dealt Satan with Eue he made shewe that hee had some good thing to tell her whereby their state might be bettered but it turned to theirs and our destructiō So did the foure hundred false Prophets of Baal contrarie to the true Prophet Michaiah prophecie good successe to Ahab in his war against the Aramites but his harkning to them cost him his life And so dealt Hananie with the Iewes when they were besieged by the King of Babels armie contrarie to Ieremies counsell he prophecied peace and safetie but it turned both to his owne and to their destruction Ier. 28. 1 2. c. The 7. pretence is boldnesse and constancie in suffering for their opinions for a man in obstinacie may liue and die for errour as well as the childe of God may doe for the truth Constancie in opinion is no sure note whereby to iudge a true Prophet for many heretikes haue suffered death confidently for the maintenance of their damnable heresies Thus we see the pretences of false Prophets now hereto wee must adde this second point to wit that for all this they bee but wolues because by their damnable doctrine they seeke to poison and corrupt the soules of simple men If it be said they haue no such intent they themselues thinke it to be the truth I answer that may be true in some but this cleareth them not from beeing wolues for the deuill that hath deluded them who is their Lord and master doth by them dangerously delude and deceiue the simple The Vse 1. Considering this danger of false Prophets we must practise Christs lesson Mat. 10. 16. Be simple as doues that is bee innocent and harmelesse thinking euill of none neither intending euil or offence to any in thought word or deede and yet we must be wise as serpents who haue great subtiltie in sauing and defending their head from harme so must euery one that lookes to be saued labour for so much wisedome whereby hee may preserue himselfe from the hurt of false prophets Now the beginning of this wisedome is to feare God in hi◠word beleeuing his promises obeying his commandements The true feare of God is not without knowledge and therefore euery one must labour to be instructed in the principles of religion for without knowledge we cannot feare God and so shall want true wisdome to eschew false Prophets II. In that the false teacher by so many faire shewes seekes to bring in false doctrine it is euery mans dutie in his place to labour to preserue wholesome doctrine and the puritie of true religion This dutie is necessary for we must be as forward for the truth as the enemie is for falshood and doe as much for God as they doe for the deuill Againe no poyson is more deadly to the body then false doctrine 〈◊〉 to the soule therefore seeing God hath long blessed vs with his truth let vs esteeme it aboue all outward blessings and by seeking to preserue the puritie thereof shew our selues thankfull to God for the same Verse 16. Ye shall know them by their fruits do men gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles This verse those which follow to the 21. containe the third point which Christ laieth down concerning false prophets namely the means whereby we may discerne and iudge of them And herein he obserueth this order First he giues vs a notable rule to direct vs in iudging of false prophets Ye shall know them by their fruits Secondly hee explanes the same rule by a similitude drawne from trees Doe men gather grapes of thornes c. For the rule that we may vnderstand it the better wee are to search what is meant by the fruits of false Prophets A false Prophet must bee considered two waies First as he is a man taking vpon him the name profession of Christ for so false Prophets vse to do and secondly as he is a false prophet in both these respects hee hath his fruits As he is a man taking vpon him the profession of Christs religion hee may bring forth many outward duties of external obedience vnto the moral law but these fruits are not here meant for a false Prophet may dissemble much goe farre in the outward duties of religion so as he cannot be discerned by his generall profession or by the works of his ciuil conuersatiō There be other fruits which come frō him as he is a false prophet by them must he be discerned these therefore are to be considered Now we shall know them the better by searching out the fruits of a true Prophet 〈◊〉 he is a man of God appointed to teach Gods people The fruits of a true Prophet be principally three I. He teacheth and preacheth in the name of God by vertue of calling from God and otherwise dares not presume to teach Rom. 10. 14. How shall he teach vnlesse he be sent and the author to the Hebrewes saith Christ tooke not the honour of beeing the high Priest and Prophet of the Church to himselfe but was called thereto by his father Heb. 5. 