Truth Held Forth and Maintained, Part 1 · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. Concerning the true Language, and proper Nature of Speech, and the true Names of the Days and Months. And alſo the Ʋnrighteouſneſs of Peoples vain living.
Through the Unrighteouſneſs of Peoples careleſs living unto God, they are got into a habitual cuſtom of vain living before the Lord, not regarding to live up in Obedience to the the Spirit of Truth, which lead, Gods faithful People into the true Nature of Speech, and to call the Dayes of the Week, and the Months of the Year by their proper Names, according as by that Spirit of God they are recorded for People to learn, in the holy Scriptures of Truth, which givs a holy Teſtimony, of the Righteous in dayes paſt, who lived in all manner of good Life, and holy Converſation before the Lord, ſpeaking their words in the true Language, which is the proper Nature of Speech, and calling the Days of the Week, and and Months of the Year by their proper Names, which holy Practiſe, doth witneſs againſt this Generation of evil Doers, who accoſtom themſelves to a vain way of living, both in Words and Actions, by which it doth manifeſt, that they are Lovers of their own vain Wayes, and not the Lovers of Gods holy Truth, which leads every upright hearted man and woman, to keep in the true Language and proper Nature of Speech unto all men, without reſpect of Perſon to any; for that which the World terms Re…pect, with Hand, Hat, and Knee, and You to the Rich, and Thee and Thou to the Poor is a reſpecting of M…ns Pe…ſons, which is a tranſgreſſing of Gods holy Law, for they that reſpect mens perſons, commit ſin, and are convinced of the Law, as Tranſgreſſors, Jam 2.9. for thee and thou is proper to all men, and you to more then one for God ſaid thee and thou to Adam, and Adam, ſaid thee and thou to God again, Gen. 3.12, 13. and the ſame was maintained between …acob and his Sons, Gen. 43.49. which proves, that thee and thou was the true Nature of Speech between God and Man, and Men and their Children, as Jeptha, a Judge in Iſrael did thee and thou his Daughter, and his Daughter, did thee and thou her Father again, Judg. 11.3, 5, 6. And the three Children did thee and thou to the King, and alſo Paul to Agrippa. And the ſame form of thee and thou to a ſingle perſon, and you or ye to more then one, was prectiſed by Chriſt to his Diſciples, and the ſame by the Diſciples (as thee and thou) to Chriſt again, which is the true Nature of ſpeech, as contained in holy Record, thoroughout the Scriptures of Truth, though ſome have wreſted divers Scriptures, thinking thereby to prove a lawfullneſs of ſaying thee and thou to more then one, which doth not prove that you on ye is proper to a ſingle perſon; for thoſe ſcriptures which they have wreſted, do manifeſt, that when the ſpirit of God in his Servants and Meſſengers of his Truth, did ſpeak by the Spirit of Truth, to a Nation, Church or People, it was proper to ſay either you or ye, or thou, which did include a Nation, Church, or People, as one body in the cauſe, which was from the Lord, either for or againſt them, which is not the ſame between man and man, or between man or men, further then the cauſe doth concern a body of People, which in the cauſe are included, as one Man; for as the Body hath many Members, them many Members make but one Body, even ſo is it with a Body of People, whether in Church, or ſtate; the many Members of that Church or ſtate, make but one compleat Body of People, which is very proper to ſay, thee or thou to that Body of People, but not proper to ſay thee or thou to a part of them, as they are divided; for though it was proper, according to Truth, to ſay, thee and thou to Jeruſalem, yet we never find that the Spirit, of God did direct any to ſay you or ye to a ſingle Jew, nor thee and thou to more then one, except as aforeſaid, to a Body of People, whom the Spirit of God did as many Members includes one Body.) But then why not you to a ſingle Perſon, which includes all the Members of that Body? becauſe when the ſpirit of God did you or ye to a Body of People, it was that all might underſtand the Lords Cauſe, which was either for or againſt them. Now though the body of a ſingle Perſon hath many Members, yet the Underſtanding of that body is but one, which Underſtanding comprehends the matter or cauſe, which the other doth relate; for when the Spirit of God ſpeaks by the Meſſengers of his Truth to a Body of People; they do not ſpeak to all the Members of the Body of each Man and Woman, but to the Body, which includes each man and woman a Member of that Body; ſo that it is very improper, and inconſiſtent with Truth, for People to plead, that when they ſay you or ye to a ſingle Perſon, they ſpeak as including all the Members of that ſingle Perſons Body; for which they have no warrant from the Spirit of God, nor Example from any that we read of in the holy Scriptures of Truth, Mat. 23.37 Luk. 13.34. Iſa 43 5. but to keep to the proper true Nature