the Gentiles spoken of before they are in no wise better for we have proved already that both Jew and Gentile were all under sin So now What difference is there between the Professor of God and of the Scriptures and them that did not profess So what difference is there between Christians that do profess and those that do not profess seeing all are concluded under Sin out of the Life so as to Jew and Gentile there is no difference out of Christ unconverted But now Jew and Gentile in Christ converted Sythian and Barbarian are all one in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.28 Now though there be no difference between Jew and Gentile being concluded under Sin in an unconverted Estate nor no difference between Christian and Heathen concluded under Sin unconverted yet nevertheless there is something of God in them which they do disobey both in Jew and Gentile Christian and Heathen which brings the Wrath of God upon them for their Disobedience which if they did obey that of God in them both Jew and Gentile Christian and Heathen it would bring them to the Royal Law of God and to the Royal Society and to the Natural Affections and to keep their Word and to do to all men as they would have them do to them For certainly they would have no man break their Word with them and therefore they must break their Word with no man That is a just Law Do unto all men as c. Hear the words of Christ to his Disciples who is the Second Adam the Heavenly man Joh. 16.8 9 10 c. I tell you of a truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I go I will send him unto you And this Comforter is the Spirit of Truth the Holy Ghost and this Holy Ghost will lead the Disciples into all Truth and shew them things to come And he shall take of mine saith he and give it unto you Now mark in the first place He shall lead them into all Truth namely his Disciples the Learners of Christ Jesus 2dly The same Comforter which is the Spirit of Truth shall reprove the World of sin which they live in and of the righteousness they live in which is the Righteousness of Christ Jesus and shall reprove the World of their judgment for all the world have a judgment which is not the Judgment of God which they judge one another about and by which they set up their Religions and Wayes of Worship by which they judge others that will not conform to them and judge the Prophets of the Lord and spiritual Men to be Mad-men and Fools and Christ the Son and Light of God to be a Blasphemer a Devil and the Apostles as Babblers Turbulent Fellows c. Now what spirit were they in that had this judgment and with what spirit did they judge who are reproved by the Spirit namely the Comforter the Holy Ghost So all the World that comes from sin their judgment their righteousness they must turn at the Reproof of this Spirit the Holy Ghost which leads the Saints into all Truth And by this Heavenly Mans Doctrine Christ Jesus you may see here is something of God in every man which would lead them to the Royal Law of God and to do it and act by it and to lead them to Affections that are above and to have Natural Affections Affections of Nature and to receive the Royal Society in the Royal Law and not to destroy Men and Women who are part of the Creation of God and of his VVorkmanship for they that do destroy them about Religion and VVayes and VVorships that they have made themselves and set up but not by the Command of God they destroy part of God's Creation and God's Creatures and the Workmanship of his Hands though they do profess God yet they destroy Man who is made in the similitude of God and in so doing they would destroy God if they could For as it is said he that hates his Brother is a Man-slayer and so no Man-slayer having not eternal Life abiding in him he cannot set up Religions Wayes nor Worships by which God is honoured And these Men-slayers break the Concord the Society the Commerce and are Judges and Breakers of the Royal Law and Destroyers of the Creation of God and Workmanship of his Hands and Destroyers of Natural Affections which he hath made for his Praise and his Honour and Glory Neither have they the Mind of Christ nor of God guiding of them who would not have all men to be saved God would have all the Workmanship of his hands and Creation and Works to be saved which is man and woman Christ indeed came to destroy the Devil and his works who made man and woman imperfect who were God's works so the promise of God was to mankind but not unto the Devil and that his head should be bruised his power broken and his Law of Sin and Death and Members should be disannulled and Christ's Power and his Law of Life Faith and Love should be set up amongst God's Creatures which are his Creation and so Christ came to save Mens lives and not to destroy them Object Now if any should object and say Who are our Brethren Answ First all Nations of Men God hath made of one Mould to dwell upon the sace of the Earth Acts 17. so I say all are Children of God by creation and there is a Brother-hood which by the Royal Law is preserved according to the Principle of God in every Man by which they should do unto all their Brethren