hang by one Artery and have the rest disjoynted By faith and hope and not by love which is the bond of perfeâ—tion If we be wounded there is a repairing if loosed or strained there is a re-establishing if we be of the Body we must have love to all the members care of them all we must suffer with them suffer for them we must cover the blemishes hide the deformities of the parts upon those parts which we think most unhonest we must put more honesty and give the more honour to that part which lacketh Nature and religion both can by no means away with a scisme in the body If there be you be not of the body you cannot say the Text. We that are many are one Body And if we be not of this Communion which is Corporis we cannot be of the other which is Calicis that is Fundamentum Relationis and one bread of one body and of it sumus participes we all partake That of this simus consortes we may be all members To eat of that which is one all over the world as there was but one Lamb to an house so but one bread to the whole Church is the Symboll and Sacrament of one Union with the Body Non ex alio tu nec ex alio ille sed ex eodem omnes nutrimur saith Chrysostome It is but one mystically though numerically many And if but one bread shall we make the Table of the Lord the table of devils And partake of that with bitternesse and wrath If but one body shall we take the member of Christ and make it the member of an harlot of scisme and contention God Almighty grant that we may be all of one minde in one house being all members of one body that being united by one Spirit in one Religion in one Faith in one Hope we may serve one God the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour in one Love being entred by one Baptisme confirmed and strengthned by one Bread coupled and knit into one Body there be no scisme no division among us but that all the members have a care one of another and endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Till we all meet together into a perfect man and the Measure of the Age of the fulnesse of Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all praise and glory now and ever Amen THE SIXTH SERMON 1 JOHN 4. 1. Dearly beloved beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God for many salse Prophets are gone out into this world I Must begin where the Text ends the last words of it are the reason of the first Quoniam is a causall Many false Prophets are gone out into this world Why what then Only this beleeve not therefore every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God I could not think of any subject more proper to this season or more profitable for our selves the old complaint is now if ever proved true the dayes are evill The world was never more rightly compared to a Sea then now men upon dry Land as if they were tossed in a rough Sea thorough staggering and giddinesse of their brains are driven to their wits end they look thorough the waves of their unconstant humours and prejuducate conceits which make the straightest things which have been so well settled with mature consideration and unquestioned authority seem to them crooked they complain that the shoars and trees are moved not perceiving how themselves are silently transported and that they move and not these they do not look that way which they row and yet as if they rushed not fast enough to their own destruction they hoise up their sails of fury and madnesse to precipitate them forward They think to make away in the Sea in which they cannot so much as spye out any prints of their steps which have gone before them nor must hope to leave any impression to be found by those which shall follow after God only knows what Port they are bound for I fear me the distraction if not distruction both of Church and state what else do so many fiery discursions abode the perverting of Scriptures pretending of Prophesies wracking of consciences the bold determinations of ignorant Mechanicks flying into the face of dignities and authority wounding thorough the sides of Ecclesiasticall Discipline the head of Monarchy and Government Do they not all huddle in at one gap to let in confusion and ruine Are they not fruitfull seeds which bring forth such a Monster which hath so frighted Germany these hundred yeers and will eat out the very bowels of the Mother which conceived them Is it because there is no Prophet in our Israel at whose lips may be inquired the knowledge of the Law Or is it not rather because there are too many Such which will take upon them tp be Prophets and are not called as was Aaron Which Prophesie in my name saith the Lord and I have not sent them neither did I command them neither spake I unto them and yet they ran Jere. 14. 14 15. Is not Saul among the Prophets madnesse and cruelty And the devill gotten again into Samuels mantle malice and hypocrisie Is there not a lying spirit got into the mouth of these Prophets As was in Ababs dayes 1 Kings 22. 