APPENDIX NO. 2: THE MONTHLY MEETING OF FRIENDS, CALLED BY SOME THE FREE
QUAKERS, (DISTINGUISHING US FROM THOSE OF OUR BRETHREN WHO HAVE DISOWNED
US,) HELD AT PHILADELPHIA, THE 4TH DAY OF THE 6TH MONTH, 1781,)
Charles Wetherill
Wetherill, Charles. History of The Religious Society of Friends Called
by Some The Free Quakers, in the City of Philadelphia. Philadelphia:
Printed for the Society, 1894, Number 3 of an edition limited to 800 copies,
signed by Charles Wetherill.]
This Document is on The
Quaker Writings Home Page.
TO OUR FRIENDS AND BRETHREN IN PENNSYLVANIA, NEW JERSEY AND ELSEWHERE:
Dear Friends.--Agreeable to the intimations given to you in
our late "Address to those of the People called Quakers, who have been
disowned for matters religious or civil," we have for some time past held
two meetings for public worship on the first day of the week, and a meeting
for conducting the business of the society, on the first second day of
the week in each month. These meetings having afforded us great satisfaction,
we shall continue them, with a firm hope that the blessing of heaven will,
"as the dew of Hermon," descend in silence upon them.
In our deliberations on this subject we have been led to consider "That
the Creator of man having bestowed upon individuals greater and less natural
abilities and opportunities of improvement, a variety of sentiments respecting
the duties which we owe to him necessarily arises among us, and it becomes
essential to our happiness that we may perform those duties in that way
which we think the most acceptable to him. And therefore when we contemplate
the long and earnest contest which has been maintained, and the torrents
of blood which, in other countries, have been shed in defence of this precious
privilege, we cannot but acknowledge it to be a signal instance of the
immediate care of a divine providence over the people of America, that
he has in the present great revolution, thus far established among us governments
under which no man, who acknowledges the being of a God, can be abridged
of any civil right on account of his religious sentiments, while other
nations, who see and lament their wretched situation, are yet groaning
under a grievous bondage. But government established upon these liberal,
just, and truly Christian principles, and wisely confined to the great
objects of ascertaining and defending civil rights, in avoiding the possibility
of wounding the conscience of any, must necessarily leave some cases unprovided
for, which come properly under the care of religious societies. Hence we
are not only left at liberty to act agreeably to our sentiments, but the
necessity and obligation of establishing and supporting religious societies,
are increased and strengthened.
We acknowledge the kindness of Providence in awakening us to a view
of the deplorable situation in which we have been: disowned and rejected
by those among whom we have been educated, and without a hope of being
ever again united to them: separated and scattered abroad, as if we had
been aliens in a strange land: the prospect of our situation has indeed
humbled us: but that mercy which, "to an hair's breadth," covers the judgment
seat of God, has preserved us, and induced us to confide that he will care
for us. Being made sensible of the indispensable necessity of uniting together,
we have cast our care upon God, and depending upon him for our support,
conceive it to be a duty which we owe to ourselves, our children, and families,
to establish and support among us public meetings for religious worship,
to appoint stated meetings for conducting the affairs of the Society, upon
principles as liberal and enlarged toward one another, as those adopted
by the State are toward all, and paying a due regard to the principles
of our forefathers, and the spirit of the wise regulations established
by them, to fix upon such rules as may enable us to preserve decency and
good order: and among other things, to agree upon and make known a decent
form of marriage, which may at once secure the rights of parents and children:
and a mode of forming and preserving records of marriages, births, and
burials.
For these purposes an essay of discipline, founded on that of our ancestors,
has been formed, and laid before the meeting for business. A good degree
of unanimity of sentiments thereupon has appeared among us; but we have
thought it proper to leave it open for further consideration, and thus
to communicate to our friends what we are about to do, in order to avail
ourselves of the advice and assistance of all who may kindly afford us
their counsel. And we sincerely and earnestly desire that we may obtain
and be guided by that "wisdom from above," which is sufficient to overcome
every danger and difficulty which we may have to contend against, and finally
unite us together, in a truly Christian fellowship, and in the bonds of
peace. Signed by order of the Meeting,