a judgment of those things wherein their corrupt Interest is opposed or immediately or remotely struck at For men cannot serve God and Mammon as there it follows they cannot be faithful to God and his Truth where a love to him and a care to please him do not bear a greater sway than love to Mammon or any other worldly concern doth Add we yet to all this one consideration more and that is That when men have more love for and pleasure in unrighteousness for worldly advantage sake than love to Truth for Truths sake and what attends a sincere receiving of it the Scripture hath told us that for that very cause God shall send such learned men not excepted strong delusions that they should believe a lie to think and believe verily they have fast hold of Truth when yet they have but a lie in their right hand 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. God in just judgment giving them up to an injudicious mind to call evil good and good evil These things shew how little in reason the consideration of the learning and parts of any of the Popish party ought to weigh with those who upon the account of them are inclined to entertain any whit the more favourable opinion of their way when they consider as they ought that their Learning and Parts are in conjunction with a corrupt Interest As for the Laity or Common people of the Popish perswasion I will not say that a worldly corrupt Interest doth so much prevail on them immediately to be or to continue to be what they are in point of Popery as it doth with their Clergie but at the Second hand it doth prevail on them also For they acting by an Implicite faith believing as their Church-men believe and seeing not with their own but with their eyes and taking all on trust from them and giving up themselves intirely to their Conduct it follows necessarily that if a corrupt Interest misguide their Guides they also must needs become seduced by means of it So that what was said to the people of Israel of old is truly applicable unto them O my people they which lead thee cause thee to err But that will be no excuse to them who suffer themselves to be so misled For if the blind lead the blind you know who hath said they both shall fall into the ditch Now if Popery shall be found indeed to be founded in a like secular carnal corrupt Interest as the corrupt Doctrine and Practice of the false Apostles was and whether it be or no I leave you to judge by what the following discourse offers you then that alone would be enough to blast the Reputation of it for ever in the minds of all such as have judgment in Spiritual things For by this very thing did St. John discriminate the false Teachers and Degenerate Christians and their way from the Orthodox and Sincere and their way They saith he are of the world therefore speak they of the world and the world heareth them 1 Jo. 4.5 6. They are of the world i. e. they were men of worldly minds and such as chiefly designed a worldly Interest they were such as did mind earthly things as it is elsewhere exprest Phil. 3.18 therefore they speak of the world i. e. the Doctrine which they taught so far as it was False was calculated to promote a worldly corrupt Interest And the world heareth them that is earthly minded men pretenders to Religion received their Doctrine as falling in with their worldly design But we saith St. John are of God he that knoweth God heareth us i. e. received their Doctrine which drew men off from the world to God He that is not of God heareth not us Hereby know we the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of error behold here a plain Discrimination of who and whose way is of God and whose is not with whom the Spirit of Truth is found and with whom the Spirit of Error If the Authors of Popery then and their followers have adopted into their Religion as a part of it any corrupt Doctrine or Practice for worldly advantage sake as the false Teachers of old did then they we see as well as those false Teachers are markt out by St. John as being not of God but of the world and as men that are misguided by a Spirit of Errour And although by wresting the Scriptures and corrupting the Word of God they think to colour over and patronize their corrupt Doctrines and Practices just as the false Apostles before them did yet their Arguings thence are but of the same nature with the Reasonings of the false Apostles in like cases which were as St. Paul calls them but perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds destitute of the truth supposing that gain is godliness 1 Tim. 6.5 I have in the following Papers shewed how St. Paul's Complying with the Jews in some Rites of the Jewish worship upon account of Expedience was quite of a different nature from the corrupt Complyances of the false Apostles and their party And from that prudential and expediential complyance of his I have in an Appendix by parity of Reason argued the expediency of yielding to the use of some things in or about the external form of Gods Worship which are neither directly commanded nor forbidden by God when circumstances render such a yielding necessary to prevent Divisions in the Church and the bad Consequences of them and to preserve Peace and Charity in it and the better to further the free course of the Gospel And this I have done the rather lest any should think that such a yielding as aforesaid should be of like nature with those corrupt compliances of the false Apostles and their Party which are represented to view in the following Discourse As for those who have hitherto escaped the snares of Popery the proper use of the ensuing Tract for them is to fortifie them against all Temptations of turning Papists of what nature soever the Temptation may be Always remembring that such as follow the false Apostles in corrupting the Christian Religion to avoid Persecution or for any worldly advantage whatsoever must expect to share with them in their fate also of whom it is said their end shall be according to their works 2 Cor. 11.15 And since you will find by the process of the Discourse before you that the Corruptions both in Faith and Practice first in the false Apostles and their followers and after them in the Papists did arise and spring out of an inordinate love of the world the consideration thereof may serve as a Sea-mark to warn us to take heed of that Rock upon which so many professours of Christianity have made shipwrack of it This running into the Spirit of the World hath always been fatal to the Churches As it laid waste at last the once famous flourishing Churches of the Apostles own planting so it hath since deprest and kept many others very low in their
