A Warning Piece to Afflicted England, Title page – Dedication
A WARNING PIECE TO AFFLICTED ENGLAND: OR The Church of GOD under a state of DESERTION.
Laid out in VII. MAXIMES WITH APPLICATION to the present Times Together With The Testimonies of several Reverend Divines concerning the danger the Church of God is in.
By JOHN MAUDIT, Minister of the Gospel at Pensherst in Kent.
ZECH. 1. 5, 6.
Your Fathers where are they? and the Prophets do they live for ever? Yet my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the Prophets, did they not take hold of your Fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our wayes, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.
London, Printed by D. Maxwell for SA. GELLIBRAND, at the BALL in Pauls Church-yard. 1659
TO THE Godly and Faithful MINISTERS of the GOSPEL in ENGLAND. Grace, Mercy and Peace be multiplyed.
Reverend Fathers,
I Humbly commend these few papers to you, as the best judges of the case set forth therein. You know what the state of Desertion is, whither it fall upon a particular person or upon a Nation; and of all the Sonnes that Sion hath brought up, you chiefly have bowels and compassions for her to be sensible of what evill befalls her.
Jerusalem, Shilo, the Asian, and Roman Churches are before your eyes continually, as so many pillars of salt with Lots wifes Motto on them, Remember. Oh be pleased to look home, and see how it is with your own Vineyard that you are set to keep. Take these few short hintes into your bosom, and weigh them in the balance of the Sanctuary, and enlarge them as God gives you a call and occasion. This only I premise, what Jacobs Sons did with their brother Josephs coat, the like do I in this case that is before you, they brought their brother Josephs coat torn and new-dyed with blould, and sayd to their father, This have we found; know now whether it be thy Sons coat or no The like is here before your eyes, you have here robes torn, and sullied with dirt and blood, now do you know whose they are? Is this Sion the joy of the whole earth, and is this her sad condition? If so, consider what is to be don, and seek her peace. Which is all that I take the boldness hereby to remember you of. Who am
One of your fellow Laborers in the Gospel of peace. JOHN MAUDIT.