22. Do they not prophesie lyes unto us in the name of the Lord This this the true cause the Apostle tells in the last words of the Text For many false Prophets are gone out into this world This being the cause what Counsell is to be followed There are two rocks which we must necessarily avoide to beleeve all to beleeve none by beleeving all we rush presently into heresies and scisime by beleeving none we fall upon irreligion and Atheisme against the first the Apostle gives us a Caution Beleeve not every spirit Against the second this Counsell But try the spirits whether they be of God This is his to them to whom he writ this is mine to you to whom I speak Dearly beloved Beleeve not every spirit c. So the Text you see plainly supplies us with two parts First A premonition Secondly A premunition First For praemoniti Secondly Praemuniti First A warning of us Secondly An arming of us They are but two but we may say of them as our Saviour did of the Disciples two swords it is enough we need no more if we be well accoutred with them if thorowly instructed about them if we know how to prove them we shall by the grace of God quit our selves like men not to be put to turn to the right hand or the left but be able to stand fast in our faith till we be removed from our station from faith to fruition from these earthly Tabernacles unto heavenly Mansions from waging of warre and wrestling in combate against sin and errour to wearing of Crowns in immortality and glory We begin with
when a spirituall afflicts her Woe is me that I have not Moses rod to strike these Rocks I have not the art to make you weep no not to weep my self The Angel of God descend this day and stir our pools he touch our hearts that they may teach our eyes true tears and our tâ—nguâ—s strong cryes that we may with unfained sorrow say though it be but the words of this Text Woe now unto us that me have sinned I might have fitted you with a Text of more words but not of more matter long speeches are not alwayes strong ones Magnum in parvo is natures best work so it is reasons so it is religions Those which are run out in length have commonly least spirits in them How short was Moses cry yet how forceable Nay when he had said least he spake loudest Exod. 14. 45. our Saviours cryes are by the Apostle called strong yet they were long none of them how short is that which he hath taught us to utter and yet not the lesse effectuall how powerfull was the Publican in that short petition God he mercifull to me a sinner The Pharisee said more but went home with lesse There are but three syllables in peccavi yet quantum valent saith Saint Ambrose David received pardon only for them it is but little we are to say now we may say it in a moment if we say it right and that we may do that we must say somewhat of the manner of saying it If you please but to observe the Text where it is placed you will finde two necessary attendants on it The Book is a Lamentation the Chapter a Petition it is as Augustus Caesar said of himself when he sate between Horace and Virgil inter suspiria lachrimas The Author of it was a Petitioner with tears in his eyes he was like a Dove upon the Rivers of waters Can. 5. 12. His heart mourning his head dropping prayers and tears are the true acconts of his voyce he spake with his eyes aswell as with his tongue Lamentations mourning and woe are not severed they are joyned by Ezekiel in Gods Book they are not parted by Jeremy in his so it is the manner of repentance to assume what is due by vengeance she doth freely undergoe whatsoever justice doth award they belong to her by her own judgement whatsoever is due by Gods So she useth to judge her self before hand This is her manner and to be practised by us now with Lamentation and mourning to pronounce our woe Woe now unto us that we have sinned I may well tearm my Text the lamentation of a sinner or rather the lamentation of sinners for we are not in our private Closets now the time hath made it publique we are to joyn all of us in doing of it so the Text takes us in all it is not to be said by one alone but by many all of us that are hear present Woe now unto us that we have sinned Now in saying this we say two things 1. Our misery which is the cause of our Lamentatioâ— Woe now unto us 2. Our sin which is the cause of our misery That we have sinned We begin with the first the sence of our misery and that will bring us afterwards to a sight of our sin and in that we have two things to be considered First The greatnesse of it Secondly The neernesse of it First the greatnesse of it it is expressed in one word but that the most significant and full that can be if any expression may be infinite and take in all the intentions of misery that is it Woe now unto us it is in that word Woe Sâ—condly the neernesse of it for miseries a farre of