Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A32893
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The Christian principle and peaceable conversation of the people (of God) called Quakers with respect to the King and government once more asserted / published by reason of some late reflections cast upon them, especially by The Observator dated the 22d July 1685 : with a brief testimony against all plots, conspiriacies and rebellion as being inconsistant with true Christianity.
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1685
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Wing C3947; ESTC R28558
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5,459
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9
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Profession Being bound by the law of God written in our hearts thereto and all that are and have been faithful to the same are and have been found therein and in the consiant practice thereof and no cause hath been found against us but in things relating to God about Forms Fashions and Ceremonies of Religion Church and Worship and herein we shere with the Righteous with the truely Consciencious in all Ages whose choice was alwayes rather to obey God then Men suffer for well doing rather then wrong violate or destroy and make ship wrack of Faith and a good Conscience as might be demonstrated at large Now as we have alwayes bore witness against Cruelty Violence and Persecution purely about Religion or the form and manner of Worship and the destroying mens Libertys Lives and Estates in this World about the understanding or misunderstanding of the things of the World to come We say as we have asserted these things to be inconsistant with truâ— Religion and Christianity and Contrary to the nature thereof so alwayes we have and do affirm and declare that where mens Opinions and Principles about Religion leads them to Covenant Conspire Plot and Contrive Mischief and Rebellion under what name or pretence soevever and if they are but found making any steps thereto though they do not effect the same they are evil doers Such being indeed a Scandal and Reproach to true Christiaâ—ity which never taught nor led any to consult the hurt or to rise up with violence against King Prince Ruler or Governour of the Kingdom Country Province or City where they dwell Though such Kings Princes Rulers or Governours where Heathens or Infidels hereby the Primitive Christians were taught and enabled to suffer but not to Rebel and true Christianity is now the same and teaches the same lessons to the true professors thereof For the true Christian sufferers knows right well that it is the prevailing of the Spirit of Darkness Ignorance and Enmity in the hearts of their Enemies and Persecutors that causeth them to Hate Revile and Persecute them as it did their Captain Christ Jesus so cannot hate but pray for and pitty them as Creatures Captivated and blinded with the Spirit of Error and Ignorance as the poor Jews were who slew Christ and Persecuted his Followers and all for want of knowing of them as it is writter If they had known him they would not have Crucified him Fatâ—er forgive them they know not what they do c. So if those who persecute Christ in his Members now did but know him and them and their innocent design and business in the world which is to bear witness to the truth and the Spirit of it which hath made them free from the Spirit of this world which lusteth to Envy Hatred Violence and evil Will They would not endeavour to spoile and ruin them for their love and good will in telling them what the Lord hath done for their Souls and how they may Come to enjoy the same We have no base Selfish interest nor design to carry on we cannot be privy to nor active in any hurtful design or Conspiracy against any of our Neighbours nor any man much less against the King or the Peace of our Country we are not troublesome to the Magistrates neither do men find cause against us save in matter of our God Our endeavour hath been ever since God opened our understandings and seperated us from the divers sorts of Worships and Worshippers that are and have been in these Nations to walk Circumspectly not as Fools though accounted so not as Seditious Sectaries though reckoned amongst them not as dissturbers of the peace though we have been dealt with as such Indeed we have had great cause to know and be assured of something that is better then House or Land Goods and Liberty that are Made willing to expose them all to loss and ruin rather then sin against our knowledge that God hath given us rather then break Christs Commands and precepts rather then disobey his Doctrine which he his Ministers Disciples and Followers not only taught but practised in ages past and he doth and will enable his followers in this age to do the same cloathing them with zeal for his name and with love meekness and Gentleness towards all which in time may quench the wrath and Rage of men and provoke them to love and good works and also make them confess and acknowledge that God is with us of a Truth The which till the Lord bring it pass we are willing in peace and patience to wait and quietly to bear the wrath and rage of men against us