advantage of that and by corrupt arts under religious pretences rise to that greatness in the world as to cause the world to wonder after them do fairly seem to be prophetically pointed at by the Apostle as those which should carry on the Mystery of Iniquity to a greater height and prevalence when that which hindred was taken out of the way than it could reach to in the Apostles dayes But I need not lay the stress of proving the Authors of Popery to be the Actors of the second part of the Mystery of Iniquity upon this contexture of Scripture I have been beating upon for the thing I suppose will appear evident enough of it self if there had been no such thing written as what we have in 2 Thes 2. For if they out of a worldly design have corrupted the Christian Religion under pretence of Religion as the false Apostles did Then they must needs be found workers of Iniquity in a Mystery as well as they And whether they have or no comes next to be enquired into which brings me to the Second part of what I was to discourse and that is to justifie my comparing the Authors of Popery with the false Apostles in managing a carnal and worldly design in corrupting the Christian Religion under pretence of practising and promoting it S. 15. To prepare my way to this I shall premise for our better understanding that though the design and practice of the false Apostles and the Authors of Popery agree in the general nature of them yet they differ in some circumstances But then that wherein they do differ does not tend to extenuate but to aggravate the iniquity of the design of the Authors of Popery and to render it more criminal than the same design was whiles and as it was managed by the false Apostles The false Apostles acting their part in times of open opposition against Christianity and of persecution for so much as but confessing the name of Christ were under a sore temptation of doing what they did at the first only to save their lives and to preserve and get a livelihood in the World Whereas those that gave the first rise to Popery taking their turn in the world in Halcy on days and peaceable times when persecution for confessing Christ was not only ceased but them when the profession of Christianity was grown into honourable request with High and Low they were under no such temptation of doing what they did in the way of their design either to save their lives or livelihood or to obtain an honourable estate becoming Bishops of the Churches of Christ being therein prevented by the bounty of Christian Emperors But their design and the mâ—â—ns used to effect it was founded in an excessive thirst and exorbitant desire after greatness and worldly domination exceeding all bounds of moderation And this difference renders the iniquity of the worldly design in the false Apostles but little in comparison of what it was in the Authors of Popery Solomon saith Men do not despise a thief if he steal to satisfie his soul when he is hungry Prov. 6.30 They pitty such as through a kind of seeming necessity are drawn to do that which yet is no wise-justifiable under such a Circumstance when the same thing done by another under no such temptation is looked upon with indignation To acquaint you then with the first rise of Popery as founded in a worldly design as at the first I acquainted you with the rise of the false Apostles and their corrupting the Christian Religion founded in a design for this world I must first represent to you the ill use which some of the Bishops made of that peace and prosperity which the Church of God at last came to enjoy when the Emperors and Rulers of the world became Christians themselves and imployed their power and greatness to encourage and farther the profession and practice of Christianity For when the Bishops of the Churches came not only to be protected in the discharge of their Function by publick Authority but also to be greatly honoured and highly advanced for their Profession and Function sake some of them were not able to stand under so great a weight of honour as was cast upon them without being puft up and transported with Pride and Ambition And this Pride and Ambition put them upon striving and contending for precedency preheminence and superiority of Jurisdiction which settled at last in a claim of Supremacy made by the Bishop of Rome in arrogating to himself the Title of Vniversal Bishop over all Bishops and Churches in the world And out of this pretended headship grew by degrees the whole body of Popery by which the Christian Religion hath been corrupted This exorbitant Power claimed by the Bishop of Rome could not be upheld and maintained without the assistance of such other Bishops and Presbyters as were willing to own and defend this headship Nor could that be expected without their sharing in the worldly advantages to be obtained thereby Nor could that grandeur which they designed for themselves be maintained without a suitable Revenue Nor such a Revenue be raised had the plain honest and moderate methods of Christianity been observed in it For if those methods could have been observed and their turn served thereby they would never have been at the trouble of inventing and defending new ones That these ends designed therefore might be served certain additions to and corruptions of the Scriptures and Christian Religion were pitcht upon as the likeliest means to obtain them but yet to be managed so as that the people might be perswaded that those additions and corruptions were either parts of Christian Religion or necessary means to promote it And these additions and corruptions are the things which we call Popery and not any other things though held and done by Papists which yet are agreeable to the Scriptures and which other Christians hold and do as well as they I do not say nor indeed think that the first Authors and beginners of Popery had in prospect or did practise all the additions and corruptions which afterward were found out by their successors as necessary to secure and uphold the Usurped Power and Greatness No more did their predecessors the false Apostles begin with all the evil devices which they were afterwards led to to carry on their design I shall now therefore come to instance in some of those additions and to shew how they fall in with this worldly design projected by the Authors of Popery and how like they look to what was designed and done by the false Apostles It may be every one of those additions in difference between Protestants and Papists may not directly tend to promote their worldly design though many of them do remotely which do not immediately But yet that will afford them no relief though so it should be Because when men invent some errors for no other reason but because they are serviceable to them in
their carnal and corrupt designs it is not unusual for God then to give up such men to other absurd opinions and practices though not serviceable to them in any such way Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved but the love of some errors instead and under pretence of truth that they might compass and bring about their worldly design therefore and for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness saith St. Paul 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. I intend not to dispute the several points in difference between Papists and Protestants or to prove them to be such additions and corruptions as I term them to be for that hath been done many a time over sufficiently and abundantly already by Reformed Authors But methinks it should go as far and signifie as much with the Popish Laity if not much more as a just and full confutation of those additions as erroneous would do when they shall come to see how they have been abused and imposed upon by their Leaders and Guides and made to believe and do such things for the saving of their Souls as have no such tendency but the contrary and by dancing after their Pipe have been made use of as Engines meerly to work their ends and to serve their carnal design by them to squeez and drain them to fill themselves or as men make use of horses to carry them out of the dirt and to ease themselves by their labour Which puts me in mind of the