"coat"?

[Joel S. Berson]

In a letter to the 1722 New England Courant, the writer assumes the
persona of a child complaining that her stepmother has led her father
into cruelty towards his first wife's children, and threatens to
expose him if such treatment continues.

She then writes "Those Pieces you have published of late, which some
call _Coats_, they say, have wrought Reformation in several Families
and particular Persons; and therefore I hope you will publish this as
soon as possible."

What are "coats" in this context?  Or is there some misprint I am not seeing?

Joel

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