able to deliver himself nor to purifie his own Conscience nor enlighten his own Understanding nor can any man deliver the Soul of his Brother nothing less then the Knowledge and Experience of the Light Spirit and Mighty Power of God's appearing and shining in the Conscience and enlightening the Mind and Understanding breaking the Prison-Doors of Opinion and pulling down the Strong Hold of Imagination is able to effect those things therefore all such as have their Consciences purified their Minds and Understandings thereby enlightened are delivered and redeemed from the Spirit of Envy and Cruelty and from all private Opinions and Bondage of Darkness and lives and walks in the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ Jesus which brings Peace on Earth and Good-will to Men and such never Envyed any nor Hurt any about Religion though Jews Turks and Infidels Oh! the Weight and Burden of this envivous Bloody Spirit of Persecution in Christendom which is sate down in the Throne of Conscience and wrapt about with the Mantle of Zeal for Religion is very great and ponderous it is the greatest Burden the Earth bears and the greatest Troubler of the World of Mankind 't is the great Whore that John saw ride upon the Scarlet coloured Beast and sate upon the Waters and it is the Beast he saw rise out of the Earth with two Horns like a Lamb yet speaks like a Dragon and makes Fire come down from Heaven in the Sight of Men and causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a Mark in their right Hand or in their Fore-Heads that no Man might buy or sell save he that had the Mark or the Name of the Beast or the Number of his Name this Spirit is the Womb out of which springeth all the Force and Violence and cruel Inventions of Torture and spoil of Bodies Goods and Liberties about Difference in Opinion Faith and Worship which as is said before is cruel unreasonable and unnatural because by the Laws of God all good Men ☞ no Man ought to suffer but according to the Nature of his Offence if his Offence be visible natural and corporal belonging to things of this world then his Punishment ought to be natural and corporal and visibly executed upon him if his Offence be spiritual and relating to the invisible Things of the Mind Heart and Conscience in Matters of Faith and Worship towards God the Life World to come then their Punishment is to be spiritual and executed spiritually and the Weapons to be used against such are not to be carnal The Bodies of Men ought not to be inquisition'd and tortur'd What Persecution is nor their Goods spoyled for the errors of their Minds or the Difference of their religious Perswasions where-ever this is sound and practised it may be justly called cruel and unreasonable and bloody Persecution though under the Pretence of Conscience and Zeal for Religion And the true Christian and Church of Christ never had nor ever will have a Hand in such Work it is the Whore the false Church and her Children The Beast the Whore the false Prophet the three unclean Spirits Mystery-Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots c. rules and reigns not only at Rome in Italy Spain and other popish Countryes where the Romish Sect prevails as some private Opinionists have imagined but is universally to be found reigning throughout all the Sects in Christendom and in the whole World the great red Dragon that gets into Heaven and the Beast that ariseth out of the Sea or Waters on which the Whore sisteth and the false Prophet and the three unclean Spirits like Frogs that come out of their Mouths that corrupteth the Earth and fills it with Violence it is this Woman this Mystery Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth that is drunk with the Blood of the Saints and with the Blood of the Martyrs of Jesus and by her Sorceries are all Nations deceived and in her was and is found the Blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were and are slain upon the Earth Now the Voice from Heaven is heard which saith Come out of her my People that ye partake not of her Sins and that ye receive not of her Plagues And all that hear obey and follow this heavenly Voice come to be led out of Mystery Babylon into the heavenly City Jerusalem which comes down from God out of Heaven and to be made Citizens thereof who are at Unity within themselves and though the Gates stand open there shall in no wise enter any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a Lye but they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life Here all is shut out that entered in through Sin and Transgression and through the Subtilty and Lyes of the Serpent and a Redemption and Restoration into the glorious primitive Estate that God made Mankind in in the Beginning where his Mind Heart and Conscience is set at Liberty cleansed and purified from all that did defile them and here he is delivered from following all his carnal Inventions ☞ private Opinions and Notions where the Envy Anger and Wrath is exercised into the peaceable universal Light and Love to the whole Creation of God But while People are carnaly-minded and their Consciences darkened defiled they are captivated by a private selfish Spirit and are bound under some dark affected Opinion or other about Religion in this State some will be for Paul some for Apello some for