctual in 
 attending meetings for worship and for 
 discipline, and are you careful to promote 
 the attendance of your families on public 
 worship ? 
 
 2. Are your lives blameless among 
 men? Are you in unity one with another, 
 and with the meetings to which you belong, 
 laboring together harmoniously for the 
 salvation of souls and the building up of 
 the Church ? 
 
 3. Do you have family worship ? and 
 are you engaged frequently in the study 
 of the Holy Scriptures, prayerfully seek¬ 
 ing a right understanding of their con¬ 
 tents? and are you careful not to misquote 
 or misapply them ? 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 Ill 
 
 4. Are you careful to rule your own 
 houses well, and do you endeavor to train up 
 your families in a consistent Christian life ? 
 
 5. Are all the. members of the Meeting 
 on Ministry and Oversight well informed 
 and sound in the doctrines of the Chris¬ 
 tian Religion ? Do they teach, exhort, 
 caution and encourage as those that shall 
 give account ? 
 
 Questions to Ministers and Elders. 
 
 Meetings on Ministry and Oversight 
 shall he careful to recommend no one to 
 he recorded as-a minister or elder whose 
 doctrinal views are not clearly in accord 
 with the affirmative of the following ques¬ 
 tions. 
 
 To be read once a year in the Monthly, 
 Quarterly and Yearly Meetings on Minis¬ 
 try and Oversight. 
 
 1. Dost thou believe in one only wise, 
 omnipotent and -eternal God, the Creator 
 and Upholder of all things? 
 
 2. Dost thou believe in the fall of 
 man through disobedience to God, by 
 yielding to the temptation of Satan ; in 
 
112 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 tlie depravity of the human heart result¬ 
 ing therefrom ; and that, in consequence, 
 all men hav.e sinned and come under con¬ 
 demnation ? 
 
 3. Dost thou believe in the Deity and 
 Manhood of the Lord Jesus Christ ; that 
 His willing sacrifice on the cross of Cal¬ 
 vary was a satisfactory offering to God for 
 the sins of the whole world ; that He arose 
 from the dead and ascended into heaven, 
 and now sitteth at the right hand of the 
 Father, our Mediator, Advocate and In¬ 
 tercessor ; that man, having been led to 
 repentance, is justified and made accept¬ 
 able to God through faith in Christ and in 
 His atoning blood and mediation ; that 
 this salvation is the free gift of God ; that 
 it is offered to all, and that all have power 
 to accept or reject it ? 
 
 4. Dost thou believe in the Holy Spirit, 
 the promise of the Father, whom Christ 
 declared He would send in His name ; 
 that He is come, and convicts the world 
 of sin ; that He leads to repentance to¬ 
 wards God and, as the Gospel is known, 
 to faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ, by 
 
FOEM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 113 
 
 taking of His and showing it to believers 
 opens to them the truths of the Gospel as 
 set forth in Holy Scriptures and, as they 
 exercise faith, guides, sanctifies, comforts 
 and supports them; that through Him the 
 Lord Jesus Christ performs the work of 
 grace in the hearts of men ? 
 
 5. Dost thou believe thou hast been 
 born again and hast thou become a child 
 of God ? 
 
 0. Dost thou believe in the spirituality 
 of worship ; that the one Baptism of the 
 Gospel dispensation is that of Christ, who 
 baptizes His people with the Holy Spirit ; 
 and that the only true communion is a 
 spiritual partaking of the body and blood 
 of Christ by faith ? 
 
 7. Dost thou believe the Lord Jesus 
 Christ is Head over all things to the 
 Church ; that He calls to the service of 
 the Gospel and qualifies for it, and that 
 the gift and the qualification to judge of 
 it are from Him, to be exercised under 
 the guidance of the Holy Spirit ? 
 
 8. Dost thou believe in the resurrec¬ 
 tion of the just and of the unjust ; in a 
 
114 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 day of judgment; and that the wicked 
 shall go away into eternal punishment, 
 but the righteous into eternal life ? 
 
 9. Dost thou believe that the Holy 
 Scriptures were given by inspiration of 
 God ; that they are to be believed and 
 accepted in their entirety ; and that what¬ 
 ever doctrine or practice is contrary to 
 them is to be rejected as false and erro¬ 
 neous ? 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE ADVICES. 
 
 I. Advices to all Members of the 
 Church. To be read once a year in the 
 Monthly Meeting. 
 
 Christ, who is Head over all things to 
 the Church, and who hath promised to 
 be in the midst of those gathered in His 
 name, condescends to make use of all His 
 servants, by imparting to them spiritual 
 gifts, to be exercised under the renewed 
 anointing of the Holy Spirit, for the con¬ 
 version of sinners, and for the edification, 
 exhortation and comfort of the assembled 
 worshipers. Each living member of the 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 115 
 
 •Church of Christ has a place of service, 
 and to each one the manifestation of the 
 Spirit is given to profit withal. All Chris¬ 
 tians should thankfully acknowledge the 
 goodness of the Lord in conferring diver¬ 
 sities of gifts, intellectual as well as spir¬ 
 itual, upon the members of His Church ; 
 and they should hear in mind that, how¬ 
 ever great their diversities, it is by the 
 same Spirit they are given ; however dif¬ 
 fering in their ministrations, it is the same 
 Lord; however diversified thier operations, 
 it is the same God who worketh all in all. 
 
 All should faithfully employ their tal¬ 
 ents and various gifts divinely bestowed, 
 in dependence upon His grace, and in lov¬ 
 ing service to Him, who loved them and 
 gave Himself for them; remembering the 
 apostolic injunction, “Ye are not your 
 own ; for ye were bought with a price ; 
 glorify God therefore in your body.” In 
 all LLis service and in the exercise of every 
 gift the Christian should realize the peace 
 of Christ reigning and the love of Christ 
 abounding in his heart, and, above all, he 
 should seek in all things the more excel- 
 
116 
 
 FOKM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 lent way of humbly showing the Christ- 
 like love that never faileth. 
 
 Take heed, brethren, to the convictions of 
 the Holy Spirit, who leads through 
 unfeigned repentance and living faith 
 in the Son of God to reconciliation 
 with our Heavenly Father; and to the 
 blessed hope of eternal life, purchased 
 for us by the one offering of our Lord 
 and Saviour Jesus Christ. 
 
 Be earnestly concerned in religious meet¬ 
 ings, reverently to present yourselves 
 before the Lord ; and seek, by the help 
 of the Lloly Spirit, to worship God 
 through Jesus Christ. Avoid all sacra¬ 
 mental and symbolic rites and ordi¬ 
 nances, which are only shadows of good 
 things to come, in order that ye maj 
 the more freely partake of the Divine 
 Nature, of Christ the Life already come, 
 the real substance of the things. 
 
 Prize the privilege of access through Him 
 unto the Father. Continue steadfastly 
 in prayer, and watch therein with 
 thanksgiving. 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 117 
 
 Be in the frequent practice of waiting 
 upon the Lord in private retirement ; 
 honestly examining yourselves as to 
 your growth in grace, and your prepa¬ 
 ration for the life to come. 
 
 He diligent in the private perusal of the 
 Holy Scriptures ; and let the daily 
 reading of them in your families be 
 devoutly conducted. 
 
 Be careful to make a profitable and reli¬ 
 gious use of those portions of time on 
 the first day of the week which are not 
 occupied by meetings for worship. 
 
 Live in love as Christian brethren, ready 
 to be helpful one to another sympathiz¬ 
 ing with one another in the trials and 
 afflictions of life. Watch over one 
 another for good, manifesting an earnest 
 desire that each may possess a well- 
 grounded hope in Christ. 
 
 Follow peace with all men, desiring the 
 true happiness of all ; be kind and 
 liberal to the poor, and endeavor to 
 promote the temporal, moral and spirit¬ 
 ual well-being of your fellow-men. 
 
 Avoid all military and war-like precepts 
 
118 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 and practices, and discourage them in 
 others ; that ye,.who have known the 
 joy of peace with God, may be faithful 
 followers of the Prince of Peace. 
 
 With a tender conscience, in accordance 
 with the precepts of the Gospel, take 
 heed to the limitations of the Spirit of 
 Truth in the pursuit of the things of 
 this life. 
 
