every man, which followed, will bring to salvation: indeed the evangelist saith, That Christ, as God, enlighteneth every one that comes into the world; the wicked with the light of reason and understanding; the godly with the light of grace: and the apostle saith, that the grace of God hath appeared to all men, that is, both Jews and gentiles; but doth not say, that the grace of God hath appeared to all particular men but he saith, The whole world lies in wickedness; and a natural man doth not perceive the things of God, neither can he.

They never preached, that any man might be perfect, so as to be without sin in this life, but the contrary; saying, "If any man say, he hath no sin, he deceives himself, and there is no truth in him," 1 John i. 8; he doth not say, and there is no humility in him, though it be pride to say so; but there is no truth in him.* And again, the apostle James, "In many things we offend all," chap. iii. 2. And again, "We see and know but in part,” 1 Cor. xiii. 9, they acknowledge indeed a perfection of uprightness: but the true apostles never placed any perfection in monastical virginity, or abstaining from meats, cuffs, points, and laces. But says the apostle, Col. ii. 18, "Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility, and in being subject to ordinances: as touch not, taste not, handle not: which all perish in the using, after the commandments and doctrines of men. Which things indeed have a shew of wisdom, in will-worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body," ver. 19-23.

The true apostles never preached against respect unto magistrates, parents, and masters. Indeed our Saviour Christ says, "Call no man your father; neither be ye called masters" but master, he tells us at verse 8, is all one with rabbi: now these rabbins were their sect-masters, who were the masters of their faith; and such a father and master, no man ought to be but otherwise the apostle saith, "Children obey your parents; honour thy father: and ser*Poterat enim apostolus dicere, si dixerimus, quod non habemus peccatum nos ipsos extollimus, et humilitas in nobis non est, sed cum ait nos ipsos decipimus et veritas in nobis non est satis ostendit eum qui sic dixerit non verum loqui sed falsum.-Concil. Milevit. Cau. 6.

:

Nunc bene vivitur si sine crimine sine peccato autem si quis vivere se existtimet non id agit, ut peccatum non habebat, sed ut veniam non accipiat.Austin.

vants, be subject to your masters." And did not Paul the apostle call himself, a wise master-builder? Acts xxvi. 25, Paul calleth Festus, most noble Festus; and Agrippa, King Agrippa. And chap. xxvii., he saith to them that were in the ship with him, "Sirs, I perceive that voyage will be dangerous" and again, verse 21, "He stood forth in the midst, and said, Sirs" and yet again, verse 25, "Wherefore, Sirs ;" or excellent men, be of good comfort, &c.

The true apostles never preached against the resurrection and ascension of the body, but make the doctrine of the resurrection a fundamental article of our faith, 1 Cor. xv., yea, they tell us, that Christ did not only rise, but ascend with his body; and that our bodies shall remain bodies in heaven, as Christ's doth, Phil. iii. 20, "Who shall change our vile bodies, that they may be like to his glorious body." The apostles never preached that there is no place of heaven and hell after death: but as they received of Christ, so they delivered truth unto us. Now Christ saith expressly; "Go ye cursed into everlasting torment, prepared for the devil, and his angels: and Come ye blessed, inherit the kingdom of the Father, prepared for you before the foundation of the world."

These were the doctrines of the apostles, and the true teachers of the gospel. Doth any man therefore say, I now come unto you from God, and God hath sent me? And doth he say, there is no other heaven, nor hell, than what is in this life? Or doth he preach against the resurrection and ascension of our bodies? Or doth he preach against respect unto magistrates, and civil relations? Or doth he tell you of a light within all men, which is able to bring them to salvation? Doth he preach perfection, saying, that man may be perfect, and without sin in this life? Or doth he tell you of justification by somewhat within you? Or doth he cry down, degrade, and vilify the ordinances of Christ, ministry, water baptism, Lord's supper, and singing? Or doth he deny the Deity of Christ on earth; or the humanity of Christ in heaven? Or doth he preach down the Scripture by telling you, that the light and spirit within you is your rule? Surely this person is a false apostle, and a false teacher. Thus you may try a man by his doctrine.

A teacher also may and must be tried by his life and fruits;

for saith our Saviour, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves: ye shall know them by their fruits," Matt. vii. 15, 16. As ye know a tree, not by the leaves, but by the fruit; so, saith he, ye shall know these men, not by their first profession, but by their after works and ways and fruits.

But if they go in sheep's clothing, how shall I know they are wolves?

Yes; for though their clothing be the sheep's, yet they have the nature and disposition of wolves, the voice, howling and barking of wolves, and the practice of wolves.

The nature of a wolf, though he be in sheep's clothing, is fierce and cruel. So is the nature, spirit and disposition of the false teacher: 2 Tim. iii. 3, "Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good: of this sort are they (ver. 6) which creep into houses, and lead silly women captive," &c.

