The Newport Gazette

(The following, which was published at Philadelphia is extracted from a Providence Paper of the 18th of Jan. Our Readers will easily perceive, that the pretended Regard to the Rights of Conscience, so frequently mentioned in it, is only to justify the Barbarity of the concluding Advice.)

To the Honorable the Council of Safety of the State of Pennsylvania.

At a meeting of a reputable number of the inhabitants of the city of Philadelphia, impressed with a proper sense of the cause in which this continent is engaged, and animated with a generous zeal for supporting the same, it was resolved, that the following be laid before the Board of Safety.

It professes liberality of sentiment on this, that those who do not choose to kill men; with this distinction serve it. would become wise, and even to deserve it. We hold the pure doctrine of universal LIBERTY of CONSCIENCE.

and conceive it our duty to endeavour to secure that sacred right to others, as well as to defend it for ourselves: for we understand not to judge of the religious sentiments of tenets, but leave the whole matter to Him who made us.

We persecute no man, neither will we abet in the persecution of any man, for religion's sake; our common relation to others being that of fellow citizens and fellow-Subjects of one civil community; and in this line of connection, we hold out the right-hand of fellowship to all men. But we should consider ourselves to be unworthy Members of the FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES OF AMERICA, If we were unconcernedly to see or suffer any treasonable wound, public or private, directly or indirectly, to be given against the peace and safety of the same. We engage not into the rank of the offender on their religious persuasion; we have no infatuation with either, our part being only to find them out, and exhibit them to justice.

A printed paper, dated the 20th of December, and signed "John Pennsylvanian," whom we suppose to be an inhabitant of this city, has lately been dispersed through the army, a copy of which accompanies this. Had the framers and publishers of that paper conceived it their duty to exhort the youth, and others, of their society, to pay a patient obedience to the laws under the present trying circumstances, and humbly to wait the event of Heaven towards them, they had therein shewn a christian temper, and we had been silent; but the anger and political virulence with which their instructions are given, and good abounding
with which they estimate all ranks of men, nor thinking like themselves, leave no doubt as to the point from which their public declaration proceeded: And it is disgraceful to trifle with words of the most sacred import, and the poor cause of truth, that men can dally play with them so mechanically, as if religion was confined only in controversy. We know of no instance in which the Quakers have been compelled to bear arms, or do any thing which might strain their Consciences; wherefore their advice to 'withstand the obedience of men,' appears to us to be a refusal to submit to the arbitrary instruction, a false alarm, and could only be reasonably calculated to gain favour with our enemies invading this State, or what is still worse, when they were entirely on the brink of to weaken the hands of our defence, that their entrance into this city might be made practicable and easy.

We disclaim all tumult and disorder in the punishment of offenders; and wish to be governed not by temper, but by reason in the manner of treating them.

We are sensible that our cause has suffered by the two following errors; by being judged too lenient to traitorous persons in some instances; and accused by only a violent treatment of them in others. For the former we disown both, and wish to be steady in our proceedings and serious in our punishments.

Every State in America has, by the repeated voice of its inhabitants, directed and authorized the Congress to publish a formal declaration of independence and separation from the King and Parliament of Great Britain; and we look on every man in this Colony, who does not, in some way or other, give his assistance towards supporting the same; at the same time we consider the offence to be heightened to a degree of unpardonable guilt, when such persons under the shelter of religion, endeavor, either by writing, speaking or otherwise, to subvert, overturn, or bring reproach upon the independence of this continent, as declared by Congress.

The publishers of the paper signed 'John Pemberton,' have called it a loving and paternal manner to their friends and connections 'to withstand and refuse' obedience to whatever 'instructions be issued,' not warranted by (what they call) that happy constitution under which they and others long enjoyed tranquillity and peace. If this be not treason, we know not what may properly be called by that name.

To us it is a matter of surprise and almost that men with the word 'peace maker' continually on their lips, should be so fond of living under, and supporting a government, and at the same time calling it 'buggy,' which is never better pleased than at war—that hath filled India with carnage and famine—a fiend with slavery—and tempered with Inquisition and Negroge to cut the throats of the freedom of America. We conceive it a disgrace to this State to harbor or wink at such palpable hypocrisy. But as we seek not to have the blood of any man's head; when we can make ourselves safe with them, we wish such persons to restore peace to themselves and us, by removing themselves to some part of the king's dominions, and there they may live upon food by us, or by them; for our opinion is, that those who do not deserve a place among us, ought not to have one.

We conclude, with requesting the Council of Safety to take into their consideration the paper signed 'John Pemberton:' and if it shall appear to them to be of dangerous tendency, or of a treasonable nature, that they would commit the signer, together with such other persons as they can discover were concerned therein, into custody, until such time as some mode of trial shall ascertain the degree of their guilt and punishment; in the doing of which, we will show, and go wherever there may be, to disregard the man, his commands, however fortified with a variety of principles of religion, and to attend to the nature of his office only.