5. And this stands with reason for euery true Prophet and teacher stands in Gods roome and is Gods embassadour to deliuer his will to his people which thing none can doe but he whome God calleth and sendeth for that purpose Yet the calling of Prophets and teachers by God is diuers Some are called by voice from God immediatly as were Abraham Moses and Samuel and all the Apostles in the new Testament by the immediate voice of Christ for Paul was called by the voice of Christ from heauen Act. 9. 4 5 6. Againe others haue their calling from God by the speciall message of some Angel or some men Thus was Aaron called by Moses Elisha by Elias and Philip by an Angel to preach to the Eunuch Act. 8. 26. Thirdly others be called by the instinct and motion of Gods spirit so Act. 8. Philip was by ordinarie calling a Deacon but by extraordinarie instinct he became an Euangelist and a preacher of the Gospel for the building of Gods Church These three kinds of calling men into the ministerie were extraordinarie and are now ceased and not to be looked for neither are they to be regarded which say they are thus called at this day A fourth way whereby God now calleth Prophets and teachers into his Church is by his Church for God hath giuen to particular Churches a particular ministeriall power and seruice whereby they may designe a place vnto the teacher and also make manifest that God hath called him Now this authoritie is but ministeriall to designe and manifest whome God hath called for the principall calling is from God for Act. 20. 28. the Elders of the Church of Ephesus are said to be made ouerseers by the holy Ghost when as they were designed thereto by men And by one of these foure waies are all true Prophets and Teachers called Here some may demaund what kind of calling
haue wronged vs. Thirdly consider the examples of worthie men in this case for our Sauiour Christ neuer sought reuenge but bare wrong patiently committing all to him that iudgeth righteously leauing vs an example to doe likewise 1. Peter 2. 10. Yea when hee was cruelly and vniustly crucified he praied for his persecutors Luke 23. 34. Steuen also praied for them that stoned him Act. 7. 16. and Dauid though a King would not suffer reuenge to be taken on Shimeâ— that cursed him 2. Sam. 19. 9 10. neither would hee euer touch Saul who sought his life though he had him often in his hands nay his heart smote him for cutting off the lap of his coate so farre was he from seeking reuenge Fourthly in the fift petition wee pray Forgiue vs our sinnes as we forgiue our trespasses but if wee carrie grudging in our hearts we praie God not to forgiue vs but to condemne vs for we will not forgiue but be reuenged on them that offend vs. Now this is a most fearefull case that a man should pray for vengeance vpon himselfe Fiftly it is not meete in common reason that the same partie should be the accuser and the Iudge and yet if a man might reuenge himselfe this should be so and therefore â—f wee would be Christs Disciples we must arme our selues with patience in suffering wrong and referre reuenge to God that iudgeth righteously Yet some will say If we alwaies put vp and suffer wrong wee shall neuer bee in quiet but still be abused Answer Though in our own person we may not reuenge our selues yet wee may craue the helpe of the Magistrate either for the preuenting or for the punishment of wrong done vnto vs for the Magistrate is Gods Liuetenant to releeue the oppressed and to execute vengeance on malefactours thus did Paul send to the chiefe Captaine to preuent a conspiracie that the Iewes intended against him and appealed to Caesar to auoyde the danger of the Iewes at Ierusalem and yet when wrong is done vnto vs wee must beare it patiently without seeking priuate Reuenge although the wrong were doubled or trebled vpon vs. Thirdly our Sauiour Christ here calling the wrong doer an euill one giueth vs to vnderstand that it is the propertie of an euill man to doe wrong vnto others and this title is giuen to the wrong doer to teach vs that wee must suffer wrong patiently though hee bee an euill man that offereth it vnto vs. It is the propertie of a good man to doe good continually but to doe wrong is the marke of an euill man who herein is like the deuill which must teach vs not to doe wrong to any one in his bodie goods or name either by word or deede but rather applie our selues to doe all the good we can to euery one within the compasse of our calling Hereby wee shall see what our estate is for if in our callings wee set our selues to hurt others either by word or deede wee are in the sight of God euil men such are our vsurers and extortioners and all those that vse fraud and deceite in their callings But if wee would shewe our selues to be good men approoued of God in Christ then wee must referre our bodies and soules and all that wee haue to the good of others Although men by nature be like to sauage beasts as Lyons Woolues Cock â—trices c. whose propertie is to deuoure and hurt other creatures yet when it pleaseth God to receiue them to mercie and to place them in his kingdome