COnscience is generally to be under­stood to be such a Being, Subject, Which Capacity is as a Book, capable to contain what is writ­ten or imprinted ther­in; and may be not only opened and shut, but blotted and stained also. Faculty or Capacity in Mankind, which is want­ing in all the Beasts of the Field, Fish of the Sea, and Fowls of the Air; and in this Capacity Man­kind differs from and excels them all; being created in and endued with such a Capacity, wherein and whereby he is enabled to partici­pate of the Divine Nature, & to partake of the Beams of its Glory, to Meditate Contem­plate, Consolate, Delight and Refresh him­self [Page 4]in the Light, Law and Glory of his Ma­ker; which Capacity is not to be found in all the Elements of this World, but only in Man­kind.

Now, in the Beginning Man's Mind, Heart and Conscience was a Hea­venly and pure Recep­tacle, These Three are so inseparable, that that which defiles the One, defiles the Other; and that which purifies the One, purifies the O­ther. Tabernacle and Dwelling place for the Almighty; his Power, Wisdom, Light and Glory was displayed therein, and Mankind was highly exal­ted thereby, above all the Works of his hands. And while Mankind stood here in this High and Heavenly E­state, The Blessed Estate of Man before the Fall. he lived in the Pa­radice of God, enjoying the Light of his Counte­nance, and had Unity with his Maker, and could behold his Face with Joy, and receive the Reflections of the Beams of Divine Glo­ry shining in his Conscience with Delight, li­ving in Dominion over all the Creation; his Conscience being Pure, he held the Mystery of Faith in it, eying the Invisible God through, above and beyond all things, visible and invi­sible.

This was the State of Mankind before the Fall, while his Conscience was Pure and Un­defiled; while he remain'd in that Estate God made him and placed him in, who was a Pure, Innocent Subject, Holy in his Being, and Harmless in his Nature, all within him and without him was Good, yea, very Good. Now, the Wisdom is to understand, how that which was Holy and Harmless, Innocent, Pure and Undefiled, did become Evil and Corrup­ted, seeing in this State and Time Evil had not a Being, whence could or did the Temptations arise? The Wisdom of all men living in the Faln Defiled Estate cannot find out nor search into the Depth of these things; The Mysteries of God are hid from the Wise and Prudent, and revealed to Babes. they are on­ly revealed and made known by the shining of the same Light which was in the Beginning, and gives the Children there­of to see to the same: Therefore to the same Light and Spirit of God, which moved upon the Face of the Waters, in the Beginning, be­fore the Sun, Moon and Stars were created, or the Mountains formed; which Light now shi­neth in the Heart of Mankind (though Dark­ness), which Light also God hath caused to shine out of Darkness in the Hearts of Thou­sands [Page 6]in this our Day and Age; I say, To this Light I chiefly refer and commend thee, being indeed the Key of the Mysteries of God and Godliness, yet a few Words for the sake of the Captivated, and for the opening of that Eye that's blinded, that such may come to see and discern the Things of God, and that the Enlightned may by seeing perceive how Mankind at first came to make Shipwrack of Faith and a Good Conscience, and avoid doing the like.

Moses, or the Author of Genesis, was en­dued with an Excellent Spirit of Wisdom and Discerning, when he comprized the History of the Creation, and the State of Mankind therein; and indeed I must tell my Reader, That nothing short of a Measure of the same Spi­rit and Divine Wisdom can lead thee into a True Discerning & Understan­ding of the same; Nothing skort of the Inspiration of the Al­mighty gives a True Understanding of the things of his Kingdom. he hath exposed the Shell, but hath lockt up the Ker­nel from the Prudent Wit and Comprehension of Man under divers Similitudes and Hierogly­phicks; thou mayest read the History, and walk in the Field of the Creation, yet if thou diggest not deep, and find the Pearl, and pur­chase it, and like a Wise Merchant Man sell All for it, thou wilt be ignorant of the My­stery, [Page 7]and remain Poor, Blind and Miserable; for I intend not to throw Pearls before Swine, neither dare I (like Hezekiah) shew the Trea­sures of the Lord's House to the Babylonians, lest both I and it are carried into Captivity therefore.