 Maintain strict integrity in your transac¬ 
 tions in trade, and in all your outward 
 concerns. Guard against the spirit of 
 speculation; and remember that ye must 
 account for the mode of acquiring, as 
 well as for the manner of using and 
 finally disposing of your possessions. 
 
 Observe simplicity and moderation in your 
 deportment and attire, in the furniture 
 of your houses, and in your style and 
 manner of living. Carefully maintain 
 in your own conduct, and encourage 
 in your families, truthfulness and sin¬ 
 cerity; and avoid worldliness in all its 
 forms. 
 
 Let the poor of this world remember that 
 it is our Heavenly Father's will that all 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 110 
 
 His children should be rich in faith. 
 Let your lights shine in lives of honest 
 industry and patient love. Do your 
 utmost to maintain yourselves and your 
 families in an honorable independence, 
 and, by prudent care in time of health,, 
 to provide for sickness and old age, 
 holding fast the promise, “I will never 
 leave thee nor forsake thee.” 
 
 Guard watchfully against the introduction 
 into your households of publications of 
 a hurtful tendency ; and against such 
 companionships, indulgencies and rec¬ 
 reations, whether for yourselves or your 
 children, as may in any wise interfere 
 with a growth in grace. 
 
 Whatever be your position in life, avoid 
 such sports and places of diversion as 
 are frivolous or demoralizing, as gam¬ 
 bling, lotteries, balls, circuses, and the 
 use of tobacco and intoxicating liquors. 
 
 Beware of secret societies and lodges and 
 their baneful influences ; and cherish 
 your covenant with God and your union 
 and communion with Him through 
 Christ in His Church. 
 
120 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 In contemplating the engagement of mar¬ 
 riage, look principally to that which 
 will help you on your heavenward jour¬ 
 ney. Pay filial regard to the judgment 
 of your parents. Bear in mind the 
 vast importance, in such a union of an 
 accordance in religious principles and 
 practices. Ask counsel of God ; desir¬ 
 ing above all temporal considerations, 
 that your union may be owned and 
 blessed of Him. 
 
 Watch with tenderness over the opening 
 minds of your children ; inure them to 
 habits of self-restraint and filial obedi¬ 
 ence ; carefully instruct them in the 
 knowledge of the Holy Scriptures ; and 
 seek for ability to imbue their hearts 
 with the love of their Heavenly Father, 
 their Redeemer and their Sanctifier. 
 
 Finally, brethren, let your whole conduct 
 and life be such as become the Gospel. 
 Exercise yourselves to have always a 
 conscience void of offence towards God 
 and towards men. Be steadfast and 
 faithful in your allegiance and service 
 to your Lord ; continue in his love ; 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 121 
 
 give diligence to keep the unity of the 
 Spirit in the bond of peace. 
 
 II. Advices to Ministers, Elders and 
 
 Overseers. 
 
 Give earnest heed to the religious condi¬ 
 tion of the particular congregations 
 within your limits, and whether the 
 meetings for worship are held to edifi¬ 
 cation and to the honor of God. 
 
 Give counsel, encouragement and help to 
 those engaged in the work of the min¬ 
 istry, especially to the younger and 
 more inexperienced. 
 
 Be careful to attend and encourage mis¬ 
 sions, smaller meetings and those with¬ 
 out a minister, 
 
 Visit the infirm, the sick and the afflicted. 
 
 Be mindful of the children and young 
 who attend your meetings, and of the 
 promotion of their religious and scrip¬ 
 tural instruction. 
 
 Be diligent in the propagation of the Gos¬ 
 pel in your communities. 
 
 Be constant in your endeavors, through 
 
122 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 the power of the Holy Spirit, to live 
 under the government of Christ. 
 
 Be frequent in reading and diligent in 
 meditating upon the Holy Scriptures, 
 and he careful not to misquote or mis¬ 
 apply them. In preaching, writing or 
 conversing about the things of God, 
 keep to the use of sound words in 
 harmony with Scripture. 
 
 Be careful to adorn the doctrine of God 
 our Saviour in all things ; keep your¬ 
 selves unspotted from the world, and 
 he examples of meekness, temperance, 
 patience and love. 
 
 Be watchful not to become entangled with 
 the cares of this world, and manifest 
 Christian moderation and contentment 
 in all things. 
 
 Cherish a deep religious interest on behalf 
 of those who speak in the ministry ; 
 watching over the young and inexperi¬ 
 enced with tender concern, encouraging 
 all in the right way of the Lord. 
 
 In the exercise of the ministry wait for 
 the renewed putting forth of the Holy 
 Spirit ; be careful not to exceed the 
 
FOKM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 123 
 
 measure of your gift, but proceed and 
 conclude in the life and authority of 
 the Gospel. 
 
 Preach not yourselves, but Christ Jesus 
 the Lord ; reverently asking wisdom of 
 God. Let nothing be done or offered 
 with a view to popularity, but all 
 in humility and in the fear of the 
 Lord. 
 
 Let ministers ever bear in mind with what 
 high and holy calling they are called by 
 their ascended Lord. Stir up the gift 
 of God which is in you. Remember 
 that the gift and calling of God are 
 without repentance. Give yourselves 
 to reading, to exhortation and to teach¬ 
 ing, and be diligent, that your progress 
 may be manifest unto all. 
 
 Take heed to yourselves and your teach¬ 
 ings. Re faithful, prayerful students 
 of the Holy Scriptures, the divinely 
 inspired oracles, that ye may speak as 
 it were the oracles of God. 
 
 Do your utmost to be completely fur¬ 
 nished unto every good work and all 
 sound words. 
 
124 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 ■Give diligence ever to present yourselves 
 approved unto God, workmen that need 
 not be ashamed, enabled by Divine 
 grace rightly to divide the word of 
 Truth. 
 
 Remember before God, and Christ Jesus, 
 who shall judge the cpiick and the dead, 
 to preach Christ the Son of God, Christ 
 the Divine Word, Christ the Son of Man, 
 Christ the Crucified, Christ the Life. 
 
 Bearing in mind that the treasure is in 
 earthen vessels, beware of laying stress 
 on the authority of your ministry ; the 
 baptizing power of the Spirit of Truth 
 accompanying the words being the true 
 evidence. 
 
 Be tender at all times of one another’s 
 reputation, and watchful lest you hurt 
 one another’s service. As servants of 
 the same Lord, with diversities of gifts, 
 but the same Spirit, maintain a lively 
 exercise harmoniously to labor for the 
 spreading and advancement of the 
 Truth. 
 
 Bet ministers endeavor to express them¬ 
 selves distinctly and audibly, and guard 
 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 125 
 
 against all tones and gestures inconsist¬ 
 ent with Christian simplicity. Let them 
 beware of using unnecessary preambles, 
 and of making additions towards the 
 conclusion of a meeting, when it wuis 
 left well before. 
 
 When traveling in the service of Christ, 
 be careful to move under His guidance. 
 Let your visits be neither short and 
 hurried, nor burdensome or unnec¬ 
 essarily expensive, giving no offence in 
 anything, that the ministry be not 
 blamed. 
 
 Prayer, thanksgiving and praise are im¬ 
 portant parts of worship, and in public 
 they ought ever to spring from a living 
 sense of the wants and condition of 
 the congregation. Let them be offered 
 in spirit and in truth, always seasoned 
 with grace. When engaged therein 
 avoid many words and repetitions ; 
 and be cautious of too oft repeating 
 the high and holy name of God ; neither 
 let prayer be in a formal way, nor 
 without a reverent sense of Divine 
 influence. 
 
120 
 
 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 Finally, brethren beloved, take heed to 
 yourselves, and to all the flock amongst 
 whom the Holy Spirit hath called you 
 to labor. Be faithful ; be patient ; be 
 in earnest to fulfill your appointed 
 service, that when the Chief Shepherd 
 shall appear, ye may receive the crown 
 of glory that fadeth not away. 
 
THE RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE SUBJECTS AND ENDS OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 Discipline is the exercise of the author¬ 
 ity and the preservation of the Gospel 
 order, which the Church should maintain, 
 under the Lord Jesus Christ, over all its 
 members, officers and meetings. 
 