then they laie aside their cruell nature and liue peaceably one with another for in all the Mountaine of Gods holinesse none shall hurt or destroie verse 9. It is a prophecie of Christs kingdome that therein the sword and speare which are weapons of warre shall bee turned into scythes and mattocks which are instruments of common good in time of peace whereby was signified that when men are conuerted and become true children vnto God they laie aside all malice and giue themselues to doe good and become seruiceable vnto all for the good of all This was notably verefied in Paul who of a persecuter became a preacher yea he became all things to all men that by all meanes hee might win some And thus doing we are like to our heaueÌ„ly father who doth good to all but if we giue our selues to wrong doing we are euill ones and herein like to the deuill himselfe Fourthly Christ here forbidding priuate reuenge which is vnlawful doth hereby establish that reuenge which is lawfull and iust Now lawfull reuenge to speake somewhat hereof is the worke of a iust and lawfull power requiting euill for euill This iust reuenge is two-folde Diuine and Humane Diuine reuenge is the worke of Gods absolute power taking vengeance vpon offenders of the lawfulnesse of this reuenge in God there is no question onely this we must remember that God executes this vengeance daiely in the manifold miseries of this life and likewise in the iust condemnation of the impenitent after death Indeed as a father he chasteneth his Church and children for vengeance in Christ becomes nurturement but as a seuere iudge hee plagues the wicked powring vengeance on them both temporall and eternall Humane reuenge is the ordinance of God whereby men beeing therevnto called by God doe execute vengeance in the name of God and it is twofold extraordinarie or ordinarie Extraordinarie when men are extraordinarily stirred vp by the spirit of God to execute vengeance vpon offenders in the name of God Thus Pâ—iâ—eâ—as slew Zimri and Cosbie and thus many of the Iudges of Israel specially Ehud Sampson tooke reuenge vpon the enemies of Gods people thus Elias the Prophet slew Baals priests 1. King 18. 40. and destroyed the two Captaines and their fifties with fire from heauen 2. King 1. 10. 12. thus Peter killed Ananias and Saphira and Paul stroâ—ke Elimas with blindnesse This kind of reueng is now rare for wee are not to looke for extraordinarie instincts we know Christ rebuked his Disciples for seeking to execute this extraordinarie reuenge vpon the Samaritans and therefore when we haue a conceit hereof in our selues wee may iustly suspect what spirit it is that mooueth vs. Ordinarie reuenge is that which men ordinarily put in execution in the Church and common wealth according to Gods will beeing thereto called by God it is twofold Lesser or Soueraigne Lesser reuenge is the inflicting of lawfull correction vpon offenders in word or deede not reaching to the case of life and death this kinde of reuenge is committed to parents ouer their children and masters ouer their seruants to schoolemasters ouer their schollers and Tutors ouer their pupils Soueraigne reuenge is that whereby the Magistrate may lawfully punish men according to their offences in bodie goods or life it selfe this I call soueraigne not simply but because it is
and it is the corruption of nature that mooues men to seeke their owne aduantage and preferment by the losse and debasing of others Thirdly here we learne that in common iniuries wherein wee are wronged by others we must not requite like for like but doe good for euill we must not looke at that which they doe to vs but at that which we would they should doe Fourthly henee wee learne that in matters of commoditie whereabout we deale in the world we must not only look vnto our selues but also seeke the good of our neighbours it is the maner of men to seeke theÌ„selues only in their affairs each man will â—el as deere as he can according to the prouerb Euery man for himselfe and God for us all but neither the saying nor the practise is from God he would haue vs according to the law of nature to seeke the common good and to doe as we would be done vnto Fiftly this rule of equity cuts the throat of all those pretences wherby bad dealing is smoothed ouer in the world for ill minded persons vse to colour their doings with these and such like sayings the gripple seller saith The thing is mine may I not make of mine owne what I can the deceiuer saith he thrusts his ware on no man the vsurer saith he bids no man hire his money but others intreat it of him and giue him thanks but these pretences are nought these men follow a crooked line they ought to see in their owne hearts whether they would haue other men deale so with them the vsurer may pretend he pleasures the poore but his helpe is no better then his is that giues a draught of colde water to him that is in a burning feauer which seemes pleasant