Baptism awl the Lord's Supper. — Friends believe that the "washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Gliost" is the only baptism essential to sal- vation. "There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Fatlr.^r of all, wlio is above all, through all, and in you all' (Eph. iv, 5, G). The baptism of Clirist is inward and spiritual, as maj' be shown by the following texts : Mutt, iii, 11, 12 ; Acts i, 5 ; xviii, 2,5, 2G ; 1 Cor. xii, 13 ; vi, 11 ; Col. ii, 20, 23 ; 1 Pet. iii, 21.
We have no grounds to believe that " tlie passover" which Jesus ate with his disciples was intended to be perpetuated in the Christian Church ; nor does it ap- pear that he instituted a new cerenionj' on that occa- sion. He conformed to the ]\Iosaic law, which was not abrogated until his crucifixion, when he blotted out the handwriting of ordinances, and "took it out of the wa}', nailing it to his cross" (Col. ii, 14). "Behold, I stand at the door and knock," says Christ; " if any III.— U u
man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup witli him, and he with me" (Rev. iii, 20). This is tlie Lord's Supper, in which the new wine of the kingdom and the bread of life are distrib- uted to sustain the soul.
III. Wursldji, Discipline, etc. — The author of Chris- tianity has prescribed no set form of worsliip, enjoining only that it must be in spirit and in trutli. Friends have adopted silence as the basis of public worship, be- lieving that it is free from the oljjections that exist against all prescribed forms ; that it gives to eacii wor- shipper an opportunity for self-examination and secret prayer, with the benefit that results from the sympa- thy of othar minds present ; and that it affords the best preparation for the exercise of spiritual gifts in preaching, prayer, or praise.
The Christian ministry can be rightly exercised by those only who have received a call and qualification from the Head of the Church, and the prophec}' of Joel, quoted by Peter, is fulfilled under the Gospel : " It shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy." As it was in the primitive Church, so it is now in the Society of Friends, women as well as men are permitted to preach the Gospel. No salary or pecuniar}^ compensation is al- lowed to ministers, but tliose who travel in the service of the Gospel may partake of the needful hospitality or assistance of their friends.
Testimonies. — The testimonies of Friends against war, slavery, oaths, lotteries, and the use, as a bever- age, of intoxicating drinks, as also against vain fash- ions, corrupting amusements, and flattering titles, are founded on Christian principles, and have been found salutary in practice.
Discijiliiie. — The system of Church government ex- isting in this society is in accordance with the doc- trine, '• One is your Master, even Christ, and all ye arc brethren." There is no distinction like that of clergy and laity, but all the members of both sexes have a right to participate in the deliberations and decisions of the body. In meetings for discipline the men and women meet in separate apartments, and are co-ordi- nate branches of the body, each transacting the busi- ness pertaining to its own sex; but, in some cases, when needful, they act in concert, by the appointment of joint committees of men and women. The co-oper- ation of women in the administration of discipline has been found salutary in many respects, but especially in promoting among them self-reliance and dignitj' of character.
IV. Statistics. — We have six Yearly ^Meetings, con- nected b}' epistolary correspondence, but independent of each other in regard to discipline. The aggregate membership of these is about 35,000.
Large numbers of persons not members, but who af- filiate with us in religious profession, regularly attend our meetings for divine worship.
AVe have, in the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Richmond, Indiana, extensive and well- sustained schools, adapted to a high standard of useful and practical education. There are aNo numerous schools of varied chaiucter throughout the Yearly Meetings.
Swarthmore College, situated about eight miles south-west from Philadelphia, on the line of the West- chester Railroad, is designed for three hundred pupils of both sexes. Here our children, and those intrusted to our charge, ma}'^ receive the advantages of a thor- ough collegiate education, under the guarded care of members of our religious society. (S. M. J.)
FRIENDS, PROGRESSIVE. A religious society organized in 1853, in Chester Count)-, Pa., as a result, in part, of a division in Kennett jMonthly Meeting of Friends (" Hicksite"). The division was caused by differences of opinion upon questions of reform and
FRIENDS OF GOD
674
FRIENDS OF GOD