in deserveth not death temporal and eternal So then if the Minister do not declare the whole Counsel of God according to his written Word and the People live in sin If any are taken away in his sin his Bloud God will require at the Watch mans hand By this we see why Christ said to Peter Ezek. 33. 6. John 20. so often Lovest thou me feed my sheep feed my sheep feed my sheep this is the Pastors duty and love to Christ the neglect is both a hating of Christ and the Souls he hath taken charge of as 't is written Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flock and look well to thy hards Thou shalt not hate thy Prov. 27. 23. Brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not susser sin upon him lest thou bear sin for him And not only concerning a Brother is this care to be taken but if Lev. 19. 17. Mat. 18. the whole Church do sin in doing any thing against any of the Commandments of the Lord concerning things which should not be done and are guilty the whole Church must repent thereof unto the Lord and to that end are the Faithful to Hos 2. 1 2. Rev. 3. 4. plead with their Mother as the few Names in Sardis did having the Faithful in Israel for their example Now consider whether the sinful shame to Mans Nature to wit Men in wearing long hair yea the long hair of Women and Women wearing their hair shorn or polled be not an abomination to the Lord whenas God created Man polled or shorn in respect of his hair and commanded him so to keep and wear it And Woman was created with long hair and is charged she shall not cut or wear her hair like to Man But on the clean contrary Men wear Womans long hair and Women wear short hair and this is suffered in almost every Congregation that say they are the Churches of God. Now what is this but such a sin yea of a high nature reckoned among the most grievous sins but because 't is such a sin wherein Men and Women have changed the natural use into that which is against Nature A sin of that nature never heard of to be suffered in any true Church of God and that this sin is so generally spread that it is as a Leprosse which if not speedily reformed and removed out of the Church the Lord will now as of old Abhor the excellency of Jacob and hate his Amos 6. 9. Exek 9. 4. Palaces for the wickedness of their inventions as it is written I will cast them out of my house I will love them no more And to them that mourn in the Churches to see these as like aabominations and have used means to have it redressed and it is not reformed they are commanded to come out from among them and touch not the unclean thing and the Lord will receive them and be a Father to them and they shall be 2 Cor. 6. 16 17. his Sons and Daughters These shall find more comfort with a dinner of herbs where love is to God and their Neighbour than a stalled Oxe and hatred therewith for of such 't is written Prov. 15. 17. Mal. 9. 3. Mat. 18. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and a Book of remembrance was written for them that thought on his name For where if but two or three are gathered together in his Name he will be in the midst of them to bless them that whosoever toucheth them toucheth the Apple of his Exod. 20. 2. Psal 50. 16. Rev. 3. 4. Exod. 23. 2. Psal 26. 5. Eye To all other the Lord saith What hast thou to do to take my Word into thy mouth that hatest to be reformed So then it is the few Names that walk with Christ in white for they are worthy that obey the voice of the Lord as 't is written Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil and with David do hate the Congregation of evil dores and will not sit with the wicked for though hand joyn in hand the wicked shall not be unpunished By all which it appeareth that as in the Apostacy after the Apostles decease the sin was chiefly in the Stars or Ministers that fell from their heavenly profession to an earthly whereby all disorder was countenanced so that the godly which departed from the evil make themselves a prey yet the trial of their Faith was more precious than gold for we have seen how the suffering Christians were as Lights in the Rev. 12. 1. Prov. 4. 18. Dan. 12. 3. Phil. 2. 15. prov 5. 22. World who rather shined more unto the perfect day when other that wandred after the Beast were in the Kingdom of Darkness holden with the cords of their own sin so that the Sun and Air was darkened in them that they saw it no shame as in the Apostacy in this day no Men see it no shame for to have faces as the faces of men and hair as the hair of women However it pleased God by means of the godly aforementioned to wit the suffering Christians whose paths shineth as aforesaid more and more unto the perfect day that when the Nations were overspread in Mens wearing long hair the shame to Nature Theophilus the Emperour See Mr. Prinn uncomliness of long locks p. 11. Mr. Speed History of Great Britain l. 9. c. 4. numb 54. p. 44. 