them. The king, we hope, cannot but say that this duty and service is due to God and Christ; and we give Cæsar his due, and pay our tribute and custom equal with our neighbour, according to our proportion. We never read in all the scriptures of the New Testament, that ever Christ or his disciples did banish or imprison any that were not of their faith or religion, and would not hear them, or gave any such command; but, on the contrary, let the tares and the wheat grow together till the harvest, and the harvest is the end of the world. Then Christ will send his angels to sever the wheat from the tares. He rebuked such as would have had fire from heaven to consume those that would not receive Christ; and told them they did not know what spirit they were of; he came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them.

We desire the king to consider how much persecution has been in Christendom, since the apostles' days, concerning religion. Christ said, "They should go into everlasting punishment that did not visit him in prison;" then what will become of them that imprison him in his members, where he is manifest. None can say the world is ended; therefore how will Christendom answer the dreadful and terrible God at his day of judgment, that have persecuted one another about religion before the end of the world, under a pretence of plucking up tares; which is not their work, but the angels' at the end of the world? Christ commands men to love one another, and to love enemies; and by this they should be known to be his disciples. O that all Christendom had lived in peace and unity, that they might by their moderation have judged both Turks and Jews; and let all have their liberty, that own God and Christ Jesus, and walk as becomes the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our desires are, that the Lord God of heaven may soften the king's heart to all tender consciences that fear the Lord, and are afraid of disobeying him.

'We intreat the king to read some of the noble expressions of several kings, and others, concerning liberty of conscience; and especially Stephanus king of Poland's sayings, viz. " It belongeth not to me to reform the consciences; I have always gladly given that over to God which belongeth to him; and so shall I do now, and also for the future. I will suffer the weeds to grow till the time of harvest, for I know that the number of believers are but small: therefore," said he, when some were proceeding in persecution, "I am king of the people, not of their consciences." He also affirmed, that "religion was not to be planted with fire and sword."-Chron. Liberty of Religion, Part 2.

'Also a book wrote in French by W. M. anno 1576, hath this sentence, viz. "Those princes that have ruled by gentleness and clemency added to justice, and have exercised moderation and meekness towards their subjects, always prospered and reigned long; but, on the contrary, those

princes that have been cruel, unjust, prejudiced, and oppressors of their subjects, have soon fallen, they and their estates, into danger or total ruin."

Veritus saith, "Seeing Christ is a Lamb, whom you profess to be your head and captain, then it behooveth you to be sheep, and to use the same weapons which he made use of: for he will not be a shepherd of wolves and wild beasts, but only of sheep. Wherefore, if you lose the nature of sheep," said he, "and be changed into wolves and wild beasts, and use fleshly weapons, then will you exclude yourselves out of his calling, and forsake his banner; and then will not he be your captain," &c.

Also we find it asserted by king James, in his speech to the parliament, in the year 1609, "That it is a pure rule in divinity, that God never planted his church with violence of blood." And further he said, "It was usually the condition of christians to be persecuted, but not to persecute."

King Charles, in his 'Eix Baix page 61. said in his prayer to God, "Thou seest how much cruelty amongst christians is acted under the colour of religion; as if we could not be christians unless we crucified one another."

'Pag. 28. “Make them at length seriously to consider, that nothing violent nor injurious can be religious."

'Pag. 70. "Nor is it so proper to hew out religious reformation by the sword, as to polish them by fair and equal disputations, among those that are most concerned in the differences, whom not force but reason must convince."

Pag. 66. “Take heed that outward circumstances and formalities in religion devour not at all."

'Pag. 91, 92. "In point of true conscientious tenderness I have so often declared, how little I desire my laws and sceptre should intrench on God's sovereignty, who is the only king of conscience."

"Pag. 123. "Nor do I desire any man should be further subject unto me, than all of us may be subject unto God."

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'Pag. 200. "O thou Sovereign of our souls, the only commander of our consciences!"

'Pag. 346. (In his Meditations on Death,) "It is indeed a sad estate, to have his enemies to be his accusers, parties, and judges."

The prince of Orange testified, Anno 1579, " That it was impossible the land should be kept in peace, except there was a free toleration in the exercise of religion."

"Where hast thou read in thy day (said Menno) in the writings of the apostles, that Christ or the apostles ever cried out to the magistrates for their power against them that would not hear their doctrine, nor

obey their words? I know certainly (said he) that where a magistrate shall banish with the sword, there is not the right knowledge, spiritual word, nor church of Christ; it is, invocare brachium seculare (to invoke the secular arm.")

"It is not christian-like, but tyrannical (said D. Philipson) to banish and persecute people, about faith and religion; and they that do so are certainly of the Pharisaical generation, who resisted the holy ghost."

“Erasmus said, “Though they take our monies and goods, they cannot therefore hurt our salvation; they afflict us much with prisons, but they do not thereby separate us from God."-In de Krydges wrede, fol. 63.

Lucernus said, "He that commandeth any thing wherewith he bindeth the conscience, this is an antichrist."-In de Bemise Disp. fol. 71.

Irenæus affirmed, "That all forcing of conscience, though it was but a forbidding of the exercise which is esteemed by one or another to be necessary to salvation, is in nowise right nor fitting." He also affirmed, "That through the diversity of religions the kingdom should not be brought into any disturbance."

