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believed in the doctrine of the atonement. That the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ the Saviour were united, that thus united, he suffered, and that through his sufferings, death and resurrection, he atoned for the sins of men. That the Son of God in the fulness of time took flesh, became perfect man, according to the flesh, descended and came of the seed of Abraham and David, that being with God from all eternity, being himself God, and also in time partaking of the nature of man, through him is the goodness and love of God conveyed to mankind, and that by him again man receiveth and partaketh of these mercies. That Christ took upon him the seed of Abraham, and his holy body and blood was an offering and a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

In the third place, that the people called Quakers believe that the Scriptures are given by inspiration, and when rightly interpreted, are unerring guides, and to adopt the language made use of by them, they are able to make wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Jesus Christ. They believe that the Spirit still operates upon the souls of men, and when it does really and truly so operate, it furnishes the primary rule of faith. That the scriptures proceeding from it, must be secondary in reference to this primary source whence they proceed-but inasmuch as the dictates of the spirit are always true and uniform, all ideas and views which any person may entertain repugnant to the doctrines of the scriptures (which are unerring) must proceed from false lights. That such are the doctrines entertained and adopted by the Society of Friends, who date their origin in England in the seventeenth century, under the auspices and influence of George Fox, who is generally considered the founder of this society, and that the same doctrines are still entertained by the Orthodox party, to which the said Joseph Hendrickson belongs-That these doctrines are with the said religious society fundamental, and any individual entertaining sentiments and opinions contrary to all or any of the above mentioned doctrines, is held not to be in the same faith with the Society of Friends, or people called Quakers, and is treated accordingly-That the said Hicksite party do not adopt or believe in the said doctrines, but entertain opinions entirely and absolutely repugnant and contrary thereto-That in regard to the first mentioned religious doctrine, the Hicksite party believe that Jesus Christ was a mere man divinely inspired, partaking more largely of divine inspiration than other men, but that others by resorting to the same means, and using the same exertions, may receive the same portion or measure of divine inspiration-That Jesus Christ, as well as the apostles and prophets, never has been and never can be set above other men, and though of late some of the Hicksite party ascribe divinity to Jesus Christ, yet they do it only in a figurative sense, from the circumstance of his partaking more largely than other men of divine inspiration-in every other respect they consider him a mere man. They

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do not believe he partakes of the divine as well as human nature, that he is of one and the same essence with God, with that supreme and omnipotent Being, who presides over and governs the universe.

In respect to the second religious doctrine above mentioned, the Hicksite party deny the doctrine of atonement, above set forth, and they contend and believe that man may have access to his God, without any mediator. They contend that the crucifixion and sufferings of Christ, if an atonement at all, were an atonement only for the legal sins of the Jews.

In respect to the third doctrine above mentioned, the Hicksite party deny the certainty and divine inspiration of the holy scriptures, and hold that they contain doctrines and injunctions which are incorrect, and that they are a mere shadow. These discrepancies in religious doctrine are radical and all important, in the opinion of the said Joseph Hendrickson and his party, in reference to the principles and tenets of religion as held by the ancient fathers of this religious society. The Orthodox party firmly believing that the doctrines entertained by the Hicksite party strike at the foundation and main pillars of the Christian system-that in consequence of those differences in doctrine, the Hicksite party are not in the same faith with them and the ancient religious Society of Friends. And in and by the said bill, he further pretends, that during the Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends held in Philadelphia, commencing on the third Monday of April, 1827, at the hour of ten in the morning, according to the constitution and rules of the society, the Hicksite party held several private irregular meetings, at which no one attended or was invited to attend, except their own party, in which, after adverting to the irreconcilable difference in opinion and doctrine between the two parties, and to some confusion and disorder which they themselves had occasioned in the Yearly Meeting, but improperly ascribed to the Orthodox party, they stated that the period had fully come, in which they ought to look towards making a quiet retreat from this scene of confusion, alluding to the Yearly Meeting aforesaid, and they therefore recommended to the members of their party, deeply to weigh the momentous subject, and to adopt such a course as truth, under a solid and solemn deliberation, should point to-that at this sitting the Yearly Meeting regularly closed its business and adjourned to meet again the next year, on the third Monday of April, the usual time specified in its constitution. That in June, 1827, the said Hicksite party, pursuant to the determination formed by them, at such their irregular private meetings, held another private meeting of their own, none but their own party being invited to attend, at which they resolved upon and prepared an address for the members of their own party, proposing for their consideration the propriety and expediency of holding a Yearly Meeting for Friends in unity with themselves, and recommended to the Quarterly and Monthly

