Shepherds feed them to fleece them that so they may the easilyer worry them It is not much that we are called legall Preachers time-servers persecutours inquisitours what not The devill must first asperse God to Eve before he prevaile with her and those popular preachers could not reigne at Corinth but by bringing Paul into dis-esteeme if they could His letters say they are weighty and powerfull but his bodily presence is weake and his speech contemptible 2 Cor. 10. 10. It s easie for men to ingratiate themselves with their party by espying faults in every Ordinance and Administration never so well constituted we see beauty enough and find no want of light in the Sun though they that look upon it through their Galilean glasses discover spots in it as big as all Asia or Africk as themselves say They wrest the Scriptures 2 Pet. 2. 16. making it to speake upon the rack◠that which it never meant partiality and affection to their own opinion is an ill medium to look through Pull the staffe out of the water and it will not be crooked how often doe men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compell the Scriptures to goe two mile when of themselves they will goe but one we should tremble to put words into the mouth of those Oracles which we doe by mis-inferences and misapplications 1. By mis-inference drawing forth that which they will not yeeld as the Sadduces proved no Resurrection because seven brethren had taken one woman to wife Matth. 22. 28. unto whom our Saviour answers that though they cited a place of Scripture yet they erred not knowing the Scripture for not he that repeats the words but takes up the true sence is the man that knowes the Scriptures We must not mangle and cut one joynt from another and expound one sentence against the whole streame I would men would tremble to take Gods hand which he hath set to his owne Word and set it to a lie of their owne it were odious to serve a man so 2. By mis-application of generall rules to particulars For it hath been observed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is a great cause of many evils not to be able to adapt common principles and generall rules to particular cases or actions for how often is a generall rule of Scripture brought for the warrant of an unlawfull action as if the Apostle should have eaten with scandall upon the rule of All things are pure to the pure so we know how men first imagined a decency and order in superstitious ceremonies and then warranted them by that Let all things be done decently and in order we feare not to say that no man can prove the calling of our Ministers or the Baptisme of our infants or the Morall Law to be null c. but by the torture of the Scriptures They recommend their doctrine upon some private pretended revelation and light of their owne or by some effects thereof which they seeme to have found in themselves since they became therewith acquainted as that they have found such experiments of it in themselves as they never had before they are more lively cheerefull comfortable c. As for their revelations or light what is it they meane by them Doe they meane that the vaile is taken off the Scripture or rather their eye so that they have a cleerer spirituall discerning into and savour of and affection to the Word or doe they meane by revelation some secret sealings or assurances which are indeed private to their owne soules like the white stone of absolution with their owne names written thereon These are admirable first-fruits of the Spirit and of glory Happy are they to whom God in this wildernesse gives to taste these Clusters of Canaan-Grapes And for the effects of the word which they find in themselves as attestations of the truth power and goodnesse of the word I find the Apostle appealing to the sense of beleevers to attest the doctrine of the Gospel Gal. 3. 2. received ye the Spirit by the preaching of the law or by the hearing of faith but now what is all this to the revelation or effects of new and strange doctrines what impostures have not been obtruded upon pretence of private light and revelation the old Prophet may bring you into the lions mouth by telling you of an angel that spoke to him 1 Kin. 13. 18. 24. God saith that he proves his people by a Prophet or dreamer of dreames to know whether they love the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soule Deut. 13. 3. nor Prophet nor Apostle nor Angel is to be heard if he preach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 besides or other than that ye have received Gal. 1. 8. and for that they say that they find themselves as it were in a new world since they found this new way I much question their probatum est Is it not some angel of darknesse transformed into an Angel of light doe they not walke in the light of their fire and the sparkes that they have kindled Isai 50. 