do not so much affect our sences we are not so much touched with them as to go about to prevent them It was St Iohns woâ—dâ—r Quit vos praeâ—nonuit fugere ab irâ venturâ that any should take so much thought as to think of that But this is neer two wayes First in respâ—ct of persons it is our own and not others Secondly of time it is not to come but is come already Woe now unto us And by that time we have considered these we shall finde cause enough for lamentation and finding thâ—se offâ—cts look further to the true cause of our misery which is our sin take a full sight of that and that is properly opus Diei I humbly beg of God his assistance while I dispatch it 1. Our Misery That takes up the first place So it useth in all complaints especially where our pain is as it is heer Woe is the worâ— we have it expressâ—d by Woe is a word of malediction and commination there iâ— a cursing and a threatning â—ver imployed in that any mean Grammarian knows the meaning of that interjâ—ction Two wayes only do we finde it usâ—d in Scripture 1. By God when he denouncethany judgement upon others So it is often in the Prophets Isai 5. Ezek. 13. and by our Saâ—iour in the Evangelists Matth. 23. by the Angel in the Apocalips Chap. 18. and Chap. 9. 2. By others when they lament any judgement already fallen or likely to fall upon themselves in Ieremy we finâ—e it often Iere. 4. 31. Woe is me now for my soul fainteth Iere. 10. 19. Woe is me for my destruction and my grievous plague Iere. 15. 10. Woe is me my Mother that thou bast born me a contentions man a man that striveth with the whole earth Of this sence is this Text we do even curse our selves in saying of it at least we make application of that curse which doth beloâ—g unto us And this is very proper to this time we are now in hand with that which the Apostle else where adviseth us unto To judge our selves that we may not be judged of the Lord by denouncing of a curseâ— we take upon us to be Judges in the Court of Conscience we are allowed to do it to our selves it is the part of the discipline of repentance to award that unto our selves which the Justicâ— of God hath threatned unto sinners such we are nay the very clâ—iâ—fest of sinners we do not do it potestative but approbative we consent that the judgement of God is just and we cannot juâ—ge lâ—ssâ— doth belong unto us then this this is the least that we can juâ—ge Woe unto us Now repentance is rightly called by the School a peâ—ce of juâ—tice it consists especially in awarding due punishment poenitentia à puniendo saith the Master L. 4. d. 14. We are apt in this matter to follow Peters counsell Master favour thy self either we see not fully what we have committed that part of the wallet we commonly cast behinde or we are but partiall judges to determine what we have deserved but true repentance may not so spare her self she is to assigne all that doth belong unto her self to appoint in her own judgement whatsoever divinâ— judgement hath threatned And then once Woe
divels verse 20 21. Neither indeed can there be any communion between Christ and Belial now they might possibly except Though they did eat of things sacrificed to Idols yet they did not beleeve they had any communion with divels or that they were in so doing made partakers of the table of divels The Apostle answers that reply by a double argument The one taken from Israel after the flesh which did still observe the ceremonies of the Law and the legall sacrifices are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the Altar verse 18. and if of the Altar then of the Idol which is over the Altar and though the Idol be nothing yet of the Divell to whom the Gentiles sacrifice in the Idol verse 19. The other argument taken from the Christians which are after the spirit which have an Altar too Heb. 13. 10. though only mysticall and far superiour to theirs because more spirituall of which they which are partakers all worthy receivers have a communion with the things signified upon the Altar The Corinthians themselves were not ignorant of that the Apostle speaketh unto them as men that understood it was so verse 15. he carries it not out upon his own authority buâ— with their knowledge and assent The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the body of Christ and if there be communion in these there is communion in those if with God and Christ in his Altars then with the Idoll and the Devill in his Altars This is the coherence and the inference of the Text. This being already affirmed by the Apostle and acknowledged by the Corinthians for his interrogation is it not is Emphatica affirmatio the whole argument is grounded upon an Hypothesis which must not be denied we maâ—e no more work to prove it but waite upon the Holy Ghosts further illustration of it as he shall enable me and your patience permit There is one word for the most part praedominant