 The children of church members are 
 also members of the Church, are under 
 the care and subject to the government 
 and discipline of the Church, and are par¬ 
 takers of the outward privileges of Chris¬ 
 tian fellowship. Rut all should bear in 
 mind that this can not constitute them 
 members of the Spiritual Church of Christ. 
 Only the Holy Spirit working repentance 
 towards God and faith towards our Lord 
 Jesus Christ can do this. Hence the 
 words of our Divine Master should have 
 place with all, “Ye must be born again.” 
 Children should be taught the grounds of 
 
130 
 
 RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 conversion and should learn early to obey 
 the Lord, to bear witness to His saving 
 grace and to perform the duties of church 
 members. 
 
 The ends of Discipline are the mainten¬ 
 ance of the authority and honor of Christ, 
 by the removal of offences, the promotion 
 of truth, the building up of the Church 
 and the spiritual good of offenders. Dis¬ 
 cipline should, therefore, be exercised 
 with prudence and discretion, in meek¬ 
 ness, patience and steadfastness, and in 
 the love of Christ. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 RULES GOVERNING MEETINGS FOR DISCIPLINE. 
 
 1. An occasion of worship shall pre¬ 
 cede all meetings for discipline. 
 
 2. The rights and privileges of mem¬ 
 bership shall be in no way restricted on 
 account of sex. 
 
 3. Meetings for discipline shall keep 
 a clear and complete record of their pro¬ 
 ceedings. 
 
 4. Meetings for discipline shall have 
 
RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 131 
 
 discretionary power in granting copies of 
 minutes, when they are requested, to other 
 meetings for discipline, except those to 
 which they are subordinate, and in grant¬ 
 ing them to individuals. 
 
 5. Men and women are at liberty to 
 organize and hold their meetings for dis¬ 
 cipline conjointly or separately. When 
 held separately the meetings shall be gov¬ 
 erned by the same general rules, and 
 neither of the meetings shall determine 
 questions affecting the rights of individ¬ 
 uals, or the welfare of the Society, with¬ 
 out the consent of the other. 
 
 G. Meetings for discipline shall pro¬ 
 vide for the collection and management 
 of funds for the various church purposes. 
 
 7. Meetings for discipline shall main¬ 
 tain in regular succession Trustees to hold, 
 in a manner provided by law and accord¬ 
 ing to their duties defined in the Form of 
 Government, all properties entrusted to 
 them. 
 
 8. In entertaining propositions requir¬ 
 ing protracted deliberation, or in consid¬ 
 ering extended details of accounts, meet- 
 
132 
 
 RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 ings for discipline should usually refer the 
 subject to a committee. 
 
 9. Meetings for discipline may change 
 the time and place of meeting, and they 
 shall report such changes to their superior 
 meetings. 
 
 10. The Monthly Meeting shall have 
 a standing committee to provide for min¬ 
 isters traveling in the service of the 
 Gospel. 
 
 11. It is the duty of the overseers 
 annually to prepare the answers to the 
 Queries, and to collect the statistics and 
 make the report thereof to the Monthly 
 Meeting, for the statistical year ending 
 with the thirtieth of Sixth Month. 
 
 12. Subordinate meetings should carry 
 out all instructions which they receive 
 from a superior meeting. 
 
 13. Delegates appointed to attend 
 superior meetings, shall render reasons 
 for their non-attendance to the meetings 
 which appoint them, and they shall not 
 withdraw from the meetings to which they 
 are appointed without their consent. 
 
 14. In the exercise of discipline and 
 
RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 333 
 
 in the transaction of the business of the 
 church, when there is no rule of Disci¬ 
 pline fitting a particular case which may 
 arise, the various meetings for discipline 
 should be governed by reason, exercised 
 in a Christian spirit, according to the 
 usages of the Society and within the limits 
 granted them in the Form of Government. 
 
 15. All complaints and propositions 
 .affecting the rights of members shall be 
 presented by the overseers to the Monthly 
 Meeting in writing, but not before the 
 parties have been informed and proper 
 care extended, if possible. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 RIGHTS OF MEMBERSHIP. 
 
 1. Application for membership shall 
 be made in writing to the Monthly Meet¬ 
 ing, through the overseers, or directly, or 
 through a committee of the Monthly or of 
 the Quarterly Meeting. 
 
 2. A committee of suitable persons 
 shall be appointed to examine each appli¬ 
 cant for membership to ascertain, whether 
 
134 
 
 RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 lie makes a credible profession of faith in 
 Christ as his Saviour and accepts the doc¬ 
 trines of the Christian Religion, whether 
 his present life indicates the sincerity of 
 his profession, whether he accepts the 
 Christian principles held by Friends, and 
 will cheerfully conform' to our Form of 
 Government and Rules of Discipline, and 
 will contribute of his means to the pur¬ 
 poses of the church. 
 
 3. In exceptional cases, where it is 
 manifestly needless, persons may be re¬ 
 ceived by the Monthly Meeting without 
 the care of a committee. 
 
 4. The names of children whose par¬ 
 ents are Friends shall be placed on the 
 list of members by the Recorder. 
 
 5. When parents who are accustomed 
 to attend the meetings of Friends, though 
 only one of them be a member, manifest 
 an interest in the Society and request 
 membership for their children, it may, in 
 the judgment of the Monthly Meeting, 
 be granted. 
 
 6. If their parents or guardians request 
 it, minors may be received as members. 
 
RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 135 
 
 when there is a reasonable assurance that 
 they will be brought up with proper Chris¬ 
 tian care. 
 
 7. Certificates of membership from 
 other Monthly Meetings in Iowa or other 
 Yearly Meetings should be received by 
 the Monthly Meeting to which they are 
 directed, unless there is manifest cause 
 for returning them, and information of the 
 action taken should always be sent to the 
 Monthly Meetings issuing the certificates. 
 
 8. When applicants for membership 
 bring letters of recommendation from 
 other evangelical denominations, Monthly 
 Meetings may exercise their judgment as 
 to receiving them. 
 
 9. The reception and the issuing of 
 all certificates of membership should be 
 recorded on the minutes of the Monthly 
 Meeting, and the list of members corrected 
 accordingly. 
 
 10. When the Monthly Meeting has 
 received any applicant into membership, 
 it shall inform him of his reception, 
 through the Clerk, or otherwise. 
 
 11. The application to a Monthly 
 
136 
 
 RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 Meeting for the removal of a certificate 
 of membership should be granted, after 
 due care in regard to conduct and temporal 
 affairs has been extended. The certificate, 
 except in* the case of ministers, should 
 express only, that the applicant is a mem¬ 
 ber, that there is no obstruction to grant¬ 
 ing the certificate, and that he is recom¬ 
 mended to the Monthly Meeting addressed. 
 
 12. Certificates transferring the mem¬ 
 bership of ministers shall always include 
 a certificate of their ministry. 
 
 13. Monthly Meetings may furnish 
 members proposing to travel, or to sojourn 
 at a distance, letters of introduction to 
 Friends, or to other Christians, certifying 
 their membership and Christian standing, 
 and recommending them to those amongst 
 whom they may come. But such letters 
 convey no rights of membership. 
 
 14. Members removing to places re¬ 
 mote from any Monthly Meeting of the 
 Society should correspond with their 
 Monthly Meetings. If no information has 
 been, or can be, received from a member 
 for two years, his Monthly Meeting may, 
 
RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 137 
 
 in its discretion, remove his name from the 
 list of members. 
 
 15. If a member, whose life and Chris¬ 
 tian walk has been commendable, wishes 
 to unite with some other evangelical 
 society of Christians, the Monthly Meet¬ 
 ing may grant him a letter stating his 
 Christian standing, whereupon his mem¬ 
 bership shall cease in the Society of 
 Friends, and be so recorded. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 FORFEITURE OF MEMBERSHIP AND OF OFFICE. 
 
 1. Resignations of membership should 
 be made to the Monthly Meeting in writ¬ 
 ing. After care has been given, the 
 Monthly Meeting may in its discretion 
 accept a resignation. 
 
 2. When any member shall have 
 united with another religious society, his 
 Monthly Meeting shall remove his name 
 from the list of members, and inform him 
 of their action. 
 
 3. When complaint against any mem¬ 
 ber has been introduced by the overseers 
 
138 
 
 KULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 to the Monthly Meeting, a committee 
 should be appointed to confer with the 
 offender, show him his error, and, if 
 possible, lead him to repentance and con¬ 
 fession of the same, in order that he may 
 be restored to fellowship in the church. 
 After due care and forbearance have been 
 extended without avail, the Monthly Meet¬ 
 ing may prepare a minute of disownment 
 and furnish the offender with a copy of 
 the same. 
 
