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two or three hours, Marsh spake to him that was called the Lord Gerrard, and he came and bid them set me at liberty. Then the marshal, when I was discharged, demanded fees. I told him, I could not give him any, neither was it our practice; and I asked him, how he could demand fees of me who was innocent: nevertheless, I told him, in my own freedom I would give him twopence, to make him and the soldiers drink; but they shouted at that, and took it disdainfully. So I told them, if they would not accept it, choose they; for I should give them no fees. Then went I through the guards, the Lord's power being over them; and after I had declared truth to the guards and soldiers, I went up the streets with two Irish colonels that came from Whitehall, and went to an inn, where many friends were at that time prisoners under a guard. I desired those colonels to speak to the guard to let me go in to visit my friends, that were prisoners there, but they would not. Then I stepped to the centry, and desired him to let me go up, and he did so. While I was there, the soldiers went to the Pall Mall again to search for me there; but not finding me, they turned towards the inn, and bid all come out that were not prisoners, so they went out. But I asked the soldiers that were within, whether I might not stay there a while with my friends; and they said, yes. I staid a while, and so escaped their hands again. Towards night I went down to the Pall Mall, to see how it was with the friends there; and after 1 had staid a while, I went up into the city. Great rifling of houses there was at this time to search for people; but I went to a private friend's house, and Richard Huberthorn was with me. There we drew up a declaration against plots and fightings, to be presented to the king and council; but when we had finished it and sent it to the press, it was taken in the press.

Upon this insurrection of the fifth monarchy-men, great havoc was made both in city and country, so that it was dangerous for sober people to stir abroad for several weeks after; and hardly could either men or women go up and down the streets to buy provisions for their families without being abused. In the countries they dragged men and women out of their houses, and some sick men out of their beds by the legs. Nay, one man that was in a fever, the soldiers dragged out of his bed to prison, and when he was brought thither he died. His name was Thomas Pachyn. Margaret Fell went to the king, and told him what sad work there was in the city, and in the nation, and shewed him, that we were an innocent peaceable people, and that

we must keep our meetings as we used to do, whatever we suffered; but that it concerned him to see that peace was kept, that so no innocent blood might be shed.

Now were the prisons every where filled with friends, and others, in city and country, and the posts were so laid for the searching of letters, that none could pass unsearched; yet we heard of several thousands of our friends, that were cast into prison in several places throughout the nation, and Margaret Fell carried an account of them to the king and council. The next week we had an account of several thousands more that were cast into prison; and she went and laid them also before the king and his council. They wondered how we could have such intelligence, seeing they had given such strict charge for the intercepting of all letters; but the Lord did so order it, that we had an account, notwithstanding all their stoppings. For in the deep sense I had of the grievous sufferings friends underwent, and of their innocency towards God and man, I was moved to send the following epistle to them, as a word of consolation, and put them upon sending up their sufferings:

My dear friends,

In the immortal seed of God, which will plead its own innocency, who be inheritors of an everlasting kingdom that is incorruptible; and of a world and riches that fade not away, peace and mercy be multiplied amongst you in all your sufferings, who never feared them; whose backs were not unready, but your hair and cheeks prepared; who never feared sufferings as knowing it is your portion in the world, from the foundation of which the Lamb was slain, who reigns in his glory which he had with his Father, before the world began; who is your rock in all floods and waves, upon which ye can stand safe, with a chearful countenance, beholding the Lord God of the whole earth on your side. So in the Seed of God, which was before the unrighteous world, in which the sufferings are, live and feed, wherein the Bread of Life is felt, and no cause of complaint of hunger or cold. Friends, your sufferings all, that are or have been of late in prison, I would have you send up an account of them, and how things are amongst you, that it may be delivered to the king and his council, for things are pretty well here after the storm.'

London, the 28th of the 11th Month, 1660.

G. F.

Having lost our former declaration in the press, we made haste and drew up another against plots and fighting, and got it printed, and sent some of them to the king and council; others of them were sold up and down the streets, and at the exchange. Which declaration was some years after re-printed, and is as followeth :

A Declaration from the harmless and innocent people of God, called Quakers, against all sedition, plotters, and fighters in the world: for the removing of the ground of jealousy and suspicion from both magistrates and people in the kingdom, concerning wars and fightings.

Presented unto the King upon the 21st day of the 11th month, 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 welfare, and doing that which tends to the peace of all. We know that wars and fightings proceed from the lusts of men, as Jam. iv. 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 itself (wherein envious men, who are lovers of themselves more than lovers of God, lust, kill, and desire to have men's 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, and fight for the kingdom of Christ.

Answ. As for this, we say to you, that Christ said to Peter, Put up 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 than twelve legions of angels? And this might satisfy Peter,

Luke xxii. 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. xxiv. 51. 52. 53. And in the Revelation it is 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 numbered amongst transgressors, and numbered amongst fighters, that the scriptures might be fulfilled.

That spirit of Christ, by which 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 testify 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. iv. 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.

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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. ii. 4. Mich. iv. 3.

So we, whom the Lord hath called into the obedience of his truth, have denied 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 persuadeth every man's 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 denied in practice what we have professed in principle; but in sincerity an truth, and by the word

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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 falsely spoken of us, we hereby speak forth the plain truth of our hearts, to take away the occasion of that offence; that so we being innocent, may not suffer for other men's 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 is for righteousness sake; for our rejoicing 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. i. 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 man's persons or possessions; we have used no force nor violence against any man; we have been found in no plots, nor guilty of sedition; when we have been wronged, we have not sought to revenge ourselves; 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. 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 these 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 than 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 unto death, that we may do his will, and wrong no man in our generation, but seek the good and And he that hath commanded us, that peace of all men. So that we we shall not swear at all, Matth. v. 34. hath also commanded us, that we shall not kill, Matth. v. can neither kill men, nor swear for nor against them. And this is both our principle and practice, and hath been from the beginning; so that if we suffer, as suspected to

We

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