Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 2 · Verse 21
1 JOHN 2.21.
Becauſe ye know the truth, and that no lye is of the truth.
THeſe words afford us Three Doctrins.
1 That every Antichriſtian Doctrin is a Lye, for of that hee ſpeaks.
2 That no Lye (that is, no Antichriſtian Doctrin) is of the truth, that is, flows from the truth of the Goſpel.
3 Such as have received the ſpiritual Unction, and do know the truth, they alſo know that no Lye is of the truth. For the firſt,
Doct. Every Antichriſtian Doctrin is a Lye.
Q. What is a Lye in Doctrin, for that is the lye that is here meant?
A. Three things make up a Lye.
1 That the Propoſition do not agree with the thing we ſpeak of.
2 That it agree not with the Notion that we have in our mindes.
3 That we ſpeak it a purpoſe to deceive, all theſe are found in every Antichriſtian Doctrin.
1 Theſe enunciations do not agree with the word of truth, for elſe they could not be a lye; the word foreign ſhews they agree not with the truth of Chriſt.
2 Theſe Doctrins are contrary to the Judgements of them that deliver them, and this may appear from the definition of an Heretick, Tit. 3.10, 11 an Heretick is one that is ſubverted in his errour, and is condemned of him. ſelfe; Hereſie therefore is all ſubverſion by errour, and maintaining of the ſame with obſtinacy; a man may be an erroneous man, but he doth not come to be an Heretick till he be condemned in himſelfe, that is, ſpeak contrary to his judgement, which may appear, when rather then he will depart from his errour, he will contradict himſelf, as when he is convinced, he falls to wranglings, or blaſpheming, theſe are ſigns of ſuch as ſpeak contrary to their own judgements.
3 They deliver them with a purpoſe to deceive, Epheſ. 4.14. They lye in wait to deceive, they plot how to deceive the conſciences of men, and this kinde of Hereſie is called foreign, that is, Cheating every way: or they are as Coggers of Dice, ſo that their trade is but to deceive and cheat men, ſo that we ſee, there is a Three-fold Lye in every Antichriſtian Doctrin.
1 It is materially a Lye, the Doctrin it ſelf is contrary to the truth.
2 It is a Lie formally, they ſpeak againſt their judgement.
3 It is efficiently a Lye, they breed lies in others, 1 Tim. 4.1, 2.
Q What is the reaſon why every Antichriſtian Teacher is a Lie, and his Doctrin a Lie?
A Becauſe it ſprings from a lying ſpirit, not from a Spirit of truth, but of lyes; ſo the Devill deſcribes himſelf when he ſeduceth falſe Prophets, 1 King. 22.22. to be a Lying ſpirit, as if there were no more effectual way to ſeduce Kings than by falſe Teachers, acted by the Lying Spirit; I will put errour in their hearts, and make them obſtinate in it, and unanimous in it, ſo that four hundred falſe Prophets ſhall eaſily out-bear one Micaiah; the like doth the Devill in all falſe Teachers, he cometh, and is a Lying Spirit in them, with ſuch ſeemlineſſe and ſhew of truth, that it deceives them, they take it for truth, 2 Theſ. 2.6. they ſhall come with deceitfulneſſe of Doctrin, and many falſe lying wonders, whereby they ſhall ſeduce many.
Rea. 2. From the corrupt end that theſe falſe Teachers do evidently aim at in all their Doctrin, Acts 20.30. ſome do it in ambition to draw Diſciples to themſelves, and not to Chriſt▪ ſuch was Simon Magus, that gave out that he was the Chriſt that ſuffered, and ſo drew many after him; after him, Menander.
2 Some aimed to fill their bellies, and to get gain and pleaſure from their followers, Rom. 16. whoſe belly is their God, ſo that they ſerve not Chriſt, but their own bellies, and for that end with fair flattering ſpeeches, they beguile for filthy lucre; Tit. 1.11, 12. ſo that all the luſt of the world, they aime at, ambition, ſenſuality, and filthy gain, are the ends they aime at, and if their ends be ſo corrupt, their Doctrin muſt needs be corrupt and a lye.
