An Address of Thanks to the Wardens of Christ Church and St. Peters
ADDRESS
Of thanks to the Wardens of Christ Church and St. Peters, and the Reverend W—S—h. D.D. [William Smith] Provost of the College and Tool to the P—r, and J—b D—e [Jacob Dache] A.M., and M.V.D. from F—A.—n D.D. [Francis Alison] and J—n E—g [John Ewing] in their own Name and in the Name of all the Presbyterian Ministers in Pennsylvania.
And he said unto them, it is written, my House shall be called the House of Prayer; but ye have made it a Den of Thieves. St. Matthew cap. xxi.v.13.
Wherever God erects a House of Prayer,
The Devil always builds a Chappel there;
And ‘twill be found upon Examination,
The latter has the largest Congregation;
S—h, God we thank thee, brought him hither,
With Priests and Presbyterians altogether.
True born ENGLISHMAN.
Reverend and worthy GENTLEMEN;
Permit us to return you, and all others that heartily concurr’d with you of the Church of England, our most sincere Thanks for opening your Church Doors to Dissenters in general, and us on particular on Fryday last, in order to carry into Execution a Scheme of the utmost Importance for Advantage of our Profession; the Down-fall of Monarchy; and the support of a Republican Government; Ends so glorious that we are supriz’d Mr. St—g—n shou’d hang an A—se upon such a remarkable occasion, and are sorry we can’t thank him with the rest of his Brethren. Your Charity has been so extensive lately, that we thought the Doors of your Churches were almost wide enough to take in the most bigotted Dissenter, but your enlarging them and making them so wide upon this occasion has fully persuaded us that your Orthodoxy is no longer to be contented; and we assure you we are heartily willing to bring about a Union, and embrace you and open Arms in our Synod.
How happy are we in being of one Soul, and one Mind both in the Religion and Politics upon such a Melancholly occasion, when the very Basis of both is struck at by that Promoter of Kingly Government Mr. F—n [Franklin], whom the Assembly we understand is about to send home as an Agent in order to persuade the King to take the Reigns of Government, out of the Hands of our Friend and Master T—s P—nn [Thomas Penn]; by which Means the poor Paxton Men, (our dear Brethren) will be prevented from taking Vengeance on our common Enemy the Quakers and wild Indians, and perhaps be punish’d for killing the Heathen in Lancaster Goal; the Presbyterians disappointed in their most sanguine expectations, and all the Labours lost at the late Election.
Some stiff-necked People of your Communion may imagine that your Church was prostituted to vile worldly Purposes upon this Occasion; and that your Communion-Table, was defiled by Petitions and Writings about Politics, when the Designs of these Places was for Uses of the most holy Nature; but as Matters of more Consequence were transacted than that of Religion, we think they had better be silent on this Head, least your pious Inclinations lead you, (in Imitation of our Presbyteries and Synods) to subject them to the Excommunications of the Church.
We are
GENTLEMEN,
With great Esteem
Your very Humble Servants,
F—s A—n [Francis Alison] and J—n E—g [John Ewing].
Philadelphia, October the 26th 1764.
FINIS.
