The Mystical World Set Forth

These words are part of our Lord's holy sermon in the Mount, which containeth;

A Premonition, in which there is

• A Caution in this word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• A description of them whom we are to beware of, whom he
  • 1. Describeth generally, by their Title, Ealse Prophets.
  • 2. Particularly, by their
    • External show, they shall
    • Inward disposition, being Ravening wolves.
      • 1. Intrude themselves.
      • 2. Insinuate.
      • 3. Dissemble.

And of these, as God shall enable me, & I pray God that this Text may be as profitable to you as fitting.

And first I purpose to speak of false prophets, how dangerous they are, and of the caveat in the last place, which will be then more acceptable to you, you seeing the great danger that you are in by them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of false prophets.

The word Prophet is used in Scriptures,

First, for a fore-teller of things to come, derived from the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which signifieth to divine or fore-tell.

Secondly, in a larger sense for all Ministers and Teachers.

Our Lord biddeth us beware, not of Prophets, but of false prophets, or such as pretend themselves to be Prophets.

The word signifieth lying prophets.

Saint Peter termeth them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ▪ lying teachers, who privily shall bring in damnableheresies.

St. Paul calleth them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , speaking lies in hypocrisy.

Take heed of such also as pretend that they speak immediately from God by revelation, as the illuminated Anabaptists, Familists and other Enthusiasts (make their proselytes believe:) or from the Oracle of God's Word by an especial insight given them from above, to interpret God's Word.

Again, from such as turn the truth of God into a lie.

The Friars of old erected their Kingdom by lies. Walsingham reporteth that they were so famous for lying, that it was accounted a good argument, he is a fryer Ergo a liar.

Do not our lying prophets go beyond them, they tell lies, they write lies, they preach lies, they print lies, as if God needed lies: Thou wilt destroy all them that speak leasing, saith the Prophet.

Here I would observe two things.

1. That there have been, and always shall be false prophets in the Church.

2. Why God suffereth them.

For the first, that there have been, and always shall be, false prophets in the Church.

There shall arise (saith our Lord) false prophets, and if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

I know (saith St. Paul) that after my departing, grievous Wolves shall enter in among you. Again, the spirit speaketh evidently, that in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, and shall give heed to the spirit of error, and doctrines of Devils, which speak lies through hypocris •• .

Likewise St. Peter affirmeth; But there were false prophets among the people, and there shall be also false teachers among you which privily shall bring in damnable hesies, even denying the Lord that bought them, & bring upon themselves swift damnation.

For example sake, we read of the Devil the archfalse prophet, deceiving our first parents in Paradise: of Iamnes and Jambres, withstanding Moses, and resisting the truth: In Elijah's time of many false prophets deceiving the people: yea, in this very time when our Lord preached upon the earth.

The Church was annoyed with divers pernicious sects: as with • he Pharisees, who like the Papists held Justification by works: With the Sadducees, who held with the Atheists of our time, that there is no resurrection: With the Essens, who like the Anabaptists of our time, thought themselves free from all human authority. I might set down the heretics that sprang up in the most pure ages of the Church, viz. In the first 400. years after Christ, collected by St. Augustine out of Eusebius and Epiphanius.

The Apostles and holy men seldom planted any Churches, but the devil with his false prophets went about to subvert them. Hear what St. Paul saith to the Galatians. O ye foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you▪ that you should not obey the truth?

Again, to the Corinthians, I fear, lest as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so you should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

The noble Churches of Antioch, Ephesus, Alexandria, and Constantinople, were poisoned by false prophets.

In Ephesus were the Nicholaitans, in Alexandria, Arius, in Antioch, Samosatenus; in Constantinople, Eutyches and Nestorius; and i • Britany, Pelagius, called in Welch, Morgan: But how Christian Princes, & holy Bishops, and learned men bestir'd themselves to save their flocks from those Wolves, and in the very beginning to suppress them, you may perceive by the ancient Councils, in someone of which 400. year, 600. Bishops conve • ed, and ran together, yea among us, to damn Pelagius heresy; Bishops came from beyond the Seas, as Germanus and Lupus out of France, St. Augustine also Bishop of Hippo in Africa, was assisting to us against him, as appeareth by his writings extant among us: Our histories report that our Welch Arch-bishop Davie was a great means to extirpate his heresy, who wrote a book against it.