woman that sate upon the Beast having upon her forehead a name written Mystery Babylon the great c. Rev. 17.3.5 All that I would desire of the Laity is that they would see with their own eyes and use their own reason in the things I shall now lay before them and not suffer their Clergie to blow out the Candle or to hoodwink them while they play tricks and pick their pockets In giving instances of the Popish corruptions by which the design of domination and worldly greatness hath been begun and carried on by the Romish Bishops and their Seconds and assistance under a Religious pretence I shall begin with that which was laid as the foundation of the Papal fabrick S. 16. First then they would bear the world in hand that the Bishops of Rome successively are St. Peter's successours and as such are invested with a kind of Apostolical Authority and their See the Apostolical See and that as St. Peter was superiour to all Bishops and Presbyters in jurisdiction so they as his successours are so too Yea that the Bishop of Rome for the time being is Christs Vicar on Earth and visible Head of the Church Which claim of theirs puts me in mind of those who said they were Apostles but were not but were found liars Rev. 2.2 And if it shall be affirmed that the Bishops of Rome are successours of these in their design and pretence they themselves have given a more cogent proof of it than ever they did of being St. Peter's successours in such headship and power as they pretend to But as the false Apostles by pretending to be Apostles indeed when they were nothing less did procure to themselves such a reputation with those that were deluded by them as did greatly advantage them in that worldly design which they undiscernedly carried on under that pretence just so have the Popes by making their deluded adherents believe that they are St. Peters successors Christs Vicars and head of the Church raised to themselves such a reputation as is greatly advantagious to them also in the like but greater worldly design of theirs For as the Proselytes of the false Apostles were by their delusive persuasion made not only plyant but even zealously active in serving them in their design so have the deluded adherents of the Popes been in like manner in serving them in theirs Into what mould may not such men cast the people when they have insinuated themselves into their opinion to be such marvellous men as they pretend themselves to be The Galatians though after the false Apostles had corrupted them began to look upon Paul with a jealous eye as if he had been their enemy by exposing them to that trouble in professing the Gospel which the other taught them how to avoid yet so long as they retained that veneration for him which sometime they had while they esteemed him the undoubted Apostle of Christ they could if it had been possible have pluckt out their very eyes to have given him as he saith Gal. 4.15 16. And when the false Apostles were taken for true ones they had such an interest in the deluded people thereby as that they did even what they would with them Which made St. Paul say ye suffer if a man bring you into Bondage if a man devour you if a man take of you if a man exalt himself 2 Cor. 11.20 Words doubtless applicable to the Popish Laity upon as great reason as ever they were to the deluded Corinthians So great is the power of false opinion when men whether false Apostles or Popes are taken to be what they least are Besides as this lofty claim and high pretence of supremacy and headship over the whole Christian world prepared the Popes way for commanding and doing what he pleased among them that received and owned him in that capacity So it was the direct road to the highest pitch of Vain Glory that is of being esteemed and honoured for what he is not since all mâ—n are wont to proportion the honour they give to men according to what they esteem them to be And honey is not sweeter to the mouth than honour and glory is to ambitious minds And therefore if Diotrephes loved to have the preheminence and the false Apostles thought it a prize worth striving for to be counted the head of a small party when but low and kept under in the world how was his Holinesses fancy tickled may we think with the contemplation of being Vniversal Head of the whole Christian World And what would not ambitious men give or do for such a purchase and to keep it when they have it Simon Magus we know would have purchased the power of working Miracles as the Apostles did with money but for what end but that he might not be outdone by the Apostles and so lose that high esteem he had among the people whom he had deceived with his Magick as if he had been the great power of God even as the Popes have done by their Arts. I appeal to the Papists themselves is it not apparent that honour from men was a great part of the prize for which the Bishop of Rome ran when he first laid his design for Universal Bishop and to bring all others under him And hath it not been a sweet morsel to his successors for the time
THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY UNFOLDED OR The False Apostles and the Authors of POPERY compared in their secular Design and Means of accomplishing it by Corrupting the Christian Religion under pretence of Promoting it John 7.18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory 1 Tim. 6.5 Men of corrupt minds and destrtute of the truth supposing that gain is Godliness LONDON Printed by J. M. for Walter Kettilby at the Bishop's Head in St Paul's Church-Yard 1675. THE PREFACE THE design of the following Discourse is to shew that Popery is founded in a like worldly corrupt Interest as the way of the false Apostles was and carried on by a like Art And if it shall appear to be so indeed there will be no great cause to marvel why the many worthy endeavours of the Advocates of the Protestant Cause to convince the Papists of being guilty of corrupting the Christian Religion should prevail no more upon them than they have done for such an Interest whilest adhered to doth obstruct the operation of all such Truth on the Mind and Will as tends to oppose or undermine it So that upon the former supposition we may well conceive that the reason why the endeavours of the Persons aforesaid have prevailed no more upon the Gainsayers is not the weakness of their Cause nor weakness in their managing of it nor yet the strength of their Adversaries Arguments in opposing them but the true reason will be found to lye in the prevalence of a carnal worldly corrupt Interest For that which was the reason why the Holy Apostles could not recover the false Apostles nor those that stuck to them from their Errors and Corruptions we may well conceive to be the reason likewise why the Advocates for Reformation have recovered no more than they have done of the Papists neither from theirs which were introduced into the world and persisted in upon the same or like carnal reason and motive as the Corruptions of the false Apostles were Now our Adversaries themselves cannot but grant that the reason why the Holy Apostles prevailed no more upon the false Apostles and their followers than they did in managing the Christian Cause against them in corrupting the Christian Religion was neither the badness of their own nor goodness of their adversaries Cause nor the Holy Apostles weak managing of their Cause and if none of these were the reason what else could it be in probability