Now, its said, They were both Many Carnal Conceits and Imagi­nations are and have been at Work among Men to Understand these things, but they have not come to the Opening of the Seals, nor to the Key of the Mysteries of God, and so have divulged their own Carnal and Lu­cifrian Conceptions, Comprehensions, and Notions for the Divine Knowledge of God; and many have there­by grown Rich, Tall and Great in Brain and Head-Knowledge; but Poor, Low and Small in Experimental Heart Understanding, and of the Work of God therein. Naked, the Man and his Wife, and were not ashamed: There was then No Cause of Shame in being, no Temp­tation entred into, no Sin committed, which is the Cause of Shame. And its also said, The Serpent was more subtil then all the Beasts of the Field which God had made: Now God made nothing but what was Good, keeping in its State & Bounds, where­in God had set and appoin­ted them, would so have remained; But there be­ing a possibility to break those Bounds, and disobey that Law that God had set over them, God gave Mankind A Warning [Page 8]thereof, and acquainted him with the Penalty thereof also, that in the Day he did it, he should Dye the Death.

Now Mankind had Faith in his Maker, and in his Conscience found himself bound to obey the Command given him, and had Strength to resist the Temptation, These Things are to be seen and known in the Light, and Wis­dom of God, beyond what Words can ex­press. till the Woman (the weaker Ves­sel) believed a Lye, and looked upon the Beauty of the Thing presented, and let up a Desire to be wise, and to know good and evil, and to be as Gods; so in this Hope of gaining and bettering their Estate, be­came subject unto * Vanity, and hereby the Light that shined in the Heart and Conscience be­came vailed, Rom. 8.20. and the I­mage and Glory of God that appeared therein, Every particular within themselves must come to know the Loss and full Cruci­fixion, and Death of the one, and the Life and Resurrection of the other, before Resto­ration can be known. be­came lost as the Image of the Selfish Will and De­sire rose up, and became prevalent, the Image of God declined, and depar­ted; and when man lost [Page 9]his Faith, which was held in the pure Conscience, The same befals Mankind at this Day when they loose their Anchor. which Faith was as an An­chor, by which Conscience as a Ship in a Storm was staied for a while, from being made a wrack; I say when he lost this Faith in the Word and Command of God, and believed the Serpent's Lyes, he soon made Shipwrack of both: and no sooner were their own Eyes opened, but the Eye and Light of God, which shined in them became stopped, and vailed, and they lost the Glory and Benefit of it; no sooner their own Wisdom and Knowledge sprung up; but the Wisdom of God departed, and Innocency the heavenly Clothing became lost, and Nakedness appeared, Faith and a good Conscience destroyed, Shame, Guilt, Fear and Hiding the Effects of it succeeded: So though Conscience in its primitive Estate was Pure, Clean and Undefiled, The same Danger is still, even among such as are presen­ted as a Chast Virgin to Christ, and have at­tained to an innocent Sinless Estate, and a Dwelling-Place in Pa­radise; therefore the Duty of all such is to watch and pray, that they enter not into Temptation, and are beguiled as the Serpent did Eve. yet was liable and capable to be corrrup­ted, darkened and defiled, even as the Mind depar­ted from a due Regard and obedience of the Law and Command of God, and sleighted his Light and Glory, which shined, and [Page 10]illuminated his Heart and Conscience; then Clouds of Error, and Mists, and Fogs of Self-will thoughts and Imaginations soon a­rose, and darkened the pure Air, and ecclipsed the Glory of that Sun, that before shined in him, & drew a vail before the Light of God's Coun­tenance, Gen. 3.10. which to behold was his Joy, and Delight; now become his Fear & Terror, now a Night come over him, & he runs in the Darkness thereof to hide himself among the Trees of the Garden from the Pre­sence of God; this was the Way and Work of the first Adam in the Beginning, and his Children are found in the same at this Day up­on the Face of the whole Earth, he that readeth let him understand.

