TENETS OF THE CHILDREN OF PEACE. Ill 



of the age ; not all, I should say. I will say that all are 

 above their brethren, and press subordination to their written 

 creed, or line of doctrine. If a stranger comes to him of 

 another creed, will he take him in as himself, or one of his 

 religious kinsfolk ? No ; like the Almighty setting bounds 

 to the sea, hereunto thou mayest come, but here thy freedom 

 and thy liberty shall be stayed. As for me, I am numbered 

 with the impostors, and am so contented with the name, I 

 forgive all my accusers ; but tell them how they use their 

 creed, brethren, who can equally prove themselves as right as 

 they are. How do we of the latter named class use each 

 other ? I confess upon an equal plan. You sell each other s 

 failings for money, through the means of the press, and elec 

 tioneering converts by public arguments, and send them round 

 sea and land to proselyte the world. And what are they 

 when they are gained ? We will impartially own the good 

 with the evil. It puts away some rough and profane language, 

 and some extreme immorality, a work glorious in its place. 

 Do we not teach them to pray ? To an extreme, but not how 

 to receive. Do we not teach them the way to embrace socie 

 ty ? Yes, a hundred ways. Christ said, I am the way, and 

 that way through preaching is perhaps divided into a hun 

 dred parts ; the number of sects in the Christian name, I 

 know not ; but I know that priestcraft hath done this, and 

 with us it is coming to an end. It is not the one way, Christ 

 the hope of glory, that hath divided the whole world, and 

 produced vain argument to such an unlimited degree as it is 

 now extended, from priest, pulpit, and press, and it is chiefly 

 sold to the poor inhabitants of the world. And some extol 

 themselves to be of high value, for they take shameful sums 

 for doctrine, and the divines are more extravagant than the 

 apothecaries. But a man cannot have soul or body mended 

 now, but at dear cost. In the days of Israel, productions of 

 this kind were cheaper, in the days of Christ, without money 

 or price ; a happy day for poor souls when Christ preached 

 the gospel to the poor, and healed the sick without cost- 

 The text suffers no man to go in distress, and binds us to use 

 lawyers, doctors, and priests well ; when we see them hungry 



