R em^TKs V: \r Mhgl-9 R2 REMARKS CERTAIN PASSAGES IN THE RULES AND REGULATIONS P FRIENDLY SOCIETY. .^^-c: X " He spake by a parable." — Luke viii. 4. f^k--': -«v '"/* ^ic"-' n' qo\^ LONDON: L, AND G. SEELEY, 169 FLEET STREET. 1842. PRINTED BY 1., AND G, SEELEY, THAMES DITTON, SURREY, REMARKS, &c. 1. — THE OBJECT. " The object of the P Friendly Society is, to confine its limits to such places as are situated within seven miles of P Church." It is obvious that the limits here assigned to the P Friendly Society, are such places as are contained -within a radius of seven miles from P Church. But it is equally obvious that the particular kind of miles here contemplated, if any particular kind were meant, is not specified. It is a gra tuitous and illiberal assumption to say that English miles are here meant. Why should the benefits of so useful an institu tion be so confined ? Irish miles, it is well known, are longer than English, and therefore to a liberal mind will fitly supply the omission here left. Whoever, then, lives within seven Irish mUes of P Church, may conscientiously consider himself within the pale of this Society. 1'2. — AXMVERyAUY ]MEET1^'G. " The attendance of the Members at any .such meeting shall be voluntary." There is literally no subject for controversy in these words, since even the most determined advocates of compulsory attendance admit it to be voluntary. So far as attendance is compulsory, the compulsion must be grounded on some bye- law or private engagement. But the Directors may, not withstanding, have power to insist on the attendance of members by virtue of their own authority. If they choose to do this, whoever wilfully breaks their orders, not being repug nant to the Rules of the Society, ought to be heavily fined ; nor would he have any just cause to complain that the Rules were infringed, if the fine were actually levied, for the attend ance would still be voluntary. For wherever there is an alternative, there is a free choice ; the alternative of a fine leaves the attendance just as voluntary as before, no physical compulsion being employed in the matter. 43. CERTU'ICATES OF SICKNESS OR INFIRMITY. " No demand for full pay or half pay, made by any member shall be allowed by the Directors, unless the sickness or infirmity therein stated shall be certified in writing by a Physician or Surgeon." With respect to this Rule, we may observe that the word Physician may be variously interpreted. In some counties it is used by the poor interchangeably with Surgeon or Apothe- cary. Again, many are termed Physicians, who practice without a diploma. If we regard the etymology of the word, we find it altogether generic and undefined. A term left so vague, whether by accident or design, it would be illiberal too strictly to define, and we may therefore conclude that the certificate of a Chemist or Druggist would fully meet the requirement of the Society. But to wave the above argument. The sickness or infir mity is required to be certified in writing. This, it must be admitted, is plain and unequivocal. But then nothing is said respecting the signature, whereas in Rule LX. it is expressly stated that the certificate must be signed by the Surgeon. We may conclude from this omission, that a statement in ¦writing without the signature, will entitle any person to the payment guaranteed by the Society, provided it be attested by word of mouth that the Physician, (in whatever sense we use the word) or Surgeon actually wrote it. Nor will it affect its validity if the person be not at hand who saw the certificate written, if it can be aflSrmed that he told another he saw it written, and that other told another, and so on through an indefinite number of hands. Nor will it alter the case, if some of these channels of communication be persons of incom petent intellect, or suspected honesty, provided it can be shewn that they were bona fide men and women. Nor, lastly, will it make any difference if the certificate be illegible, if a traditional interpretation of it be made out in the manner described above. 46. — DISQUALIFICATIONS. " No Member shall be entitled to any allowance in sickness from this Institution, until he or she," &c. &c. " nor during any disease or infirmity which may have been contracted by profligacy, quarrelling, or drunkenness." Though injuries received in quarrelling do not entitle to the benefits of this Society, it does not exclude those received in pugilistic exercises, which are entered upon in cold blood for money, and not for revenge. Indeed, conducive as these have been said to be to health, it would be hard if injuries which may incidentally accrue from them, deprived the sufferer of the benefit of this society. Again, with respect to Drunkenness, it is well for some members of liberal views in this respect, that the term em ployed is a vague one. It is evident that the solemn denun ciations of Holy Writ against this crime, are evaded by many on the plea of being only " merry" " cut" " fresh" "fuddled" &c. &.C. Whether this plea will be admitted at that tribunal, is another question. Clergymen say No. But their definition is esteemed too inclusive ; why then should the same defini tion be allowed in the Directors of a Friendly Society ? 