but the false Apostles love of close adherence to and fast holding of such a corrupt Interest as could not be upheld but by corrupting the Christian Religion And if the Holy Apostles who were extraordinarily assisted in delivering and speaking Truth and who had their Doctrine extraordinarily confirmed with Signs and Wonders and divers Miracles could not for all that prevail with the false Apostles to confess and relinquish their Errors so long as a Worldly Interest was upheld by those Errors and was dearer to them than the Truth it self 't is then no wonder at all if our Protestant Advocates who do not pretend to compare with the Apostles have prevailed no more neither than they have done though their Cause be never so good and so well managed to bring Popish Guides to acknowledge and relinquish those Errors of theirs by which their corrupt Interest is supported and maintained if that Interest is dearer to them also than that Truth that opposeth it and fights against it is as there is too much ground to suspect it is Some perhaps may be under a temptation to have the more favourable opinion of Popery for that there have been men of great Parts and Learning of that way who upon that account may perhaps be thought as able as their Adversaries to discern Truth from Error But if those who so think will but consider that those Learned men have still had a strong byas of a corrupt Interest to draw them aside they may easily relieve themselves against such a temptation For the greater parts such men have as have espoused a corrupt Interest and are strongly bent to defend it the less likely are they to be overcome meerly by Truth Because it hath always been too common with such men to imploy all their Parts and Learning to the uttermost not indifferently and impartially to seek Truth for Truths sake but to make the best they can of the Cause they have undertaken and with all possible Art to dress it up that neither they nor any of their party may fall into dislike of it Which was the reason why the learned Scribes Lawyers Pharisees and Rulers among the Jews stood it out against Christ when the more illiterate and meaner sort that were not under such a temptation of a worldly interest as the others were nor had such parts to strengthen themselves in their opposition as the others had were sooner brought to receive Christ and submit to his Doctrine Of such as the former sort our Saviour said how can ye believe which seek honour one of another and seek not the honour which comes from God only Joh. 5.44 The experience of such a thing as this doubtless occasioned that saying of St. Paul 1 Cor. 1.26 You see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh are called nor many mighty nor many noble Besides as the Love of a corrupt Interest in men calls off their thoughts from an impartial enquiry after Truth especially such Truth as opposeth it so it corrupts the mind and clouds the understanding of Learned as well as Vnlearned in making a Judgment of what 's Truth and what 's Error in those things wherein such an Interest is concerned 'T is said a Gift blindeth the wise and perverteth the judgment of the righteous Exod. 23.8 It hinders a man from enquiring impartially into the right of the others cause against whom he hath received a bribe and causeth him with as much partiality to consider his from whom he hath received it and is a byas as well as a cloud upon his mind in forming a judgment upon the Cause before him by reason of all which he gives judgment against the truth and equity of the Cause And there is the same reason why a corrupt Interest otherwise should hinder a right judgment and determination in matters wherein that Interest is struck at as there is why the corrupt Interest of a bribe should hinder it in a man otherwise knowing and wise Our Saviour saith if thine eye be evil thy whole body shall be full of darkness if therefore the light that is in thee be darkness how great is that darkness Mat. 6.23 If the governing principle in man be corrupt as it is when that which is predominant is covetousness or the love of the world of which he there speaks the issues of it can be no more pure than the streams that flow from a corrupt Fountain that corrupt governing principle will still be turning men aside in particular actions of their Lives and in making
Spiritual state and is of ill abode as to their future standing And there is so much the more danger of falling into an undue and destructive love of the things of this world because we have need of them daily use them familiarly converse with them and because men generally are very unable to discern the parting difference between a lawful and unlawful degree of love to them and so are very apt insensibly to pass over from the one into the other And therefore there is great reason to be jealous of our affections in this respect and diligent to observe their motion and manner of operation towards the world and continually to be following them with considerations that all the things of this world are at best but Temporal and useful only for a little season and that our main Concern lies in the things of another world that are for Eternity in comparison of which the things of this World are of no weight when a judgment and estimate of both is rightly made By the Knowledge Belief and practical consideration of this it was that the Holy Apostles and all sincere Christans then did overcome the world when their worldly and spiritual their temporal and eternal Interest came in competition This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith saith St. John 1 Ep. 5.4 And though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day while we look not at the things which are seen but the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal saith St. Paul 2 Cor. 4.16 18. And it was by that saith which is the Substance or confident expectation of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen by which Abraham Moses and the rest of those Worthies in elder times became such famous instances of overcoming the world as they were Heb. 11. And our blessed Saviour for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the shame yea and contemned the Grandeur of the world too when he was tempted thereby to that which was incongruous to the end of his coming If any shall think the publishing of these papers might well be spared considering the many transcending pieces against Popery which are already extant I confess I should have thought so too especially considering the Author had it not been that the way of proceeding against Popery used therein by comparing it with the corrupt Religion of the false Apostles hath not so far as I have observed been much made use of by others unless only in some glances which look that way And yet what can expose Popery more to the dislike even of every vulgar apprehension than to discover its likeness to the Religion of the false Apostles who preached Christ indeed as these of this way also do but they did it not sincerely but added to and mixt with the doctrine and Religion of Christ and that as necessary to Salvation things of quite a different nature and contrary tendency even as these likewise do Phil. 1.15 16. Besides as by discovering the true nature of the corrupt Religion of the false Apostles and their Proselytes a thing which is endeavoured in the following discourse we may take measure of and estimate