 4. When any of our members habitu¬ 
 ally neglect the attendance of meetings, 
 after due care on the part of the Monthly 
 Meeting, their membership should cease, 
 and their names should be removed from 
 the list of members. 
 
 5. If any member shall deny the 
 fundamental doctrines of the Christian 
 Religion, shall teach doctrines subversive 
 of the principles of the Society of Friends, 
 shall be guilty of immorality, or conduct 
 that brings the Christian Religion into 
 public disrepute, or persist in a spirit of 
 insubordination, the Monthly Meeting 
 shall appoint a committee for the purpose 
 
RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 139 
 
 and endeavor in a Christian spirit to 
 reclaim him. If this prove unavailing, 
 it shall disown him. 
 
 6. If any of our members shall engage 
 in buying or selling tobacco, or intoxi¬ 
 cating liquors, except for medicinal or 
 mechanical purposes, or shall take or 
 administer oaths, the Monthly Meeting 
 to which they belong shall earnestly seek 
 to convince them of their error in the 
 light of Christ and the Gospel, and ta 
 restore them. 
 
 7. If any of our members shall engage 
 in gambling or lotteries, or enlist in the 
 army or navy, the Monthly Meeting shall 
 seek to reclaim them from their error. If 
 its care prove unavailing, it should dis¬ 
 own them. 
 
 8. When the name of a member has, 
 for any reason, been removed from the 
 list of members, the Monthly Meeting 
 shall, if practicable, inform him of its- 
 action. 
 
 9. If any of our members, whose offi¬ 
 cial positions make them representative 
 persons in the church, shall partake of the 
 
140 
 
 RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 outward rite of Baptism or of the Supper, 
 or shall teach or advocate these, or any 
 other doctrines or practices contrary to 
 our Declaration of Faith, or official state¬ 
 ments of Christian doctrine, timely care 
 shall be extended and, if they can not be 
 prevailed upon to condemn their error 
 and to desist therefrom, their Monthly 
 Meetings shall remove them from such 
 positions. 
 
 CHAPTER Y. 
 
 OTHER RULES AND REGULATIONS. 
 
 1. Secret Societies. 
 
 The open and free Gospel is destined for 
 all the human family, and the principles 
 of the Christian Religion are designed to 
 be publicly addressed to all men, and they 
 embrace the entire area of glory to God 
 in the highest, with peace, beneficence and 
 good will to all men; and these principles 
 furnish the most noble and powerful 
 inducements to every good word and work. 
 Therefore, all our members are advised 
 against joining in any secret organization. 
 
RULES OF DISCIULINE. 
 
 141 
 
 And if, in following the practice or rules 
 of any secret society, any do depart from 
 the principles of the Gospel or any of our 
 testimonies, they should be treated with; 
 and if they can not be convinced of the error 
 and led to desist therefrom, they should 
 be released from membership with us. 
 
 And, believing that the obligations and 
 rules of the order of Freemasons are 
 inconsistent with Christianity, if, there¬ 
 fore, any of our members shall join in 
 membership with or adhere to them, or to 
 other oath-bound secret societies, Monthly 
 Meetings should extend care; and if they 
 can not be convinced of their error, they 
 should be disowned. 
 
 II. Tobacco. 
 
 The use of tobacco is repulsive to good 
 taste and injurious to health, requiring a 
 needless and, in the aggregate, an enor¬ 
 mous waste of labor and money. There¬ 
 fore all church members who indulge in 
 the practice should discontinue and dis¬ 
 courage a habit so disgusting and so 
 
142 
 
 RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 fraught with evil. Christians who prayer¬ 
 fully consider the subject will feel consci¬ 
 entiously restrained from the use, produc¬ 
 tion, or sale of the article. No person who 
 uses or sells tobacco should be recorded a 
 minister, or appointed an elder, or over¬ 
 seer, or clerk. 
 
 111. Arbitration. 
 
 When differences arise between our 
 members, by mutual concession and con- 
 decension they should settle the matter 
 between themselves ; but if an earnest 
 effort in this direction prove unavailing, 
 they are directed to proceed in the follow¬ 
 ing manner : The party who believes 
 himself wronged should take two of the 
 overseers, or other Friends, and in their 
 presence repeat the request for settlement. 
 
 If the case is plain and clear in the 
 united judgment of the Friends called 
 upon, they should advise a prompt settle¬ 
 ment as justice demands. But if the case 
 appears to be involved in some difficulty, 
 they should advise the parties to choose 
 
RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 113 
 
 each a Friend, as arbitrators, and those 
 thus chosen shall choose another Friend, 
 and to these three the matter in dispute 
 shall be submitted—the litigants binding 
 themselves in writing to abide their award. 
 Arbitrators should attend promptly to the 
 business referred to them, giving the par¬ 
 ties a full and fair hearing in the pres¬ 
 ence of each other, but listening to neither 
 separately ; neither should they let their 
 sentiments be known to any one until they 
 have come to a clear decision. Where 
 arbitrators are at a loss for want of legal 
 knowledge, they are at liberty to take such 
 counsel at the joint expense of the parties. 
 They should not reject any evidence, nor 
 receive any, except in the presence of 
 both parties. 
 
 If any of our members shall refuse 
 to settle a difficulty, as advised above, 
 they should be treated with; and if they 
 do not give satisfaction by complying 
 with the advice of Friends, or with the 
 award, or shall satisfy the Monthly Meet¬ 
 ing that the decision is an error, they shall 
 be disowned. 
 
144 
 
 RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 If tlie Monthly Meeting becomes satis¬ 
 fied that a decision is unjust, prompt 
 measures should be taken to see that 
 justice is done by another arbitration or 
 otherwise. 
 
 When the foregoing mode of procedure 
 is, in the judgment of the overseers, imprac¬ 
 ticable without loss or injustice to the 
 claimant or those whom he represents, 
 recourse to the law is permitted, with the 
 caution that Friends conduct themselves 
 as Christians. 
 
 Ministers should not be chosen as arbi¬ 
 trators, lest their service in the Gospel be 
 marred thereby. 
 
 IV. Appeals. 
 
 When any who have lost their right of 
 membership under the Rules of Discipline 
 think themselves aggrieved by the judg¬ 
 ment of a Monthly Meeting, they may, 
 after being informed of their non-mem¬ 
 bership, notify the first or second Monthly 
 Meeting following (but no other) of their 
 intention to appeal to the Quarterly Meet- 
 
RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 145 
 
 ing, which notification the Monthly Meet¬ 
 ing shall enter on its minutes, and appoint 
 two or more Friends to attend the Quar¬ 
 terly Meeting, with a copy of the pro¬ 
 ceedings in the case, signed by the Clerk, 
 and to show the reasons upon which the 
 judgment was founded. 
 
 The Quarterly Meeting shall refer the 
 case to a committee, omitting the members 
 of the Monthly Meeting from which the 
 appeal came, and shall use discretionary 
 power in regard to excusing persons against 
 whom the appellant may object. This 
 committee, after fully examining the case, 
 shall by report confirm or reverse the 
 judgment of the Monthly Meeting, as 
 shall appear right. 
 
 The appellant may have an assistant (a 
 member of our Society) to present his 
 case, or assist in presenting it to the com¬ 
 mittee. When a case is decided, the 
 appellant should be informed thereof as 
 early as convenient, and if he is not 
 satisfied with the decision, notice must 
 be given to the first or second Quarterly 
 Meeting following of his purpose to appeal 
 
140 
 
 RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 to the Yearly Meeting ; in which case 
 the Clerk of the Quarterly Meeting shall 
 record the notification, and three or more 
 Friends shall be appointed to attend the 
 Yearly Meeting, with copies of both the 
 Monthly and Quarterly Meetings’ minutes 
 in the case, signed by the clerks. The 
 Yearly Meeting shall appoint a committee 
 to examine the records and hear the alle¬ 
 gations and evidence on both sides, and 
 make report of their judgment. When 
 the Yearly Meeting gives a decision, 
 it shall be final. The delegates from 
 the Quarterly Meeting from which the 
 appeal came shall inform said Quarterly 
 Meeting and appellant relative to the 
 decision of the case, at their earliest con¬ 
 venience. All committees, in cases of 
 appeals, should present their reports in 
 writing ; and when the decision of a sub¬ 
 ordinate meeting is reversed, state the 
 reasons upon which their judgment is 
 based. When the judgment of an inferior 
 meeting is set aside on account of irregular 
 proceedings, the case may be resumed at 
 the discretion of overseers. 
 
RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 117 
 
 V. Marriage. 
 
 The vital essence of marriage is the 
 uniting of the parties in reciprocal affec¬ 
 tion, which is the divine prerogative; and 
 under this influence the union is so com¬ 
 plete that our blessed Saviour testified, 
 saying : ‘‘Wherefore they are no more 
 twain but one flesh,” adding in confirm¬ 
 ation of the aforementioned prerogative : 
 “What, therefore, God hath joined to¬ 
 gether, let not man put asunder.” 
 
 Notwithstanding true conjugal union 
 is of the Lord, yet it is reasonable and 
 right that all marriages should be legally 
 consummated before witnesses in a solemn 
 manner, recognizing it as a divine ordi¬ 
 nance ; for which purpose we recommend 
 the following rules : 
 
 The parties desiring to unite in marriage 
 should inform the Monthly Meeting of 
 which one or both of them are members, 
 that they intend marriage with each other, 
 which meeting shall enter the proposal on 
 its minutes ; and, if either party is a 
 minor, consent of parents or guardians 
 
148 RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 must be given to the meeting ; and all are- 
 advised to consult their parents before 
 entering into marriage engagements, and 
 produce their consent to the Monthly Meet¬ 
 ing, when it can be conveniently done. 
 
 If either party is a member of another 
 Monthly Meeting, the Monthly Meeting 
 where the proposition is introduced should 
 have satisfactory information thereof, that 
 the fact may be stated on the record. 
 
 When any of our members become sat¬ 
 isfied to join in marriage with one not in 
 membership with us, the same procedure 
 is recommended as when both are mem¬ 
 bers, the Monthly Meeting noting the fact 
 of non-membership on its records. 
 
 If any objections have been presented 
 to the overseers, which they shall judge 
 reasonable, they should inform the Month¬ 
 ly Meeting, and a committee should be 
 appointed to investigate and report, when 
 the meeting may dismiss the case, or pro¬ 
 ceed in it, as shall appear right. 
 
 If no obstruction appears, the parties 
 shall be left at liberty to accomplish their 
 marriage according to our rules. 
 
RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 149 
 
 Monthly Meetings shall not, in any case, 
 recognize marriage proceedings under cir- 
 -cumstances which would violate the laws 
 of the State in which the marriage is 
 consummated. 
 
 Marriages under our rules shall be sol¬ 
 emnized in a regular mid-week meeting, 
 or at a meeting appointed by the Monthly 
 Meeting. 
 
 Near the conclusion of the meeting the 
 parties should stand up and, taking each 
 other by the right hand, declare to the 
 following effect, the man first : 
 
 “In the presence of the Lord, and be¬ 
 fore these witnesses, I take D. E. to be 
 my wife, promising, with divine assist¬ 
 ance, to be unto her a loving and faithful 
 husband, until death shall separate us.” 
 
 And then the woman, in like manner : 
 
 “In the presence of the Lord, and be¬ 
 fore these witnesses, I take A. B. to be 
 iny husband, promising, with divine assist¬ 
 ance, to be unto him a loving and faithful 
 wife, until death shall separate us.” 
 
 The marriage certificate should then be 
 read, to the following import : 
 
150 
 
 RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 “A. B., of——, in the county of-* 
 
 State of-, son of C. and H. B., and 
 
 D. E., daughter of F. and G. E., of-* 
 
 having proposed marriage with each other 
 in a religious meeting of the Society of 
 Friends, held at-, and the case be¬ 
 
 ing considered by a Monthly Meeting of 
 said Society, held at-, and no ob¬ 
 
 struction appearing, they are liberated to 
 accomplish their marriage. 
 
 “And these presents may certify whom 
 it shall concern, that, in consummation 
 thereof, they appeared in a public meet¬ 
 ing of said Society, held at-, on the 
 
 -day of-, A. D.-, and then 
 
 and there took each other as husband and 
 wife in the holy covenant of marriage;, 
 and did to these presents set their hands* 
 she, according to the custom of marriage* 
 adopting the name of her husband. 
 
 “And we, whose names are hereunto 
 subscribed, being present, did, as witnesses 
 thereto, set our hands the day and year 
 above written.” 
 
 A committee of two men and two wom¬ 
 en Friends should be appointed to attend 
 
RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 151 
 
 marriages, place the marriage certificate 
 in the hands of the Recorder, and make 
 report of their care to the Monthly Meeting. 
 
 It being evident that the offspring of 
 persons near of kin are much more fre¬ 
 quently weak-minded, idiotic, or deformed,. 
 Monthly Meetings should not receive pro¬ 
 posals of marriage from any so near as 
 first cousins, or the children of half-broth¬ 
 ers or half-sisters. 
 
 Friends should visit our members soon 
 after their marriage, for their help and 
 encouragement, as much depends on the 
 adoption of religious habits at this import¬ 
 ant period. 
 
 In all cases of marriage, according to* 
 the foregoing rules, the newly-married 
 husband should be careful to present to the 
 proper officer at the county seat a certificate 
 of the marriage, with the signature of the 
 Clerk of the Monthly Meeting, as a heavy- 
 penalty is attached to a neglect of this duty. 
 The following form will be appropriate : 
 
 Marriage Certificate. 
 
 State of-, County of - , ss. 
 
 To the District Court : This certifies 
 
152 
 
 RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 that, on the-day of the-month, 
 
 A. D. -, at Friends’ meeting-house, 
 
 or at the house of -, in -, 
 
 in said county, according to law and the 
 
 •custom of the Society of Friends,-, 
 
 of-County, and State of -, and 
 
 -, of-County, and State of-, 
 
 were joined in marriage. S. M. 
 
 D. F. M. 
 
 Witnesses to the marriage : 
 
 A. M. 
 
 M. A. 
 
 The following course is recommended 
 when a minister officiates at marriages not 
 conducted under our rules : After seeing 
 that the license has been obtained, have 
 ■the parties stand and take each other by 
 the right hand. Then, after such words as 
 may be fitting the occasion, address them 
 respectively by their full names, as fol¬ 
 lows : 
 
 To the man :—Dost thou, M— -, in 
 
 the presence of God and before these wit¬ 
 nesses, take this woman, whose hand thou 
 boldest, to be thy wife, promising with di¬ 
 vine assistance, to be unto her a loving and 
 
RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 153 
 
 faithful husband, until death shall sepa¬ 
 rate you ? 
 
 Answer : I do. 
 
 To the woman :—Dost thou, N-, 
 
 in the presence of God and before these 
 witnesses, take this man whose hand thou 
 boldest, to be thy husband, promising, 
 with divine assistance, to be unto him a 
 loving and faithful wife, until death shall 
 separate you ? 
 
 Answer: I do. 
 
 The minister shall then say : Accord¬ 
 ing to the laws of God and of the State of 
 -, I pronounce you husband and wife. 
 
 As this is one of the most solemn occa¬ 
 sions of life the marriage ceremony should 
 be attended with suitable religious exer¬ 
 cises. 
 
 Ministers should report all marriages of 
 Friends solemnized by them, both to the 
 proper civil officer and to the Monthly 
 Meeting of which the newly married per¬ 
 sons are members. 
 
154 
 
 RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 YI. Disagreement , Separation , and Di¬ 
 
 vorce between Husband and Wife. 
 
 If any members (husbands and wives) 
 shall so far depart from the teaching and 
 spirit of the Gospel, in violation of the 
 solemn covenant of marriage, as to quarrel 
 with each other; or, if either shall insult 
 or abuse the other; or, if they shall cease 
 to live together as husband and wife, 
 thus disgracing themselves and the Church, 
 let them be speedily dealt with; and if 
 either or both refuse to submit their diffi¬ 
 culties to the overseers, or other Friends 
 chosen to settle the difference, or to abide 
 by their decision and live together in har¬ 
 mony, they should be disowned. 
 
