Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Chapter · Verse 15
Verse 15.
Beware of false Prophets, which come to you in sheeps cloathing, but inwardly they are rauening wolues.
From this verse to the twentieth is contained the sixt part of this11. part of Christs sermon. Chapter, and the eleuenth part of Christs sermon, concerning the discerning and auoyding of false Prophets. And it hath an excellent dependance on the former point of exhortation; for hauing giuen commandement to walke in the straite way, now like a carefull guide hee forewarnes vsus of the principall impediments in this way, which be false Prophets and Seducers, who are like theeues and Pyrats to hinder vsus in this way. Touching them three things are here set downe by Christ; First, a commandement, to beware of them: secondly, the danger that comes by them; they come in sheeps cloathing, but inwardly they are rauening wolues: and thirdly, the meanes whereby to iudge and discerne of them; from the 16. verse to the 20.
For the commandement: Beware of false Prophets: that is, of falseWhat mak… a false Prophet. Teachers. In a false Teacher two things are required; First, hee must maintaine some errour that ouerturnes true faith and religion: for eueryevery erroneous opinion which a man holds will not make him a false Prophet, but only a fundamentall errours. Secondly, besides the holding of some damnable errour in his owne heart, a false Prophet must also be a seducer, such a one as labours to make a faction, withdrawing men from true religion, and from true faith, and perswading them both in priuate and publikely, to receiue his errour. And that both these are required to make a false Prophet, the Scripture is plaine; There shall bee false Teachers among you (saith Saint Peter) which priuily shall bring in damnable heresies, 2. Pet. 2. 1. There is the first propertie: and for the second, that they must be seducers, Christ himselfe teacheth vsus, Matth. 24. 24. There shall come false Christs, and false Prophets, and shall sh…we great signes and wonders, so as if it were possible, they should deceiue the very elect. And of both these properties ioyntly S. Paul speaketh, Rom. 16. 17. I beseech you brethren, marke them diligently which cause diuision and offences, contrary to the doctrine which ye hauehave receiued, and auoyde them; for they that are such, serue not the Lord but their owne bellies, & with faire speech and sl…ttering deceiue the hearts of the simple. So thenThe meaning. Christs meaning in this commandement is this; You shall bee troubled with many false Prophets, which shall bring in damnable doctrines among you, and withall labour to seduce you from the truth, and therefore take heed of them.
And these two notes wee must marke in a false Teacher, to distinguishFalse Prophets di…f…r from schismatikes. him from a schismatike, and from an hypocrite; for eueryevery false Teacher is a schismatike, but eueryevery schismatike is not a false Teacher. If wee would hauehave examples of false Teachers, behold the Iesuites andIesuites and Priests are false Teachers. Familists and Arrians. Romish Priests, for they come among vsus, and bring false doctrine, with intent to deceiue and seduce our people. Such likewise are the Familie of louelove, and such were the Arrians in time past, that denied the godhead of Christ: as for others that hold priuate errours, not rasing the foundation, neither seeking to seduce others, they may be hypocrites, schismatikes, and bad Christians, but they are not false Prophets. Thus much for the meaning of the commandement.
The Uses. 1. By this caueat Christ would teach vsus, that the deuillSatans malice against the Church. shewes his exceeding great malice against Gods Church and people, in these last times of the world; he subornes false Teachers to bring in dā nable doctrine, and mooues them to seduce men from true religion. This thing Christ did plainely foretell, Matth. 24. 24. and Saint Paul chargeth the Elders of Ephesus, to take heed vntounto themselues & to their flockes; for I know (saith he) that after my departing shall grieuous wolues Act. 20. 28, 29, 30.enter in among you, not sparing the flocke. Moreouer, of your owne selues shall men arise, speaking peruerse things, to drawe Disciples after them. And Saint Peter foretels of the like, as we heard before, 2. Pet. 2. 1. TheThe aboundance of he…etikes in the primi…iue Church. truth hereof is verefied by experience; for in the first foure hundred yeares after Christ, which were the prime and chiefest times of the Church, there arose fourescore and eight seuerall kinds of false Prophets, which seduced men from the faith, and true religion, and preuailed greatly. And no doubt in the end of the world Satan wil now shew his malice as great against the Church, as hee did then: and therefore Christ bids take heed of them. And for this cause, when we see men that professe religion, fall away to heresie, and be corrupted, seeking also to seduce others, we must not much maruell at it, or be thereby discouraged; but rather watch more carefully, for the deuill will stirre vp false Prophets daiely to deceiue the Church of God.
