common sense-第14节

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of　introducing　an　endless　and　uninterrupted　peace；　do　we　bear　the　evils

and　burthens　of　the　present　day。　　We　are　endeavoring；　and　will　steadily

continue　to　endeavour；　to　separate　and　dissolve　a　connexion　which　hath

already　filled　our　land　with　blood；　and　which；　while　the　name　of　it

remains；　will　he　the　fatal　cause　of　future　mischiefs　to　both　countries。



We　fight　neither　for　revenge　nor　conquest；　neither　from　pride　nor

passion；　we　are　not　insulting　the　world　with　our　fleets　and　armies；　nor

ravaging　the　globe　for　plunder。　　Beneath　the　shade　of　our　own　vines　are

we　attacked；　in　our　own　houses；　and　on　our　own　lands；　is　the　violence

committed　against　us。　　We　view　our　enemies　in　the　character　of　Highwaymen

and　Housebreakers；　and　having　no　defence　for　ourselves　in　the　civil　law；

are　obliged　to　punish　them　by　the　military　one；　and　apply　the　sword；

in　the　very　case；　where　you　have　before　now；　applied　the　halter

Perhaps　we　feel　for　the　ruined　and　insulted　sufferers　in　all　and　every

part　of　the　continent；　with　a　degree　of　tenderness　which　hath　not　yet

made　its　way　into　some　of　your　bosoms。　　But　be　ye　sure　that　ye　mistake　not

the　cause　and　ground　of　your　Testimony。　　Call　not　coldness　of　soul；　religion；

nor　put　the　BIGOT　in　the　place　of　the　CHRISTIAN。



O　ye　partial　ministers　of　your　own　acknowledged　principles。　　If　the

bearing　arms　be　sinful；　the　first　going　to　war　must　be　more　so；

by　all　the　difference　between　wilful　attack；　and　unavoidable　defence。

Wherefore；　if　ye　really　preach　from　conscience；　and　mean　not　to　make

a　political　hobbyhorse　of　your　　religion　convince　the　world　thereof；

by　proclaiming　your　doctrine　to　our　enemies；　FOR　THEY　LIKEWISE　BEAR　_ARMS_。

Give　us　proof　of　your　sincerity　by　publishing　it　at　St。　James's；

to　the　commanders　in　chief　at　Boston；　to　the　Admirals　and　Captains

who　are　piratically　ravaging　our　coasts；　and　to　all　the　murdering

miscreants　who　are　acting　in　authority　under　HIM　whom　ye　profess　to　serve。

Had　ye　the　honest　soul　of　BARCLAY　ye　would　preach　repentance　to　YOUR　king；

Ye　would　tell　the　Royal　Wretch　his　sins；　and　warn　him　of　eternal　ruin。

＇〃Thou　hast　tasted　of　prosperity　and　adversity；　thou　knowest　what　it　is

to　be　banished　thy　native　country；　to　be　over…ruled　as　well　as　to　rule；

and　set　upon　the　throne；　and　being　oppressed　thou　hast　reason　to　know

how　hateful　the　oppressor　is　both　to　God　and　man：　　If　after　all　these　warnings

and　advertisements；　thou　dost　not　turn　unto　the　Lord　with　all　thy　heart；

but　forget　him　who　remembered　thee　in　thy　distress；　and　give　up　thyself

to　fallow　lust　and　vanity；　surely　great　will　be　thy　condemnation。

Against　which　snare；　as　well　as　the　temptation　of　those　who　may

or　do　feed　thee；　and　prompt　thee　to　evil；　the　most　excellent　and　prevalent

remedy　will　be；　to　apply　thyself　to　that　light　of　Christ　which　shineth

in　thy　conscience；　and　which　neither　can；　nor　will　flatter　thee；

nor　suffer　thee　to　be　at　ease　in　thy　sins。〃Barclay's　address　to　Charles　II。＇

Ye　would　not　spend　your　partial　invectives　against　the　injured

and　the　insulted　only；　but；　like　faithful　ministers；　would　cry　aloud

and　SPARE　NONE。　　Say　not　that　ye　are　persecuted；　neither　endeavour　to　make

us　the　authors　of　that　reproach；　which；　ye　are　bringing　upon　yourselves；

for　we　testify　unto　all　men；　that　we　do　not　complain　against　you　because

ye　are　Quakers；　but　because　ye　pretend　to　be　and　are　NOT　Quakers。



Alas！　it　seems　by　the　particular　tendency　of　some　part　of　your　testimony；

and　other　parts　of　your　conduct；　as　if；　all　sin　was　reduced　to；

and　comprehended　in；　THE　ACT　OF　BEARING　ARMS；　and　that　by　the　people　only。

Ye　appear　to　us；　to　have　mistaken　party　for　conscience；　because；

the　general　tenor　of　your　actions　wants　uniformityAnd　it　is　exceedingly

difficult　to　us　to　give　credit　to　many　of　your　pretended　scruples；

because；　we　see　them　made　by　the　same　men；　who；　in　the　very　instant

that　they　are　exclaiming　against　the　mammon　of　this　world；　are　nevertheless；

hunting　after　it　with　a　step　as　steady　as　Time；　and　an　appetite　as　keen

as　Death。



The　quotation　which　ye　have　made　from　Proverbs；　in　the　third　page

of　your　testimony；　that；　〃when　a　man's　ways　please　the　Lord；　he　maketh

even　his　enemies　to　be　at　peace　with　him〃；　is　very　unwisely　chosen

on　your　part；　because；　it　amounts　to　a　proof；　that　the　king's　ways

（whom　ye　are　desirous　of　supporting）　do　NOT　please　the　Lord；　otherwise；

his　reign　would　be　in　peace。



