22 sion to each other-and has been generally preserved in a great degree of harmony until a recent period. The great fundamental principle of the society, the divine light operating on the soul, being acknowledged by all as the effective bond of union, the right of each individual to judge of the true meaning of Scripture testimony, relating to the doctrines of Christianity, according to the best evidence in his own mind, uncontrolled by the arbitrary dictation of his equally fallible fellow men, hath been both tacitly and explicitly admitted. That the said society so continued until lately, when a few individuals who had long been continued in important stations, gradually and covertly began to assume an authority over their brethren, never delegated to them, and attempted to impose upon the Yearly Meeting a document in a form designed to operate as a written Creed, adapted to suit their own particular views, and perhaps intended also as an instrument of attack upon some faithful worthy fellow members, against whom they had conceived personal offence-but subversive of that freedom of thought and individual opinion which the Society of Friends had always maintained and cherished as an unalienable right. Their design being detected, it was promptly rejected by the Yearly Meeting-and it soon became apparent that a party was organized, assuming the character and title of the Orthodox, and a line of discrimination was attempted to be drawn through the different meetings, in order to fill every active station with those under their particular influence. In pursuit of this plan, they manifested the most inflexible determination to carry their measures, in order to bring their fellow members, possessing equal rights, under their control. The discipline of the society was in many instances prostrated and obviously violated, as well to screen transgressors of their own party, as to procure the disownment, upon vague and frivolous charges, of those who opposed their spirit and measures. Approved ministers were publicly opposed in a disorderly manner. Faithful members who bore a testimony against their systematical declension from the principles and practice of the society, were not only treated with marked disrespect and contumely, but were actually proscribed. Thus they continued their efforts to monopolize a power before unknown to the society-tending to the subversion of individual rights, introducing great disorder and confusion into Monthly and Quarterly Meetings, effectually preventing the legitimate course of business therein; particularly in the city and neighbourhood of Philadelphia, where their chief strength was located, until the arrival of the Yearly Meeting in Fourth-month, 1827, when their high-handed measures were pursued to such an extent that it reduced the great majority of the society to the unavoidable necessity either to submit to their usurped domination, to engage in a contest which would be productive of increased disorder and confusion, or retire from the disorderly party and take measures for the organization and continuation of the Yearly 23 Meeting on its original principles. That the first would have been a violation of conscience, and a criminal abandonment of their rights and those of their posterity. The second would have been subversive of their religious principles, which forbid the spirit of strife and contention among brethren. The third was an unalienable right, guaranteed by the civil institutions of the country, and consistent with the original ground and principle of the establishment of the Yearly Meeting. Thus recurring to the simplicity and example of their forefathers, in their early establishments, the majority of the society, by a regular, consistent and peaceable course of procedure, sanctioned by the common usages, and the spirit of the institutions of their country, by smaller and larger conferences, and by the mutual agreement of Monthly and Quarterly Meetings, the Yearly Meeting has been settled again on the principles and according to the manner of its first institution, and is now restored to its wonted harmony and consistency of movement in its regular course of business, comprising full three-fourths of the whole body of its former members, who are united in the exercise of the same system of discipline, maintaining the same testimonies, and holding the same religious faith as their forefathers and the ancient Society of Friends did leaving to their own course, undisturbed by them, those disorderly persons who adopted an opposite and adverse line of procedure, and who have assumed the name of Orthodox, and have by every means within their reach, endeavoured to prejudice the public mind against the society, and to extend their influence into the country meetings, far and near, and have succeeded in gaining over a few in almost every of the country meetings; in some perhaps a third part, in others a fourth or fifth, and in others still fewer, even down to a twenty-fifth of the whole number. These small fragments, changing and combining themselves into whatever form will best suit their purposes, affect to lay down and set up meetings, as by a stroke of the pen, and in the exercise of a pretended and usurped authority, which they utterly deny, have promulgated what they term papers of disownment against the great majority of the Society of Friends, individually, on a variety of vague and unfounded charges, which the code of their discipline never contemplated, and for which it furnishes them no rule. Thus in some cases two, three, or four male members within the limits of a Monthly Meeting, have proceeded and are proceeding, with the help of their party in other neighbourhoods, to issue what they call papers of disownment against the majority in their neighbourhoods, amounting in some cases to fifty or an hundred, and these measures have been pursued evidently with the view to appropriate to the exclusive use of their party, the property of the society. As the Friends, although a large majority, by no means wish to restrain the rights of conscience, and as the Orthodox party profess a dissent from them in religious principle, they have not desired to take advantage of them on that ground, and have therefore in many instances (as was the case in the Monthly Meeting of Chesterfield) made overtures to them for an amicable adjustment in relation to property, conformably to the principles of justice and equity; but the Orthodox party have treated these offers with neglect, declaring themselves alone to be the true Orthodox Church, in whom all the rights and property of the society are vested-bestowing upon Friends many false and unfounded charges and reproachful names, implying heresy, unsoundness of faith, infidelity, &c. That the said Joseph Hendrickson was not the treasurer of the Chesterfield Preparative Meeting of Friends at Crosswicks, on the 2nd day of Fourthmonth, 1828, nor has he been at any time since. That having voluntarily withdrawn himself from the communion of the Society of Friends, and attached himself to the said Orthodox party, he was in due form released from the said office by a minute of the meeting, of which he has been