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النشر الإلكتروني

QUERIES.

It is the sense and judgment of this meeting, that it will tend to the benefit of the society, that the following queries be sent to the several quarterly, monthly, and preparative meetings.

1. Are all meetings for religious worship and discipline duly attended? Is the hour observed? And are friends preserved from sleeping, and all other unbecoming behavior therein?

2. Are love and unity maintained among you? Is detraction guarded against? And where any differences arise, are endeavors used speedily to end them?

3. Are friends careful to bring up those under their direction in plainness of speech, behavior and apparel? To restrain them from reading pernicious books, and from the corrupt conversation of the world? Are they good examples herein themselves? And are the Holy Scriptures frequently read in their families?

4. Are friends careful to avoid the use of spirituous liquors, except for medicine? The unnecessary frequenting of taverns, and places of public resort? And to keep in true moderation and temperance, on the account of births, marriages, burials, and on other occasions?

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5. Are the circumstances of the poor, and of such as appear likely to need assistance, duly inspected, and their necessities relieved, or they assisted in such business as they are capable of? Do their children freely partake of learning, to fit them for business? And are they, and other friends' children, placed among friends?

6. Are parents and heads of families, with the young and unmarried, careful that all proceedings with respect to marriage be conformable to our discipline?

7. Do you maintain a faithful testimony against the payment of priests' wages, bearing arms, training or other military matters? Against being concerned in property taken in war, buying or vending goods suspected to be run, and against making false entries, to evade the payment of duties?

8. Are friends careful to inspect their affairs and settle their accounts? Are they punctual to their promises, and just in the payment of their debts, and careful to live within the bounds of their circumstances?

9. Are friends careful to have all their marriages, births, deaths and burials duly recorded? Are there any friends removed from, or come amongst you, without certificates?

10. Do you take due care regularly to deal with all offenders, in the spirit of meekness and wisdom, without partiality or unnecessary delay? And is judgment placed where it appears necessary, in the authority of truth, according to our Discipline?

And in the preparative and monthly meetings, when all the foregoing queries are read and an

swered, the following advices are to be read, with a suitable pause between them.

Advised, that persons who make or encourage proposals of marriage with each other, do early obtain the consent of their parents or guardians, and that none keep company with those who are not of our society, on that account. That no parents or guardians encourage their children thus keeping company or marrying, and that friends be careful to maintain our testimony faithfully against all disorderly marriages.

That all public gifts and legacies be strictly applied to the uses intended by the donors; or, if any unforeseen occurrence should render such compliance difficult or impracticable, that an early application be made to the meeting for sufferings, for its advice or assistance; and that timely care be taken for the renewal of trusts.

That friends be careful to maintain our testimony faithfully against slavery.

And in order to render the said queries more effectual, it is directed that the answers be full and explicit, comprising the substance of every part of each query, in order that this meeting, being rightly informed of the state of the church in general, the needful advice and assistance may be duly administered. 1761.

That, to this purpose, they be first read in the preparative meetings preceding the quarterly meeting, and distinct answers given in said meetings, to

the first, second, and tenth, except previous to the Spring quarter, when all are to be answered; and those answers carried to their respective monthly meetings, where the queries are also to be read, and the answers aforesaid; and those answers digested in each monthly meeting, and sent from thence to the quarterly meeting; where the queries are to be again read, and the answers thereto, which came from the monthly-meetings; and a summary account made in the spring quarterly meeting, comprehending the state thereof, founded on the answers to the queries, to be entered on their records, and transmitted to the yearly meeting, and there read; and a summary of the reports is to be entered in the yearly meeting book.

And that the minutes and reports, which go from inferior to superior meetings, be signed by their respective clerks.

RECORDS.

It is concluded that there be entered on our records, beside the usual minutes of our proceedings, all the conclusions, advices and epistles, which go from hence, whether to the meetings we correspond with abroad, or to the quarterly meetings; and a summary account of the answers to the queries from the several quarters.

And that quarterly meetings record all epistles, advices and conclusions, received from this meeting; a summary account of the state of the monthly meetings, from the answers to the queries once in the year; and all their proceedings, conclusions and advices, whether by epistle or otherwise.

And that monthly meetings record, beside the usual minutes and conclusions, all epistles of advice, and the conclusions of this and the quarterly meeting they belong to; marriage certificates, with the witnesses at large; births, deaths, burials; all papers of acknowledgment, and testimonies of denial; all certificates of removal, from or to the meeting, and of friends that travel in the ministry; letters of correspondence with other meetings, and

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