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selves, who are appointed to watch over, fall under the inspection of the discipline. The poor may admonish the rich, and the rich the poor. There is no exception, in short, either for age, or sex, or station.

It is not necessary, at least in the present place, that I should go further, and rake up all the objections that may be urged upon this subject. I shall therefore only observe here, that the discipline of the Quakers, notwithstanding all its supposed imperfections, whatever they may be, is the grand foundation-stone upon which their moral education is supported. It is the grand partition-wall between them and vice. If this part of the fabric were ever allowed to be undermined, the building would fall to pieces; and though the Quakers might still be known by their apparel and their language, they would no longer be so remarkable, as they are now generally confessed to be, for their moral character.

SECTION

SECTION II.

Manner of the administration of the discipline of the Quakers-Overseers appointed to every particular meeting-Manner of reclaiming an individual-first, by admonition-this sometimes successful-secondly, by dealing-this sometimes successful-but if unsuccessful, the offender is disowned but he may appeal afterwards to two different courts or meetings for redress.

HAVING now given the general outlines of the Discipline of the Quakers, I shall proceed to explain the particular manner of the Administration of it.

To administer it effectually, all individuals of the Society, as I have just stated, whether men or women, are allowed the power of watching over the conduct of one another for their good; and of interfering, if they should see occasion.

But, besides this general care, two or more persons, of age and experience, and of moral lives and character, and two or more women of a similar description, are directed to be appointed to have the oversight of every congregation

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congregation or particular meeting in the kingdom. These persons are called Overseers, because it is their duty to oversee their respective flocks.

If any of the members should violate the prohibitions mentioned in the former part of the work, or should become chargeable with injustice, or drunkenness, or profane swearing, or neglect of public worship, or should act in any way inconsistently with his character as a Christian,-it becomes the particular duty of these overseers, though it is also the duty of the members at large, to visit him in private, to set before him the error and consequences of his conduct, and to endeavour by all the means in their power to reclaim him. This act, on the part of the overseer, is termed by the SocietyAdmonishing. The circumstances of admonishing, and of being admonished, are known only to the parties, except the case should have become of itself notorious; for secrecy is held sacred on the part of the persons who admonish. Hence it may happen that several of the Society may admonish the same person, though no one of them knows that any other has been visiting him

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at all. The offender may be thus admonished by overseers, and other individuals, for weeks and months together; for no time is fixed by the Society, and no pains are supposed to be spared, for his reformation. It is expected, however, in all such admonitions, that no austerity of language or manner should be used, but that he should be admonished in tenderness and love.

If an overseer, or any other individual, after having thus laboured to reclaim another for a considerable length of time, find that he has not succeeded in his work, and feel also that he despairs of succeeding by his own efforts, he opens the matter to some other overseer, or to one or more serious members, and requests their aid. These persons now wait upon the offender together, and unite their efforts in endeavouring to persuade him to amend his life. This act, which now becomes more public by the junction of two or three in the work of his reformation, is still kept a secret from other individuals of the Society, and still retains the name of-Admonishing.

It frequently happens that, during the

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different admonitions, the offender sees his error, and corrects his conduct. The visitations of course cease, and he goes on in the estimation of the Society as a regular or unoffending member, no one knowing but the admonishing persons that he has been under the discipline of the Society. I may observe here, that what is done by men to men, is done by women to women,-the women admonishing, and trying to reclaim, those of their own sex in the same manner.

Should, however, the overseers, and other persons before mentioned, find, after a proper length of time, that all their united efforts have been ineffectual, and that they have no hope of success with respect to his amendment, they lay the case, if it should be of a serious nature, before a court, which has the name of the Monthly Meet ing*. This court, or meeting, make a minute of the case, and appoint a committee to visit him. The committee, in conse quence of their appointment, wait upon

* Certain acts of delinquency are reported to the monthly meeting, as soon as the truth of the facts tan be ascertained; such as a violation of the rules of the Society with respect to marriage, payment of tithes, &c.

VOL. I.

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