and Agreement of the Assembly of Divines so called and about Bread and Wine and Water Dayes and Times and other outward Things They will quarrel with tear and devour one another and all like so many ravenous Beasts will prey upon the Sheep ☞ Ephraim against Manasses and Manasses against Ephraim but both against Judith Every Sect in Christendim one against another devided like the Builderrs of Babel yet all against the tender meek harmless Lamb like Spirit of Jesus in whomsoever it appears that in all Ages since the Fall and Apostacy grew up as a Lilly among Thornes prik'd on every Side A Thorn may hurt a Lilly but a Lilly cannot hurt a Thorn as a Lamb among wolves which though hurt and prey'd upon wants the very Nature Capacity of hurting again or rendring Evil for Evil even as an outward Lilly doth a Thorn or a Lamb a Wolf So that this is an infallible Sign and Token both of the one and the other ☞ of him whose Conscience is at Liberty to serve the Lord and loves his whole Creation and is at Unity and Peace therewith and of him who hath his Conscience bound under a private Opinion corrupted and defiled with Envy Hatred and Evil-Will against his Brother and Neighbour about Matters of Sacrifice Religion Faith and Worship And whoever thou art and of what Opinion soever thou art hereby thou mayst measure and try thy self and find of what Generation and Stock thou art of whether of the righteous or the wicked whether thou art a Lilly or a Thorn a Lamb or a Wolf and whether thy Conscience be at Liberty or bound If thou find a Mind Will or Inclination in thee An 〈◊〉 Signe where Conscience 〈…〉 Liberty to Envy Hate Persecute lay violent Hands like Cain upon thy Brother and Neighbour thou mayst assure thy self and infallibly know that thy Conscience is degenerated defiled and that thou art born of the Flesh and that thou art a Thorn and no Lilly a Wolf and no Lamb And this Flesh thou art born of is the Flesh of the Whore the false Church which hath drunk the Blood of the Saints and Martyrs in all Ages and this Whore thy Mother hath not only nursed thee up but made thee drunk with the Wine of her Fornication and thou art a Citizen of Mystery Babylon the great and a Stranger to the beloved City of God and a hater of those that dwell therein notwithstanding thou mayst have a golden cup of Profession which thy Mother holds forth to the Nations yet thy Conscience is defiled and thy Heart corrupted and so far darkened and captivated under Bondage strong Delusion that notwithstanding thou appearest like a Thorn A perfect Sign of one that is made drunk with the Wine of Fornication and in the Nature of a Wolf hurting the Lilly and worrying the Lamb yet thou thinks thou art doing God good Service therein being made so drunk with the Whore's Cup and blinded in thy superstitious Zeal that thou takes the Lilly for a Thorn and the Lamb for a Wolf and the Whore thy Mother for the Lamb's Wife And now this is an infallible Sign where Liberty of Conscience is enjoyed where the Light Love and Power of God rules in the Conscience such if his Brother or Neighbour hath his Conscience in Bondage A true infallible Sign where Liberty of Conscienc is enjoyed or is weak being vailed and darkned so far as to believe a Lye and to make Conscience of doing that which he ought not to do whether it be to worship as the Mass-Book prescribes or as the Common Prayer-Book Directory Church-Faith Assembly of Divines so called or as any other invented Platform of Religion Commands I say he that hath his Conscience truely enlightened ☞ and is a Christian indeed doth not hate and envy his Brother or Neighbour therefore neither hath he any evil Will towards him in this Estate and hath no more inclination to put forth his Hand against his Person Life Liberty or Estate because of his Conscientious Errors and Religious Practices then he hath against his own Life but instead thereof in the universal Love of God finds it his Duty to pitty such in his Heart and having obtained Liberty of Conscience himself and found the universal Medicine which if applied is able to cure all sick and feeble Minds wounded Spirits weak and distempered Consciences he is willing and ready to tell his Brother and Neighbour what the Lord hath done for his Soul and how and where he came to find the precious Pearl and to inform and instruct them how they may find the same and exhort and perswade them to receive and make use and tryal of the same Medicine that hath cured him though for this his