and servants of God ought not to declare the Nationall-Church of England viz. the Nation pretending to be a Church to be indeed no Church of Christ but a Daughter of Babylon And is it not their duty to discover her abominations in such Language in speaking of Babylon either the Mother or her Daughter as the Spirit of God makes use of and commends to us in the holy Scriptures Doth not that command to Gods people to reward her as shee hath rewarded them extend to a full reward both in words and deeds And if through flatteries of men slavish feare or foolish pitty Gods Archers his Ministers withhold to shoote such arrowes against Babylon in preaching or printing as God hath put into their Quiver for that purpose may they not be justly rebuked for it 9. Whether a bare forsaking of the Nationall Church and a verball declaring against it be a sufficient witnesse-bearing for Christ against Antichrist in the matter of Worship or whether besides all this are not Gods people called by a bold profession and visible practise of the ordinances of Christ according to the Gospel pattern to hold forth a true Baptisme Church-worship and so by a contrary practise to beare their testimony in the strength of Gods Spirit and truth against that false way And in so doing though the worke of Zions building may appeare now in its beginning as nothing in comparison of that glorious patterne in the Apostles dayes is there not ground to beleive God will vouchsafe his presence and helpe to his people in the work according to his good word Haggai 2. 1 2 3 And when the Saints come out of Babylon ought they not then to call upon one another to flow to Zion and there to declare the worke of the Lord Jer. 1.6.9 10. And if this be the season for the former duty why not for the latter and having with and amongst them the Word and Spirit according to that stable Covenant to beleivers in all generations Isa 9.21 Neh. 2.18 What hinders but they should rise and build 10. Whether many zealous Ministers and people in the Parish-way by reason of their ignorance of the times and seasons and the great worke of God at this day to bring his people out of Mysticall Babylon may they not be in danger of fighting against God and kicking against the pricks as did many devout Jewes who were zealous of the old legall Worship not knowing or considering that the time of reformation from Jewish rudiments Heb 9.10 was come And doe not many now as they then little consider Gods call to his people to reforme thorowly from all Antichristian pollutions and to touch no uncleane thing in this day of the Lords controversie for Sion And may wee not see as then so now the things which God winked at in times of ignorance hee will not winke at but witnesse against in times of light And is there not a very great security upon many professors Can yee not discerne the signes of the times Mat. 16.3 and darknesse upon their right eye that notwithstanding all the signes of the times and all the late wonderfull workes of God they are not awakened to discerne and doe the speciall duties which God by his strange dispensations calls them to And is it not apparent that many who should instruct others in the duty of the day It is the duty of the wise Steward to give the Children of God the portion of Doctrine sutable to the season Luk. 12 42. doe discourage them from enquiring into such things telling them of the danger of mistakes and the great difficultie of finding out truth referring them in many things to the footesteps of the flock in times of Popish darknesse But is it not high time for Gods people to goe a step beyond such Watch-men enquiring after Christ in the further discovery of truth And seeing God hath chosen the weake and foolish things of the world to confound the wise ought not even such to search into the booke of revelation seeking God by faithfull fervent prayer for his promised Spirit to lead them into all truth remembring the words of David Thou through thy precepts hast made me wiser then mine enemies I have more understanding then all my teachers Psal 119.98 99. 11. Whether the Parish-Ministry in their standing and acting as such are not found taking part with Babylon and warring against the true visible Churches of Christ and all others who withdraw from and witnesse against the Common polluted way of worship And if so whether those who are enlightened may warrantably upon the account of the gifts and godlinesse of such Teachers follow after them so as to have fellowship with them in their broad Church-way And is it not to make Idolls of them and preferre them before Christ and set them above him if they choose rather to follow after such Ministers in that way which hath no word of God for it then to follow Christ in that despised way of worship which hath the sure word of Scripture for its warrant Mark how Satan makes use of Eminent instruments sometimes to promote his wicked Designes If Peter that eminent Preacher might be and was so farre captivated by