A Remonstrance from Burlington Quarterly Meeting, 1732, with Remarks Thereon

ioBULLETIN OF FRIENDS' HISTORICAL SOCIETY. the ways of supposed interest! Fatal error! As if any thing could be for our interest, that is displeasing in the sight of the infinitely Holy Being, who bestow'd upon us our Existence & all the faculties combined with it. " What a remarkable instance of Intellectual darkness is mentioned in thy letter, a Person of large understanding & many good qualities holding numbers of his fellow man, at this time in severe Bondage. I fear that thy opinion is too favorable to me, in imagining that any efforts of mine could be of use on that occasion. I know by experience the horrid infatuation: almost miraculously I escaped out of the thick clay & the lurid atmosphere , & was in that instance favor'd to turn my back on the Tents of Abomination. May men more & more perceive the blessings of mercifulness, etc."John Dickinson. A REMONSTRANCE FROM BURLINGTON QUARTERLY MEETING, 1732, WITH REMARKS THEREON.1 ffrom our Quarterly Meeting held at Burlington the 28o1 of ye 6 month 1732 To our Yearly Meeting to be held at Burlington in the 7th month [9th month New Style] next— The ffriends appointed by our sd Quarti. Meeting as Representatives to attend ye servis of ye Yearly Meeting are as vnder : Dan11 Smith, Ebinezer Large, Johnathn Wright, John Redman, Caleb Raper, Nathan1 Cripps, Edward Barton, Isaac Hornor, Wm Morris, Wm Murfi, Abr™. ffarington, Richard ffrench, John Sykes, Gervas Pharo, Mordica Andrews, Junr— The Reports ffrom our Severall Month : Meetings Concerning the State amounts to this, that in the generali ffriends are in love & vnity and first day and Week Day Meetings pretty well kept vp and attended and a Care and a Concern is on the Minds 1 From original in Library of Haverford College. REMONSTRANCE BURLINGTON QUARTERLY MEETING, n of honest harted ffriends to keep vp and Maintaine the discipline of ye Church and to putt ye same in practice as they see occation for it. According to Last Years agreement our Quoto of Collection is Lodged in ye hands of Dan11 Smith, & Caleb Raper for the Servis of ye Yearly Meeting as vsuall. But had not had any Epistle from London this year This Meeting has it vnder their Care & Notice the Removing marks of distinction on gravestones oute of their Burying grounds but meets with sum difficulty in that affaire. This Meeting not being ffully sattisfyed with Last years answer to our Request of advise about Marriages in nearness of kindred in affinity, desires it may Com vnder Sollid Consideration againe and to haue a more direct and particuler answer in that affare, and hopes the Meeting will Exkuse vs herein by Reason we haue of Late ben Exercised with sundry marriages of this kindes as one man marrying two sisters & by persons professing truth. This Meeting being dissattisfyed Concerning the former Minut of the Yearly Meeting Relating to young Ministers being debarred from ye Meeting of Ministers & Elders, withoute the Month. Meetings approbation & Recommendation, therefore desires the said Minuit may be Rased out, and that wee fall into the same practice in that affaire as our ffriends in Vrope. Examd: & Signed on Behalfe of sd Meeting pr Richard Smith Clerk Remarks on a Remonstrance from Burlington Quarterly Meeting, 1732. The document printed above is unusually interesting as it mentions some of the matters which gave rise to considerable discussion among Friends during a large part of the eighteenth century. It should be remembered that at the time the report was written there was no printed Discipline, or, indeed, any complete 12BULLETIN OF FRIENDS' HISTORICAL SOCIETY. Discipline as now understood. Manuscript "Advices " from the Yearly Meetings took the place of the more modern codes, and as a result modifications were more frequent.1 The removing of grave-stones, which caused much heartburning , was part of the effort, which lasted many years, to suppress display and outward show as belonging to what was afterward termed " creaturely activity." There was very much of good in the movement, though there can now be no doubt that it was pushed to extremes. It tended to lay too much stress on the external, a fact which injured true spirituality, and its severity alienated and drove out many who would have...