92 But I tell
you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
matthew 5:44
93
But I told them [the Commonwealth Commissioners] I lived in the virtue
of that life and power that took away the occasion of
all wars, and
I knew from whence all wars did rise, from the lust according to
James’s
doctrine. … But I told them I was come into the covenant of
peace which
was before wars and strife were.
george fox, 1651
94
All bloody principles and practices, we, as to our own particulars,
do utterly deny, with all outward wars and strife and
fightings
with outward weapons, for any end or under any pretense whatsoever.
And
this is our testimony to the whole world. … That 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 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.
george fox, 1660
95 I speak not
against any magistrates’ or people’s
defending
themselves against foreign invasions, or making use of the sword
to suppress the violent and evil-doers within their borders — for
this the
present estate of things may and doth require, and a great blessing
will
attend the sword where it is borne uprightly to that end, and its
use will be
honourable; … but yet there is a better state, which the
Lord hath already
brought some into, and which nations are to expect and travel
towards.… There is to be a time, when “nation shall not lift up sword
against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.” When the power of
the Gospel
spreads over the whole earth, thus shall it be throughout the earth;
and,
where the power of the Spirit takes hold of and overcomes any heart
at
present, thus will it be at present with that heart. This blessed
state, which
shall be brought forth in the general [society] in God’s
season, must begin
in particulars [that is, in individuals]…
isaac penington, 1661
96
Whoever can reconcile this, Resist not evil, with Resist violence
by force; again, Give also thy other cheek, with Strike again; also
Love thine
enemies, with Spoil them, make a prey of them, pursue them with fire
and
the sword; or, Pray for those that persecute you, and those that
calumniate you, with persecute them by fines, imprisonments and death
itself;… whoever, I say, can find a means to reconcile these things, may be
supposed
also to have found a way to reconcile God with the devil, Christ
with Antichrist, light with darkness, and good with evil. But if
this
be impossible,
as indeed it is impossible; so will also the other be impossible;
and men do
but deceive both themselves and others, while they boldly adventure
to
establish such absurd and impossible things.
robert barclay, 1678
97
Common folk, not statesmen, nor generals, nor great men of affairs,
but just simple men and women, if they devote themselves … can
do
something to build a better peaceful world.
henry cadbury, 1947
98
We affirm our unchanging conviction that our first allegiance is
to God, and if this conflicts with any compulsions of the State,
we serve our
countries best by remaining true to our higher loyalty.
pacific yearly meeting, 1953
99
The Quaker belief in peace is not just a negative refusal of war,
but also an endeavor to appeal to “that of God” in
other men regardless of
nationality, race, or social status. This appeal may not at first
appear
successful, but it is the only appeal which can be successful in
the long run.
howard brinton, 1972
100
And we recognise that discipleship of Jesus carries ethical implications
not only in personal life but “in all realms of
life,”which indeed
is why, throughout our history, we have been concerned with peace,
justice
and social questions.
london yearly meeting, to lima with love, 1987
101 … [we
must remember] truth without love is violence. And love
without truth is sentimentality.
muriel bishop, 1990