as they would have them do unto them 2d They are Sons of God by adoption all being born again of the Immortal Seed of the Word of God that lives abides and endures forever and being led by the Spirit of God are Sons of God Rom. 8. Also it may be seen and taken notice of what the Apostle lays down in Ephes 2.2 wherein he speaks to them who were once Heathens but then converted That in times past they walkt according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the Power of the Air the spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience in the Lust of the Flesh fulfilling the desires of the Flesh and of the Minde and were by Nature the Children of Wrath as well as others Now mark these Heathens before conversion there was something in them that did disobey and therein did not fulfill the Will of God but fulfilled the will of the Flesh and walked according to the lust of the same which brought them by that nature to be Children of Wrath Now had they obeyed that which they did disobey they had not walkt according to the Power of the Prince of the Air but walkt according to the Prince of the Power of Life Christ Jesus and so by that which they do disobey they would have come to have known the
Righteousness there is Peace one with another and with Christ who is our Righteousness And so give over Envying Hatred and Persecution and Imprisoning Murdering and Killing one another about these outward things which the Kingdom of God stands not in for it stands in Righteousness Faith and in Love and Joy in the Holy Ghost And come all of you to the Light of Christ that you have hated and to the Spirit of God in you that you have vexed grieved and quenched and the Grace of God that you have walkt despightfully against and turn'd unto Wantonness that by it you may come to see your Salvation and cease from Evil and learn to do well from the Evil I say that you have done in times past and do not do so any more for the time to come but as God has given his Spirit to profit withal obey it that so you may profiâ— in Truth and Righteousness and the Love of God that edifieth the Body and which Love fulfils the Law the Royal Law which is To do unto all as you would have all do unto you then you will come to a holy Society a good righteous and just Society and then you will have your equal weight and measure to weigh and measure withal for such as transgress the Royal Law of God did and do unto others as they would not have others do unto them and upon such the Royal Law of God takes hold and judges them yea upon all Jews Christians Turks and Heathens it doth not take notice of their Profession nor respect them for their Profession but it respects them if they love their Neighbours as themselves and do unto all men as they would have all men do unto them then it shews that they have a Profession of Righteousness that is good that which is just and holy which is the Law of Liberty which gives another Liberty if he would have Liberty himself in this Royal Law which is answered by the Spirit in every man and the Royal Law answereth it And this Royal Law takes hold upon all Men and Women in the whole Earth let their Profession be what it will be if they grieve the Spirit of God it judges all that walk not according to the Spirit of God in them that brings them to the Royal Law in which they have Liberty and then they come to confess the one Legistator or Law-Giver one Lord Jesus Christ by whom is all and one Lord who is over all So then let this be read seriously with the Spirit of God in every Male and Female that they may answer the Royal Law of God in which they may all have Liberty Unity Commerce Fellowship and a Society a holy a just a righteous one in which all do to others as they would have them do to them and they come to love their Neighbours as themselves And in this all Nations of men may keep a Society a Unity a Trade a Traffick and a Communion and Commerce and hold a Correspondency one with another and this will preserve him in a natural Affection And as they all keep in this Royal Law that answers the Spirit of God in them all and his Light and Grace in which they will have a Unity and by it to be kept above all the Religions and Worships they have made with that peevish spirit that hath led to disobey the Spirit of God from which they have not natural Affections who cannot do to others as they would have others do to them that cannot bring you to the Royal Law of God This Royal Law will slay that peevish spirit in you all and that being slain and fallen then falls all Religions that you have set up together in the whole World And the Spirit of the Lord turns you to the Royal Law whereof God is the Donor and judges them that transgress it And so in this Royal Law you keep dominion and you keep your Love to your Neighbours as to your selves and the Royal Law keeps you in that Spirit To do unto all as you would have all do unto you If any man Jam. 1.23 heareth the Word and declareth not the same by his Works he is like unto a man beholding his natural Face in a Glass for as soon as he looks on himself he goes his way and forgets immediately what fashion he