accufe any falfly, and be content with their Wages s and tho' the Centurion believed, yet Chrift by difarming Peter, difarm'd every Soldier afterward. And in another Place he says, † Can a • Soldier's Life be lawful, when Chrift has pronounced, That he that uses the Sword, shall perish by the Sword? Can one, who profeffes the peace• able Doctrine of the Gospel, be a WARRIER, he who must not fo much as ftrive or contend? ‹ And fhall he who is not to revenge his own Wrongs, be inftrumental to bring others into Chains, Imprisonment, Torments and Death?

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THIS Tertullian liv'd in the early Times of the Gofpel, about an Hundred Years after the Apoftles, when the Doctrine of Chrift was better understood and practifed, than it has been for many Centuries fince. And about Fifty Years after him, Origen writ a Book in Defence of the Principles and Practice of the Christians, against Celfus a most virulent Adverfary, who amongst other Things

De Corona Militis. Licebit in Gladio converfari, Domino pronunciante Gladio periturum, qui gladio fuerit ufus? Et Prælio operabitur Filius Pacis, cui nec litigare conveniet? Et vincula & carcerem, & tormenta, & fupplicia adminiftrabit, nec fuarum ultor injuriarum? Rigaltius Notes upon the Words Quomodo autem bellabit &c. That Tertullian takes away all kind of War, and all Ule of the Sword, from all Chriftians. Chriftianis omnibus, omne Militiæ genus, omnem gladii ufum adimit.

And Beatus Rhenanus, upon thefe Words, He that allows not a Chriftian to ferve under an Heathen General, would be allow that one Cbriftian should be a Soldier under another to persecute Chriftians, that is, his Brethren? Doubtless Tertullian never believed it would come to pass, that Chriftians would go to War one with another. Qui non permittit, ut Chriftianus Ethnico belligeranti an permiffurus eft ut Chriftianus Chriftiano, Chriftianos, hoc eft, Fratres perfecuturo, fe militem adjungat? haud dubie nunquam credidit futurum Tertulli mus, ut Chriftiani mutuis Armis concurrerent,

Things, charg'd the Chriftians with refusing to Bear Arms, and to enter into military Employments. *Laftly, fays Origen, Celfus exhorts us, ← That we should affift the Emperor with all our Might, and aid him in all his juft Undertakings and Engagements, and when requifite, Bear Arms and Fight for him. To this we answer, that we do affift the Emperors, if I may fo fay, with a Divine Aid, having on us the whole Armour of God; and this we do, in Obedience to the Words of the Apostle, who fays, I exhort there- 1 Tim.2.1 fore first of all, Supplications, Prayers, Interceffions and giving of Thanks be made for all Men, for Kings, and for all that are in Authority. And by how much the more pious any Man is, by fo ⚫ much the more he lends Affiftance to Emperors, yea more than they who ftand in Battle Array, and cut down as many of the Enemy as they can. We may also reply to you, who are not of our Belief, and urge us to bear Arms, and Fight; Your own Priests, and those who belong to your Temples, keep their Hands from being defil'd with Blood, by Reason of theSacrifices they must offer, with unbloody and unpolluted Hands, to thofe you esteem your Gods. And when you go to War, you never • take any of the Prieftly Order for Soldiers. If ⚫ then you think that reasonable, why should you not think it more fo in thofe, who when others

go

Crigenes contra Celfum. Lib. 8. p. 426. Cantabrigiæ Editio.

* Εἶθ ἑξῆς προτρέπεται ἡμᾶς ὁ ΚέλσΘ αρήγειν τῷ βασιλεῖ παντί θένοι, κι συμπονεν αυτῷ τὰ δίκαια, κὶ ὑπερμαχῶν αυτό, κι σωςραβέυειν αυτῶ ἂν ἐπείγη κι συςρατηγεν. Poftre mo hortatur nos Celfus, ut Opem feramus imperatori totis viribus, & geramus ejus aufpiciis jufta, piaque bella, néve detrectemus Militiam fi res ita poftulat.

go out to fight, They as Priefts and Ministers of God, lift up holy Hands, and wrestle in Prayer with God, for them who fight in a juft Cause, and for the Emperor who reigns well; that God would be pleas'd to remove every Thing that is against them. Therefore all evil Spirits which ftir up Sedition, break Treaties, and disturb the publick Peace, being quafh'd by our Prayers, we do greater Service to Emperors than those who are for Fighting. And we labour for the commonGood, by putting up Prayers in Holiness, and, by our Religious Exercifes and Practice, we teach how to defpife and fhun the pleafing Baits of Sin. * Thus we fight • better than others for the Emperor, but should be go • about to compel us to FIGHT or BEAR ARMES under • Him, we cannot do it.