Meetings prepared for such a measure, to appoint representatives to meet in Philadelphia, on the third Monday of October, then next, with other members favourable to their views, there to hold a Yearly Meeting. That some of the members of a number of Quarterly and Monthly Meetings, under the control and jurisdiction of the regular and constitutional Yearly Meeting of Philadelphia, aforesaid, which members belonged to the said Hicksite party, accordingly met at Philadelphia on the third Monday in October aforesaid, and then and there irregularly and contrary to the discipline, constitution and government of the Society of Friends, formed a new Yearly Meeting of their own, which was adjourned by them to the second Monday of April, then next. That at that time they held their new Yearly Meeting, and the Orthodox party held their regular ancient Yearly Meeting on the Monday following, pursuant to the adjournment of the previous year-which always has been and still is recognised by the ancient and primary Yearly Meeting of London, the great and primary Yearly Meeting of this religious society in England, where the sect first arose, as a Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends, and holds no intercourse or correspondence with the Hicksite party. That the Hicksite and Orthodox, parties aforesaid are completely and absolutely divided and separated, not only in regard to fundamental religious doctrines, but also in government and in fact, as well as religious belief. They no longer form two parties of the same religious, society, but two separate distinct religious societies and communities-the schism is complete; the Hicksite party have seceded not only from the faith but from the religious institutions and government of the Society of Friends, and the ancient Yearly Meeting of Philadelphia being continued by the Orthodox party, they are identified with them by regular and due succession. That these religious dissentions and divisions exist in the Preparative, Monthly, and Quarterly Meetings at Crosswicks aforesaid—that the two parties there hold separate and distinct meetings for business and worship, the Hicksite party being under the jurisdiction and control of the new Yearly Meeting of Philadelphia, to which they have attached themselves, having renounced the jurisdiction and control of the ancient Yearly Meeting aforesaid, and the Orthodox party being under the jurisdiction and control of the ancient Yearly Meeting of Philadelphia aforesaid, which is now held and formed by them as aforesaid, and still continues to hold its annual meetings at the regular constitutional period as aforesaid, which Yearly Meeting disowns and does not recognise the said Preparative Meeting at Crosswicks, held by the Hicksite party, and the said Preparative Meeting at Crosswicks having themselves renounced the jurisdiction and control of the ancient Yearly Meeting aforesaid, and being disowned by them, is not of and does not belong to the ancient and established religious Society of Friends or people called Quakers, and is not identified with the Preparative Meeting

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of Chesterfield aforesaid, which was in existence when the school fund aforesaid was created, and the said bond and mortgage was executed by your orator. And on the contrary the Preparative Meeting at Crosswicks composed of the Orthodox party, to which the said Joseph Hendrickson belongs, still adhering to the faith of their fathers, and continuing under the jurisdiction and control of the ancient Yearly Meeting of Philadelphia, are identified in regular succession and continuances with the old Preparative Meeting of Chesterfield, which was in existence when the said school fund was created, and the said bond and mortgage were given, and are entitled to hold and enjoy the property held in trust as aforesaid, for the meeting of Chesterfield, and to the control of the said school fund-and he the said Joseph Hendrickson threatens and intends to proceed in this court, and is proceeding to recover the money so due upon the said bond and mortgage, as is herein before stated and set forth.