For we firmly believe and assuredly know that where ever men are found Seditious disturbers of the Peace or in the practice of violence and cruelty under the Notion and Profession of the Christian Religion such are certainly deceived and bound under the Chain of a false Opinion and they have not the love of God nor their Neighbour planted in their hearts and are far estranged from that Royal law of Christ Jesus as ye would that men should do to you do so to them likewise in whomsoever this love to God and their Neighbour is wanting and the breach of this law is found they are of some private Oppinion and are prone to use violence and endeavour to impose their oppinions by force upon others when they have power and opportunity in their hands from hence hath risen much Trouble Wars and Bloodshed in this and many Nations which we desire God to prevent for the future For we do affirm all such things are contrary to the nature of Christ and Christianity his Doctrine and Example teacheth no such things the tenor of his Gospel is Peace on Earth and good will towards men love not only your Friends but your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you do good to all follow peace with all Men. In this the Christian Religion excels all the Religions in the World the love of God is the foundation and topstone of this Religion and the true Christians hath it shed abroad in their hearts and where this is wanting in the hearts of men professing and talking of Religion though they may have a zeal for the formallity thereof yet they have not Acceptance with God therein Those sayings of Christ With what Judgement you Judge you shall be Judged with what measure you Meet shall be measured to you again hath been and shall be witnessed a great truth Infallible and Universal Therefore it concerns all especially those that profess God Christ and the Scriptures to take heed what Judgment they give and what measure they meet God will not be mocked he is just and righteous in all his wayes and doings such as men sow they shall reap Sooner or Later Vengance is the Lords and he will repay it and he knows how to succor and support those that truly fear him and works Righteousness in all Nations and those are sincere in heart to God and true to what they know of him though it be but a little and under many clouds and weaknesses they are and shall be accepted by him through the Son of his love under whose hand and power we have resigned up our selves and our innocent cause assuredly knowing that he will plead it in the hearts of our Enemies and make them in some measure sensible thereof and that as we abide in his fear which is the beginning of all true wisdom and in the participation of his love we shall be a blessing to our Nation and the Children unborn shall call us happy when they shall hear of our love and faithfulness to God the King and our Country and of our patient Suffering for well doing then shall they praise God on our behalf and say of a truth God was which us and did unhold us by the arm of his Power So with hearty prayer to Almighty God that the King and those in Authority may see and behold our Innocency and Love towards Him and all Men and our tenderness of Conscience and fear towards God and incline their hearts to dâ—â—l with us accordingly However we pray for the King and the prosperity of our Country heartily desiring that Peace Love good Will and good Neighbourhood may ab und therein and 〈…〉 â—ivisions Heats Annimosities and evil designs one against another may be extinguished and come to an end amongst all our Neighbours and Country men the which we earnestly desire and Remain friends of God and all men From and in behalf of the People of God called Quakers London dated the 27th 5th month 85. The End
THE CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLE AND Peaceable CONVERSATION Of the People of God called QUAKERS With Respect to the KING AND GOVERNMENT Once more Asserted Published by Reason of some late Reflections cast upon them Especially by the OBSERVATOR Dated the 22d July 1685. With a brief Testimony against all Plots Conspiracies and Rebellion As being Inconsistant with true Christianity Printed in the Year 1685. EVER Since the great God of Heaven and Earth hath made us sensible of the knowledge of his Truth in the inward Parts and the powerful opperation of it to Regenerate and Renew our Minds change and purifie our Hearts and Illuminate our Understandings we have been careful to keep our Consciences void of offence towards God and towards Men and to follow peace and ensue it delighting to do good to all but to hurt none This we have in our Lives and Conversations manifested amongst our Neighbours and Country Men having been enabled thereto by the Grace and Spirit of God which taught the true Christians in the primitive times to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World And hath taught us the same lessons in this Age. We have been very evilly treated and variously proved and tryed since we have been a People both in England Scotland and Ireland and in many other places beyond the Seas within this thirty odd years under various Governours and Governments And we have undergone many and grievous sufferings through the