ct of their members, and the meetings' care
over them. The accounts thus received are digested into one, which is sent
also in the form of answers to queries, by representatives, to the yearly
meeting. Appeals from the judgment of monthly meetings are brought to the
quarterly meetings, whose business also it is to assist in any difficult
case, or where remissness appears in the care of the monthly meetings over
the individuals who compose them.

"The yearly meeting has the general superintendence of the society in the
country in which it is established; and therefore, as the accounts which
it receives discover the state of inferior meetings, as particular
exigencies require, or as the meeting is impressed with a sense of duty,
it gives forth its advice, makes such regulations as appear to be
requisite, or excites to the observance of those already made, and
sometimes appoints committees to visit those quarterly meetings which
appear to be in need of immediate advice. Appeals from the judgment of
quarterly meetings are here finally determined; and a brotherly
correspondence, by epistles, is maintained with other yearly meetings.

"In this place it is proper to add that, as we believe women may be
rightly called to the work of the ministry, we also think that to them
belongs a share in the support of our Christian discipline, and that some
parts of it, wherein their own sex is concerned, devolve on them with
peculiar propriety; accordingly, they have monthly, quarterly, and yearly
meetings of their own sex, held at the same time and in the same place
with those of the men, but separately, and without the power of making
rules; and it may be remarked that, during the persecutions, which, in the
last century, occasioned the imprisonment of so many of the men, the care
of the poor often fell on the women, and was by them satisfactorily
administered.

"In order that those who are in the situation of ministers may have the
tender sympathy and counsel of those of either sex, who, by their
experience in the work of religion, are qualified for that service, the
monthly meetings are advised to select such, under the denomination of
_elders_. These, and ministers approved by their monthly meetings, have
meetings peculiar to themselves, called _meetings of ministers and
elders_, in which they have an opportunity of exciting each other to a
discharge of their several duties, and of extending advice to those who
may appear to be wea