THe first Cause of the Seperation betwixt them and us, was this, That at a Monethly Meeting held at Philadelphia the 29th of the 11th Moneth last, T.— having openly in the face of the Meeting accused G. K. for denying the Sufficiency of the Light, and promising to bring his Evidence the next Monethly Meeting, or then that he would acknowledge he had done amiss; And at the next Mo­nethly Meeting being required to give his Evidence, he brought W— who was known to be a prejudiced Person against G. K. and so could be no sufficient Evidence agianst him, besides that, divers were present at the Place and Time, where and when W— alledged he heard G.K. deny the Sufficiency of the Light, &c. that cleared him, That they heard him bo [...]h t [...]en and at all occasions, that he delivered his Mind on that Subject alway [...]s bear [...]estimony to the Sufficiency of the Light to Salvation. And at the said Meeting, being the 26th of the 12 Moneth, T— having said in the Meeting, (in answer to a Question put to him by G. K.) That he had not learned that Less [...]n, whether the Body of Christ that was nai [...]ed to the C [...]oss, crucified, buried, rose and ascended, &c. was the God­head, or some-what that Christ took of the Virgin; At which many were greatly offended to find him so ignorant, having been so long a Prea­cher. And after much discourse about these matters, the Meeti [...]g did adjourn with unanimous Co [...]se [...]t of them that staid, which was the far greatest part, and also with the consent of T.— himself, and these who went away before the adjourning of it, said nothing against it, nor was the Meeting understood to be broke up before the adjourn­ment, [Page 9] only some few did go away, it being cold Weather, and grow­ing dark; the adjou [...]ning of the said Monethly Meeting was to the next day about the eighth hour, at which time they me [...] i [...] the School­house, where the Meeting used to be kept at tim [...]s in the Winter Season. And after much discourse concerning T— in the [...] Mee­ting, he being required to prove his Charge, and to condem [...] his [...] Ignorance and Unbelief; but refusing to do either (though he said publickly in the Meeting, If he did not prove his Charge against t [...]e next Monethly Meeting, he would acknowledge his Error, and yet did neither) and going away from the Meeting, the Friends of [...]he Mee­ting (some that were present that were not in the Profession of Truth, removing at the desire of Friends) did give a unanimous judgment conce [...]ning T— A true Copy whereof hereafter followeth. And the said Judgment being desired by Friends that gave it to be recorded in the Monethly Meeting Book, at the next Quarterly Meeting, that happened within a few dayes after, a Party in the Meeting did with­stand it▪ and deny'd them that gave the Judgment to be a true Monthly Meeting, and consequently their Judgment was void. And by this it plainly appeareth, the Breach was on their side; for there is no Equity or Reason why they having denyed us to be a Meeting, that we should own them, seeing we were really a Meeting, lawfully adjourned, con­sisting of at least Sixty Persons, most of which used to keep Month­ly Meetings, and owned to be Friends in the same Profession with them.

And at the same Monethly Meeting on the sixth Day, W— an antient Preacher, having renewed his former Accusation against G.K. charging him openly in the face of the Meeting, That he preached Two Christs, because he preached Faith in Christ within, and in Christ without us, &c. and on the next day, at the Meeting adjourned, he being sent for by the Meeting, to make his Charge good, or else condemn his Ignorance and Error, but he refusing to come, the Meeting did also give a unanimous Judgment concerning him (not one dissenting in either of the Judgments, only one or two signifying th [...]ir not through­ly understanding the case, declared thei [...] unclearness, but said nothing against it) the true Copy whereof doth also hereafter follow. And this Judgment also given b [...] the Meeting, being refused by a Party in the Quarterly Meeting to let it be entred in the Monethly Meeting Book, gave us just Offence, because in so doing they refused us to be a [Page 10] Monthly Meeting, and denyed our Judgment, which we are perswad­ed in our Consciences, by the Spirit of Truth, was a just Judgment concerning these men, and we could do no less, both for the Peace of our Consciences, and the honour of Christ Jesus, and also for the credit of our Profession, in all parts of the World, where such a Profession is made, than to give such a Judgment concerning these Men. [Note, That G. K. ha [...] no hand in giving Iudgment concerning these Persons and Matters, but was wholy [...] b [...]ing the Person accused ▪ And also, Note, that t [...]y watch re [...]sed our Iudgments, were present at the said [...], but when they perceived things to go contrary to their Mind, t [...]ey with-drew.]

