A NEW-YEARS-GIFT FOR PROTESTANTS With the true Cause of the Diversity of RELIGIONS Being a New Discovery of the Essence and Foundation from whence all Religions is derived for the Salvation of all Mankind through Christ which from the beginning of the World was but one and the same that is now and will be to the end thereof whereby to lead all into Truth and Unity of Religion without Controversie By a Person of Quality LICENS'D Decemb. 20th 1691. London Printed for Randal Taylor near Stationers-Hall 1691. A NEW-YEARS-GIFT FOR PROTESTANTS With the true Cause of the Diversity of RELIGIONS IT must be undeniably granted That there never hath been from the Creation but one Religion for the Salvation of all Mankind through Christ and by which Religion and no other some of every Nation have been and will be saved to the end of the World for without Christ and Faith in Him no Man can possibly be saved The Groundwork Foundation and Corner-stone of which Religion must be derived from the Second Person of the Trinity the Lamb's Spirit of Christ which was destroyed by Adam in himself from the Foundation of the World whose Soul was the perfect Image and Likeness of God having in him the perfection of the Trinity the Father Son and Holy Spirit in one Spirit But Adam made his Spirit an imperfect Spirit of God by eating the Forbidden Fruit which killed in himself the said Lamb's Spirit of Christ in Love to God by which Love only Man is sav'd and without which Spirit of Christ in Love to God no Man can possibly be saved For God is said to be Love and it is the Word that was with God and the Word that was God and the Word that was made Flesh in Christ which was begotten from all Eternity in God the Fathers Spirit of Life and from which Spirit of Life and Love doth proceed the Holy Spirit in Wisdom a Trinity of Spirits and but one Spirit inseparable from Gods Spirit which was breathed into the Nostrils of Man and was perfect in Adam till he desiled it in himself and in all his Posterity by which means they were all after him Born in Sin For the First Born Spirit of Life being without Christs Spirit of Love doth vary from the Spirit of God and is naturally of it self being without Love a sinfully inclined Spirit Therefore as Christ said Ye must be born again or ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Which makes it plain and most apparent That the Lambs Spirit of Christ in Love to God which Adam killed and destroyed in himself must be begotten and born again in all Mankind whereby to complete the Defects of the Spirit of Life that it may become the true Image and Likeness of Gods Spirit as at first in Adam Which Spirit of Life is an imperfect Spirit of God without Christs Spirit of Love for without Love in the Life there can no Wisdom proceed from Man Therefore there can be no Salvation for Man without His Spirit be made perfect as God the Fathers Spirit is perfect a Trinity in Unity with Life Love and Wisdom For the First Born-wordly Spirit of Life in Man hath a natural love to the World and cannot enjoy the Kingdom of God without it be born again with Christs Heavenly Spirit in love to God more than to the World So that all other things in the Duties Rites and Ceremonies of several Religions are but Circumstances Forms and Pertainances to the gaining preserving nourishing and increasing this Spirit of Christ in love to God whilst Man is in the World He being born into the World only with a worldly Spirit whereby the Soul of Man before he goes out of the World may become a Heavenly Spirit refined fitted and prepared for the Heavenly Kingdom Therefore it is a false Conception That Religion is only for the Service of God and that Man by it can do God any Service but through his Obedience to Gods Commands for his own proper advantage being it is only for the increasing Christs Spirit in him for the good of himself which Adam destroyed whereby he may be capable of living to Gods Honour and Glory for without that Spirit of Christ Man is only a sounding Brass or a tinkling Cymbal On which Spirit of Christ in love to God and love to Man hangs all the Law and the Prophets Mat. 22.40 And in which is the Fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.10 And the Gentiles which have not the Law are a Law unto themselves which shews the Works of the Law written in their Hearts Rom. 2.14 For all Nations and different Religions throughout the Universe do all agree from their Hearts in this one main Principal Point of Religion That none can be saved without love to God tho they know not the spiritual Reason for it and they do all naturally know in their Hearts what is Good and what is Evil their Consciences bearing them witness and their Thoughts accusing or excusing one another vers 15. So that to the Christians it is demonstrated by the Scripture the true Principle of Religion how to worship God in Spirit and in Truth which can only be by the true Spirit of Christ in love to God And unto the Gentiles it is demonstrated from the Law written in their Hearts they naturally worshipping God with the Spirit of Christ in love to God having a Belief in God wherein consists the Faith in Christ by whom they are saved through Christ For whom God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy And doubtless those Greek and Roman Heathens Socrates Plato and Seneca c. who lived up to the strictness of Vertue and did serve God in the only true Religion with the true Spirit of Christ in Spirit and in Truth in Love to God tho they could not then define what God was as hath been since by Scripture revealed Therefore Christians tho' they be in the Right and True way with a sufficiency for their Salvation through Scripture do extreamly err in the understanding for what Religion was ordained and also in the Principle and true Essence from whence it is grounded whereon hangs all the Law and the Prophets and in which is the fulfilling of the Law in the love to God and Man and in the observing of which Mankind are most inconsiderately defective for without true Obedience in the keeping God's Commands and in strictness thereof to the Love of Man there can be no Love to God nor no Salvation nor the Spirit of God in that Man or in his Religion where there is a breach of Love against either God or Man or their Laws and Commandments For he that loves God will keep his Commandments and he that loves not God will not keep his Commandments John 4.23 24. The same may be said of Man he that loves Man will keep his Commandments actively or passively and he is a lyar that saith he loves God and doth not love his Brother
