lace, as a proof of his belonging to Jefus, when he denied his Lord: Surely, faid they, thou alfo art one of them: for thy fpeech bewrayeth thee. They had gueffed by his looks but juft before, that he had been with Jefus; but when they difcourfed him, his language put them all out of doubt: furely then he was one of them, and he had been with Jefus. Something it was he had learned in his company, that was odd and obfervable; to be fure, not of the world's behaviour. Without question, the garb, gait, and fpeech of his followers differed, as well as his doctrine, from the world; for it was a part of his doctrine it fhould be fo. It is eafy to believe, they were more plain, grave, and precife; which is more credible, from the way which poor, confident, fearful Peter took, to disguise the bufinefs; for he fell to curfing and fwearing-a fad fhift. But he thought that the likelieft way to remove the fufpicion, that was most unlike Chrift. And the policy took; for it filenced their objections, and Peter was as orthodox as they. But though they found him not out, the cock's crow did; which made Peter remember his dear feffering Lord's words, And he went forth, and wept bitterly; that he had denied his Mafter, who was then delivered up to die for him.

f. IX. But our laft reafon is of most weight with me, and, because argumentum ad hominem, it is most heavy upon our despisers, which is this: it fhould not therefore be urged upon us,

• Mat. xxvi. x73.

because it is a moft extravagant piece of pride in a mortal man, to require or expect from his fellow-creature, a more civil speech, or grateful language, than he is wont to give to the im mortal God, and his Creator, in all his worship to him.. Art thou, O man, greater than he that made thee? Canft thou approach the God of thy breath, and great Judge of thy life, with thou and thee, and when thou rifeft off thy knees, fcorn a Chriftian, for giving to thee,, poor mushroom of the earth, no better language than thou haft given to God but juft, before? An arrogancy not to be easily equalled! But again, it has either too much or too: little refpect; if too much, do not reproach and be angry, but gravely and humbly refufe it; if too little, why doft thou fhow to God no more? O whither is man gone! To what a: pitch does he foar! He would be used more civilly by us, than he ufes God; which is to have us make more than a God of him: but he fhall want worshippers of us, as well as he wants the divinity in himfelf that deferves to be worshipped. Certain we are, that the Spirit of God feeks not these respects, muchlefs pleads for them, or would be wroth with any that confcientiously refuse to give them. But that this vain generation is guilty of ufing them, to gratify a vain mind, is too palpable.. What capping, what cringing, what scraping, what vain unmeant words, moft hyperbolical expreffions, compliments, grofs flatteries, and. plain lies, under the name of civilities, are men and women guilty of in converfation! Ah, my

a

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friends! whence fetch you thefe examples? What part of all the writings of the holy men of God warrants these things? But, to come near to your own profeffion, is Chrift your example herein, whofe name you pretend to bear; or thofe faints of old, that lived in defolate places, of whom the world was not worthy; or do you think you follow the practice of thofe Chriftians, that, in obedience to their Master's life and doctrine, forfook the respect of persons, and relinquished the fashions, honour, and glory of this tranfitory world: whofe qualifications lay not in external geftures, refpects, and compliments, but in a meek and quiet fpirit, adorned with temperance, virtue, modefty, gravity, patience, and brotherly kindnefs; which were the tokens of true honour, and only badges of respect and nobility in thofe Chriftian times? O no. But is it not to expose ourselves both to your contempt and fury, that we imitate them, and not you? And tell us, pray, are not romances, plays, masks, gaming, fidlers, &c. the entertainments that most delight you? Had you the spirit of Chriftianity indeed, could you confume your most precious little time in fo many unneceffary vifits, games, and paftimes; in your vain compliments, courtfhips, feigned ftories, flatteries, and fruitless novelties, and what not invented and used to your diverfion, to make you easy in your forgetfulness of God: which never was the Chriftian way of living, but entertainment of the Heathens, that knew not God? Heb. xi. 38. I Pet. iii. 4.

Oh! were you truly touched with a sense of your fins, and in any measure born again; did you take take up the cross of Jesus, and live under it, these things, which fo much please your wanton and fenfual nature, would find no place with you! This is not feeking the things that are above, to have the heart thus fet on things that are below; nor working out your own falvation with fear and trembling, to fpend your days in vanity. This is not crying with Elihu, I know not to give flattering titles to men; for in fo doing my Maker would foon take me away. This is not to deny felf, and lay up a more hidden and enduring fubftance, an eternal inheritance in the heavens, that will not pafs away. Well, my friends, whatever you think, your plea of custom will find no place at God's tribunal; the light of Chrift in your own hearts will over-rule it; and this fpirit, against which we teftify, fhall then appear to be what we fay it is. Say not, I am ferious about flight things; but beware you of levity and rafhnefs in ferious things.

§. X. Before I clofe, I fhall add a few teftimonies from men of general credit, in favour of our non-conformity to the world in this par ticular.

Luther, the great reformer,* whose sayings were oracles with the age he lived in, and of no less reputation now, with many that object against us, was fo far from condemning our plain fpeech, that in his Ludus, he fports himfelf with you to a fingle perfon, as an incon

Col. iii. I.

The teftimonies of feveral.

gruous and ridiculous fpeech, viz. Magifter, vos eftis iratus? Mafter, are you angry? As abfurd with him in Latin, as, My mafters, art thou angry? is in Englifh. Erafmus, a learned man, and an exact critic in fpeech, than whom I know not any we may fo properly refer the grammar of the matter to, not only derides it, but beftows a whole difcourfe upon rendering it abfurd: plainly manifefting, that it is impoffible to preserve numbers, if you, the only word for more than one, be used to express one: as alfo, that the original of this corruption, was the corruption of flattery. Lipfius affirms of the ancient Romans, That the manner of greeting, now in vogue, was not in use amongst them. To conclude: Howel, in his hiftory of France, gives us an ingenious ac-count of its original; where he not only affures us, That anciently the peafants thou'd their kings, but that pride and flattery first put inferiors upon paying a plural respect to the fingle person of every fuperior, and superiors upon receiving it.' And though we had not the practice of God and man fo undeniably to justify our plain and homely speech, yet, fince we are perfuaded that its original was frompride and flattery, we cannot in confcience use it. And however we may be cenfured as fingular, by thofe loose and airy minds, that through the continual love of earthly pleafures, confider not the true rife and tendency of words and things; yet, to us, whom God has convinced, by his light and fpirit in our hearts, of the folly and evil of fuch courfe