world Christ would send forth his angels, and they should sever the wheat from the tares. So Christ tells you, that it is the angels’ work at the end of the world, and not men’s work, before the harvest at the end of the world. Hath not all this persecution, banishing, and imprisoning, and putting to death, concerning religion, been the pretence of plucking up tares? and hath not all this been before the harvest, before the end of the world? And therefore have not all these been actors against the express command of Christ, the king of Heaven? “All kings and rulers, especially they that call themselves Christians, should obey their Lord and Saviour’s command; ‘Let the tares and the wheat grow together, till the harvest;’ and the harvest is the end of the world. Christ also told some of his disciples, that in their zeal would have had fire to come down from heaven, to destroy such as would not receive him, ‘That they did not know what spirit they were of;’ and rebuked them, and said, ‘He came not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’ And therefore all such as have destroyed men’s lives concerning religion, and the worship of God, have they known what spirit they have been of? Have they not done that which they should not do? done that which Christ forbade, who saith, ‘Lest ye should pluck up the wheat with the tares,’ and saith, ‘It is the angel’s work at the end of the world?’ And hath not God showed unto man what is good, and his duty, ‘To love mercy, to do justly, and to walk humbly with his God?’ which man is to mind. “And the apostle exhorts Christians, ‘To follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord,’ Heb. xii. 14. Why should Christians war and strive one with another, seeing they all own in words one King, Lord, and Saviour, Christ Jesus, whose command is, that they should ‘love one another;’ which is a mark that they shall be known by, to be Christ’s disciples, as I said before. And Christ, who is the King of kings, and Lord of lords, saith, ‘This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you,’ John xv. 12, and John xiii. And the apostle saith, Christians ought to ‘be patient towards all men,’ 1 Thess. v. 14. “From him, who is a lover of truth, righteousness, and peace, who desires your temporal and eternal good; and that in the wisdom of God, that is from above, pure, gentle, and peaceable, you may be ordered, and order all things, that God hath committed to you, to his glory; and stop those things among Christians, so far as you have power, which dishonour God, Christ, and Christianity!” G.F. Amsterdam, the 21st of the 7th Month, 1677.