59. — CERTIFICATE OF BAPTISM. " Every candidate for admission shall, when his or her proposal has been examined and approved by the Board, deliver to the Secretary a copy of the Register of his or her Baptism, signed by the minister of the Parish." A question here arises, who is here designated by the term, ' The minister of the parish ? ' A great Theological authority* seems to say that ' Priests ' is the only proper designation for clergymen in full orders in the Church of England. If it were not for the definite article ' the minister,' we might sup pose Dissenting ministers exclusively meant ; as it is, it will be more liberal to interpret it either of them or the Anglican Priests. 60. — CERTIFICATE OF HEALTH. " A Certificate of health signed by a Surgeon of this Institution shall be delivered to the Directors by every candidate," &c. The certificate required extends to Health'awXS?. It is true, the word is generally used by us in a good sense : but why should it be considered as so restricted ? Why should it not rather be used, as the Romans used ' valetudo,' for either good or bad health as the case may be } If I can per suade the Surgeon to adopt the affirmative, he may certify that I am in health, even while he knows that the seeds of lingering or fatal disease are fast ripening in me. 84. — PUBLICATION OF THE RULES. " The Rules and Regulations of this Institution, and the several declarations, &c. shall be published at the general expense of the Institution, for the use ofthe Members." -* The late Rev, R, H. Froude. By the Rules and Regulations of this Institution, are we to understand all the Rules, or rather those which the Directors may judge it expedient from time to time to publish ? At least they need not be published all together. A wholesome plan of reserve might be observed with greater advantage, e. g. they might be divided into three classes. First, those which set forth the power of the Directors might be pub lished. These would serve as a test of the obedience of the members. Secondly, those which relate to the payments to be made, which would test their faith. Lastly, for the benefit of those who had passed these two ordeals, might be eked out in small periodical parts with becoming secrecy, the benefits and advantages to be derived from the Society. Moreover, the publication of the Rules, and especiaUy those in Class III. should be accompanied by a caution, that it is unlawful for the members to take upon themselves the impracticable task of understanding them by the rules of com mon sense. They must be made to comprehend that the Directors have the sole interpretation of them, which, how ever, they are willing to impart to the initiated. It may, indeed, be objected, that the above remarks are in opposi tion to the obvious meaning of the Rules, and the well- known intention of Mr. Tidd Pratt and others who drew them up ; but it is a duty to ourselves to give ourselves as great a liberty as their letter will admit, and we do not re ceive them from their first compilers, but from each succes sive general meeting of the Society. It may be remarked, moreover, that such an interpretation is in accordance with the well-known principles of No. 90, of the " Tracts for the Times," which has gained for its author much reproach among those weak and illiberal men who think it dishonest to subscribe articles of faith, and then wrest them from their plain and obvious meaning. The foregoing pages have been written in sad and sober seriousness. Though they look like a burlesque or caricature of the Tract referred to, they are little more than a legitimate carrying out of its principles. If they savour of the ridiculous, let it be asked, to what secular matter could the principles of that Tract be applied and not appear so .i' But nothing can be more serious, more frightful, than the principles them selves. Our Lord's parable, " Can the blind lead the blind ?" might provoke a smile were not the thing intended by it beyond expression awful. That what has been written should meet the eye of any disciple of the school referred to without giving some pain, the writer can scarcely hope. Even if conscience can pro nounce it groundless, the mere charge of dishonesty must excite pain where there is anything of a high-minded sensi tiveness. " It is