Cophas but none for Christ some of one Sect or Opinion and of one Sort Form of Worship and some of another but all bound under one Link or other of the Chain of Darkness and are Slaves to the Prince thereof who hath got the Rule in their Minds Hearts and Consciences and such of his Vassals as are inclined to seem religious he will furnish them with a Form Likeness and Patern if need be even of Heavenly Things themselves according to the State Place and Country they inhabit and the Region of Darkness and Shadow of Death they dwell under whether in Christendom or in any other Part of the World hence many are bound in their Consciences to worship according to the Precepts and Commands of Mahomet or the Turkish Alcoron others according to the Traditions of the scattered Jews and Indians others according to the Pope and his Mass Book and other Invented Trumpery others according to the divers Sorts of invented Liturgies and Forms of Worship Likenesses and Images which they have set up in their carnal Minds and darkened Understandings wherein their corrupt Faiths and defiled Consciences are imployed as Champions to contend for and vindicate every one his own private carnal Opinion Tradition and Form of Worship And the same Spirit of Darkness that leads into these Diversities of Opinions humane carnal Inventions about the Worship of God The
Conscience and dark selfish Opinion is most ravenous this Wolf in Sheeps Cloathing hath sharp Teeth and cruel Clawes and a wilde untamed devouring Spirit notwithstanding his pretence of Zeal and Conscience for the Christian Religion 't is the Spirit of Cain Saul Blind Zeal a defiled Conscience private selfish dark Opinions the Ground of divers Massacries and much Blood shed in Christendom that Murderer and Persecutor about Sacrifice and Worship which will be rising up against his Brother and Neighbour as it hath been so it is at this Day he that is born of the Flesh will persecute him that is born of the Spirit c. But whosoever is led by his religious or rather irreligious Opinions to endeavour the Hurt and Ruin of his Brother or Neighbour about matters of Religion and Conscience if he accomplish and effect the fame he is an Evil Doer and ought to suffer as an Evil-Doer and he that hoth Good-will to all and seeks the good of all and hurts no man though he be of a contrary Mind and Judgment to him and of a defiled Conscience and erronious Opinions he is the Well-Door And the Laws of God and all good Men who are appointed to Rule for God are a Terror to the One and a Praise and Encouragement to the Other And such brutish unnatural Opinionists whose Consciences are not only darkned defiled and corrupted but feared as with a hot Iron who under the Profession of Christianity dare entertain and assert such Cruel Impious Tenets or Opinions as that it is lawful to Destroy the Property Liberty and Life of Men about the Christian Religion to account all that conform not to his Form and Fashion of Religion Tradition and Invention no better then Weeds and Vermine Corrupt and Cankered Members fit to be pulled up cut off burnt and destroyed where this Ravenons Beast is prevalent as in some Countries beyond the Seas it destroyes every Green Thing this Spirit and Bloody Opinion is hated of God and all Good Men and is as a Monster risen out of the Bottomless Pit and as the great Apollyon or Destroyer to be chained and shut up therein again Oh God! hasten the Time thereof is the Breathing of the Righteous Oh! how Lamentable is it to consider what Work and Havock this Spirit hath made under a Corrupt Blind Mis guided Conscience and Ignorant Zeal especially in this Part of the World called Christendom about Church Religion and Worship the Mind and Conscience the best and noblest Capacity of Man being in its primitive Estate when darkned defiled corrupted hardned and seared becomes the worst even a Habitation for Devils formed and transformed like unto an Angel of Light so that those that are not deceived and ruled by the One may be the Other The Greatest and Strongest Poyson of Souls Bodies Lives c. of Men is in the Whore's Golden Cup and all that drink freely thereof or are compelled thereto are deeply infected therewith And the Nations reel with the Wine of her Fornications But in all Ages the * transformed Devil who assumeth the Form of Religion and Profession of Godliness hath proved the greatest Deceiver and the most Cruel as might be evidenced at large by his Work in this present Age and throughout the Records of many Generations But all that come to return in their Minds to the Light and Glory of God The Way out of all Selfish and Private Opinions and Cruelty about them into perfect Freedom and Liberty of Conscience which at first shined in the Heart Conscience of Mankind made it a fit Receptacle or Dwelling-place for himself believes walks abides in the same shall again come to know live in the same Estate man enjoyed before his Conscience was defiled before the Vail came over his Heart and Understanding before the Image of God was lost before any Place or Credit was given to the Serpent's Lyes where true Liberty of Conscience was lived in and the Light of God's Countenance enjoyed the Serpent ruled over and the Earth subdued in the Paradise of God The Light that now shineth out of Darkness in the Hearts of Thousands