2. as Writers say enacted a Law that all Men should cut their hair short and that no Roman should suffer it to grow below his neck The like did King Henry the First of this Nation who commanded that Men should cut their hair short in this Nation and no doubt the King himself gave his Subjects a good example together with the Chief Magistrates and likewise the Teachers of the People in that day so that there was a general Reformation in Mens cutting and wearing their hair polled or shorn according to the Command of the King of Kings as afore-shewed and this Reformation continued in this Nation for near five hundred years until Ezek. 44. 20. 1 Cor. 11. 6 14. the latter end of the Reign of King James the First so that some yet alive can remember if a Malefactor was brought before a Judge at Assize or Justices at Sessions if he had long hair they commanded it to be cut off so careful were all Magistrates and Fathers and Masters in Families to see both old and young Men even to the Children that they had their hair cut short So likewise all the Reformed Ministers and Churches were so careful that they would not admit a Member to be joyned to them is his hair was not according to Gods Order polled or shorn So that if the Churches look not to see the Moral Law kept as well as the Law of Faith rightly believed the Apostle James tells us What doth it profit Jam. 2. 14.
my brâ—thren though a man say he hath faith and have not works can his faith save him Now to respect persons in the way of Faith is a breach of the Moral Law how much more for a Man to do that act that is not only a shame to Mans Nature but a great dishonour to the Lord our Creator afore shewed in Mens wearing long hair Moreover how many Commendations Râ—v 2. 2 3 4 5. had the Church of God at Ephesus and yet wanting the root Faith that worketh by Love for which the Lord threatned to remove her Candlestick except she repented and did her first Work. Now as Faith is to Believe so Love is to Obey and hereupon Christ hath taught If a man love me he will keep my words but he that lovâ—th me not keepeth John 14. 23. v. 24. not my sayings This was the great sin in the Church of the Ephesians the keeping of the Commands of Christ was neglected so was she charged to have forsaken her first Love the Love of her Espousal in the day they by Covenant were Espoused or Married to Christ their head the Agreement Eph. 5. 32. Deut. 26. 16 17 18. 2 Cor. 11. 2. Rev. 19. 7 8 9. Jer. 50. 5. was as it is written of old Thou hast avouched the Lord to be thy God and to walk in his way and to keep his Statutes and Commandments and to bearken unto his voice and the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar People as he hath promised thee and that thou shouldst keep all his Commandments The breach of this Covenant made in Christ was the reason the Church of Ephesus Candlestick was threatned to be removed as it is written to Israel ro wit Judah of old Their root shall be rottenness and their blossom shall go up as the dust because they have cast away the Law of the Lord and despised the Word of the holy one of Israel Isai 5. 24. Now then if as the Apostle hath taught Whosoever shall â—eep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all Jam. 2. 10. And is not one point of the Law of God that Men shall not suffer their locks to grow long Hear what the Scripture saith when Gods People of old were told of their evil doings and would not hear then they that were yesterday Gods Mica 2. 8. People are said to be rissen as an Enemy when they refused to obey him Now what saith Christ the Lord to such Bring those mine enemies that would not that I should Luke 19. 7 14. Matth. 21. 43. John 15. 14. reign over them and slay them before me yea the Kingdom shall be taken from them and given to a people bringing forth the fruit thereof for ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you Now then what was the vain boasting of the Jews in their half keeping the Commands of God as it is written Hos 12. 8. Ephraim said I am become rich I have found me out substance for in all my labours they shall find no iniquity in me when at that time they were charged to be without the true God without teaching Priest and without Law even so the Church of the Leodiceans boasted I am rich and increased with 2 Chron. 15. 3. goods and have need of nothing At which time he was wretched miserable poor blind and naked when she had only Rev. 3. 17. Zac. 11. 