 But if either party manifest a willing¬ 
 ness to comply with the advice of Friends, 
 and to do his or her duty, such should not 
 be censured for the wrong of the other, but 
 should have the sympathy of Friends. And 
 if any of our members, under extraordinary 
 circumstances, incline to apply for divorce, 
 they should request the advice of the 
 Monthly Meeting in the case, which meeting 
 should appoint a committee to investigate 
 
RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 155 
 
 the subject in accordance with scriptural 
 instruction. Individuals are not at liberty 
 to proceed with such applications with¬ 
 out the consent of the Monthly Meeting. 
 
 VI l. Funerals. 
 
 In view of the solemn circumstance of 
 death, which so impressively reminds us 
 of the uncertainty of life, and the need of 
 a preparation for the life to come, it is 
 advised that a meeting for worship be held 
 at the funeral of each of our members, if 
 circumstances will justify it. 
 
 Two Friends of each sex should be ap¬ 
 pointed by the Monthly Meeting in each 
 meeting to attend and assist at the funerals 
 of our members. 
 
 And two or more Friends should be ap¬ 
 pointed in each meeting to have the care 
 of burial grounds, to keep them properly 
 inclosed and in good order at the expense 
 of the meeting. Persons not members, 
 wishing to bury in our grounds, should 
 apply to one of this committee and obtain 
 permission therefor, and one or more of 
 said committee should attend such funerals. 
 
15G 
 
 RULES OF DISCIPLINE. 
 
 VIII. Statistical Table. 
 
 (See page 109). 
 
 Report of.Meeting to.Meeting: 
 
 AVhole number of members last year. . 
 
 Number of members this year : 
 
 Males..Females..Total .. 
 
 Increase.... .—- 
 
 Decrease.. 
 
 Number of births. .. 
 
 Number received on request... 
 
 Number received on certificate . . 
 
 Number of deaths..... 
 
 Number of removals .. 
 
 Number of resignations.. 
 
 Number of disowuments.. 
 
 Number of families.. 
 
 Number of families who read the Holy Scriptures 
 
 daily with devotion... 
 
 Number of Monthly Meetings (answered by Quar¬ 
 terly Meetings). .. 
 
 Number of other meetings (answered by Quarterly 
 
 Meeti ngs).. 
 
 Number of ministers last year : 
 
 Males . Females__Total.. 
 
 Number added since last year : 
 
 Males . Females .. ..-Total ....- 
 
 Whole number of ministers.. 
 
 Decrease since last year : 
 
 Males..Females..Total .. 
 
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 What per cent, habitually used it last year .. 
 
 No. discontinuing its use since last year: 
 
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 Number engaged in selling tobacco .. 
 

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INDEX 
 
 Advices, 114—126. 
 to all members, 114—121. 
 to ministers, elders and overseers, 121—126. 
 
 Aid to the poor, 77, 109, 117. 
 to churches, 85. 
 
 Appeal®, 144—146. 
 granted, 79, 8.5. 
 decisions of, 85, 87. 145, 146. 
 
 Appellants, 145, 146. 
 
 Arbitration, 142—144. 
 
 Atonement, 43, 112. 
 
 Bai.es, 119. 
 
 Baptism, w ith water, 17, 47, 48—49, 139 — 140. 
 with the Holy Spirit, 36, 48, 113. 
 
 Births, 16. 
 records of, 102, 157. 
 
 Bishops, 21, 73. 
 
 Burial grounds, 155. 
 
 Ceremonies, 4,17, 47, 52, 153, 
 
 Certificates, of members, 103, 135. 
 of removal, 136. 
 of ministers, 81-82, 99-101. 103. 
 for ministerial service, 99—101. 
 of removal of ministers, 81, 82, 136. 
 of marriages, 149-152. 
 
 Children, members of the church, 57, 69, 129, 134. 
 subject to government and discipline, 129. 
 conversion of, 129—130. 
 privileges of, 129. 
 duties of, 130. 
 
160 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Christ, crucified, etc., 10, 32, 38, B6, 05. 
 the Judge, 33, 47. 
 the King, 33. 30. 
 the Priest, 18, 33. 
 the Prophet, 11. 
 
 Deity and Manhood of, 112. 
 
 government of, 14, 15, 55, 122, 129. 
 
 worship of, 34. 
 
 faith in, 30. 38, 112, 113. 
 
 humiliation of, 31. 
 
 sacrifice of, 112. 
 
 death of, 32, 42. 
 
 resurrection of, 34. 
 
 exaltation of, 31, 34. 
 
 partaking of the death of, 51, 52, 53. 
 
 the justifier, 42. 
 
 Christianity, 7, 141. 
 
 Christian Religion, 138. 
 doctrines of, 109, 111, 134, 138, 
 principles of, 140. 
 
 Church. 10, 13.14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 24, 29, 72, 73. 154. 
 definition of, 09. 
 
 the Head of, 15, 24, 35, 54, 55, 66, 113, 114. 
 a church, churches, 15, 21. 56, 58, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75 r 
 78, 79. 80, 81, 82, 85, 86, 89, 90, 129, 130, 138,139. 
 Episcopal, 6, 6. 
 of England, 21. 
 of Rome, 5, 6. 
 
 Church and State, 21. 
 
 Church Government. 6, 14, 17, 77, 93, 129. 
 principles of, 17, 71—72. 
 form necessary, 77. 
 
 the Form of, 67, 69—126, 71, 88, 102, 133. 
 
 how amended or revised, 88. 
 
 founded on Scripture and primitive practice, 71,77. 
 
 administered by, 77. 
 
 Church Polity, 6, 71. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 161 
 
 Circuses, 119. 
 
 Clerks, 101, 105, 142. 
 
 duties of, 83, 85, 87, 92, 95, 102, 103, 105, 135, 145, 146. 
 151. 
 
 Comforter, the, 24, 35, 36, 52. 
 
 Committees, 79, 80, 82, 97, 132, 133, 134, 138, 145, 146, 
 148, 150, 154, 155. 
 
 Communion, 36, 52, 53. 54, 113, 116, 119. 
 
 Complaints, 80, 133, 137. 
 
 Concerns, of ministers, 99—101. 
 
 Confession. See Declaration of Faith, 
 of faith, 34, 130, 134. 
 of error, 138. 
 
 Conscience, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 3 7 , 60—6', 71, 72, 120. 
 Conversion. See Regeneration. 
 
 Correspondents, 101, 102. 
 
 duties of, 101. 103. 
 
 Creation, of man, 40—41. 
 
 Cross, 25, 26, 32, 112. 
 
 Deaths, 16. 
 record of, 102, 156, 157. 
 of ministers, reported, 95, 97. 
 
 Deeds, 104, 107. 
 
 Decisions, 72, 154. 
 of Clerks, 202. 
 of appeals, 85, 87, 145, 146. 
 in arbitration, 143, 144. 
 rehearing of, 144, 
 reversal of, 146. 
 
 Declaration of Faith, 27, 29—55, It). 
 
 how amended or revised, 88. 
 
 Delegates, 78, 132. 
 to Quarterly Meeting, 78, 146. 
 to Yearly Me ting, 83. 
 
 to Quarterly Meeting on Ministry and Oversight,91. 
 to Yearly Meeting on Ministry and Oversight, 93. 
 
162 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Departments, of work, 87. 
 
 Devil, 12. 
 
 Discipline, 88, 87, 130-183 
 what it is, 129. 
 system of, 16, 17, 72, 77. 
 
 Rules of, 79, 127, 129—155. 
 legislation upon, 88. 
 subjects of, 129. 
 ends of, 129. 
 
 Dissenters, 4, 12. 
 
 Directory, 5. 
 
 Divorce, 154 -155. 
 
 Doctrines, 4. 8, 10, 23, 71, 81, 87, 90, 91, 92,106, 109, 111, 
 138, 140. 
 
 fundamental, 10, 29. 
 doctrine, maintained, 83, 93. 
 defined by legislation, 87. 
 amended or revised, 88. 
 doctrinal views. 81, 98, 111. 
 
 Duties, 15, 16, 19, 23, 59, 64. 
 of the church, 58, 78, 83, 90, 93, 96. 
 of various meetings, 78—83, 83—85, 91—92, 93—95, 
 96—97, 105-107. 
 of officers, 102—104. 
 
 of Ministers, Elders and Overseers, 91—92. 
 
