May 22nd, 2025
Remonstrance Of the Quaker Walkers of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, to the United States Government
To our representatives,
Through your action or inaction, you have permitted the intrusion of federal officers into our houses of worship to abduct our friends and neighbors. We cannot accept this transgression of the sacred; both the sacred stillness of our worship, and the divine human rights of our persecuted friends. While the voice of power slanders them, calling non-citizens criminals, stirring fears of displacement and hatred of the newcomer, we know the truth: that we are all children of God, deserving of equal opportunity and safe harbor. We know that our rights are endowed freely by Heaven, not conferred by the paperwork of citizenship.
Being ourselves immigrants, or their descendants, delivered to this land by a violent history, we cannot judge anyone else seeking freedom and shelter here today. We are bound instead by a sacred obligation to do good to one another in all circumstances. While the politics of the moment may be set against such hospitality, when forced to choose between the laws of man and the Law of God, between the politics of the moment and the politics of eternity, we will always choose to follow The Light.
As to those who say undocumented immigrants are destructive to our nation and its values, they themselves misunderstand our nation and its values. American nationhood is not an ethnicity nor a mundane coincidence of culture. It is a set of sacred principles, including equality before the law, due process, and free expression. We are an exceptional nation because we are forged from the lineages of the world, yet unified in the centuries-long pursuit of a free and just society. Our founding experiment is a state intended to provide liberty to all, protecting the inalienable rights of all people within its territories and subject to its power. Every human being that our government detains has a right to due process and a jury of their peers. No matter how often it is ignored, this is the highest civil law of our land - enshrined in the bill of rights. If this administration can defile that law by making ICE the judge, jury and executioner for any class of people, we are in deep peril of losing our democratic republic.
Civic history teaches that assaults on the rights of any group imperil the rights of the entire nation. As all people are created equal by God, which we hold to be self-evident, we condemn the cruel and arbitrary subjugation of any person. Our faith teaches us compassion for all forms of humanity, with no exceptions for human beings under the judgment of the law. The golden rule which guides us flows from the witness of That Of God in all people. It is the underlying law of all religions, the core of true morality. Therefore, whoever may come to us in fear and in need, we are compelled by conscience to aid them, giving them free access to our homes and churches. This is according to our traditions, both civic and religious, as Americans, and as Quakers. We have a responsibility we refuse to neglect: to steward the utopian projects of our ancestors, for this nation, and for the kingdom of God. In the protection of faith, in God and in our constitution, we will hold to our moral convictions as ministers, citizens, and patriots. So long as you represent us, we demand that you do the same.
Your faithful constituents,
American Friends (Quakers) among the the New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore Yearly Meetings
December 27, 1657
Remonstrance Of the Inhabitants of the Town of Flushing to Governor Stuyvesant,
Right Honorable,
You have been pleased to send 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, for out of Christ God is a consuming fire, and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Wee 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 or fall to his own Master. Wee are bounde by the law to do good unto all men, especially to those of the household of faith. And though for the present we seem to be unsensible for the law and the Law giver, yet when death and the Law assault us, if wee 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 attach us, neither excuse us, for if God justifye who can condemn and if God condemn there is none can justifye.
And for those jealousies and suspicions which some have of them, that they are destructive unto Magistracy and Ministerye, that cannot bee, for the Magistrate hath his 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 enemies both of flesh and spirit; and therefore that 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 evil, who is true and who is false, and can pass definitive sentence of life or death against that man which arises 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 sons 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 sayeth it is impossible but that offences 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 hee 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 Saviour sayeth this is the law and the prophets. Therefore if any of these said persons come in love unto us, we 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, 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 of December in the year 1657, by mee:
Edward Hart, Clericus
Tobias Feake - Nathaniell Tue - The marke of William Noble - Nicholas Blackford - William Thorne, Seignior -
The marke of Micah Tue - The marke of William Thorne, Jr. - The marke of Philip Ud - Edward Tarne -
Robert Field, senior - John Store - Robert Field, junior - Nathaniel Hefferd - Nich Colas Parsell - Benjamin Hubbard -
Michael Milner - The marke of William Pidgion - Henry Townsend - The marke of George Clere - George Wright -
Elias Doughtie - John Foard - Antonie Feild - Henry Semtell - Richard Stocton - Edward Hart - Edward Griffine -
John Mastine - John Townesend - Edward Farrington