Reaſ. 3 From the ſport and jeaſt they make at deluding people, one would thinke there ſhould none be ſo deſperatly wicked, to come into congregations, and obtrude falſe Doctrin, and delude men, and then make a ſport of it 2 Pet. 2.13. it ſports them to ſee how handſomely they circumvented ſuch a man, at ſuch a conference, this is matter of ſport to them, to ſee how at feaſts and meetings they could carry the whole Table before them, Gal. 6.12, 13. what is their end? they deſire to make a fair ſhew in the fleſh, and they glory in it, and triumph, and they themſelves regard not many things that they obtrude on others, they make no ſcruple of it themſelves, they know they are empty things, ſo that this is manifeſtly a lye.
Ʋſe. 1 May teach us how to conceive of Popery, and ſtir up in our ſelves an holy indignation againſt it; you ſee that Popery is a lye, and hath deluded many; Mahivell did clearly diſcern, that their religion was but meer jugling, to fill the Popes Coffers, and keep his Kiching warm by purgatory and pardons, &c. therefore let none truſt them; but indeed this was his wickedneſſe, though he diſcerned this, he ſought not the true Religion, and this is the evill of their Religion, it leads ſimple men to ſuperſtition, and underſtanding men to Atheiſme; and if Popery be but cheating, and jugling, and lying, it muſt kindle in us, an inward loathing of that Religion; Bellarmin doth directly bring that for his defence, which was palpable and ex inſtituto, writ againſt them, and therefore it is plain, that every Antichriſtian Doctrin si a lye; not only againſt the truth, but againſt their own judgement to deceive, Pſal. 119.128. let it be our care to looke at every law of God as juſt, nnd to hate every false way, nothing ſo odious to man, as to be cheated; men take it moſt indignely to be made a fool of, why truly that is the end of Antichriſtian Doctors to cheat and beguile men.
Ʋſe. 2 It muſt teach us how prone our natures are to receive ſuch falſe Doctrins, Pſal. 58.3. Rom. 3.4. every mans judgement is apt to take up that opinion which ſuits with his underſtanding; now becauſe by nature we are prone to lyes, and errours, therefore let us take heed to our ſelves, and watch more exactly; Hereſie is a fruit of the fleſh, Gal. 5.19, 20. and therefore no wonder if carnall hearts be ready to take it up, ſeeing by nature the truth ſeems harſh to us.
Ʋſe. 3 It muſt ſtir us up to imbrace the Doctrin of the Goſpel, the more your ſpirits loath falſhood, the more are you to cleave to the truth, do they make a ſport to juggle and deceive? do you ſee they aim at corrupt ends? do they ſpeak by a lying ſpirit? if this be the fruit of Popery, that the whole bulk of it is but an heap of lyes, then as we are to deteſt that, ſo we are to love the truth of the Goſpel, it comes from the ſpirit of truth, the ends of it are contrary to Antichriſtian, they aime to bring on Diſciples to Chriſt, they look not at their own belly and gain, but to edifie and do good to the Church of God, ſeeing therefore the Religion of Chriſt is ſo pure, ſo peaceable▪ ſo ſelf-denying, ſo free from cheating and jugling, therefore let us be more enamoured on it, imbrace it, ſtudy it more, practice it more.
Ʋſe. 4 If every antichriſtian Doctrin be a lye, then they that are born of it, are not born of the truth, and the Doctors of it are lyers, ſo that if it bee asked whether it be a true Church, we ſay it is a lying Doctrin they hold, thoſe that are the Doctors and teachers of their Church are lyers; and take the body of the Church, it is a bulk of lyes, a company of lyars, deceiving the World, and ſporting themſelves in their deceivings.
Doct. No lye, that is, no hereticall Antichriſtian Doctrin, is of the truth▪
Out of falſe things we may ſometimes conclude falſhood, and ſometimes truth, but out of a true principle, you can never gather falſhood; ſo St. John here out of the truth you cannot conclude any lye, any falſe Doctrin; ſo that no lye is of the truth.
For Explication.
