called fire from Heaven, to burn those who refused to receive him, he rebuked them by an assurance, that “they knew not what spirit they were of.”  And, with respect to his doctrines, nothing can be more full to the point than his saying, that “his kingdom was not of this world,” by which he meant that his dominion was wholly of a spiritual nature, and that men must cast off all worldly imaginations, and become spiritually minded, before, they could belong to him.  But no application of outward force, in the opinion of the Quakers, can thus alter the internal man.  Nor can even the creeds and doctrines of others produce this effect, except they become sanctioned by the divine influence on the heart.

Neither is it recorded of any of the apostles, that they used any other weapons than those of persuasion and the power of God in the propagation of their doctrines, leaving such as did not choose to follow them to their own way.  They were explicit also in stating the spiritual nature of Christ’s kingdom, from whence an inference similar to the former is deducible, namely, that no compulsory interference can be effectual in matters of religion.  And St. Paul, in particular, tells the Corinthians, that, in his spiritual services to them, he does not consider himself [1]"as having any dominion over their faith, but as helpers of their joy.”

[Footnote 1:  2 Cor. i. 24.]

But if neither Jesus Christ, who was the author of that religion, which many civil governments have established, nor the apostles, who afterwards propagated it, forced their doctrines upon other men, or hindered them by force from worshipping in their own way, even though the former could have called legions of angels to his support, it certainly does not become weak, ignorant, and fallible men, because they are placed in the situation of governors, to set up their own creeds as supreme, and to throw penalties and restrictions in the way of the religious exercise of others.

But if governors, contrary to the example of Jesus Christ and of his apostles, should interfere in religious matters, and impose laws upon the governed, of which, as Christians, they cannot but disapprove, then the Quakers are of opinion, that the governed ought always to obey the laws of Jesus Christ, rather than the laws of any governors, who are only men.  Thus when Peter and John were commanded by the rulers of the Jews to speak no more in the name of Jesus, they dared not yield obedience to their commands, reasoning thus,[2] “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.”

[Footnote 2:  Acts iv. 19.]