he was a man as Paul there setteth him forth full of subtilty and mischief And such in their measure ordinarily are seducers false teachers They are as Solomon describeth the Harlot Prov. 7. 10. Subtile of heart Cunning and crafty and wily And by this means they come to seduce and deceive those that will hearken to them viz. by their Subtilty This is that which the Apostle taketh notice of as a principal Engine whereby these wheeles come to be turned about as we may collect from that intimation of his to his Ephesians in that Text to which I have had so frequent recourse Eph. 4. 14. where he giveth them this Caveat that they should not be carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lye in wait to deceive Two words expressing for substance one and the same thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The former of which is a Metaphor taken from Cheaters who by Cogging of dice and by sleight of hand cheat and cousin those whom they play with Even so do false Teachers by their sleight and cunning craftinesse deceive those which have to deal with them Which they do divers wayes Instance in some few of them First By their Sophismes fallacious Arguments These are the false Dice which these Cheaters play with Subtile and intrapping Arguments which they take out of divers boxes fetch from several Heads As 1. From Scripture which they make use of this way by wresting it Even as Davids Enemies made use of his words as he complaines Psal. 56. 5. Every day saith he they wrest my words perverting them and turning them to another sense then ever he meant when he uttered them so do false teachers being Gods Enemies make use of his Word This is that which St. Peter saith of some unlearned and unstable soules in his time they wrested some things in Paul's Epistles as they did also divers other Scriptures to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. This did they by mis-interpreting of them and drawing them violently from their true and genuine sense to a false one which they did to that end that they might thereby uphold their errours And truly such is the ordinary practice of Hereticks and false teachers they wrest the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 detorquent depravant writhe and wring them about turning them this way or that way as may best serve for their purpose Dealing by them as Chimists sometimes do with natural bodies which they as it were torture to extract that out of them which God and nature never put into them Or as cruel Tyrants sometimes deal by innocent persons whom they set and stretch upon the Rack and so make them speak that which they never thought After the like manner do false teachers use to deal by the Scriptures wresting them to draw a sense out of them which the Spirit of God never intended A practice common to all Hereticks save onely those Antiscripturians who will not acknowledge the Divine Authority of Sacred Writ 2. And as herein they make use of Scripture so also of Reason which it may be sometimes they oppose against Scripture or else make use of to vouch that sense which they put upon it So dealt those false teachers in the Primitive times Such use they made of their Philosophy Thereupon it was that Paul gave that Caveat to his Colossians Chap. 2. v. 8. Beware faith he lest any man spoyl you through Philosophy and vain deceit that is by such subtile and plausible Arguments as are drawn from the principles of Naturall Reason which however in it self it is useful yet when it is made the measure of spiritual mysteries this is a dangerous abuse of it Now it cometh to be no other but as he there calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a vain deceit And this deceit did those false teachers in those first times make great use of by such Arguments both opposing the doctrine of the Gospel and supporting their own errours And the like use do not a few make of it at this day In speciall the Socinians who make this the measure of their faith and the Touchstone to try all Evangelical truths by viz. humane Reason not allowing any thing to be believed how clearly soever in Scripture held forth but what that may apprehend and comprehend Upon which account it is that they desperately disclaim divers Articles of the Christian faith for which Scripture is expresse and which the Church of God in all ages of it hath looked upon as truths the belief whereof was necessary to salvation And by this means it is that they pervert the faith of some who have not learned to submit their carnal Reason to divine Revelation And in the third place sometimes they plead Custome Tradition So did the Scribes and Pharisees in maintenance of their superstitions That is the Argument which they use to our Saviour blaming his Disciples and him in them for not complying with them in some of their Ceremonial observances Mat. 15. 2. Why do thy disciples transgresse the traditions of the Elders Not observing such Customes and usages as they had received from their Ancestors and so had been of long continuance And this Argument the false Apostles in Paul's time made great use of Thereupon it is that he giveth the like Caveat to his Colossians concerning that as he doth concerning Philosophy putting them together in that forecited Caveat Col. 2. 