The Dying Mans Testament to the Church of Scotland, Part 3 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. By what means, and how Satan drives on this plague among people.
1. SAtan doth not act in this design immediately, nor doth he act indifferently by any instrument, but he hath his special ministers, as it were, set apart for that end, as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 11. 15. He hath many subjects indeed, but beside these, he hath some special ministers for this designe, as our blessed Lord Jesus hath Ministers specially set apart in His Kingdom. Concerning which we may observe, 1. That he employeth some more eminently to traffique, as it were, in this very imployment, who, by compassing sea and land, and travelling to and fro, may further his designe, such were these who were called false Apostles, 2 Cor. 11. 13. Revel. 2, 3. and in the history of the Acts we will find such coming from one place to another, as from Ierusalem to Antioch, Act, 15. and elsewhere, purposly to spread their errours, as the Apostles did travel for preaching the truth. 2. He hath particular instruments, preaching in particular places, that are, as it were, his ministers of such and such bounds, as in the place cited. 3. Beside these, he hath stickling underhand-dealers, who, not appearing openly, yet creep into houses; and ordinarily he hath some women, who are specially employed in this, as he hath Iezebel the Prophetesse in the Church of Thyatira, Rev. 2. and such he had in the primitive heresies, particularly one of the Montanists, because such are often vehement in what they are engaged in, and have accesse to pervert and seduce, which others cannot easily have; his assisting of them withall to speak sometimes to the admiration of others, seemeth more wonderful like. 4. Whom ever he maketh use of, they are someway fitted (to say so) for the designs they are employed in, although their manner of carrying on these designes may be diverse, as experience showeth.
2. In the method which he followeth, we willWhat is his method of proceeding. find this progresse, 1. He setteth himself by all means to make the Ministers of the truth odious and contemptible, and that either by crying down a Ministery altogether, or making all indifferently to be Ministers, which is, upon the matter, one with the former: this was Korah, Dathan, and Abirams fault, Numb. 16. which is applied to corrupt teachers, Iude 11. or if that fail, he endeavoureth to make their persons odious, who are in the station: thus we see, even Paul is traduced by the false teachers of Corinth and Galatia. The reason of this, is, 1. because Ministers are appointed, and gifts are given to men by Jesus Christ, purposely to guard the Church from being tossed to and fro with corrupt Doctrine, by the sleight of men, as it is Ephes. 4. 11, 12, 13, 14. that he may therefore have the more easily his will, he endeavoureth to bring the Watchmen in suspicion, and to render them uselesse. 2. Teachers of the truth, and corrupt teachers cannot both together have peoples affection, and no teacher readily will have weight, if he have not affection from his hearers: Therefore he by all means endeavours to traduce Ministers that by excluding them, he may make way for his Emissaries, for they are like … wooers … the same Bride, So that both cannot have her affection, to this purpose is the Apostles word, Gal. 4. …7. they zealously affect you, but not well, yea, they … exclude you; it is in the Originall, and on the M…rgent, they would exclude us, (that is, the true Apostles) that you might affect them. And considering the great accesse that the devil hath to destroy, when once Ministers are in contempt, it is no marvell he begin at the removall of this impediment out of his way; and s…ing he attempted this against the great Apostl… Paul, so often and frequently, it cannot be thought strange that he seek to defame others.