the nature of Popery when we find as we may a likeness between them So perhaps the Readers of more ordinary Capacities may find such further benefit thereby as to come to a better understanding of many places and passages in the Holy Apostles Epistles relating to the way of false Teachers as without knowing in some measure what the corrupt Principles and Practices of the false Apostles were and their ill effects in the Churches can hardly be understood And if that may though nothing else should be gained thereby yet that alone I hope would in some measure recompence the pains of such Readers in perusing the said discourse From which I shall detain them no longer this being all I have to say by way of preface craving their pardon for the length of it THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY UNFOLDED BY a collection of sundry passages scattered up and down in the Writings of the Holy Apostles of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ it may easily be discerned how and for what end and under what pretence the false Apostles in the Primitive times corrupted the Christian Religion And by comparing here-with the Christian Religion as now corrupted by Popery together with its end and design and the pretence under which it hath been managed by the Authors of it and Guides of the people of that perswasion those that halt between two opinions in the Case to be enquired into and that have any desire to be led into the way of Truth on which hand soever it falls may easily come to a clear Resolution and full satisfaction who are in the error the Papists or the Protestants In order to the Comparison thus to be made and to the satisfaction that is thereby to be attained I must represent to you from the Scriptures these two things 1. What the design of the false Apostles was in managing the Christian profession to so ill purpose as they did 2. In what way and by what means they carried on their design After I have done this I shall draw the Parallel between the false Apostles and Authors of Popery and shew how the Authors of Popery have followed the false Apostles in both End and Means S. 1. I shall begin with the first of these and shew what the design of the false Apostles was in managing the Christian profession so unchristianly as they did And to make way for the better understanding of that I shall briefly touch upon the Rise of them and the occasion of it The sincere profession of Christianity being attended at the first and for a long time after with sore persecution there were some of that Profession and probably Teachers too who being neither willing wholly to relinquish it nor yet to suffer so much as a faithful and thorough adherence to the doctrine and precepts of the Gospel did expose men to did cast about how they might retain a profession of the Gospel and yet avoid any great or considerable suffering for it And in conclusion resolved upon this viz. to Comply with their Adversaries in some things pertaining to the Religion and way which they profest of which I shall speak more particularly afterwards whereby they took off the keenness of their opposition and provided for their own ease and security Some pretences they found out for so doing wherewith they endeavoured to satisfie themselves and others as well as they could whom they laboured to draw in to make a party Just as St. Paul foretold the Elders of the Church of Ephesus saying Of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them Acts 20.30 And being opposed herein by the faithful Apostles
they used all the art they could to defend and justifie what they had done and had perswaded others to do And to render the opposition they had herein from the holy Apostles the less available in the eyes of others they sought by one means or another to disparage them and to undermine the authority and reputation they had in the hearts of the Christians And by these means they corrupted and drew away many after them and that not of the more ordinary Disciples only but probably many of those also who were become preachers of the Gospel whereof it may be Demas might be one who as St. Paul said had forsaken him and embraced this present world And indeed this Contagion spread so fast and prevailed so much that St. Paul complained saying all seek their own and not the things of Jesus Christ Phil. 2.21 Thus having given you an account of the Rise of the False Teachers in the Apostles days I shall now give you a more particular and full account of their design And their Design as I have already intimated was worldly it was to Secure and Procure a worldly corrupt interest It is not unlikely but that at the first their design in complying so much as they did with the profest enemies of Christianity was only to avoid those sufferings for the Gospel sake which the sincere Christians were exposed to and underwent both in their persons and estates But afterwards when they had carried away many by their deceits and were become the Head and ring-leaders of a Party a farther worldly advantage offered it self and came in prospect which we may well conceive they were not so dull as not to perceive nor so careless and negligent as not to pursue and that was an opportunity of Gain of making merchandize of the seduced Christians besides the opportunity of gratifying their ambition in becoming the Head of a Party As the false Prophets of old and the corrupt Priests when by prophesying and preaching pleasing things to the people they found no small benefit in the liberal gifts and rewards that course did procure were encouraged to make a trade of so doing in which respect those Prophets were said to divine for money and those Priests to teach for hire even so the false Apostles also perceiving that to be a thriving way applyed themselves to preach for Doctrine such things as pleased the unsound and timorous professors of the Gospel and so made their carnal ends on them They taught things which they ought not for filthy lucre sake as St. Paul saith and thereby subverted whole houses Tit. 1.11 They found that the preaching such loose Doctrine in point of compliance as tended to ease the professors of Christianity of the burden of persecution was very gainful it gained them many Proselytes for they came in by whole housholds we see and it gained them much of filthy lucre also For their Proselytes grew very kind to them for teaching them an easier and safer way of professing Christianity than they knew before Yea so it was that the poor deluded people became so much their servants upon account of that satisfaction they took in that new discovery that St. Paul upbraided some of them with it in these words Ye suffer if a man bring you into bondage if a man devour you if a man take of you if a man exalt himself if a man smite you on the face 2 Cor. 11.20 The design of these men to be a worldly and fleshly design is plentifully as well as plainly discovered in the Epistles of the Apostles The sincere Christians indeed ventured all their worldly concerns and sacrificed all their worldly interest upon the service of the Gospel their holy profession and their own Souls but these men as St. Paul characteriseth them were enemies to the Cross of Christ they were such as made their belly their God and minded earthly things Phil. 3.18 19. They were enemies to the great duty of taking up the Cross and suffering for Christ earthly things having more of their heart