8. Beware lest any man spoyl you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the Traditions of men This was one thing which they pleaded for their doctrines against the doctrine of the Apostles Tradition Custome Wherein they are followed by the Doctors of the Church of Rome who take up the like plea for many of their Errours pretending though most falsly as it hath been made out by divers Champions of the truth who have undertaken that cause against them Antiquity for them casting the odious imputation of Novelty upon all contrary Opinions and Practices Which is a taking Argument with many So was it with the Iewes who brought it in as an Article against Stephen that he should say that Iesus should change the Customes which Moses had delivered them Act. 6. 14. And the Disciples when Paul came to Ierusalem give him to take notice what a stumbling-blockit was in the way of the believing Jewes that he should teach those of that Nation to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to circumcise their children neither to walk after the Customes Act. 21. 21. So tenacious are many at this day of some Customes that they will prefer them even before either Scripture or Reason And these are some of those Arrowes wherewith false Teachers do oft-times pierce the hearts of men Sophistical Arguments fetched from Scripture Reason Custome To which for the further Confirmation of their Doctrines and gaining belief from the credulous multitude they sometimes adde
Thessalonians to be by those false Apostles who to insinuate into them and to gain credit and credence unto their doctrines made use of that threefold Artifice viz. Spirit Word and Letter Spirit pretending Prophetical Revelations Word Reports concerning the Apostle as if he had changed his mind recanting what before he had preached and so were of the same mind with them as Grotius I think sitly expounds the word there Letter any counterfeit writing going under the Apostles name And the very like Artifices do false Teachers frequently make use of Pretending sometimes to Spirit Revelations Inspirations Sometimes to Word Reports Traditions Sometimes to Letter forged Records All frequently made use of in the Church of Rome And some of them made use of by some false Teachers among our selves at this day Now let not Christians be shaken in mind or troubled by any of these No not by that which biddeth most for belief in this kind Spirit Pretended Revelation This was the great Argument which the false Prophets under the Old Testament made use of to gain credit to their doctrines by And the like have false Teachers done in the New As in the Primitive times so in most ages since being therein imitated by some in this Nation at this day But let not this pretence gain any Credence from us That is St. Iohn's advice 1 Ioh. 4. 1. Beloved saith he Believe not every spirit But try the spirits whether they be of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world So it was in his time there were many false Teachers who boasted of the Spirit pretended Revelation and Inspiration by which means their doctrines gained belief with over-credulous soules But St. Iohn forbids to believe them ever the more for that but to Try them So did the Church of Ephesus for which she is commended Rev. 2. 2. Thou hast tryed them which say they are Apostles but are not and hast found them lyars And the like it standeth all Christians in hand to do Not lightly to believe every spirit By this means if reports be true many children have been stollen and carried away by those whom the vulgar call by the name of spirits Being over-credulous and committing themselves to them they have made Merchandize of them Take you heed of doing the like by your soules of committing them to every one that pretend to the Spirit lest they also do the like by you make merchandize of you as St. Peter foretelleth false Teachers would do 2 Pet. 2. 3. But try such spirits whether they be of God Bringing their Doctrines to the Touchstone of the Word That was the Touchstone to which God requireth his people to bring the Prophets under the Old Testament Isai. 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony to the Word to the Scriptures If they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them No Morning saith the Original The daystar hath not appeared unto them the Sun is not risen upon them as they pretend they have no light of divine illumination or yet can afford any light of true Consolation And in like manner by the same means try we the like Pretenders under the New Testament Not taking doctrines in matters of faith upon trust from any Not from any one singular person 2. No nor yet in the second place from any Community any Society of men Be it a Church or be it a Synod a Councel Provinciall or National yea suppose Oecumenical General Universal True it is great respect both may and ought to be given to these specially to the last But yet none of them having a promise of infallibility it is too great an honour to yield an absolute credence unto them so as to receive their determinations for Articles of faith without any further discussion Such an implicit faith did that ancient Heretick Apelles plead for Being as Eusebius reports it of him taken in some errors and dealt with for his Conviction he alledged that it was not for him or any other to enquire into the truth of Doctrines