and Ten Thousands leads not only into these things but farther into the Life State of the second Adam against whom the Serpent never could nor shall prevail And the God of Heaven and Earth who hath caused or commanded it to shine hath the Praise and Glory thereof both now and for evermore Postscript SUch Opinions in Religion which bind man's Conscience to seek and endeavour the Hurt of his Brother or Neighbour in his Name Person Liberty Estate or Life because he doth not believe and practise the same Manner and Form of Worship as he doth are very Cruel Unnatural and Unreasonable First Because many times People come by their Opinions as Heirs come by their Estates Hereditarily if their Parents or Tutors were of this or that Sect of the Jews or Mahumetans their Children commonly are trained up and educated in the same if of one of the Sects among the Christians so called then commonly the Child is trained and catechised in the same and many Parents take as much Care to leave their Children possessed of their Religious Opinions as they do of their Estates as might be shewed at large both among Jews Turks and Christians And in Christendom the greatest Proof many have to prove themselves Christians is that their Parents and Tutors were so called and accounted and they have received and walked in their Traditions and conformed to the Orders and Discipline of Holy Church so called and they believe as the Church believes and 't is their Opinion this is Christianity enough to carry them to Heaven many being bound in their Consciences by a traditional implicite Faith to their Hereditary Christianity or the Traditions of their Fore-Fathers that they never Question their Way nor Title therein they never knew no other nor better nor dare not for Fear seek further their Consciences being bound under their private traditional Opinions and Ceremonies Now that such should have their Bodies hurt and their Lives destroyed and their Estates rent from them and their Posterity because they will not change and renounce their Opinions they have been bred up and educated in and conform to that Opinion and Form of Worship that hath the Sword in its Hand and is become National in the Country where he lives is both Cruel Unnatural and Unreasonable whether he be Jew Mahumetan Christian Papist or Protestant 2dly Because no man is able to change his Own Mind in Religion when he pleaseth or when commanded nor break those Chains of Tradition he hath been educated in from his Childhood neither is he able to shake off those Bolts and Fetters of Opinion and change his Faith and Belief when he pleaseth For when man's Conscience is defiled with Erroneous Opinions and his Mind and Understanding darkened and bound under the Chains thereof he is not
A Few VVords Concerning CONSCIENCE WHAT IT IS And what Estate it was in before TRANSGRESSION And how it became Darkened Defiled and Corrupted And how again it may be Enlightened Cleansed Purified and set at Liberty as it was before Sin entred Intermixt with a few Words concerning Persecution among the diverse Sects in Christendom and upon the Face of all the Earth shewing that they all arise for Want of True Liberty of Conscience and what that Liberty is William Shewen Printed in the Year 1675. A Few VVords Concerning CONSCIENCE What it is c. COnscience is generally to be understood to be such a Being Subject Which Capacity is as a Book capable to contain what is written or imprinted therin and may be not only opened and shut but blotted and stained also Faculty or Capacity in Mankind which is wanting in all the Beasts of the Field Fish of the Sea and Fowls of the Air and in this Capacity Mankind differs from and excels them all being created in and endued with such a Capacity wherein and whereby he is enabled to participate of the Divine Nature to partake of the Beams of its Glory to Meditate Contemplate Consolate Delight and Refresh himself in the Light Law and Glory of his Maker which Capacity is not to be found in all the Elements of this World but only in Mankind Now in the Beginning Man's Mind Heart and Conscience was a Heavenly and pure Receptacle These Three are so inseparable that that which defiles the One defiles the Other and that which purifies the One purifies the Other Tabernacle and Dwelling place for the Almighty his Power Wisdom Light and Glory was displayed therein and Mankind was highly exalted thereby above all the Works of his hands And while Mankind stood here in this High and Heavenly Estate The Blessed Estate of Man before the Fall he lived in the Paradice of God enjoying the Light of his Countenance and had Unity with his Maker and could behold his Face with Joy and receive the Reflections of the Beams of Divine Glory shining in his Conscience with Delight living in Dominion over all the Creation his Conscience being Pure he held the Mystery of Faith in it eying the Invisible God through above and beyond all things visible and invisible This was the State of Mankind before the Fall while his Conscience was Pure and Undefiled while he remain'd in that Estate God made him and placed him in who was a Pure Innocent Subject Holy in his Being and Harmless in his Nature all within him and without him was Good yea very Good Now the Wisdom is to understand how that which was Holy and Harmless Innocent Pure