II. Instruction. From this commandement wee may also see, thatOur weakenesse in the faith. we are feeble, full of weakenesse in the faith, so as a little thing will easily make vsus forsake our faith and true religion; if this were not so, what should we neede this exhortation? who was more couragious and forward in profession then Peter? and yet the voice of a sillie damsell made him denie his master, and to forsweare his faith and religion. The Galatians receiued the Gospel so gladly from Paul at the first, that heeGal. 4. 15. professesseth, they would hauehave pluckt out their own eies to hauehave done him Gal. 1. 6.good; and yet when he writ vntounto them, hee wonders they were so soone fallen to another Gospel, receiuing the doctrine of iustification by works. Yea, this sheweth, that we hauehave itching eares, whereby we will readilyOur itching humo…r in matters of religion. and willingly receiue wholesome doctrine for a time, but soone after, desire new doctrine againe; like vntounto the Iewes, who for a while delighted in the light of Iohns ministerie, Ioh. 5. 35. and to the old Israelites, who liked Manna at the first, but after a while were wearie of it, and complained that their soule dried away, whereupon they lusted after the flesh-pots of Egypt againe. So wee at the first did willingly receiue the Gospel of Christ; but now many waxe wearie with it, and beginne to like of Popish doctrine, preferring their corrupt writers, before those that hauehave beene the restorers of true religion vntounto vsus.
III. Instruct. We must labour to maintaine faith, and good conscience,We must be constant in the faith. and not suffer our selues to be drawne there-from: by Gods merciemercy we hauehave had the Gospel of truth among vsus a long time, and doe still enioy it: for which we hauehave great cause to praise the name of God, and in this regard we must labour to bee constant in holding it, yea to liue and die with it. This is the principal point which Christ here aimes at, and therefore we must carefully learne it: and for this purpose let vsus remember these particular directions which follow. First, that GodDirections to maintaine the truth. hauing restored vntounto vsus true religion, doth require we should louelove it as the chiefest treasure that euer this kingdome enioyed. Wicked Ahab could not abide a1. Ki. 21, 20Elias and bCha. 22. 8.Michaiah Gods true Prophets, but hated them; for which cause God left him to himselfe, and suffered him to be seduced by foure hundred false Prophets of Baal, and thereby brought him to destruction. And the Apostle speaking of the kingdom of Antichrist, saith, that God therein giues men vp to strong illusions that they should beleeue lies, because they hauehave not loued the truth, 1. Thes. 2. 10. 11. Now this louelove we must shewe by our obedience in duties of pietie to God, and in the exercise of iustice and mercy towards our brethren, else God will translate his Gospel from vsus, and giuegive it to a nation that wil bring forth the fruits thereof.
A second rule to be obserued for the maintaining of true religion is2. Rule. Restorers of religion ought to be had in account. this; that ministers especially, and those that intend that calling, should highly esteeme and reuerently account of those men and their writings, which by Gods merciemercy hauehave beene the meanes to restore vntounto vsus pure religion; for though they were men subiect to error, and in some things might slippe, yet they were the worthy instruments of Gods mercy, for the planting of his Gospel among vsus, which since their time hath beene sealed with the blood of many Martyrs, in England, Germanie, and else-where: in which regard, though we must onelyonly depend on the pure word of God for certaintie of truth, yet we are to giuegive much vntounto them, and be followers of them, for the substance of religion, wherein they doe most soundly consent in one truth. This I note, because they beginne to be in disgrace with many, and corrupt Popish writers are farre better accounted of.
