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A

DEFENCE

OF SOME

PRINCIPLES

Held by the

People call'd QUAKERS,

In which they differ from other

Religious DENOMINATIONS.

Of Bearing Arms and Fighting.

TH

HO' the Principles of the Quakers were reprefented by the Independent Teachers, as deftructive to the Gofpel, and inconfiftent with Peace and Civil Society; yet, if Principles of. Religion are to be try'd by the Scriptures, as Proteftants fay, it will be no difficult Matter to fhow, that the Principles of the Quakers are confiftent with the Gospel, and that they tend more directly to promote the Peace of Civil Society, than thofe of the Independents, or of any other Denomination of Chriftians.'

THE Principle which the Quakers hold, That 'tis unlawful for Chriftians to bear Arms, or to fight (it being a Practice no ways agreeing with

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* See the foregoing Appendix, page 125.

the

131

Mat.5.34. the Love of Enemies, which Chrift has pofitively enjoyn'd his Difciples) has an immediate Tendency to promote the Peace of Civil Society, and alfo the peaceable Gospel of Christ, concerning which 'tis faid, Of the Increase of his Government and PEACE there fhall be no End.

Ifa.9.7.

Matt. 22.

37.

Luke 2.

13, 14.

Ifa.2.4.

AND tho' fuch a Principle may be thought inconfiftent with the Safety and Preservation of Government, yet, if the great and moft comprehenfive Duties of all Religion, in which the Principle is founded, viz. The Love of God and our Neighbour as our felf, be well confider'd, they will be found the beft Securities of the Peace and Safety of every Government.

THIS Principle is alfo moft agreeable to the Defign of the Gospel, and the chief End of Chrift's Coming into the World; at whose Birth a Multitude of the Heavenly Hoft prais'd God, faying, Glory to God in the Higheft, and on Earth PEACE, Good-will towards Men.

AND Ifaiah prophefied, that in the Last Days,* that is, in the Times of the Meffiah, or the Gofpel, as the Generality both of Jewish and Chriftian Writers understand it, The People shall beat their Swords into Plow-Shares, and their Spears into Pruning-Hooks: Nation fhall not lift up Sword against Nation, neither hall they learn WAR any The Jews understood this Prophefy to relate folely to the Times of the Meffiab, and alledge it as a strong Argument that the Meffiab is not come; † For fay they, War and Fighting is

more.

* By this Expreffion, Menaffeth Ben-Ifrael, a Jew, tells us, that all their Wife Men understood the Time of the Meffias. See the Bishop of Litchfield's Defence of the ancient Prophecies, Page 123.

+ Pool's Annotations on Isaiah Ch. ii. ver. 4. Chrift shall fet up and ufe bis Authority among and over all Nations, not only

giving

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not ceas'd, and the Sword is us'd as well by thofe call'd Chriftians as other People.

It is alfo univerfally allow'd by the Jews as well as Chriftians, that the Reign of the Messiah is defcrib'd by the Prophet Ifaiah, in the following Words With Righteousness fhall be judge the Poor, and reprove with Equity, for the Meek

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giving Laws to them, as other Rulers do, but doing that which no other Powers can do, convincing their Minds and Confciences, conquering and changing their Hearts, and ordering their Lives. He fhall root out thofe great Animofities and Hoftilities which were between the Jews and Gentiles, Eph. ii. 13. &c. and between feveral Nations, fubduing Men's Pride, and Paffions, and Lufts, which are the Causes of all Wars and Contentions; and working Humility, and Meekness, and Self-denial, and true and fervent Love to all Men, from whence Peace neceffarily follows. This was the Defign of the Gospel in all, and the Effect of it in those that rightly receiv'd it. And that War and Diffenfion which was occafioned by the Preaching of the Gofpel, as was foretold Mat. x. 21, 22. it was wholly accidental, by Reafon of Men's corrupt Interefts and Lufts, which the Gospel oppofed; and it was not amongst those who received the Gospel in the Love of it, but between them and those who were either open Enemies or falje Friends to them and the Gofpel. But if this Place be understood of an external and general Peace which was to be in the World in the Days of the Meffias, this alfo may in due Time be verified, when all Ifrael fhall be saved, and the Fulness of the Gentiles fhall be brought in, and both Jews and Gentiles fhall be united together into one Fold, under Chrift their great Shepherd; all which is propbefied and promijed. John x. 16. Rom. xi. and elsewhere. For it is not neceffary that all the Prophefies concerning the Kingdom of the Mellias, fhould be accomplished in an Inftant, or at the Beginning of it; but it is fufficient if they be fulfilled before the End of it. And Jome of them do manifeftly belong to the laft Days of that Kingdom. And therefore there is no Truth nor Weight in that Argument, which the Jews bring from this Place, againft our Meffas, because of thofe Wars that have hitherto been and ftill are among ft Chriftians; for this doth not prove that thefe Wars fhall never ceafe, or that there shall not be fuch a Peace in the World as they underftand, before the End of Chrift's Kingdom.

