Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/271

 CHURCH DISCIPLINE. 215 duct of civil or religious concerns. The general welfare precedes and precludes selfish ends, and the law of Love is the mightiest power in the universe. Recurring to Mr. Heath's records, we find under date of May 12, 1735, further reference to church discipline in the following vote : "That inasmuch as the members of this Church have been in the past too negligent and remiss in their attending at Church meeting warned by the pastor, for the preventing of such disorders in the members for the future, and for the maintaining and upholding unity, good order, and decency in the Church, it was unanimously voted that whenever a Church meeting is ordered and appointed by the pastor of his order, time and place being specified for the brethren to meet at :— all and every member that shall be delinquent and absent, — without giving at the next meeting a sufficient and satisfactory reason of their being absent to the Church and pastor, — that then the Church shall deal with them as disorderly walkers for absenting." At the same meeting the church chose brother Josiah Humphrey as deacon by a unanimous vote. A year or more later (1737 and 8) several cases of discipline occur, coming under the rule adopted May 12, 1735, "for withdrawing Communion in sealing ordinances." The persons so accused were cited to appear before the church, but refused to come at first. Later, on further admonition, several appeared to give reasons for their absence and to answer to the search- ing interrogatory whether they were "children of the Church of Christ." One answered that he thought he was, and the church voted by a yea and nay vote that they con- sidered him to be, although "the pastor could not see to his satisfaction that Mr. was a child of the Church by any act of his own." Another answered, " I was in charity with the brethren until a certain paper came from the Church August 3, 1737." Another answered "that he was in char- ity with the brethren until the pulling down of the meeting- house," and when asked how much he was a sufferer in name or estate said. " I gave three shillings toward repair-