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Faith and Practice FAITH AND PRACTICE The Book of Discipline of the New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends Approved the 4th of April 2014 New York Yearly Meeting Religious Society of Friends 15 Rutherford Place New York, New York 10003 Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 Part One — FAITH ................................................................................................ 4 THE SPIRIT ........................................................................................................... 4 SEEKING THE SPIRIT .......................................................................................... 6 in Silence .......................................................................................................... 6 in Solitude ......................................................................................................... 8 in Prayer ........................................................................................................... 8 in Scripture ....................................................................................................... 9 in Devotional Reading ...................................................................................... 9 in Tradition ...................................................................................................... 10 in Gospel Order .............................................................................................. 10 in Corporate Worship ..................................................................................... 11 in Meetings for Worship with a Concern for Business .................................... 12 Leadings and Concerns ....................................................................................... 12 FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT ..................................................................................... 15 Faithfulneness ................................................................................................ 16 Truthfulness, Integrity, and Communication ................................................... 16 Publishing the Truth: Outreach ....................................................................... 18 Simplicity ........................................................................................................ 18 Work ............................................................................................................... 19 Quaker Community and Fellowship ............................................................... 20 Covenant Relationship ................................................................................... 20 Children in our Families and Meetings ........................................................... 22 Acceptance of Death ...................................................................................... 24 WITNESS ............................................................................................................. 26 Equality ........................................................................................................... 26 Nonviolence and Reconciliation ..................................................................... 27 Peace and International Understanding ......................................................... 28 Social Justice.................................................................................................. 29 Poverty and Stewardship ............................................................................... 30 Education ....................................................................................................... 31 Religious Education ........................................................................................ 31 Responding to that of God in Creation ........................................................... 32 HISTORICAL STATEMENT ................................................................................. 33 The Founding ................................................................................................. 33 The Spread of the Movement ......................................................................... 35 Early Friends in the New York Area ............................................................... 36 Social Issues .................................................................................................. 37 Divisions in the Society .................................................................................. 38 Growth and Reconciliation ............................................................................. 39 Quaker Groups ............................................................................................... 41 Reunion .......................................................................................................... 42 General Epistle to Friends Everywhere .......................................................... 42 THE BALBY EPISTLE ......................................................................................... 43 ADVICES FROM THE ELDERS AT BALBY .................................................. 43 THE ADVICES ..................................................................................................... 45 THE QUERIES ..................................................................................................... 47 Part Two — PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE ..................................................... 49 ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS PROCEDURE .............................................. 49 General Business Procedure ......................................................................... 49 General Organizational Structure ................................................................... 51 Establishment of Meetings ............................................................................. 51 Discontinuance of Meetings ........................................................................... 53 The Monthly Meeting ...................................................................................... 54 The Quarterly or Regional Meeting ................................................................ 57 The Yearly Meeting ........................................................................................ 58 The Representative Meeting renamed ........................................................... 61 Funds, Property, Trusts .................................................................................. 62 Records .......................................................................................................... 63 Statistics ......................................................................................................... 63 MEMBERSHIP ..................................................................................................... 63 MINISTRY AND COUNSEL ................................................................................. 67 Purpose .......................................................................................................... 67 Organization ................................................................................................... 67 Functions of Ministry and Counsel ................................................................. 69 VISITING AND VISITATION AMONG MEETINGS .............................................. 74 MARRIAGE PROCEDURE .................................................................................. 75 MEMORIAL MEETINGS AND FUNERALS ......................................................... 80 BURIAL GROUNDS ............................................................................................. 81 REVISION OF DISCIPLINE ................................................................................. 81 BY-LAWS FOR NEW YORK YEARLY MEETING TRUSTEES ........................... 81 GLOSSARY ......................................................................................................... 83 Introduction Prefatory Remarks: Note: Biblical quotations throughout the book are from these translations, noted by title initials: • CCD: Confraternity for Christian Doctrine, 1959 • JB: Jerusalem Bible, 1968 • KJV: King James Version, 1611 • NEB: New English Bible, 1970 • NJB: New Jerusalem Bible, 1987 • NRSV: New Revised Standard Version, 1988 • REB: Revised English Bible, 1991 The preparers of this volume have been most grateful for the writings of Friends past and present and for the chance to include quotations from some of them in this edition. Friends and others are free to quote from this book as well: there is no copyright. Introduction: This Faith and Practice is the revised (2015) edition of the Book of Discipline (to use the traditional terminology) of the New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. It follows a long line of books of discipline going back almost to the beginning of the Society. A Book of Discipline seems necessary to make our testimonies clear and to ensure the orderly transaction of business.... The use of the word “Discipline” is objectionable to many as being somewhat misleading, both as to the nature and the extent of the material in this book. For the “Discipline” might seem to suggest a rigorous enforcement of rules and regulations such as Friends would never recommend or tolerate. Actually what we find in these volumes or “Disciplines” is more in the nature of guidance in self-discipline. – Jane P. Rushmore, 1959 For almost
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