The voice of the wolf doth betray him; he howls as the sheep do not, and barks at the shepherds. So do false teachers do, they resist the truth, as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, and are continually barking at and speaking evil of the true ministers of the gospel, and shepherds of the sheep. It is recorded of Philip of Macedon, when he laid siege to Athens, that he sent word into the city, that if they would send out ten of their orators, he would be at peace with them. Whereupon Demosthenes rose up in the senate, and said, If the wolves come to the fold, and tell the sheep, that they will be at peace with them, if they will send away all their dogs and shepherds, will the sheep do it? No, the great design of the wolf is to part the sheep from the shepherd. Those therefore that come in sheep's clothing, and cry out against the true ministry of Christ, are no true sheep, but wolves.

The wolf, though he be in sheep's clothings, doth tear and rend the sheep; he cometh not in by the door; and when he is come in, then he doth devour the poor sheep. And so it is with false teachers, they come not in by the door of a lawful call, and they bite and devour and destroy the faith of some.*

* Oilives Egxovтaι пgos vμas, Matt. vii. 13, qui venient ex seipsis legitime non missi, de quibus Jer. xxiii. 21, currebant et non mittebam.-Luc. Brugens. in Matt. vii. 15.

But our Saviour saith, that we may know them by their fruits; what are those fruits, and how shall we know them thereby?

If you find that they are given to uncleanness, then they are not sent of God. So are false teachers many times, 2 Pet. ii. 1, "There shall be false teachers amongst you." "These do walk after the flesh, in the lust of uncleanness," ver. 10. See the Epistle of Jude. God doth often give men up to fleshly sins for their vile errors.*

If you find that they are given to lying, then you may know that they are not of God. Truth doth not need our lies to maintain it with; but the doctrine of lies is often maintained with the practice of lying. "And hast found them liars," saith our text here.

If you find that the height of their religion is to maintain some opinion, and that doth consist in some voluntary humility, and keeping under the body, then are they not of God. Col. ii. 18-26.

If you find that their doctrine tends to draw men away from the ordinances of God, then though they pretend to be prophets, yet they are but false prophets. Deut. xiii. 1," If there arise among you a prophet, and he giveth a sign, and it come to pass, thou shalt not hearken to him," ver. 3. "And he shall be put to death," ver. 5. Why? "Because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God."

If you find that in truth he falls short of him whom he would seem to be, and yet in shew goes beyond him, then he is a deceiver. As for example: If a man say that he is an apostle, but pretends to do more than ever any apostle did, as to judge infallibly in all things; whereas the apostle saith sometime, "This say I, not the Lord;" yet in truth falls short of what an apostle did, who spake with tongues, and

* Pseudo-prophetæ quo modo probari possint: cettissima autem demonstratio hæc est, si deliquerit et contemnat voluptates corporales, imprimis vero sensum illum qui nobis est opprobrio et dedecori et si abominentur omnem libidinem et scortationem; an ignoras enim, qua ratione Zedekias filius Maasijæ et Achab filius Kolija de propetia gloriati fuerint, multos homines ad se pertraxerint, verbaque prophetiæ ab aliis instinctus divini afflatu prolata sub suo titulo ventitarint, et tamen in voluptatibus suis venereis perrexerint, ita ut sociorum et discipulorum suorum uxores stupraverint. Donec a Deo retecti et a rege Babyloniæ, meritissima pæna igne combusti fuerint. Jer. xxix. 22, 23.—Rab. Mos. Maiemon. More Nevochim, part 2, cap. 40.

did work miracles; surely this man is a false apostle. It is the way of an hypocrite to imitate the godly, and in outward things he will go beyond many a godly man, yet doth fall short of the weakest saint. Now though every hypocrite is not an heretic, yet every heretic is an hypocrite.

If you find that his great work and business is, to destroy the churches of Christ, then he is not of God, but by this fruit you may know him to be a false teacher. The apostles went up and down confirming the churches, not destroying them. But now, says Luther,* after we have taken much pains, even for ten years together, to gather and settle a church; then comes some fanatic person, and he destroys more in one moment, than we could build in ten years. But, says the apostle, "Mark those which cause division," much more those that cause destruction, and avoid them.

"If they will not hear us (says the apostle John), they are not of God," 1 John iv. 6. "We are of God: he that knoweth God, heareth us; he that is not of God, heareth not us. Hereby know we the Spirit of truth, and the spirit of error." Doth a man then forsake the assemblies of the saints, as the manner of some is, and teach men so to do? he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; he is a false teacher, and by this fruit you may know him. Yea, and by all these fruits you may know false teachers. You may know them by their call; you may know them by their doctrines; and you may know them by their fruits and their practices. And thus you see how those that are false apostles, or false teachers, may be tried and discovered. And is it a commendable thing in the eyes of Christ, to make discovery of them? Now then, as you desire that you may fall under the commendation of Christ here or hereafter, let it be your work and business in these times to make this discovery. Only know,

That it is the special work of church officers, to try and discover false teachers; for this epistle is directed to the angel of the church of Ephesus.

But though it is their work especially, yet it is a work in

* Decem annis laboratur antequam ecclesiola recte et pie instituta paratur, et ubi parata est, irrepit aliquis fanaticus et quidem idiota, qui nihil novit quam contumeliose loqui, contra sinceros verbi doctores, is uno momento evertit omnia. -Luther.