Now when this noble Part or Capacity in Man is thus clouded, and darkened, and de­filed through Disobedience to the Law of his God, he then goeth astray more and more, corrupteth himself through his Imaginations and Inventions more and more, and according to that he entertaineth and joins himself to; so becomes even Darkness and a Child of it: 1 Cor. 6.16, 17. And of the most excellent, and best Part of the Cre­ation [Page 11]becomes the worst, and the principallest Instrument in the Hand of the wicked One to lead, even Nature it Self, out of its Course, and to burden, oppress, corrupt and abuse all Things under his Power, verifying that Max­im among Men, The best of things being corrup­ted become the worst.

Now in this Degenerate, Faln, Clouded, Dar­kened and Corrupted Estate the Sun of Righ­teousness, and holy Principle of Light, which at first shined clear in the Conscience Though Man­kind fell from and lost the Light and Glory of God, yet that in it self remain'd the same, and became his Judge and Reprover, which be­fore was his Comfor­ter. remains in it self the same, pure and undefiled, and doth glance forth its Eternal Beams of Light into this Darkness, and gives Mankind in that Estate some Sense and Knowledge of their Lost, Degenerated, Corrupted, Miserable Estate; and in the Cool of the Day calls Transgressing Man to an Account, as it did Adam and Cain, and convinceth them of their Evil Deeds, and calls to a Repentance or Returning again into the same Way he went out of, even by the Help and Guidance of that Light and Holy Spirit which at first shined in his Heart and Conscience, wherein he enjoyed the Light of God's Countenance, and walked and lived in [Page 12]his Presence without Rebuke. But being Departed, Degenerated and Turned in his Mind from the Good into the Evil, from the Glory and Light that once shined in him, and and was pleasant for his Eye to behold, into Sin and Transgression; he is by it pursued, re­proved and convinced, in order to turn him back again: And whosoever hearkens to this Reproof, and obeyes the Spirit of Truth, The Way to Para­dise and a Undefiled Estate again. which convinceth of Sin, and loves the Hand that smites them, and submitteth to the same, shall come to witness and enjoy the Undefiled, Regene­rate, Happy Estate again, and enter in through the Gate into the City and Paradife of God again. But he that hates the Reproofs there­of, and rebells against the Spirit, and humble­eth not himself under the Mighty Hand of God, which smites for Transgression, goes forward in­to utter Darkness, stumbles & falls, and rises no more to the Resurrection of Life and Felicity, but is filled with Fear, and encompassed with Terrors round about, upwards and downwards, nothing but Tribulation, Anguish and Vexa­tion of Spirit attends Mankind in this Estate, wherein his chief Companions are a Guilty Defiled Conscience, ☞ wherein are writ­ten Grievous Things against him, and [Page 13]a Wounded Spirit, a Burden too heavy for Cain to bear; though but the Fruit of his own Doings, and the Crop of his own sow­ing