assistants of God with much Meekness and Patience without Resistance yea without a thought or desire to avenge our selves or to lift up a Hand against those that hath Plowed long Furrowes upon our Backs But instead thereof have desired the welfare of our Enemies and Persecutors according to the precepts and example of Christ Jesus We have from time to time publickly asserted and declared not only by our words but by our lives and practices that our principles are for the promoting Love Peace and good will amongst all Men being indeed the natural fruit and effect of true Christianity or the Christian Religion Notwithstanding which we still suffer under the Notion and denomination of evil doers though hitherto through the grace of God we have kept our integrity and walked in innocency and in in offencecisness towards all Men and a little Christian kindness and Charity in the Observator would have restrained his Pen from Rendering us to Magistracy and the whole Nation as a party in Conspiracy and Rebellion We have given him no occasion to account us of the Number of his Trimmers viz. Sometimes of one side Sometimes of another or any thing to save from suffering we go right on our way in fair weather and fowl through Briers and Thorns though we are often stript of our fleece and cloath'd with stone Dublets we mean Prisons We have no shelter but our Innocency which he seems desirous to disrobe us off that we might be devoured with Speed if God did not encline the hearts of his Superiours to believe better of us and to do us more Justice We as a People should be concluded guilty when any particular Person that may be reputed of us doth any thing that is evil this is not to do as he would be done by We do affirm in the sight and presence of God that we Conspire with no Man with no Sect nor sort of People against the King his Peace and Government neither have we ever contributed as he injuriously saith we have to the raising any Storm in the Nation Privately or Publickly therefore the Observator hath wronged and abuse Us. Having no just ground for his Unkind Inferences against us we are and have alwayes been for things that make for Peace in the family in the City in the Province Country or Kingdom where we dwell We are redeemed out of the Spirit of Strife Violence Wars and Contentions Plots and Conspiracies and so are Dead to those things we do believe and declare that those things are inconsistant with the Christian Religion the powerful effect thereof known in the hearts of Men doth really lead them to love their Enemies and to pray for them that dispitefully use them c. then who can such hate and conspire against But further the Observator for a Colourable proof of his Inselences against the Quakers Speaking of the late D. of M. Declaration saith A Quaker Printer was the Man chosen to dispatch it at the Press to which we say that we are innocent in the matter we know nothing thereof neither of the Quaker chosen nor the chusers of him nor of the Declaration it self but by Report We have no hand in spreading and promoting such things which tends to stir up Wars Insurrections and Violence to the destroying mens lives these things are against our peaceable principle of love and good will which we have to all Men. And we do solemnly declare that if any that hath walked amongst us do have or shall do such things they are in our esteem false Brethren deceitful in their Profession unfaithful to God and Man Hiâ—ocrites and Deceiptful Workers and were either never truely of us or are fallen degenerated and Apostatized from the love and fear of God and good will to Men which is the true ground of our Religion and such are evil doers and ought to bear their own Burthen But we hope if such should be found that hath the name Quaker committing evil things no just men will judge it equal that we as a People should be charged guilty thereof in so doing no Society of men can be innocent We do declare we know no Printer amongst us guilty of medling with the said Declaration neither can we be privy to any such thing nor have we any Correspondency or Confederacy with any such Persons or matter in any thing that tends to the disturbance of the Peace of the Kingdom neither do we trouble the King and Government otherwise then by Application in humility laying before them our great sufferings Endevouring to perswade them by Councel Testimony Exhortation and Conversation that we are peaceable and free from the very inclination of raising Storms or Commotions in the Nation Country or Kingdom where we dwell We have not Suffered as busiy bodys or medlors with other mens Matters or as stirrers up of Rebellion or as having any hand therein and we hope it will be manifested to all that we are free from such things And that the unkind Observator will fail in his endeavor to cause the innocent to suffer with the guilty Our constant Practice hath been to obey Magistracy and to shew forth obedience to every ordinance of men that tends to the praise of them that do well and to the terror of those that do evil for the Lords-sake for the Truths-sake even in all things Relating to the things of a man not for fear of punishment but for Conscience-sake we believe it our duty and ornamental to our