in every Text in this the word Communion is it it is the chief veine in the body of it and runs through every line and part and it is very fit for the season Communion now especially to be spoken of when there is so much need of Communion when faction and division have made the thoughts of our hearts otherwise too great there to have some thoughts of communion That you may know what it is the better you may consider three Communions in the Text they make each of 3 Communions them a severall part The first is Sacramentall between the signs and the things signed 1 Calicis The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The second is the Spirituall between the things signed and the 2 Capitis receivers We are all partakers of one bread which though last in the Text is the second to be inserted because by the Apostle it is made the cause of The third Communion which is mysticall between the receivers 3 Corporis and themselves one with another for we that are many are one bread and one body or to read the words more agreeable to the originall and therein I have the judgement of Beza Because there is but one bread we that are many are one body The first of these is peculiar to the season the Sacrament at the solemnity of the Sacrament and the ground of the other two For first there is Communio Calicis and from thence springs the second our Communion with Christ which is Capitis and the third our communion one with another which is Coâ—poris Saint Austine affirms them all Sacramentum Pietatis vinculum charitatis signum unitatis in Johan Tract 27. I call them all Communions because they are all cum unione and where there is union there needs must be communion Though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the originall be sayd only of the first which is Sacramentall and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the other which is mysticall yet they are made to differ but as the effect and the cause the ancient translations know no difference between them these last ought to have as full and as firm communion as the first the end of that being to effect these the Sacramentall Communion for our spirituall which is with Christ our head and for our mysticall which is with one another our body Ideo institutum ut corpus in terris capiti quod est in Coelis coadunetur Aug. Ser. 28. in Erem I begin with the first Communio Calicis the Sacramentall Communion and that because it is the seale of all the rest the cement of all our 2 Calicis Communions the Union of Communion The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ The Bread which we break c. Now a Communioniâ—s rightly defined a relation between two or 2 Paciâ— union of two or more in one thing which is common In the sacrament are two things 1 The signes 2 The things figned These two by the 1 Outward signe vertue of Divine operation are made one and thence is the Sacrament rightly styled A Communion untill this Union come there is no Communion at all res terrena Coelestis which Iraeneus makes the parts of the Sacrament never come together they are at distance look how high the heaven is from the earth nec verit as signo nec virtus Sacramento saith Cyprian till they meet in one conjunction no truth there 2 I ward gracâ— in the signe no mercy here from the things signed till mercy and truth both meet all the vertue in the Sacrament is in the Union of the parts and when that Union is there is then a Communion Take we a view of the parts we must know them first before we can say any thing of their Union or of the Communion of them The first is res terrena the outward and visible signe which is in 1 Ouâ—waâ—d fight effect but one though in number two even as the thing signed one invisible grace or as St. Bern saith rather unus Christus in quo est omnis gratia formally the signes and the things figned are but one but materially two saith the School They are two in number so delivered by Christ at the first Institution so exhibited by the Apostle at the reinstauration and so received by our Church and all places where rightly received at the Solemnization and these two severally considered and not joyntly the Bread asunder from the Wine the better to illustrate the death and passion of our Saviour which was in the separation of his Blood which is the life from the Body but after they are received they come together again as they did this day the Resurrection Christ now dying no more The Commemoration is of Christs death butthe Communion of