Love and good Will he meets with much Exercise and Hardship from the ill-natured and Ignorant and much Opposition and Scorn from the selfish-wise and prudent this was the Portion of the righteous and Ministers of the everlasting Gospel from the ungrateful World in all Ages * who were constrained in the Love of God to run to and fro among them The Work and End of the true Ministry that Knowledge might be enereased and to warn Men to flee from the Wrath which is to come and knowing the Terrors of the Lord perswaded Men to be reconciled to God Thus they did and do in Obedience to him and Love to their Souls and not for Gold and Silver and selfish Ends but to discharge their Consciences in the Sight of God this hath been the Labour of Love and Travail of the righteous in all Ages who come to have their Consciences made tender and truly enlightened cleansed purified and set at Lberty from all that did defile them they never persecuted hated hurt or destroyed any about Matters of Conscience and Religion though erronious in their Opinions and superstitious in their Practices ☞ neither ought any to be troubled vexed and ruined in their Persons Liberties Lives and Estates because of those Things especially when their Opinions tend not to the Ruin Hurt and Destruction of Mankind and his outward well being and humane Society ☞ But some such Opinions there are which indeed are as Monsters in Nature destroying natural Affection Violating the Bounds of Humanity under the Cloak and Pretence of Religion and Christianity and some are so far besotted in their Opinions that they will plead Conscience for the Prosecution of them though thereby they lay waste the Property Life and Liberty of Persons that are of a contrary or different mind and Judgment to them though better livers then themselves Now the End of all good Order and Government among Men The End of Magistracy true Government is to preserve and defend their Properties Liberties and Lives from the Teeth and Mouthes of such as would spoil and rob them of either And among all the Beasts of prey this blind Zeal misguided
Fruit of Mankind hating the Light and running and walking and working in Darkness leads Men to hate * envy and persecute one another about them And all these Things come to pass amongst Mankind for want of believing in the Light Grace Spirit and Power of God that shines appears and operates in the Mind Heart and Conscience of Mankind according to the State it finds him in either to reprove or commend justifie or condemn which Light Grace and Spirit is one and leads all that obey it and follow it into Oneness of Mind Oneness of Heart and into the One standing and everlasting Worship which is in the Spirit and in the Truth where Acceptance is felt and the Light of God's Countenance enjoyed the Partition-Wall broken down and the Enmity slain and the Serpent's Head bruised within by the springing up of the promised Seed and powerful Appearance of Christ within who leadeth into that blessed Love and Charity which never faileth which thinketh no Evil where the rejoycing is not in Iniquity but in the Truth And whoever thou art that readest these Things and art not come to witness within thy self the virtuous Efficacy of the Power Life and Blood of Jesus to cleanse purge and purifie thy Mind Heart and Conscience from all that doth defile and set them at perfect Liberty to serve the Lord and to lead thee into the heavenly City where the Book of Life is kept and to see thy Name written therein and also his Name imprinted in thy Forehead bearing his heavenly Image as thou hast born the earthly I say except thou knowest these Things wrought by the Spirit and Power of God in thee and for thee thy Mind Heart and Conscience remains defil'd and under Bondage to thine own Inventions private Opinions and Notions and he that is called the Prince of the Air rules in thy heart and thou art captivated and carried away with the windy Doctrines Rudimens and carnal Ordinances and Traditions of men and art tasting touching and handling those Things which perish with the using and art prone liable to bite tear murder and devour thy Brother and Neighbour about them so art as a whited Wall and painted Sepulchre and professing Hypocrite and Titular Christian a direct Phanatick and Sectarian and art like Cain a Fugitive in the Earth which God hath cursed that brings forth Bryars and Thorns which tear the Sheep and hurt the Lilly this is thy State and Condition let thy Talk Profession