bad Therefore whatsoever is Transacted by any Man or by and from the Doctrine of any Religion that destroys Love Duty and Obedience either against God or Man or their Laws and Commands it doth murder kill and destroy the Spirit of God in that Man or in his Religion from serving God in the true Religion in Spirit and in Truth viz. with Christs true heavenly Spirit in love to God and Man for without that Spirit of Love it being quite extinct in Man â—o Man can possibly live in the Body from distraction and destroying himself if left to himself and it is as impossible that any Man can be saved out of the Body for without Christ's Spirit of Love no Man can possibly be saved it being the Trumpet that must and will sound in the Ears of all Mankind to call and awaken them from Death to Life whose Spirits being Dead with Adam's decayed Spirit of Love must be revived with Christ's quickning Spirit of Love or else of all Creatures Man is the most miserable Therefore I beseech you for the Lord's sake have a serious Consideration to Examine and try your selves by the above said Test whether there be in your Souls Christ's true and sincere heavenly Spirit in love to God and Man without any defection and let every one repent and be converted to the Knowledge of the Lord For it is said the time comes that every one shall know the Lord from the least to the greatest viz. that the Father Son and Holy Spirit a Trinity in one Spirit shall be found out as certainly known in every Man 's own self by the Spirit of Truth which shall lead you into all Truth The Spirit of the Comforter Christ's Spirit of Love which is in you and is the only Spirit that will or can save you and the only Comfort that none can take from you and the only undeniable Spirit wherewith to serve God in Spirit and in Truth Therefore make haste to the gaining the said Spirit of Christ through earnest violent and fervent Prayers for nothing else can preserve your Souls from everlasting Ruin in perpetual darkness in the horrid torturing Flames of Hell Fire with the Devil and his Angels and nothing can be more dreadful and terrible for the rouzing up every one from their stupidly acquiessing in the uncertainty of their own Salvation and with all speed to make their Calling and Election sure by the infallible certainty thereof through Christ's Spirit herein by divine Inspiration plainly demonstrated for the fulfilling of Scripture and that all Mankind concerned delay not to redeem themselves out of the Captivity of their confused Babel and that no Man beguile you in a voluntary humility and Worshipping of Angels which things have indeed â— shew of Wisdom in Will Worship and Humility Col. 2.1.23 And give 〈◊〉 heed to their seducing Spirits who teach the Doctrine of â—evils and are known by forbidding to Marry and to abstain from Mâ—ats â—im 4.3 making Godliness great gain From such turn away and turn unto the Lord For why will yee die O ye House of Israel saith the Lord. Therefore I must again beseech you for the Lord's sake for the saving your own Lives that every Man would Attract to himself a self-denial from the many dissentions in the various Opinions about Religion and that all would with a fixt Resolution by Prayer Center their Hearts in that one only Word that was with God and was God and was made flesh in Christ Love For all Men were made from one Spirit of Love and all should by the Christian Religion live as Brethren in one Spirit of Love wherein the perfection of all Religion doth wholly and solely consist in gaining increasing and preserving the said Spirit of Love to God which Law of God in which are all the Commandments hath from the beginning is and will be written to the end of the World in every Man's Heart all naturally concluding without Conversie that none can be saved without Love to God which being Christ's Spirit doth fulfil all the Law and the Prophets and all God's Commands and doth contain in it the whole Body Soul and Spirit of Divinity Wherefore then should there be so many Divisions with the bitter envyings and strife amongst Christians when it is earthly sensual and devilish with confusion and every evil work James 3.14 And when nothing else but love can passify Wrath and cover a multitude of Sins and cleanse from all Iniquity and save the Soul from an irreyocable Ruine which that it may Reign in all your Hearts to center all into the one only Religion in Unity Peace and Purity being the perfection of Religion The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen FINIS
