A DIALOGUE, Containing some Reflections on the late Declaration and Remonstrance, Of the Back-Inhabitants of the PROVINCE of PENNSYLVANIA.
With a serious and short ADDRESS, to those Presbyterians, who (to their dishonor) have too much abetted, and conniv'd at the late Insurrection.
By a Member of that Community.
Philadelphia, printed: and sold by all the Pamphlet-sellers. M,DCC,LXIV.
A DIALOGUE, &c.
BROTHER,—Aye dad, I had like to have said Brother Scrivner, I hear rare News To-day
About what?
About what!—Our DECLARATION and REMONSTRANCE.
Why, does it take well with the Philadelphians?
Take! Aye Man, by my Faith, three Parts of the City seem to approve of it, if their Minds don't change with the next Wind that blows.—Why, Brother Zealot, there are Hundreds in Philadelphia tapping their Neighbours on the Shoulder, and saying, It is a prodigious sharp Thing: Yes it is a very smart thing, says the other;— Poor Fellows! I didn't once think the Paxton-Boys had such Provocation and Grievances to provoke them to do as they did, but now I don't wonder at them.— I assure you our Remonstrance has gain'd us many Proselytes, and many of the Philadelphians to our Party. Aye, aye, and it is my Opinion, that if the Governor and Assembly will not grant all and each of our reasonable Requirements, and redress our many Grievances; I say, 'tis my humble Opinion we, by our excellent little Book, shall have more than half the Country, as well as three Parts of Philadelphia, to back us when we give them the next Visit.
Hold! Hold! Hold! Mr. Positive, I'm afraid you count your Chickens before they are hatch'd.
What do you mean, Mr. Zealot?
My dear Sir, I mean this, I am not, on second Thoughts, so much prejudiced in favour of our little Book as you are, nor perhaps as many of our careless giddy Readers; for tho not One in Fifty understands what he reads, or seeks for Proofs for Propositions laid down, neither has Capacity to enter into the Spirit of the Author: Yet there are Men quick-sighted, both in City and Country, who, I'm afraid, will easily discern the Fallacy of our Arguments, and the lightness of our Matter; and give me leave, Brother Scrivner, as I am a Party, as well as you, in writing this excellent Piece, and expect to be paid as well for it; I say give me leave to tell you, that I am not so sanguine as you are, respecting it's Success, notwithstanding our seeming reasonable Remonstrances, cover'd over with a few tender Expressions, and thin, very thin Glosses; together with Propositions and Assertions without Proof, express'd in bad English, and here and there in contradictory Terms; and many other Faults, which before they came out of the Press, I was not aware of.
Oh Lud! Oh Lud! Pray good reform'd Sir, have you no more than these few Faults to find with your own sweet Works and my witty Inventions? Oh my Heart! I believe the Man is going Mad! Why Zealot, dost thou deny thy own Works?
No, Mr Positive, I don't deny my own Works; but I am afraid, as the Traytor Syphax once said to Sempronies his chief Captain, in a Case paralel with this, Cato has piercing Eyes, and will discern our Frauds, unless they're cover'd thick with Art.
Puh! puh! puh! mad indeed! quite mad! stark mad! what in the Name of the D—l have we to do with Cato's, Sempronies's, or Syphax's.
I beg your Pardon Sir, but perhaps this may not be so great a Digression as shallow Politicians may imagine, and as it seems to offend you, I will drop it, and come to the Point at once.
Aye, aye, come to the Point at once; but I swear you shall never bring me into your Opinion, to [Page 4]think that our Declaration and Remonstrance is either false, foolish, or impertinent, or that it borders on Rebellion. No, no, Mr. Zealot, so far from Rebellion, that I wonder that all the witty Politicians and great Geniuses in the Province, have not employed their Pens in applauding our never-to-be-forgotten Action at Lancaster; where we bravely conquer'd, our Eye not pitying, nor our Hand sparing either Age or Sex; exulting, as one of our modern Poets says, in the Widow's Wail, the Virgin's Shriek, and Infant's trembling Cry.— Oh Zealot! tell me not of Cassius, Brutus, Caesar, Pompey, or even Alexander the Great! We! we Paxton Boys have done more than all, or any of them! We have, and it gives me Pleasure to think on't, Slaughter'd, kill'd and cut off a whole Tribe! a Nation at once!