was of But who so looks into the perfect Law of Liberty and continues therein if he be not a forgetful Hearer but a Doer of the Work this man shall be blest in his Deed. Now consider this all ye that profess God and Christ you Christians Jews and others for is not this your Condition Have you lookt into the perfect Law of Liberty and if so With what have you lookt into it Is it not by the Spirit of God and the Light of Christ which when you have lookt into by the Spirit and Light of Christ Jesus and not done the same you may read your selves as in a Glass that you look into and after forget what manner of men you are And so are not all that look into this perfect Law of Liberty whether they be Jew Christian or Heathen who look into this perfect Law of Liberty and doth it not are like unto the natural Man or Woman that look into a Glass and after that forget what manner of Men and Women they are of and so they that look into the perfect Law of Liberty and do it not are not blest nor happy in their Deeds though they may be Hearers of this perfect Law of Liberty and yet not Doers they are like I say unto the Natural Man and Woman that looks as saith the Apostle into the Glass and after know not what manner of Men or Women they are though they see themselves when they look into the Glass But they that look into the perfect Law of Liberty and do the same do not forget what manner of men they are but see what manner of men they are and what manner of men they have been And so by the perfect Law of Liberty looking into it and doing it they mend so that they who have been without Natural Affections it brings them to Natural Affections who have not loved their Nighbours as themselves it brings them to love them as themselves who have not done to all men as they would have all men do to them this perfect Law of Liberty looking into it and doing of it will bring them to do unto all as they would have all do unto them So look upon all Christendom and all that profess God and Christ in the whole World and those also that do not who do grieve and quench and vex the Spirit of God and hate the Light of Christ and walk despightfully against the Spirit of Grace though these have the Word of God sown upon all their Grounds and if they hear it and declare it not in their Works Lives and Conversations they are like a natural man beholding his
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
that no man is exempted but all are left without Excuse And as he saith speaking of the Tallents Mat. 25.15 c. That to every man is given a Measure according to his Ability yea to the very sloathful Servant that hid it So now if every man hath a Measure according to his Ability it is but just for him to give an Account thereof according to his Measure that answers the Lord who hath given him his Measure according to his Ability therein is his Judgment Just and God is Righteous in his Judgments who rewards every man according to his Works and his Words for which he must give account and according to his Doings Mat. 12.36 So then it may clearly be seen here that there is something of God in man to answer his Royal Laws to keep a Society in it And as the Apostle saith Rom. 1.19 20. concerning the Heathen Gentiles That that which might be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them And further saith he For the invisible things from the Creation of the World are clearly seen c. that is to say His Eternal-Power and Godhead are seen forasmuch as they are understood by the works of the Creation of the World so that they are left without Excuse because when they knew God they glorified him not as God Now mark Here you see 't is plain that here was something of God in the Heathens by which they knew God which God hath manifested to them by which they might answer the Royal Law of God But when they went from this of God in them and glorified him not as God then they set up their own Worships and Wayes and lost the course of Nature and did things against Nature so here they forsook the Lord and his Wayes and Religion and then persecuted others that would not follow them and their Wayes and Worships and so break the Royal Society which is in the Royal Law going from that of God in them which should answer it and then you may see downwards in the same Chapter what they worshipped and what they followed and how they brought the Wrath of God upon them and how they held the Truth in Unrighteousness which was filled with all manner of evil which men though they knew that the Judgment of God was upon such as commit such things yet they did not regard God but were without natural Affections So here when they erred from that of God in them they lost Natural Affections Affections of Nature to them that were of the same Blood and Mould and also going from that of God in them they went from the Royal Law of God which should have kept them in Natural Affections and in a Royal Society by the Royal Law and so thereby Indignation and Wrath and Anguish came upon every soul of them that do Evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentiles signifying thereby that there is something in the