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A40155 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. Fox, George, 1624-1691. 1684 (1684) Wing F1788; ESTC R36480 5,319 8

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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 Presented unto the King upon the 21 th day of the 11 th moneth 1660. OUR Principle is and our Practices have always been to seek peace and ensue it and to follow after Righteousness and the Knowledge of God seeking the Good and Wellfare and doing that which tends to the peace of All. We know that Wars and Fightings proceed from the Lusts of Men as Jam. 4.1 2 3. out of which Lusts the Lord hath redeemed us and so out of the Occasion of War the occasion of which War and the War it self wherein envious Men who are lovers of themselves more then lovers of God Lust Kill and desire to have Mens Lives or Estates ariseth from the Lust All Bloody Principles and Practices we as to our own particular do utterly deny with all outward Wars and Strife and Fightings with Outward Weapons for any end or under any pretence whatsoever and this is our Testimony to the whole World And whereas it is Objected But although you now say That you cannot Fight nor take up Arms at all yet if the Spirit do move you then you will change your Principle and then you will sell your Coat and buy a Sword Fight for the Kingdom of Christ Answ As for this we say to you that Christ said to Peter Put ●p thy Sword in his place though he had said before he that had no Sword might sell his Coat and buy one to the fulfilling of the Law and Scripture yet after when he had bid him put it up he said He that taketh the Sword shall perish with the Sword and further Christ said to Pilate Thinkest thou that I cannot now Pray to my Father and he shall presently give me more then twelve Legions of Angels and this might satisfie Peter Luk. 22.36 after he had put up his Sword when he said to him He that took it should perish by it which satisfieth us Mat. 26.51 52 53. and in the Revelations it 's said He that kills with the Sword shall perish with the Sword and here is the Faith and the Patience of the Saints and so Christ's Kingdom is not of this World therefore do not his Servants Fight as he told Pilate the Magistrate who crucified him and did they not look upon Christ as a raiser of Sedition and did not he say Forgive them But thus it is that we are numbred amongst Transgressors and numbred amongst Fighters that the Scriptures might be fulfilled That Spirit of Christ by whi●h we are guided is not changeable so as once to command us from a thing as Evil and again to move unto it and we do certainly know and so testifie to the World that the Spirit of Christ which leads us into all Truth will never move us to Fight and War against any Man with outward Weapons neither for the Kingdom of Christ nor for the Kingdoms of this World First Because the Kingdom of Christ God will exalt according to his promise and cause it to grow and flourish in Righteousness Not by Might nor by Power of outward Sword but by my Spirit saith the Lord Zech. 4.6 So those that use any Weapon to Fight for Christ or for the establishing of his Kingdom or Government both the Spirit Principle and Practice in that we deny Secondly We do earnestly desire and wait That by the Word of God's Power and its effectual Operation in the Hearts of Men the Kingdoms of this World may become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ that he might Rule and Reign in Men by his Spirit and Truth that thereby all People out of all different Judgments and Professions might be brought into Love and Unity with God and one with another and that they might all come to witness the Prophets words who said Nation shall not lift up Sword against Nation neither shall they learn War any more Isa 2.4 Mich. 4.3 So we whom the Lord hath called into the obedience of his Truth have denyed Wars and Fightings and cannot again any more learn it And this is a certain Testimony unto all the World of the Truth of our Hearts in this particular that as God perswadeth every Mans Heart to believe so they may receive it for we have not as some others gone about cunningly with devised Fables Nor have we ever denyed in Practice what we have professed in Principle but in Sincerity and Truth and by the Word of God have we laboured to be made manifest unto all Men that both we and our ways might be witnessed in the Hearts of all People And whereas all manner of Evil hath been falsly spoken of us we hereby speak forth the pl●in Truth of our hearts to take away the occasion of that offence that so we being Innocent may not suffer for other Mens Offences nor be made a Prey upon by the wills of men for that of which we were never Guilty but in the uprightness of our hearts we may under the Power ordained of God for the punishment of Evil doers and for the praise of them that do well live a peaceable and godly Life in all Godliness and Honesty for although we have always suffered and do now more abundantly suffer yet we know that it 's for Righteousness sake For our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Consciences that in Simplicity and godly Sincerity not with fleshly Wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in the World 2 Cor. 1.12 Which for us is a Witness for the convincing of our Enemies For this we can say to all the World we have wronged no Mans Persons or Possessions we have used no Force nor Violence against any Man we have been sound in no Plots nor guilty of Sedition when we have been wronged we have not sought to revenge our selves we have not made resistance against Authority but wherein we could not obey for Conscience sake we have suffered even the most of any People in the Nation we have been counted as Sheep for the Slaughter Persecuted and Despised Beaten Stoned Wounded Stocked Whipped Imprisoned Haled out of Synagogues cast into Dungeons and Noisome Vaults where many have died in Bonds shut up from our Friends denied needful Sustenance for many days together with other the like Cruelties and the cause of all this our Sufferings is not for any Evil but for things relating to the Worship of our God and in obedience to his requirings of us For which Cause we shall freely give up our Bodies a Sacrifice rather then disobey the Lord For we know as the Lord hath kept us Innocent so he will plead our Cause when there is none in the Earth to plead it So we in obedience unto his Truth do not love our Lives