If it be enquired how he prosecuteth this? WeHow …e … …. may observe these particular wayes; As, 1. Although he question not a Ministery in the general, Yet he wakeneth Questions, 1. concerning the calling of such and such men, if they be duly called Ministers or not; thus Paul's Apostleship is questioned, b…cause he had not conversed with the Lord; and for thi… cause he is put, in the Epistles to the Corinthians and Galatians, so largely to vindicate his Calling and Apostleship, and to produce, as it were, not only his Commission, but the Seal thereof also, particularly, 2 Cor 3. 2, 3. and the occasion thereof is expressed, 2 Cor. 13. 3. since …e seek a proof of Christ speaking in me▪ 2. He endeavoureth the discrediting of their gifts, as if the m…tter spoken by them were common, their expressions mean, and their carriage base and contemptible, as we may see in the instance of that s…me great Apostle Paul, 2 Cor. 10. 1. and 11. 6, he is called …ude in spe…ch. 3. This is especially by comparing them with the fair shew of corrupt teachers in their flourishing, spiritual, ravishi…g▪ like discours…s, which are by many … mysteries, and are called depths, Revel. 2. 24. The Lord indeed calleth them depths of Satan, but it is not to be thought that they themselves meaned so, who yet are said to give them the name of depths; sometimes unconceivable non-sense, will be admired, and plain truths and duty despised. 4. They cry-up their revelations and spiritual attainments in an immediate manner beyond what is in the Ministers of Christ: Therefore, 2 Cor. 11. 12. Paul is put to compare himself with them, and particularly in revelations and singular manifestations of God to him. 5. They endeavour to make the Ministers of Christ to be esteemed covetous, self-seekers, earthly-minded, and such like, because of their taking wages to preach the …ospel, as if they were making a prey of the people, which is often objected to the Apostle, and answered by him in these Ep…stles to the Corinthians. 6. When evidences fail, then they raise suspicions of Ministers craftinesse and underhand dealing, as if in every thing they were seeking their gain, as that Apostle answereth it, 2 Cor. 12. 16▪ 17. 7. Whatever the Ministers carriage be, they lie in wait to traduce it, if he be more meek and familiar in his conversing, they say he is a carnal man, a friend and lover of sinners and corrupt men, as was said of our blessed Lord; if he be more aust…re in checking their faults or retired in shunning their company, he is called intolerable and devilishly proud, as was imputed to Iohn; if he take wages or gifts, he is accounted greedy and covetous; if he refuse and abstain, it is expounded to be want of love and respect to them, as was also said of Paul when he continued firm in his former resolution, 2 Cor. 11. 10▪ 11. 8. They are usually counted proud, exalters of themselves above, and despisers of, the people, and to take too much on them to the prejudice of the Flock, whose liberty and priviledges corrupt teachers ordinarily pretend to vindicate against Ministers tyrannous encroachments (as they say) This was pretended by Korah, Dathan, and Abiram against Aaron, and was revived and followed in the primitive times by these corupters, spoken of, Iude 11. 9. They endeavour to have the people suspecting the Ministers love to them, as 2 Cor. 11. 11. yea, that all his freedom to them, and his speaking against their faults and errours is bitternesse, railing, and the like, which the Apostle toucheth, Gal. 4. 16. Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? 10. It is ordinary to charge Ministers with lightnesse and changeablnesse, and that therefore much weight is not to be laid on them, for, they think one thing this year, (say they) and alter the next, when yet, it may be, edification hath moved them in such a change; this hath been imputed to Paul, 2 Cor. 1. 17. purposedly to make his word to have little weight, and it is no marvell that that same way be followed in reference to others. For this end also, where there is any personal fault in a Minister, it is not past over but exceedingly aggreaged; yea, though it hath been in his youth, before his conversion or entry into the Minist…ry, it is not forgotten, if it may serve to defame the holy Calling: For preventing of this, it is required of Ministers, that they be of good report, even among those that are without; and it is like the false apostles spaired not to upbraid Paul with his former conversation and persecution. 