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A54006
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Arrowes against Babylon, or, Certaine quæries serving to a cleere discovery of the mystery of iniquity whereunto are added endeavours for reformation in saints apparrell : with some quæries for the people called Quakers / by John Pendarves.
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Pendarves, John, 1622-1656.
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1656
(1656)
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Wing P1136; ESTC R27463
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44,087
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53
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his people as Parents doe with their little Children who give them such things as are taking to the eye to win upon their affections and lay such commands upon them as are sutable to their tender age and present capacity So did God give goodly outward gifts and ornaments to his people of old under the Law And as he hath at sundry times and in sundry wayes so also by severall degrees discovered his will to his people according to that ability he hath given them to beare Wherefore it will not follow because God did at first tolerate the wearing of such ornaments that therefore now he calls not his to deny themselves in these things The president of some wearing such ornaments then makes not so much for that practise as those many Gospel-precepts laid downe in the second ground with those other arguments accompanying make against it now 2 Object This is for the honour of Christ that his servants and followers put on such ornaments seeing thereby they make it appeare they serve a good Master Answ It is for the honour of Christ our head and Lord to have his members and followers conformable to him (w) It is enough for the disciple that he be as his Master and the servant as his Lord. even to Christ crucified as were the Ministers of Christ and his despised followers in the primitive times As for those who judge of the condition of the servants of Christ either of their happinesse or misery with respect to their outward state and accommodations what would such have thought of Christ had they seene him borne in a manger and hanged on a tree The mistaken world which as John saith 1 John 3.2 knoweth not the Saints judging after the wisdome of this world by such false rules may and shall stumble at the Saints as they did at Christ who were offended at him and said Is not this the Carpenters sonne It is the glory of the members to be like their head the followers to be like their Master The legall worship Temple and worshippers had indeed rich adornings belonging to them which was to the honour of God in that day under that dispensation But the new Testament-glory is inward in the Spirit in the hidden man of the heart The typicall Temple was adorned with Gold and Silver but the true Temple spoken of 2 Cor. 6.16 is adorned within with that which is not corruptible and outwardly with such selfe-denyall and good workes before men as doe become the Gospel 3 Object Some object this would be to expose our selves to scorne and to make our selves ridiculous in the eyes of men if wee should put off our ornaments and walke in that way which here seemes to be prescribed Answ First Such extremities are not here pleaded for as may occasion such contempt to be cast upon you Who will laugh at you for forbearing to put on upon good and convenient garments such superfluous trimming as hath no shew of use Is it not usuall with civill people to commend going plaine as they call it and to condemne professors for their pride in apparrell As for holy mortified persons they are more exercised in sighing for all the abominations of the times then that they should be found to contemne any man upon such an account Some light professors there are who neither lay to heart their owne nor others sinnes but like Dives they cloath themselves sumptuously and fare deliciously every day (x) Luk. 16.19.23 24 25 28. This description of Dives his fine cloathing and sumptuous fare c. and withall his fearfull end may serve for a profitable Caution to some who even tread in his steps They who keepe to the word may expect to be for signes wonders in Israel even among professors â—â—a 8.16 17 18. such being too much accustomed to vaine laughter may laugh in the face at such a reformation whilst inwardly they have indignation against it because it witnesseth against their vaine practise Secondly The servants and followers of Christ ought not to thinke it strange if they be counted for signes and wonders seeing it is no other then what was prophesied before-hand in the Scriptures Isai 8.18 Zach 3.8 How could such lay downe their lives for the truths of Christ who cannot beare to be laughed at for righteousnesse-sake whilst the glory of God is promoted by their endeavours for such a reformation whereof they see there is at this day among the Saints so great a neede 4 Object God hath promised that his people shall possesse the riches of the Gentiles Isai 60.9.17 and that they shall have plenty of Gold and Silver Isai 61.6 If so and God hath already begun to subdue our enemies so that they submit themselves and come with presents to us why then may we not prepare and put on costly jewells and ornaments What better use can wee make of the riches wee possesse Answ First That those Prophecies doe agree with what is written in the booke of Revelation concerning new Jerusalem and have relation to the same glorious state of the Church may evidently appeare by comparing the sixtieth Chapter of Isaiah with the 21 of Revelation It s true indeed the Kings shall bring their glory into it c. but that the Saints are not yet come to that new Jerusalem-state is sufficiently manifest from that sorrow and sighing and the many sad complaints of Gods people as at this day all which as also the present poverty and suffering of many Saints are inconsistent with their glorious priviledges in the New Jerusalem for there shall be no sorrow nor crying Revel 21.4 If it be granted that such ornaments shall be worne by Saints in their triumphant state then it will not therefore follow that they may put them on in their militant state now whilst the dayes of their mourning are not ended and whilst the bridegroome is not with them (y) The children of the bride-chamber cannot but mourne whilst the bride-groome is not with them Secondly Saints ought to be so afflicted in and for the afflictions one of another that as fellow-members of one body If one member suffer saith the Apostle all suffer with it 1 Cor. 12.26 Upon this account how deeply ought we to be affected with the lamentable miseries of Gods people in many Lands who groane dayly under grievous sufferings by persecution reproach imprisonment and all manner of oppression Are any of us set at liberty from such bondage ought we not yet to consider our selves in the same body with them and be in bonds in respect of a sympathy and fellow-feeling of their grievances as if we were bound with them Heb. 13.3 and can we be thus affected and yet plead for and put on costly aray and rich ornaments as the manner of some is who lay not these things to heart as if all were well (z) Are not such like Gallio of whom it s said when Sosthens was beaten he cared for none of these