professed but every one to abide in that faith which he had received And the very like do they of the Church of Rome Fearing the truth of their doctrines they forbid the people to try them specially if once they have the Churches stamp upon them now it is piacular so much as to question them No wonder that poor souls being over-credulous are in this way carried about whither it pleaseth their blind guides to lead them Would not you miscarry in the like way make use of this second Advice Be not over-credulous in receiving of Doctrines upon trust from others I passe to a third Would you not be thus carried about Take heed how you come in the winds way how you expose your selves to Temptations in this way Under which Head let me give you a twofold Caveat 1. Take heed of high things That is the Apostles Caveat to his Romans Rom. 12. 16. Mind not high things And let it be mine to you If you would not be thus carried about take heed of high things You may remember what I told you of Chaffe upon the Mountains Being there it is presently whirled about with every gust of wind whereas had it been in the valley or upon the floor possibly it might have lyen still and quiet Would not you in like manner be carried about with this wind of strange doctrines keep off from the top of the Mountain take heed of high things In particular of high thoughts and high speculations I shall instance onely in these two 1. Of high thoughts concerning your selves of your own wit your own wisdome your own Judgment as if you were more perspicacious more quicksighted then others This Caveat the Apostle subjoynes to the former Rom. 12. 16. Be not wise in your own conceits Such for the most part Hereticks are they have high thoughts of themselves as if they could seek further then others And with this leaven for the most part their Disciples likewise are sowred And thence is it that having once given entertainment to an opinion they are so hardly induced to part with it again Seeth thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a fool then of such a one Prov. 26. 12. would not you fall into the like condition Be not in this sense High-minded Have not over weening thoughts of your selves And secondly whilest you take heed of high thoughts take heed also of high Speculations Whilest you take heed of setting the one into your soules take heed how you let out your soules after the other that they do not reach at things above their reach So our former Translation not unfitly renders that of the Apostle Rom. 12. 8. That no man prefume to understand above that which is meet to understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Either above that which is meet for any man to
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Spirituall Vertigo OR TURNING SICKNESSE OF Soul-Unsettlednesse IN Matters of Religious Concernment The Nature of it opened the Causes assigned the Danger discovered and Remedy prescribed As it was lately delivered to the Church of God at Great YARMOUTH By JOHN BRINSLEY Minister of the Gospel there And now presented unto a Publick View as a needful Antidote against the Infection of those divers and strange Doctrines wherewith in these unsettled Times many possibly well-meaning but unwary and unstable soules are carried about to the great disquietment of the Church the dishonour and prejudice of Gods true Religion the hazarding of others and eminent indangering of their own Soules Jam. 1. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4. 14. That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro c. Rom. 16. 17. Now I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences c. London Printed for Tho. Newberry and are to be sold at his Shop in Corn-hill near the Royal Exchange 1655. TO All the Fixed STARS in Englands Horizon Whether Ministers or others who in these loose and unsettled times do yet through Grace remain stable as to matters of Religious concerncernment Specially those in the Town of Great YARMOUTH Highly and deservedly honoured in the Lord YOu see what Matters they are I have here to deal with Not Civill but Religious The former of these I leave to the wise Providence of that Most High who ruleth in the Kingdome of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will Dan. 4. 17. The latter I look upon as properly within the Sphere of my sacred function And being so I have taken occasion to deal therewith according to the exigence of the present Times which being themselves unstable are apt to render those that live in them like unto themselves as the Ship doth the Passengers that are imbarked in it Hence is it that vertiginous distempers as to a secondary cause of them are grown so Epidemical in this our Climate at this day that in this our Heaven so the Church is frequently stiled in the Book of Revelations there should be so many Planets wandring Stars it is St. Jude's word Jude 13. to be seen in every quarter of it so many every where carried about with divers and strange doctrines to the no small disquietment of the Church the high dishonour and great prejudice of Gods true Religion with the eminent indangering of their own soules That you are not in this number this you owe to that Grace by which the Heart of man is established And that you may not be so is my design in this Treatise wherein I have according to my weak skill done or at least endeavoured to do what becometh a spiritual Physician Opened the Nature assigned the Causes discovered the Danger of and prescribed a Remedy proper and Soveraign for this Malady And these my good Intentions I do here present to a publick view desiring what I do not wholly despair of that they may be in some degree useful and successfull if not for the reclaiming of those who are already turned aside from the way of truth yet for the preventing of the like deviations in others Which that they may be let them not want the additional Ingredient of your Prayers For which I shall rest Yours obliged to serve you in the Gospel of Jesus Christ Ioh. Brinsley Yarmouth March 19. 