[Here a third Person, an honest plain Man, one Lovell, interrupting, said]
Gentlemen, if I may be permitted, I will give you my Opinion of the Matter you are so warmly debating; but I beg you will not be offended at what I shall offer.
Aye, aye, do, my good Neighbour Lovell, let us hear your honest, simple Opinion; for Mr Zealot, I believe, is out of his Head.
I believe it is not much Learning has made him mad, for setting aside the common People of the Town, and those many Readers, who judge of Books and Things like old Wives, for the sake of pretty Glosses, and fabulous Stories; I say setting aside these two Classes of People, there are three to one who say 'tis a weak and wicked Thing, and only serves to make your very bad Cause still worse.
Hey day! Hey day! Why this is worse and worse: I thought you would have been of my Side the Question!
No, Sir, I am a Man that loves the Truth; and I humbly think, that it is always the best Side of the Question; and tho' it should be against my Interest with Man, yet if requir'd, I shall, and must, always [Page 5]declare my honest real Sentiments: And so, Gentlemen, upon the Liberty you have just now granted me, I shall proceed in as brief a Manner as I possibly can. First then, I shall take Notice of the Title Page of your REMONSTRANCE.—After your courtly Compliments to the Honourable the Governor and Assembly, &c.— Shewing the Causes of your late Discontent and Uneasiness, and which you humbly pray to have redress'd!— What Man in his Senses can help smiling at such a flagrant Piece of Contradiction? Pray when was it ever known, that after a Herd, or Number of Rebels and Violent Men, had, contrary to Reason, Religion, and the Laws of Nations, as well as in Defiance of the good Laws of Government where they liv'd, had murder'd, kill'd, and cruelly massacred a Number of Men, Women and Children, who for so many Years had proved themselves to be peaceful Subjects of the Government, and good Neighbours amongst those where they resided; in such a Case was ever such Audacity known, for People who have, and must be conscious they have so heinously offended, to pray to have Grievances redress'd, when they themselves are the known Agressors? Add to this their clamorous Threats against some of the most worthy, useful and publick-spirited Men in the City and Country, is something very daring and—
Interrupting. Why, Mr. Lovell, you talk strangely! You must certainly know that a great many of our Friends and Neighbours have been cruelly massacred, and others carried into barbarous Captivity amongst the Indians. You know Revenge is sweet; and 'tis a common Saying, BLOOD REQUIRES BLOOD.
Well, Mr. Positive, you've had it, and in your own Way too, and yet you are not satisfied.— Now had your Vengeance fell on the Guilty, it would have much alter'd the Case. Suppose a Brother of mine had kill'd a Relation of yours, would it be just in you to kill me? That is as the Proverb is, not putting the Saddle on the right Horse.
But does not our little Book justify us? wherein [Page 6]we have so fully declar'd that nothing but Necessity itself, could induce us to do as we did.
Why, Sir, I shall speak to that bye and bye, when I have done with your Title Page; in which, say you, We humbly pray to have Redress.—Very humbly indeed! How? With Sword in Hand, Rifles, Tomahawks, and other Implements of War? In Truth, if one don't mind what one says, a mighty humble Way of praying. I rather think these unhappy People should have come with Ropes about their forfeited Necks to sue, as they call it, for Redress of Grievances; or rather, for Pardon of past Guilt of so black a Nature. For this kind of Conduct we have an extraordinary Precedent in the First Book of Kings, Chapter 20th, in which some of the Servants or Officers of King Benhadad wisely counsel'd him to act in this Manner, (see Ver. 32.) So they girded Sackcloth on their Loins, and put Ropes on their Heads, and came to the King of Israel, and said, &c. For the rest I refer you to the whole Passage. Now, tho' I confess my Warmth, yet I cannot help feeling in my Heart a Tenderness and Pity for these my deluded Countrymen; and I can truly say, I could wish to God that they had followed the laudable Example of these wise distressed People, the Syrians of Old, instead of the rash, inconsiderate Method they so violently pursued: For see Verse 31, where it is said, Behold, &c. I beg, without further Addition, to refer you to the whole Chapter, as nothing in Language can be better adapted to the present Purpose.