Notion Opinion Form and Fashion of Religion be what it will and whether thou art a Jew Mahometan Papist or Protestant while thy Mind Heart and Conscience is defiled darkened captivated and bound under with the Chains of Opinion Tradition and Precepts of men thou canst not enjoy Liberty of Conscience thy self nor suffer others and if thou compassest Sea and Land to make Proselytes to thy Opinion and Tradition and hast Power to force and compel an Outward Conformity to the same thou makest them two fold more the Children of Hell then before Force Cruelty and Violence may make Hypocrites and Formalists but No True Worshippers of God in the Spirit nor Christians indeed Finally to Force and Compel by Corporal Punishments in Matters of Conscience and Religion is infallibly contrary to and inconsistent with the very Nature of true Religion and Being of Christianity And among whomsoever it s found and practised 't is an evident Demonstration that the Pure Religion they are ignorant of and Strangers to and such are only Christians in Name and Opinion and of a dark narrow private self-conceited spirit priding it self with it own Notions and lofty Imaginations grounded upon the Education and Tradition received from his Fore-Fathers and the carnal Comprehensions and Conceivings of his own corrupt Heart from the ancient Writings of Holy Men hence it is that every Sect and Opinionist like so many Beasts with Horns push one against another hate bite tear and devour one another each endeavouring to sit down as a Queen in the Seat of the Scornful exercising themselves in things that are too high Imperiously measuring trying and judging his Brother and Neighbour who differs from him by his selfish carnal dark exalted spirit who passeth under and assumes the Name of a Sheep though in Nature and Work he be a Wolf and if this Beast of Prey hath Horns and Claws strong enough to make Spoil according to its Nature it would hardly leave the Bones till the morrow This is the Generation whose Teeth are as Swords Proverbs 30 14. and their Jaw-Teeth as Knives to devour the Poor from off the Earth and the Needy from among men this is the Generation also who are pure in their own Eyes yet are not washed from their Filthiness but is as a polluted Leper full of Sores from the Crown of the Head to the Sole of the Foot From this Generation ariseth the Cry and Violence against the Innocent as Hereticks and Blasphemers haling them before Magistrates and hurrying them to Goals Inquisitions Gallowses and Fire tearing the Flesh from the Bones and the Lise from the Body about Matters of Religion Church Faith Worship and Conscience all which is infallibly the Fruit and Effect of that Spirit of Cain that Envious Sacrifices that can Worship with one Hand and Murder with the other call God Father and with the same Tongue call Christ Jesus a Blasphemer Deceiver and Child of the Devil and lay their Wicked Hands upon him as an Evil-doer not fit to live this is and hath been the Work of all the Private Carnal Dark Self-conceited Opinionsts in Christendom who are all Members of the False Church and of the Great City Mystery Babylon whose Citizens are all of defiled Minds corrupt Heares and darkened misguided if not seared Consciences And none of this Work hath been nor never will be found in the true Church nor among the Citizens of the heavenly Ferusalem whose Defence and Weapons never was nor will be Carnal but Spiritual and Mighty through God to the breaking and casting down every thing that exalteth it self against the Prosperity thereof whose Warfare was never against mens Bodies Lives nor Estates to destroy the One and possess the Other neither do the Thoughts thereof enter into the Heart of a True Christian to Hurt his Brother or Neighbour because of Difference in Religion and Understanding of things relating thereto Yet the True Church hath its Way and Means of Defence and every living Member thereof is in its Place and Capacity engaged and bound by the Law of the Spirit of Life and in the Universal Love of God ☞ to be watchful and diligent against the creeping in of Selfish Private Opinions and the broaching of Damnable Doctrines or the growing up of any hurtful Weeds in the Garden of God but as I have said this Defence is spiritual viz. the Light Power and Spirit of God revealed in the Inward Parts this Church puts on the whole Armour of Light the
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
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