day, to judge all mankind by a righteous judgment; that God will give unto the faithful, elect and godly, eternal life and happiness, everlasting rest, peace and joy without end. But God will bid the impenitent and ungodly, depart to the devil and his angels, to endure everlasting damnation, punishment and pain, torment and misery. Therefore we are not to concede to the doctrine of those who maintain that devils and ungodly men will not have to suffer eternal punishment and torment.

CONFERENCES.

Their conferences are: first, a quarterly; second, an annual; and third, a general conference. The first takes place on every circuit at the quarterly meetings; the second once a year in every conference district, and the third every four years in the district of the whole society, on account of which it is called the general conference. The members of the quarterly conference are all the class-leaders, exhorters, travelling and local preachers, residing or stationed in the circuit of said quarterly conference. The members of the annual conferences are all the travelling preachers, and such as have travelled, and who by ordination stand in full connexion with the ministry. The general conference consists of delegates who are elected of every annual conference every fourth year, one for every four members of her own body. There is in addition to these another annual conference appointed for the local preachers on every circuit, where several .of them reside; but these are destined principally for the investigation of the character and conduct of said preachers, in order to save time at the annual conferences of the travelling ministry.

Arrangement of the Society.-The whole society is divided into conference districts, the conference districts into smaller districts, these into circuits, and the circuits into classes.

FRIENDS OR QUAKERS.

BY THOMAS EVANS,

PHILADELPHIA.

THE religious Society of Friends, commonly called Quakers, is a body of Christian professors, which arose in England about the middle of the seventeenth century. The ministry of George Fox was chiefly instrumental, under the divine blessing, in convincing those who joined him of those Christian principles and testimonies which distinguish the society; and his pious labours contributed in no small degree to their establishment as an organized body, having a regular form of church government and discipline.

This devoted servant of Christ was born at Drayton, in Leicestershire, in the year 1624, and was carefully educated by his parents in the Episcopal mode of worship. He appears to have led a religious life from his childhood, and to have been deeply concerned for the salvation of his soul. Amid a high profession of religion, then generally prevalent, he observed among the people much vain and trifling conversation and conduct, as well as sordid earthly-mindedness, both which he believed to be incompatible with the Christian life. This brought great trouble upon his mind, clearly perceiving that the profession in which he had been educated did not give to its adherents that victory over sin which the gospel enjoins, and which his soul panted after. He withdrew from his former associates, and passed much of his time in retirement,-reading the holy scriptures, and endeavouring to wait upon the Lord for the revelation of his Spirit, to enable him rightly to understand the truths of the gospel.

In this state of reverent dependence upon the Fountain of saving knowledge, his mind was enlightened to see into the spirituality of the gospel dispensation, and to detect many errors which had crept into the professing Christian church. In the year 1647, he commenced his labours as a minister of the gospel, travelling extensively through England, generally on foot; and, from a conviction that it was contrary to Christ's positive command, he refused to

receive any compensation for preaching, defraying his expenses out of his own slender means. The unction from on high, which attended his ministry, carried conviction to the hearts of many of his hearers; and his fervent disinterested labours were crowned with such success, that in a few years a large body of persons had embraced the Christian principles which he promulgated.

The civil and religious commotions which prevailed in England about this period, doubtless prepared the way for the more rapid spread of gospel truth. The fetters, in which priestcraft had long held the human mind, were beginning to be loosened; the dependence of man upon his fellow-man, in matters of religion, was shaken, and many sincere souls, panting after a nearer acquaintance with God, and a dominion over their sinful appetites and passions, which they could not obtain by the most scrupulous observance of the ceremonies of religion, were earnestly inquiring, "What must we do to be saved?" The message of George Fox appears to have been, mainly, to direct the people to Christ Jesus, the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls, who died for them, and had sent his spirit or light into their hearts, to instruct and guide them in the things pertaining to life and salvation.

To the light of Christ Jesus, in the conscience, he endeavoured to turn the attention of all, as that by which sin was manifested and reproved, duty unfolded, and ability given to run with alacrity and joy in the way of God's commandments. The preaching of this doctrine was glad tidings of great joy to many longing souls, who eagerly embraced it, as that for which they had been seeking; and, as they walked in this divine light, they experienced a growth in grace and in Christian knowledge, and gradually came to be established as pillars in the house of God.