11. It must needs be an easie way when a man hath cast off all trouble for sin and all care of holy duties but surely the way is too broad to be good These principles I ought not to sorrow for sin least I disparage the sufficiencie of Christs satisfaction I can pay no obedience to the law but I must thereby either infringe my Christian liberty or joyne merit with Christ must needs worke a strange alteration because the doctrine is strange I would speake a word from this point to Ministers and to the people 1. To the Ministers you see these impostours have sleight and subtilty to lie in wait for the people and whom doth it concerne but you to take heed to the flock you cannot by silence liberare sidem aut animam Christ hath given Pastours and Teachers to his Church to this end that the people should not be children tossed to and fro c. convincing of gain-sayers and stopping the mouthes of soul-subverting teachers doth belong to your office Titus 1. 9 10 11. if there were but one Heterodox teacher start up and neglected by the people you would discharge at him with as much freedome as at Papists what if there be moe such teachers and followed by thousands is it ever the more truth for the number or is it a noli me tangere or are we slaves to popularity and dare not snatch the souls of our people out of the streame for feare of displeasing them by saving of them or have we no hope to worke a cure and so like Phisitians we let desperate patients eat and drinke and doe what they will without contradiction Luther did not much consider how usefull the Sectaries of his time might have been against the Pope and his party but confuted them freely knowing that they more blemisht and hindred the Reformation by their tenets than were likely to help it with
THE IMPOSTVRES OF Seducing Teachers Discovered In a SERMON before the Right Honourable the LORD MAJOR and Court of ALDERMEN of the City of London at their Anniversary meeting on Tuesday in Easter weeke April 23 1644. at Christ-Church By RICHARD VINES Minister of Gods Word at Weddington in the County of Warwick and a Member of the Assembly of DIVINES Imprimatur CHARLES HERLE 2 TIM 2. 17. And their word will eate as doth a gangrene LONDON Printed by G. M. for Abel Roper at the signe of the Sunne over against St Dunstans Church in Fleet-street 1644. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE LORD MAIOR AND Court of ALDERMEN of the famous Citie of LONDON Right Honourable and Right Worshipfull AN Epistle Dedicatory usually bespeakes a Patron and then the Reader is epistled afterward I intreat Readers only and Patrons no further than the Truth may challenge them suo jure Though I should have done my selfe but right in sending this Sermon forth into publike yet your Commands were the stronger tye upon me It was received with ill resentment by some whose Character not I but the Apostle gives in this Text the aspect whereof is I believe no more pleasing than the Sermon Either they should not weare such faces as are afraid of this glasse or wash first and then they will not be angry I should rejoyce to offend any man for his good and be afraid to please him for his hurt I intended it for a stay to the nutant and unstable a stop to that Gangrene which I hope is not crept so neere the Head as to have taken any of you who in other things have beene so farre from being Children tossed to and fro with windes stormy winds that from you posteritie shall learne to be men The very holding up of the Text in open view may be a quo vadis to one or other If not Yet Thou hast delivered thy soule Ezek. 3. 19 21. is some comfort to him who humbly presents this Sermon to your hands and eyes with some enlargements here and there which the time denyed to your eares and whose honour it is to be Your Servant for Christ RICHARD VINES THE IMPOSTVRES OF Seducing Teachers Discovered EPHES. IV. XIV XV. That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lye in wait to deceive But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the Head even Christ THE Gospell had no sooner ascended the Horizon of the Gentiles and dispel'd that universall shade wherein they had been benighted but the Devill erected his factories in those new discoveries to intercept the trade of truth therefore is our Apostle in many of his Epistles so much in fortifying beleevers against the impressions of seducing teachers and the hystorie of a Fatemur quidem novas quasdam antea non auâ—itas â—ectas Anabaptistas Liberâ—inos Mennonios Zwenkâ—elâ—lâ—anos statim ad exortum Evangelij ex â—irâ—sse Juâ—l Apol. Eccle. Anglicanae Vide Slâ—idanum in commentarijs Luthers time doth witnesse also that it is the lot of reformations while they are greene and recent to be infested with such sects and doctrines as haply were never before heard of and therefore it concernes all to be carefull what money they take when the markets are so full of adulterate coyne and to be armed against the scandall thence arising as if the truth was the mother of such monsters which are none of hers but are laid at her doore to bring