A Doctrin may be ſid to bee of the truth, or not of it, in a double reſpect.
1 Of the truth, as the cauſe of it, John 8.37. he that is born of the truth, 1 John 3.19. ſo to be of the truth, is to be a Child of the truth, ſo that when it is ſaid, it it not of the truth, that is, it is not born of the truth, and it is not bred of the truth.
1 Becauſe it ſprings not from the Goſpel of truth.
2 It ſprings not from the Spirit of truth, but from a lying ſpirit.
3 It ſprings not from the truth of their own hearts, not from the very morall civill truth; they neither ſpring from the divine truth of the Goſpel, nor from the Spirit, nor from the morall truth in their own hearts; a man may ſpeak not from the Spirit of truth in the word, and yet ſpeak from an honeſt heart, but an Heretique ſpeakes not from the truth of his own heart, Tit. 3.10, 11. ſo that theſe mens errours are not from ignorance or infirmity, but meerly from the ſpirit of falſhood.
2 It is not of the truth, that is, it keeps not correſpondency, or fellowſhip with the truth, and the reaſon is, becauſe no Antichriſtian Doctrin, but it comes from the ſpirit of lying and murther, and ſuch a ſpirt is the Devills ſpirit, John 8.48. Satans intendment is to lye, and deceive, and murther mens ſouls; and that proceeds from the enmity betwixt Chriſt, and the ſeed of the Serpent, now the ſeed of the Serpent is not only Heretiques, but Hereticall Doctrin, and they ſtrive to root out one another, Amos 7.10, 11. which ſhewes what little fellowſhip falſhood hath with truth, 2 Cor. 6.14, 15. and therefore they would not ſuffer Chriſt to live, and ſo they perſecuted the Apoſtles, becauſe they ſpoke the word of truth.
Ʋſe. 1 May exhort all profeſſors of the truth, to take heed of lying; if no lye be of the truth, then if you ſpeak falſhood or lyes, you walk not like your ſelves, ſuch words come not from the Spirit of truth, but from the lying ſpirit, the ſpirit of wickedneſſe and falſhood; and therefore what have the Children of the truth to do with falſhood, with falſe words, and falſe dealing? and eſpecially take heed of falſe Doctrin for it is not of the truth, but lyes; therefore have nothing to do with the ſpirit of falſhood, the ſpirit of Popery, or the ſpirit of ſeperation, to draw you from the truth of Chriſt, from the communion of the Church.
Ʋſe 2 If no Hereſie be of the truth, then certainly it will never be for the truth; no ſtream riſeth higher then the ſpring from whence it comes; if ſuch Doctrin comes not from the truth, it will never riſe ſo high as the truth; never look for true dealing from an Heretique that lyes againſt the Goſpel, and againſt his own conſcience, never beleeve any Doctrin of theirs, for they aim at ſubverting; if they deal not truly with God, they will not deal truly with man, it is a concluſion of the councill of Conſtance, fides non eſt ſervanda cum Haereticis, why? becauſe they are Heretiques; but you ſhould know they were Heretiques that ſwore it, and therefore they ſhew ſuch falſe dealing; therefore you ſhall never finde any true honeſt dealing with Antichriſtian ſtates in any negotiation.
Ʋſe 3 It may teach us, there is no ſafe reconciliation with theſe Doctrins, nay, no ſafe toleration, for no lye is of the truth; how can you reconcile night and day? light and darkneſſe? there is as wide a difference between the truth, and Antichriſtian Doctrines; therefore there is no ſafe toleration of them, but one of them will be rooting out the other, either lies or the truth will be baniſhed.
Ʋſe 4. It may refute an Errour of ſome, that ſay, As Anabaptiſme ſprang from Luther, and Libertiniſme from Calvin, ſo Separation from Puritaniſm; but this cannot be, for no lye is of the truth, therefore theſe could not ſpring from any truth of Luther, or Calvin, or Puritaniſm.
Doct. Such as have received the unction of the Spirit, they know no Errour, no falſe Doctrin is of the truth.
They know it, not only think ſo, but know it, and they know it.