1654. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Spirituall VERTIGO OR TURNING SICKNESSE OF SOUL-UNSETTLEDNESSE IN Matters of Religious concernment Heb. 13. 9. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace c. IT is not for nothing that the Prophets the Ministers of God in the Language of the Old Testament are sometimes called by the name of Watchmen Son of Man I have made thee a Watchman saith the Lord to his Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 3. 17. What the Watchmans Office is it is not unknown viz. to stand upon the Watch-Tower to look out for and give warning of approaching dangers or Enemies And such is the office of the Ministers of God Thus to watch for the soules of men which is their proper work as the 17. verse of this Chapter sets it forth Obey them that have the oversight over you c. for they watch for your soules to look out and descry what spiritual dangers do threaten them and to give timely warning of them Son of man saith the Lord to that Prophet in the place forecited Ezek. 3. 17. I have made thee a Watchman unto the house of Israel therefore hear the Word at my mouth and give them warning This did that Apostle who is commonly reputed the Penman of this Epistle the Apostle St. Paul He made this his work to warn others So he tells the Elders of Ephesus at Miletum propounding himself unto them as to all other Ministers of the Gospel as a pattern for their imitation Act. 20. 31. Remember saith he that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with teares And writing to his Colossians he inculcates the same telling them how this was one thing which he ever had an eye at in his preaching of Christ Whom we preach saith he warning every man Col. 1. 28. And this is the design which my self have upon you at the present God having by his Providence and Ordinance set me as a Watchman in this place my desire is to approve my self faithful in discharging that trust committed unto me by giving a seasonable warning unto you of that which may indanger your soules I presume there are few or none of you but take notice of a flood of dangerous and soul-destroying errors which in these unsettled times have broke in upon the Church of God in this Nation Some of which have already entred in at these gates and others in all likelihood are treading upon their heeles ready every day to follow them Now upon this account it is that I have singled forth this portion of Scripture wherein the Apostle giveth the like Caveat to his Hebrewes that I intend to you forewarning them of the like danger willing them to beware of it Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines Then seconding and backing that Caution that Admonition with a Reason of it wherein also he comprehends an Antidote or Remedy against it For it is a good thing that the heart be established with Grace These are the Parts of the Text which by Gods assistance I shall handle distinctly beginning with the first the Precaution or Admonition Be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines Wherein for the better handling of the words we may take notice of two things The Affect or Malady and the Ground or Cause of it The Affect or Malady a spiritual Vertigo or Giddinesse Be not carried about The Ground or Cause of it Divers and
two other Artifices pretending to Revelations and Miracles to the receiving of the one and working of the other 1. For the former Revelations This was a thing which the false Prophets under the Old Testament frequently pretended unto and thereby deceived those that trusted to them So did that old Prophet of Bethel the Man of God who had prophesied against the Altar there 1 King 13. 18. And so did Ahabs Prophets him And the like Artifice have many false Teachers under the Gospel used which hath proved very effectuall for the seducing of many So did many of those Ancient Hereticks the Montanists Messalians Donatists and others who pretended to an extraordinary familiarity with God this way affirming that they had received their doctrines by immediate Revelation from God himself whence it was that some of them as the Messalians were called Enthusiastae Enthusiasts from their pretended Inspirations And it is well known what use that grand Impostor Mahomet made hereof who held forth his new and impious doctrine as delivered to him by the Angel Gabriel with whom he would be thought to have had frequent intercourse in his Epileptical fits which he pretended to be no other but Divine raptures And I shall not need to tell you of what use this hath been to the Doctours of the Church of Rome whose Legends are stuffed with such stories of Visions and Revelations made to themselves or others Nor yet what use hath been made of it by the Anabaptists and some other Sects of late times Some of which are said to be among our selves in this Nation at this day who are great pretenders to Enthusiasmes as if they neither spake nor did ought but what the Spirit in an immediate and extraordinary way moved them to 3. And to these some joyn Miracles being in like manner pretenders unto them Such were some under the Old Testament as viz. Iannes and Iambres of whom St. Paul maketh mention 2 Tim. 3. 