and Undefiled did become Evil and Corrupted seeing in this State and Time Evil had not a Being whence could or did the Temptations arise The Wisdom of all men living in the Faln Defiled Estate cannot find out nor search into the Depth of these things The Mysteries of God are hid from the Wise and Prudent and revealed to Babes they are only revealed and made known by the shining of the same Light which was in the Beginning and gives the Children thereof to see to the same Therefore to the same Light and Spirit of God which moved upon the Face of the Waters in the Beginning before the Sun Moon and Stars were created or the Mountains formed which Light now shineth in the Heart of Mankind though Darkness which Light also God hath caused to shine out of Darkness in the Hearts of Thousands in this our Day and Age I say To this Light I chiefly refer and commend thee being indeed the Key of the Mysteries of God and Godliness yet a few Words for the sake of the Captivated and for the opening of that Eye that 's blinded that such may come to see and discern the Things of God and that the Enlightned may by seeing perceive how Mankind at first came to make Shipwrack of Faith and a Good Conscience and avoid doing the like Moses or the Author of Genesis was endued with an Excellent Spirit of Wisdom and Discerning when he comprized the History of the Creation and the State of Mankind therein and indeed I must tell my Reader That nothing short of a Measure of the same Spirit and Divine Wisdom can lead thee into a True Discerning Understanding of the same Nothing skort of the Inspiration of the Almighty gives a True Understanding of the things of his Kingdom he hath exposed the Shell but hath lockt up the Kernel from the Prudent Wit and Comprehension of Man under divers Similitudes and Hieroglyphicks thou mayest read the History and walk in the Field of the Creation yet if thou diggest not deep and find the Pearl and purchase it and like a Wise Merchant Man sell All for it thou wilt be ignorant of the Mystery and remain Poor Blind and Miserable for I intend not to throw Pearls before Swine neither dare I like Hezekiah shew the Treasures of the Lord's House to the Babylonians lest both I and it are carried into Captivity therefore Now it s said They were both * Many Carnal Conceits and Imaginations are and have been at Work among Men to Understand these things but they have not come to the Opening of the Seals nor to the Key of the Mysteries of God and so have divulged their own Carnal and Lucifrian Conceptions Comprehensions and Notions for the Divine Knowledge of God and many have thereby grown Rich Tall and Great in Brain and Head-Knowledge but Poor Low and Small in Experimental Heart Understanding and of the Work of God therein Naked the Man and his Wife and were not ashamed There was then No Cause of Shame in being no Temptation entred into no Sin committed which is the Cause of Shame And it s also said The Serpent was more subtil then all the Beasts of the Field which God had made Now God made nothing but what was Good keeping in its State Bounds wherein God had set and appointed them would so have remained But there being a possibility to break those Bounds and disobey that Law that God had set over them God gave Mankind A Warning thereof and acquainted him with the Penalty thereof also that in the Day he did it he should Dye the Death Now Mankind had Faith in his Maker and in his Conscience found himself bound to obey the Command given him and had Strength to resist the Temptation These Things are to be seen and known in the Light and Wisdom of God beyond what Words can express till the Woman the weaker Vessel believed a Lye and looked upon the Beauty of the Thing presented and let up a Desire to be wise and to know good and evil and to be as Gods so in this Hope of gaining and bettering their Estate became subject unto * Vanity and hereby the Light that shined in the Heart and Conscience became vailed Rom. 8.20 and
leaves he will endeavour to cover his Nakedness therewith and to hide himself from the Wrath that is revealed in him and awakened against him and when he hath invented a Medicine to cure his Sickness and a Salve to heal his Wound though deceitfully and found Mortar to daub up the Breach though it be untempered his Conscience being darkened and his Heart deceived he will plead Conscience for the Use of the same and sets them up as the only Remedies to be found c. So natural is it for degenerate Man to worship the Works of his own hands and to follow the Inventions Conceiveings Thoughts Imaginations of his own corrupt Heart yet calls it the Way of the Lord and if any of his Neighbours or Brethren come to hear and obey the Voice of God and to follow the Light and Guidance of his Spirit to find Acceptance with him and refuseth in a good Conscience to God to follow his direction The Cause of Cain's Anger against his Brother or the Wicked against the Righteous in this Age. and to make Use of his invented Means and to bow down and worship the Image he hath set up then Envy and Hatred ariseth and Violence breaks forth and Blood toucheth Blood even because such will not nor cannot for Conscience sake see say and do as he doth bow to his Image and Invention and worship as he doth though he finds not Acceptance of God nor the Light of his