Another thing wherein the said Party, both in the Quarterly and Monethly Meeting gave us Offence, was, That whereas great Oppo­sition had been made by them [...]gainst a late printed [...]ook, entituled, The Christian Faith of the People of God called Quakers in Rhode-Island, vindicated, &c. several Friends presented to this Meeting a Paper, desi [...]g the Meeting to be cautious not to oppose the Rhode-Island Friends Testimony to the Truth; whereupon, after having read and duely considered the said Rhode-Island Sheet, judgment was given by us, approving it, and W. B. for printing it, but this also was refused by them to be recorded in the Monethly Meeting Book, wherein they have given a Three-fold Instance that they have denyed us to be a Meeting. A Practice that we never knew before among the People ca [...]ed Quakers, that ever such a thing was suf [...]red, that one party of a Monthly Meeting should deny their Brethren, and leave them, and yet afterwards lay claim to them, when they themselves made the Seperation.

But, that it may appear how weak and insufficient the Reasons are, that were given by the said Party at the Quarterly Meeting, why we were no M [...]eting, we think fit to give an account of them, with our Answers to them. One Reason was, That a Monet [...]ly Meeting co [...]ld not adjourn, and there was no President for it: But to this the Clark of the [Page 12] Meeting answered, That he had minuits to show, a Monthly Meeting had formerly adjourned; And why could not a Monthly Meeting, upon a weighty occasion adjourn, as well as any other Meeting? Another Reason was, That the Clark and the Monthly Meeting Lo [...]k was gone: But to this it was answered, The Monthly Meeting could make or consti­tute a Clark, as other Meetings have done; for it is the Meeting that makes the Clark, and it is not the Clark that makes the Meeting. A 3d Reason was, There were few o [...] the Friend [...] of the Ministry, or Elder Friends and Brethren, that were present at the adjourning, or at the Meeting adjourned. To this it was answered, That there were more, both Friends of the Ministry, and Elder Friends and [...]rethren at that Mee­ting that did adjourn, and met when adjourned, than hath been at many Monthly Meetings here, that have been approved. A 4th Reason was, That the matter o [...] Difference being a matter of Doctrine, and be­twixt Friends of the Ministry, a Monthly Meeting could not be proper Iudges o [...] it. To this it was answered, That the Difference being a matter of Fact, (and [...]ot a matter of Doctrine that could be called in Question by any Judicious Christian,) and the Accusation being made to the Monthly Meeting, they were proper Judges of it; and i [...] the Differ­ence had been a matter of Doctrine, we did, and do assert, That the Monthly Meeting, to wit, consisting of a considerable Number of F [...]nds of the Ministry, and other judicious Friends, were proper Judges of it; but to lodge the Judgment wholly in Friends of the Mi­nistry, and to deny all other Friends to have a share in the Judgment, even when the Difference is in a matter of Doctrine, we judge is an encroachment upon our Christian Liberty, and savours too much of the Church of Rome; as also that other ease pressed too indiscreetly at the Quarterly Meeting, when some that were known to be Parties against G. K. did require of him his Submission to the Judgment of the Meeting; He answe [...]ed (as we judge, soberly and Christianly) That [...] to the Iudgment of the Spirit of Truth in Friends; but to give an absolute Submission, he could not, to any S [...]ciety of men what­soever; fo [...] absolute Submission implyeth absolute In [...]allibility, that no Society [...] pretendeth unto but the Church of Rome, and therefore to introd [...]e it among us, would be Rank Pope [...]y; at which some [...] [...]gainst G. K. were g [...]eatly dissatisfied, and one took out his Pocket- [...]ook and writ down some words of G. K. to that effect before he had finished the full Sentence, which we judge was very unfair, as well as unusual.