at the first but after turnes to his great annoyance Sixtly we would haue all men to shew forth their loue vnto vs wee then must be as carefull to shew forth our loue to others by the practise of all good duties This is against our nature but yet beeing the commaundement of Christ we must endeauour our selues to obey the same Lastly here we haue direction how to keepe a good conscience in all our dealings with men in the world for such things as are expressed in the word we must follow the direction thereof but where wee want a particular commandement there we must order our actions by this generall rule enter into thy conscience and there search how thou wouldest haue other men deale with thee and follow that in thy dealings with them and so shalt thou keepe a good conscience For want of this come so many disorders as are in the world and therfore happy were our times if men would doe as they would be done to Thus much for the commaundement now followes the reason For this is the Law and the Prophets The meaning By the Law we must vnderstand the fiue bookes of Moses which were the first Scripture that euer was written so Luke the 16. 31. They haue Moses the Prophets By the Prophets we must vnderstand all the rest of the bookes of the olde testament besides the fiue bookes of Moses the Prophets beeing put for the bookes of the Prophets as Matth. 2. 23. It is written the Prophets that he shall be called a Nazarite which testimonie is taken out of the booke of Iudges and it sheweth that the booke of Iudges is to bee numbred among the bookes of the Prophets and they are called the Prophets because they were written by some Prophet And here this commandement touching iâ—stice is called the law and the Prophets because it is the summe of the Law and Prophets yet some may aske how this can bee true seeing this commaundement onely concernes things to be practised and the Law and Prophets besides morall duties containe matters of faith to be beleeued I answer this commaundement must be vnderstood to be the summe of the Law and the Prophets not for all things but for that which they prescribe touching this point of iustice and equitie and the practise hereof To doe as wee would be done to is the fulfilling of that which is set downe in the Law and in the Prophets touching equitie in all humane actions Now the meaning beeing thus opened the reason standeth thus beeing drawne from diuine testimonie That which is the summe of the Law and of the Prophets touching equitie must be done But to doe as we would be done to is the summe of the Law and the Prophets therefore we must so doe From this reason we may gather a rule wherby to iudge concerning the olde Testament what is Scripture and what is not all Scripture of the olde Testament is either the Law or the Prophets that is was either penned by Moses or by some of the Prophets who were extraordinarily mooued and enabled thereunto And therefore all the bookes from Genesis to Malachie are Canonicall Scripture because they are written by some of the Prophets To this purpose S. Peter saith 2. Pet. 1. 19. We haue a most sure word of the Prophets c. But for the bookes of Apochrypha they are not Canonicall Scripture because they were not penned by Moses or any of the Prophets which is plaine by this that all of them were first written either in latine or in Greeke none in Hebrew originally where as al the old Prophets sent from God writ their bookes in the Hebrew in the language of that people to whom they were sent â—aue onely that some part of Daniel Ezra and Nehemiah were in Chaldie which language the people learned in the captiuitie Secondly the Prophets could not erre either in iudgement memorie oâ— vnderstanding by reason of the immediate assistance of the holy Ghost as Act. 15. 28. It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to vs and Peter calls their word most sure But the Authors of the bookes of Apocrypha erred as may be shewed in them all Tobit 6. Raphaels counsel for driuing away the deuil by the smell of the liuer of a fish is a meere fabulous deuice for the deuil is by nature a spirit and cannot be affected with such things The storie of Iudâ—h is fabulous which saith Nabuchadnezzar was king of Assyâ—â—a when the people returned from the captiuitie and Ioakiâ— was high Priest In the addition to Hester Chap. 16. 11. Haman a is said to be a man of Macedonia but the true Scripture saith he was an Agagite comming of Agag The author Ecclesiasticus confesseth his inabilitie in writing those things but the true Prophets were all sufficient to this worke and freed from errour by the immediate assistance of the holy Ghost And Chap. 46. 13. that author writeth that Samuel prophesied after his death and shewed vnto Saul his death but the true storie Canonicall saith God had forsaken Saul and would answer him neither by dreame nor Vrins nor by Prophets 1. Sam. 28. 6. The booke of Maccabees commendeth