than he had These who by their pleasing doctrine aforesaid caused divisions and offences among the Christians contrary to the Doctrine which they had learned from the true Apostles were such as served not the Lord Jesus Christ whatever they pretended but their own bellies Rom. 16.17 18. And St. Peter describing them saith they had hearts exercised with covetous practises having for saken the right way and going astray followed the way of Balaam the son of Bosor who loved the wages of unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2.14 15. They ran greedily after the way of Balaam for reward as Jude hath it vers 11. And through covetousness with feigned words they made merchandise of the people whom they deluded 2 Pet. 2.3 Now in case of Persecution 't is true indeed that when Christ sent forth his Disciples as Sheep among Wolves he advised them to be wise as Serpents but innocent as Doves to use as much prudence for the avoiding of persecution as would consist with innocency Mat. 10.16 And no doubt but that the sincerest Christians were willing enough to make use of all the prudence they had to shun persecution so far as lawfully they might But yet were still careful to preserve and maintain their own innocency and integrity in all they did in that kind and not in the least to betray the Cause of Christ And therefore they could say in those suffering times This is our rejoycing the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and Godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom as the false Apostles but by the Grace of God we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1.12 But the false Apostles and their followers used so much subtilty and carnal policy to avoid the Cross as that the wisdom of the Serpent did devour the innocency of the Dove They made themselves friends of the world indeed by unlawful compliance and by adulterating the Christian Religion by impure mixtures but then they thereby made themselves enemies to God as St. James saith in betraying his Truth and Cause James 4.4 By the way then we may see by what hath been said how dangerous a thing it is inordinately to desire and love the friendship of the world the accommodations of this present life it is we see that which hath betrayed multitudes otherwise in a hopeful way of Salvation into cursed and destructive Practises They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition for the love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have been seduced from the Faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows saith St. Paul speaking of those corrupt Christians whose inordinate love to the things of this world drew them into such sinful Compliances to preserve them as were inconsistent with Christianity in the truth and power of it 1 Tim. 6.9
10. Love not the world nor the things of the world saith St. John to those who were in danger of being corrupted by the false Apostles through love to the world for if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world 1 John 2.15 16. Here 's a brief description of that love of the world which is disallowed by God and a snare of death to men The lust of the Eye is covetousness which is a transgression of the rule of righteousness or moderation in desiring or getting or the rule of Piety or Charity in keeping the things of this world The lust of the Flesh is a transgressing of the Laws of Sobriety Temperance and Chastity in using them And the pride of Life is a transgression of the Laws of Modesty and Humility in using undue means to draw honour and esteem from men Now then when St. John saith if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him his meaning seems to be this that when any man lives in the breach of any of Gods Commandments in Coveting Getting Keeping or Using the things of this world that 's the man that so loves the world as that the love of the Father is not in him For as the love of God according to this Apostle consisteth in keeping his Commandments as he saith Chap. 5.3 This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments So the not loving the Father but the world consists in the breach of his Commandments in Coveting Getting Keeping or Using the friendship or the things of the world And thus the false Apostles were lovers of the world They were willing to be for God and the Gospel so long and so far as their being so did not deprive them of their worldly accommodations but wherein it did so that they could no longer serve two Masters God and Mammon without faultering with one of them then and in those particular cases when such a Competition did occur they were wont still to cleave to their worldly interest but to turn their back upon God and the Gospel For which cause they were compared to Esau and stiled prophane persons like him Heb. 12.16 For as Esau preferred so inconsiderable a thing as a mess of Pottage because of the presentness of the satisfaction he expected thereby before the far more desirable priviledges and benefits of Birth-right and Heirship because they for a great part at least were not to be received till afterwards So these lovers of and designers for this present world did chuse ease and other worldly accommodations because present rather than the better hope of eternal life because absent and to come This was the root of bitterness in the persons of Seducers against the springing up of which among the Christians the Author of this Epistle had cautioned them v. 15. At that time when the case was so that all that would live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution there was no way of retaining a profession of Christianity and their worldly ease and enjoyments too but by corrupting the Christian Religion and making it another thing than the Author of it had made it which was the thing the false Apostles laboured to bring the Christians to under delusive pretences that they might save themselves from suffering which brings me to what is next to be discoursed and that is to shew how unworthily these false Teachers corrupted the Christian Religion to attain their worldly end and base design S. 2. The next thing then which as I said I proposed to shew was how in what way and by what means the false Apostles carried on their worldly design of which I have been speaking how in particular they ordered things in their profession of Christianity so as to secure their end and to serve their design for this world In doing of which I shall shew first that to this end they corrupted the Christian Religion by their sinful mixtures Secondly that they did this and carried on their whole design for the world under a Religious pretence First they corrupted the Christian Religion on purpose to serve their design They corrupted it partly by adding other things to it which were of a contrary nature and partly by sinister and corrupt interpretations of the Christian Doctrine and of the Scriptures of the Old Testament to countenance those additions either as lawful or as necessary And thus they abused the Scriptures touching the use of the Law of Moses by misconstruction and misapplication They would be esteemed for judicious teachers of the Law when they understood not what they said nor whereof they affirmed 1 Tim. 1.7 They taught Circumcision and the observation of other Rites of the Law of Moses to be necessary to the Salvation of Christian Gentiles when their doing so served their