[Page 13]But whereas some from this would infer, as if G. K. denyed any positive Power of Iudgment to a true Church, or Meeting of true Christians, met together in the Name of Christ, where he is present in the mindst of them G. K. gave no ground for any such inference, for he doth rea­dily grant, That a true Christian Assembly hath a positive Power of Judgment, when met together in his Name, and that he is present in the midst of them, and is felt and witnessed to guide them in true Judgment. But we all know, that it is possible at times, that Parti­ality, and Prejudice, and Annimosities may prevail in Meetings, that may pretend to meet in the Name of Christ, and also to have him present in the midst of them, and yet where such things prevail, Christ is not in the midst known to give true Judgment, or to guide men to give it, as Friends Letter to us from London expresly declareth. And therefore we judge, That No absolute Submission should be required of any Member to the Judgment of that Society he belongeth unto in a matter of Truth or Christian Doctrine, or wherein the Conscience is concerned; for it is time enough to submit to the Judgment of Bre­thren, when a man hath heard it, and has brought it to the Ballance and Test of that which giveth true Judgment in every particular, that is in a qualified Frame to understand it, even as Christ said, As I hear I judge, John 5.30. And if any be st [...]ff and Refractory to the true Judgment of the Christian Society he belongeth unto, they may freely proceed to put into Practice Gospel [...]iscipline against him, without requiring his Submission, as it is in Worldly Judicatories.

But if any say, At last it was yeilded in the Quarterly Meeting, that the Adjourned Meeting in the School-house was a true Meeting, but an Appeal was made from that Monthly Meeting to the Quarterly Meeting, and the Quarterly Meeting offering to give a new Iudgment in the Case, and in order thereto ordered G K. to with-draw, he refusing so to do, hindered that [...]o Iudgment could be given. But to this it was and is answered, That there could be no Appeal from that Monthly Meeting to the Q [...]arterly Meeting, because most of the Quarterly Meeting did con­ [...]t of the Friends that gave the Judgment at the Monthly Meeting, and such as were over, were but a few in comparison, except some Country Friends that did not care to meddle in that matter, and so to appeal from the Monthly Meeting to the Quarterly Meeting, was in effect but to appeal from the Monthly Meeting to a small part or Num­ [...] of Persons in the Quarterly Meeting, the most of which, and [Page 14] the most leading men, were known to be prejudiced against G. K. and Parties against him; and G. K. did offer very fairly in naming seven or eight Persons, that we know were his opposite Parties (and had been mainly instrumental at former Meetings about a Year ago, and at the time of the Yearly Meeting, to hinder Justice to be done, and true Judgment to be past concerning bringing W— to Conviction and Condemnation of his Error) That if they would go out, he would go out also, but they who were his manifest opposite Parties, and had manifestly appeared from time to time to excuse and defend W— and blame G. K. for his sound Christian Doctrine that he hath preached among us, refusing to go forth, we are satisfied G. K. did well not to go forth, so as to submit to the judgment of these men, who had sufficiently shown their Partiality against him, and som of which had unjustly accused him, as can be well proved. Besides, things being duely considered, there was no reason that G. K. should have gone forth, either at that Meeting or any other, for G. K. was no otherwise concerned in that Difference with W— and T— than all faithful Friends, and the whol [...] Meeting ought to have been con­cerned, to wit, to defend one of the greatest Principles of the Christian Faith, viz. That the Man Christ Iesus who was crucified, did rise from the Dead, and is now in being, And That Faith in him is ne [...]essary to make men true Christians; And therefore not G. K. alone, nor principally, but Christ himself, and