of Speech, which God did ſet forth in the beginning, and the ſame by his People hath been in practice throughout all Ages, the hight of Pride is ſuch in many People of this Age, that they abhor to receive thee and thou to themſelves, in which words they themſelves render their Prayers to the Lord, which doth manifeſt their Diſobedience to Gods holy …ruth, which leads to pr… …tiſe every good Work, which doth not appear in them which will not in love receive thee and thou to themſelves, without eſteeming of it as ill breeding; then what breeding are ſuch of, who render their Prayers to God, …n or by the ſame words of thee and thou, which they …ccount Ill Breeding in the People of God, whoſe Communication is Yea, Yea, and Nay, Nay, and Thee and Thou …o a ſingle Perſon, and You and Yee to more then one, but …vil Communication corrupts good Manners, and it is …il for People to live in that which is inconfident with …e Truth of God, who brings forth his Children with the ſame Breeding, which in dayes paſt his People did manifeſt, by their upright living in all manner of good Life and holy Converſation which in this day among them account the Scriptures the Rule of Life, how contrary are they to the Scriptures, in the words and actions of of their Life? for among many, if not the greateſt part of them called Chriſtians in this day, who will not in love receive thee and thou from their Parents, neither will Parents in love receive thee and thou from their Children, nor the Rich from the Poor; for according to mens outward Wealth, or their place in Authority and outward Power, do Peopler ſpect them in their words and actions, as with Hat, Hand and Knee, you Sir, and your Servant Sir, and of the like, too tedious to mention, which are ſo many and ridiculous, that by ſuch Fruits, with many of the like nature, they may with the …pirit of God b… Judged, that they are far from a L…e or the holy Scriptures and the Spirit of God, which is their Condemation; … there is matter ſufficient con…ained in the Scriptures for Pe… ple to learn the proper Nature of ſpeech, and to call th… Days & Months as there recorded …or every mans learn … and not to practice you and ye to a ſingle Perſon, and th… or thou to more then one, neither to call the Dayes … Months by that Name which the Heathens, and the … Saxon Pagns have put upon them, according as will … low, in their Idolatry, when they worſhip the Sun, fr… which they called the firſt day of the week Sunday, a… the ſecond day of the week they worſhipped the M… from whence came Monday; and the third day of … week, they worſhipped the Planet called Tuisko, … which came Tueſday; and ſo following, from their I Woden came Wedneſday; and from their Idol Thor … Thurſday; and from their Idol Friga came Friday; … from their Idol Seater came Saturday. And the Heathens called Mars the godd of Battel, and from thence they called the firſt Month March; and Venus they called the godd of Love and Beauty, and from thence they called the ſecond Month A…ril; and Maja, a H…athen Goddes, called Flora and Flowris, were called the Goddes of Flowers; and unto Maja, the Heathen Idolators uſed to ſacrifice, from thence was the Third Month, called M…y, and upon the firſt day of the ſame Month, they uſed to keep Floralia i. e. Feaſts to the two Goddeſſes of Flowers, viz. Flora and Flowris; and Flora was a Strumpet in Rome, …at uſed on the firſt day of the month to ſet up a May-Pole before her Door, to intice her Lovers, from whence came May Poles to be firſt obſerved; and from the Heathen Goddes, Juno, is the fourth Month called June; and in honour to Jalius Caeſer, a Roman Emperor, is the … Month called July; and the ſixth Month took its Name Auguſt, in honour of Aguſtus Caeſar, the Emperor; and September, October November and December are called from the Latines; and Janus, a King in Italy was for his Wiſdom pictured with two faces, whom they honoured as a Godd, from this name Janus was the eleventh Month called January; and Saturnus, Plato, Februs, were called the Godds of Hell, whom the Heathens ſaid had the rule of the evil Spirits there, and from Pluto Februs was the Twelfth Month called February. Now as to them who have been, and yet are accounted Goſpel Miniſters of Chriſt, how have they neglected the work of God, to let People ſtray from the outward Letter of the holy Scriptures, to follow the p…actice of Pagans and Heathens, as before related, whoſe Fruits are not agreeable with the Truth of God, as by holy Record appears; and for a Tree to be good, that bringeth forth evil Fruit all its days, is a thing impoſſible; for men do not uſe to gather Grapes of Thorns, nor Figgs of Thiſtles; and for T…chers with their People to live in a Life of theſe things, which are ſo contrary to the holy Scriptures, and the Spirit of God, by which they have been given forth, doth manifeſt that ſuch People are only Chriſtians in the outward Name, but not in the inward Li…e and Nature of what God requires, that every true Chriſtian ſhould be.