Now, Gentlemen, by your Leave, for a Remark or two on your Declaration.— In asmuch (say you) as the killing the Indians at Connestogo-Manor and Lancaster, has been, and may be the Subject of much Conversation, ( [...]o Wonder) and by invidious Representations of it, which some, we doubt not, will industriously spread, many unacquainted with the true State of Affairs, may be led to pass a severer Censure on the Authors of those Facts, and any others of those of like nature, which may hereafter happen, than we are persuaded they would, if Matters were duly understood and deliberated!—How is it possible [Page 7]to pass a Consure severe enough upon Rioters and Murderers in cool Blood? Let the Provocations be what they will, every humane tender Heart must shudder at, and detest both the Facts and the Authors of them: Nor is it possible for any, even their nearest Relations, to offer one single Argument of Weight in their Favour. But further; by your own Words, you seem to have a Design of yet trampling on the Laws of Government, and committing the same Thing over again, when a convenient Opportunity offers; else what is the Meaning of the Words before mentioned, on the Authors of those Facts, and others of the like nature, which may hereafter happen? Now, what becomes of this humble Praying? In short, it amounts to this, and ought to be read thus, "We the distressed," or rather, angry "bleeding," or rather "bloody-minded, revengeful Inhabitants of Pennsylvania, do request;" or rather, ‘insist, to have as many of the now present Laws and Acts of Assembly abolished, as suit not our Interest, or is not agreeable to our Wills; and we will, when, and as soon as it suits our other Purposes, let the Honourable Governor and Assembly know our further Pleasure.’—You farther say, in Page 3, We think it proper, thus openly to declare ourselves. And what is this Declaration? Why, that we are not sorry that we have knowingly and deliberately violated the Laws of Government, for we do frankly confess, that nothing but Necessity itself could induce us to it. To what? To downright Rebellion and Murder:—Audacious and horrid Confession indeed! And then call it a seeming, or bearing an Appearance of flying in the Face of Government and Authority!— But how easy is it for any one that is not prejudiced in your Favour, to see through such thin Glosses and mean Sophistry? In Line 18, you say, And is attended with much Labour, Fatigue and Expence. O dear! This is neither new nor strange! — When was it ever known that an angry, giddy, violent and revengeful People, first sat down and counted the Cost, or would be persuaded to stop their mad Career, till their Folly had run them aground, and brought them [Page 8]to a too late Repentance? But as I can only touch upon Things, I shall conclude this Head with telling you, that if such an Affair had happen'd in England, it would have brought your Leaders to the common Gallows, or to have had the Honour of a new one erected on Pupose for them; and your poor deluded Followers, to Transportation for Life.—Now, Gentlemen, I will for Brevity's Sake, omit taking Notice of those ridiculous uncertain Stories of a certain injured Society in this City, as they appear to be without any Proof, Weight or Signification.— If even they could be proved, this could be no Excuse for Rebellion, Sedition and Murder, putting a whole City in a Panic, and the Country in an Uproar and Surprize.—But what can you possibly mean by your notable Harangue, in Page 9? And can it be thought strange (say you) that a Scene of such Treatment at this Time, and now adding at this critical Juncture to all our former Distresses, the disagreeable Burden of supporting in the very Heart of the Province, at so great an Expence, between one and two Hundred Savages, to the great Disquietude of the Majority of the good Inhabitants of this Province, &c. And must not (say you) all well-disposed People entertain a charitable Sentiment of those, who, at their own great Expence and Trouble, have attempted, or shall yet attempt, to rescue a labouring Land from a Weight so oppressive, unreasonable and unjust? It is this we design, it is this we are resolved to prosecute; tho' it is with great Reluctance, we are obliged to adapt a Measure not so agreable as could be desired and to which Extremity alone compels.— Pray, Gentlemen, what do you mean by supporting at a great Expence, between one and two Hundred Savages, to your great Disquietude, &c.?
We mean, Sir, those Savages in the Barracks.