her into discredit we must expect no lesse nay haply we have hereby an argument that the truth is at the threshold for it is not ordinary that tares grow any where but in the wheate field The Text too fitly serves our own meridian being purposely chosen to give antidote against the infection of seducing teachers Whether the word Henceforth doe look back to the time past and imply that the Ephesians had been like children tossed to and fro as is generally conceived by the b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Theophilact Oecumenius c. Greeke expositors and others I shall neither enquire nor insist upon it but shall take it as a result from what the Apostle had said in the beginning of the Chapter where having in the 4 5 6 verses named seven ones one body and one spirit one hope of your calling one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and Father of all wherein the Ephesians and all beleevers are concenterated He passeth on and toucheth upon gifts and ministeries given to the Church by Jesus Christ sitting at the right-hand of God in which forme of expression he seemes to allude to the c As he doth elsewhere viz. Luk. 2. 15. and to the Olympick exercisâ—s 1 Cor. 9. 24 25 c. alibi Romans in their tryumphs wherein the Conquerour having the glorious Captaines at his Chariot scattered his munificence in congiaries and donatives to the souldiery and people for so our Saviour ascended up on high and led captivity captive and gave gifts to men and what are those gifts which might become the magnificence of a Conquerour so triumphant are they not ministeries ver 12. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Paâ—â—ours and Teachers a royall donative given in the day of his triumph but the use and end whereunto these ministeries are subservient and instrumentall addes value to them as it is set forth ver 12 13 14 15. For the perfecting of the Saints c. That we henceforth be no more children In the Text you have A Character and An Antidote The character is of 2. sorts of persons The Seduced The Seducer The Seduced are called children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine The Seducers are said to be sleighty crafty and to have their artifices methods stratagems of deceiving by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lye in wait to deceive The Antidote or preservative is two-fold 1. The Ministery which Christ hath given to his Church He gave some Apostles c. That henceforth we be no more children c. for the salt yee are saith Christ the salt of the earth serves to preserve the people from being flye-blowne with every corrupt doctrine unto putrefaction 2. The holding fast of the substance and vitals of practick godlinesse ver 15. Following the truth in love grow up in all things into him which is the Head even Christ The fortifying of the vitalls is a repercussive to all infections from the stinking breath of a currupt teacher I shall open each part of the Text as I come to it And first the character or description of the Seduced or of them that are unstable for there is no doubt but the Apostle intends to descypher instability and fluctuancy by these words Children tossed to and fro and carried about with
every wind of doctrine which is a sentence as every eye may see carried on in metaphors and figurative expressions only some criticks might haply aske what decorum of speech there is in children tossed to and fro and carried about with winds for had it not been more congruity to have said waves tossed to and fro or cloudes carried about than children but we must not teach the Spirit of God to speake the sence is obvious and proper for the better rendering whereof we may consider 1. By what name unstable people are called children 2. How their instability is expressed Tossed to and fro and carried about 3. What cause there is of it Every wind of doctrine 1. For the first They are children d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are synonymiâ—s 1 Cor. 14. â—0 with Heb. 5. 13. alibi so called not in respect of age but of knowledge and understanding 1 Cor. 14. 20. be not children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in understanding but be men Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfect and ripe And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in veteri Testamento Isa 3. 4. Prov. 19. â—5 Ecâ—lâ—s 10. â—8 alibi men of knowledge are opposed to children that is ungrounded and unskilfull ones unskilfull in the word of righteousnesse for he is a babe Heb. 5. 13. Such babes the Apostle calls carnall though they be in Christ 1 Cor. 3 1 2 3. and opposeth them to spirirituall that is perfect or ripe of knowledge and judgement and you may see that such men that are shallow and unballast with knowledge are easily carried into envying strife factions one crying up Paul another Apollo ver 4. yea they become the certaine prey of Sectaries and seducers made prize of by them as the e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2. 