all his faithfull Followers are concerned in the same; and in none of these Meetings was any Charge of any Trespass proved against G. K. nor so much as brought under the Consideration of the Body of the Meeting, only one or two particular Persons fasly accused him, but the thing was never brought to any due Tryal. And here let it be noted, [...]hat both the Meeting of Friends of the Ministry at R. E's refusing to answer G. K's Complaint against the dishonour done to Christ Jesus, that W— was guilty of, so as to bring him to any Conviction or Condemnation of his Error, and also the Meetings at the House of S. C. and A. M. at the time of the Yearly Meeting, wholly neglecting to bring the said W— to Conviction and Condem­nation of his Error, altho' at the last of six Meetings it was declared, That G. K's Doctrine concerning Christ within and Christ without to be One Lord Iesus Christ, was true, and that therefore W— was blame worthy, and yet after all this W— persisted in his false Charge against G. K. and hath been greatly excused and supported by many, that this hath [Page 15] given such deep ground of offence, to all of us, with other thing concurring, that because to this day nothing hath been done (it being now above a Year since complaint was made against W—) by these of the other side, who meet in a Seperation from us, either to bring W— or T— to Condemnation, but suffer them to continue to preach and pray in their Meetings; therefore we do justly judge, That the whole Meeting that meet in a Seperation from us, that owneth these men & tollerateth them in their great Errors and Trepasses, are guilty with them, and accountable for their Errors; and therefore according to Christs command recorded in the holy Scripture, we ought to be sepe­rate from them, altho' (as hath been sufficiently proved) they began the Seperation, and they having begun it, we cannot in Conscience unite in Meetings with them here at Philadelphia, until they give satis­faction to Truth in these weighty things.

The Second Cause of the Seperation (which also we lay at their door) is, That whereas in the Monthly Meeting in the first Month last, a Proposition bei [...]g made to change the Meetings, both at the Centre & in the Town, and some being for the said Change, and others against it, and having good Reasons why they were against the said Change, ye [...] a Par [...] in the Meeting, contrary to our declared mind and assent, [...] over them that dissented, to change the said Meetings; a [...] we have not known formerly allowed by Friends any where in their [...]onthly meetings, that one Party (suppose equal or greater in Number than the rest) should assume a Power to appoint or change Place [...] and Times of Meetings without the Consent of their Brethren; for things, of that Nature especially, use always to be done with una­nimous Consent, and not by Plurality of Votes, which is not the way of Truth; and because we were not free to stand to the Arbitrary and Rash Determination, as to that Change, therefore we met at the ordi­nary Meeting-place, as formerly practised, and they began the Sepe­ration, in keeping a Publick Meeting in the after-noon at the Bank, contrary to our declared sense and mind, only some of us met at a pri­vate Family meeting in the Evening, at the House of G. K. that could be counted no seperate Meeting for that day. And afterwards, we finding they were resolved to continue in their way of Seperation, and that some had endeavoured to lo [...]k us out from meeting at the Bank in the fore-noon, this put us upon seeking a new place to meet in, in [Page 16] case we had been disappointed of the other; and tho' some of us did declare our sincere intention and sense, that it were good but to have one Publick Meeting on first Days, to end about the second hour, and the remaing part to be used for private Meetings in Families, yet their keeping up their publick After-noons meeting, hath given us just occasion at present to have a Publick After-noons Meeting as well as they, for we hope they shall not have any cause to say against us, that we are short of them in our Zeal for good Meetings.

