may arise from visiting the families of our brethren, by rightly concerned friends, we are engaged to recommend it to the fenfible members of the body, and to monthly and quarterlymeetings, to feel deeply after the pointings of truth ; and that as this divine principle opens their way, they may promote this useful fervice in their respective meetings, by appointing fuitable friends, of either or both fexes, who are defired to proceed therein in the love of the gofpel, and under the tendering influence thereof; which we have good caufe to hope may thus be attended with beneficial effects to the vifited, and with folid fatisfaction, and additional experience in the work of truth, to those who may be engaged therein. 1773. FREE-MASONS. AS to the confiftency of the members of our fociety joining themselves in the meetings or public entertainments of thofe called freemafons, we have deliberated upon, and, according to our present judgment, think it is not confiftent with our religious profeffion; and advise that quarterly and monthly-meetings dif fuade their members therefrom; and if any do join therewith, contrary to the advice herein contained, that they be dealt with. GAMING AND DIVERSIONS, AS our time paffeth swiftly away, and our delight ought to be in the law of the Lord; it is advised that a watchful care be exercised over our youth, to prevent their going to ftage-plays, horfe-races, mufic, dancing, or any fuch vain sports and paftimes, and being concerned in lotteries, wagering or other fpecies of gaming. And if any of our members fall into either of these practices, and cannot be prevailed upon, by private labour to decline them, the monthly meeting to which fuch belong, fhould be informed thereof, and if they be not reclaimed by further labour, proceed to testify our difu, nity with them. HIRELING MINISTRY, AND THEIR OUR ancient teftimony against an hireling miniftry, or any contributions to the maintenance and support thereof, being founded on the example and precepts of our Lord, and his primitive followers and disciples; it is the sense of this meeting, that friends be careful to support the fame, by a faithful teftimony against contributing towards their falaries, by tax or otherwife, and against the building or repairing their meeting-houses. LA W. WHEREAS fome perfons, profeffing with us, have proved so base and unworthy, as when they have run themselves into debt, to remove themselves, or their effects, to prevent justice; whereby thofe creditors, who are friends, have been deprived of an opportunity of the common method of friends, fpecified in the minute of 1697, respecting arbitrations; it is hereby declared, that the last paragraph of faid minute, which prohibits friends to fue or arreft one another, is not intended to prevent fuch evil perfons in those practices from being dealt with by a legal process, as the nature of the cafe may require Of which circumftance the monthly and quarterty-meetings are the proper judges; fo it is not doubted but they will do juftice to the parties concerned therein. And this meeting doth request every monthly-meeting to appoint and depute proper perfons out of their feveral meetings, for fuch friends as have occafion, to advise with, in the intervals of monthly-meetings, and, if they fee cause, to give liberty to recover as above. 1720. And as it may happen, that by fudden loffes, or unforeseen accidents, or otherwife, a friend |