8. word signifies Col 2. 8. 2. For the second their instability is expressed in two f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 metaphors tossed to and fro and carried about the former is drawn from a wave of the sea for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a wave and so it denotes an uncertaine man that fluctuates in opinion and is explained to the full Iames 1. 6. a wavering man is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed The latter from a light cloud swimming in the ayre carried about in a circle having no weight in it and may well be expounded by that of Iude ver 12. clouds without water carried about Nor wave nor cloud have any consistence but are alwayes in motion if any wind be stirring you shall in vaine look to find them anon where you see them now 3. For the third The cause of this instability is every wind of doctrine there are winds of persecution that overthrow the house upon the sand and there are winds of doctrine that tosse to and fro these children Scripture mentions chaffe and stubble driven with wind the reed shaken with the wind the wave the cloud tossed and carried by the wind It is because we have no weight in our selves nor solid principles that the wind hath power over us they are light things and moveable that are at the command of every wind when the Apostle saith wind of doctrine he implies that there is no solidity and when he saith every wind he implies that there may be contrariety in those doctrins to one another and yet every one tosses some waves to and fro and carries some cloudes about nay the very same cloud that is now carried one way is anon carried another and what a miserable passe is he at whose Religion consists in some empty opinion and is but thereof tenant at curtesie to the next wind that blowes being carried about with every g Heinsiuâ— exerâ—â—â—â— â—â—uâ—â— doctrina â—â—dâ—es â—â—taâ—ilis change or novelty of doctrine There are others that are unstable not for want of principles and knowledge but rather want of a good by as of sincerity for God being carried about too but it is by their Interests and ends whereby they are off and on up and downe as the sent lies and as the game which they hunt doth lead them with these I have not much to doe at this time Having thus opened the words of the first part I shall now sum them up together into this point Doct. Children that is ungrounded people who have no sound bottome of knowledge are apt to be tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine 1. Children is a word denoting relation or imperfection relation and so ye are all the children of God by faith in Iesus Christ Gal. 3. 26. Imperfection so in that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. 11. When I was a child I spake as a child c. There are many of this denomination in the Church for as in a Schoole there are divers formes and commonly the most Schollers are in the lower so is it in the Church of God there are abcedaries babes that are to be taught 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their letters Heb. 5. 13 the first elements of the oracles of God and to be fed with the spoone or as the Apostle calls it milke He did not thinke himselfe too high to feed with milke 1 Cor. 3. 2. Therefore let no Minister be he never so learned scorne to be an Usher under Christ to teach his petties their a. b. c. If the people had not pleaded their rotten charters of age and marriage against Catechisme and the Minister had not thought himselfe too good to teach them their letters and first elements we had not seen so many children carried about with winds of doctrine Pride I feare hath made both ashamed of the duty the one to teach the other to be taught and I would that both were now humble enough to acknowledge the fruit of that neglect Now children are so called by reason of the imperfection of their knowledge either in respect of the measure of it or of their ungroundednesse in it and its lying loose in them without rooting 1. In respect of the measure of knowledge which is low and meane though themselves be stedfast in it and unshaken It is not a swimming but an anchoring and centering knowledge and stakes them down from fluctuancy and tossing and this is by having the savour virtue and sweetnesse of that they know He that hath a little knowledge well tryed by the touchstone of the word and tryed in his own experience to be humbling quickning and comforting he loves the truth and love will establish him in it upon that reason which Peter gave to Christ Joh. 6. 68. Whither should we goe Thou hast the words of eternall life The Apostles while under Christs owne ministery and wing were but very raw in knowledge and thereby we learne that no doctrinall teaching or ministery though of Christ himselfe on earth can make way into the heart of man untill the Spirit come yet so much they found in the words of Christ that
