“This two-fold work of the Law within man strive to bring forth themselves in writing to beget numbers of bodies on their sides.  That power which begets the bigger number always rules as King or Lord in the creature and in the Creation, till the other side overtop him:  even as light and darkness strive in day and night to succeed each other.  Or as it is said—­“The strong man armed keeps the heart of man till a stronger than he came and cast him out.”

THE WRITTEN LAW.

“This written Law, proceeding either from reason or unreasonableness, is called the Letter, whereby the creation of mankind, beasts and earth are governed, according to the will of that power which rules....  As for example, if the experienced, wise and strong man bears rule, then he writes down his mind to curb the unreasonable Law of Covetousness and Pride in inexperienced man, to preserve Peace in the Commonwealth.  This is called the Historical or Traditional Law, because it is conveyed from one generation to another by writing:  as the Laws of Israel’s Commonwealth were writ in a book by Moses, and so conveyed to posterity.  And this outward Law is a bridle to unreasonableness; or as Solomon writ, It is a whip for the fool’s back, for whom only it was added.”

ITS CORRUPTION.

“Secondly, Since Moses’ time the power of unreasonable covetousness and pride hath sometimes risen up and corrupted that Traditional Law.  For since the power of the sword rises up in Nations to conquer, the Written Law hath not been to advance Common Freedom and to beat down the unreasonable self-will in mankind, but it hath been framed to uphold the self-will of the Conqueror, right or wrong, not respecting the Freedom of the Commonwealth, but the Freedom of the Conqueror and his friends only.  By reason whereof much slavery hath been laid on the backs of the plain-dealing men; and men of public spirit, as Moses was, have been crushed, and their spirits damped thereby:  which hath bred first discontents, and then more wars in the Nations....  But hereby the true nature of a well-governed Commonwealth hath been ruined; the will of Kings set up for a Law; and the Law of Righteousness, the Law of Liberty, trod under foot and killed.  This Traditional Law of Kings is that Letter at this day which kills true freedom and is the fomenter of wars and persecutions.

“This is the soldier who cut Christ’s garments into pieces, which was to remain uncut and without seam.  This law moves the people to fight one against the other for those pieces; viz., for the several enclosures of the Earth, who shall possess the Earth, and who shall be Rulers over others.”

THE EVERLASTING LAW.