Concerning Salutations and Recreations, &c.
[152]Seeing the chief End of all Religion is to redeem Men from the Spirit and vain Conversation of this World, and to lead into inward Communion with God, before whom if we fear always we are accounted happy; therefore all the vain Customs and Habits thereof, both in Word and Deed, are to be rejected and forsaken by those who come to this Fear; such as taking off the Hat to a Man, the Bowings and Cringings of the Body, and such other Salutations of that Kind, with all the foolish and superstitious Formalities attending them; all which Man hath invented in his degenerate State, to feed his Pride in the vain Pomp and Glory of this World: As also the unprofitable Plays, frivolous Recreations, Sportings, and Gamings, which are invented to pass away the precious Time, and divert the Mind from the Witness of God in the Heart, and from the living Sense of his Fear, and from that evangelical Spirit wherewith Christians ought to be leavened, and which leads into Sobriety, Gravity, and godly Fear; in which as we abide, the Blessing of the Lord is felt to attend us in those Actions in which we are necessarily engaged, in order to the taking Care for the Sustenance of the outward Man.
[152] Ephes. 5. 11. 1 Pet. 1. 14. John 5. 44. Jer. 10. 3. Acts 10. 26. Matt. 15. 13. Col. 2. 8.
§. I.
[153] After this Manner the Papists used to disapprove the Sobriety of the Waldenses, of whom Reinerius, a Popish Author, so writeth. “But this Sect of the Leonists hath a great Shew of Truth; for that they live righteously before Men, and believe all Things well of God, and all the Articles which are contained in the Creed; only they blaspheme and hate the Church of Rome.”
But this, they say, is but in Policy to commend our Heresy.
But such Policy it is, say I, as Christ and his Apostles made use of, and all good Christians ought to do; yea, so far hath Truth prevailed by the Purity of its Followers, that if one that is called a Quaker do but that which is common among them, as to laugh and be wanton, speak at large, and keep not his Word punctually, or be overtaken with Hastiness or Anger, they presently say, O this is against your Profession! As if indeed so to do were very consistent with theirs; wherein though they speak the Truth, yet they give away their Cause. But if they can find any under our Name in any of those Evils common among themselves (as who can imagine but among so many Thousands there will be some Chaff, since of twelve Apostles one was found to be a Devil) O how will they insult, and make more Noise of the Escape of one Quaker, than of an hundred among themselves!
§. II.
Flattering Titles.I. That it is not lawful to give to Men such flattering Titles, as Your Holiness, Your Majesty, Your Eminency, Your Excellency, Your Grace, Your Lordship, Your Honour, &c. nor use those flattering Words, commonly called [Compliments.]