11. Differences of judgement and divisions among Ministers, are much made use of for that end, even sometimes when they are but apparent: Thus Paul is said to preach another doctrine, by the false teachers, than those at Ierusalem did, whereupon he is often put to show the harmony that was betwixt them, as particularly in the Epistle to the Galatians; And Iosephus marketh, that Ahab's false teachers did oppose Elias his Prophecy (wherein it is said that dogs should lick Ahab's bloud at Iezreel) to Micajah, who said he should die at Ramoth ▪ gilead; Also, that others did harden Zedekia, by this that Ezekiel said, that he should not see Babylon, and that Ieremiah said he should be carried thereto; which they took to be contrary, and did thereby seek to defame the Prophets, and to weaken the esteem of their Prophecies; and though there was no real difference there, yet it sheweth how, and to what end, they lie in wait to aggreage the differences of God's Servants, though but apparent, which should make Ministers carefully avoid those things. Again, secondly, Though, at first, principal truths are not altogether and plainly denied, Yet by degrees he doth engage many, 1. To reject some lesse fundamentall truths concerning Government, communion with others in the Ordinances, and such like. 2. He draweth them to separate in practice from the fellowship of others, under the pretext of more purity and spiritualnesse; this seems to be exprest by Iude, v. 19. These are they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit, although it is insinuated that they did pretend to it: And indeed this way was followed in the first heresies, which began at small things, as those of the Novatians, Donatists, &c. who at first only separated to eschew the impurity of promiscuous communion. 3. He cometh then to quarrel expressions that are used by the Orthodox, and to commend, as it were, a new kind of language; for which cause, the Apostle commendeth the holding fast the form of sound words, 2 Tim. 1. 13. And these corrupt teachers are said to speak great swelling words of vanity, and to have expressions much more weighty like, than what formerly hath been used, Iude 16. Thus the Arians will not admit the word foreign, or consubstantial, and a Council must be called to lay by that: and so they come to question, in the next place, the Truth it self, alleaging men are too confident to determine such things, It's not clear, much may be said against it, and such like; whereby, under pretext of doubting, they endeavour to a wake scruples in others, that they may be disposed the more to admit of their resolutions. 4. Absurdities are laid down as consequences that follow upon Truths▪ and thus the doctrine of Providence▪ Election and Reprobation, &c. are loaded with horrible consequences and absurdities, pretended to follow on them, … so the do…trine of Gods absolute Soveraignity, … Justification by free grace, were loaded in the … times, as if thereby Paul had taught that men might do evil that good might come of it; That the Law was wholly made void; That men might sin securely, because grace did so much the more abound, as in the second, third, and sixth Chapters of the Epistle to the Romans, is clear. 5. He endeavoureth to diminish mens hatted and zeal against errours and the most absurd opinions, that he may either obtain some actual toleration to them, or, at least, keep off such hard constructions of them; for, if that be gained at first, although errour get not a direct approbation, yet a great point is gained, if he can get some to tolerate, and others to hear: This is condemned in the Church of Thyatira, that the Officers suffered Iezebel to teach, and that the people, who are there called Christ's servants, did countenance and hear her; And it seems something of this was in Corinth, which maketh the Apostle say, that evil communication corrupteth good manners, and that therefore men should not become cold in reference to errour, although they be not tainted with it, 1 Cor. 15, 33. And upon this ground the most grosse Hereticks of old and of late, as Socinians, Arminians, those of the Family of Love, and others of that kind, have maintained a liberty in prophesying a problematicknesse in the main truths of the Gospel, and a toleration in matters of doctrine, &c. as principles subservient to their design. 6. He proceedeth then to have the persons of such as are tainted with errour, much beloved and esteemed of by others, that there may be the more familiar accesse to converse with them, and the readier disposition to receive their leaven from them: this he doth sometimes by making mens gifts in their quicknesse and nimblnesse to be commended, sometimes by the seeming gravity, austerity and holinesse of their carriage, for which cause they are said to be wolves in sheeps cloathing, Mat. 7. and he is said to transform himself into an angel of light, and his ministers into the ministers of Christ, 2 Cor. 11. 14. Sometimes by flattery, and seeming sympathy and affection, for which the lying Prophet is called the tail; and if it were by no other mean, he doth it by their reproaching of honest and faithfull Ministers, and, it may be, hitting upon some real ills among them, which is often but too too pleasing to the carnall humour of the generality of people, as in the instances formerly given is clear. Lastly, when this is obtained, then there is easie accesse to make the most grosse Doctrines and delusions to be drunken in, which at first would have been abhorred: by these degrees Antichrists delusion came to its height, and by such steps, some, that at first only separated from the Novatians and Donatists, came at last to that height of delusion, as to become Circumcellians (a strange wild kind of delusion) Anthropomorphits, and such like.
