The Dying Mans Testament to the Church of Scotland, Part 3 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. If any of the People of God may be carried away with grosse delusions.
FRom these Doctrines several Questions may be moved. And, 1. If any of the People of God may be carried away with such abominable errours in doctrine? We shall answer in these Assertions.
Assert. 1. There is no errour so grosse materially,It is not simply impossible but some may, in a great measure, for a time, be carried away. but Believers may fall into it: For, although they have a promise that errour shall not separate wholly betwixt Christ and them, nor that finally they shall be carried away therewith; yet, seing they have corruption that is capable to be tempted to all sin, and so to this among other sins, they cannot be exempted from this, neither is there any promise by which they can expect absolutely to be kept from heresie, more than murder or adultery, which are fruits of the flesh with this: yea, except the sin against the holy Ghost and final impenitencie, there is no absolute exemption to the Believer from any sin; which the Lord hath wisely ordered so, to keep the Believer from security, even in reference to such tentations: Beside, in experience it is found, that grace exempteth not from error in judgment; for, it is like, that Solomon, if he did not actually commit idolatry himself, yet became too inclinable that way, as we may gather from what is in Scripture recorded concerning him; Neither can we altogether, as to their state, condemn these in Corinth, in Galatia, and in other Churches, who were drawn from the Truth after their conversion, as if none but unregenerate professors had been so. Yea, it is possible, if not probable, that some of these, whom the Lord calleth His Servants, and yet were seduced in the Church of Thyatira, were not still in the state of nature.
Assert. 2. Although we dare not altogether say it'sYet not so easily as unto grosse practical evils. impossible, yet we think that it is more rare for a Believer to fall in grosse errours, and for any considerable time to continue therein, so as to be accounted an Heretick, than in other scandalous practices. For, 1. The Scripture doth more rarely mention this, than other sins of Believers, which are more frequently recorded. 2. There are very special promises for preserving of the Elect from being seduced by false christs and false teachers: and though it do not hold universally in all particulars, except in as far as reaches their everlasting state; yet it may be extended in some good measure, even to seduction it self; and we suppose may be more clear from these considerations, 1. Becoming erroneous in such a manner, doth not proceed from some sudden surprising-fit of tentation, as grosse practices oftentimes may do; but it implieth a deliberatenesse therein, which is not so readily incident to a Believer, and it cannot so well be called a sin of infirmity; and therefore the Scripture doth ever set out such teachers of false doctrine as most abominable, to wit, as not serving the Lord Christ, but their own bellies, Rom. 16. 18. as being enemies to the crosse of Christ, Phil. 3. 19. as being ministers of Satan, 2 Cor. 11. 15. Other men (as it were) that are unrenewed, are common subjects and servants to the devil; but corrupt teachers they are apostles to him, and prime officers in his kingdom: These titles, and such like, cannot well be applicable to Saints in respect of their infirmities; and therefore, we think, that (at least) it is more rarely incident to them, to be carriers on and promoters of corrupt doctrine. 2. It appeareth from this, that an Heretick is said to be self-condemned, Tit. 3. 1…. because ere one can be so denominated, there must be a rejecting of admonitions, which stands not so very well with the nature of a Saint. 3. This consideration will also make it evident, that the Scripture speaketh of repentance of, and recovery from corrupt doctrine, as a very rare and uncertain thing, Gal. 4. 10 the Apostle fears he did bestow labour in vain in this businesse; and 2 Tim. 2. 25. the Apostle doth put a peradventure upon this, If peradventure God will give them (to wit, those that oppose themseves) repentance unto the acknowledging of the Truth. There is not such a peradventure put to any kind of sin: which sheweth that it must be more difficult to be recovered from it, than from other sins; and that therefore Believers, ordinarily at least, must be in a special manner preserved from it. 4. Which doth confirm the former, This delusion is a main spiritual plague; and is often the punishment not of former sins of infirmity, but of not receiving the love of the Truth, and of hypocrisie and proud presumption; and although the Lord is not to be limited and bound up from chastening His own with this rod, yet we may say from experience in the Word, and from the nature of the plague, and other grounds, It is neither the ordinary spot nor rod of His Children; and if at any time it be, it doth speak out readily much spirituall pride, self seeking, lightnesse, security; wantonnesse of spirit, ignorance and conceitednesse joyned with it, want of exercise, or some one thing or other of that kind. And, as we hinted, when they are overtaken,When any believers fal in such evils usually the Lord lingularly … …emsor the same. we will not readily find in Scripture that such are heads to promote and carry on the design of error.