a most bitter thought," Mr. Ward says with great reason,* " that the principal advocates of what we are well convinced is God's holy truth, should be really imagined by serious men to advocate a Jesuitical (in the popularf sense of that word) and disingenuous principle, by which anything may mean an)rthing, and forms may be subscribed at the most solemn period of our life, only to be disho nestly explained away." The writer is sincere in saying that to the bitterness here * A few more words in support of No. 90. of the Tracts for the Times, t "What does Mr. Ward mean by this parenthesis .' Does he mean to intimate that the ptypidar notion of Jesuitism is a mistaken one ,' There is something suspicious in this word ^optiZffi?-. Let it be remembered that the reprobation bestowed two or three years back on wKra-proteBtantism, and popular protestantism is now extended to Protestantism, absolutely. They must malie haste who do not wish " to go to Rome in a crowd." 10 described he would not wantonly add a pang. He can un derstand the extreme discomfort of men educated in high- minded and ingenuous feelings at finding theraselves in so equivocal a position that men's charity must be heavily taxed to acquit them of real dishonesty. But in vain will they endeavour to persuade the world that holiness can ex ist apart from honesty, and in vain will they attempt to make the generality believe them honest while they nullify by quib bling explanations the religious test they have solemnly sub scribed, and by which they obtained orders in the Anglican Church. Let them not, however, suppose that the pain thus inflicted upon a sensitive mind is a cross which Providence or Duty has compelled them to bear. It is the necessary, it must be added, the just consequence of adherence to such principles. It is the cross of Ignatius Loyola, not the cross of Christ. Two courses alone (at least worth considering) can be pur sued with honour by such persons — either to overstep the very insignificant boundary which separates them from Rome, or to become sincere and well-affected members of the Church of England. Virtually, they are already Romanists, their heart and sympathies are with Rome ; let them appear before the world in their true character — let them be viewed in the ranks of that Church — let them wage their controversial wars, with whatever weapons, under its banner, and they will at least have the satisfaction of feeling that they are acting openly, and not standing in an utterly false position. One alternative remains. Let them suppose it possible they may be wrong ; let them assume for a while that they have taken the wrong road to heavenly wisdom ; let previous opinions be held in abeyance ; let them converse alone in their closets with God and their Bibles ; let them admit the thought, if not of " private judgment," of private salvation or 11 damnation ; with this impression let their prayers be con ceived in the spirit of Psalm cxix, 18, 144, and the writer ventures to promise that his own shall not be wanting, that they may be led to the truth, wherever it may lie. The writer ventures also to take this occasion of alluding to the duty of prayer in the same behalf by those who con demn the system referred to. In his view, the disciples of it are in the miserable plight described in Isaiah xliv. 20, and he feels that though it may be easier, and not less neces sary, to declaim against than to pray for them, the time is coming when a silent prayer for their souls may receive a more blessed reward than the loudest condemnation of their principles. Should these pages fall into the hands of any who have not come into contact with the system, or read the Tract referred to, the -writer can only say that he believes the practical dishonesty of it will be found, on reference to it, little, if at all, exaggerated. Grant that it is less palpably absurd, and, of course, altogether unconscious ; but what is it practically ? There are, however, few to whom this system is not pre sented ; presented, too, in a bewitching form ; and if these humble pages shall merely startle one such individual, they will not have been written in vain. Let such begin with the study of No. 90. This is but fair, since it was written for the express purpose of retaining in the Anglican Church the disciples of the " Tracts for the Times." And, if they cannot reconcile their minds to its principles, they will at least have their eyes open, and see that the religion presented to them is, right or wrong, the religion of Rome. t^RINTED BY AND G, SEELEY, THAMES DITTON, SURREY. YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 9002 03720 4279 ,^ r.,^4'-' $^>' # »"">''"* 's!;fM , ,n,i-AS,^ vfe\ 5'.. '!..'% ' '. r . f-t t ' SSkTi 5., ,;. 'iii.. . • .,\,V!S^,'?^