WOMEN'S QUERIES. It is agreed, that the following be the queries for the women's meetings; and that they be answered in writing to the women's quarterly meetings in the Spring, and, with the exception of the last two clauses of the sixth query, from thence to their yearly meeting; also that the first, second, ninth, and tenth be answered in writing to the quarterly meetings in Autumn, and the first and second to the quarterly meetings in Winter. I. Do friends attend meetings for worship and discipline duly, and at the time appointed; and do they avoid all unbecoming behaviour therein? II. Are friends preserved in love one towards another; and are they careful to avoid and discourage tale-bearing and detraction? III. Do friends endeavour by example and precept to train up their children, servants, and those under their care, in a religious life and conversation, consistent with our Christian profession; and in plainness of speech, behaviour, and apparel? IV. Is it the care of all friends to be frequent in reading the Holy Scriptures; and do those who have children, servants, and others under their care, train them up in the practice of this religious duty? V. Are friends faithful in bearing our Christian testimony against receiving and paying tithes, priests' demands, and those called churchrates? VI. Do friends avoid all vain sports and places of diversion, gaming, excess in drinking, and other intemperance? VII. Are friends just in their dealings, and punctual in fulfilling their engagements? VIII. Is care taken early to admonish such as appear inclined to marry in a manner contrary to the rules of our society; and to report such as persist in refusing to take counsel to the men's meeting in due time? 5 رب IX. Are the necessities of the poor among you properly inspected and relieved; and is good care taken of the education of their offspring? X. Have you two or more faithful friends, appointed by the monthly meeting, as overseers in each particular meeting: and is the part of the discipline committed to your care, timely and impartially exercised? QUERY TO QUARTERLY MEETINGS ONLY. 6 The following query is to be read every quarter in the quarterly meetings of men and of women friends, and an answer sent from the Spring quarterly meeting to the yearly meeting : Are you careful to give to your monthly meetings such assistance as your place in the body and their state require? QUERIES FOR MEETINGS OF MINISTERS AND ELDERS. 7 It is agreed, that the following be the queries for the meetings of ministers and elders; and that they be answered in writing to the quarterly meetings of ministers and elders in the Spring, and from thence, with the exception of the seventh, to the yearly meeting of ministers and elders; also that in Autumn the first six, and in Summer and Winter the second and fourth, be answered in like manner to the quarterly meetings of ministers and elders, and that the rest be then read. I. Do any friends travel from or among you in the work of the ministry without certificates from the monthly meetings to which they belong, or against their advice? II. Are ministers and elders diligent in attending their meetings for worship, and in bringing their families with them? Are they also diligent in attending their meetings for discipline, and careful to promote the attendance of their families? III. Do any overcharge themselves with trade or other outward engagements to the hinderance of their service? IV. Are ministers and elders preserved in love, and in unity one with another, endeavouring in harmony to promote the advancement and spreading of the truth? V. Are ministers and elders careful to rule their own houses well, and to bring up their families in plainness of speech, behaviour, and apparel, and in other respects consistently with our Christian profession; also to be good examples therein themselves? VI. Are they careful tenderly to admonish, should inconsistency appear in ministry or conduct? VII. Are the advices' of the yearly meeting to ministers and elders, read at least once every year, in your monthly and quarterly meetings? 'For the Advices, see "Ministers and Elders," page 168. 1 MARRIAGES. REGISTERS. Two registers of every marriage, agreeable to the following form, are to be signed at a convenient time on the day of marriage, by the parties themselves, and by three witnesses. These registers are to be delivered to the monthly meeting, next occurring, to which the woman belongs, and to be there carefully examined. One of them is to be securely preserved in the book kept for that purpose, belonging to the monthly meeting, and the other is to be taken to the quarterly meeting, to be fixed in its marriage register book and indexed. [Care is to be taken, in filling up the above form, to insert the occupation or other usual addition, as well as the residence of the several persons mentioned in it. If the woman has been previously married, she should be described as the widow of her last husband.] In every monthly meeting one or more proper persons are to be appointed to give out birth notes, and burial notes; who are to fill them up agreeably to the prescribed forms, or to take care that the same be properly done; also to enter into the check margin of each note, the name of the person to whom such notes are delivered, and the other requisite particulars; the check margins are to be carefully preserved. No burial is to take place before the issuing of a burial note. 2 BIRTHS AND We, who were present at the said Birth, have subscribed our names as Witnesses thereof: Examined at of Monthly Meeting, mo. 18 Clerk. • Here insert a son, a daughter, two sons, &c., as the case may be. 3 |