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.

The command binds affirmatively, Thou shalt have me to thy God.

Now the way of Gods calling a people, and becoming a God to them nationally, is by giving them laws, and they taking them from him, and professing subjection to them, as to their Gods commands whom they ought to serve.

To the keeping whereof, God adds by promise many blessings; as David, Psal. 19.11. In keeping thereof is great reward.

To the breach whereof, are added many curses of body, soul, goods, name, family, earth, and heaven; all are shut up to men for it.

The which giving of laws royally to his people, is the only work and prerogative royal of God; and therefore is the law moral cal∣led the Royal law, Jam. 2.8. and thus the Scripture saith, There is hut one law-giver, who is able to save and destroy: who art thou that judgest another? Jam. 4.12.

And hence are all laws of heathens said to be no laws, and they without law; and all the ordinances, and the corrupt expositions of the law, made by ancient expositors, and received by their chil∣dren among the Jews, called traditions; and they were such as made voide the law among them that had it. In which it appears, there is no law but Gods, nor no true law-maker but God; law, government, and judgement, among Gods people especially, being his.

Lastly, As we must not have another God, so we must not have o∣ther laws then Gods: God will not govern by any other then his own laws.

Behold, I pray, by mens deelining Gods laws, what laws have been brought out since the reforming times; as in the 6 Articles in Hen. 8. time, the book of Sports, and many laws since repealed. What is become of the Judges, Justices, and men, made and execu∣ted those laws so contrary to the Lord and his law?

Solomon brings in wisdom, Prov. 8.15. saying, By me kings raigne, and the princes (that is, those of the supreme councel) do describe Justice (that is, to those judges consult with them about difficult cases, without whom the difficult cases would as well be hid to them as others.) Now if justice be so hard a thing to be executed by men who not only have the law, but use the law, and the help thereof to do justice, by that, without wisdom or Christs help they cannot describe it; how shall those describe it, that use not the law to help them, which ought to be their help; and so tempt God not to help them extraordinarily, for not using the ordinary help of God? And that he speaks here of the great councel, is clear, they being next to the king; and then he speaks of the ordinary Juges in the verse following, to whom justice was to be described: which is significant∣ly set down, Deut. 17.11.

From Jeremiah 35.6. some there are contend to maintaine the law and customes we have in this Nation received from our fa∣thers, because the Rechabites stuck so close to theirs. To which I answer,

1. That the Rechabites were subject to the judicial law, as the other Jews were.

2. These traditions of theirs were not forbid nor commanded of God, that the magistrate could not forbid the doing what they did.

3. Nor were there any judiciary proceedings against such as should not have observed those traditions, they being indifferent things only; it had been no sin to them if they had drunk wine, or dwelt in houses, or planted fields with seed.

4. So that these not standing in competition with the law of God, they were not disabled from observing one, and doing the other also.

5. The father of a family may ingage his sons and servants to such-like duties, as depending immediately on his rule; but it may be unlawful to a Magistrate to impose the like ordinances on a whole Nation.