SECT. 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 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,
drunkenness, or profane swearing, or neglect of their 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.
Pages:
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182