Gentiles as well as in the Jews to which if they act contrary they go from the Royal Law and so bring the Judgments of God upon them who Rewards every one according to his Works For the Jews that had the Law the outward written Law and the Gentiles that had not the outward written Law do by Nature the things contained in the written Law which shows the deeds of the Law written in their hearts so according to this the Lord shall judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus according to the Gospel Now the Gentiles having the Law written in their Hearts and do the deeds of the Law the Jews having the outward written Law and not doing the things contained in the written Law the Gentiles were Judges over them that is The Gentiles were set over them Now here its plain that there was something in the Gentiles as also in the Jews to answer the Royal Law of God which should bring them to do if they would but obey it to all men as they would have them do unto them and to keep both the Natural Affections and Royal Society For now If they that are called Christians who have a written Gospel and are Transgressors of it as the Jews that had a written Law and were not the Keepers and the Doers of it whereby the Gentiles judged them that did not the things contained in the Law having the Law written in their hearts and were the Doers of it So likewise now in our Agâ—â— as is said before All Christians that have a written Gospel and do not the things contained in it these whom they call Heathens or Indians or Turks that do the things contained in the Gospel viz. The obeying of the Power and Spirit which led them to do unto all men as they would have them do unto them these are Judges of the Christians so called who say They have the Gospel and yet do it not and do to others those things that they would not have others do unto them these I say are Breakers of the Royal Law Christians in the first place are judged before the Heathen and as the Jews first and then the Gentiles so the Christians first and then the Heathen And so God is a Respecter of no mans Person who judges the World in Righteousness but is a Rewarder according to every ones Works who walk not according to his Royal Law of Liberty And so its clear that there is something of God in all Jews and Gentiles Christians and Heathens to bring them to answer that Royal Law and to follow it and not their own Imaginations through which they may come to natural Affections and do unto all men as thou wouldst have them do unto thee So God I say is no Respecter of Persons who judges the World in Righteousness For the Apostle saith If the Vncircumcision which by Nature keep the Law judge the Jews which being under the Letter of Circumcision and do transgress the Law So I say They that be under the Profession of the Letter of Christianity and do transgress the Letter of Christianity he that hath not the Letter as Christian hath and yet by Nature doth keep in the Law of Christianity judgeth the Christians and that that is set up in them And therefore as the Apostle saith He is not a Jew that is one outward neither is he a Christian that is one outward in Profession without Possession but he is a Jew that is one inward in the Spirit and not in the Letter and so he is a Christian that is one inward and not in the Letter a Letter Professor but one who is in the Heart and in the Spirit of Christ Jesus though the outward Letter Professor of Jew and Christian hath something of God in him which should lead him to obey that which he doth profess and to possess that which he doth profess for that hath the Praise of God and not of men And in Rom. 3.9 saith the Apostle Paul What better are the Jews then
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
the Word of God which is the Sword of the Spirit but by the outward Power and Sword And how have many people been converted in Germany think you Were not many their Converts by the Magistrates Sword and did they not turn as the Magistrates did and as the Pope and as the King of Spain and King of France Was not there once a King of France a Protestant and did not he turn and how many did turn with him And how many were converted by Henry the eighth from the Pope by his regal Sword and Power yea how many Priests and People And so likewise how many turned Protestants in his Son Edward the sixth Reign which was not long And then how many turn'd Papists again in his Sister Queen Mary's Reign immediately after his decease for did she not by her Power convert both Priests and People to the Pope And shortly after How many did Queen Elizabeth convert from Popery to Protestancy both of Priests and People Thousands of Thousands So were not all these converted by the Laws and outward Powers all along since that Conversion has been lost by the Power and Spirit of God that the Apostles were in in their Day by which I say they did convert people to God and not by the Magistrates Sword nor by humane coercive Laws contrary to a mans Conscience And how did the Presbyterians convert to their Directory from the Common-Prayer by vertue of their outward Power and Sword when they had in this last