dly elder, in every county where he travelled, exhorted them that
some, out of every meeting of worship, should meet together once in the
month, to confer about the wants and occasions of the church. And, as
the case required, so those monthly meetings were fewer or more in number
in every respective county; four or six meetings of worship, usually
making one monthly meeting of business. And accordingly, the brethren
met him from place to place, and began the said meetings, viz. For the
poor, orphans, orderly walking, integrity to their profession, births,
marriages, burials, sufferings, &c. And that these monthly meetings
should, in each county, make up one quarterly meeting, where the most
zealous and eminent friends of the county should assemble to communicate,
advise, and help one another, especially when any business seemed
difficult, or a monthly meeting was tender of determining a matter.

Also that these several quarterly meetings should digest the reports of
their monthly meetings, and prepare one for each respective county,
against the yearly meeting, in which all quarterly meetings resolve;
which is held in London: where the churches in this nation, and other
nations {43a} and provinces, meet by chosen members of their respective
counties, both mutually to communicate their church affairs, and to
advise, and be advised in any depending case, to edification. Also to
provide a requisite stock for the discharge of general expenses for
general services in the church, not needful to be here particularized.
{43b}

At these meetings any of the members of the churches may come, if they
please, and speak their minds freely, in the fear of God, to any matter;
but the mind of each quarterly meeting, therein represented, is chiefly
understood, as to particular cases, in the sense delivered by the persons
deputed, or chosen for that service by the said meeting.

During their yearly meeting, to which their other meetings refer in their
order, and naturally resolve themselves, care is taken by a select
number, for that service chosen by the general assembly, to draw up the
minutes {44} of the said meeting, upon the several matters that have been
under consideration therein, to the end that the respective quarterly and
monthly meetings may be informed of all proceedings; together with a
general exhortation to holiness, unity, and charity. Of all which
proceedings in yearly, monthly, and quarterly meetings, due record i