come to devour widows houses their substance and estates there can be no good lookt for from their coming They are of their Masters Profession and his name is Apollyon a destroyer and do but mark how they do ply his work they destroy even foundations themselves Faith Hope Love Obedience and if foundations be destroyed what shall the righteous do Other Reasons we might yeeld but these are enough to make us follow the Apostles counsell to mark those which make divisions and contentions which with fair speech and flattering deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16. 17 18. Indeed to warne us of them it is enough alone but to remember the Text it self Many fals Prophets are gone out into this world I passe to the second part The Premunition To be warned of them and not Armed against them is to little purpose we may be armed two wayes by the Text. First Negatively non credendo Secondly Affirmitively probando First Non Credendo Beleeve not every spirit Spirit and Prophet are here Synonima so Beza and the best expound it Metonimically it is put for him Every Prophet pretends he hath the Spirit Mabomet himself that grand Impostor stuck not to affirm that the spirit was his teacher By the name of the spirit they gain authority unto their Doctrines So as you have heard already The devil sendsforth his agents under the pretence of divinity But there is a lying spirit as well as a true one and here we have a caution de non Credendo Beleeve not every spirit It is not safe for any soul to be too credulous in matters of salvation to beleeve every report is in civill affairs an argument of greatest Levity much more in religious Credulity was the sin of our first parents Eve beleeved the Serpent Adam beleeved her I know when God speaks to beleeve him presently ea Credulitas semper magni fuit ingentis animi saith Saint Chrysostome it was Abrahams praise and the Virgins Maries But since lying spirits are gone out in the name of God credulity must needs be dangerous The foolish will beleeve every thing saith Solomon Prov. 14. 15. And the sonne of Syrach Eccle. 19. 4. He that is hasty to give credit is light minded This de non credendo then cannot but be a good watch word Beleeve not every spirit And the reason of it is It is alwayes best policy to watch that place where the enimy strives to enter ibi fortiter opponere ubi fortiter oppugnatur Satans chief battery is against our Faith we need not fear him much if he get not in at that poyson hath no hurt in it if it be not received nor false doctrines if not beleeved therefore his Agents work most upon credulous natures they commonly begin with weak and silly women which are easie to beleeve and creep into them and then by them winde themselves into the opinions and bosomes of weak and effâ—minate men The Devill never could do any thing if you would not beleeve him He requires Faith in his Auditors as well as God doth in his Belief is the only passage of all good or evill to the soul if that be easie to God he enters and with him all graces if open to the devill he enters and with him all vices Therefore Solomon bids us keep our heart with all diligence and especially that passage at which Satan so much seeks to enter which is beleeving And that we may the better keep our heart we should keep our ears too stop those outward passages hearken not to them Deut. 13. 3. Thou shalt not hearken to the words of the Prophets or dreamer of dreams c. We let him in too neer if he get into the ear that passage he seeks to get first if he can have free accesse to the ear he will command the heart too ere he have done And that we may keep both our heart and ear we should keep our houses too not let them lye open to them it is not safe letting them come so neer us their desire is to creep in there first 2 Tim. 3. 6. But no deceitfull person shall dwell in my house He that telleth lyes shall not tarry in my sight saith the Psalmist and these are Deceivers Matth. 24. 5. and Lyers 2 Thes 2. 9. 2 Pet. 2. 1. Beloved let me not be mistaken I mean those false Prophets which are spoken in my Text which are gone out into the world which come unto you with damnable doctrines novelties sâ—ismes which sow divisions contentions debates among you which call themselves Prophets but are not sent and come in the name of the spirit but are not to be received for it is the Apostles caution Dearly beloved beleeve not every spirit But I mean not to insist longer upon this The second take up more time which is affirmative Probando But prove the spirits whether they be of God There is good reason for this rule to beleeve all tends to heresie and scisme for there are lying spirits 1 King 22. 22. Evill spirits Judges 9. 23. Vnclean spirits Luk. 4. 23. Spirits of errour 1 Tim. 4. 1. And therefore you have heard of the Apostles caution de non credendo Beleeve not every spirit But yet to beleeve none tends as much another way to irreligion and Atheisme for there is a spirit which is of God nay there are the seven spirits of God which are sent abroad into the world and these are to be beleeved Revel 5. 6. What is to be done that we may not be deceived We are now to hearken to the Apostles counsell Prove the spirits whether they be of God Now proving them is all the way we have to be safe from errour the false and lying spirit comes in the name of God to us as well as the righteous and true spirit dicit Dominus is the prologue ever to their lye 1 Kings 22. 