Age got it into their hands And how many did the Independants convert to their Church-Faith from the Presbyterians and from others when he had got the Sword and Power into his hands And now how many have the Common-Prayer-men got back again by their Power outward Sword when they had got it into their hands both from the Presbyterians Directory and Independant Church-Faith c. to the Common-Prayer again So that much of the Conversion since the Apostles days or about this Thousand Years have been by outward Law and coercive Power by Prisons Inquisitions Gallows Fire and Faggot c. and by this means they have forced men to their Religions that they have made contrary to their Consciences and have done to others as they would not have others do the same thing to them And so the Priests turn'd with the Magistrates and preacht stifly against that that they preacht up not long before and preacht up that now that once they preacht against this has been clearly seen And so as one Power has got up by the Sword and the Law they have put down other Religions that were set up by Law and the Sword and if others should get over them then they would put down their Religions and set up again Religions and Worships of their own And so men make Religions and then set them up and then again others in power put them down and men open mens Mouthes and others stop their Mouthes that formerly had preacht and so men are put up and pluckt down so as every man is uncertain in his Religion and Worship and knows not what may be set up in a year or what Religion or Worship he may be forced to conform to or suffer in not doing of it So happy are they that are in the Religion that cometh down from above and in the Worship that Christ Jesus set up above One Thousand Six Hundred Years since that Heavenly Man that changeth not who is yesterday to day and forever the Alpha and Omega Now if all the people in the World who are in so many Religions Wayes and Worships would come to the Principle of God in them by which they may come to the Royal Law and to do unto all men as you would have all men do unto you you would come to the Royal Society and the Fellowship in the Royal Law which is far above all the Fellowships and Societies in all the Religions Wayes and Worships that they have made and set up where they do not do to others as they would have others do to them For when one Religion is put down and another set up that which is put down is oft times called Heresie And again when at any time that Religion is put down and the other set up again then that iâ— accounted Heresie which accounted the other so before so thaâ— one putting down another in case they do not joyn they arâ— called Hereticks and Schismaticks And so all Christendom are or have been Schismaticks or Hereticks one time or other buâ— this has not been Life Therefore it is our desire that men may all come to the Light and Grace of the Spirit of God that is given whereby they may come to this his Royal Law and Royaâ— Society and Natural Affections for the others have been with out Natural Affections who have persecuted imprisoned and puâ— to death people for not conforming to the Wayes Religions anâ— Worships which they have made and set up with their hands and such I say have not had Natural Affections all being madâ— of one Mould and of one Blood upon the Face of the whole Earth and that by one God who is in all through all and above alâ— who hath given you his Royal Law but that you cast it behinâ— your backs Jew like and yet made a Profession of Christ his Prophets and Apostles words but that Profession is no Profession that Religion and Worship is worth nothing in that they cast the Royal Law of God behind their backs which teacheth you To love your Neighbours at your selves and to do to all men as you would have them do to you And now all you Christians so called in Christendom and else-where Do not your Religions Worships and Fellowships stand in outward things yea in such things as the Kingdom of God stands not in For as the Kingdom of Heaven stands not in Meats nor Drinks nor Images nor outward Crosses nor Beads nor Bells nor Candles nor your Masses you make nor your Holy-days which you make holy and call them holy nor in your Steeple-Houses and old Mass-Houses called by you Churches and Temples Neither does the Kingdom of God stand in your Pictures nor Relicks of c. nor Tippits nor Hoods nor Sursingle nor White Coat nor Black Coat nor Altars nor Organs nor Surplices Lawn-Sleeves Coapes Corner-Caps nor doth it stand in your Sacraments of Bread and Wine which some take standing some kneeling some litting some say it is Christ's real Body and Blood no more then it stands in outward Jewish Offerings and so do persecute one another about these things which be meerly outward the Inventions of your own Brain and Hands since you have apostatized and ravened from the Spirit since the Apostles dayes And thus you follow your own Traditions and compel others to follow them and so neglect the Commands of God and of Christ Jesus who said Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and the Righteousness thereof and then in the