THE QUAKER PEACE TESTIMONY
Declaration by Quakers to King Charles II of England,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.
All bloody principles and practices we 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.
The 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 us unto it; and we 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.
That is the testimony that George Fox and the early Quakers sent to their ruler and it was in a time when there was a tremendous amount of turmoil. There was just as much pressure put on the early Friends to succomb and join the army as any Quaker today. Governments can always find an excuse to wage war. And the reasons to fight are always present. But our Lord never in his ministry suggested that we are to kill our fellowmen. He always stated that we are to love our brethren who despitefully use us and return good for evil.
In his Journal George Fox also wrote:
"I saw also that there was an ocean of darkness and death, but an ocean of light and love, which flowed over the ocean of darkness. And in that also I saw the infinite love of God..."
I would encourage all people to live in that awareness of the infinite love of God. Only then will we have any semblence of peace and justice in our world.
Please pray with me that there will be an end of the violence in our world and justice for all peoples and thus end the threat of terrorism that confronts us on every side today.
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