The serviceable man. A discourse made unto the General Court of the Massachusetts colony,…

There is one thing more to be Done for us; and I shall propound it in words like those of the Prophet, Deliver thy self, O New-England, from every thing that may make thee look like a Daughter of Babylon. I have the confidence to tell you, That the Mystical Babylon, is just entering into that Vintage, which will cause horrible and fiery plagues to impend over the Heads of those that shall have the Superstitions of Popery polluting of them. We cannot more consult our own Welfare, than by such an entire and open Departure from Rome, as the Holy God will now speedily dispose the European World unto. I dare publish it, as my Humble Conjecture and Persuasion, That the last Slaughter of the Lords Witnesses, is over; and that we are got more than two years Depth, into those Earth quakes which will shake yet, until they have shaken ⟨p. 53⟩the Papal Empire to pieces, and shaken out the very Hearts of them, that shall not come out of her. If therefore we would be safe, at such a Time, the best thing to be Done, is this, Let us not so much as Touch the Unclean Thing, nor hide so much as a Rag or Pin of a Babylonish Garment with us. For the Children of this Country to maintain any part of the Romish Worship, would indeed be not only a wild Indiscretion, but also a vile Apostasy; and those persons are far from discerning the Signs of the Times, who think it worth the while for them now to forego that Great Antipapal Principle, That no party of men whatever, calling themselves, The Church have any just Authority, to appoint any parts or means of Divine Worship, which the Lord Jesus Christ has not in the Sacred Bible Instituted. Let us keep the second Commandment, and our God will show Mercy to us, for more than one Generation. If we cannot find that any Forms of Prayer were used in any part of the Church, until about Four Hundred years after Christ; nor any made for more than some single Province, until six hundred years; nor any imposed, until Eight hundred, when all manner of Abominations were introduced; surely it becomes Us to be particularly Averse unto such as may ⟨p. 54⟩have somewhat worse than their Novelty, to Create our suspicion of them;

There is one thing more to be Done for us; and I shall propound it in words like those of the Prophet, Deliver thy self, O New-England, from every thing that may make thee look like a Daughter of Babylon. I have the confidence to tell you, That the Mystical Babylon, is just entring into that Vintage, which will cause horrible and fiery plagues to impend over the Heads of those that shall have the Superstitions of Popery polluting of them. We cannot more consult our own Welfare, than by such an entire and open Departure from Rome, as the Holy God will now speedily dispose the European World unto. I dare publish it, as my Humble Conjecture and Perswasion, That the last Slaughter of the Lords Witnesses, is over; and that we are got more than two years Depth, into those Earth quakes which will shake yet, until they have shaken