Page:Common sense - addressed to the inhabitants of America.djvu/49

Rh On thee grounds I ret the matter: And as no offer hath yet been made to refute the doctrine contained in the former editions of this pamphlet, it is a negative proof that either the doctrine cannot be refuted, or, that the party in favour of it are too numerous to be oppoed. , intead of gazing at each other with upicious or doubtful curioity, let each of us hold out to his neighbour the hearty hand of friendhip, and unite in drawing a line, which, like an act of oblivion, hall bury in forgetfulnes every former diention. Let the names of Whig and Tory be extinct; and let none other be heard among us than thoe of a good citizen, an open and reolute friend, and a virtuous upporter of the of, and of the.

HE writer of this is one of thoe few who never dihonours religion, either by ridiculing or cavilling at any denomination whatoever. To God, and not to man, are all men accountable on the core of religion. Wherefore, this epitle is not o properly addreed to you as a religious, but as a political body, dabbling in matters which the profeed Quietude of your Principles intruct you not to meddle with.

As you have, without a proper authority for o doing, put yourelves in the place of the whole body of the Quakers, o the writer of this, in order to be on an equal rank with yourelves, is under the neceity of putting himelf in the place of all thoe, who approve the very writings and principles againt which your tetimony is directed: And he hath choen this ingular ituation, in order that you might dicover in him that preumption of character which you cannot ee in yourelves. For neither he nor you can have any claim or title to Political Repreentation.

When men have departed from the right way, it is no wonder that they tumble and fall. And it is evident from the manner in which ye have managed your tetimony, that politics (as a religious body of men) is not your proper walk; for however well adapted it might appear to you, it is, nevertheles, a jumble of good and bad put unwiely together, and the concluion drawn therefrom both unnatural and unjut.

The two firt pages (and the whole doth not make four) we give you credit for, and expect the ame civility from you, becaue the love and deire of peace is not confined to Quakerim; it is the natural as well as the religious wih of all