Things being thus far advanced, and the Seperation being begun, and carried on so far by them, and justly chargeable upon them, some of them having desired us to make some Proposals, or Expedients for healing the Breach, and uniting again as formerly, after some time we s [...]nt some Proposals to them, that we were satisfied in our Consciences were most equal and just, and such as the Truth required of us; but they are so far from being satisfied with most of them, that they have the more blamed us, some insinuating as if we had transgressed the Law, but we are not afraid of any such thing, providing true Liberty of Conscience, according to the just and due bounds of it, be allowed to us; and for our part, we are so well satisfied that all our Proposals to them (in that Paper signed by fifteen of us) are just and equal, that if they please, we shall freely consent to their Printing of them. The sum of which Proposals doth principally consist in these two things, 1st, That all such of the Ministry among them, whom we can prove guilty of preaching false Doctrine, or of falsly accusing the Innocent, or ex­cusing and defending the Guilty, and contending against some sound Prin­ciples of Truth, in Meetings appointed for hearing these Differences, may be brought to Conviction and Acknowledgment of their Error and Trespasses: And 2dly, Seeing (by a marvelous Providence that hath discovered it) that our Monthly Meetings here-away have consisted of a mixt Number of some Believers and some Vnbelievers, or of some men unsound in the Christian Faith, that we agree together to put Robert Barclay's Doctrine (well ap­proved of by the best of our Friends in England, and particularly by G. F. and G. W.) into Practice, in his Book called, The Anarchy of th [...] Ranters, &c. see §. 4. p. 32, [...]3. & §. 6. p. 48, 49. which is▪ To declare our Faith and Perswasion in certain Fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Faith and Religion, that by the same, as well as by a good Life and Conver­sation, it may be known who are qualified to be members of our Church; and that every one owned to be a member of our Church, declare his Faith & Per­swasion [Page 17] in every [...] these Fundamentals, which is a secondary [...]end [...] our V [...]i [...]n, the Spirit being the principal, which may be easily done by answering to [...] plain Questions, with Yea or Nay.

And now, a Third & main Reason that we give for this Seperation, well warranted both by Scripture Testimony, and command of Christ recorded in Scripture, and the truth of it sealed to us, by the Spirit of Truth in our hearts, that whereas there are diver [...] of the [...] ▪ of most Gross and Vnchristian Errors against the Fundamental Doctrine [...] of the Christian Faith, who are publick Preachers among them, and whose Ministry they fit under, and some encourage them, others tollerate and suffer them; and that others even of their Preachers are guilty of other gross Errors, and other Trespasses that render them altogether unqualified for the Ministry, and to uphold or tollerate them is to bring Reproach to Truth and ou [...] holy Profession, and to the Body of our faithful Friends, with all whom we remain in [...]ar Unity in all parts of the World, hoping that faith [...]ul Friends and Breth [...]en th [...]t have an impar [...]ial account and information of us, and do rightly and duely consider and examine the Righteousness of our Cause, wi [...] en­courge us therein, to the Disappointment of such who affirm the con­trary, but we being principally supported & encouraged by the Spirit of Truth in our hearts, that as such men immediately guilty of these vile Errors, some of which no Protestant Christian Society would tolerate, neither Episcopal, Presbyterian nor Baptist, are to be turned away and seperated from; so that Society is to be turned away from, whoever they be, that doth uphold or tollerate them, and bring them not to due Conviction and Condemnation, after due and sufficient notice is given unto them, as there hath been for a long time, from one Mee­ting to another, as concerning some of them, now many Months since past, and nothing done effectually to bring them to any Conviction, but that it seemeth they are resolved still to support or tollerate them. Now the Scriptures that warrant us in this Seperation (altho' as is said first made by them) are these following, 2 Cor. 6.14, 15, 16, 17. 1 Tim. 6.3, 4, 5. 2 Tim. 3.2, 3, 4, 5. Tit. 3.10. Rev. 18.4. 2 Thes. 3.6. Rom. 16.17. Rev. 2.14, 15, 20. and the same is expresly confirmed by the Doctrine delivered by R. Barclay in his said Book, well approved by good Friends, who expresly saith, p. 5. [...]. We do sa [...]ly conclude, t [...]at where a People are gathered into a Belief of the Principles and Doctrines of [Page 18] the Gospel of Christ, if any of that People go from their Principles, and assert [...] false, and contrary to what they have already received, such as stand and abide firm in the Faith, have Power, by the Spirit of God, after [...] Christian endeavours to convince and reclaim them, upon [...] to SEPERATE from such, §. 6. p. 52. and §. 4. p. 33. [...]e [...]aith, The Escapes, Fauls, and Errors of such who own, believe and p [...]o [...]ess the same Do [...]tri [...]es and Principles of Faith with us, and go under the [...] Dis [...]nction and Denomina [...]ion, may by our Adversaries, justly be [...] not seasonably and christianly reproved, reclaimed or [...]. And therefore we [...]udge, that we have equal ground & cause of Seperation, as well from that whole Society that doth not condemn th [...]s [...] men, for their gross Errors in Fundamental Doctrines, as we have to seperate from these particular men, seeing they who tollerate them, [...] by Scripture and R. B's book, are guilty with them, and the [...] of these men may be justly imputed to them. Note, That whereas it hath been said by some, That they would have dealt with t [...]ese m [...]n [...] have been guilty of those Errors, but that G. K. would not go forth, being desired to with-draw at the Meeting at R. E's and at the Quarterly Meeting: To th [...] it is answered, That G. K. had good reason not to with-draw at both these times, because at both these times these who [...] take upon them to be Judges, were his manifest Parties against him, and so could not be in justice his Judges; but at the Yearly Meeting he did with-draw at the Meeting's de [...]re, and yet they did nothing to bring W— to Conviction; besides, it was not G. K. but the Truth it self, that the Difference was concerning; and therefore there was no occasion for G. K. to with-draw; and they have had sufficient time [...] to have done it, but nothing that we can hear of is done.

