and
manner of government established by the first founders of the
society.

"The leading authority of the society is vested in a ministry,
generally consisting of four persons, including both sexes. These,
together with the elders and trustees, constitute the general
government of the society in all its branches, and, being
supported by the general union and approbation of the members, are
invested with power to appoint their successors and other
subordinate officers, as occasion may require; to counsel, advise,
and direct, in all matters, whether of a spiritual or temporal
nature; to superintend the concerns of the several families, and
establish all needful orders, rules, and regulations, for the
direction and protection of the several branches of the society;
but no rule can be made, nor any member assume a lead, contrary to
the original faith and known principles of the society. And
nothing which respects the government, order, and general
arrangement, of the society is considered as fully established
until it has received the general approbation of the society, or
of that branch thereof which it more immediately concerns.

"This community is divided into several different branches,
commonly called _families_. This division is generally made for
the sake of convenience, and is often rendered necessary on
account of local situation and occurrent circumstances; but the
proper division and arrangement of the community, without respect
to local situation, are into three classes, or progressive degrees
of order.

"Those children taken into the society are treated with care and
tenderness, receive a good school education, and, according to
their genius, are trained to industry and virtuous habits,
restrained from vice, and, at a suitable age, led into the
knowledge of the sacred Scriptures, and practically taught the
divine precepts contained in them, particularly those of Jesus
Christ and the apostles.

"During a period of more than forty years, since the permanent
establishment of this society at New Lebanon and Watervliet, there
never has been a legal claim entered by any person for the
recovery of property brought into the society but all claims of
that nature, if any have existed, have been amicably settled, to
the satisfaction of the parties concerned. Com