Assert. 3. When a Believer falleth in such an evil, the Lord usually chasteneth him, either with more grosse out-breakings, or with some sharp way of restoring, or with removal under a cloud, without much seen evidence of recovery, as we see in the case of Solomon, who became some way guilty of this ill, of whose recovery the Scripture is very silent, even though his sin be fully recorded, and the remainders of his idolatry are marked to be standing in the dayes of Hezekiah; and indeed there is but little on record in Scripture of the recovery of those that have been carried so away, though we may judge charitably of some of them in the general: The Lord wisely ordereth this, partly, as a chastening to them, partly, as a warning to others, and to make all men, especially Believers, to fear, and to take heed lest they fall; because, recovery is not so easie, and even they that are spiritual may be tempted, Gallat. 6. 1.
Asser. 4. These that are spreaders of errour, do mostUsually corrupt teachers set more upon professors to withdraw them than others that want profession▪ although such may also be set upon. frequently set upon these who have some profession of Religion, more than upon others who walk not under that name. For, the spreading of grosse errour, although it do not carry away many really godly, nor finally any at all, yet doth it often prove the most searching triall to them, and doth prove exceedingly strong and successefull against many unhumbled Professors.
There are two things comprehended here, 1. That this tentation to errour doth often prevail more among Professours, and doth prove a stumbling to them more than any other grosse practices; they may stand out against these, and yet be prevailed over by it.
2. It comprehendeth this also, that this tentation of errour doth rather attempt the gaining of these that are eminent for profession, than others who have no such name, although such sometimes may be carried also away therewith. We see that these Nicolaitans, and false Apostles, and the prophetesse Iezebel, are not teaching nor seducing heathens, but the Church of Christ, and such as he calleth His Servants, Rev. 2. 20. which may take in even such as eminently gave out themselves to be Christs Servants; yea, it is clear, that neither did this errour have such successe amongst heathens, as amongst Christians, nor did the teachers thereof so intend the leaving of them▪ as they did vehemently endeavour the corrupting of the Church; we see it also in other Churches, Was there any Church more shining with gifts▪ than that of Corinth? and yet there did false Apostles breed great distractions and opposition to the Apostle Paul, and that as taking occasion from the giftedness and eminencie of that Church beyond others, to drive on that design. Again, was there any Church that did more tenderly receive the Gospel, than these of Galatia? as we may see from chap. 4. 14 15. They received him as an Angel of God, and as Christ Jesus, they would have plucked out their own eyes for him; and yet there is no Church so soon shaken and infected by corrupt teachers, and so bewitched with them and their tentations, as we may gather from chap. 1. 6. chap. 3. 1, 2. and throughout the Epistle: It is like the devil took occasion of their warmnesse instantly to set upon them before their setling, more than on other places, or Churches, where such hopeful beginnings did not appear; And thus we see in experience daily, that where profanity aboundeth, there are fewer onsets to tempt to errour, and lesse successe, than where the Gospel hath had more welcome and fruit; as it were, the devil bendeth this tentation against the last, with more vehemencie and subtilty, than he doth against the former: for which we may give these Reasons, 1. His hatred is most at them▪ and he would fainest have them overturned. 2 Because he hath other baits that are more suitable to profane men: and so long as they are his, he doth not so much seek to engage them by this, for that is no gain to him. 3. Because especially, these who have a form of Religion, if withall weak in knowledge, are most capable, in some respect, of a tentation to errour; for, profane men, care not (like Gallio) what be truth, and what be errour; but a poor soul that hath some conscience, is ready to debate, and desireth the truth to be cleared, and when not so strong as to rid it self, it is readily drawn away like these silly women Paul speaketh of, 2 Tim. 3. 6 7. who were ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 4. Because grosse tentations to profanity (wherewith others are carried away) are not so taking with them, therefore the devil essayeth them with errour, under colour of some truth, or new discovery of some more strict and holy way, which often prevaileth when the other would not. 5. Because it is most advantagious to errour, and make it digest with others, to have one of name or parts, or piety for it, this being ordinary among most men, to look more to these who maintain such a thing, and what such a man thinketh of it, than to the thing it self. Therefore doth the devil drive this as a main design whereby he may prevail over many; this was ever a great mean made use of to induce to errour, that many who were accounted godly, did imbrace the same, as may appear from the histories of the Novatians, Donatists and others, who called themselves the pure and holy Church of Martyrs, and took other such like titles in opposition to the Orthodox Church, whom they accounted carnall; and by this mean they did brangle many. 6. He doth this also, that he may divert the exercises of these that look honest like from self-searching repentance, &c. that if he cannot get them engaged to errour, he may bring them, at least, to dispute truth, whereby he essayeth to extinguish the former conviction, or to give it a wrong mould before it be setled; or to keep them, as it were, taken up about the shell, while he intendeth to rob them of the kirnell, and so one way or other, if he gain not all, he doth yet disquiet them, and weary them by wakening of questions and debates, which are without their reach, and possibly also beyond their station.