 Edification, 15, 56, 69, 70, 77, 81, 110, 114, 121. 
 Education, 16, 120. 
 
 Elders, 70, 73. 90. 
 
 including Ministers and other Elders. 73, 111. 
 of equal station and authority, 73. 
 gifts and qualifications of, 73. 
 of different cnaracteristics and qualifications, 74. 
 Elders (not Ministers), 74, 75—76, 93, 94, 96, 142. 
 qualifications and duties of, 75—76, 80, 81. 
 station of, 73, 80 
 recording of, 81, 111, 
 
INDEX. 
 
 163 
 
 Episcopalians, 5, 20. 
 
 Errors, prevention of, 71, 83. 
 confession of. 138. 
 convincement of, 138, 139, 141. 
 reclamation from, 16, 139. 
 condemnation of, 140. 
 desisting from, 140. 
 in decision, 143, 144. 
 
 Faith, 11, 25, 65. 
 
 Declaration of, 27, 29--65, 88, 140. 
 unity of, 29, 76. 
 
 promotion of, 71, 77, 83, 86, 87, 91, 94, 121. 
 profession of, 134. 
 
 Fall, of man, 40—41, 42, 111—113. 
 
 Fellowship, 16, 17, 26, 50, 71, 77, 80, 108, 129. 
 
 First-day of the week, 64—65, 117. 
 
 Form of Government. See Church Government. 
 Friends, 3, 13, 15, 16, 20, 22, 23, 71, 134, 136, 142, 143, 
 144, 145, 146, 151, 153, 154, 155. See Society of 
 Friends. 
 
 usages of, 102, 133. 
 
 Funerals, 155. 
 
 Gambling, 119, 139. 
 
 Gifts, 15, 55, 57, 123. 
 of Ministers, 66, 73, 89, 92. 
 not to be mistaken, 57. 
 of both Ministers and Elders, 73 infra, 74. 
 of Ministers, 74. 75. 
 of Elders, 73, 75, 76, 80. 
 spiritual, 57, 73, 76, 98, 114—115. 
 exercise of, 115. 
 
 God, faith in, 29, 111. 
 
 Godhead, 30, 31, 35. 
 
 Gospel, 7, 56. 
 
 promotion of, 10, 69, 81, 87, 95, 121, 
 
164 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Gospel, the commission, 19. 
 
 Government, 6, 17, 20, 22, 61, 107. 
 of Christ, 14, 15, 55, 122, 129. 
 
 Holiness, 37, 44, 45, 71. 
 law of, 42. 
 
 Holy Spirit. See Spirit. 
 
 Intolerance, 5. 
 
 Infants, 41. 
 
 Intoxicants, 119, 139. 
 
 Judaism, 11, 18. 
 
 Justification, through faith, 41, 43, 112. 
 of grace, 41, 43. 
 with regeneration, 43. 
 
 Judgment, 33, 34, 35, 38, 45—47. 
 day of, 114. 
 
 of meetings, 88, 95, 97, 98, 106—1'7, 134, 144,145, 146. 
 of officers, 142, 144. 
 of committees, 80,146. 
 
 Kingdom, of God, 11, 33, 36, 46. 
 
 Legislation, 88. 
 
 Letters, 135, 136, 137. 
 
 Liberty, 6, 11,12,13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 35, 60, 61. 
 
 Light, the, of the world, 10, 11, 30. 
 
 List of members, 78, 135, 137, 138, 139. 
 
 Lotteries, 109, 119, 139. 
 
 Magistrates, 21, 61. 
 
 Marriages, 16, 61-62, 120, 147-153, 154. 
 nature and essence of, 147. 
 rules governing, 147—153. 
 records of, 102, 157. 
 certificates of, 149—152. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 165 
 
 Marriages, civil laws concerning, 149, 158. 
 
 Meetings, 77-78. 129. 
 
 meetings for worship, 13, 53—58, 108, 110, 117, 121, 
 155. 
 
 mid-week meetings, 149. 
 
 business meetings in general, 101—102, 146, 148,149. 
 
 for discipline, 17, 108, 110, 130—133. 
 
 kinds of, 77. 
 
 records of, 130. 
 
 time and place of, 132. 
 
 Meetings, Monthly. 78-83 84, 85 94, 98, 99, 100, 101, 
 
 102. 103. 104. 108. 132. 133 134 135. 136. 137 138, 
 139. 140. 141, 143. 144, 145 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 
 151 154 155 156. 157. 
 
 of what it consists, 78. 
 
 list of members of. 78. 135, 137, 138, 139. 
 
 establishment of. 82, 84. 
 
 powers and duties of 78—83. 
 
 representation of, 78. 
 
 records of, reviewed, 85. 
 
 reports of, 82—83. 
 
 Meetings. Quarterly, 78. 82. 83—85, 86, 87, 88, 99, 100, 
 101, 108, 105, 108, 133, 144, 145, 146, 156. 
 of what it consists, 83. 
 establishment of, 84. 
 design of, 83. 
 
 powers and duties of, 83—85. 
 representation of, 83. 
 records of, reviewed, 87. 
 propositions from, 88. 
 reports of, 85. 
 
 Meeting, Yearly, 78, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86-88, 99, 100, 101, 
 
 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 135, 146. 
 of what it consists, 86. 
 
 when established, 86. 
 when and where held, 86—87, 
 
 (Ipsign of, 86, 87, 
 
166 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Meeting, Yearly, powers of 87—88. 
 legislation of. 88. 
 
 Meetings, Monthly, on Ministry and Oversight, 78, 
 81, 90-92, 97, 98, 109, 110, 111. 
 of what composed, 90—91. 
 powers and duties of, 91—92. 
 representation of, 91. 
 duties of members of, 91—92. 
 reports of, 92. 
 
 Meetings. Quarterly, on Ministry and Oversight, 78, 
 81, 93-95, 98, 99, 106, 109, 110, 111. 
 of what composed, 93. 
 powers and duties of, 93—95. 
 representation of, 93. 
 reports of, 95. 
 
 Meeting, Yearly, on Ministry and Oversight, 78, 95, 
 96-97, 100, 111. 
 of what composed, 96. 
 when and where held, 98. 
 powers and duties of, 96—97. 
 reports of. 96, 97. 
 record of deceased ministers, 97. 
 
 Meeting, Representative, 88, 95, 101—107. 
 of what composed, 104—105. 
 members of, how chosen, 104—105. 
 when and where it meets, 105. 
 powers and duties of, 105—107. 
 record of, 107. 
 
 Meetings, the American Yearly, 99, 100, 103. 
 
 Members, 15, 16, 17, 34, 35, 72, 77, 129, 142, 151,153.155. 
 list of, 78, 135, 137, 138, 139. 
 children as members, 57, 69, 129—130, 134. 
 letters of, 135, 136, 137. 
 complaints of, 80, 133, 137. 
 disciplining of, 79, 143. 
 reclamation of, 16, 139. 
 
 disowpment of, 16, 79, 137, 138, 139, 141, 143, 154, 157. 
 
iNi>EX. 
 
 16? 
 
 Mcuibersliip, qualifications of, 71. 
 
 Membership, applicants for, 133, 134, 135, 13ti. 
 applications for, 133, 135. 
 rights of, 129, 130, 131, 133, 133—137, 144. 
 privileges of 129, 130. 
 removal of, 135. 
 resignations of, 137. 
 forfeiture of, 137—140. 
 
 spiritual state of, considered, 96—97, 108, 109, 111. 
 Memorials, 95,106. 
 
 Ministers, 13, 14, 56, 57, 70, 73, 89, 90, 91, 93, 94, 98 107 
 123, 142, 144, 152, 153. 
 
 qualifications and duties of, 74—75, 89, 92. 
 station of, 74—75, 98. 
 recommendation of, 92, 98. 
 recording of, 97—99, 111. 
 certificates and credentials of, 81—82, 136. 
 disciplining and deposition of, 94, 139—140. 
 deaths of, reported, 95. 
 record of deaths of, 97, 156. 
 
 Ministerial service, 81—82, 97, 99 -101. 
 concerns of Ministers. 99. 
 nature and field of, 99—100. 
 unity and concurrence with, 99 -100. 
 certificates for, 99—101. 
 provision for, 101, 132. 
 
