From John Hamilton to the Lords of Trade-acknowledging letter of Secretary Gellibrand of August 23d, 1743.

[From P. R. O. B. T. New Jersey Vol 5, F 56.]

Letter from Mr Hamilton, Eldest Councillor in New Jersey, acknowledging the Receipt of a Letter, by the Board's Order, dated ye 23rd of August.

My Lords.

Amboy ye 15th of May, 1744

I have the honor of a Letter by Your Lordships directions from M: Gellibrand the 23d of Augt last in Answer to My Letter of the 9th of June 1743 and return Your Lordships the Most Sincere and hearty thanks for Your goodness and Justice in giving so favourable An Answer.

Mr Morris held An Assembly here last Winter and tho we Saw One Another Every day Yet had no discourse On that Subject nor has he Since (as I can learn) given Any directions about bringing the tryall On So that I hope I shall trouble Your Lordships no farther upon this head

I am with the greatest Duty My Lords Your Lordships Most Obedient and Most humble Servant JOHN HAMILTON Rt Honble Lords Com's for Trade & plantations.

Particulars of the Excommunication of a Chief Justice in Pennsylvania.

[From P. R. O. America & West Indies, Vol. XIII, p. 87.]

POSTCRIPT
To the

New-York Weekly Post-Boy.'

To the Printer of the New-York Weekly Post-Boy.

About the Middle of October last, I carried the inclos'd Paper to one of the Printers at Philadelphia, who at my Request, promis'd to give it a Place in his News-paper, within a Week or two at the farthest. After it had lain with him a considerable While, I wrote to him I was inform'd he had declin'd printing it: In Answer to this, he tells.me, I was misinform'd, for that he had not declin'd printing it, but only postpon'd it for prudential Considerations. On this Delay, a Friend of mine in Town applied to another Printer of a Weekly Paper, and he undertook to insert it in his next; but he also declin'd it; and now no Printer in Philadelphia can be prevailed on to print it,-for prudential Considerations I don't doubt! As this 'extream Caution of the Printers is very unusual, I expect that the Religious Party, who are principally concern'd in the Consequences, have interested themselves in the Suppression of it. And I am the more confirm'd in this Opinion from their frequent Attempts of being witty on its not being printed. As the Publication of it is intended to expose Church Insolence and Religious Tyranny, and it is presumed your Situation

1 Forwarded by Gov. Morris under date of 10th June.-See Papers of Lewis Morris, page 192, for some account of the circumstances.-ED.

exempts you from all Danger of the Practices of these People; your inserting this and the inclos'd in your next Post-Boy, will be acknowledged by Yours, SAMUEL CHEW.

There is not any Thing more generally professed amongst Protestants, than Charity and Toleration. New Sects, so long as they stand in Need of Toleration, never fail to preach it up, and are able clearly to prove, that Matters of Judgment and Opinion not being under the Power and Direction of the Will, ought to be left free and unmolested to all Men: But once established and confirm'd, we too often find, that those very People who have contended for Liberty of Conscience and universal Toleration, soon become more clear-sighted, and plainly discover the Necessity of Uniformity in Matters of Religion, arrogate to themselves a Right to prescribe to others, and even assume a Power of Exclusion from God's Mercy, those who differ from them in Opinion. Instances from diverse Protestant Persuasions might be brought to evince the Truth of what is here asserted; but I know none more remarkable and surprizing, than that of the People called Quakers: It is well known, that they were at their first Appearance, an humble, patient, self-denying People; that they preached up Charity, Forbearance, and Brotherly Love; commended all Men to a certain inward Principle or divine Teacher, placed in their Breasts, to be the Sole Guide and Director in Matters of Faith and Religion: They not only disclaimed and zealously condemned all kind of Force and Coertion upon the Consciences of others; but bore Persecution themselves with an astonishing Firmness. This Spirit of Peace and Charity they maintain'd as long as they had Occasion for it, that is, so long as

they were oppressed and persecuted: But having once got a little firmer Standing, and some Reputation in the World, upon the score of their moral Conduct and inoffensive Behaviour, they began to display themselves, and not only exact from those of their own Community a strict Conformity to Rules and Discipline, but setting themselves above that Light which they had recommended to all Men as the only Guide, they set up such Right to judge others for Matters of Opinion, as was by no Means reconcileable to that Principle of Religious Liberty upon which they first set out: Hence Papers of Condemnation and negative Punishments came into Use amongst them: These indeed were at first introduced against Misbehaviour, and as Censures for an Immoral Conduct, which was so far right and commendable; but in process of Time, having grown rich and powerful, and forgetting that they were once a poor despised Remnant, the despis'd People of God, and the People in Scorn called Quakers, they extend their Jurisdiction, and Carry their Claim so high, as for Differences even concerning speculative Matters, to exclude Persons from their Society, with hard Names, and other Marks of Bitterness, worthy the Pope himself. This I believe, however, has been carried higher in the Province of Pennsylvania, and its Territories, than in any other Parts of the King's Dominions; but for no other Reason that I can guess, than that they are there admitted to more Rule and Power in the State, than they generally enjoy in other Places. Was I to stop here, I should doubtless be taxed with great Injustice, and a Clamour would be rais'd against me, for asserting what I was not able to prove: To evince therefore, the Truth of what I have 'alledg'd, I shall here insert a Copy of one of their Bulls of Excommunication. But for the Information of the Reader it will be proper to preface it with a short Account of the Matter that occasioned it. The Gov

ernor had recommended to the Assembly of Pennsylvania, consisting chiefly of Quakers, the putting the Province into a Posture of Defence, upon account of our War with Spain: The Assembly, to justify their Refusal to comply with the Governor's Proposal, assert the Unlawfulness of War to Christians in general, and enter into a long Dispute with him about it. The Assembly of the Lower Counties however, where the Quakers were the Minority, did at the Instance of the Governor, pass a Militia Law, and therein, besides the Directions for disciplining the People, made Provision for Arms, Ammunition, Colours, Drums, &c. The Quakers us'd great Endeavours to defeat the End of this Law, by prepossessing and prejudicing the People against it, and raising a false Clamour, that it was contrary to their Charter of Privileges, &c. The Chief Justice of the Lower Counties, tho' a Quaker, happen'd to differ in Opinion, with the Generality of his Brethren, concerning the Lawfulness of Defence; and apprehending it necessary, for his Majesty's Service and the good of his Country, that some Mistakes concerning the Lawfulness of Arms shou'd be removed, thought it his Duty to enter into the Controversy, and took an Occasion of doing it in a Speech deliver'd from the Bench to a Grand Jury. This Speech was immediately printed at the Request of the Jury: The Quakers took great Offence at it, but never vouchsafed to answer it, but had the Presumption, however, to call the Magistrate to a severe Account for this part of his Behaviour in the King's Court, and in the Discharge of his Duty; and because he could not alter his Opinion, or, contrary to his Judgment, basely prevaricate, and condemn what he had done, they erect themselves into God's Vice-gerents, and in order to intim-" idate other Magistrates, not only exclude him their Society, but, in Effect, pronounce him to be out of God's Mercy, to want Humility, or in other Words, to