5. Prov. 13. 1. the outward gifts left as Preaching and Praying which God giveth to very Hypocrites But love to God in keeping his Commandments was not by her regarded Hear what the Apostle saith to such a Church-state Though I speak with the tongue of Men and Angels and have not love I am become a 1 Cor. 13. 1 2 3. sounding brass and tinkling symbal though I have the gift of prophecy and of under standing all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not love I am nothing and though I give all my goods to feed the poor and my body to be burned and have not love it profiteth me nothing So then it is not every one that saith Lord Mat. 7. 21. Lord shall enter into the King dom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father that is in Heaven Now I 'll appeal to the Conscience of the Ministers in this day whether it be not the Will of God that Men shall wear their hair polled or shorn and whether it he not against the Will of God that Men should wear either their own locks long or the locks of Women Now this having been proved so great a sin what have the Faithful to do that mourn to see this abomination so overspread in the Churches of God. to call upon their Ministers to justifie the practise of Mens weariag the long hair of Women in Periwigs as to bear their Testimony by preaching against it and that all that will not be reformed todeal with them according to Gods holy Order as it is written If thy brother sin tell him of his fault if Mat. 18. 15 16 17. Gal. 6. 1 2. Jame 5. 16. Lev. 19. 17. Rev. 22. 14. he hear thee thou hast gained thy brother if he refuse to take one or two and admonish him if he hear not them to tell it to the Church that so the Church may admonish him if he refuse to hear the Church to cast him out forasmuch as none have right to the Tree of Life but those that keep the Commandments of God See and read the Scriptures in the Margin But if the Minister with the greatest part do stand to justifie this or any other evil practise then the sealed ones marked of God to be saved from the destruction when the multitude will persist Ezek. 9. 4. Hos 2. 1 2. Isai 66. 5. John 9. 34. Mal. 3. 16. in evil must plead with their Mother plead that she no longer remaineth the Wise of Christ than she is obedient to all his Commands though they are cast out as it is written Your brethren that hated you that cast you out for my name sake then these that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name and they shall be mine ye they shall walk with mâ— in white for they are worthy Rev. 2. 4. Again one might be astonished with Daniel for an hour to Dan. 4. 19. consider that ever Christians after sixteen hundred years practise of all the suffering Christians and five hundred years of that time of this whole Nations wearing their hair according to the Word of the Lord polled or shorn as the ancient Effigies of the Nobility and Gentry and others do shew that ever Men should be so bereaved of the sence of Nature
so darkened in that they had so hermaphrodited themselves into a monstrous shape that they saw it 's no shame to wear a womanish length of hair the shame to Mans Nature as it is written And their faces were as the faces of men and they had hair as the hair of women Rev. 9. 7. 8. By this we see how the old Egypt and old Babylon were Types in all manner of wickedness of the spiritual Egypt and Babylon so that long hair had its original out of the bottomless pit even from Hell it self so that in a double respect it was charged upon them to be abominable first as long hair in Women is a sign of their subjection to their Head or Husband so long hair in the Subjects of Antichrist proved them the Subjects of the Man of Sin. 2. As the Man of Sin together with all his Members make one Body so the Member of the Beasts as the Member of a Man they were so deformed by and in all disorder in Nature as also in Worship that they were like to Men-monsters having faces as the faces of Men and hair as the hair of Women and that the Nation were over spread with this unnatural guise until the time of King Henry the First of this Nation as shall anon appear Moreover the Lord never left himself without Witnesses in the worst of times namely his sealed ones who had â—he Rev. 7. 2. Seal of their Election to wit in departing from all iniquity as it is written The foundation of God standeth sure Having 2 Tim. 2. 19. this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his Let every one that nameth the name of Jesus depart from iniquity These are the called chosen and faithful ones which received the love Rev. 17. 