Face in a Glass and forgetting what manner of man he was Then they as was said before that do look into the Law of Liberty and do the Law of Liberty do know what manner of men they are and have been and what manner of Works and what manner of Conversations they have been of And so as the Word is sown upon all Grounds for all to hear it to wit the Stony Ground the High-way Ground the Thorny Ground and the Good Heart and though all these hear the Word and do it not they are all deceivers of their own Souls though they may cry out against Deceivers without them All Sects and People in Christendom among Jews Turks Heathens and Christians upon whose Ground the Word of the Lord is fown if it be the High-way or the Stony or Thorny or Good Ground now they all hearing of this Word and not doing it though they may cry out against Deceivers without them yet they are all Deceivers of their own Souls themselves For who so hear the Word hears that that puts a difference between the Precious and the Vile Words and Thoughts Deeds and Actions And 't is this Word that must Sanctifie and Reconcile them to God and hammers and cuts and hews down that that hath made a Separation between them and God And so they that will not hear nor regard God's Law which is Royal and Perfect called The Law of Liberty wherein the Royal Society is preserved and the Royal Communion and the Royal Commerce and Natural Affections and love their Neighbours as themselves and do unto all others as they would have them do unto them And this Royal Law is from God and reacheth over all Transgressors and answers that which hath transgrest in all Mankind which man must come to if he comes to this Law and comes to acknowledge There is one Law-giver Now there is something of God in the Heathens Turks and Gentiles that when you called Christians do them any Injury they are sensible of the Evil and may say unto you You would not be dealt so with your selves And the Heathen Turks and Indians if they do at any time that which is bad to one another there is that in them tells them They should not have done so and so which manifests something of the Royal Law in them which if seriously and diligently minded would bring them To do that unto others as they would have them do unto them And so all you called Christians or that go under that Name Do you begin first to do unto others as you would have others do unto you and so do you all unto the Heathen Turks Jews and Indians as you would have them do unto you seeing there is something of God in all that answers in measure his Royal Law viz. To do unto all as you would have them do unto you Now all Mankind that is all Men and Women upon the Face of the Earth being made of one Blood and Mould being the Sons of Adam by nature and all Children of God by Creation and the Earth is the Lord's and the Fulness thereof which he hath given unto Men and Women who dwell upon the Face of his Earth and so all being the Lord's Workmanship and Creating he is the Law-Giver which is to do unto all as they would have all do unto them and God who hath given them this just good and holy Law to all Mankind hath placed something in Man and Woman to answer this Law which if they obey then they come to do the Royal Law of God all confess the one Law-giver who is the Lord and to love God all Nations of men come to confess That the Lord is the Law-giver which Law is To do unto all as they would have all do unto them for if they do not they disobey the Principle of God in them in the first place and then transgress his Law and lose the true Weight and Measure whereby they come short of their Duty In not doing unto others as they would have others do to them Now all Magistrates and Princes in the whole World amongst men should see to it that this Law be carefully and diligently observed and kept namely To do unto others as they would have others do unto them then a royal just good and holy Society with all mankind among the several Nations in the world might be preserved and this would keep people out of the many other Incumbrances of National Laws whereof few know the end of no not themselves For this Royal Law respects no mans Person and is free and is to be obeyed and doth freely and keeps freely and in obeying and doing of it God is honoured in every heart the Just and Holy God by his just and holy Principle in man and woman which brings them to do his just and holy Law and by this out of every mouth from the Principle of God within will the Lord be confest to be the Law-giver one Law-giver and one Law To do unto all as they would have all do unto them Now weigh the thing seriously That should all or did all obey this Royal Law it would be a special means to prevent a great deal of Violence Corruptions and Cruelties now exercised amongst the Children of men as also that that breeds these Corruptions and Cruelties it will put a check and stop to them by obeying I say of it And should all people in the Universe obey the royal Law of God according to the Principle of God in them they being encourag'd all to this and taught all by this it will bring them off of those Debaucheries Adulteries Fornications Thefts Murders c. which so rage in the whole World for the Royal Law of God nor yet the Principle of God within admits of no such thing And also this Royal Law of God according to the Principle of God in every man will bring all people in all their Merchandize in buying selling and in their Husbandry Trading and Shop-keeping To do unto all as they would have all do unto them now in so doing they honour the Lord in their Lives and Conversations in fulfilling I say this his Royal Law But now as long as the Priests or Teachers who are like the Framers of Religions for the diversity and several sorts of people in the World do speak against this Principle of God in every man and say That every man hath not a Principle of God in him to bring him to do his Royal Law they teach thereby the people as well as themselves to transgress this Royal Law To do unto others that they would not have others do to them as hath been sufficiently made manifest And therefore those Teachers who do frame Religions for people in all Nations under the whole Heaven for they have their Religions and their Priests as well as Christians who frame Religions as the Christians Priests do for their people yet these Teachers say That every man had