I　now　proceed　to　the　latter　part　of　your　testimony；　and　that；　for　which

all　the　foregoing　seems　only　an　introduction　viz。



〃It　hath　ever　been　our　judgment　and　principle；　since　we　were　called　to

profess　the　light　of　Christ　Jesus；　manifested　in　our　consciences　unto

this　day；　that　the　setting　up　and　putting　down　kings　and　governments；

is　God's　peculiar　prerogative；　for　causes　best　known　to　himself：

And　that　it　is　not　our　business　to　have　any　hand　or　contrivance　therein；

nor　to　be　busy　bodies　above　our　station；　much　less　to　plot　and　contrive

the　ruin；　or　overturn　of　any　of　them；　but　to　pray　for　the　king；　and　safety

of　our　nation。　　and　good　of　all　men　…　That　we　may　live　a　peaceable　and

quiet　life；　in　all　godliness　and　honesty；　UNDER　THE　GOVERNMENT　WHICH　GOD

IS　PLEASED　TO　SET　OVER　US〃　…　If　these　are　REALLY　your　principles　why

do　ye　not　abide　by　them？　　Why　do　ye　not　leave　that；　which　ye　call

God's　Work；　to　be　managed　by　himself？　　These　very　principles　instruct

you　to　wait　with　patience　and　humility；　for　the　event　of　all　public　measures；

and　to　receive　that　event　as　the　divine　will　towards　you。　　Wherefore；

what　occasion　is　there　for　your　POLITICAL　TESTIMONY　if　you　fully　believe

what　it　contains？　　And　the　very　publishing　it　proves；　that　either；

ye　do　not　believe　what　ye　profess；　or　have　not　virtue　enough　to　practise

what　ye　believe。



The　principles　of　Quakerism　have　a　direct　tendency　to　make　a　man

the　quiet　and　inoffensive　subject　of　any；　and　every　government

WHICH　IS　SET　OVER　HIM。　　And　if　the　setting　up　and　putting　down　of　kings

and　governments　is　God's　peculiar　prerogative；　he　most　certainly

will　not　be　robbed　thereof　by　us：　wherefore；　the　principle　itself　leads

you　to　approve　of　every　thing；　which　ever　happened；　or　may　happen　to　kings

as　being　his　work。　　OLIVER　CROMWELL　thanks　you。　　CHARLES；　then；　died　not

by　the　hands　of　man；　and　should　the　present　Proud　Imitator　of　him；

come　to　the　same　untimely　end；　the　writers　and　publishers　of　the　Testimony；

are　bound；　by　the　doctrine　it　contains；　to　applaud　the　fact。　　Kings　are　not

taken　away　by　miracles；　neither　are　changes　in　governments　brought　about

by　any　other　means　than　such　as　are　common　and　human；　and　such　as　we　are

now　using。　　Even　the　dispersion　of　the　Jews；　though　foretold　by　our　Saviour；

was　effected　by　arms。　　Wherefore；　as　ye　refuse　to　be　the　means　on　one　side；

ye　ought　not　to　be　meddlers　on　the　other；　but　to　wait　the　issue　in　silence；

and　unless　ye　can　produce　divine　authority；　to　prove；　that　the　Almighty

who　hath　created　and　placed　this　new　world；　at　the　greatest　distance

it　could　possibly　stand；　east　and　west；　from　every　part　of　the　old；

doth；　nevertheless；　disapprove　of　its　being　independent　of　the　corrupt

and　abandoned　court　of　Britain；　unless　I　say；　ye　can　shew　this；

how　can　ye　on　the　ground　of　your　principles；　justify　the　exciting

and　stirring　up　the　people　〃firmly　to　unite　in　the　abhorrence

of　all　such　writings；　and　measures；　as　evidence　a　desire　and　design

to　break　off　the　happy　connexion　we　have　hitherto　enjoyed；

with　the　kingdom　of　Great…Britain；　and　our　just　and　necessary　subordination

to　the　king；　and　those　who　are　lawfully　placed　in　authority　under　him。〃

What　a　slap　of　the　face　is　here！　the　men；　who　in　the　very　paragraph　before；

have　quietly　and　passively　resigned　up　the　ordering；　altering；

and　disposal　of　kings　and　governments；　into　the　hands　of　God；　are　now；

recalling　their　principles；　and　putting　in　for　a　share　of　the　business。

Is　it　possible；　that　the　conclusion；　which　is　here　justly　quoted；

can　any　ways　follow　from　the　doctrine　laid　down？　　The　inconsistency

is　too　glaring　not　to　be　seen；　the　absurdity　too　great　not　to　be　laughed　at；

and　such　as　could　only　have　been　made　by　those；　whose　understandings

were　darkened　by　the　narrow　and　crabby　spirit　of　a　despairing　political　party；

for　ye　are　not　to　be　considered　as　the　whole　body　of　the　Quakers

but　only　as　a　factional　and　fractional　part　thereof。



Here　ends　the　examination　of　your　testimony；　（which　I　call　upon　no　man

to　abhor；　as　ye　have　done；　but　only　to　read　and　judge　of　fairly；）

to　which　I　subjoin　the　following　remark；　〃That　the　setting　up　and　putting

down　of　kings；〃　most　certainly　mean；　the　making　him　a　king；　who　is　yet

not　so；　and　the　making　him　no　king　who　is　already　one。　　And　pray　what　hath

this　to　do　in　the　present　case？　　We　neither　mean　to　set　up　nor　to　pull　down；

neither　to　make　nor　to　unmake；　but　to　have　nothing　to　do　with　them。

Wherefore；　your　testimony　in　whatever　light　it　is　viewed　serves　only

to　dishono