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The Address of the People Called Quakers - 4

Persecutions, and some of them to the loss of their Lives, thro’ the Instigation of wicked and unreasonable men; they steadily maintain’d their Profession, and acted agreeable to the Principles of the true Disciples of Christ; and by their innocent peaceable Conduct having approved themselves faithful and loyal Subjects, they obtained the Favour of the Government and were by royal Authority instructed with many valuable Rights and Priviledges, to be enjoyed by them and their Successors with the Property they purchased in the Soil of this Province, which induced them to remove from their Native Land with some of their Neighbours of other Religious Societies, and at their own Expence, without any Charge to the Public to encounter the Difficulties of improving a Wilderness, in which the Blessing of Divine Providence attended their Endeavours beyond all human Expectation; and from the first settling of the Province till within a few Years past both the Framing, and Administration of the Laws, were committed chiefly to Men of our Religious Principles, under whom Tranquility and Peace were preserved among the Inhabitants, and with the Natives; the Land rejoiced and People of every Denomiation [sic] were protected in Person and Property and in the full Enjoyment of religious and civil Liberty; but with Grief and Sorrow for some Years past We have observed the Circumstances of the Province to be much changed, and that intestine Annimosities and the desolating Calamities of War have taken Place of Tranquility & Peace.

We have as a Religious Society ever carefully avoided admitting Matters immediately relating to civil Government into our Deliberations, farther

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