On , dissident Quakers Isaac Howell and White Matlack complained:
This excerpt can also be found in the book American Quaker War Tax Resistance.
In order to show our real situation we beg leave to recite a recent fact: A minister of the gospel, long in high estimation among the people called Quakers, was disowned by that people in the state of Massachusetts Bay, for no other cause than for having published, as his opinion, that that people, consistent with their religious profession, may pay their taxes for the support of government — came to this state on a religious visit to those who have been disowned here, and having appointed a meeting for worship to be held in the meeting house at Merion, the key was obtained from the keeper and the house opened for that purpose, when two of the leading members of that meeting came about the time appointed for holding the meeting, locked up the house, took away the key and prevented the meeting from being held — yet so late as the years and , all the meeting houses in the state were opened to a preacher from England, then here, although it is generally understood that he considered, and on all occasions, public and private, spoke of the present revolution as a rebellion.