And the said Stacy Decou claiming to be the successor of the said Joseph Hendrickson as treasurer, as aforesaid, pretends and insists, that the religious Society of Friends are a well known denomination of Christian professors, who became associated under that name, about the middle of the 17th century-that they early adopted a system of discipline which has continued in use ever since; the rules and regulations of which relate partly to the preservation of a decent and comely order in its internal polity, partly to the observance of the principles of morality and justice, by all belonging to it, and partly to the maintenance of its peculiar testimonies-which rules are subject to alterations by the society, and have been revised and altered from time to time, as the circumstances of the society have appeared to require. The Society of Friends, in reference to its members, is a pure democracy-all its members having equal rights; neither ministers, elders, overseers, or clerks having any pre-eminence over their brethren. That the Yearly Meeting of the Society in England, and Yearly Meetings of the Society of Friends in this country, are wholly independent of each other, both in their establishment and government, and their authority. The ground of association in. the capacity of a church, originating in individual minds-when their forefathers first settled in this state, they adopted the practice of meeting together for the purpose of divine worship, where a few were settled near to each other, first in each other's houses, and afterwards in suitable places, provided by them for that purpose. Recurring to the benefits which they had experienced in England from their association in Monthly Meetings, as their numbers increased they established such meetings among themselves, for the exercise of brotherly care over each other, and over the youthful and inexperienced, and for mutual edificationfor restraining, by the power and authority of love, any observable tendency to a departure from correctness of conduct, and for the discreet and orderly maintenance of the character of the society

as a sober and religious community. Soon after this the members of the Monthly Meeting thus established at Burlington, believing that an advantage would arise from a general association of the brethren from the different settlements, within convenient distance, once a year, appointed a time, and sent invitations to their friends to meet on this interesting occasion. Thus the Yearly Meeting was first established at Burlington, originating from the motion of a single Monthly Meeting, which was enlarged by an association with those of their friends of the like religious persuasion in other parts of this state and Pennsylvania, which has continued to the present period, with various changes of the time and place of meeting as deemed expedient by the Society of Friends. Quarterly Meetings also, composed of several Monthly Meetings within convenient distance of each other, were established--not, however, possessing any power over Monthly Meetings further than to advise and assist them in difficult cases on their application; and it is believed, that in no instance whatever, has any Yearly, Quarterly, or Monthly Meeting, undertaken to exercise any right or control over the property belonging to another meeting. The executive power, as relates to discipline, is lodged in the several Monthly Meetings. The Quarterly Meetings are merely a larger meeting of the members of the Monthly Meetings, to which the Monthly Meetings composing them, severally report their general state, and occasionally ask advice and aid in cases of difficulty. The Yearly Meeting is a still larger collection of members of the same Monthly Meetings, which are represented through the different quarters by members therein appointed, merely as organs of communication, and that all parts of the society may be represented, but not placing in their hands any control over their brethren, the power remaining at large in the brethren, the great democratic body, to whom only the name, title, and authority of the Yearly Meeting belong. In the Yearly Meeting such regulations as from time to time appear expedient, and tend to the good of the whole society, are proposed and agreed upon, which are comprehended in what is called a Book of Discipline, and all cases are resulted by the verbal or silent acquiescence of the members collected, and not by any order of members as having a rank or authority in the body above others. If any new proposition is made, which does not accord with the views of the meeting generally, the same is suspended or dismissed. It does not review the proceedings of the inferior meetings, except in cases of appeal, where a member considers himself aggrieved by a Monthly Meeting in disowning him; and recourse is seldom had to it except for advice in cases of uncommon difficulty, occasionally arising in Monthly or Quarterly Meetings. The Society of Friends acknowledge no head but Christ, and no principle of authority or government in the church, but his love operating on the heart, and thence influencing the judgment and producing a unity of feeling, brotherly sympathy, and condescen