proselites to Jesus Christ not to an opinion yea though you may beare the name of a party as Paul might have done at Corinth yet to cry them downe who would cry you up and put over your disciples to Christ as Iohn did telling them that say I am of Paul and I of Apollo that they are carnall 1 Cor. 3. 4. and so you will weane them unto Christ whose they are As for others that teach indeed but yet are no teachers for whatsoever they doe by gifts yet themselves are not the gifts of Christ unto men in the sence of the 11th verse of this Chapter I should desire to know whether every one that hath a gift to be a servant must therefore be a steward or that hath gifts enabling him to deliver a message must therefore be an Embassadour If in truth you be as Amos said of himselfe Herdesmen or gatherers of Sycomore fruit then you must produce Amos 7. 14 15 your extraordinary commission as he did saying And the Lord took me as I followed the flock and said goe prophesie to my people Israel or else you must be taken to be but Herdsmen still and so it will be no wonder that strange teachers should carry credulous people about with strange doctrines as the Apostle cals them Heb. 13. 9. 4. The doctrine by which these children are tossed to and fro and carried about is called wind and that doth not denote the pure Word of God but some illegitimate doctrine which the adulterers and ravishers of the truth doe beget upon it what heresie ever came abroad without verbum Domini in the mouth of it The Arrian pleaded out of that text Iohn 14. 28. The Father is greater than I. The Anabaptist from that Matth. 28. 19. Goe ye therefore and disciple all nations and when he shall be thriven to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or full stature he will undermine Magistracy by that Rom. 12. 19. Avenge not your selves The Antinomian hath for his plea that 1 Tim. 1. 9. The law is not made for a righteous man arguing that he who hath Evangelicall grace for his principle of obedience should not have the law for a rule thereof as if a new principle and an old rule might not stand together but because I intend not a particular confutation of these or the like errours therefore finally you all know that the devill hath a scriptum est ready Matth. 3. 6. the Spider sucks poyson out of the Rose not that I would imply that there is any such thing in the Word it selfe for ex veris nil nisi verum but that a corrupt stomacke concocts wholesome food into disease And why wind of doctrine 1. Because there is no solidity in it but being wind it breeds but wind in the hearer and not good bloud and here I cannot but bewaile our Pulpits of late times filled with hay and stubble in stead of gold and silver as namely invectives against Bishops and Cavaliers newes and novell opinions and in the mean time the staple commodities of Heaven as Christ Faith Love c. are laid aside like breath'd ware which no body cals for I would not be thought to be a patron of any such obnoxious persons against whom the Word of God shoots an arrow but tâ—is I plead for that people who come to looke for soul-nourishing food may not be served with scumme and froth 2. Because of the changeablenesse variety and novelty of it for indeed such teachers doe fit their lettice to the lips of their auditory and doe easily take them by their itching eares nothing more pleasing to an Athenian eare than novelty which affects the hearers while it is fresh and green but when they shall come to chew this wind they find nothing in it and so they hunt about againe untill they start a new notion Christ is the onely everlasting meat who though he be like a great standing dish which by reason of Kickshawes and fine Sallets is now adayes not much fed upon by many yet a truly humble soule is never weary of Christ neither can sit downe to a meale I meane heare a Sermon without him and this sound appetite is a signe of an excellent temperament and healthfull constitution of spirit he that hath his mouth in tast for such doctrine and his stomacke craving such solid food hath cause to blesse God who it may be by inward shakings and temptations cals him to the setling of the main free-holt and state of his soule and so takes him off from running himselfe out of breath after novelties and niceties which will sooner fill his head with dreames than his heart with strength or comfort 3. Because of its prevalencie with and over unstayed men one would wonder that this which the Apostle cals wind of doctrine should so prevaile and spread how suddenly is a whole countrey leaven'd with it whereas the saving knowledge and reception of Christ the power of godlinesse and self-deniall may be preacht an age and not so many fish be taken as are taken at one draught by a corrupt doctrine I will not borrow that comparison which Eusebius made choice of to expresse the quick spreading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Gospell at the first saying that it passed through the world like a Sun-beame but I shall take that of the Apostle 2 Tim. 2. 