the Tempter as to oppose by rebuking Jesus Christ himselfe when he spake of his suffering death Mat 16 21 22 23. And againe denied him shamefully when he came to suffer with cursing and oathes saying he never knew the man And after all this at another time the same Peter who was so famous an instrument in Gods hand for converting so many soules even he becomes a misleader in a way of dissimulation Gal 2.11 12 13 14. so that Barnabas an eminent Minister of Christ If some who see such dissembling tell them that dissemble that they are to be blamed they do but as Paul did who told Peter of his fault Gal. 2.14 and divers others were carried away with his dissimulation If so it were with Peter is there not ground enough for the good people in that way to feare that their Ministers even the choicest of them may be fallen into temptation to be prejudic't against the worke of a thorow-reformation seeing their preferments livings and honours seeme to be struck at and so being offended labour to draw in others to be one with them in their offence and opposition against the Saints in their present warfare for Christ against Antichrist 12. Whether the greater number of people in the Parish-Assemblyes are not in danger of eternall Damnation through their high presumption that they are in Christ and in a good estate And whether have not Englands Church-Ministry much to answer for who have begotten and cherished this confidence in them by declaring them in their old Catechisme To be regenerate in their Baptisme made Members of Christ and inheritors of the kingdome of Heaven If this be true and no lye they have taught them who thus exalted them unto heaven
thus instead of honouring the Lord they honour themselves with their substance and instead of serving him they even serve their lusts with the first fruits of all their encrease 5. Ground A fifth reason for Saints reforming their apparrell is taken from the manifold great temptations and evills Saints often fall into to get that which is so lightly parted with in superfluous ornaments Is it not easie to be seene and sadly to be lamented that to provide and maintaine costly apparrell stately houses rich house-furniture delicious fare and such like things according to the fashion of this world those crying sinnes of covetousnesse deceite injustice with other like evills (f) What evill fire is that which must be fed with such fewell act their parts in some professors of an high straine to the great dishonour of the glorious name of God And why is it that precious opportunities of assembling together and visiting one another are so often neglected by the Saints And oh whence is it that there is so little looking after and preparing for the great day of Christs comming the hearts of professors being surfeited with the cares of this life and that day ready to overtake them unawares and they in danger to be found without their wedding garments Is it not so with many or most because their endeavours are over-much laid out and precious time not to be redeemed with gold unprofitably spent (g) Is this to walke wisely redeeming the time thus to spend it in vaine adornings and wasted in providing and putting on costly and curious apparrell whereas to provide convenient garments without such ornaments and to procure other accommodations in and about their houses sutable thereunto so much time need not to be taken up nor carefull thoughts (h) How many careful thoughts doe some take to provide and put on needlesse deckings how doe such obey that word of Christ Mat. 6.28 Take no thought for rayment 6. Ground forbidden by Christ laid out for themselves or their Children after them Observe that word Mat. 6 28. Why take yee thought for rayment and vers 32. After all these things doe the Gentiles seeke A sixth ground is taken from the glorious things promised to the people of God who deale their bread to the hungry and bring the poore out-casts to their houses Isai 58. 7 8. c. viz. That their light shall rise in obscurity their darknesse shall be as the noone day they shall call and the Lord will answer Those high enjoyments are here promised to a people who make another use of their outward substance then to lavish it on needlesse ornaments as the manner of some is Unlesse there be a reformation in this thing what singular works of this kinde before-mentioned can be done by the Saints which may be good Evidences that God hath sett them in the ready way to those high attainments They who waite for such glorious things and expect such large measures of the Spirit must learne to be good Stewards of the things of this life (i) They who waite for the Spirit must be content to part with all their fleshly delights and act as the wise Merchant man who having found one pearle of great price sold all and bought it Mat. 13.45 46 He that hath an eare let him heare what Christ saith If yee have not been faithfull in the unrighteous Mammon the riches of this world who will commit to your trust the