Now, in this State of Loss, Misery and Bon­dage, wherein the Heart and Conscience is de­filed and Corrupted, there is great Working and Contriving in the minds of Mankind how to find that again which is lost, and how to be delivered from the Misery and Bondage where­in he is faln; and this is the Nature of all Mankind in the Fall to seek out many Inventi­ons, and to go down to Egypt for Help, and to walk by the Light of his own Fire, and the Sparks that he hath kindled, and in the croo­ked Wayes of his own finding out, and to re­ject the Help, Counsel and straight Way of the Lord; he being darkened and deceived, and the Light of Christ in his Conscience vai­led, he ever did and doth at this day, in that Estate, take one thing for another, viz. Degenerate man in all Ages ever was Mi­staken, and alwayes took one thing for an­other; Good for Evil, and Evil for Good; Light for Darkness, & Darkness for Light, &c. which Mistake is the Ground of all Error and Mischief in the World in matters of Religion. Good for Evil, and Evil for Good, Light for Darkness, and Darkness for Light, &c. And being thus far decei­ved, [Page 14]exalts and sets up the one for the other, so when he hath found out a Way and Wor­ship that liketh him, and sewed something to­gether, though but 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, [Page 15]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 [Page 16]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 [Page 17]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, [Page 18]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 [Page 19]& 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 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 [Page 20]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 [Page 21] & 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 [Page 22]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 [Page 23]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, [Page 24]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 [Page 25]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 Conscience and dark selfish Opinion is most ravenous, this Wolf in Sheeps Cloathing hath sharp Teeth and cruel Clawes, and a wilde, untamed, devouring Spirit, notwithstanding his pretence of Zeal and Conscience for the Christian Religion; 'tis the Spirit of Cain & Saul, Blind Zeal, a defiled Conscience private selfish dark Opinions, the Ground of divers Massacries and much Blood shed in Christendom. that Murderer and Persecutor about Sacrifice and Wor­ship, which will be rising up against his Brother and Neighbour; as it hath been, so it is at this Day, he that is born of the Flesh will persecute him that is born of the Spirit, &c. But whosoever is led by his (religious or rather) irreligious Opinions to endeavour the Hurt and Ruin of his Brother or Neighbour about matters of Religion and Conscience; if he accomplish and effect the fame, he is an Evil Doer, and ought to suffer as an Evil-Doer; and he that hoth Good-will to all, and seeks the good of all, and hurts no man though he be of a contrary Mind and Judgment to him, and of a defiled Conscience, and erronious Opinions, he is the Well-Door. And the Laws of God and all good Men, who [Page 26]are appointed to Rule for God, are a Terror to the One, and a Praise and Encouragement to the Other: And such brutish unnatural Opi­nionists, whose Consciences are not only dark­ned, defiled and corrupted, but feared as with a hot Iron: who, under the Profession of Chri­stianity dare entertain and assert such Cruel Impious Tenets or Opinions, as, that it is lawful to Destroy the Property, Liberty and Life of Men about the Christian Religion; & to account all that conform not to his Form and Fashion of Religion, Tradition and In­vention no better then Weeds and Vermine, Corrupt and Cankered Members, fit to be pulled up, cut off, burnt and destroyed, where this Ravenons Beast is prevalent, as in some Countries beyond the Seas, it destroyes every Green Thing, this Spirit and Bloody Opinion is hated of God and all Good Men, and is as a Monster risen out of the Bottomless Pit, and as the great Apollyon, or Destroyer, to be chained and shut up therein again: Oh God! hasten the Time thereof is the Breathing of the Righteous.

Oh! how Lamentable is it to consider what Work and Havock this Spirit hath made un­der a Corrupt, Blind, Mis guided Conscience, and Ignorant Zeal, especially in this Part of the World, called Christendom, about Church, [Page 27]Religion and Worship, the Mind and Conscience (the best and noblest Capacity of Man being in its primitive Estate) when darkned, defiled, corrupted, hardned and seared, becomes the worst, even a Habitation for Devils, formed and transformed like unto an Angel of Light; so that those that are not deceived and ruled by the One, may be the Other: The Greatest and Strongest Poyson of Souls, Bodies, Lives, &c. of Men is in the Whore's Golden Cup; and all that drink free­ly thereof (or are com­pelled thereto) are deeply infected there­with And the Nati­ons reel with the Wine of her Fornica­tions. But in all Ages the * trans­formed Devil, who assu­meth the Form of Religi­on and Profession of God­liness, hath proved the greatest Deceiver, and the most Cruel, as might be evidenced at large by his Work in this present Age, and throughout the Records of many Generations.

But all that come to return in their Minds to the Light and Glory of God, The Way out of all Selfish and Private O­pinions and Cruelty about them, into per­fect Freedom and Li­berty of Conscience. which at first shined in the Heart & Conscience of Mankind, & made it a fit Receptacle or Dwelling-place for himself, & belie­ves, walks & abides in the same, shall again come to know & live in the same [Page 28]Estate man enjoyed before his Conscience was defiled, before the Vail came over his Heart and Understanding, before the Image of God was lost, before any Place or Credit was given to the Serpent's Lyes; where true Liberty of Conscience was lived in, and the Light of God's Countenance enjoyed, the Serpent ruled over, and the Earth subdued, in the Paradise of God, The Light that now shineth out of Darkness in the Hearts of Thousands and Ten Thousands, leads not only into these things; but farther in­to the Life & State of the second Adam, against whom the Serpent never could nor shall pre­vail: And the God of Heaven and Earth, who hath caused or commanded it to shine, hath the Praise and Glory thereof, both now and for evermore.