Right Honorable,
You have been pleased to send
up unto us a certain prohibition or command that we should not receive
or entertain any of those people called Quakers because they are supposed
to be by some, seducers of the people. For our part we cannot condemn
them in this case, neither can we stretch out our hands against them,
to punish, banish or persecute them for out of Christ God is a consuming
fire, and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
We desire therefore in this
case not to judge least we be judged, neither to condemn least we be condemned,
but rather let every man stand and fall to his own Master. Wee are bounde
by the Law to Doe good unto all men, especially to those of the household
of faith. And though for the present we seem to be unsensible of the law
and the Law giver, yet when death and the Law assault us, if we have our
advocate to seeke, who shall plead for us in this case of conscience betwixt
God and our own souls; the powers of this world can neither attack us,
neither excuse us, for if God justifye who can condemn and if God condemn
there is none can justify.
And for those jealousies and
suspicions which some have of them, that they are destructive unto Magistracy
and Minssereye, that can not bee, for the magistrate hath the sword in
his hand and the minister hath the sword in his hand, as witnesse those
two great examples which all magistrates and ministers are to follow,
Moses and Christ, whom God raised up maintained and defended against all
the enemies both of flesh and spirit; and therefore that which is of God
will stand, and that which is of man will come to nothing. And as the
Lord hath taught Moses or the civil power to give an outward liberty in
the state by the law written in his heart designed for the good of all,
and can truly judge who is good, who is civil, who is true and who is
false, and can pass definite sentence of life or death against that man
which rises up against the fundamental law of the States General; soe
he hath made his ministers a savor of life unto life, and a savor of death
unto death.
The law of love, peace and
liberty in the states extending to Jews, Turks, and Egyptians, as they
are considered the sonnes of Adam, which is the glory of the outward state
of Holland, soe love, peace and liberty, extending to all in Christ Jesus,
condemns hatred, war and bondage. And because our Saviour saith it is
impossible but that offenses will come, but woe unto him by whom they
cometh, our desire is not to offend one of his little ones, in whatsoever
form, name or title he appears in, whether Presbyterian, Independent,
Baptist or Quaker, but shall be glad to see anything of God in any of
them, desiring to doe unto all men as we desire all men should doe unto
us, which is the true law both of Church and State; for our Savior saith
this is the law and the prophets. Therefore, if any of these said persons
come in love unto us, wee cannot in conscience lay violent hands upon
them, but give them free egresse and regresse unto our Town, and houses,
as God shall persuade our consciences. And in this we are true subjects
both of Church and State, for we are bounde by the law of God and man
to doe good unto all men and evil to noe man. And this is according to
the patent and charter of our Towne, given unto us in the name of the
States General, which we are not willing to infringe, and violate, but
shall houlde to our patent and shall remaine, your humble subjects, the
inhabitants of Vlishing.
Written this 27th day of December,
in the year 1657, by mee
Edward Hart, Clericus
Source:
New York Historical Records. This remarkable remonstrance recorded
by the peoples of the Town of Flushing in the colony of New York bears
testimony both to the presence of religious discrimination and the courage
of a community to resist the edict of the governor. The document came
to light during research conducted by Newsday for a serious of
articles on the history of Long Island which were published between September,
1997, through June, 1998. The editors of Newsday have preserved both the
series of historical articles along with hundreds of original source documents
at a web site entitled
Long Island - Our Story.