true riches Hee that is unjust or unfaithfull in that which is least is unjust also in much Luk. 16.10.11 The people whom God will use and honour to raise up the foundations of many generations to repaire breaches and to restore pathes to dwell in Isaiah 58.12 They shall not as others have done seeke great things for themselves but shall be a mercifull holy humble selfe-denying people as may appeare by comparing with the 12th verse the five foregoing verses of that Chapter And if God will doe such great things by them without doubt the Spirit of the Lord shall be early and abundantly powred out upon them These things duely considered it appeares that those precious promises together with the Saints earnest expectation of such great and glorious things to be fullfilled in this generation doe lay a strong engagement upon us to cease from our superfluous ornaments and all things else that hinder Saints from doing those singular things before expressed Isai 58.7 8 10. 7. Ground Seventhly The day and time we live in calls to this reformation Is it not a time of trouble a day of great rebuke and grievous blasphemies (i) See how Hezekiah though he were a king humbled himselfe put on sackcloth and how the Lord takes notice of his so doing Isa 37.1 2. wide breaches still remaining among Gods people glorious things brought to the birth and no strength to bring forth And is not this a time for Saints rather to be rending then decking their garments (k) Observe the practise of Josoah and Caleb when the people speke of making them a Captaine and returning again into Aegypt Num. 14.4.6 And see also the practise of Barrabas Saul Acts 14.14 Undoubtedly the day calls to mourning and humbling our selves laying aside our vaine ornaments Is it a light thing to turne a deafe eare to Gods call by such dispensations And when he thus calls to a people to deny themselves of their liberty (l) Are there not many such professors who minde their liberty more then their duty in outward things then to stretch to the utmost bounds thereof Isai 22.12 13. In that day saith the Prophet did the Lord of hosts call to weeping and mourning and girding with sackcloth and behold killing of sheepe and staying of Oxen c. And what followes verse the 14 And it was revealed in mine eares saith the Lord of hosts This iniquity shall not be purged from you till yee die With this let the Reader compare diligently that noted word in Amos 6.5 6 7. Where those are severely threatned who dranke wine in bowles and forgatt the afflictions of Joseph (m) Let the women professors in London and elsewhere who spend so little time in private praying and humbling themselves and so much in adorning themselves with costly aray and plaiting the hayre let such I say reade and marke well Isaiah 3. From the sixteenth forward Can they choose but blush or rather tremble at that word And can they escape much longer without correction who doe such things at this day Doe not Saints put farre away the evill day when they put on their vaine ornaments and appeare with badges of pride and not the marke of mourners upon them (n) Who that beholds the appartell of most professors at this day would take them to be such as sigh and cry for all the abomination of Gods people Is not pride in apparrell one abomination their partaking in it so apparently plainly shews them without
griefe for it And should it not be a Lamentation that which is yet more unbecoming Christian profession some glory in such things which are indeed their shame He that feeles not the force of this reason taken from the hand of God upon us and the many abominations and grievances before-mentioned and hath no heart-bleedings because of the reproach that is dayly cast upon the name of God and his people c. let him examine himselfe whether hath he * Psal 28.4 5. due regard to the worke of the Lord at this day And whether he be a reall mourner for Sion (o) See those promises to them that mourne in Sion Isa 61.2.3 66.10 8 Ground and one that preferres Jerusalem above his chiefe joy The eight is derived from that duty incumbent upon the Saints to walke as lights amidst a crooked generation Phil 2.15 and as the Lords holy remnant whom he hath reserved to witnesse against the evills of the times And who sees not that pride in apparrell is now a raigning sin in this Land even among professors who in their adorning themselves differ little or nothing from the world that wallowes in wickednesse and vanity 1 John 5.19 That which aggravates this evill and renders it more odious and should set Saints at the greater distance from it and from all appearance thereof is that there is a troope of evills as covetousnesse defrauding lying oppression grinding the faces of the poore c. with many such like sinnes which doe attend it Can wee be zealous and jealous for the Lord of hosts and refraine from bearing a testimony of our dislike of this abomination And how can this be done except we first begin at home putting from us all appearance