As sorreign Bishops were aiding to us in suppressing the heretics that rose among us, so were we assisting to them, as Eborius of York, Restitutus of Londō, Adel • ius of Colchester, with other British and learned men, subscribed the Council of Arles. Also some of our Bishops were at the Council of Nice and Sardis, and with others damned the Arian heresy, and absolved Athanasius. Our poor Church is at this time oppressed with false prophets, not only with Jesuits and other Romish Emissaries, but also with unpure Familists, who blasphemously pretend to be godified like God, whereas indeed they are devillified like their Father the Devil, who would be like the most high.

With illuminated Anabaptists, who blaspheme the baptism of Children, and these heretics, whom in time past we burned, we may hear now in our pul • its • educing the people.

We have also Donatistical Brownists, who like the Pharisees of old, separate themselves from other men, counting all men profane that are not of their Conventicles.

We have also Independents, who dream that they have a perfect model • of Church-government, which Almighty God kept secret from the Patriarchs, Priests, Prophets, Apostles, and Doctors of the Church, and now lately revealed unto them.

We have also Antinomians, who, whereas the Papists leave out one Commandment of the ten, they null the whole Law, not allowing it to be a rule of life. This opinion simple people swallow down, having, as they suppose, found a new way to heaven.

We have Arminians, an after-brood of Pelagius.

We have Sabbatarianss, who affirm the old Jewish Sabbath to be kept; and not the Lord's day.

We have also Antisabbatarians, who would have no special Sabbath day at all, affirming every day to be a Sabbath to a Christian man.

We have Traskites, who affirm many Jewish ceremonies to be observed by Christians.

We have Arians, who deny the deity of Christ.

We have Antitrinitarians, who blaspheme the holy Trinity.

We have Millenaries, who dream that we must live with Christ 1000. years here in earth before the resurrection.

We have Hetheringtonians, who hold a hodg-podg of many heresies.

We have an Atheistical sect, who affirm that men's souls sleep with their bodies.

We have Socinians, who teach that Christ died, not to satisfy for our sins, but to give us an example of patience, with other abho • enable errors.

Alas, what Heresy have we not? and most of these are subdivided into many Sects: as there are about twenty sorts of Anabaptists, fourteen set down by Alstedius, and the rest by Bullinger; sundry sorts of Familists, Brownists, and of others: every day begets a new opinion, it faring with them, as with the ancient Heretics, who having once forsaken the truth, wandered from one error to another; they agreeing only in this one thing, to do mischief to the Church of God.

The old Fable may have relation to our times of an overture of peace tendered by the Wolves to the Sheep, but upon condition that they would put away their dogs, that were malignant to them: and doth not all this follow upon the suspension of Church Government? Alas, our Church is oppressed by false Prophets, and we have no government to help. The City of God is on fire, and who goeth about to quench it? The plague of Heresy is among us, and we have no power to keep the sick from the whole: The Wolves that were wont to lie in the woods, dare come into our Sheep-folds, and roar in our holy Congregations.

O thou Shepherd of Israel, why hast thou broken down the hedges of this thy Vineyard, which thy right had had plantted? the Boar out of the Wood, and the wild beast out of the field doth devour: Oh remember not against us our former iniquities, let thy tender mercies prevent us, for we are brought very low.

2. Why God suffereth false Prophets in his Church.

Resp. 1. For the punishment of the ungodly, as St. Paul affirmeth: Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved: Therefore God shall send them strong delusions, that they should believe a lie. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That all might be damned that believed not the truth.

St. Basil hath a Contemplation why the Devil hath so many servants, who is the enemy of mankind, and God so few, who hath created us and redeemed us, &c. The reason he saith, is not because the Devil hath spoiled God of his Kingdom, but because men loved not the truth, God gave them over to be slaves to the Devil. Were it possible that men should be so carried away to believe lies and fooleries, but that they are given over to a reprobate sense?

2. God suffereth false Prophets in the Church, for the trial of the godly. There must be (saith St. Paul) Heresies among you, that they which are approved may be known. The Lord proveth you, (saith Moses) whether you love the Lord your God.

The Uses that we should make of this is,

First in these distractions to be more diligent to seek after the truth.

If Arius had not so wickedly denied the Deity of Christ, the deep mysteries of the holy Trinity had never been so accurately determined by Athanasius, and other learned Doctors.

If the Manichees had not so shamefully railed upon the Old Testament, the learned Doctor, St. Augustine had never taken so much pains in answering their lewd Objections.

If the Brownists, and other Sectaries had not so imp • dently disgorged their malice upon our Church, calling her Whore of Babylon, &c. The learned men of our Age had never by their writings so sufficiently cleared her innocence in the hearts of understanding men.