carnal design though otherwise they made no conscience of keeping the Law themselves For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the Law but desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh said St. Paul of them Gal. 6.13 but more of this afterwards St. Peter also tells us that they wrested things in St. Paul's Epistles and other Scriptures to their own destruction They walked in craftiness and handled the word deceitfully as St. Paul reflects it upon them in 2 Cor. 4.2 and so he doth again when he saith we are not as many which corrupt the word of God 2 Cor. 2.17 By an unkindly violence which they offered to it they made it seemingly and in the eyes of weak and injudicious and credulous persons to countenance what they did in prosecution of their carnal design And although these false appearances were but slight and such as had nothing satisfying in them to an unprejudiced and discerning mind yet they would serve for demonstrations and pass for good proof with those who were willing and desirous to have those things prove true which the false Apostles pretended to be so Like as when the false Prophets of old prophesied falsly the people loved to have it so because it was for their carnal interest to have that prove true which they prophesied But this only in general But to come more particularly to the business and to shew how they corrupted the Christian Religion to save them from suffering and to compass their farther ends The sincere Christians were in great danger of suffering the loss of all the things of this world for Christ and the Gospel sake from two sorts of enemies to Christianity the unbelieving Jews and the unbelieving Gentiles To avoid which the False Apostles taught themselves first and others after somewhat to comply with these Enemies of Christianity in mixing somewhat of their Rites and Usages with it on purpose to take off the edge of that Opposition and Persecution
sincere Christians as their opposites and joined with their persecutors in persecuting of them still the more to ingratiate themselves with them These were of those as I suppose that St. Paul said Preached Christ of envy and strife of contention and not sincerely supposing to add affliction to his bonds Phil. 1.15 16. Of these it was as I apprehend by the scope of the place that St. Paul said But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit even so it is now Gal. 4.29 Of these St. John speaks as I take it when he saith He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness until now 1 John 2.9 and cautions the brethren that they be not as Cain as some false Christians were who slew his brother because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous 1 John 3.12 S. 10. Having shewed how the Christian Religion was corrupted by the false Apostles on purpose to promote their secular design I might now shew yet a little further how lamentably the Apostolical Churches were in a little time over-run with it and many of the Members thereof sowred with this Leaven as St. Paul feared they would when he said in reference to those corrupters A little Leaven leaveneth the whole lump and wisheth that they were cut off that troubled the Church Gal. 5.7 8 9. Probably this their being neither directly and wholly Christian nor Jew nor Pagan but a mixture of all to keep fair quarter with all was the crime of the Church of Laodicea in being neither hot nor cold neither fish nor flesh as we say neither Christian Jew nor Pagan but a composition of all together and yet thought themselves in a brave condition rich and increased in goods and had need of nothing Just as some of those in the Church of Corinth upon the same account thought themselves to be as St. Paul represents it in 1 Cor. 4.8 Now ye are full now ye are rich ye have reigned as Kings without us They applauded themselves in that they had found out as they thought a wiser way of being Christians than the Apostles and others had done for they as they thought could hold the faith of the Gospel and their worldly enjoyments too Whereas others which they thought more imprudent in professing the Gospel exposed themselves to the spoiling of their Goods and the loss of all things To such as these it was I conceive that St. Paul saith thus in 1 Cor. 3.18 Let no man deceive himself if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world mark that wise in this world let him become a fool that he may be wise That is let him become such a Christian as those who by a faithful and close adherence to the doctrine and precepts of the Gospel exposed themselves to the loss of all in this world and were counted fools for so doing by the false Apostles and their adherents that he may be wise to purpose wise for the world to come So here in Revel 3.18 Christ in opposition to this carnal conceit of the Laodiceans of their being rich counsels them to buy of him Gold tryed in the fire that they might be rich in deed and not in conceit only That is as I conceive that they would not shrink at the fiery tryal as St. Peter calls it which his faithful followers patiently endured for his sake and which being endured would make them spiritually rich indeed rich in the experimental knowledge and proof of their own sincerity and fidelity to Christ and thereupon rich in their assurance of their title to the reward promised to those that overcome and consequently rich also in that consolation peace and joy which such a knowledge and experience would furnish them withal far beyond all mens worldly enjoyments could afford them when preserved with their faultring and double dealing with Christ in their profession of his Religion For as the sufferings of Christ abounded in his faithful followers so their consolation also abounded by him as those who experienced it did testifie 2 Cor. 1.5 Who therefore gloried in tribulations of that kind Rom. 5.3 And therefore well might St. Peter say that this trial of faith this proof of the goodness of faith this spiritual gold by enduring the fire is much more precious than that of Gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire 1 Pet. 1.7 And proportionably they are much more rich that have abundance of that than they that have abundance of this All this serves to demonstrate the wisdom and goodness of that counsel of Christ to the Laodiceans to buy of him Gold tried in the fire that they might be rich and not to decline doing so that they might retain their worldly riches And so doth that of buying of him white raiment to cover the shame of their nakedness By which I understand such an outward conversation in divine worship manners as is called by St. James a being unspotted of the world and as is opposed to such an one as is described by garments spotted by the flesh in S. Jude of which some professing Christianity were guilty by their compliances with the Heathen in their evil customs to curry their favors as well as to gratifie their own lusts The other part of our Lords counsel to them was to anoint their eyes with eye-salve that they might see that is make a right judgment of the nature of Christianity and see things a far off in the other world to govern themselves by their concernment in those things and not still remain like those who are blind and cannot see a far off as St. Peter describes them 2 Pet. 1.9 but govern themselves only by the sense they have of present things nigh unto them and just before them as bruit beasts do to which they are compared in that respect when it 's said In what they know naturally as bruit beasts in those things they corrupt themselves Jude vers 10. And by understanding the meaning of this counsel of Christ to them we may understand the nature of their disease to which this counsel was applied by way of remedy Their great distemper lay in two things First in their carnal compliance for fear of suffering by reason of which compliance they were neither hot nor cold neither thorow Christians nor thorow Pagans nor Jews as I said but like Ephraim of old a Cake half baked or a speckled Bird of several colours to which Israel was compared in their declined condition Secondly in applauding themselves in that they had by this means found out a way of being good Christians as they thought without exposing themselves to suffering for it and as if they had been in a happier condition than others that had not done so Whenas by that means and for that very reason they were miserable and poor and blind and naked and loathsom to Christ and ready to be spewed out of
