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15726-C.

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PREFACE

TO THE FIRST EDITION.

THE Yearly Meeting having been apprehensive that, in some quarterly and monthly meetings, due care hath not been taken to preserve, and enter regularly in the books kept for that purpose, those minutes and advices which from its first institution have occasionally been communicated to them, for establishing and conducting the discipline of the church, hath seen meet to direct that those minutes and advices should be carefully extracted and properly arranged under suitable heads, and be comprised in one volume, for the general service of the society. This important work having been committed to the care of the meeting for sufferings, it was with much labour and great attention performed, and was laid before the yearly meeting in 1781; when a considerable number of judicious friends then present were appointed to come up to London in the Tenth month ensuing, to join the meeting for sufferings in examining the same: most of whom, in conjunction with that meeting, met accordingly, and having given their attendance with unremitting assiduity, in much concord and to mutual satisfaction, were favoured after many sittings to go through the work, comparing every part with the original records; and the whole, as contained in the following pages, was agreed to by the yearly meeting in 1782, and directed to be printed: in order that,

First. Every quarterly and monthly meeting may be furnished with a complete and correct collection of the several minutes and advices issued by the yearly meeting for regulating the affairs of the society.

Secondly. That these minutes and advices, being more generally made known, may be more uniformly observed and put in practice; that order, unity, peace, and harmony may be preserved throughout the churches.

Thirdly. That, in an especial manner, the youth of the present and succeeding gene

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