3. The means and arguments that are used to carryThe means and arguments that are used to carry on this design. on this delusion, are to be observed, which are these or such like. 1. The carriage and conversation of the abetters thereof, is made very plausible, fair and approveable-like, that there may be no suspicion of the devils influence on such a work; Therefore they are said to be transformed into the Ministers of Christ; thus the Pharisees make long prayers, live austerely, &c. thereby to gain reputation to their traditions: for, the devil would mar all his design, if he did not look like an Angel of light: yea, there will be much seeming like zeal, patience and suffering in such, as may be gathered from 2 Cor. 11. 23. and in experience it will be found, that the most grosse Hereticks in doctrine, have had (at least for a long time) a great shew of holinesse before others, as might be instanced in the greatest deluders.
2. It is usefull in this design, to have some that have Church-power, and beareth the name of Officers, engaged, that they may come in, not under the name of Ministers of Satan, but as it is, 2 Cor. 11. 23. as Ministers of Christ; and therefore, if no ordinary call can be alleged by them, they readily disclaime all such, and yet pretend a calling to be Preachers of Christ, of his Gospel, and such like: as we may see by these false teachers of old, who called themselves Apostles and Prophetesses, as having some extraordinary call from God, thereby making way for their delusions.
3. They follow their designs under a pretext of advancing holinesse and spirituality, to a higher degree, and of having a more humble way of living, and of being a further length in high attainments, than other men can win at, or are capable of: thus some are outwardly despisers of all pride, and of giving respect to men, and that as the Apostle saith, Col. 2. 18. by a sort of voluntary humility, and intruding upon things which they have not seen, casting, in the mean time, at common and plain truths.
A 4. mean, is, the pleasing of ears and itching humours, with great swelling words, new notions, and large discourses of non-sense▪ delivered with great confidence, when as the Apostle saith, 1 Tim. 1. 7. They know not what they say, nor whereof they affirm, yet often such discourses are sublime mysteries to the ignorant, and such as loath the simple truth.
5. They make use of a pretext of good will and advantage to these that they speak unto, as it is, Rom. 16. 18. by good words and fair speaches they deceive the simple, and by pretending to wish their souls well, and to pity their blindnesse and hazard they are in, they creep into their houses and affections, 2 Tim. 3. 6. and lead simple persons captive; By this pretext, the serpent beguiled Eve at the first, promising some advantage by hearkening to him, and this way is followed by corrupt teachers still, as it is, 2 Cor. 11. 3.
6. Sometimes there is much more pretended strictnesse, especially in outward things: thus some of old added the observation of Moses Law to the Gospel, as if that were a more perfect and strict way, and upon this ground have so many traditions been brought in into the Church.
7. There is a pretending to more Christian liberty and freedom from the bondage of Ordinances of whatever sort, so as men must not be tyed to hear preachings, keep Sabbaths, Pray, Praise and such like, which are (say they) but formes and burthens to Saints, and unbecoming that freedom and spiritualnesse that grown Believers should have. Thus such deceivers and these that are deceived with them, are said to promise liberty to whomsoever they propose their delusions, while in the mean time all of them are made servants to corruption.
8. There is great pretending to know Christs mind, and confident alleaging of the writings of His Apostles, and that in a seeming convincing way: Thus, 2. Thess. 2. 2. there are mentioned Spirit, Word and Letter, as proceeding from Paul, whenas he himself is disclaiming such interpretations as they did put on him.
9. They use to alleage the authority of men, and to oppose such to these who oppose their errours: thus the Pharisees alleaged Moses, and the Nicolaitans Nicolas; and it is like, the false apostles that came from Ierusalem, did oppose other Apostles authority to Pauls, as if they had preached nothing but what they preached in Ierusalem; and very often the infirmities of some great men, are stumbled upon, and made arguments against truth.
10. Many are stirred up to vent queries and captitious questions, (as often the Pharisees did, by sending their emissaries to Christ) that some advantage may be gotten that way, and these that are for truth entangled.