Alas, Sir! how strangely mistaken are you, as well as many Hundreds more, whom I've heard express themselves in this random Way; either not knowing, or not distinguishing, between Savage Indians, Heathen Indians, and Christian Indians. — Now, Gentlemen, through the tender Mercy of their and [Page 9]your Creator, who is one God over all, blessed for evermore; I say, through him, whose tender Mercies are over all his Works, and before whose Eye the Colour of the Skin is nothing, hath been pleased in his boundless Compassion, to send Gospel Ministers amongst them, and these few, out of the many Thousands in America, have embraced and receiv'd the joyful Report of the Gospel: And further, they have, after believing in JESUS, been baptized in his Name, and into his Death, who is both their Lord and ours. And again, many of these Savages, as they are called, have, and do yet, partake of the Lord's Supper, or Holy Communion; and 'tis not only a Pleasure, but Astonishing, when one converses with them, to find how well grounded they are in the Principles and Doctrines of the Old and New Testaments, and our reform'd Religion.—One Thing more I would observe, which to me, is a stronger Proof yet, of their being rooted and grounded in the Living Power and Faith of the Gospel; and that is, at the Time of the late Tumult, when most of the People believed that the Rioters from the Frontiers had their Eye chiefly against them, to cut them off from the Land of the Living, both Root and Branch; yet through the Time of this deep Calamity, their serene Looks and quiet Deportment, plainly indicated an upright Heart, and a Mind at ease; and this even in the View of an approaching and untimely Death, by wicked and cruel Hands, already stain'd with Human Blood. I myself have visited them two or three Times in their present Exile, and have always found them to be free, pleasant, calm and unruffled, Like a Summer's Sea, when not a Breath of Wind flies o'er its Surface.
And may I, Sir, give Credit to this Report of your's?
For my Part, hang me if I'll believe any Thing like it.— CHRISTIANS! I swear it can't be true; nor shall this, or any Thing you can advance in their Favour, alter my fix'd Opinion of them; nay, if I tho't that any of their Colour was to be admitted into the Heavenly World, I would not desire to go there myself.
Well Mr. Positive, since it offends you so much, I will drop this Subject of our Discourse, and come to a Conclusion, as you harden your Mind against Conviction, and obstinately refuse Reproof. Therefore, a few Remarks more, and I have done; as to the great Expence you complain of, are not you yourselves the absolute Cause of it? Is it not to the Horror of the Government? And did not you oblige them to take those distressed People under their fatherly Protection, to save a considerable Number from Destruction? And where could they be safer than here, from the Fury and Rage of an incensed, riotous and lawless Mob? You are the last that should complain of this Expence, as you yourselves are the Occasion of it. And further, the Necessity of keeping them here, evidently appears from your insolent and daring Confession in the four last Lines of your Declaration: It is this (you say) we design, it is this we are resolv'd to prosecute, &c.— Yes, yes, if we may judge of your future, by your late treasonable Conduct, we may take your Word for it, without swearing to it: And, to make Use of your own Words above, Will not the good Inhabitants of this Province, and all well-disposed People, awaken to Resentment, and put themselves in Readiness to repel, if fair Argument won't do; I say, repel Force to Force, and severely chastise such lawless Rioters; who, in the Conclusion of their Threatenings and Demands pretend to say, though in Contradiction to their Actions, GOD SAVE THE KING. —What unprejudiced impartial Man, after a deliberate Reflection on all they have done and said, will view their Declaration in any other Light than a sophistical Piece of Irony, artfully insinuating into the Minds of the Ignorant and Vulgar, that they are, as they say in another Place, attach'd to the Person and Reign of our dear Sovereign King George the Third?— Is not their Conduct too much like that notorious wicked Traytor who at the Head of a tumultuous Mob, came up to his Lord with a Hail Master, and kissed him?
I'll hear no more: You would make us out to be a Set of vile People.
Sir, you have made, and prov'd yourselves such; and dangerous as well as vile.
Dangerous! How?
Why dangerous to the Commonwealth; and if not nipt in the Bud. God only knows where such unwarrantable Practices may end.