his mouth far from such a happy condition as they fancied themselves to be in This also probably was the condition of the Church of Sardis Rev. 3.1 except the few names in it that had not defiled their Garments with those pollutions into which the false Teachers had enticed others For though they had a name to live from that profession of the Gospel which they made yet were in a manner dead by degenerating and going back again in part into Gentilism or Judaism from which they had been delivered The loss of first love in the Church of Ephesus also as it 's very likely befell them by the deceiving of the false Teachers we speak of that drove a worldly design in professing the Gospel so as that it might not be too costly to them This St. Paul had foretold when he said to the Elders of that Church in Act. 20.29 30. I know this that after my departure shall grievous Wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them And he admonished them in his Epistle to them Chap. 4.14 That they would be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lay in wait to deceive And again Chap. 5.6 Let no man deceive you with vain words c. Meaning doubtless in all this to arm them against and take them off from the insinuations temptations of false Teachers to draw them into sinful complyances to escape persecution Another hint of this nature we have in the close of his Epistle to them Chap. 6.24 where he saith Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity or with incorruption as it is in the Margin that is without mixing his Religion with any thing foraign to it or inconsistent with it for worldly ends as some had done Our Saviour in Revel 2.3 commends them for that at first they had born and had patience to suffer and for his names sake had laboured and had not fainted But then in the 5th ver he calls upon them to remember from whence they were fallen and to repent and do their first works They were now fallen from that love and zeal for Christ which at first they manifested to him in suffering for him called here their first love which now they had lost and had now found out an easier way but withall an impurer way of owning Christ and professing his Gospel Which change he admonisheth them to repent of and to return to their first love and zeal in keeping close to the truth and purity of the Christian Religion whatever the Issue of it might be as to this worlds concerns for these were their first works as appears by what was said before of them in the 3d. vers And those Christians that kept to this whatever it cost them were such as were said to be Virgins Virgin Christians that had not violated their chastity to Christ but followed the Lamb only whithersoever he went though he led them through fire and water Rev. 14.3 I the rather think that corrupt compliances through fear of suffering were the faults of those Five of these Seven Churches which came under reproof because that for which the other Two of Smyrna and Philadelphia are commended and not censured at all was their courage for and constancy in the truth of the Gospel in the midst of danger impoverishing and trouble because of it Rev. 2.9 10. I know thy works and tribulation and poverty but thou art rich Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer Rev. 3.8.10 Thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and hast not denied my name Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation that shall come upon all the world to try them Besides the promise in the close of every one of the Seven Epistles made to him that overcometh together with the other subject matters of them argues that the being overcome and prevailed with to do unworthily through fear of suffering was the sin of some and the temptation dangerous to all of them S. 11.2 Having shewed you how the false Apostles carried on their design of securing their worldly concerns in their profession of the Christian Religion by corrupting it I shall now come to shew how they did it under a show and pretence of Religion which was the last thing I proposed to insist on concerning them and their ill design This course taken by them of setting off what they did herein with a shew and pretence of being very Religious in it was nothing but what our Saviour had foretold would come to pass premonishing his Disciples to take heed of being deceived hereby when he said Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheeps clothing but inwardly they are ravening Wolves Mat. 7.15 They could not carry on their design alone without making a party among them that professed the Gospel nor that but under a Religious pretence And a party they did make to join with them in it by such means as I shall now briefly instance in 1. They did it by obtaining the reputation among many of being the Ministers of Christ yea perhaps of being the Apostles of Christ which indeed some of them pretended themselves to be Which was of great advantage to them it being no hard matter for them to corrupt those with whom they obtained such a reputation and to draw them in to fide with them in their design For when once the people came to esteem them the Ministers and Messengers of Christ as well as Paul and other Apostles the false Apostles then came to have a great advantage thereby of drawing them off from those that were the Ministers of Christ indeed and of bringing them under their own conduct because their doctrine tended to secure them from that persecution and loss of worldly enjoyments which the doctrine of the true Apostles when followed exposed them to And if the people could be brought to give as much credit to the doctrine of the false Apostles as to that of the true as they must if they believed them to be true Apostles though they were not then they could be in no doubt which to follow for they would then certainly follow them who as they believed taught them how to keep this world and yet obtain that which is to come too rather than them who taught them to run almost a certain hazard of this that they might obtain the next And it was because of this advantage that they had the persons of the false Apostles in admiration Jude 16. Now that they pretended themselves to be the Ministers of Christ and not only so but that they were esteemed so to be by a party appears by that of St. Paul where he saith in his own vindication