11. Sometimes he maketh use of humane reason, and cryeth down every thing that seemeth not consonant to it: upon which ground the resurrection was denied by the Sadduces, and some of the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 15. and the most fundamentall truths of the Gospel, are by the Socinians and others unto this day. Sometimes again, all use of reason, learning or prudence is disclaimed; in which respect, such men are called unreasonable, 2 Thes. 3. and bruit beasts, 2 Pet. 2. and Iude, 10.
12. They endeavour by all means to carry the favour of the civil Magistrates, and to have Ministers especially such as are zealous against them, made hatefull and suspected unto them, and the gaining of this hath a double advantage with it to their cause, as it strengtheneth it, and weakeneth the truth: this we see the false Prophets did of old, 1 King. 22. Ier. 26. Amos 7. 10. and so endeavoured the Scribes and Pharisees to engage the Romans against Christ, and against His Apostles; So also did the Arrians and other Hereticks, and so hath Antichrists emissaries ever endeavoured to stir up civil Magistrates against faithfull Ministers, as most hatefull persons: This they carry on by such like means. 1. They pretend to give the Magistrates more submission, and charge faithfull Ministers with sleighting of their authority, for they know this to be a thing well pleasing to Magistrates: Thus the faithfuln…sse of honest Ministers is accounted disobedience and hatred, and the lying flattery of such is given out for re…pect and obedience, so was it in the case of Mica…ah. 2. They cry out upon faithfull Ministers, as factious and turners of the world upside-down, sowers of sedition, as, Acts 24. 5. troublers of the peace, who do keep the people in a continuall stir, and crosse their designs, and mar the absolutenesse of M…gistracy; So, Elijah is counted an enemy to Ahab, and a troubler of Israel. 3. They vent many groundlesse calumnies against them, as if they were guilty of many grosse evils; Thus Athanasius and many others were charged by the Arians, as murderers and adulterers, and some pretended proofs made thereof: Yea, it was alleaged to Constantine, that Athanasius had medled with civil matters (which was derogatory to his authority) by inhibiting all Corns to be exported from Egypt. 4. They bring the Magistrates in tops with them, by appellations from Church-judicatories to them, and seeming to plead an absolutenesse to Magistrates in things Ecclesiastick; Thus Hereticks in all times have sheltered themselves under this pretext, till Magistrates declared against them, and then they cast them off also, as of late in the practices of the Socinians and Arminians hath been made out. 5. They represent them to Magistrates as unsufferable, in respect of their plain threatnings, and that such are not to be endured so to affront Authority, and to weaken these that professe so much to respect the same; thus Amos is represented, chap, 7. 10. by Am…ziah Priest of Bethel, and often Ieremiah is so by the false Prophets in his time. 6. They propose faithfull Ministers as unwarrantably arrogating a kind of infallibility to themselves, and thereby derogating from all others; so is that word, 1 King. 22. What way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to you? and by a certain audacious confidence, seek, as it were, to put out faithfull Ministers as despicable men, not worthy to be cre…ited, as in the case cited; and Ier. 28. and elsewhere, and often by such means their insinuations and flatteries do exceedingly prevail for promoving their designs. Augustine chargeth the Donatists with this, that in their application to Iulian, they used this phrase, quoniam apud …e solum justitia habet locum: and this was (saith he) when they knew he was an apostat, Epist. 48.
