Читать книгу Mennonites in the World War: Non-Resistance Under Test - Jonas Smucker Hartzler - Страница 40

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These trials brought the Church very close to gether. Old and young were knit together as one man. The young appreciated the help of the older and the older appreciated the attitude of the young. Trials from without can not greatly harm if there is the right spirit within. In some communities there was much ill feeling because of these exemptions. There were those who did not want to go to war, and who even believed that war was wrong, but they were not members of any Church which held nonresistance as a tenet of their creed. They felt that it was unjust to grant such privileges to some and not to others. Mobs were not an uncommon thing, and in a few localities there was some blood shed. Nonresistance costs ; sometimes the price is exorbitant, but, "There is no man that hath left houses … for my sake and the Gospel's but shall receive an hundred fold now in this time, houses … with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life."

A (hort and fincere DECLARATION,

To our Honorable AflemMy, and afl others in high or low Station of Admi*

niftratioJh and to all Friends and Inhabitants of this Country> to whofc

Sight this may come, be they ENGLISH or GERMANS.

the firft Place we acknowledge us indebted to the mod high Goo, who created Heaven and Earth, the only good Being, to thank him for all his great Goodneft and manifold Mercies and Love through our Saviour JESUS CHRIST, who is coma to five the Souls of Men, having all Power in Heaven and on Earth.

further we find ourfelves indebted to be thankfull to oar late worthy Affembly, for- their giving (b good an Advice In thefe troublefome Times to all Ranks of People in P&mfil- vanuty particularly in allowing thofe, who, by the Doftrine of our Saviour JESUS CHRIST , are pcnuaded in their Conferences to love their Enemies, and not to refift EvUr to enjoy the Liberty of their Confcience, for which, as alfo for all the good Things we enjoyed un der their Care, we heartily thank that worthy Body-of Affembly, and all high and low in Of fice, who have advifed to fuch a peaceful! Meafure, hoping and confiding that they, and all others enrrufted with Power in this hitherto blcffed Province, may be moved by the fame Spirit of.Grace, which animated the firft Founder of this Province, our late worthy Proprietor Wdliam Pain, to grant Liberty of Confcience to all ks Inhabitants, that they may in the great and memorable Day of Judgment be put on the right Hand of the juu Judge, who judgeth without Refpect of Perfon, andJTear>of him thcfe blefled Words. Come, ye blcfled of my Father > -inherit the Kingdom prebg/rc d for you, jV. f-i^at ye have done mnto one of the lea/1 of tbefe my ^rt/^r. /L ye have done unto mi, among which Number (i.e. the teajl of Ckrift's Brethren) we by m? Grace hope to be ranked; and every Lenity and Favour (hewn to fuch tender confcienced, although weak Followers of tlus our blofled Saviour, will not be forgotten by him in that great Day.

XThe Aavrcr-ro rhofc who do not ft__*. *rcedom of Cg^^K.c_u>HBdsp;wp-$irriK, that rf><?T ought to be helpfull .to rhofe who are Tn SJeed and dilrreffed Lircumftances, we receive wiin Chearfulnefs towards all Men of what Station they may be it being our Principle to feed the Hungry and give the Thirfty Drink; we have dedicated ounelves to ferve all Men, in every Thing that can be helpful to th JPrefcrvation of Men's Lives, but we find no Free dom in giving, or doing, or afltiHng i*: Ay Thing by which Men's Lives are deftroycdoc tun. - We beg the I aticnce of all tbofe who believe we err in this Point.

We are alwavs ready, according to CHRIST's Command to refer, to pay the Tribure> that we may .offend no Man, and fo we are willing to pay Taxes, S3 1 to rtnJer unto Caefar ibofe Tbingttbat are Cnefar s, and to GoJ (Me 7T>ings that are God s, although we thinkour- fefves very weak to give GOD his due Honour, he being a Spirit and iofc, and we only Duft and A/hes.

We are alfo willing to be (ubjcft to the higher Powers, and to give in the manner Paid l- rcQs US ; for be tearetb the Su>orJ not in vain, for IK is tie Minijier of God> a Revenger f tyecyfe ffratb upon him that tloetb Evil.

This Tcftimony we lay down before oar worthy Aflembly, and all other Pcrfbns in Go vernment, letting them know, that we are thankfullasabove-mentioned, and that wearenot at Liberty in Confcience to take up Arms to conquer our Enemies, but rather to prayf* GOD, who has Power in Heaven and on Earth, for US and THEM.

We alfo crave the Patience of all the Inhabitants of this Country, - what they think n> lee clearer in the Doftrine of the blefled JESUS CHRIST, we will leave to them and GOD, finding ourfelves very poor; for Faith is to proceed out of the Word of GOD, which b life and Spirit, and a Power of GOD, ao4.our Confciencc is to be iojftniftcdby the fame* therefore we beg for Patience.

Our fmall Gift, which we have given, we. gave n rhoft who have Power over us, that we may not offend them, as CHRIST taught us by the Tribute Penny.

We heartily pray that GOD would govern all Hearts of our Rulers, be they high or kjr, CO meditate thofe good Things which will pertain to OUR and. THEIR Happiaels.*

77r afavt Dnlaraux, firntJ hj a Number of EUeri mil Tiectxn tftht Sottttr if Mamalh* out ftmt-tf At German Bnfti/!,. frefmui 1, tbt IkiurM Hfuf, ,f Jtjjanklj m ttt -}lh Daj of A fimOtr. I ; 7( . < if

1 ↑ See page 38.