Monday Puritan (with slight commentary)

"That the common custom of the times in any sin or unlawfull practice, doth bring men at length to make question of the lawfullness of those things whereof no question ought to be made; yea, to think such sins to be no sins, &c. So here the corrupt Jews in this unlawfull practice of putting away their Wives for every small occasion of dislike, did bring them at length to make question of the lawfullness of this practice; yea, to think it lawfull: and therefore those Pharisees come and move this question to our Saviour; and they so move it, as that they seem in their Judgment to incline (as no doubt but they did) unto the common Custom and practice then in use. Therefore Matth. 19.7 they urge our Saviour with the Authority of Moses for the justifying of this unlawful practice. The like may be said of Polygamy, or of the marrying of many Wives at once, which being in itself a sin, yet by common custom therein, the Fathers of the Old Testament were brought to make question of the lawfullness of it. So Fornication among the Gentiles by common custom, came not onely to be questioned whether lawfull, but to be holden as no sin. In the times of the Ancient Fathers of the Christian Church, there were sundry corrupt customs and practices in use, which by reason of the commonness of them, grew not onely to be questioned whether lawfull, but also to be holden and reputed so to be; as Praying for the dead, giving of the Communion to young Children, deferring Baptism till sickness or old age, &c. So in our times there are many unlawfull and unwarrantable practices in use, which by reason of the common custom of the times, are grown now to be questioned as touching to be holden lawfull. For example, the custom of profane swearing, especially of some common Oaths, as by Faith, Troth, &c., the Customs of drinking Healths, the practice of mixt dancing of men and women together, of usury, &c. See how dangerous it is for us to follow the common customs and practices of the times and places where we live, farther than they are warrantable. For by this means, we may soon be brought, not onely to err in practice, but also to be corrupted in Judgment; so as we shall begin to make question of the lawfullness of such things that are simply unlawfull, and whereof no question ought to be made at all; yea, we shall be so blinded and besotted, as to think some gross sins be no sins &c. Take heed therefore how we live; make not the outcome of the times, or the example of the multitude, but the Word of God the rule of thy life. Remember Exod. 23.2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evill, &c. And Rom. 12.2 Be not conformed to this World, &c. but prove what is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. Great is the force of evill custom, especially when it groweth common and ordinary amongst many, or the most part of men in the times and places where we live; it is not able, not onely to pervert us in life and practice, but also to blind and besot us in Judgment, causing us so make question of the lawfullness of thing utterly unlawfull, wicked, and sinful; yea to think sins be no sins at length, when they are commonly practiced, &c. Such evill customs are like Epididemical diseases, which, where they once begin to prevail, are apt to over-run all or most of the people in those places: or like wild Fire, apt to lay hold on everything that comes near it. Therefore let us beware of being infected with the contagion of such evill customs and practices, though never so common; Take heed this dangerous Wild-fire lay not hold on us: To this end, Pray unto God to keep us upright and blameless in these evill times, that we may separate our selves from the common corruption that is in the World through lust, (as the Apostle saith), and that we may shine as Lights in the midst of a perverse generation. Amongst whom we live."

Were it not for the spelling and grammar, would we know that this is from January 17, 1627? George Petter was preaching on Mark 10:2, bemoaning the sins of the Church, and yet these are the very words that must be heeded by the RCA and the whole Christian Church today. These are the words that needed to be spoken amidst the silliness and blasphemy that passed for our General Synod. Where are the men in the RCA who say, "Thus says the Lord!"? Where are the men who stand up and answer such blasphemous questions with, "What did God say?" If we hold to nothing of the teaching of Jesus and the Word of God except by custom, as we have approved it, then we are not Christians, our salvation is lost, and we are those brethren that John speaks of who [ought!] leave the church because they were never of Christ (I John 2:19). Christians: Repent! Preach, teach, and receive the Whole Clear Word of God. And to the others: Begone! Leave the Church of Christ! Fester joyfully with your father, the devil, until our Father send His Son to finally cleanse us, and all of creation, and make us His Bride.