The second use is, that the Shepherds should use double diligence, taking heed to themselves and to the fl • cke, over which Christ hath made them overseers, and to double & treble our prayers to the great Shepherd of souls, that he would lead us in the paths of righteousness for his names sake. Let no man slight prayer which is the armor of the Church, & of great force: one only example I will cite out of Theodoret, who reporteth that Alexanders prayers prevailed more against the Arians, then Athanasius profound learning.

When the Arian Bishops with the Emperors power, threatened to bring in Arius into Alexanders Church, the next day he prayed all night after this manner; O Lord, if it be thy will to bring Arius into my Church, then let thy servant depart in peace; but if thou wilt be favorable to thy Church, of which I am sure, then turn thine eye upon the Arians: The next day when the Arians came with great p • mp to have taken possession of his church: Arius going aside, his bowels brake asunder like Judases.

Let us earnestly pray to God to keep these heretics out of our churches, let us call upon him with David, How long Lord wilt thou be angry with thy people that pray? And thus much what false prophets are, and why God suffereth them.

Their outward description in which he setteth down
• 1 their Intrusion.
• 2 Insinuation.
• 3 Dissimulation.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 their intrusion, they come, they have no calling, these false prophets are not sent: Paul asketh how they can preach except they be sent. And this standeth with good reason, every true Minister standeth in God's room, being the Lord's Ambassador to deliver his will, who dare do this unsent? This did the Devil in Paradise, and the heretic Arius as the Alexandrian Synod affirmeth: No man taketh this honor to himself but he that is called of God, saith the author to the Hebrews.

They come! but whence come they, from the schools of the Prophets? No, but many of them from mechanic trades: as one from a stable from currying his horses, another from his stal from cobling his shoes, and these fit them down in Moses chair to mend all, as Ambassadors of Jesus Christ, as heralds of the most high God. These take upon them to reveal the secrets of the most high, to open and shut heaven, to save souls. You may read of such priests that Jeroboam provided, but they were for his calves, fit for calves. As for the Lord's Priests, the Majesty of the King and dignity of the Priest hood concurred in one person (viz. in the first borne) from the beginning to Moses: In the Gospel Christ preferreth St. John the Baptist before all the Priests and Levites before him: and St. Paul commandeth them to have double honor: and so they have b • en esteemed in all ages either Christian or profane, in whom there hath been any Religion at all.

But to return to my Text, to hear these base fellows to discourse of the holy Trinity, of God's eternal decree, and other deep points of divinity, you may hear the mad men in Bedlam to prate as wisely as they, & are not they that run after such men as mad as they?

May not Almighty God say to these Prophets, what hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldst take my Covenant into thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction? But they will ask why they may not preach as well as Peter who was a fisherman, and Paul a Tent-maker, &c. To these I answer, that these were immediately called by our Lord, and enabled with gifts fit for so high a calling, as to heal the sick, to cleanse Leapers, to cast out Devils; The holy Ghost came upon them, and they spake divers languages: They had all manner of learning both human and divine.

Neither hath Almighty God always left such presumptuous wretches unpunished: Korah, Dathan, ond Abiram, and the 250. Princes, who would take upon them to sacrifice with strange fire, the earth opened & swallowed some of them, and fire from heaven consumed the rest.

Elimas going about to turn the Deputy from the faith was stricken with blindness.

Arius died in a Jakes, voiding his bowels with his excrements as Theodoret recordeth.

Manes was excoriated by the Persian King.

Montanus and his two mad prophetesses hanged themselves.

Nestorius tongue was eaten up with wor • es.

Anastasius the Emperor, a great defender of the Eutychian heresy was smitten with a Thunder-bolt.

Nicomedia a place where the Arians were appointed to meet, was swallowed up with an Earth-quake: and Antioch, a nursery of faction and heresies, was shaken with an Earth-quake, and afterwards burnt with fire from heaven.

And of late days John of Leiden, King of the Anabaptists with Knipperdolling and Crechting, had upon a scaffold their flesh torn apeices with hot irons?

And Servetus was burnt for his abhominable blasphemies at Geneva. Examples are infinite, although seducers may escape punishment in this world, yet how can they escape the damnation of hell.