11 12. In my name do they prophesie lyes saith the Lord himself Jere. 14. We cannot but mistake if we take all if we take none to take the right is to be take us to the rule to prove the spirits whether they be of God And now if ever we have need of proving we live in the last and perillous dayes where many spirits of errours are gone abroad and many are deceived by them those that are yet free or not so farre gone have reason to be both more thankfull unto God and more vigilant over themselves the name of the spirit is able to deceive the best and wisest If a bad one but come and as once the good spirit did Gen. 1. 2. incumhehat aquis be but incumbent there or rest and stay there God knowes what he may produce it concerns such especially to take heed to this rule to prove the spirits whether they he of God or no. And it is but the same which Saint Paul else where bids us Prove your selves 2 Cor. 13. 5. Prove what things are well pleasing unto
creditis vobis potiùs quam Evangelio creditis so vobis potius quam antiquitati creditis I confesse ingeniously there is something favours their saying especially from the African Churches but proves it not to be of a binding nature at all times and places Potest esse diversa consuetudo in diversis Ecclesis sâ—ith Calvin I condemn not those Churches that have it not saith Zanche our Church may truly say with the Apostle we have no such custome In things which are indifferent as all things that are not commanded or forbidden in Scripture are no man in his right wits will deny but the power of the Magistrate may determine The Judgement of so many counsells which have passed upon this point The Laws established in this state wherin we live are enough to satisfie any spirit that is not contentious which defires not rather to steal into the calling under the pretence of Antiquity then to come in by the door of Legall and established Authority Of whom we may well say as Saint Cyprian doth of Novatus Adulter extraneus Episcopus ille est qui fieri à desertoribus per ambitum nititur Epist 52. Sec. 16. The summe of all is but the Doctrine of the Church of England that those which come into their Ecclesiasticall charges by those which are in Authority do come in lawsully and their calling is of God I must not stay upon this point which would take up a book and is not to be contained in a Sermon I return to my Text the other way to know false Prophets by 2. A Posteriori and this is the surer because best seen by us it is the same which our Saviour gives his Disciples You shall know them by their fruits give me leave at once to present you with a bundle of them The fruits of the spirit are Love joy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance Gal. 5. 22. These you may be suâ—e they are of God and so are those spirits that do come with these But contrarily the fruits of the flesh are Adultery fornication uncleanaeesse wantonnesse idolatry witchcraft hatred debate emulations wrath contentions seditions heresies c. Vers 19. 20. These ye may be sure they are not of God neither are those spirits which come with them Look in another place that true Character of false Prophets and of such which our times are especially forewarned of 2 Tim. 3. 1 2. In the last dayes shall come perillous times men lovers of themselves covetous boasters disobedient to parents cursed speakers unthankfull imholy without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers intemperate fierce And Verse 5. Having a shew of godlinesse but deny the power of it And Verse 6 7. Creeping into houses and leading captive silly women And if you please to make up their Character out of 2 Peter 2. 1. Such which privily bring in damnable herefies Verse 3. Which thorough coveteousnesse and fained wâ—rks make merebandize of you Vers 10. Which despise government and stand in their own conceit Verse 12. which speak evill of those things which they know not and make their liberty a cloak for their maliciousnesse None of these are of God neither are those spirits which do come with them By these you may be able to discern them and this is a tryall you may trust unto But as in a disease there may some Symptomes be missing especially before it come to be Epidomicall untill it come to the height of it so it may fall out in the discovery of this great sicknesse of these times all will not appear especially where there is so much art and cunning used in the concealing them I will pitch upon some few which will not fail you as soon as you perceive them you may be able certainly to prove them 1. If they come not in Love the Spirit of God is a loving Spirit This is the touch-stone of the spirit By this shall all men know that â—ou are my Disciples saith Christ if you love one another It is an experiment upon which our Apostle himself concludeth a Probatum est Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of errour Verse 6. Saint Cyprian is down right Quisquis ille est qualiscunque ille est Christianus non est qui in Christi ecclesia non est And in the next words he tells us whom he means even Noâ—atus the Scismatick Qui nec fraternam charitatem nec Ecclesiasticam unitatem tenuit Epist 52. sec 16. The unity of the Spirit cannot be kept but in the bond of Peace and Love those then which come with malice and contention and hatred which come with wrath and envy and debate which are such as the Apostle speaks of some which can never be appeased pray mark that Rom. 1. 