[...] it is very strange, what some h [...]ve said, That no Error in Doctrin or T [...]pass w [...]atsoeve [...] o [...] particular Persons, though tollerated by a Society [...] were joy [...]ed with in [...] Profession of Truth, can be any just cause of Seperation, doth equally blame all our Friends in their Seperation from the respective Societies they were formerly joyned in Profession with, as some in their Seperation from the Church of Rome, others from the [...], others from the Presbyterian and Baptists, and doth equally [...] the Seperation of the faithful Martyrs in Q. Mary's days from [...]he Popish Worship in England, yet well approved generally by our [...]. And surely for People of contrary Principles and Spirits, and having a contrary Faith & Perswasion, in Fundamental Doctrines, [Page 19] to be united together in one Worship, would make the greatest Con­fusion imaginable, and be incomparably more like Babylon than the true Church of Christ; and so to affirm is contrary to all common sense of any that hath the least true Notion of a Church, that ought to be as a Field or Garden, as clean of Weeds as possible; for tho' the T [...]res are to be suffered to grow in the Field of the World, yet they are not to remain in the Church, according to Christs Doctrine. [...] at this rate, the Weeds shall remain with the good Corn and Herbs [...]n [...]he same Garden, yea, and exceed them, that cannot but greatly [...] good Corn and Herbs. Beside, how can the Gardner delight in such a Garden that is full of Weeds, and no care to seperate the good Herbs from the Weeds. And tho' it hath been said by some, That as the faithful stand in the Power of God, they shall have dominion over the unfaithful; but we find no warrant or promise, that God will give them Dominion, if they obey not his Command, which is To Seperate and with-draw from such; and not to remain in fellowship with them, for what part hath a Believer with an Infidel? 2 Cor. 6.15.17.

• George Hutcheson,
• Paul Saunders,
• Iohn Lynam,
• Ralph Iackson,
• Phillip Iames,
• Richard Hillyard,
• Anthony Sturge [...],
• Thomas Peart,
• Thomas Tress,
• Iohn Loftus,
• William Harwood,
• Iames Chick,
• Thomas Morris,
• Iohn M^cc Comb,
• Iohn Hutchins,
• Iames Cooper,
• Thomas Winn,
• Iohn Hart,
• Anthony Taylor,
• Abel Noble,
• Nicholas Pearce,
• Iohn Furnis,
• Iohn Redman,
• Iohn Williams,
• Ralph Ward,
• William Dyllwin,
• Iohn Duploveys▪
• Iohn Budd,
• William Bradford,
• William Paschall,
• Ioseph Willcox,
• Thomas Budd,
• Thomas Hooton,
• Thomas Paschall,
• Humphry Hodges,
• Henry Furnis,
• Simercy Adams,
• Robert Waliis,
• Thomas Ienner,
• William Davis,
• Francis Cook,
• Henry Iohnson,
• Ioseph Walter,
• Hugh Derborough,
• William Say,
• William Hard,