_A Testimony from the people of God, whom the world calls Quakers, to all magistrates and officers, of what sort soever, from the highest to the lowest._ “We are peaceable, and seek the peace, good, and welfare of all, as in our lives and peaceable conduct is manifested; and we desire the eternal good and welfare of all, and their souls’ everlasting peace. We are become heirs of the blessing before the curse was, and of the power of God before the devil was, and before the fall of man. We are heirs of the gospel of peace, which is the power of God; and we are heirs of Christ, who have inherited him and his everlasting kingdom, and do possess the power of an endless life. Knowing this our portion and inheritance, this is to remove all jealousies out of your minds, and out of the minds of all people concerning us, that all plots and conspiracies, plotters and conspirators against the king, and all aiders and assisters thereunto, we always did and do utterly deny to be of us, or to be of the fellowship of the gospel of Christ’s kingdom, or his servants. For Christ said, ‘his kingdom was not of this world; if it were his servants would fight.’ And therefore he bid Peter ‘put up his sword, for,’ said he, ‘he that taketh the sword, shall perish with the sword.’ Here is the faith and patience of the saints, to bear and suffer all things, knowing that vengeance is the Lord’s, and he will repay it to them that hurt his people, and wrong the innocent. Therefore we cannot avenge, but suffer for his name’s sake. We know that the Lord will judge the world in righteousness, according to their deeds, and that, when every one shall give an account to him of the ‘deeds done in the body,’ then will the Lord give every man according to his works, whether they be good or evil. Christ said, he came not to ‘destroy men’s lives;’ and when his disciples would have had ‘fire to come down from heaven,’ to consume them that did not receive him, he told them, ‘they knew not what spirit they were of,’ that would have men’s lives destroyed, and therefore he rebuked them and told them, ‘that he came not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’ We are of Christ’s mind, who is the great Prophet, whom all ought to hear in all things, who saith to his, ‘if they strike thee on one cheek, turn the other; and render to no one evil for evil.’ This doctrine of his we have learned, and not only confess him in words, but follow his doctrine; therefore we suffer all manner of reproaches, scandals, slanders, spoiling of goods, buffetings, whippings, stripes, and imprisonments, for these many years; and can say, ‘the Lord forgive them that have thus served us, and lay not these things to their charge.’ And we know that the Jews’ outward sword, by which they cut down the Heathen outwardly, was a type of the inward sword of the Spirit, which cuts down the inward Heathen, the raging nature in people.