for he who loveth God doth love his Brother also 1 John 4.20.21 For Man is the representative of God's Spirit and God in Trinity doth dwell in Man who never was nor can Personally be seen Transacting in any thing but by and through Christ Angels or Men therefore it is said in the 1 Thes 4.8 Whosoever despiseth Man despiseth not Man but God For all Mankind are Members of Christ and are created from one and the self same Spirit of God he deviding his Spirit to every Man severally as it pleaseth him 1 Cor. 12.4 11. Or it may be said God transforming his own Spirit into the several shapes of Mankind like himself so that had all Men one Trinitarian Spirit in Perfection as Adam at first had they would all unanimously agree together with one Spirit in Life Love and Wisdom as one Man after the likeness of God and live according to his Will and Pleasure But by Adam's destroying himself and Posterity Christ's Lamb's Spirit in love to God it hath brought variance and strife into the World for want of the true Light of Christ's Spirit of Love which is the light of the World to regulate them For without which their Spirits will be no more fit for Heaven than the Spirit of Devils who have only the Spirit of Life without Love or Wisdom Therefore God of his mercy and compassion to Mankind did from the beginning spread forth his Commandments into all the hearts of Men and in a more particular manner by express word to his Elect that they should be unanimous in keeping those Commandments whereby to increase and inflame their Spirits in Love of God and one another to become one as God and Christ are one and to live a peaceable quiet heavenly life on Earth as if they were even in Heaven It being the main end for which Religion was propagated to restore Man to the first Purity of his Father Adam So that all Religion thro' the Commands of God and the President and Precept of Christ by Scripture wherein lies Man's Service to God are but to admonish put and keep us in mind of our strict Obedience and Duty toward God and toward Man that Man may recover the lost Spirit of Christ to become the perfect Image and Likeness of God as at his first Creation thereby to redeem him from the Captivity of Satan who was the Original cause of Loves Destruction in Man to Entail Man unto himself to become like himself who hath no Love at all in his Spirit to God or Man Therefore the true Visible Church is only to be found in Legal Places of Worship where God hath Recorded his Name by Magistrates with the Supreme Power in Love and Unity for without the Consent of the Magistrates and Supreme Power in Love and Unity For without the consent of Magistrates and Sumpreme Powers God doth not record his Name any where for wheresoever he who is called Love doth Record his Name it must be done with Love and not in opposition to Love It being said by God Exo. 20.24 In all places where I Record my Name I will come unto them and I will bless them Therefore God's Blessing cannot be expected in that Assembly or Congregation where he doth not record his Name that destroys his Spirit of Love by being in opposition to the legal Power of Magistrates as all Religions do act against the Legal Power that are in England excepting the Church of England where only decent Order with necessary Ornaments and Cetemonies are used without any Superstition and that hath kept it self in Purity throughout all Sufferings from the Apostles time the nearest the Scripture Rule and Method and the clearest from any breach of God's and Man's Laws whose Doctrine tends chiefly for the incitement to the love of God and Man thro' obedience to their Commands with Praying Preaching and Teaching in a known Tongue for the Edification of all Men good and bad and for living with each other in Unity Peace and Quietness following Peace with all Men and Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Yet for all which undeniable Truth there are those who extreamly vary therefrom under pretence of being Christ's Vicar or Vicegerent on Earth do contrary to his President and Precept usurp to themselves the Temporal and Spiritual Power over all Christian Emperors Kings and Princes and Bishops excommunicating and dethroning them with absolving Subjects from their Oath of Allegiance and Cursing all that believe not in their Erroneous Principles of Faith whereas from the beginning it was not so throughout all the Patriarchs unto Moses who was the Supream Head over God's High-Priest and to whom the decent Order of Religion was first Ordained by God himself for the unanimous Government of his Select People till Christ who assumed no such power unto himself nor gave any President or Precept for it to any one else throughout all the Scripture nor also St. Peter from whence they derive their main Authority who desires for the Lords sake to submit your selves to the King the Supreme Head and to fear God and honour the King 1 Pet. 2.13 17. whose Doctrine they have converted to the making Kings and Princes fear and honour them and are in direct opposition to the Fundamental Principle of Religion Christs Spirit in love to God and Man and the designed intention thereof to follow Peace with all Men by gaining preserving nourishing and increasing the said Love toward God and toward Man whereby Christ's Spirit may reign upon Earth in Love and Unity Peace and Quietness that Gods Will may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven And there are others who run whoreing after their own inventions to find out the Purity of Religion one for Paul another for Apolos and that makes all places alike for the Service of God and that pretends to obey God rather than Man although the Duty towards God doth chiefly consist in the Duty towards Man These he they who separate themselves Sensual having not the Spirit Jude 19. who have a Form of Godliness but denying the Power thereof ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth 2 Tim. 3.5 7. who are all gone astray from Christs Spirit of Love the Light that enlightneth the World which must lead all into Unity of Religion before the end thereof For the Spirit of Christ's Love is the White-stone in Rev. 2.17 which no Man knoweth saving he that receiveth it that is when it ariseth and is received in Man he will know and find in himself an unexpressible Joy far above all worldly Affections with extraordinary great Delight and Pleasure in the contemplation of Heaven and in the service and love to God more than to the World And it is the Corner-stone from whence the Structure of the true Religion must be derived and it is also the only true Test to prove the Spirits of all Men and all Religions whether they be good or