Thirdly, if any among vsus doubt of any point in religion, let him doe3. Rule. Howe to knowe the truth in religion. these two things for his resolution, which are the ordinarie meanes to know the truth; First, let him search the holy Scriptures diligently, not by priuate studie onelyonly, but by conference with the godly. Secondly, let him in true humilitie of heart pray vntounto God for the illumination of his spirit, whereby he may in minde rightly conceiue of the truth, embrace it by faith in his heart, and honour it by obedience in his life: thus doing constantly, and in sinceritie he shall be sure to be preserued from errour, both finall and fundamentall, and in due time shall know the truth; for the promise is, Aske and ye shall hauehave, seeke and ye shall finde, verse 12. and Saint Iames saith, If any man lacke wisedome, necessarie forIam. 1. 5. his saluation, let him aske of God, vsing withall, other lawfull meanes to come thereby, and it shall bee giuen vntounto him. Hereto may be added this good help for satisfaction in this case of doubting; namely, to hauehave recourse to the generall confessions of reformed Churches, which may be had in that notable booke, The Harmonie of Confessions: for although priuate men may erre, as also particular Churches, not onelyonly seuerally, but ioyntly in some things in this world; yet the generall consent of reformed Churches may be a good direction to the knowledge of the truth, and a good perswasion to constancie therein.
Fourthly, we must keepe a good conscience, if we would preserue the4. Rule. truth and puritie of religion; for faith and good conscience goe alwaies together, whereupon Saint Paul perswading Timothie to this dutie, bids him hauehave faith and a good conscience, which some hauehave put away, & as concerning faith hauehave made shipwracke, 1. Tim. 1. 19. where a good conscience is resembled to a shippe which saileth ouer the sea of this world, beeing laden with faith, that is, with true religion, and other spirituall graces needefull to saluation. Now if the shippe of our conscience be crazie and vnsound, then is our faith and saluation in great danger: and therefore wee must endeauour in all things to hauehave a cleare conscience both towards God and towards men.
IU. Instruct. This commandement of our Sauiour Christ, to beware Society with false Prophets is vnlawfull.of false Prophets, doth barre the Church of God, and eueryevery member thereof, from conuersing with false Prophets, after they bee conuicted to be such. It was Eues fault to admit conference with the deuill in the serpent, and all of vsus feele the smart thereof at this day. It was Pauls counsell to the Romans, to marke them diligently which caused Rom. 16. 17.diuision and offences among them, contrarie to the doctrine which they had learned, and to auoyde them: and Saint Iohn plainely forbids this societie with them, 2. Epist. verse 10. Receiue not him to thine house, neither bidde him God speed, that comes to teach you, and brings not this doctrine: yea, though we (saith Paul) or an Angel from heauen teach you otherwise then that which we hauehave preached vntounto you, hold him accursed, Galat. 1. 8. In the histories of the Church, it is recorded, that S. Iohn E…seb. Recl. hist. l. 3. c. 25.would not wash himselfe in the same bath wherein Cerinthus an heretike was washing himselfe, nor abide vnderunder the same roofe, but leaped out, and perswaded others so to doe. And indeede by Eues example we may see the danger of conference with false Prophets; for the same euill spirit speakes in them.
Now this shewes, first, that the practise of many students is dangerous,Delight in Popish writers vnlawfull. and against this commandement, who take delight in popish Cō mentaries and postils, ascribing to them more learning and Iudgement, then can be sound in those writers that were the restorers of true religion vntounto vsus: & hence it is, that they labour more in them, then in the Scripture it selfe, or in other sound writers thereupon. But if there bee any false Prophet at this day, it is the Papist, and their writings are dangerous to be read of those that are not well grounded in the truth; for by reading we hauehave a kind of familiaritie with them, and indeede many sucke out of them at vnawares, much venim in waighty points of doctrine and religion. We ought rather to doe with them, as the beleeuers of Ephesus did with their bookes of curious Arts; namely, bring Act. 19 19.them out and burne them, then take such delight in them: albeit this must be graunted, it is both lawfull and necessarie, for the defence of the truth, that men of sound iudgement and piety doe labour in them.