Why pray what Harm did we do in coming down to Philadelphia? We neither killed nor hurt any Body; and every one that saw us, must say we were very civil.
Aye, aye, you were so, and so are common Highwaymen, if you do not resist them; there are some of those Gentlemen, who when they stop a Coach, and make their Demands—Gentlemen and Ladies, pray don't be frightened, we won't hurt you, only give us our Demand—your Purse Madam—If you please, that Gold Watch Sir—Oh pray don't be angry with us, who are honest Gentlemen, and Men of Honour, and love our King and Country; but Necessity, Necessity obliges us to do this, therefore you must excuse us.—Gentlemen, your most humble Servant— GOD SAVE THE KING.— Rides off.
I think, Sir, you bear a little too hard upon us here.
No, Sir; Tumult, Sedition and Rebellion, [and more so when they are attended with cruel Murders] are more inexcusable than the Wretches I allude to, who have sometimes a better Right to plead Necessity, than many of the Abettors of our lawless Frontier Inhabitants.
But, dear Sir, I am credibly inform'd that there are Gentlemen of Learning and Judgment, who say our Book is a well wrote Thing; particularly — —, and a few more very knowing and topping Men.
Oh yes, Sir; I know who you mean: But are not these Party-men; warm Bigots, attach'd only to them of their own Community? which Community is well known to be an aspiring People, who, when [Page 12]they have attain'd their Aim, or gotten the Reins of Government in their Fists, have grasp'd it hard, and drove on Jehu-like; or which is more to the Purpose, like that conceited giddy-headed Fellow who thought himself sufficient to guide the Chariot of the Sun, soon, very soon, set the World on Fire.
Pray, good Sir, when was it ever known that we Protestant Dissenters discover'd an angry persecuting Spirit? We are indeed a very zealous People, and we think it our Duty to be so; besides, if I remember right, I have either read or heard that our Fore-fathers have suffer'd and been persecuted for this same good Cause, namely, for being Presbyterians.
Very well, Sir, I will allow the latter Part of your Argument, it is true: At the Time when a Paper War was carried on, and libelling between Conformist and Non-conformist prevailed, your Predecessors and Fore-fathers did suffer a good many Things, and stood it out bravely: I believe also, that there was many great and good Men who became of that Sect, and were an Honour to the Religion they profess'd.— But alas how is the Scene changed? The Crown is fallen from your Heads; or, as one of your own Poets elegantly expresses it,— Happy the Times; but ah! those Times are gone, when wond'rous Power and radiant Grace round the tall Arches of the Temple shone, &c. &c. Indeed in these Times when Non-conformists were but comparitively few in Number, and were a Laughing-Stock to others, then, and for many Years after, true Religion, Zeal, and a Spirit of Love, prevailed gloriously: But when they became more numerous, and the Ministers and People more rich, they began to aspire after worldly Power and Greatness, their Godly Zeal abated, and in its Stead grew up Bigotry, Superstition and Party-Zeal; and by Degrees, the same bitter persecuting Spirit by which their Fore-fathers were persecuted took Place in them, and continues more or less unto this Day: From hence it is, they are divided and sub-divided into so many Sects and Parties, every one [Page 13]thinking themselves most Orthodox, and condemning and charging their Dissenting Brethren with Error Heresy and Schism, who don't jump into each of their Opinions. — For the Proof of this we need not go beyond the Seas; even in this City it is too glaringly manifest, by the intestine Broils and Schisms that have lately happened; so that not the meek and peaceful Spirit of the great Founder of Christianity prevails, but unhappily a Spirit of a very contrary Nature; though we are expressly told in sacred Writ, that where Contention is, there is every evil Work. 'Tis grievous to see what Heat and Bitterness subsists in the Breasts of many PRESBYTERIANS in this Town, as well as in the Country, against the People called QUAKERS.— It truely seems as if some make it their Study, as well as Boast, to asperse, vilify and blacken the fair Character they have generally maintained for so many Years in all Places throughout the Christian World, where there are any of that Society living.—And let me further observe here, the extreme severe and cruel Treatment these People met with in New England, where they not only endured cruel Mockings and Scourgings, but Imprisonment, and even Death, for CHRIST's Sake.— Let us not recount the Cruelty of PAPISTS, when even DISSENTERS have been guilty of persecuting Dissenters, breaking up their Meetings for publick Worship, plundering their Houses, hauling Men and Women to Prison, stripping, whipping and cutting off their Ears, banishing, and at last, hanging them, till they, as their cruel Judges used often to express it, till they were dead.