them from a civil Commerce and makes them uncapable of a civil Society and a Correspondency amongst Mankind And that spirit that hath led them to make Religion VVorships and VVayes and to fall out when they have done that Spirit hath destroyed the civil Society the civil Commerce amongst Mankind almost over all the whole VVorld that when they come into civil things a civil Commerce that tends to a civil Society in Natural things they fall out about the several natural VVorships Religions and VVayes which they have made by which a peevish and perverse spirit arises in a blind Zeal for the VVorks of their own Hands so as that they forget their Natural Affections and fall upon destroying one another about Religions and so break all civil Society and Commerce amongst men which if there were but Natural Affections it would carry them above that peevish and perverse spirit that draws them after their own Handy-works whereas I say if Natural Affections were but set over that it would keep and preserve the Bond of a civil Commerce and civil Society with Mankind over the whole Universe O! How short is all Mankind both Christians Jews Turks and all the rest of that Royal Law which is To do to all Men as they would have them do unto them If this Royal Law were duely kept the true weight would be set up amongst all Mankind in the whole world and the true Measure to measure every man and to weigh every man and to weigh himself and to measure himself and to measure others and to do nothing to any Man or Woman but as they would have them do to them This would keep up a Society in the whole World that so Men might Trade Commerce and hold Correspondence one with another amongst all the Nations of men And this is the Royal Law in which all Mankind have their Liberty For all to do to others as they would have others do unto them And here is Religion which is above all religions that they have made with their hands and this will keep down that perverse spirit in all Mankind in the whole world if they keep and obey the Royal Law which is To do to all Men as they would have them do to them then all Mankind would have their Liberty in this and in this no man will over-reach couzen defraud nor oppress in any Bargain and Merchandize whatsoever for if he would not that they should do so to him then surely he will not do so to them So here then is Justice set up and the Line of Righteousness and the Plummet and every Nation Country and Island might serve one another in this Royal and Just Law doing unto them as they would have others do to them in all things that are civil that one Neighbour-country hath not or another Country is destitute of to serve one another with those things that are civil and natural and outward For the Earth is the Lord's and the Fulness thereof who gives the increase And all Nations of men are to use and order and dispose of these earthly things and the Fulness of the Earth where the Lord hath given the Increase with his Royal Law one Nation to another one Country to another which Royal Law is to do to another as they would have them do to them and so one Country to another one Nation to another Nation to be exercised by this Royal Law of God which is above all other Laws of mens making which is I say To do to others as they would have others do unto them And in this Equity Truth Justice and Honesty is set up by this Royal Law of God amongst all the Countries Tongues and People and Nations of men in the whole World and preserving civil Society and right Manners for if no man would have any corrupt Communication spoken unto him then he must give none to any other or if a man would not have another to oppress or exact on him he not doing so to any other thereby the Royal Law in so doing is kept or if he would not have any man to abuse kill or wound him he not doing so to another here the Royal Law is kept And thus one Neighbour-town serves another with such things that that Town has not and the other serves them likewise with such things that they want and one Country serves another with the things that another hath not and that serves the other again with the things that they have not So one Nation serves another with the things that they have not and they serve them again with the things that they have not and so all Nations to serve one another with the things that the Lord hath given them For the Earth in the first place is the Lord's and the Fulness thereof and he gives the increase and hath distributed these things unto the Nations of Men whom he hath made of one Blood and Mould to dwell upon the Face of the Earth So that these Towns Countries and Nations by this Royal Law of Liberty by and with which Law they have Liberty to serve one another in Equity Truth and Justice they may have and preserve a true Commerce a true Correspondency a true Society in all Towns Countries and Nations in the whole Universe of Mankind one with another whereby and in which they will honour the Lord and be preserved in all Towns Countries and Nations I say as men by this Royal Law and will have their Liberty in and by this Royal Law Object But if you object and say That all men in all Towns Countries and Nations have nothing of God in them to answer this Royal Law of God and to keep it and consequently to preserve this Society amongst all Countries Towns and Nations Answ They have something of God in them to answer that Royal Law of God For God who gave forth that Royal Law he is the God of the Spirits of all Flesh by which Spirit they may answer his Law and God will judge the World in Righteousness according to the Secrets of every ones Heart by the heavenly Man Christ Jesus Rom. 2.16 1 Cor. 14.24 25. Whereby is signified that there is something that is secret of him in them God saith the Apostle shall judge in that day the Secrets of Men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel which Gospel is the Power of God Now if God judgeth the world of Men according to the Gospel that is according to the invisible Power of God it denotes that there is something invisible of God in man else how can the invisible God judge the World in Righteousness according to his invisible Power which is the Gospel which this invisible Power in man doth answer the Royal Law of God And as Christ saith Mat 13.19 c. The Word is sown upon all Grounds and his Word is the Seed of God which is Divine and Invisible to wit The Stony High-way Thorny and the Good Ground so