Secondly, hence also it may appeare, that it cannot bee but a greatFree sale of hereticall bookes is dangerous. hindrance to true religion, that hereticall bookes may be publikely sold to any one that will buie them, without due consideration whether the partie hauehave gifts to discerne of truth from falshood; in the Popish Church they are more carefull, they permit not a man to read an heretikes booke (as they call vsus Protestants) without leaue, and that vnderunder a great penaltie, which is seuerely inflicted vponupon offenders that way.
V. Instruct. This commandement also shewes that it is not lawfullToleration of false religion vnlawfull. to graunt to any man, or to any people, the libertie of their owne conscience in the matters of religion, permitting them to professe what religion they will; for how should false Prophets be auoided, when eueryevery man may freely professe what he will in religion? All gouernours therfore must follow the practise of good king Iosias, who assembled all Iuda, and caused all his people to heare the word of the Lord, and to stand to that religion which the booke of God made knowne vntounto them, 2. Chro. 34. 32.
V. Doctr. Wee hauehave from this commaundement, an answer to theTo separate from Rome, no schisme. false charge of the Church of Rome, who accuse vsus of schisme and apostacie, because we separate from their Church. But we must know, that the schisme & apostacie is there where the cause of departing is, which indeede is not in vsus, who doe no more herein but obey this commaundement of Christ: the cause is in them, who are become false prophets, whom we must auoyd.
Here yet two questions may bee demaunded: I. Whether a falseWhether a false Prophet should be put to death. Prophet may be put to death, seeing Christ bids onelyonly to beware of them? Answ. Christ here speakes to his Apostles, and to other of his auditors, that were priuate men, whose dutie raught no further; but yet the truth is, that a false Prophet beeing iudicially conuicted, is to bee put to death: the word of God elsewhere is plaine, Leuit. 24. 14. there is both a commandement and a practise, EueryEvery blasphemer must die. This wicked Iesabel knew wel, who vnderunder pretence of blasphemie, caused1. Kin. 21. 10. 13. Naboth to be put to death: and hereupon the Iewes sought to put Christ to death. Yea, Nabuchadnezzar an heathen king, hauing but aDan. 3 29. taste of this, that the God of Israel was the true God, made this lawe, that whosoeuer blasphemed the God of Israel should die. And it stands with equitie, for hee that reuiles his lawfull Prince must die, and that iustly; how much more then ought hee to die, that blasphemes the liuing God, who is king of kings? Now eueryevery false Prophet is a blasphemer; for his opinions are blasphemies against the truth of God: & therefore he ought to die. The expresse wil of God herein is manifest, Dout. 15. begin. A Prophet comes and workes miracles, and shewes signes that come to passe, yet if he thereupon entice the people to idolatrie, he must be slame: and this is one way whereby the ciuill Magistrate must helpe the people to auoyde a false Prophet.