17. Their word eateth like a gangrene which presently overruns the parts and takes the brain as this wind of doctrine doth and the same Apostle than whom no man did more counter-worke false teachers saith Acts 20. 30. they shall speake perverse things to draw disciples after them whereby it seemes that the way to draw disciples is to speake perverse things hereunto agreeing is that of our Saviour Ioh. 5. 43. I am come in my Fathers Name and ye receive me not If another shall come in his owne name him will ye receive Christ cannot finde entertainment but Bacchochebas is followed and the reason is because Truth when it commeth hath nothing in us but errour hath There is no tinder to catch a sparke of truth but there is oyle for the wild-fire of errour Heresies are workes of the flesh Gal. 5. 19 20. therefore men are soone removed Gal. 1. 6. from truth to errour And now to draw up this point into a summe by way of Application 1. Consider the doctrine you heare and tell it over againe from the hand of the teacher a man will tell money after his father Beware lest any man make prize of you Col. 2. 8. some there are to whom the reputation and worth of the teacher is the proofe of his doctrine receiving all that is stamped with his ipse dixit We should not call any man our father on earth Matth. 23. 9. and some also thinke it enough to say This doctrine makes most against superstition and popery and yet we will not abide that in a Maldonat who shall rather pitch upon such a
an old fowler and a young bird the one he calls children simple easie credulous people the the other is a shrewd gamester a man of subtilty and stratagems I cannot therefore but upon this observation exhort you to take heed of playing with such stake down nothing especially not your soules come not within their ambush I wonder that petties and novices in knowledge will forsake the Congregations and open assemblies of Gods people to frequent private houses where these teachers lay their ambuscado would not all men condemne the folly of a young man of a great estate that should deale with a crafty gamester for these seducers whose designe is to make merchandise of their hearers 2 Pet. 2. 3. doe most of all aime at them who are good prize they care not much for a sheep that hath not a good fleece I beseech you be wise you may be caught though you meane it not God may give you up captive to error for your vanity in forsaking his assemblies Haply you resolve that you will not be caught no more did Dinah intend to be defiled when she went forth to see the daughters of the Land or Peter to deny Christ when he went to the high Priests hall there is no man but will beleeve a lye when God gives him up to delusion one may be infected with the plague by looking in at the window our nature is apt to receive impressions of error It s observed of sheep that they eate no grasse more greedily then that which rots them wherefore if they shall say unto you behold he is in the desart goe not forth behold he is in the secret chambers beleeve it not Matth. 24. 26. And what may some say would you have us come up to an Idols Temple and communicate in Idolatry No Come not ye to Gilgal nor goe up to Bethaven Hosea 4. 15. Woods and caves and the I le of Pathmos are to be preferred to such assemblies or should Christians abstaine all private meetings and confine their Religion as many doe to a Church and a common-Prayer booke farre be it from us Antichrist and Popery will feele the wounds of such private Assemblies as long as they draw any breath the enemies of God and his Church know what reason they have to hate conventicles as they call them All that I have to say is that you stick fast unto and make use of your pastours and teachers which are the gifts of Jesus Christ unto his Church ver 11. and that you come not into the secret of these who are described ver 14. by their sleight and subtilty to deceive Doct. 2. Seducers are artists and craftes-masters in sleight and subtilty and stratagems of deceit they have artifices and wayes and methods to take men at unawares and to convey their poison privily who privily shall bring in damnable heresies 2 Pet. 2. 1. they will not resist the truth aperto marte but cunningly undermine it as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so doe these also resist the truth 2 Tim. 3. 8. that is by sleight and counterfeiting to doe the same thing so that one shall have much adoe to distinguish between the serpents of Moses and them of the Magicians for they also did the like by their inchantments Exod. 7. 