Some years since (by an almost evident instigation of the Calvinist clergy and a mean sort of people who thro' tlieir ignoble disposition easily take occasion thereto) there has in the American Colonies arisen an evil custojn of disturbing and burdening honest Men of all Sorts, who have settled themselves in those colonies hoping to enjoy an unrestrained Freedom of Religion & in civil matters such an honom-able liberty as is in no way prejudicial to the honour of the Crown I do not think it needfull to mention here the great multitude of Instances of injurious treatment w'^h are personally known to me, since my present Intention is not to accuse any body but only to lay before Your l']xcellencies the Lords at the head of the British world in the West Indies the intrinsick State of matters, as your Lordships are able with one stroke of thepen to prevent so many thousand

QUAKERS AND MORAVIANS. 1021

future Inconveniencies, tiiat an honest and benevolent Man on that account willingly forgets the smarts of a multitude of Injuries already endured.

I petition for two Declarations or orders ;

The one to keep honest people as well strangers in, as inhabitants of, America from being chicaned with and plagued without the least reason & as it were only de gayete de Cceur.

The second that in the aforesaid Colonies no body but least of all the Indians shall be hindred from joyning with any Protestant Church whatsoever w^h iu his ideas is the most solid, according to the measures taken for incourageing Foreigners to settle in the British Colonies of America