II. Quest. Why doth God then suffer such to liue in his Church,Why God suffers false Prophets. as doe seduce men? Answ. For two causes; First, that such as hold the truth in sinceritie, may be knowne, 1. Cor. 11. 18. Secondly, for the punishment of the wicked and vngodly, who receiue not the louelove of the truth; to seduce them by strong illusions, and to cause them to beleeue lies.2. Th▪ 2. 11, 11
The second point. The danger of false Prophets: They come in sheeps Danger of false Prophets.cloathing, but inwardly they are rauening wolues. In these words Christ alludeth to the practise of false Prophets in former times, who counterfeited the true Prophets in their attire; for the auncient Prophets were vsually cloathed in rough and course attire: Elias in regard of his garments, is called an hairie man, 2. Kin. 1. 8. and Iohn Baptist had his garment of Camels haire, Math. 3. 4. And the false Prophets did counterfeit the true Prophets in their attire, for this ende; that they might the more easily deceiue the people; as is most plaine, Zak. 13. 4. where the Lord saith of false Prophets, that they shall not weare a rough garment to deceiue: for when they wore such course attire, made either of sheep skins, or sheeps wooll, wherewith the true Prophets were vsually cloathed, they sought hereby to perswade the people, that they had the hearts of the true Prophets; when as indeede they were ful fraught with dānable errors. Now Christs meaning in this allusion, is to shew that false Prophets hauehave plausible pretences for their dānable doctrine, and therfore are the more dāgerous. Yet that we may the better perceiue the danger7. Pretences of false prophets 1. Allegation of scripture. of false Prophets, I will a little stand to describe their cloathing; that is, their pretences of deceit. They may be reduced to 7. heads: the first is allegation of Scripture, which they will as often vse as the true Prophet; & hereby they blind the eies of many. But the truth is, that in alleaging Scripture, they depraue & change the sense, & either adde to, or detract from the words, following rightly their master Satan, Mat. 4. 6. who alleaged Scripture to Christ, but left out the principal point whereto the promise was made; namely, walking in thy waies. And thus deale the Papists as this day, sometimes they mangle the text, & alter the sense, sometime they leaue the Scripture and go to traditions, to Councels, & Fathers. This also is the practise of the family of louelove, & of the Anabaptists, who turne the naturall sense of scripture into mysticall allegories.
The second cloake or pretence, is the depth of their learning. Reuelat.2. Deep learning. 2. 24. The heresie of the Nicolaitans was by themselues called profound learning, but by the holy Ghost, the deepenesse of Satan. So plaie the Papists at this day for sundry points of their religion; for they hold, that because the church in the Apostles time was weake in knowledge,Rhem. on Heb. … sect. 8 and feeble in faith, therefore the Apostles omitted sundry deepe points, especially concerning the masse, which yet the Church receiuing by tradition, doth now teach plainly and fully. But though they matchCo…c. Trid. sess. 4. decr. 2. these doctrines of the Church with the holy Scripture, yet we need not to trouble our selues therewith; for in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles all things necessary to saluation are made known, and we must not receiue any doctrine that cannot be confirmed thence: and therefore in the parable, Luk. 16. 3. Abraham prefers Moses and the Prophets, before visions and reuelations from the dead.
The 3. cloake and pretence. To assume to themselues the persons and 3. Goodly ti…es.titles of most worthy men: 2. Cor. 11. 13. Paul speakes of such deceiuers that tooke to them the name of the Apostles of Christ, therein following their master Satan, who can transform himself… into an angel of light. See this in the Papists, especially in the Pope, ho will be Christs v…car▪ Peters successour, and the seruant of seruants. The doctors call themselues Ceraphicall and Angelicall doctors, and the Church of Rome must be the true Church: but all this is but counterfeit deceipt, for succession in place onelyonly from Peter and from Christ himselfe, is no certaine note of truth. The Scribes and Pharisies had their succession from Aaron appointed by God, and yet Christ bids his Disciples take heed of the leauen of their doctrine, Matth. 16. 12. and cal… them the blind leaders of the blind. Succession then in true doctrine, is the onelyonly and sure note of true religion.
The 4. cloake or pretence, is forged and counterfeit humilitie: this4. Fai…ed humilitie. Colos 2. 18. and 23. Paul notes in false Apostles among the Colossians; First, they would not worship God directly, but in and by the Angels: Secondly, they vsed much bodily exercise, afflicting their owne bodies: & thirdly, their worship was …il-worship, deuised by themselues. If we would hauehave a liuely example hereof, behold the Romish Priests; they come to God in the mediation of Saints; their whole religion stands in bodily exercises, so as many of their orders are famous for their whippings and such like trumperie, and their worship of God is wil-worship, deuised by men.