Countenance towards him in his Worship no more then Cain that Religious Murderer did whose Offering was the Fruit of that Ground that 's cursed which never did nor never will bring forth Fruit well-pleasing to God And it is from Mankind labouring in this Ground being driven out of the Paradise and Garden of God that all the Diversity of Opinions Notions The Rise of Opinions and the Cause of Cruelty and Persecution about them Conceivings Thoughts Imaginations and Contrvances Forms and Fashions of invented Worship upon the Face of the whole Earth springeth and ariseth and all the Envy Hatred Cruelty Bloodshed Compelling Forceing and Persecution about Fashions of Worship and Religion among all the Sects in Christendom ariseth from this Ground and all that are found in the Work thereof though they may pretend Conscience and Zeal to God and the Maintenance of the Gospel and the Good of Souls are of the Spirit of Cain the first Murderer about Religion and his Reward they will find measured into their own Bosoms from the Hand of God Now the divers Sects and formal Worshippers in Christendom are ready to stand up plead and contend for their Forms and Invention and Way and Manner of Worship also cry out for Liberty of Conscience in their Way and for the Practice of their Fashion in Worship and will also in their Infancy cry out against Persecution Every Selfish private narrow Spirit Sect and Opinion though in its Rise may pretend otherwise hath Persecution at the Bottom when they want only Number Power Strength to persecute themselves which when they attain unto and their Horns grow strong and get Crowns upon them they will and have been found doing the same Work as might be demonstrated at large but being obvious to the Observation of the Judicious and intending Brevity I forbear and indeed they can do no otherwise being of a private narrow self-conceited Spirit ignorant of the true Liberty of Conscience which Liberty stands not in this or that or the other invented Form or Fashion of Worship Conceiving or Opinion but in the Light Power of God which every particular Man and Woman upon the Face of all the whole Earth ought to know and experience enlightening and ruling in his Conscience and Conscience can never enjoy its true Liberty till it come into this Estate ☞ The Consciences of Men are generally weak darkened defiled corrupted vitiated and which is worst of all some who have lost the Day of their Visitation are seared as with an hot Iron and in this State have a Bond and Tye upon their Consciences which ought to be broken and cast off till which they are liable to make Conscience of such Things they ought not as might be instanced through all Sects both among Indians Turks Jews and Titular Christians and the Evils and Mischiefs that ensue from hence are very many Conscience in the State above ☞ is the great Troubler of the World of Mankind and the Evils that are brought forth and committed under the Notion Pretence and Seal of Conscience are Evils of the greatest Magnitude Now nothing under Heaven is able to rectifie the Conscience enlighten cleanse and purifie and redeem it into true Liberty but the Light and Power of God shining and operating in the Conscience as it did before Transgression entered What alone is able to bring Liberty of Conscience before Sin was committed and before Opinion Invention dark Thoughts and Imaginations sprung up this alone is able to purge and cleanse the Conscience from Darkness and dead Works and make it an undefiled Habitation for God again as it was in the Beginning this is the State wherein Liberty of Conscience is known and enjoyed even when Man comes to have his Conscience exercised in ☞ and ruled and governed by the Light Spirit and Power of God then man's Heart becomes his Throne and he sits and rules therein and that which usurped it is cast down and the Prince of the Air which got his rule and place there by Disobedience is cast out And all those that come not to know this brought to pass within themselves ☞ nor are not in the Way that leadeth thereto are but of a private selfish Opinion and Sect though as above while they are little and low and small in Number they may plead for Liberty of Conscience and cry against Persecution Force Imposition and Violence about Religion yet when their Opinion prevailes and the Horns thereof grow strong thereby they will push towards the East West North and South and will smite their fellow-Servants and as I have said before it can be no otherwise then so until man comes to know the universal Light and Spirit of God to shine rule in his Conscience ☞ establish it in perfect Liberty and Love to the whole Creation of God and to all the Works of his Hands and in Obedience to all his holy Commandments in this stands the perfect Liberty of Conscience Now for want of this the Titular Christians of all Sorts and Sects are so wedded to their private selfish Opinions Traditions Notions Conceptions Apprehensions Comprehensions Thoughts and Imaginations about Religion Church and Worship and matters relating to Conscience that they envy hate bite and devour one another about them One will persecute about his Mass Book and Sacrament of the Altar another about his Common Prayer-Book Maintenance and Church-Discipline another about his Directory another about his Church-Faith