The new earth, or, The true Magna Charta of the past ages, and of the ages or world to come: called The Jews commonweal. Written by an unworthy witness of the truth of the great God, John Brayne.

Command the Tenth.

Exod. 20.17.

Thou shalt not covet.

1. S Search all the Statute-books of all the Nations in the world, they have no such law in them; nor take no notice of any such sin, Rom. 7.7.

2. Nor have they any punishment for it.

3. Under this law it is condemned as well as any. Hence the A∣postle saith, The law is spiritual.

Appl. O ye princes, see here, are not Gods laws more perfect then yours? you have no such law.

2. Is not your law the work of the law of God in your hearts onely? would there ever have been a law of yours, had not God given a work of his in you?

3. Hence see a necessity of taking his, and leaving yours.

4. Do not say the law is not sufficient to judge by.

1. Were not the Jews as great as we? and they had no o∣ther.

2. They fell into as many varieties of evil and sin as any.

Object. If thou sayest. No, we fall into more;

Resp. The reason of that is, we have not the law of God to pre∣vent it set up among us, as they had: the law of man can never have that place among a people, as the law of God hath.

3. It is not the least evil against God, to say of the law, It is not sufficient of it self to judge us by.

1. If the law is not perfect, God would not have said, Add not to, nor diminish a word from it.

2. This is indeed to despise the law, Heb. 10.28. which was death without mercy.

3. The law was the moral law, a law for all Nations that would be Gods people, as well as Jews, to be governed by.

4. David saith, Thy law is exceeding broad and large: but thou that knowest not the law, and art rude and ignorant of Gods wisdome therein, which is a great deep, dishonourest God, and say∣est it is onely for a foundation of a law, but it will not serve for a law. At the last day it shall judge thee and all else, for all their acts, words, and thoughts against God: and yet is it a narrow law?

5. Say what you can, a Nation, untill it hath covenanted with God in this law, they are not the people of God nor is God the God of that nation, more then other heathens; whatever he may be by faith to them that believe.

6. This would be a means to call in the Jews to acknowledge Christ in the Gospel with believers, when they see we acknowledge God in the law with them.

Object. These are but few cases in compare of the Statute∣book, that is more full, and large, and plaine: this is ob∣scure.

Resp. 1. I have deduced but part of what is in the law, I having not spent a weeks time in meditation thereon to this end.

2. This hath more in one line, then the wit of men laid down for law in an hundred.

3. That they have more then is in the law of God, must be de∣stroyed, and not acknowledged law, but traditions only.

4. Much lyeth hid thereof to us, as yet being not searched out.

5. Judges in special were ordained to judge the difficult causes, and that by the word also, which appeared not to the common judges to be in the word clearly.

6. The laws being reduced to the command, we are to judge of cases according to the nature of the fact, and the command against which the sin is committed.

1. The law is clear plaine, and full of light and clearness; and so better then our corrupted, intricate, unknown law, which the Judges of the land know not themselves. This needs no counsel.

2. It is brief, and needs not seven yeers study, to come to be able to speak law.

3. It is so easie, a man needs no sollicitors: it shews plainly what every man is to do or suffer.

4. It cannot be corrupted by demurs, nor delayed in proceedings.

5. It is so just, no man shall have wrong that is innocent, nor no man shall escape that is guilty; Deut. 29.19, 20.

6. It is so free, it puts no man to a peny cost.

7. It is so holy, it condems all evil in every man alike.

8. It is so good, that he is accursed that obeys it not, and he is blessed that observes it.

9. It is free from oppression; it imprisons none.

O ye men and lawyers of the world, bring forth that law that is like this law of the Lord: as Moses rod eat up the sorcerers: so shall this devour yours. Your law is as darkness, this as light; it will make it vanish. In a word, all Rule and Government compared to Gods in the law, for a Nation, is but bramble-rule, Judg. 9.14. and who would call for that rule?