The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-09-26 00:00:00, page 1

Mr. Towne,
I HAVE read the proposed Plan or Frame of Government
for Pennsylvania, in the Evening Post of Tuesday, Sept,
loth. As an inhabitant and true friend of this land, I
think myfelf bound in conscience to give a few hints,
particularly on fe&ion ten, which in my opinion greatly af
fefts the Christian religion and the salvation of fouls. And
I know no better way to convey them to the authors or pro
je&ors of this plan but through your paper, and I hope you
will not deny it a place, for lack of my name.
By all the oaths or affirmations prescribed by the Conven
tion, it appears that all religious ceremony, herebefore used,
is to be dropped. The Jew swears upon the Thorah, the
Mahomedan upon the Alcoran, the Proteflants in Germany
by the Holy Trinity, the English kiss the New-Testament,
and the Roman Catholics the Cross. But the Pennsylvanians
swear by nothing. What oaths may we expert, if all religi
ous awe is removed? Will they in foreign countries, or even
in the neighbouring dates, regard such testimony?
That a Declaration of Faith in one God the Creator and Go
vernor of the UniVerfe Ihould be fufficient to qualify a man to be
an inhabitant in Pennsylvania, as William Penn has granted, is
very juftand rcafonable; but thatit shall henceforth also qualify
a person to fit in the House of Representatives, is, in my opi
nion, abrogating the rights and liberties of the people, and not
enlarging them, as some may imagine.
William Penn, in his Declaration of Rights, fays, that all
persons, who also profefs to believe in Jesus Christ, the Savi
our of the world, shall be capable to serve this government in
any capacity. This was a bar against profeffed Deists, Jews,
Mahomedans, and other enemies of Christ, which is now re
moved if the declaration, fe&ion ten, remains unaltered.
And whether this is not in fad a firmer establishment for Anti
christ, and all damnable errors, than the Quebec bill for Po
pery, let the world judge.
By fe&ion nine, even the whole General Assembly muff
submit to fit with a monster of wickedness, if he has wit or
money enough to blind and seduce fix or eight hundred ig
norant and needy electors ; and by fe&ion fix, many such will
be added to the electors, who care as little for the good of
Pennsylvania as for the good of the Great Mogul's empire.
If the Christian states in Europe learn the Pennsylvanians
have made a new constitution and frame of government for
themselves, by a Convention, by which Jews, Turks, and
Heathens may not only be freemen of that land, but are eli
gible for Aflem^ymen, Judges, Counfellors and Presidents
or Governors ; and that this new constitution mentions not a
word of the bible, Christ or the Christian religion, much less
Protestantism. An Episcopal church, a Presbyterian meet
ing-house, a Roman Catholic church, a mosque, a synagogue
or heathen temple, have now in Pennsylvania all equal privi
leges ! Will any Christian power call this state for the future
a Christian Rate ? Will it not be an asylum for all fugitive
Jesuits, and outcasts of Europe ?
I loathto reflea on the wisdom and religion of the framers
of this scheme, and therefore call upon the ministers of the
The PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST.
Vol. lI.J
Price Three Coffers. Published every Tutfday, Tburfday, and Saturday Evenings.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1776.
479
For the PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST.
IN the Packet of last Tuesday Lobferved some remarks on
the proposed frame of government of this Rate, and am
much obliged to the writer for the freedom with which he
treats it, and begging that he would fpar# no pains to expose
its defeats, especially as he can do it so concisely, would fee
him right in a few instances, where I think he mistakes the
matter exceedingly. He fays the Convention has left nothing
to the supreme executive part of government to do, and yet
are very careful to guard against every improper use of their
power, and have on the contrary vested supreme power in a
single legislature without providing one check against an
abuse of the powers they are intruded with—Now this is the
very reverse of the fa&, as the gentleman may observe by
the lead attention to the plan. 1 will venture to fay, and
make appear, that there never was so many, nor such fafe
checks ever provided against the abuse of power in any legis
lature.—For firft, Their doors are to be open, which will pre
vent their plotting, and give the people an opportunity of
knowing the merits of their Representatives.—Second, They
are to be annually elective, which puts it in the power of the
people to remove any Reprefeo tative who is found unworthy
of the confidence of his conftituents.=-Third, If the people
could be so infatuated as to continue to rechoofe a man whose
conduct and principles were subversive of the rights of man
kind, he is excluded at the end of four years, whereby his
influence and connexions in the General Assembly are broke,
and he is removed from the power of doing harm.—Fourthly,
The members of the General Assembly are excluded from fill
ing any executive department, whereby they become the sub
jects oftheir own laws as much as any member in the date, and
if they make bad laws, they must feel their effeft.—Fifthly,
Every law, whole operation extends to the state, is to be printed
for the consideration ofthe fubjebts of that law, and the enabling
©fit referred to the next succeeding fitting of the General
Assembly, whereby every man may have an opportunity of
judging of the propriety of enabling such law, and inftrubting
his Representatives accordingly, so that no law can ever pats
gbfpel in Philadelphia (particularly those now in favor) if
they love Christ ? If they believe his dodrine and the doctrine
ofhis Apostles, to be wholesome dodrine, for the salvation
of fouls '? To speak NOW in support of it, and to remind
the members of the Convention, that they now ought to give a
testimony of their Christianity, and secure to the people of
Pennsylvania that inestimable blessing of the gospel of Christ,
If the ministers should be now dumb dogs, who cannot bark,
the great Shepherd of Souls will require of them an account
of those fouls, who shall be seduced into those errors, which
ere long may be publicly taught in Philadelphia, if not pre
vented by God himfelf in his great mercy.
If blasphemers of Christ and the holy blessed Trinity, de
fpifers of Revelation and the holy bible, may be Legislators,
Judges, Counfellors and Presidents in Pennsylvania, Wo tHtto
the city ! Wo unto the land.
A Follower of Christ.
[Num. 263.