Many of these, before they joined with George Fox, had been highly esteemed in the various religious societies of the day, for their distinguished piety and experience, being punctual in the performance of all their religious duties, and regular in partaking of what are termed "the ordinances." But, notwithstanding they endeavoured to be faithful to the degree of knowledge they had received, their minds were not yet at rest. They did not witness that redemption from sin, and that establishment in the truth, which they read of in the Bible.as the privilege and duty of Christians; and hence, they were induced to believe that there was a purer and more spiritual way than they had yet found. They felt that they needed to know more of the power of Christ Jesus in their own hearts, making them new creatures, bruising Satan, and putting him under their feet, and

renewing their souls up into the divine image which was lost in Adam's fall, and sanctifying them wholly, in body, soul and spirit, through the inward operations of the Holy Ghost and fire.

Great were their conflicts and earnest their prayers, that they might be brought to this blessed experience; but looking without, instead of having their attention turned within, they missed the object of their search. They frequented the preaching of the most eminent ministers; spent much time in reading the holy scriptures, in fasting, meditation and prayer, and increased the strictness of their lives and religious performances; but still they were not wholly freed from the dominion of sin.

Some, after wearying themselves with the multitude and severity of their duties, without finding the expected benefit from them, separated from all the forms of worship then practised, and sat down together, waiting upon the Lord, and earnestly looking and praying for the full manifestation of the kingdom and power of the Lord Jesus.

In this humble, seeking state, the Lord was graciously pleased to meet with them; sometimes without any instrumental means, at others, through the living ministry of George Fox or other anointed servants, who were prepared and sent forth to preach the gospel. Then they were brought to see that that, which made them uneasy in the midst of their high profession and manifold observances, and raised fervent breathings after the God of their lives, was nothing less than the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, striving with them in order to bring them out fully from under the bondage of sin, into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

They were brought to see that they had been resting too much in a mere historical belief of the blessed doctrines of the gospel, the birth, life, miracles, sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension, mediation, intercession, atonement and divinity of the Lord Jesus; but had not sufficiently looked for, and abode under, the heart-changing and sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit or Comforter; to seal those precious truths on the understanding, and give to each one a living and practical interest in them; so that they might really know Christ to be their Saviour and Redeemer, and that he had, indeed, come into their hearts and set up his righteous government there.

This was the dawning of a new day to their souls; and, as they attended in simple obedience to the discoveries of this divine light, they were gradually led to see farther into the spirituality of the gospel dispensation. The change which it made in their views was great, and many and deep were their searchings of heart, trying" the

fleece both wet and dry," ere they yielded; lest they should be mistaken and put the workings of their own imagination for the unfoldings of the Spirit of Christ; but as they patiently abode under its enlightening operations, every doubt and difficulty was removed, and they were enabled to speak from joyful experience of that which they had seen, and tasted, and handled of the good word of life.

The rapid spread of the doctrines preached by George Fox, was surprising; and, among those who embraced them, were persons of the best families in the kingdom; several priests of the Episcopal denomination and ministers of other societies; besides, many other learned and substantial men. A large number of ministers, both men and women, were soon raised up in the infant society, who travelled abroad, as they believed themselves divinely called, spreading the knowledge of the truth, and strengthening and comforting the newly convinced. In a few years meetings were settled in nearly all parts of the United Kingdom; and, notwithstanding the severe persecution to which the society was subjected, by which thousands were locked up in jails and dungeons, and deprived of nearly all their property, besides being subjected to barbarous personal abuse; its members continued to increase, and manifested a zeal and devotedness which excited the admiration even of their persecutors. Their sufferings seemed only to animate them with fresh. ardour, and to unite them more closely together in the bond of gospel fellowship. Instances occurred where all the parents were thrown into prison, and the children continued to hold their meetings, unawed by the threats of the officers, or the cruel whippings which some of them suffered.

As early as the year 1655, some ministers travelled on the continent of Europe, and meetings of Friends were soon after settled in Holland and other places ;-some travelled into Asia, some were carried to Africa; and several were imprisoned in the Inquisitions of Rome, Malta, and in Hungary. About the same period the first Friends arrived in America, at the port of Boston, and commenced their religious labours among the people, many of whom embraced the doctrines which they heard. The spirit of persecution, from which Friends had suffered so deeply in England, made its appearance in America with increased virulence and cruelty, inflicting. upon the peaceable Quakers various punishments; and finally put four of them to death by the gallows.

Notwithstanding the opposition they had to encounter, the prin ciples of Friends continued to spread in America; many eminent ministers, actuated by the love of the gospel and a sense of religious duty, came over and travelled through the country; others, removed