Again you would have none to kill you or to covet your Goods or to steal from you you would have none to commit Adultry with your Wives or defile your Children which things are an Abomination unto the Lord therefore do not you so to any others but mind the Righteous Law that answers the Righteous Principle of God in you that keeps you in Holiness and Righteousness that is good and in this you will have esteem of God and his Royal Law and will have an esteem of your Souls and bodies which are the Lords that they may be kept holy that so they may be an acceptable Offering unto the Lord who is holy whose they are for Christ came to destroy the Devil and his Works who had sowed the evil Seed of Discord among the Children of men who are the Creation of God his Creatures And Christ that came to redeem man and save him sayes Love your Enemies and love one another for that is of God then Hatred and Enmity is not of God so here they were to love the Creatureâ— but not the Evil for the Creatures were of God's Creation for Christ came to destroy the Devil and not Man-kind but that onely which would destroy them This is the General and Universal Love for God so loved the World in sending his Son into the World when Jews and Gentiles were concluded under Sin to be an Offering and Sacrifice for the sins of the whole World And therefore Christ Jesus saith Love one another and love Enemies for that shews and answers the Mind of God and of Christ who lays down his Life for Enemies and dies for Sinners and so loved the World though they were Enemies that he sent his Son into the World that the World through him might live and so God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself and God causeth his Son to shine upon the Just and the Unjust and the Rain to fall upon the Good and the Evil Mat. 5.44 45. So here is the Universal Love of God to Man-kind his Son shines upon the Unjust Man's Field as well as on the Just Man's and his Rain falls upon the Unjust Man's Ground as well as on the Just Man's And therefore you should be of the same mind with Christ for that was the end of his speaking those words that so you might go and do likewise If your rain do not fall upon the Unjust Man's Field as upon the Just you are the wandring Clouds that are said to have no Water in them and so deceive people and your Sun is turned to Darkness that think it shines upon no Body but your selves So you be out of Christ's Doctrine that do not practice his namely to love Enemies and to have your Rain and your Sun if your Rain be from God and your Sun be from God it will shine upon the Unjust as well as upon the Just even for their good and it will fall upon the Unjust and the Just I mean the Rain now they that have not this let them profess what they will God's words and Christ's words they are Hypocrites and are blind Guides that lead into the Ditch Now the Lord saith Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self and so commands his Law Mark Thy Neighbour thou shalt love as thy self for all Nations of men hath God made of one Blood and one Mould to dwell upon the Face of the Earth So mark they are made of one so there is the Natural Affections out of that one to the one all men made of one and there comes the love to his Neighbour of the same Blood and Mould as himself and there comes the Royal Law to be received to do to all men of the same Blood and Mould of the Lord 's making as he would have them do unto him And whosoever professeth godliness and christianity or God or Christ or whatsoever other Religion in the whole World and do not love their Neighbour as themselves and all being made of one Blood and Mould on the face of the Earth they are all Breakers of the Law of God and Dishonourers of God and are Hypocrites that do profess the Law and Gospel that come short of this and do not practice that is to say love your Neighbours as your selves and are out of the Royal Society and the Royal Law And whatsoever Religion Way or Worship people have made and are out of this that is to say Love thy Neighbour as thy self and do unto all men as they would have them do unto them their Religion Way and Worship is no Religion it is but Vanity and their profession of God and Christ is but Vanity and Hypocrisie and do call upon God with their Lips and their Hearts are far off from him and his Royal Law and such destroy Natural Affections and Nature it self for they that love their Neighbour as themselves which is above all the Religions in the World of mens making do shew forth Natural Affections if they love their Neighbours as themselves which is the general Command And in this here is a general Unity a general Concord a general Commerce and Correspondency with all their Neighbours in the whole World neighbour Nations neighbour Countries neighbour Towns And 1 Pet. 2.13 Honour all men love the Brother-hood fear God honour the King Now to honour all men is to have all men in esteem as you may read and if I esteem all men I shall certainly hurt no man neither would I have any other to hurt any man or to hurt one another for I esteem and honour them Why Because they are of God's Creation and God's Creatures and made after the Similitude of God and therefore I am to honour them all 2d To love the Brotherhood those that are Brethren born again and begotten again of the immortal Seed which are living Stones and made a Spiritual Houshold of Brethren 3d Fear God Honour the King so there 's none can honour the King but those that fear God and none can fear God who live in Evil and in Sin And in Heb. 12.14 the Spirit of God by the Apostle commands us To follow Peace with all men and elsewhere saith he Seek the Peace of all men and the Good of all men So now mind this All men must seek the Good of one another one anothers Peace which is in Christ Jesus not in old Adam and in his Royal Law in which they may come to a Concord and demonstrate a Natural Affection and divine Affections to all men who seek the Peace of all men And they that seek the Peace of all men they will not seek their Trouble nor Captivity nor their Slavery nor their Hurt but their Eternal Good and Eternal Peace and this is that that is wanting among them that have been Professors of Christianity So they that have profest and not in the Possession of this in not seeking the Peace of all men are Hypocrites to seek the Peace of Jew Gentile Heathen