of that evill which wee condemne in others Gods people Rev. 18.4 who are called to come out of Babylon are straitly charged not to partake of her sinnes (p) Christs witnesses doe torment the beast not onely by word but conversation Did not Noah by his practise in building an Arke condemne the old world One reason is because God will make use of them to declare against them Now that the Saints may beare a full testimony against this evill of pride in apparrell which is one of the sins of the times and one of Babylons sins as appeares Revel 18.12 and 15 16 verses It behoves them to cleere themselves from it by a contrary practise (q) In such away wee ought to man fest our dislike so that he may runne that readeth it 9 Ground to this corrupt generation in their proud manner of adorning themselves Ninthly The presence of the Lord with his people encouraging them to this reformation affords another ground (r) As God goes before his people to bring them out of Babylon so to bring them off from her sins His hand as they are perswaded having strongly set it upon their hearts in severall Assemblies solemnly waiting on him to reforme without delay accounting that now God is purging away all the drosse of Syon he will not leave such worldly superfluities long remaining upon the garments of Saints It s confest that inward impulses and perswasions of good men are not alwayes good arguments to prove a matter yet when a praying people such as desire to tremble at the Word and labour to walke exactly are unanimous in a perswasion or motion which hath such Scripture-grounds for it as hath been alledged for this Such an argument in its place well accompanied with other weighty reasons deserves to be considered by such as feare the Lord. 10 Ground The tenth and last ground is because of offence which is taken by those who sigh and cry for all the abominations of professors (s) God hath great regard to such as sigh and cry for all the evills of professors though men make light and puffe at them See consider well Ezek. 9.4 5 6. They cannot but mourne to behold such needlesse costly deckings upon the apparrell of Saints They also declare their conscientious offence thereat If Paul would not eate flesh while the world was to stand rather then put a stumbling block in the way of his weake Brother 1 Cor 8.13 should not Saints much rather refraine from those needlesse things then give offence and cause griefe to the tender hearts of those for whom Christ dyed And whereas it may be said some good men are offended at the leaving off such ornaments (t) Wee may justly refraine from our liberty to avoid offence but we may not neglect our duty to God for feare of offending good men Is it from their goodnesse Is it not rather because some private interest of their owne or their friends is thereby struck at If they be conscientiously offended the reasons before-going may suffice to shew that the offence is unjustly taken at those who on the grounds layd downe cease from putting on upon their garments such superfluous ornaments and in conscience towards God choose to walke in that way of reformation whereon so cleere a light of truth shines Now for as much as all reformation meets with opposition it cannot well be expected that this which runs so contrary to the streame of the common opinion and practise and is so opposite to mens fleshly lusts and interests should easily take place I shall therefore proceed to consider and answer severall Objections which are or may be made against the reformation pleaded for and the grounds before laid downe 1 Object Did not Sarah and Rebeccah weare rich Jewells and if so why may not beleivers in these dayes weare such ornaments if their abillity will extend to provide them Answ First Wee finde not that there were at that day as now there are many poore Saints on every hand needing to be relieved Secondly Neither was provision made for their costly ornaments by such notorious abominations of covetousnesse and extortion c. nor the pride of professors their pride in apparrell growne up to that height as that there needed then as now there doth such a loud sounding-testimony in word and practise to be borne against it Thirdly Some things practised by Abraham and David with as much approbation as the wearing of Rings and Jewells (u) Did not their ear-rings soone become a snare unto them else why did Jacob take them away and hide them under an Oake when he reform'd his family see Gen. 35.2 3 4. With this compare Exo. 32.2 3 4. See what use the Israelites made of their golden ear-rings And did not golde eare-rings prove a snare to Gideon and his house Judg. 8.26 27. by Sarah and Rebeccah it becomes not Saints to practise Had not Abraham his Concubines and children by them Gen 25.6 And did not David take unto him many wives and Concubines 2 Sam 5.13 Would not Saints blush to be found walking in their steps in these things now Fourthly In those dayes of ignorance in the infancy of the Church God dealt with