1 From the contrariety that they ſee betwixt that unction of the Spirit which they have received, and that Doctrin; the Spirit of God in them teaches them to be humble, 2 Pet. 2.18. but the ſpirit of theſe falſe Doctors is ambitious, they ſpeak great ſwelling words; this ſuites not with the Spirit of God, to look at their own ends, at their bellies, at their gain.
2 It is contrary to their experience; a true Chriſtian knows that the Doctrin of Antichriſt is contrary to that experience he hath found; if they come to ſpeak of Free Will, his owne heart tells him, he was fain to be drawn out of himſelfe, he found that he could very hardly be puld out of his Naturall eſtate, ſo that a Chriſtian heart knowes this is contrary to the truth. Let another ſay, we are juſtified by works, you cannnot perſwade a Chriſtian to that, for he knwows his beſt righteouſneſſe is defiled, Iſa. 64.6. and when he hath done what he can he is but an unprofitable ſervant; when they tell him, there is merit and ſatisfaction in his Works, yea ſupererrogation, no Chriſtian but he knows this to be a lye, and that he deſerves wrath for his beſt performances, he knowes he is no way able to ſatisfie Gods Juſtice, or Gods Law, but only Chriſt ſatisfies for him. When they ſhall come to a poor ſoul and bid him confeſſe his ſins, and tell him they have power to abſolve him from his ſins, he knows it will not quiet his ſoul; tell a Chriſtian, that going on Pilgrimages, and ſcourging himſelfe will ſatisfie for his ſoul, he knows that is falſe; tell a Chriſtian, he may fall away finally, he knowes that is a lye, 2 Tim. 1.12. 1 Theſ. 5.24.
3. They know the truth, becauſe they have received it from a Meſſenger of truth.
4 They know the truth by the effects, by the peace and grace they finde from the truth; and on the contrary, no Antichriſtian Doctrin ever brought peace to their ſouls, and there is no truth where no peace is, where you cannot finde peace of Conſcience, that Religion hath no ſaving truth in it; if they finde not the fruit of peace, they know it is not of the truth.
2 Another fruit of the true Religion, is, it brings liberty and freedome of ſpirit to come to God from Sathan, from his Luſts, from the World, John 8.32. therefore if Religion do not make us free to come to God, and free from the World, and our own Luſts, ſurely that Religion is not of the truth, 2 Pet. 2.19. he ſpeaks of theſe falſe Teachers, that they promiſe liberty, themſelves being ſervants of ſin.
Ʋſe 1 May ſerve to reprove all ſuch as are at an uncertainty in their Religion, they know not which Religion to take, they ſay they finde Reaſons on both ſides ſo probable, and there are ſome on both ſides ſo corrupt, that they know not which to take; why, if it be ſo, you have not received the unction of the Spirit, for there is not the leaſt of theſe little Children which have received this unction, but hee knows the truth, and that no Lye is of the truth.
Ʋſe 2 For you that have took up your Religion, and the true Religion, but do you know your Religion to be the truth, and that it is no Lye? why they hope it is true, becauſe the King and State follow it; but do you know it to be true, and do you know every contrary Doctrin to be a Lye? if you do not; you do not know what you ſhould, Pſal. 119.30. I have choſen the truth, he doth not ſay the State hath choſen it, or orhers have choſen it, and therefore I will follow it too; No, but I have choſen it, let others chuſe what they will; let every Chriſtian know that he hath choſen the truth, and that no …
Ʋſe 3. It may teach all to grow up in diſcerning the truth, and that will diſcover all falſhood; as ſuppoſe you ſhould have ſome come to you, and tell you, you frequent the ordinances, and perform good duties only in the Letter, but you ought to doe nothing but when the Spirit moves you; but let a Chriſtian examine if this be not a lye, and contrary to the truth, and to that experience I finde, for we ought to pray continually; ſo if one come and tell you, you ought not to read the Scriptures, your own ſpirit tells you, you have as much need of the Word, as a Childe of his daily Milk; therefore let Chriſtians learn to diſcerne of the Spirit of Truth and Errour.