11. It seemes these seducers are men of parts the Apostle describes them in the same words as the old serpent is described by whose subtilty we exchanged Paradise for thistles and bryers which first example should teach us for ever to take heed of them that are of his breede who was more subtill then any beast of the field that which being sanctified or well imployed might be called wisedome being corrupted and abused is called craftinesse therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though usually taken in the worser part for Drusius in Job cap. 5. ver 13. subtilty and cunning yet sometimes it signifies wisedome and lawfull policie there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a good and honest craftinesse or policie whereby a Minister being a fisher of men may catch such as by indiscretion will otherwise be hardned scandalized and lost both to himselfe and God we are in great want of this policie of discretion in the management of our Ministery by breaking old bottles with new wine and by exposing Religion to contempt of them whom we might have either convinced or at least disarmed of occasion against the truth but no farther upon this point I must remember that I am upon the subtilty and stratagems of impostours that lie in wait to seduce some of which I shall point out unto you as I find them in the Scriptures that so you may performe that duty which is more than once enjoyned upon you in this case that is beware The common designe of all false teachers is to make merchandise of people 2 Pet. 2. 3. they negotiate their own ends and have an eye to the stake when they cast the die their credit profit lusts are the center to which they draw every line they have eyes full of adultery and their heart is exercised in covetousnesse they follow the way of Balaam who loved the wages of unrighteousnesse 2 Pet. 2. 14 15. and the Apostle beseeches the brethren to marke such which cause divisions and offences because they that are such serve not our Lord Iesus Christ but their own belly Rom. 16. 18. but how doth the Apostle know this for mens ends lie close and how is it that he seemes to charge it upon all of them Are they all covetous have all of them eyes full of adultery doe they all make their belly their God c It s true that ends lie close a man may deny one and seeke another Simon Magus laies by his great repute gotten by sorcery to seeke himselfe in getting power by laying on of hands to give the holy Ghost and this he carried so cunningly as to passe with Philip undiscovered pride may be trampled upon in pride and books written against vaine-glory only to get glory bye ends may be preacht against even out of bye ends as all that bowle at the same marke doe not take the same ground so men in seeking themselves may drive severall trades one is for credit another for his palat another for his purse c. but this in the generall will hold good seducers are self seekers For the service of this maine designe these and such like are their arts or method The Apostle tells us that by good words and faire speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16. 18. the word he useth for simple is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men that are otherwise not evill or as we vulgarly call them harmelesse innocent men easie to be led aside It should seeme the Corinthian teachers with whom Paul had such bickerings had a faculty of pithanology or perswasive lenociny of words whereby they did suadendo docere not so much convince by evidence of truth as perswade with woing words It
concernes very much to hold fast the forme of wholesome words 2 Tim. 1. 13. which the Apostle opposeth to questions and logomachies or strife of words and perverse disputings 1 Tim. 6. 3 4 5. as also to prophane and vaine bablings 2 Tim. 2. 16. Pâ—erunque illa duo â—â—â—â—râ—nt â—uratiâ— doctriâ—â— novi modâ— loqueâ—di Chem. loc com and 1 Tim. 6. 20. that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as some reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 empty words and novell expressions you all know that by losing the genuine and proper meaning of the word Church and Bishop c. we had almost forgot the Scripture use of them and brought the Church within the pale of the Clergy and the Bishop into a throne above the Ministers of the word The Apostle Peter speaking of false teachers hath an expression or two to this purpose They speake great swelling words of vanity 2 Pet. 2. 18. that is they speake great bubbles of words full of wind strong lines or bigge fancies to beare downe people by that torrent and againe in the 2 Pet. 2. 3. through covetousnesse shall they with fained words make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 merchandise of you What are these fained words doe not they meane the same as that 1 Tim. 4. 