 Ministry, 19, 50, 57, 89, 92, 97—99, 121, 122, 125. 
 origin of, 56, 89. 
 gift in the, 74, 97, 98. 
 certificates of, 136. 
 
 Ministry and Oversight, 89—99. 
 
 Nature, of man, 37, 40—41, 42. 
 of gifts of Ministers and Elders, 74. 
 divine, partakers of, 116. 
 
 New fields of labor, 82, 85, 87, 94, 
 
 New Testament, 38, 39, 60. 
 
168 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Oaths, 19, 20. 21, 63-64, 109, 139. 
 
 Offences, 21,126, 130. 
 
 Offenders, 16, 33, 79-80,108, 130, 138. 
 
 Officers, 71, 101, 129. 
 qualifications of, 71, 73, 74, 76, 76, 142. 
 permanent officers, 73. 
 when and for how long chosen, 80—81. 
 duties of permanent officers, 74—76, 89—92. 
 executive and regular officers, 101—104. 
 duties of executive officers, 102—104, 
 when and for how long chosen, 101—102. 
 disciplining and deposition of, 139—140. 
 
 Offices, 73, 101-102, 
 station of Minister in, 73, 74, 98. 
 station of Elder in, 73, 75, 80—81. 
 length of terms of, 80—81, 101—102. 
 forfeiture of, 139—140. 
 
 Old Testament, 38, 39. 
 
 Ordinances, 19, 47-53, 113, 116, 139-140. 
 
 Overseers, 79-80, 90, 93, 94, 96, 142, 144, 146, 148, 154. 
 qualifications of, 79. 
 duties of, 79—80, 132, 133, 137. 
 
 Oversight, 69, 70, 73, 76, 79, 85, 90. 
 ministry and, 89—99. 
 
 Papists, 4, 21. 
 
 Pastors, 73. 
 and teachers, 73. 
 pastoral body, 73, 74, 78. 
 pastoral care, 73, 75,76, 90, 91. 
 pastoral work, 70, 74, 81, 94. 
 
 Peace, 62-63, 117, 118. 
 
 Persecution, 3, 4, 12, 13, 21, 22, 23. 
 assistance of those under, 22, 77, 107. 
 
 Polity. See Church Polity. 
 
 Poor, relieving necessities of, 16, 109. 
 liberality towards, 117. 
 
lNDEi. 
 
 169 
 
 Poor, should be rich in faith. 118—119. 
 
 Praise, 14, 34, 58—60, 125. 
 
 Prayer, 10. 14, 34,45, 50, 54, 58-60, 110, 116, 123, 125. 
 Preaching, 6, 10, 13, 24, 26, 56, 70, 122, 
 centra] theme of, 89. 
 
 Christ Jesus the Lord, 10, 89, 124. 
 support of, 18, 57—58, 81. 
 
 Presbyterians, 5,12. 
 
 Presence, of Christ, 8. 10, 11, 13, 33, 51—52. 
 Priesthood, 11, 33, 52. 
 
 Jewish, 11. 
 
 of Christ, 18, 33, 55, 58. 
 of believers, 35, 77. 
 
 Priests, 18, 33, 35. 
 
 Principles, moral and religious, 39, 120. 
 
 Christian. 14, 109, 134. 
 of Church Government, 71—73. 
 of Friends, 17, 71-73, 109, 134, 138, 141. 
 of Christian Religion, 140, 
 of the Gospel, 141. 
 
 Prisons and prisoners, 21—22. 
 
 Prophecy, 15, 56. 
 
 Prophets, 11, 15. 
 
 Queries, 82-83, 85, 92, 95, 96, 108-114, 132. 
 general queries, 108—109. 
 
 for Meetings on Ministry and Oversight, 109—111. 
 questions to Ministers and Elders, 81, 98, 111—114. 
 
 Records, of business meetings, general, 102. 130. 
 of Monthly Meetings, reviewed, 85, 135, 145. 
 of Quarterly Meetings, reviewed, 87, 146. 
 of Representative Meeting, 107. 
 of marriages, births and deaths, 102,156, 157. 
 of deceased Ministers, 97. 
 
 Form of, 102, 157. 
 
 Recorders, 102, 151. 
 
i 7() 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 “Recorders, duties of, 102,131. 
 
 Recording Ministers. See Ministers. 
 
 Reformation, 4. 
 
 Reformers, 3. 
 
 Regeneration, 11, 12, 41, 43, 09, 81, 109, 113. 130. 
 
 Repentance, 11, 12, 41, 42, 79, 94,112 116, 129. 
 
 Reports, 82—83, 92, 96, 97, 98, 101, 132, 145, 146, 151. 
 
 Resurrection, of Christ, 32, 48. 
 of ail men, 34, 45—47, 113. 
 
 Righteousness, 7, 11, 32, 33, 35, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 69. 
 
 Rights, 5, 15, 71, 72, 130, 133. 
 of membership, 133—137, 144. 
 
 Rites, 4, 16, 17, 47, 49, 52, 116, 140. 
 
 Rules of Discipline, 72, 79, 88, 102, 108, 127, 129, 155. 
 rules governing meetings for discipline, 130—133. 
 rules touching rights of membership, 133—137. 
 rules touching forfeiture of membership and of 
 office, 137—140. 
 
 other rules and regulations, 140—155. 
 
 Sabbatii. See First-day of the week. 
 
 Sacraments, 17, 116. 
 
 Sacrifices, propitiatory, 8, 32, 42, 54, 112. 
 spiritual, 54—55. 
 
 Sanctification, 41, 43—45, 113. 
 
 Sanctifier, 36, 120. 
 
 Satan, 10, 40, 45, 111. 
 
 Scriptures, the Holy, 24, 36, 38—40, 60, 63, 91, 122. 
 the oracles of God, 123. 
 inspiration of, 38, 39, 114. 
 only authorized record of doctrine, 39. 
 only rule of faith and practice, 72,114. 
 basis of church government, 71, 72, 77. 
 study of, 110, 120, 123, 155. 
 devotional reading of, 64,109,156. 
 
 Sex, no distinction id, 73, 79, 130, 131, 155. 
 
 Simplicity, 19,118. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 171 
 
 Sin, 40, 41, 42-43. 
 guilt of, 41—42, 44, 112. 
 propitiation for, 10, 32, 42, 112. 
 conviction of 11, 35, 112. 
 forgiveness of, 32, 41, 42. 
 remission of, 32. 
 deliverance from, 8, 41—42, 44. 
 
 Singing, 55. 
 
 Society of Friends, 3, 16, 17, 72, 86, 97, 104, 131, 134, 
 
 136, 137, 138, 150, 152. See Friends. 
 
 Ri«e of, 3—26. 
 
 usages of, 102, 133. 
 
 Societies, of churches, 69, 71, 72,135, (denomination) 
 
 137. 
 
 Societies, secret, 109, 119, 140 -141. 
 
 Spirit, the Holy, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 52, 116. 
 faith in, 35-38, 112. 
 offices of, 24. 25, 36, 37, 112—113. 
 conviction of, 11, 35, 42, 52. 112, 116. 
 baptism of, 15, 35, 36, 56—57, 113. 
 anointing of, 114. 
 
 leading of, 11, 13, 14, 37, 39, 113, 118. 
 enlightening of, 12, 36, 37. 
 the Inspirerand Interpreter of Scripture, 39. 
 State, 5, 14. 
 
 Church and, 20. 
 
 State, spiritual, of the Society, 108—114, 156. 
 of membership of Meetings ou Ministry and Over¬ 
 sight, 96, 156. 
 
 Supper, ot the Lord, 17, 110. 
 the true, of the Lord, 50. 
 
 Tttiirs, 17—18. 
 
 Tobacco, 119, 139. 141—142,156. 
 
 Treasurer, 103. 
 duties of, 103. 
 
 Trustees, 103—104, 105, 131, 
 
172 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Trustees, duties of, 104. 
 
 Uniformity, 4, SB. 
 
 Unity, of the Spirit, 7t5, 121. 
 
 War, 19, 62,109, 117,139. 
 
 Women, 15, 56, 57, 131. 
 
 Worship, private, 60, 65, 117. 
 family, 60, 109, 110. 
 public, 53—58, 110. 
 congregational, 52, 53, 60. 
 in spirit and in truth, 13, 17, 53, 54. 
 on the first day of the week, 64—65. 
 
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