Joshua Redivivus, or Mr. Rutherford's Letters

there were bracelets, jewels, rings, and love letters, sent to you, by the bridegroom, it was told you what a fair dowry ye should have, and what a house your husband and ye should dwell in, and what was the bridegroom's excellency, Sweetness, might, Power. The Eternity, and glory of his Kingdom, the exceeding deepness of his love, who sought his black wife through pain, fires, shame, death, & the grave; and swimmed the salt sea for her, undergoing the curse of the law, & then was made a curse for you, & ye then consented and said, Even so I take him: I counsel you beware of the new & strange leaven of mens inventions, beside, and against the word of God, contrary to the oath of this kirk. now coming among you: I instructed you of the superstition, & Idolatry, of kneeling in the instant of receiving the Lords supper, & crossing in baptism, and the observing of mens days, without any warrant of Christ our perfect lawgiver: Countenance not the Surplice the attire of the Mass• priest, the garment of Baals priests, the abominable bowing to altars of tree is coming upon you: hate & keep your selves from idols: forbear in any case to hear the reading of the new fatherless service-book, full of gross heresies, popish and superstitious errors, without any warrant of Christ, tending to the overthrow of preaching: you owe no obedience to the bastard Canons, they are unlawful, blasphemous and superstitious; all the ceremonies that lie in the Antichrists foul womb, the wares of that great mother of fornications, the kirk of Rome, are to be refused, ye see whither they lead you: Continue still in the Doctrine, which ye have received; ye heard of me the whole counsel of God, so we no cl••ts upon Christs robe, take Christ in his rags, & losses ⟨p. 7⟩& as persecuted by men, & be content to sigh, and pant up the mountain, with Christs cross on your back, let me be repute a false prophet (& your conscience once said the contrary) if your Lord Jesus shall not stand by you, and maintain you, and maintain your cause, against your enemies: I have heard, (and my soul is grieved for it) that since my departure from you, many among you are turned back from the good old way to the dogs vomit again; let me speak to these men, it was not without Gods special direction, that the first sentence that ever my mouth uttered to you, was that of John Chap. 9: 39.

there were braclets, jewels, rings, and loveletters, sent to you, by the bridegroom, it was told you what a fair dowrie ye should have, and what a house your husband and ye should dwell in, and what was the bridgroomes excellencie, Sweetnesse, might, Power. The Eternitie, and glory of his Kingdome, the exceeding deepnesse of his love, who sought his black wife through pain, fires, shame, death, & the grave; and swimmed the salt sea for her, undergoeing the curse of the law, & then was made a curse for you, & ye then consented and said, Even so I take him: I counsell you beware of the new & strange leaven of mens inventions, beside, and against the word of God, contrair to the oath of this kirk. novv comeing among you: I instructed you of the superstition, & Idolatry, of kneeling in the instant of receiving the Lords supper, & crosseing in baptisme, and the observing of mens dayes, vvithout any vvarrant of Christ our perfect lawgiver: Countenance not the Surplice the attire of the Mass preist, the garment of Baals preists, the abominable bovving to altars of tree is comeing upon you: hate & keep your selves from idols: forbear in any case to hear the reading of the new fatherlesse service-book, full of grosse heresees, popish and superstitious errors, vvithout any vvarrant of Christ, tending to the overthrovv of preaching: you ovv no obedience to the bastard Canons, they are unlavvfull, blasphemous and superstitious; all the ceremonies that lie in the Antichrists foul vvomb, the vvares of that great mother of fornications, the kirk of Rome, are to be refused, ye see vvhither they lead you: Continue still in the Doctrine, vvhich ye have recieved; ye heard of me the vvhole counsell of God, so we no clts upon Christs robe, take Christ in his ragges, & losses