2. speaking lies in hypocrisie or should it not rather be taken for a set and composed forme of words such as Merchants use in commending their wares to sale shewing the goodnesse and properties of the commodity they desire to put off and even belying it into credit for to that the words seeme to allude I shall not dwell upon this but certainely it is not for nothing that seducers are found to hide their hooke under words and expressions which they doe artificially fit and compose for the purpose a good Title sells a sorry Booke And all times will beare witnesse that it hath been the property of such men as have had any monster to bring to light to use obscurity and cloudinesse of expression that what is unshapen and without forme at the first may afterwards be lickt into proportion errors are bashfull at first and comming out of the darke cannot looke broad-waken upon the light and therefore they are by their parents or nurses alwayes swathed up in clouts of ambiguity as the Oracles of old lapt up their Effata or as he that wrote Edvardum regem occidere nolite timere bonum est where the comma helps him out at which doore he pleases thus the sepia goes away in her own inke and the doore is left halfe chare to make escape They baite their hooke with such baites as are proper to the fish thy would catch Els they were not good anglers to which the Apostle seemes to compare them in that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 2. 18. which is to allure as a bait doth the fish And what is that bait see ver 19. they promise them liberty there is not a more catching bait then liberty Is it likely that Jesus Christ or his Ministers that preach a yoke a daily crosse a forsaking all for him should make such great draughts of fish as they that promise liberty but what liberty haply they may call it Christian liberty or liberty of conscience so the serpent said ye shall be as gods but what is it indeed Is it not a liberty from the controll or check of superiours and their authority for they despise dominion 2 Pâ—t 2. 10. and speake evill of dignities Jude 8. and therefore doth the Apostle Paul so much call for obedience and subjection to Magistrates Masters Ministers thereby anticipating or correcting the thoughts of Libertinisme unto which the name of Gospell liberty might be abused surely our Lord Christ hath not brought in a saturnalia or exemption of Christians from the Scepter of Government or the rod of Discipline Nor is liberty of Conscience though sacred and inviolable a freedome to be or doe what we will for by that engine the sword might be easily wiped out of the Magistrates and the Keyes out of the Churches hand and then we should find our selves returned to a Chaos without forme and void I doe not wonder that all sorts of sects and heresies though they be of contrary principles in particular should meet and concurre in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or liberty to live by their owne lawes unaccountable to others and independent Those that are commonly called Independents are farre off from making the Church to be such a Romulus his asylum a Sanctuary for all commers they allow that Jerusalem shall reach forth her hand as farre as Antioch neither I thinke doe they plead the letting alone of the tares untill the harvest Matth. 13. 30. against the censures of the Church or the fasces securim of the Magistrate but I am sure of this that he that saith Let both grow together untill the harvest doth not give way to any man to sow them An enemy hath done this but enough of this at this time There are others that goe about with liberty too and cry a liberty from the obligation of the Morall Law as a rule a liberty from poenitentiall sorrowes fastings humiliations to them that are regenerate a liberty from sinning or if not so yet from asking pardon for it if they be in Christ These are great liberties indeed but they are glorious liberties reserved unto another world if any man promise you them here on earth he takes upon him to antedate the time of them There are certain fruits and effects of Christs Redemption of us which are payable only in the world to come There is yet another liberty which some will promise and that is a liberty of sensuall lusts and fleshly loosnesse It was Balaams bait whereby he invited the Israelites to the idolatry of Baal-Peor and the Apostle findes these false teachers baiting their hooke with the same 2 Pet. 2. 18. they allure through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonnesse and ver 14. Having eyes full of adulteries or of an adulteresse as the originall carries it and again ver 2. many shall follow their lascivious wayes for some copies have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But you will say Is there any such affinity betweene seducing by doctrine and sensuality How is it that the Apostle charges these teachers with such filthy lusts I shall answer but little to this question as God for idolatry which is spirituall fornication gives men and women up to that which is corporall for it s said Rom. 1. 25 26. They changed the truth of God into a lie for this cause God gave them up to vile affections so will God shame and discredit the errours that are set up against his truth by the lusts that keep company with them They undervalue and cast dirt in the face of all that stand in their light this is an old way of insinuating into people the wolves perswade the sheepe that their