2. The•e are many kites and Customs are used by them, which ought not to be imitated by the people of God, as being Heathenish and no way becoming of Christianity. I shall not here take into all the foolish customs which the Gentiles addicted themselves unto, but only point at some of them, which the Scripture takes notice of, and rest fieth against, and gives warning to them that fear God that they beware of them; and those were such as were expressions of great immoderacy in mourning, & carried also […] decency in them▪ we fi•d such a prohibition Lev 19 28. Ye shall not make any cuttings in your fl•sh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you; in Deut. 14, 1. Ye are the Children of the Lord your God, ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your e•es for the Dead. The argument he useth is from their relation and nearness▪ unto God; the things forbidden, are, cutting the flesh, making prints upon themselves, tnd baldness ⟨p. 44⟩upon their heads: these were customs which the Heathen had taken up, and were in the practice of, and all to testify the exuberance of their sorrow; and in likelihood there were some Ri•es belonging to their superstitious worship, w•ich had been taught them by the Devil, and were every way unseemly to be taken up by the people of God. Our Saviour also showed his dislike of the use of Minstrels at the death of Friends, when he came where they were made use of, Mat. •.23. &c. these were a company of mourners, who with sad and doleful ditties stirred up and enkindled […] sorrow of those that were related to […] deceased party, and blow it up to great excess: The custom also of having mourning wom•n belongs to the same original; nor are we to look upon it as approved by the spirit of God, because we read, Jer. 9.17. Call f•r the mourning women, that they may come; for it is there used Rhetorically to signify the desperate miseries which were coming upon them, which would call for the bitterest lamentation. These women were, by their brutish howlings; and formidable emulations, accustomed to represent sorrow Tragically, and raise the affection in the mourners; which ought rather to have means used with it, whereby it may be rectified and moderated; now of all these, and such like things, it is to be said, that ⟨p. 45⟩the Customs of the Heathen are vain.
2. The•e are many kites and Customs are •sed by them, which ought not to be imitated by the people of God, as being Heathenish and no way becoming of Christianity. I shall not here take into all the fo••lish customs which the Gentiles addicted themselves unto, but only point at some of them, which the Scripture takes notice of, and rest fieth against, and gives warning to them that fear God that they beware of them; and those were such as were expressions of g•eat immoderacy in mourning, & carried also 〈…〉 decency in them▪ we fi•d such a prohibition Lev 19 28. Ye shall not make any cuttings in your fl•sh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you; in Deut. 14, 1. Ye are the Children of the Lord your God, ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your e•es for the Dead. The argument he useth is from their relation and neerness▪ unto God; the things forbidden, are, cutting the flesh, making prints upon themselves, tnd baldness ⟨p. 44⟩upon their heads: these were customs which the Heathen had taken up, and were in the p•actice of, and all to testify the exuberancy of their sorrow; and in likelyhood there were some Ri•es belo•ging to their superstitious worship, w•ich had been taught them by the Devil, and were every way unseemly to be taken up by the people of God. Our Saviour also shewed his dislike of the use of Minst••ls at the dea•h of Friends, when he came where they were made use of, Mat. •.23. &c. these were a company of mourners, who with sad and doleful ditties stirred up and enkindred 〈…〉 sorrow of those that were related to 〈…〉 deceased party, and blow it up to great ex•cess: The custom also of having mouring womn belongs to the same original; nor are we to look upon it as approved by the sprit of God, because we read,