corded in a proper book, in the monthly meeting, to which the parents belong; avoiding the accuftomed ceremonies and festivals.”

rials.

"Their burials are performed with the fame Their bufimplicity. If the body of the deceased be near any public meeting place, it is ufually carried thither, for the more convenient reception of those, that accompany it to the burying-ground. And it fo falls out fometimes, that while the meeting is gathering, for the burial, fome or other has a word of exhortation, for the fake of the people there met together. After which the body is borne away by young men, or else by those, that are of the neighbourhood, or thofe that were most of the intimacy of the deceafed party; the corpfe being in a plain coffin, without any covering or furniture upon it. At the ground they pause fome time before they put the body into the grave; that, if any there fhould have any thing upon them, to exhort the people, they may not be difappointed; and that the relations may the more retiredly and folemnly take their laft leave of the body of their departed kindred, and the spectators Have a fenfe of mortality, by the occafion then given them, to reflect upon their own latter end: otherwife they have no fet rites, or ceremonies, on thofe occafions. Neither do the kindred of the deceased ever wear mourning; they looking upon it, as a worldly ceremony and piece of pomp; and that what mourning is fit for a Chriftian to have, at the departure of a beloved relation, or friend, fhould be worn in the mind, which is only fenfible of the lofs: and the love they had to them, and the remembrance of them, to be outwardly expreffed by a refpect to their advice, and care of those they have left behind them, and their love of that they loved, which conduct of theirs, though unmodifh or unfashionable leaves nothing of the fubftance of things neglected, or

undone:

Thefe

tation of

&c. but a

fense of

undone and as they aim at no more, fo that finplicity of life is what they obferve with great fatisfaction, though it fometimes happens not to be without the mockeries of the vain world they live in." "These things, to be fure (continues W. Penn) things not gave them a rough and difagreeable appearance from affec- with the generality: who thought them turners of fingularity, the world upfide down; as, indeed, in fome fenfe they were; but in no other than that, wherein duty, &c. Paul was fo charged, viz. to bring things back into their primitive and right order again. For thefe, and fuch like practices of theirs, were not the refult of humour, or for civil diftinctions, as fome have fancied, but a fruit of inward fenfe, which God, through his holy fear, had begotten in them. They did not confider how to contradict the world, or diftinguish themfelves, as a party from others; it being none of their bufinefs, as it was not their intereft; no, it was not the refult of confultation, or a framed defign, by which to declare, or recommend fchifm or novelty. But, God having given them a fight of themselves, they faw the whole world in the fame glass of truth; and fenfibly difcerned the affections and paffions of men, and the rife and tendency of things; what it was that gratified the luft of the flesh, the luft of the eye, and the pride of life; which are not of the father, but of the world. And from thence fprung, in the night of darkness, and the apoftacy, which hath been over people, through their degeneration from the light and fpirit of God, thefe, and many other vain cuftoms, which are feen by the heavenly day of Chrift, that darns in the foul, to be either wrong in their original, or by time and abuse, hurtful in their practice: and though these things feemed trivial to fome, and rendered thefe people ftingy and conceited, in fuch perfons opinions, there was, and is, more in them, than they were, or are, aware of.”

66 It

2

"It was not very easy, to our primitive friends, to make themselves fights and fpectacles, and the fcorn and derifion of the world; which they easily forefaw must be the confequence of fo unfashionable a converfation in it. But here was the wif dom of God feen, in the foolifhnefs of these things; first, that they discovered the fatisfaction and concern, that people had in, and for, the fashions of this world, notwithstanding their high pretences to another; the greatest honesty, virtue, wifdam and ability were unwelcome without them. Secondly, It feajonably and profitably divided converfation; for this, making their fociety uneafy to their relations and acquaintance, gave them the opportunity of more retirement and folitude; wherein they met with better company, even, the Lord God, their Redeemer; and grew ftrong in his love, power and wisdom; and were thereby better qualified for his fervice. And the fuccefs abundantly fhewed it: Bleffed be the name of the Lord."

"And though they were not great and learned in the esteem of the world, (for then they had not wanted followers, upon their own credit and authority) yet they were generally of the most sober of the feveral perfuafions, they were in, and of the most repute, for religion; and many of them of good capacity, fubftance and account among

men."

"And alfo fome among them wanted not for parts, learning or cftate; though then, as of old, not many wife or noble, &c. were called; or, at leaft, received the heavenly call; becaufe of the crofs, that attended the profeffion of it, in fincerity. But neither do parts or learning make men the better Chriftians, though the better orators and difputants and it is the ignorance of people about the divine gift, that caufes that vulgar and mifchievous mistake. Theory and practice, Speculation and enjoyment, words and life, are two things.'

Of

Of their dif

Of their church difcipline, from the fame author,

W. Penn.

In the next place, in order to form fome idea. cipline, &c. of the religious care, difcipline, and practice, which they used as a Christian and reformed fociety, alfo in a collective capacity, that they might live orderly and confiftent with their principles and profeffion, the following extract, from W. Penn, exhibits the church power, which they owned and exercifed, and that which they rejected and condemned, with the method of their proceedings against erring and diforderly perfons, of their community, viz.

"This people encreafing daily both in town and country, an holy care fell upon fome of the elders among them, for the benefit and fervice of the church. And the first business, in their view, after the example of the primitive faints, was the exercise of charity; to fupply the neceffities of the poor, and answer the like occafions. Wherefore collections were early and liberally made for that, and divers other fervices, in the church, and intrufted with faithful men, fearing God, and of good report, who where not weary in well doing; adding often of their own, in large proportions, which they never brought to account, or defired fhould be known, much lefs reftored to them, that none might want, nor any fervice be retarded, or disappointed."

"They were alfo very careful, that every one, who belonged to them, answered their profeffion, in their behaviour among men, upon all occafions; that they lived peaceably, and were, in all things, good examples. They found themfelves engaged to record their fufferings and fervices; and in the cafe of marriage, which they could not perform in the ufual methods of the nation, but among themselves; they took care that all things were clear between the parties, and all others, and it

was

was then rare, that any one entertained an inclination to a perfon, on that account, till he, or fhe, had communicated it fecretly to fome very weighty and eminent friends among them, that they might have a fenfe of the matter; looking to the counfel and unity of their brethren, as of great moment to them. But because the charge of the poor, the number of orphans, marriages, fufferings and other matters, multiplied; and that it was good, that the churches were in fome way and method of proceeding in fuch affairs, among them, to the end they might the better correfpond, upon occafion, where a member of one meeting might have to do with one of another; it pleafed the Lord, in his wifdom and goodnefs, to open the understanding of the first inftrument of this difpen- G. Fox, the fation of life, George Fox, about a good and orderly firit inftruway of proceeding; who felt a holy concern to vifit the churches, in perfon, throughout this nation, to begin and establish it among them: and by his epistles, the like was done in other nations and provinces abroad; which he alfo afterwards vifited and helped in that fervice."

"Now the care, conduct and difcipline I have been fpeaking of, and which are now* practifed among this people, are as follow:

"This godly elder, in every county where he travelled, exhorted them, that fome out of every meeting of worfhip, fhould meet together, once in the month, to confer about the wants and occafions of the church. And as the cafe required, fo thofe monthly meetings were fewer, or more in number, in every refpective county; four or fix meetings of worship ufually making one monthly meeting of bufinefs. And accordingly the brethren. met him from place to place, and began the said meetings, viz. for the poor, orphans, orderly walking, integrity to their profeffion, births, marriages, burials, fufferings, &c. And thefe monthly meetings

Written in 1694.

fhould

ment, &c.