deavour to convince him of his error, and induce him to forsake and condemn it. If they succeed, the person is, have made satisfaction for the by minute, declared to offence; if not, he is disowned as a member of the society. In disputes between individuals, it has long been the decided judgment of the society, that its members should not sue each other at law. It therefore enjoins all to end their differences by speedy and impartial arbitration, agreeably to rules laid down. If any refuse to adopt this mode, or, having adopted it, to submit to the award, it is the direction of the yearly meeting that such be disowned. To monthly meetings also belongs the allowing of marriages; for their society has always scrupled to acknowledge the exclusive authority of the priests in the solemnization of marriage. Those who intend to marry, appear together, and propose their intention to the monthly meeting; and if not attended by their parents or guardians, produce a written certificate of their consent, signed in the presence of witnesses. The meeting then appoints a committee, to inquire, whether they be clear of other engagements respecting marriage; and if, at a subsequent meeting, no objections be reported, they have the meeting's consent to solemnize their intended marriage. This is done in a public meeting for worship, towards the close whereof the parties stand up, and solemnly take each other for husband and wife. certificate of the proceedings is then publicly read, and signed by the parties, and afterwards by the relations and others, as witnesses. Of such marriages, the monthly meeting keeps a record; as also of the births and burials of its members. A certificate of the date, of the name of the infant, and of its parents, signed by those A present at the birth, is the subject of one of these last mentioned records; and an order for the interment, countersigned by the grave-maker, of the other. The naming of children is without ceremony. Burials are also conducted in a simple manner. The body, followed by the relations and friends, is sometimes, previously to interment, carried to a meeting, and at the grave a pause is generally made; on both which occasions it frequently falls out, that one or more friends present have somewhat to express for the edification of those who attend but no religious rite is considered as an essential part of burial. : Several monthly meetings compose a quarterly meeting. At the quarterly meeting are produced written answers from the monthly meetings, to certain queries respecting the conduct of their members, and the meetings' care over them. The accounts thus received, are digested into one, which is sent also in the form of answers to queries, by representatives, to the yearly meeting. Appeals from the judgment of monthly meetings, are brought to the quarterly meetings, whose business also it is, to assist in any difficult case, or where remissness appears in the care of the monthly meetings over the individuals who compose them. The yearly meeting has the general superintendence of the society in the country in which it is established ;* and therefore, as the accounts which it receives discover the state of inferior meetings, as particular exigencies require, or as the meeting is impressed with a sense of duty, it gives forth its advice, makes such regulations as * There are seven yearly meetings, viz. 1 London, to which come representatives from Ireland, 2 New-England, 3 New-York, 4 Pennsylvania and New-Jersey, 5 Maryland, 6 Virginia, 7 The Carolinas and Georgia. appear to be requisite, or excites to the observance of those already made; and sometimes appoints committees to visit those quarterly meetings which appear to be in need of immediate advice. Appeals from the judgment of quarterly meetings are here finally determined; and a brotherly correspondence by epistles, is maintained with other yearly meetings. In this place it is proper to add, that as they believe women to be entitled to the office of the ministry, they also think, that to them belongs a share in the support of their christian discipline; and that some parts of it, wherein their own sex is concerned, devolve on them with peculiar propriety. Accordingly, they have monthly, quarterly and yearly, meetings of their own sex, held at the same time with those of the men; but separately, and without the power of making rules: and it may be remarked, that during the persecutions, which formerly occasioned the imprisonment of so many of the men, the care of the poor often fell on the women, and was by them satisfactorily administered. They do not think it necessary to be learned in order to acquire a knowledge of divine things, as, they say, the true light will teach all who follow its dictates. By their gentle manners and quiet conduct, they have obtained much respect, and though they had the sole jurisdiction of the whole province of Pennsylvania, they never have persecuted others for a difference of opinion. It was a government established without arms; by treaties made without oaths; and, what is more to be admired, as worthy of imitation by all governments, and will redound to their credit to the latest posterity, they never broke their treaties with the native Indians. Even at this day, so high a veneration have the native Indians, who live in the back settlements, for these original settlers, that if any one travels through the Indian tribes in the habit of a Quaker, it is his best defence; he travels secure, and meets with all that hospitality, which the Christian religion so strongly inculcates, towards those who are strangers in a strange land. METHODISTS Are properly understood to be those, who are fol lowers of the Rev. John Wesley, who, with several others at the university, spent his evenings in reading and expounding the Hebrew and Greek originals. He was joined by his brother, Charles Wesley, and soon afterward by the Rev. George Whitfield. The Methodists profess to hold the doctrines of the Church of England in their purity, therefore do not allow, that they have separated from her communion. : John Wesley was a Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford; a man of exemplary life, unaffected in his manners, without any austerity, or singularity in his deportment; he was a true gentleman and a sincere christian. He preached extemporary sermons, contrary to the custom of the ministers of the established church he was at length prohibited from preaching in her pulpits, but we are informed in his Journal, that he had no desire, or design to preach in the open air, till after his prohibition. From the plain and familiar manner in which he addressed his congregations, his preaching had a peculiar effect on the people. This easy method of communicating his thoughts encouraged others to follow his example. He then preached in rooms, and, on the pressing invitation of Mr. Whitfield, followed his example, by preaching in the open fields. He was, nevertheless, at first averse to any one preaching but the clergy regularly ordained; how he was led to permit, and afterwards to encourage others to preach, may be seen, in a work written by Mr. Benson.* Thus by degrees, as they increased, and as necessity called for fresh supplies of preachers, he sent them to preach in different parts of the nation. But in order to keep them together, he found it was necessary to establish certain rules, which he termed "The rules of the United Society," see Apol. sec. 8. He appointed one of the brethren to preach to them, and sent others to preach in the neighbouring villages, who were called local preachers. A meeting was also appointed once a quarter, when the smaller societies within a few miles round a central town, which was esteemed the centre of this little circuit, assembled there to join in what is termed a love-feast, after the custom of the first Christians. None but those joined in society, are permitted to be present, unless they have notes from one of the preachers, signifying that they are proper persons, seriously inclined, to be admitted. At this time, all who feel themselves at liberty so to do, declare their experience. It was found necessary, in order to watch over their moral conduct, to bring them to a closer union, by appointing small parties of ten or twelve persons, which they called a class. One of this small assembly was fixed on to lead them, and he was in consequence called, the class-leader. They meet for one hour; the business of the leader is, to give out a hymn, to pray with them, to ask each concerning the spiritual state of his mind, and to reprove, encourage and exhort them to * An Apology for the People called Methodists. Sect. 5. |