Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A40155
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A Declaration from the harmless & innocent people of God called Quakers against all sedition, plotters & fighters in the world, for the removing of the ground of jealousie and suspition from both magistrates and people in the kingdome concerning wars and fightings.
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Fox, George, 1624-1691.
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1684
(1684)
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Wing F1788; ESTC R36480
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5,319
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8
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unto the Death that we may do his will and wrong no Man in our Generation but seek the Good and Peace of all Men And he that hath commanded us That we shall not Swear at all Mat. 5.34 hath also commanded us That we shall not kill Mat 5. So that we can neither kill Men nor swear for nor against them And this is both our Principlâ— and Practice and hath been from the Beginning so that if we suffer as suspected to take up Arms or make War against any it is without any ground from us for it neither is nor ever was in our Hearts since we owned the Truth of God neither shall we ever do it because it is contrary to the Spirit of Christ his Doctrine and the Practices of his Apostles even contrary to him for whom we suffer all things and endure all things And whereas Men come against us with Clubs Staves Drawn Swords Pistols cock't and do beat cut and abuse us yet we never resisted them but to them our Hair Backs and Cheeks have been ready but it is not an honour to Manhood nor Nobility to run upon harmless People who lift not up a Hand against them with Arms and Weapons Therefore consider these things ye Men of Understanding For Plotters Raisers of Insurrections Tumultuous Ones and Fighters running with Swords Clubs Staves and Pistols one against another we say these are of the World and have their foundation from this Unrighteous World from the foundation of which the Lamb hath been slain which Lamb hath redeemed us from this unrighteous World and we are not of it out are Heirs of a World in which there is no End and of a Kingdom where no corruptible thing enters And our Weapons are Spiritual and not Carnal yet Mighty through God to the pulling down of the Strong Holds of Sin and Satan who is Author of Wars Fighting Murder and Plots and our Swords are broken into Plow-shares and Spears into Pruning hooks as Prophesied of in Micah 4. Therefore we cannot learn War any more neither rise up against Nation or Kingdom with outward Weapons though you have numbred us amongst the Transgressors and Plotters the Lord knows our Innocency herein and will plead our Cause with all Men and People upon Earth at the day of their â—udgment when all Men shall have a reward according to their Works Therefore in love we warn you for your Souls good not to wrong the Innocent nor the Babes of Christ which he hath in his Hand which he tenders as the Apple of his Eye neither seek to destroy the Heritage of God neither turn your Swords backward upon such as the Law was not made for i. e. the Righteous but for the Sinners and Transgressors to keep them down For those are not the Peace-makers neither the Lovers of Enemies neither can they overcome Evil with Good who wrong them that be Friends to You and All Men and wish Your Good and the good of all People on the Earth If you Oppress us as they did the Children of Israel in Egypt and if you Oppress us as they did when Christ was Born and as they did the Christians in the Primitive Times we can say The Lord forgive You and leave the Lord to deal with you and not revenge our selves And if you say as the Council said to Peter and John You must speak no more in that Name and if you serve us as they served the Three Children spoken of in Daniel God is the same as ever he was that lives for Ever and Ever who hath the Innocent in his Arms. Oh Friends offend not the Lord and his Little Ones neither afflict his People but consider and be moderate and do not run hastily into things but mind and consider Mercy Justice and Judgment that is the way for you to prosper and get the Favour of the Lord. Our Meetings were stopped and broken up in the dayes of Oliver in pretence of Plotting against him and in the days of the Committee of Safety we were looked upon as Plotters to bring in KING CHARLES and now our Peaceable Meetings are termed Seditious Oh that men should lose their Reason and go contrary to their own conscience knowing that we have suffered all things and have been accounted Plotters all along though we have declared against them both by word of mouth and Printing and are clear from any such thing though we have suffered all along because we would not take up carnal weapons to fight withal against any and are thus made a prey upon because we are the innocent Lambs of Christ and cannot avenge our selves These things are left upon your hearts to consider But we are out of all those things in the patience of the Saints and we know that as Christ said He that takes the Sword shall perish with the Sword Mat. 26.52 Rev. 13.10 This is given forth from the People called Quakers to satisfie the King and his Council and all those that have any jealousie cencerning Us that all occasion of suspition may be taken away and our Innocency cleared Given forth on the behalf of the whole Body of the Elect People of God who are called Quakers in the Year 1660. POSTSCRIPT THough we are numbred amongst Transgressors and so have been given up to all Rude Merciless Men by which our Meetings are broken up in which we Edified one another in our holy Faith and praâ—ed together to the Lord that lives forever yet he is our pleader for us in this Day the Lord saith They that feared his Name spoke often together as in Malachy which were as his Jewels And for this Cause and no Evil-doing are we cast into Holes Dungeons Houses of Correction Prisons they sparing neither Old nor Young Men nor Women and made a Prey on in the Sight of all Nations under pretence of being Seditious c. so that all rude People run upon us to take Possession for which we say The Lord forgive them that have thus done to us who doth and will enable us to suffer and never shall we lift up a Hand against any Man that doth thus use us But that the Lord may have Mercy upon them that they may consider what they have done For how is it possible for them to requite us for the wrong they have done to us Who to all Nations have sounded us abroad as Seditious or Plotters who were never found Plotters against any Power or Man upon the Earth since we knew the Life and Power of Jesus Christ manifested in us who hath redeemed us from the World and all works of Darkness and Plotters that be in it by which we know our Election before the World began So we say The Lord have Mercy upon our Enemies and forgive them for that they have done unto us Oh! do as you would be done by and do unto all Men as you would have them do unto you for this is but the Law and the Prophets And all Plots Insurrections and Riotous Meetings we do deny knowing them to be of the Devil the Murtherer which we in Christ who was before they were triumph over them and all Wars Fightings with Carnal Weapons we do deny who have the Sword of the Spirit and all that wrong us we leave them to the Lord and this is to clear our Innocency from that Aspersion cast upon us That we are Seditious or Plotters Added in the Reprinting Courteous Reader THis was our Testimony above Twenty Years ago and since then we have not been found Acting contrary to it nor ever shall for the Truth that is our Guide is unchangeable and this is now Reprinted to the Men of this Age many of whom were then Children and doth stand as our certain Testimony against all Plotting and Fighting with Carnal Weapons and if any by departing from the Truth should do so this is our Testimony in the Truth against them and will stand over them and the Truth will be clear of them