regularly informed, and Stacy Decou appointed his successor, to whom as the regular and lawful treasurer of the said fund, he ought to deliver the said bond and mortgage, and the other papers and funds belonging to the society. That the said money secured by the said bond and mortgage of your orator, is the sole and exclusive property of the Chesterfield Preparative Meeting of Friends at Crosswicks, and not the property of any Monthly, Quarterly, or Yearly Meeting of Friends, and that it is under the sole and exclusive control, care, and management of the said Chesterfield Preparative Meeting of Friends, at Crosswicks, and of no other association, meeting, body of men, or corporation. That in the said Chesterfield Preparative Meeting of Friends, at Crosswicks, the minor party assuming the name of the Orthodox party, have separated from the majority, who still claim and are entitled to the primary and ancient title of Friends, and have endeavoured to bestow upon them the name of Hicksites, but which term the said Society of Friends altogether disclaim, and deny that they are the followers of any man or any set of men; but are endeavouring conscientiously to maintain the regular discipline and government of the Society of Friends-that they believe in the doctrines of the christian religion as set forth in the New Testament, and as professed by ancient Friends. That the pretended Orthodox party in the Preparative Meeting of Chesterfield, are an acknowledged minority-have voluntarily withdrawn and separated themselves, individually, from the Society of Friends, and in the institution of the said suit, have violated the discipline of the said society, which enjoins the settlement of differences about property, by arbitration, and forbids "brother to go to law with brother." And the said Stacy Decou insists, that all the estate, right, title, and interest, which belonged to the said Joseph Hendrickson in the said bond and mortgage, and the money thereby secured, was, and is, as treasurer of the school fund, and as trustee of the Chesterfield Preparative Meeting, and he being, by the lawful act of 25 the regular and lawful Preparative Meeting of Friends who have the lawful right to the direction and control of the said fund, and the appointment of the said treasurer of the said school fund, without appeal or control, before the institution of the said suit, released from the office of such treasurer, and Stacy Decou appointed his successor, he the said Stacy Decou is therefore entitled as his successor to the said bond and mortgage, and to receive the money due thereon, which he insists your orator must not pay to the said Joseph Hendrickson, and claims the right to bring suit against him if he does. And your orator under the circumstance aforesaid, is in danger of being greatly harassed on account of the said bond and mortgage, and the money due thereon, and cannot safely pay the same without the aid of this honourable court. To the end therefore, that the said Joseph Hendrickson and Stacy Decou, and their confederates, may severally, according to the best and utmost of their respective knowledge, remembrance, information, and belief, in the form and according to the practice of this court, full, true, perfect, and distinct answer make, to all and every the matters aforesaid, and that as fully as if the same were here repeated and they particularly interrogated thereto-and that the said Joseph Hendrickson and Stacy Decou respectively, may set forth to whom the said bond and mortgage belongs, and to whom the money due thereon is due and payable, and may be decreed to interplead and adjust their said several claims and rights between themselves. Your orator hereby offering to account for and pay the said principal sum and interest accruing thereon, now due from him to such of the said Joseph Hendrickson and Stacy Decou, as the same shall appear of right to belong and be payable, on being indemnified by this court in so doing, or to pay the same into this court to be disposed of as this court shall direct, and that the said Joseph Hendrickson may be restrained by the order and injunction of this court from the further prosecution of the said suit so commenced by him against your orator. And that the said Joseph Hendrickson and Stacy Decou may be restrained from all other proceedings at law or equity whatsoever against your orator, touching the matters in question in this suit, or any of themand that your orator may have such further and other relief in the premises as to you shall seem meet, and the circumstances of this case require. May it please you to grant unto your orator not only the writ of the state, of injunction, issuing out of and under the seal of this court, to be directed to the said Joseph Hendrickson, to restrain him from proceeding against your orator, touching any of the matters in question, but also the writ of the state of New Jersey of subpoena to be directed to the said Joseph Hendrickson and Stacy Decou, and to the confederates, when discovered, thereby commanding them and every of them, at a certain day and under a pain to be therein limited, personally to be and appear before you, in this honourable court, and 26 then and there full, true, direct, and perfect answer make, to all and singular the premises, and further to stand to perform and abide such further order, direction, and decree therein, as to you shall seem meet. And your orator shall ever pray, &c. GARRETT D. WALL, Solicitor, and of NEW JERSEY, TO WIT: Thomas L. Shotwell, the above complainant, alleging himself to be conscientiously scrupulous of taking an oath, and duly affirmed according to law, saith, that this bill is not exhibited by the consent or combination of either of the defendants in the above bill mentioned, but merely of his own free will, for relief in this honourable court, and further saith not. The answer of Joseph Hendrickson, Defendant, to the Bill of Interpleader of Thomas L. Shotwell, Complainant. This Defendant now and at all times hereafter, saving and reserving to himself all benefit of exception to the errors and imperfections in the complainant's bill for answer thereto nevertheless, or to such parts thereof as this defendant is advised is in any wise material for him to make answer unto, he answering, says, he admits it to be true that in the year 1792, certain persons styling themselves members of the Preparative Meeting of the people called Quakers, at Crosswicks, in the township of Chesterfield, in the county of Burlington, and state of New Jersey, signed the subscription and made the promises in the said bill set forth, but, for greater certainty, your orator begs leave to refer to the original subscription paper when produced; he also admits that a large sum of money was raised by means thereof, and that an additional sum was raised in the year 1792; but the precise amount of the said sums, this defendant does not know, but presumes they are correctly set forth in the said bill. He admits that the said fund continued as a permanent fund, under the direction of the trustees of the said school, chosen from time to time by the said Preparative Meeting, and by them laid out or |