8. Two of those Egyptian Magicians spoken of Exod. 7. who are there said to withstand Moses This they did as by other wayes and means so by vying Miracles with him as the story sets it forth Exod. 7. 11. And the like it seemeth did many false Prophets in those times Thereupon it was that the Lord gave that Caveat to the people of Israel Deut. 13. 1. If there arise among you a Prophet a dreamer of dreams and giveth thee a sign or a wonder c. Such it seemeth then there were some who pretended to Revelations by dreams and confirmed their Prophecies by signes and wonders And the like have divers false Teachers done under the Gospel So our Saviour foretold it that it should be Matth. 24. 24. There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders And accordingly soon after his departure it came to passe Many such false Teachers arose Among other and in the first place the forementioned Simon Magus who for the confirming of his impious opinions made use of his Sorcery which he had practised before his seeming Conversion by the power of Satan working many wonders counterfeit miracles in so much that the people of Rome generally thought of him as the people of Samaria had done before Act. 8. 10. that he was the great power of God and so both admired and adored him Such use did he make of those his Impostures to gain credit to his person and doctrine In which way he went on untill he was stopped by the hand of Divine Iustice which as the hand of Providence saith to the Sea Hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed Job 38. 11. so said that to him not onely staying and bounding him as it did Iannes and Iambres who were permitted to go on in their Inchantments till it came to the turning of dust into lice but then were stayed Exod. 8. 18. but also arresting him taking him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the very Act of his Sorcery So Ecclesiasticall Histories tell us how that attempting on a time to flye in the ayr in the sight of many people his divellish Art failing him he fell to the ground and brake his leg which proved to him mortal in a little time bringing his wretched life to a miserable end Thus was he most deservedly made a spectacle of Divine vengeance and a laughing-stock to the people who before taking him for a God now saw him to be what he was no other but a notorious Impostor God therein dealing by him as the Apostle there saith he had done by Iannes and Iambres and would do by other false Teachers 2 Tim. 3. 9. Not suffering him to proceed any further but causing his folly to be made manifest to all men And what that father of Hereticks did the like have divers of his followers after him done It is the Character which the Apostle giveth of the great Antichrist 2 Thess. 2. 9. He is one whose coming is after the working of Satan with all powers and signes and lying wonders A description fitly agreeing to the Antichrist of Rome who maketh use of this as a speciall meanes for the confirming and upholding of his erroneous doctrines and false worships Among all the Engines which he employeth in this way there is none more usuall or effectuall then this this of Lying wonders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wonders of deceit deceitful wonders So may Popish Miracles fitly be called being either downright Lyes things meerly feigned never acted or done or else impostures and illusions cheats acted onely in shew and apparence deluding the senses of the beholders or at the best Diabolical wonders Miranda non miracula not true Miracles exceeding the power of any created nature which all true miracles do but wonders varying from the ordinary course of nature which by Gods permission Satan may alter and change Such I say are Romish Miracles either prodigious lyes or lying prodigies And these doth that Man of sin make use of for the confirming of his doctrines Therein shewing himself to be the Antichrist Aemulum Christi as the word Antichrist may be expounded Christs Ape as it were emulating and imitating of him in things not imitable This was Christs way of confirming his doctrine by Miracles and wonders and signes which God did by him as the Apostle Peter tells the Jewes Act. 2. 22. And by the like means Antichrist attempteth the confirming of his doctrine his coming being after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders And the like hath been the practice of divers other Hereticks and false teachers Some of which are said to be abroad among our selves in this Nation at this day who pretend as to Revelations so to Miracles Of all which we are to judge as of the former And these are some of those false dice those false Arguments which these spirituall Cheaters false teachers make use of in the seducing of simple