furnish him liberally out of that wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee But on the contrary is it not ordinary with some that are Rich to count it enough to keep their Brethren from perishing How few walk up to that Golden Rule Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self hee that so loves his Neighbour seeks to make his life in some measure comfortable as bee doth his own and in so doing though not for so doing in way of desert more joy is to bee found than in the greatest worldly glory which when men have purchased with much expence procures them little comfort here and will afford them lesse in the day of Christ May not many who so lavish out their Gold and Silver on their sumptuous cloathing justly fear lest they fall under that heavy charge in the day of Christ I was naked and yee cloathed mee not hungry and yee fed me not Mat. 25.42.43 Such as now wear costly apparell on the back with great bunches of Ribbands on the belly as the manner of some is will they not then blush and bee ashamed when they shall bee called to look back and see how they have used their talents and be required to give up their account to (p) Doe not the brave gallants put that great day of accounts far off God Thirdly They know few in want If they were not willingly ignorant they might soon be informed of many objects of pity who call for large bounty and bowells to relieve them in their present wants and (q) Such give little encouragements to others to acquaint them with their wants streights The time is neer wherein that word shall bee fullfilled Esay 32.5 The vile person such an one as first serveth his Lusts and then throws a little of the overplus to the Poor shall bee no more counted liberal nor the Churl who possibly will do something for the poor by much entreaty shall no more bee said to bee bountifull but the liberal man shall bee known by that charecter in the 18. verse by devising liberall things and mark what follows by liberal things shall hee stand To seek out the Poor and needy the hungry and the naked to feed and cloath them and to avoid all unnecessary expence that he may be the better able to do such works this speaks a man liberal indeed thus to devise liberal things And hee that doth thus providing things honest and needful for himself and for his family as hee is likely to find no lack so to have little or nothing over wherewith to provide costly superfluities For conclusion of the answer of this objection 2 Cor. 8.15 let mee without offence propose to some Saints in Churches whether do they remember their Brethren in other Congregations besides their own who suffer adversity as being in the same body of Christ with them and do they make it appear by caring naturally for them and extending relief to them according to examples of the primitive Saints 1 Cor. 16.1 2 3. compared with 2 Cor. 8.1 2 3. c. Act. 11.29 30. Object 9. It is enough for us to avoid some extream vain fashions and to conform in our apparrel to other civil people of our degree Answ This saying suites well with the Laodiocans of our times who are much taken with the friendship of this world but to such I shal use the words of the Prophet Arise depart yee this is not your rest for it is polluted Hath not Pride infected all degrees high and low from the greatest masters to the meanest of Servants Not to speak of the Pride and pomp of some men and how it is supported Do wee not see that even those who get their living hardly by their daily labour instead of laying up against the time of age or sicknesse lightly lay out what with labour they get on vain and costly (r) Such trimmings as are used by poore servants are oft times more costly to them then other rich adornings worne by men of estates superfluities And what do they alledge but that its ordinary for others as mean as themselves so to do But let Saints remember that command of God Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil Exo. 23.2 and the words of the Apostle Rom. 12.2 where wee are commanded to bee non conformists to this World and withal observe his earnest exhortation to the beleeving Ephesians not to walk as other Gentiles in the vanitie of their mind c. Eph. 4.17 to the 23. verse for further answer see the 8 ground Object 10. Some who seem to bee high-flown in knowledge and contemplation object against this Reformation that this is a small matter and so they puff at it and are offended as Naaman the Syrian when the Prophet bid him do a small thing 2 King 5.11.13 Answ First Doth God call for it be it granted that the thing is but small in comparison of some weighty matters so much the rather ought it to bee done by the Saints without gainsaying But so small a thing as it is weightier matters are highly concerned in it for besides the clear tendency of this Reformation to promote many singular good works which would adorn the Saints profession and turn for a testimony to them that God hath set them in the way of those choice and high enjoyments spoken of in the sixth ground it lays siedge to those mighty sinnes viz. Covetousnesse Oppression Extortion Injustice Fraudulent dealing with many other like evills which are practised mainly to maintain a worldly gallantry in costly apparell and such like superfluities Secondly To allow our selves in any evill though but a small one is no small evill but a great one such as makes a deep wound in a tender Conscience and prepares the way to the worst of evills (s) See the danger of sining wilfully Heb. 10.25 26 27 28 and take heede of the least slip that leades to it Have not these times abounded with sad examples of some who at first slighting some lesser commands of the Gospell and giving place to sinne by little and little have at length become despisers of the Ordinances of Christ and have set light by Christ himself and his precious blood turning the grace of God into wantonnesse abusing Gospell liberty for an occasion to the flesh even unto grosse Licenciousnesse Wherefore the rather ought Saints to bee circumspect in all things and to avoid such arguing in defence of small sinnes Gal. 5.13 Eph. 5.15 1 Thes 5.22 seeing it proves oft times a sad beginning that leads to a fearful end And now in as much as God is turning his hand upon his People to purge away all their drosse according to his blessed word Isay 1.25 Wee ought to see his hand upon us and readily to submit thereunto as workers with him in the strength of his grace Isai 4.4 5. to clense our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God