[MO 35, p 3]

Bedford May 7th 1759

Minutes of the Committee for considering the outward Circumstances of the Congregation and occasionally, of its Individuals.

[5] May 7th 1759 Present The whole Committee viz. Br Traneker, Vowell, Barham, Thompson, Sims, Harcourt, Eston.

1st. The Committee was open’d with the following Observations by Br Traneker:

Having a long while thought upon a Way and Method, how to bring and keep our Bedford Congregation Concerns of the external kind into such an Order that all Confusion, Irregularity and making of needless Debts might be carefully avoided [6] and being very sensible, that the external and internal Matters have a near Influence upon one another, I resolv’d to give you my Thoughts upon that Head in writing.

We are a People of our Saviour purchas’d by his precious Blood; He has brought us together into one Body, of which He is the only Lord and Head: every little Congregation that stands together upon this Foundation is a Light upon a Hill, seen by all the World, and observ’d by every Eye either to his Honour or to his Disgrace, all the Matters that belong to us as a Congregation are all look’d upon by Himself as His Matters, and if We are truly His, We can look upon them in no other Light neither, be they of what Kind they will, from thence it may appear what a tender Share we as his Friends and People ought to take in all that concerns Him and his Cause.

It is also impossible to us, to look with an indifferent Eye upon the external Circumstances of our fellow Brethren and Sisters and if many [7] Circumstances shou’d occur as have occur’d of late, that Brethren are not able to pay every man their own, but must fall under the Disgrace of exposing themselves and the precious Cause of our Redeemer to the World, it wou’d be enough to break the Heart of any true tenderhearted Brother.

Whereas it is also impossible to carry on the Congregation Matter with Decency and Order without some Expense, so it is also requir’d that these common Expences are cared for in such a Way of Order, that that which is rais’d by Subscriptions may be paid in regularly and bear our Matters thro’ without making fresh Debts, and that a punctual Account is kept of the Whole.