30. are justly to be suspected and you may be sure that they are not of God and by this rule you may try not only false Prophets but false professors 2. If they come in Mecknesse and Humility the Spirit of God is an humble Spirit and it is our Saviour Lesson to his Disciples discite ame quia mitis sum I am neer unto him saith the Lord which is of an humble spirit This is another argument to try them by a Symptome of the Spirit of God if they come with pride and arrogancy if contemning of their brethren conceiting of themselves above themselves you may know by this that they are not of God Yet there is a voluntary humility they may possibly creep till they be got in but this vizard will drop off in a short time you shall soon discover them by this whether they be of God 3. If they come in Gentlenesse The Spirit of the Lord is a gentle Spirit Wis 1. 5 6. God himself came not in the fire nor in the Earthquake nor in the strong winde but in a soft and still voyce 1 King 19. 12. Gentlenesse and love are the fruits of the spirit Gal. 5. 22. They know not of what spirit they are which come otherwise The feet of the Messengers of the Gospel are to be shod with the preparations of peace Isaiah delivers them their Message Comfort yee comfort ye my people will your God say This is another rule to try the Spirit it marcheth not suriously like Jebu it is not madnesse but mildnesse which comes with it They prosecute their own cause as he did and not Gods which come otherwise Again fourthly Truth is the tryall of them the Spirit of God is a Spirit of truth by their doctrines you must try the Spirits He that denies that Christ came in the flesh is the spirit of Antichrist Verse 3. There are other Doctrines which proceed from the lying spirits Saint Cyprian notes it for a notable one in Novatus for taking upon him to make a separation of the good from the bad as if he were the searcher of the hearts and reins a lying Doctrine and contrary to the precept of our Saviour himself who commandeth the tares and wheat to be let grow together And to the Apostle who saith that in agreat house there are vessels of wood and earth as well as of gold and silver Such is the shutting up of the Gate of mercy unto a sinner after he hath missed their set time of his call The denying of hope of repentance to such as have gone on long in their wickednesse and have faln from their professions The cutting off of most part of the visible Church from a possibility of being saved by Gods secret and eternall decree of reprobation desperate and damnable and lying doctrines contrary to Gods own protestations As I live saith the Lord c. At what time soever c. And the whole tenour of the Gospel and indeed a denying of Christs coming in the flesh These and such as these are but lying spirits and you may be sure they are not of God 5. I will but adde one more If they hate the light The privily bringing in their Doctrines is an argument of salfity 1 Pet 2. 1. Our Saviours main reason to confirm the truth of his Doctrines was this In private have Isâ—ad nothing John 18. 20. Veritas non quaerit angulâ—r The dangerousâ—st treasons have been nourished and conceived that wayes All estates have justly disallowed of private and frequent convenings The Disciples were commanded what they had heard in secret to preach it upon the house top These dare not do it for they dare not come to light least they be reproved This is another rule if they come privately if they seek privacy they are not of God Christ himself forbids you to look after him in the desert or Chamber I must not adde any more lest I trespasse too much on your patience I will shut up all in that exhortation of the Apostle Rom. 16. 17 18. I beseech you brethren mark them diligently which cause division and offences contrary to the Doctrine which you have learned and avoyde them for they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies and with fair speech and flattering deceive the hearts of the simple and I conclude as I began Dearly beloved beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits c. Now to the eternall God who is able to make you stand be all praise c. FINIS