Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1700.     93

     Affection to his Majestys Service has Eminently appeared to Lib. X.

     us all which in Right to truth we think ourselves obliged to

     acknowledge to your good Lordships

       Though Reflections or Sence of ill Usage if much agst our p. 247

     nature & the constitution of this Govt yet for our own Justi

     fication we hold our selves obliged to disburthen the Govern

     ment from some aspersions cast upon it by some persons who

     stile themselves the Antient Planters & none of the least

     Traders here whilst their names are Concealed & therein

       1st We humbly appeal to your Lordships by comparing

     the Act of Religion with the several exceptions against it if

     they have not unworthily perverted the Sence & of

     the Law particularly the 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th and 9th Exceptions

       2 We assert to your Lordships for an undoubted truth

     that there is nothing imposed upon any dissenting Protestants

     or even papists but the payment of 40 p Poll equal with his

     Majestys other Protestant Subjects & none of the other in

     junctions in that Law have been so much as pretended to be

     imposed upon any dissenting Protestant but on the contrary

     they are permitted the quiet & peacable enjoyment & use of

     their Religion wthout the Least molestation whatsoever &

     therefore they greatly wrong that Law & the Govt by their

     Insinuation in the first second & third exceptions

       We humbly assure your Lordships that what ever titles

     persons may give themselves of dissenting Protestants there

     has no sects of Religion here opposed that Law but the

     Papists & Quakers who from the first Beginning of his

     Majestys happy Govt here with which that Law entred have

     with their Greatest Might obstructed it & so diligent were P. 248

     they therein that the Quakers had got Copies of his Majestys

     Order in Council for disallowing that Law long before the

     Original from your Lordships arrived & their diligent spread-

     ing the same caused great Disquiets in the minds of his

     Majestys good Subjects & for their being antient Settlers we

     acknowledge that some though but few Papists were at the

     first seating but so far were the Quakers from being the most

     antient Seaters that when they first came in they were ordered

     to be whipped out for disturbing the Government as by an

     order of Council the Copy whereof is inclosed appears &

     they are so far now from being any considerable part that we

     are confident they will not make the twelfth part of the Prov

     ince but were this Law down we believe they would increase

     for both Sects are daily insinuating their doctrines into other

     his Majestys good Subjects & imploying their utmost en

     deavours to pervert them from their Religion & some have

     been prevailed upon though we hope by the Assistance of

     that Law & the Labours of good men to put a Stop for the