The 5. pretence is, working miracles: hereby they labour to confirme…. Working miracles. their doctrine, 2. Thess. 2. 9. The comming of Antichrist that …an of sinne is with signes and lying wonders, through Satans working, and of such God forewarnes his people, Deut. 13. that they should not bee d…a…ne to Idolatrie for a miracle; for either they be false miracles and lying …onders, or if they be true miracles (as God may suffer such to be wrought by false Prophets, for the plague and punishment of the vnthankefull world) yet their ende is to deceiue, and to drawe men into errour from the truth. We hauehave ordinarie experience of this pretence among the Romish Priests, who by …orcerie cast out deuils, and cure strange diseases, and so delude the simple: but this must not drawe vsus from the truth. A miraculous worke truely done, is not a sufficient warrant of a doctrine in religion; for true and sound doctrine may want this confirmation, Ioh. 10. 41. and false doctrine may hauehave it, as Deut. 13. 1, 2. &c.
The 6. pretence, is faire speeches and blessings, pretending the good6 Faire speeches. and saluation of those to whom they come: see this Rom. 16. 18. With faire speech and flattering (…aith Paul of false Apostles) they deceiue the hearts of the simple: so dealt Satan with Eue, he made shewe that hee had some good thing to tell her, whereby their state might be bettered, but it turned to theirs and our destructiō. So did the foure hundred1. King. 22. …. false Prophets of Baal, contrarie to the true Prophet Michaiah, prophecie good successe to Ahab in his war against the Aramites; but his harkning to them cost him his life. And so dealt Hananie with the Iewes, when they were besieged by the King of Babels armie, contrarie to Ieremies counsell he prophecied peace and safetie; but it turned both to his owne and to their destruction, Ier. 28. 1, 2. &c.
The 7. pretence, is boldnesse and constancie in suffering for their opinions▪ 7. Boldnesse in suffering.for a man in obstinacie may liue and die for errour, as well as the childe of God may doe for the truth. Constancie in opinion is no sure note whereby to iudge a true Prophet; for many heretikes hauehave suffered death confidently for the maintenance of their damnable heresies.
Thus we see the pretences of false Prophets; now hereto wee must adde this second point, to wit, that for all this, they bee but wolues, because by their damnable doctrine, they seeke to poison and corrupt the soules of simple men. If it be said, they hauehave no such intent, they themselues thinke it to be the truth: I answer, that may be true in some, but this cleareth them not from beeing wolues; for the deuill that hath deluded them, who is their Lord and master, doth by them dangerously delude and deceiue the simple.
The Vse. 1. Considering this danger of false Prophets, we must practiseBe wise as serpents. Christs lesson, Mat. 10. 16. Be simple as doues, that is, bee innocent and harmelesse, thinking euill of none, neither intending euil or offence to any, in thought, word, or deede: and yet we must be wise as serpents, who hauehave great subtiltie in sauing and defending their head from harme: so must eueryevery one that lookes to be saued, labour for so much wisedome, whereby hee may preserue himselfe from the hurt of false prophets. Now the beginning of this wisedome, is to feare God in hi… word, beleeuing his promises, & obeying his commandements. The true feare of God is not without knowledge; and therefore eueryevery one must labour to be instructed in the principles of religion: for without knowledge we cannot feare God, and so shall want true wisdome to eschew false Prophets.
II. In that the false teacher by so many faire shewes seekes to bringWe must preserue the puritie of the truth. in false doctrine, it is eueryevery mans dutie in his place to labour to preserue wholesome doctrine, and the puritie of true religion. This dutie is necessary, for we must be as forward for the truth, as the enemie is for falshood, and doe as much for God, as they doe for the deuill. Againe, no poyson is more deadly to the body, then false doctrine … to the soule; therefore seeing God hath long blessed vsus with his truth, let vsus esteeme it aboue all outward blessings, and by seeking to preserue the puritie thereof, shew our selues thankfull to God for the same.