THIS is a full and plain Declaration of the Opinion and Practice of the Chriftians, agreeable to the Principle of the Quakers; 'tis not Origen's fingle Opinion, but an Apology in Behalf of the Christians in Origen's Time, (and they were then very numerous) 'tis a Defence of their Opinion and Practice, against the Charge of Celfus, who had reprefented them as a People useless and obnoxious to the Government.

AND farther, to prove beyond all Contradiction, that it was held unlawful for a Christian to Bear Arms and to Fight, not only in the Days of Tertullian and Origen, but later down, even to the Emperor Diocletian's Time, we fhall produce the Teftimony of one Maximilian who fuffer'd Death under

* Ἡμεῖς κὶ μᾶλλον ὑπερμαχόμεν το βασιλέως, κι να συςρα γενόμεθα μὲν αυτέ, και επειγη. Sic nos præ aliis pugnamus pro Imperatore: cum ipfo, licèt nos impellat, non mili

tamus.

under that Emperor's Reign, for refufing to bear Arms. "Maximilian being brought before the Tribunal, *Dion the Proconful faid, What is thy Name? Maximilian anfwer'd, why would't thou know my Name, I must not Fight, for I am a Chriftian. Dion the Proconful faid, let • him be enroll'd. And when he was enroll'd, it was recited out of the Regifter, that he was • Five Feet Ten Inches high. Dion bid the Officer mark him; and when Maximilian refus'd, faying, I cannot fight, Dion faid, Bear Arms, or thou fhalt die. Maximilian anfwer'd, I cannot fight if I die I fight not for this World, but for my God. Dion the Proconful faid, who has per• fwaded thee? Maximilian anfwer'd my own Mind, and he who call'd me. Dion spake to his Father, and bid him perfwade his Son. His Father reply'd, he knows his own Mind, and what is best for him to do. Dion then faid to • Maximilian, take thy Arms and receive the Mark, the answer'd, I can receive no fuch Mark, I have already the Mark of Chrift. Dion • the

* Dion proconful dixit: Quis vocaris? Maximilianus refpondit; Quis autem vis fcire nomen meum, mihi non licet militare, quia Chriftianus fum. This Narrative is entitled Paffio S. Maximiliani. and is Printed at the End of a small Book of Lactantius, De Mortibus Perfecutorum, Oxonii, Anno Dom. 1680. And also in Ruinart's Acta Primorum Martyrum, at Paris in Quarto, Anno 1689. In Ruinart's Book, tbe Reader will find Inftances of others who fuffer'd Martyrdom for refufing to bear Arms, particularly one Marcellus, a Centurion, who went and laid down bis Arms before the Enfign of the Legion, and declar'd before all the Soldiers, That he was a Chriftian, for which he was put to Death. Rejecto cingulo militari coram Signis Legionis, Chriftianum fe effe teftatus coram omni populo.

'Tis faid the Mark was made in the Hand, and they wore a leaden Ring about the Neck.

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• the Proconful faid, I shall send thee quickly to thy Christ: He anfwer'd, I would have thee, for that will be my Praise. Dion bid the Officer mark him, but he still refufing, faid I cannot receive the Mark of this World; and if ⚫thou should'st mark me, I fhall break it, for it • will avail nothing, I am a Christian, and 'tis not lawful for me to wear fuch a Mark about my Neck, when I have receiv'd the faving • Mark of my Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, whom thou art ignorant of; who died to give us Life, and whom God gave for our Sins: Him all we Christians obey; Him we follow as the Reftorer of our Life, and the • Author of our Salvation. Dion faid, take thy • Arms and receive the Mark, or thou wilt perifh miserably. Maximilian answer'd, I fhall not perish, my Name is already enroll'd with my Lord, I cannot fight. Dion faid, confider thy Youth, and bear Arms, for 'tis what becomes a young Man. Maximilian reply'd, my Arms are with my Lord, I cannot fight for this World, I am now a Christian.

Dion

• the Proconful faid, Among the+Life-Guards of our Masters Diocletian and Maximianus, and • Conftantius, and Maximus, there are Christian • Soldiers, and they fight. * Maximilian reply'd, they know what is expedient for them, but I am aChriftian, and cannot do Evil. Dion faid, take thy

• Arms

+In facro Comitatu.

*The modeft and Chriftian-like Answer which Maximi. lian gave Dion when he told him there were Chriftian Sodiers in the Life-Guard of his Mafters, is worthy of our greateft Notice, Ipfi fciunt fays he, quod eis expediat : Ego tamen Chriftianus fum & non poffum male facere. They know what is expedient for them: But I am a Chriftian and cannot do Evil. This is truly the very Language of a Difciple

of