Ifa.ch.xi. Meek of the Earth. The Wolf alfo fhall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard fhall lie down with the Kid, and the Calf and the young Lion and the Fatling together; and a little Child fhall lead them; and the Cow and the Bear fhall feed; their young ones fhall lie down together; and the Lion fhall eat Straw like an Ox. And a fucking Child fhall play on the Hole of the Afp, and the weaned Child ball put his Hand on the Cockatrice Den. They shall not burt nor de*My holy Mountain ftroy in all my Holy Mountain. * For the Earth that is, in fhall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord, as the Waters cover the Sea.

Zion my

Church.

Whereever

will have

SOME of the ancient Writers amongst the Prithe Gospel mitive Chriftians, as ** Justin Martyr, Theodoret* comes and &c. took the Holy Mountain, in Ifaiah's Propheprevails, it cy, to be spoken of the Church of Chrift; and this Effect. they appeal'd to the Gentiles, whether they did Pool's. An, not fee and obferve, by the Behaviour and Manners of the Chriftians, a fulfilling of those glorious Prophecies; fuch was then the Peaceableness and Innocency of their Lives.

AND

**Juftin Martyr in his Apology for the Chriftians cites theie Words of Ifaiah, -Nation fhall not lift up Sword against Nation, neither fhall they learn War any more; and fays, that this is thus fulfill'd, you have Grounds to believe, For we who in Times paft killed one another, do not War or Fight with our Enemies. καὶ ὅτι ὅτως γέγονε, πειπῆναι δύνασθε καὶ οἱ πάλαι ἀλληλοφόνται ου μόνον ου πολεμῶμεν τις ἐχθρᾶς.

*Theodoreti ad Græc. Sermo. x. Qualia igitur Propheta Efaias Oracula prædixerit, audiftis. Age vero, per Veritatem vos rogo; nunquid ibi finuosè aut ambiguè dictum vobis videatur. Videtis enim manifefta rerum indicia, cum eventa ejus prædictionis paffim impleta confpiciantur. An non enim videtis Chriftianæ Ecclefiæ Sublimitatem? Nonne omnes undique confluentes, verbumque quod apparuit in Sion theologicè prædicantes, quodque inde Verbum fcaturiit amplectentes? An non ceffaffe videtis hoftes Ecclefie, proque bellicis Armis, agriculturæ inftrumenta defumi ?

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AND the learned Dr. Moor obferves in his brief Description of the Kingdom of Christ, Book 2. Ch. 13. That Chrift with his Church, is all along,. in the Revelations, reprefented under the Hieroglyphick of Lamb, that harmless and peaceable Creature; and in Daniel, under the Type of a Man, when as the reft of the Kingdoms are typified by Wild Beafts. Which intimates that the Kingdom of Chrift is not a Kingdom of • Belluine Ferocity, but of Reason, Humanity, and ⚫ tender loving Kindness. According therefore to this Description of the Kingdom of Chrift, it is plainly a Kingdom of Peace and Love, the Empire of that Divine Virtue of Charity; and dif⚫ covers it felf in the defending, righting and eafing of the Poor; In the Lowlinefs and Meeknefs of the Governors; and in the Truth and • Faithfulness of them; In managing their Affairs • without Guile or Deceit; In the Unity and Friendly Converfableness of People; In the • Ceffation of WAR and HOSTILITY.

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To hold therefore, as the Quakers do, That the Bearing of Arms and Fighting, are Things inconsistent with the Gospel or Kingdom of Christ, is no fuch Novel or fingular Opinion as fome would make it to be. Tertullian, that ancient and learned Apologist for the Chriftians, fays, *How fhall he fight whofe Sword is taken from him by Chrift? For tho' the Soldiers came to John, ⚫ and he bid them Do Violence to no Man, neither Luk. K 4 • accuse

* Tertulliani de Idololatria Liber. Quomodo autem bellabit, immo quomodo etiam in pace militabit fine Gladio quem Dominus abftulit? Nam etfi adierant Milites ad Johannem, & Formam Obfervationis acceperant, fi etiam Centurio crediderat, omnem poftea Militem Dominus in Petro exarmando difcinxit.

3.14.

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