Mr. Lovell, I will hear no more; nor can I believe your Narrative to be true.
One Minute's Patience more, and I have done. If I should recount but even the hundredth Part of those cruel Wrongs and Indignities practised against those innocent and useful Body of People on account of their Religion, the Time would fail me: I shall therefore only refer you to Sewell's and Bess's Histories of the Sufferings of that People, from those who call [Page 14]themselves Protestant Dissenters, and the Church of CHRIST. So Gentlemen, I wish you both a good Night, and a better Way of thinking; to wit, Peace Charity, Love and Good-will to all your Fellow-creatures. Adieu.
To the Protestant DISSENTERS, called PRESBYTERIANS.
AS I have been a Member of one of your Congregations for more than twenty Years, and am yet so in a good Sense, tho' I must confess I cannot so readily fall in with your new-fangled Doctrines and Manners, nevertheless I must love and wish you well.— I do most humbly beseech and intreat you to fit down and seriously consider what Spirit you are actuated by: Why are the Quakers, your good Neighbours, so falsely and slanderously abus'd by you? Why do you endeavour to vindicate or lessen the Crimes of those lawless Rioters, more fatal to a Commonwealth than Thieves and Robbers? Why do you abet their tottering treasonable Cause, while you fling Dirt and Mire on Government and your worthy peaceable Neighbours? Why do you shake your Heads and grin with your Teeth, as tho', if it were in your Power, you would bite and devour them up, even as a Morsel of Bread?
But as a Word to the Wise is enough, let me intreat you, my dear Brethren, to lay aside all Malice, Revenge and Evil-speaking, and to cultivate that sweet, amiable and happy Temper of loving one another for Christ's Sake, that we may prove ourselves to be the Children of the Day (and not of the Night) by all Acts of faithful tender Love and brotherly Kindness, speaking the Truth every one to his Neighbour.
[Page 15] One Word more, Gentlemen, and to come close to you, I appeal to your selves:—Have not you, with your Ministers, often join'd in Prayer to GOD, that he would be pleas'd to send his Gospel among the Heathen? And do you not continue still to do so in your public Assemblie? And I think you cannot be ignorant that the Government at Home, as well as the Religious Societies there, have at much Pains and Expence, sent many of their Missionaries into these Parts for this laudable and Christian Purpose viz. To direct their Feet in the right Way, and to bring them to the Knowledge of the Truth as it is in JESUS; and that their Labours have not been in vain, or altogether fruitless, is exceedingly evident from this Circumstance; it is well known that there are five or six Societies of converted, once Heathen or Savage Indians: And how must it hurt and retard their Progress in the Christian Life, to find themselves so grievously used and persecuted by their professed Christian Friends? And how do you think our SAVIOUR and common LORD must look upon this your evil and unkind Treatment of your Fellow Servants? Do you not make yourselves obnoxious to that sharp Reprehension in the 12th Chapter of St. Luke, Ver. xlv? For Shame, suffer your Eyes to be open'd, and your Hearts to become affected towards these poor suffering Exiles, and begrudge them not that scanty Pittance allow'd them by our good Governor and Assembly for their present Subsistance.— I mention this, because I have heard many with ill timed Heat, Zeal and Ill-nature, express great Dissatisfaction against the Government for this very kind and benevolant Act of Charity, at this Juncture become so absolutely necessary and unavoidable, and which, I doubt not, our gracious and bountiful LORD takes Notice of, and will reward an hundred Fold, since a Cup of Water given in his Name, shall not go unnoticed by him, tho' bestow'd on the least or poorest of his Followers.
[Page 16] Let me conclude, my dear Fellow Mortals, with this excellent Advice from Scripture, Be careful lest you be found Fighters against GOD, calling Light Darkness and Darkness Light, putting Good for Evil and Evil for Good.