'Constantius the emperor said, "It was enough that he preserved the unity of the faith, that he might be excusable before the judgment-seat of God; and that he would leave every one to his own understanding, according to the account he will give before the judgment-seat of Christ. Hereto may we stir up people, (said he) not compel them; beseech them to come into the unity of the christians, but to do violence to them, we will not in anywise.”—Sebast. Frank. Chron. fol. 127.

'Augustinus said, "Some disturbed the peace of the church, while they went about to root out the tares before their time; and through this error of blindness are they themselves separated so much the more from being united unto Christ."

'Retnaldus testified, "That he, who with imprisoning and persecuting seeketh to spread the gospel, and greaseth his hands with blood, shall much rather be looked upon for a wild hunter, than a preacher or a defender of the christian religion."

"I have for a long season determined (said Henry IV. king of France, in his speech to the parliament, 1599,) to reform the church, which without peace I cannot do; and it is impossible to reform or convert people by violence. I am king, as a shepherd, and will not shed the blood of my sheep: but will gather them through the mildness and goodness of a king, and not through the power of tyranny: and I will give them that are of the reformed religion, right liberty to live and dwell free, without being examined, perplexed, molested, or compelled to any thing contrary to their consciences; for they shall have the free exercise of their religion," &c. [Vid. Chron. Van de Underg. 2 deel, p. 1514.]

Ennius said, "Wisdom is driven out, when the matter is acted by

force. And therefore the best of men, and most glorious of princes, were always ready to give toleration."

'Eusebius, in his second book of the life of Constantine, reports these words of the emperor: "Let them which err with joy receive the like fruition of peace and quietness with the faithful, this the restoring of communication and society may bring them into the right way of truth; let none give molestation to any; let every one do as he determines in his mind. And indeed there is great reason for princes to give toleration to disagreeing persons, whose opinions cannot by fair means be altered: for if the persons be confident, they will serve God according to their persuasions; and if they be publicly prohibited, they will privately convene; and then all those inconveniences and mischiefs, which are arguments against the permission of conventicles, are arguments for the public permission of differing religions, &c. they being restrained and made miserable, endears the discontented persons mutually, and makes more hearty and dangerous confederations."

"The like council in the divisions of Germany, at the first reformation, was thought reasonable by the emperor Ferdinand and his excellent son Maximilian; for they had observed, that violence did exasperate, was unblest, unsuccessful, and unreasonable; and therefore they made decrees of toleration."

The duke of Savoy, repenting of his war undertaken for religion against the Piedmontese, promised them toleration; and was as good as his word.

'It is remarkable, that till the time of Justinian the emperor, Anno Domini 525, "the Catholics and Novatians had churches indifferently permitted, even in Rome itself."

"And Paul preached the kingdom of God, teaching those things which concerned the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, and no man forbade him; and this he did for the space of two years in his own hired house at Rome, and received all that came to him.”

'Now, O king, seeing these noble testimonies concerning liberty of conscience of kings, emperors, and others, and the liberty that Paul had at Rome in the days of the heathen emperor, our desire is, that we may have the same liberty at Dantzick to meet together in our own hired houses, which cannot be any prejudice either to the king or the city of Dantzick, for us to meet together to wait upon the Lord, and pray unto him, and to serve and worship him in spirit and truth in our own hired houses; seeing our principle leads us to hurt no man, but to love our enemies, and to pray for them, yea, them that persecute us. Therefore, O king, consider, and the city of Dantzick, would you not think it hard for others to force you from your religion to another, contrary to your consciences? And if it be so, that you would think it hard to you, then

"do you unto others as you would have them do unto you," do not you that unto others which you would not have men do unto you; for that is the royal law, which ought to be obeyed. And so in love to thy immortal soul, and for thy eternal good this is written.

Postscript.

G. F.'

"Blessed be the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." And remember, O king, Justin Martyr's two apologies to the Roman emperors, in the defence of the persecuted christians, and that notable apology which was written by Tertullian upon the same subject; which are not only for the christian religion, but against all persecution for religion.'

'Dear Peter Hendricks, John Claus, J. Rawlins, and all the rest of Friends in Amsterdam, Friesland, and Rotterdam, to whom is my love in the seed of life that is over all;

'I RECEIVED your letter, with a letter from Dantzick; I have written something directed to you, to the king of Poland, which you may translate into High Dutch, and send it to Friends there, to give it to the king; or you may print it, after it be delivered in manuscript, which may be serviceable to other princes. So in haste, with my love. The Lord God Almighty over all give you dominion in his eternal power, and in it over all preserve you, and keep you to his glory, that you may answer that of God in all people! Amen. GEORGE FOX.

'London, the 13th of 9th month, 1677.'

I continued yet in and about London some weeks, the parliament sitting again, and Friends attending to get some redress of our sufferings, which about this time were very great and heavy upon many Friends in divers parts of the nation; they being very unduly prosecuted upon the statutes made against popish recusants; though our persecutors could not but know Friends were utterly against popery, having borne testimony against it in word and writing, and suffered under it. But though many of the members of parliament in either house were kind to Friends, and willing to have done something for their ease, yet having much business, they were hindered from doing the good they would, so that the sufferings upon their Friends were continued.

But that which added much to the grief and exercise of Friends was, that some, who made profession of the same truth with us, being gone from the simplicity of the gospel into fleshly liberty, and labouring to draw others after them, did oppose the order and discipline which God by his power had set up and established in his church; and made a great noise and clamour against prescriptions; whereby they easily drew after VOL. II.

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