The Kingdom of God Is Within You | Page 4

the means of
suppressing war in the Society for the Establishment of Peace among
Men, which existed in 1838 in America. He came to the conclusion that
the establishment of universal peace can only be founded on the open
profession of the doctrine of non-resistance to evil by violence (Matt. v.
39), in its full significance, as understood by the Quakers, with whom
Garrison happened to be on friendly relations. Having come to this
conclusion, Garrison thereupon composed and laid before the society a
declaration, which was signed at the time--in 1838--by many members.

"DECLARATION OF SENTIMENTS ADOPTED BY PEACE
CONVENTION. "Boston, 1838.
"We the undersigned, regard it as due to ourselves, to the cause which
we love, to the country in which we live, to publish a declaration
expressive of the purposes we aim to accomplish and the measures we
shall adopt to carry forward the work of peaceful universal reformation.
"We do not acknowledge allegiance to any human government. We
recognize but one King and Lawgiver, one Judge and Ruler of mankind.
Our country is the world, our countrymen are all mankind. We love the
land of our nativity only as we love all other lands. The interests and
rights of American citizens are not dearer to us than those of the whole
human race. Hence we can allow no appeal to patriotism to revenge any
national insult or injury...
"We conceive that a nation has no right to defend itself against foreign
enemies or to punish its invaders, and no individual possesses that right
in his own case, and the unit cannot be of greater importance than the
aggregate. If soldiers thronging from abroad with intent to commit
rapine and destroy life may not be resisted by the people or the
magistracy, then ought no resistance to be offered to domestic troublers
of the public peace or of private security.
"The dogma that all the governments of the world are approvingly
ordained of God, and that the powers that be in the United States, in
Russia, in Turkey, are in accordance with his will, is no less absurd
than impious. It makes the impartial Author of our existence unequal
and tyrannical. It cannot be affirmed that the powers that be in any
nation are actuated by the spirit or guided by the example of Christ in
the treatment of enemies; therefore they cannot be agreeable to the will
of God, and therefore their overthrow by a spiritual regeneration of
their subjects is inevitable.
"We regard as unchristian and unlawful not only all wars, whether
offensive or defensive, but all preparations for war; every naval ship,
every arsenal, every fortification, we regard as unchristian and unlawful;
the existence of any kind of standing army, all military chieftains, all

monuments commemorative of victory over a fallen foe, all trophies
won in battle, all celebrations in honor of military exploits, all
appropriations for defense by arms; we regard as unchristian and
unlawful every edict of government requiring of its subjects military
service.
"Hence we deem it unlawful to bear arms, and we cannot hold any
office which imposes on its incumbent the obligation to compel men to
do right on pain of imprisonment or death. We therefore voluntarily
exclude ourselves from every legislative and judicial body, and
repudiate all human politics, worldly honors, and stations of authority.
If we cannot occupy a seat in the legislature or on the bench, neither
can we elect others to act as our substitutes in any such capacity. It
follows that we cannot sue any man at law to force him to return
anything he may have wrongly taken from us; if he has seized our coat,
we shall surrender him our cloak also rather than subject him to
punishment.
"We believe that the penal code of the old covenant--an eye for an eye,
and a tooth for a tooth--has been abrogated by Jesus Christ, and that
under the new covenant the forgiveness instead of the punishment of
enemies has been enjoined on all his disciples in all cases whatsoever.
To extort money from enemies, cast them into prison, exile or execute
them, is obviously not to forgive but to take retribution.
"The history of mankind is crowded with evidences proving that
physical coercion is not adapted to moral regeneration, and that the
sinful dispositions of men can be subdued only by love; that evil can be
exterminated only by good; that it is not safe to rely upon the strength
of an arm to preserve us from harm; that there is great security in being
gentle, long- suffering, and abundant in mercy; that it is only the meek
who shall inherit the earth; for those who take up the sword shall perish
by the sword.
"Hence as a measure of sound policy--of safety to property,