The last thing in this, is the manner how this designThe manner how this design is carried-on. is carried on by such corrupt teachers, which is not alway the same in all, and may in part be collected from what is said; Yet we may name these particulars. 1. It is covertly and subtilly done, therefore they creep in with insinuations, looking far otherwise than they are. 2. It is done hypocritically▪ 1 Tim. 4. They speak lies in hypocrisie, and do pretend both to be Religious and friends to Religion and Truth, while they do so. 3. It is done somtimes vehemently, as it were knocking with force at hearts, So it shaketh the hearer by the bignesse of words, peremptorinesse of threatnings, confidence of Assertions, and vehemency in the manner, so that it hath (as the Scripture saith) a strength and power with it, and therefore is compared to a spait or flood, Rev. 12. and is called strong delusion, 2 Thess. 2. 4. This is done with all diligence, compassing sea and land, leaving no mean unessayed. And, 5. with a kind of seeming simplicity, zeal and singlnesse, and with many professions thereof, as may be gathered from the instances formerly given; and from Gal. 4. 17. where it is said, they zealously affect you, but not well, and from Rom. 10. 2. 6. This is done with great boldnesse, which appeareth, 1. In pretending to eschew no suffering, or to fear no hazard that may follow on their opinion, if it were to give their body to be brunt, and, it may be, doing much in this. 2. It may be stuck to by them at their sicknesse, even in their death beds, as it is not unlike it was with Iezebel and some of her followers, Rev. 2. 21, 22. for, neither is the devil silenced, nor corruptions removed by sicknesse or death. 3. It appeareth in confident undertaking to dispute with any; yea, oftentimes seeking occasion of that: Thus the Libertines arise and dispute with Stephen, Acts 6. and it is like, the false teachers of Corinth, that said of Paul, … Cor. 10▪ 10. that his bodily presence was weak and his speach contemptible, would not have declined to have disputed even with him. 4. It kythes in their confident t…usting to their own judgements, and their undervaluing of all others. 5. It appeareth in confident as…erting of any thing, and not only in the reproaching of any private person, but of Officers and Ordinances, 2 Pet. 2. 10. they are not af…raid to speak evil of dignities.
By these considerations, we may in part see howWhat accession a people may have to the bringing of this plague upon themselves. delusion cometh to such strength and height, in respect of these who carry on this corrupt doctrine. We come now to consider a thi…d thing, to wit, What accession is from the peoples side for the promoving thereof, which we may draw to these three. 1. There is something sinfull in a peoples former carriage whereby delusion is exceedingly strengthened against them, when it cometh as a just plague for former …iscarriages; But of those sins we have already spoken.
2. A peoples present temper, or rather di…temper, may have much influence on this, and exceedingly dispose them for, and cast them open to, the tentation. As, first, lightnesse of mind, unsettlednesse in the truth; these the Scripture calleth unstable souls, 2 Pet. 2. 14. 2. There is an itching new-fangle humour, desirous of some new thing, and loathing simple Doctrine, as it is, 2 Tim. 4. 3. 3. There is too great facility in believing the spirits, without trying of them, which its like hath been in Galatia, whereby they were soon drawn away to another Gospel, and to credit some insinuaters foolishly▪ as, chap. 1. 6. and 3. 1. 4. A secure carnall frame, wanting exercise of conscience, is dangerous So are also proud presumptuous persons▪ (that have an high esteem of themselves, and such as are self-willed, who are mentioned, 2 Pet. 2. 10.) in great hazard of this: The tentation will also sometimes take advantage of some persons who are jumbled in mind, and under some weight and heavinesse, and come in under pretext of remedying the same; many such distempers there are, whereof some may be gathered from what is said of the sinfull causes that procure this, because that which doth meritoriously deserve to be so punished, proveth often also a disposing mids for receiving of the tentation; But we forbear.
3. People often by their carriage do promove this plague of delusion upon themselves, casting themselves in the snare, 1. By needlesse familiar conversing with such persons. 2. Going to hear them. 3. Purchasing or reading their books. 4. Hazarding to entertain their doubts, and to prosecute their arguments and questions, to plead for their opinions, and such like, shunning withall of such means and wayes as might recover them, and entertaining prejudice at such as would aim thereat, and such like, whereby that of the Prophet is verified. The prophets teach lies, and my people love to have it so. Now, if all these be put together, can it be thought strange to see the great…st delusion prevail? We have been the longer on these, not only for the confirming of that truth, but for drawing together in some short view, a little map, as it were, of these wayes, whereby the devil driveth on his design by the cunning craft of these that lye in wait to deceive.