14. of the Truth who in that heavenly Book of the Revelation are likened to a Woman a wonder to the World having the Sun for her cloathing the Moon for her footstool and on Rev. 12. 1 2. her head a Crown of twelve Stars while she by Faith and Holiness had put on Christ as she had learned him of his Apostles so was she advanced to heavenly Dignity her Conversation being in Heaven so loved she no more this World Rom. 13. 14. 2 Tim. 3. 14. Phil. 3. 20. Rev. 12. 17. of whom herself is not therefore the World hateth her and persecuteth her and why as it is written The Dragon was wrath with the Woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed which kept the Commandments and have the Testimony of Jesus And again Here is the patience of the Saints here are they that keep the Commandments of God and the faith of Jesus These are they which were not defiled with Women for they are Virgins abiding faithful from the day even as when they joyn'd themselves to the Lord by entring into Covenant with the Lord Jesus then were they said to he as a chaste Virgin espoused to Christ their Husband and therefore Jer. 2. 2. 2 Cor. 11. 1 2. Rev. 14. 4 5. 't is said of them again They are Virgins these are they that follow the Lamb whithersover he goeth and in their mouth was found no guile for they were without fault before the Throne of God to wit in the true Church of God in the Kingdom of Christs Mediatorship where the Lord Jesus King of Saints fitteth on his Throne their King and Priest to order it and Rev. 15. 3. Zac. 6. 13. Isai 9. 7. to establish it with Judgment and Justice from henceforth and for evermore And thus we see where Order is joyned unto Faith here are they that keep the Commandments of God and have the Faith of Jesus These things duly weighed we may clearly see how that the suffering Christians in all Ages since the Ascension of Christ for the space of these sixteen hundred years who are spoken of in that Book of Revelation are justified by the Spirit of Rev. 14. 5. God to be without fault before the Throne of God so that if they had been guilty either of errour in Faith or the breach of Gods Order in Worship or in Nature they would not have been proclaimed Just for the Spirit of God the 2 Cor. 1. 18. faithful and true Witness that cannot lye is not Yea and Nay but Yea and Amen For when the Church or Churches of God joyned Order unto Faith then they have this praise I joy and rejoyce to behold your Order and stedfastness Col. 2. 5. of your Faith in Christ but when Order is broken we see the Church at Corinth and others was reproved therefore the suffering Christians were not taxed with the breach of 1 Cor. 11. any one of the Commandments of God but are commended Well done good and faithful Servant as aforesaid Here are Rev. 14. 12. Mat. 25. 23. 1 Ehes 1. 3. they that keep the Commandment of God and have the Faith of Jesus Thus Order was by them joyned unto Faith for to believe is the work of Faith and to keep the Commandments of God is the labour of love keeping Gods holy Order in Grace and Nature Another Seal of our Election as the Apostle hath taught saying Making mention of you in our prayer remembring without ceasing your work of faith and labour v. 4. 21. of love and patience I hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the fight of God our Father knowing Brethren beloved your election of God. By all which we see that not so much as the Order of God in this one point in Nature was broken by the suffering Christians for these sixteen hundred years past no not in Mens wearing of long hair the shame to Mans Nature And for further confirmation hereof we have the Testimony of Men who have as is judged faithfully collected the Truth in what they believed and maintained to their Deaths but also have drawn the form of the suffering Christians as they wear their hair when they suffered death Now then let the impartial eye see the form or effigies of the suffering Christians in the Book of Martyrs and elsewhere and then judge whether they do believe when the Christians were living any could have made their hair to serve for a covering of their eyes by drawing it forward much less the face and all So that long hair is not the spots of the Lords People in the Ages past but the spots of the Apostate Christians as 't is shewed before Neither is it the spots of the Lords People now if they keep themselves in their garments or covering on their head unspotted from the flesh then could it not of them be said that they have faces of men and hair as the hair of women that is so long hair that by drawing it forward it could be made to serve to perform the end in the sign for which God in Creation and so in Nature gave Woman long hair for namely for a covering to cover