To you. To you that are my Disciples,

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

No word in vain [ to you ] daily experience showeth us, whom the Anabaptists, Brownists & Familists, go about to seduce, viz. not drankard • , adulterers, swearers, gamesters, and such like, but such as desire to know the right way to heaven: St. Paul telleth us, that they lead captive silly women, ever learning that are desir • us to learn.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : They come not, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 but to you, not as enemies but as friends, in • inuating themselves into you, as Counselors under the color of giving good council, they seduce. This did the Devil in Paradise, councelling our first parents to eat of the forbidden fruit, he promised to make them like God. And tempting Christ in the wilderness, promised to give him all the Kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; Thus all seducers promise great matters, yea the kingdom of heaven, and the glory of it.

The Wolf (saith a learned man) when he taketh a sheep at the first, layeth him gently upon his back, carrying it away with little hurt to the place where he meaneth to worrie it. The Anabaptists and other sectaries do the same, when they take sheep out of our folds, they pretend to carry them unto Zion, whereas indeed they take them out of the Church to strangle their souls in their profane conventicles.

Sweetely singeth the Bird-catcher when he would catch the Foul: these seducers have their several calls o • notes. Come out of Babylon crieth one, Christ must reign saith another, come to the holy Communalty saith another, &c. Everyone have their several calls, wherewith they do inchaunt silly souls.

That you may the better avoid their enchantments, I will set down to you the method that these seducers use in deceiving simple people.

In the first place they go about to separate the sheep from their Shepherds, and this they endeavor to do by disgracing them that have cure for their souls, & bringing them into contempt with their people: affirming them to be unprofitable, unpowerfull, calling them Baals priests, Caini • es, taxing their conversations as profane, and their doctrine as erroneous, colouring their malice with crying out for Reformation (which God grant) For our infirmities; which they maliciously cry up, we must confess that we ar • men, and weak men: but for our Doctrine, which they also scandal, it is God's truth; would to God ou • lives were as pure as our Doctrine. Our infirmity • are our own; the Doctrine we preach is yours; refuse not for their c • amours, and our infirmities, th • golden treasure of salvation, which we bring unt • you in our earthen Vessells. Thus they smi • in • your Shepherds with their tongues, the Sheep ar • scatt • ered and surprised by these ravenous Wolves. The Devil in Paradise spake ill of God himself, and so deceived our first Parents, persuading them tha • he loved them no • , in forbidding them to eat of th • fruit which would make them like God.

The use that we should make of this, is to teach all true professors, that are Christ's Sheep, to take heed that they forsake not their shepherds, and with itching ears run after seducers, who have fair outsides, and pretend much love.

In Sheeps clothing.

In these words he setteth down their dissimulation: our Savior may seem here to allude to the Wolf in the Fable, concerning whom the Mythologist speaketh. A Wolf on a time, putting on a sheep's skin, immi • gled himself amongst the flock, and so every day strangled one of the sheep: which when the shepherd perceived, he took the Wolf and hung him upon a high Tree: at which, the other shepherds wondered, being ignorant of the cause, what he meant to be so cruel, to hang up a • illy harmesse sheep: he answered, His skin you see is a sheep's skin, but his works are the works of a Wolf.

Here we may observe, that it is not the manner of Seducers, to show themselves as they are within: if a Wolf within, yet a Lamb without: If a Wolf should come in his own likeness into the fold, the shepherd would resist him, and hunt him away with his Dogs: but coming in a sheep's skin he findeth entertainment, and they shun him not. Even so Seducers, if they should come in their own likeness, the Magistrates and Ministers would withstand them: but coming like zealous and holy Christians, they find entertainment.

Tertullian doth ask, Qu • nam sunt istae pelles ovium▪ St. Paul telleth us, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 having form, or show of godliness, viz. outward sanctimo • ny, counterfeit holiness.

For example, The Devil transformed himself into an Angel of light.

Baals Priests used long prayers, they prayed from morning to noon, they cried aloud, and cut themselves with Knives and Lancers, till the blood gushed • ut upon them.

The blaspheme • us Arians, as St. Basil reporteth were easily believed because of their counterfeit holiness. Saint Augustine writeth the same of the Manichees.

The Romish seducers have many Fasts, long prayers, they whip themselves; yea, the begging Friars befooled the Christian world with their pretended holiness, with which they varnished their lewd lives. Generally seducers come with outward sanctimony, with a seeming contempt of the world, with long prayers, as the Pharisees, to devour Widows houses, fastings, tears, alms-deeds, seeming zeal, seeming humility, seeming harmlessenesse. They can cry, weep, &c.

And this you may see in the Anabaptists who at their first coming into Munster, seemed to be very holy men. Their talk was altogether of Mortification, and holiness. Their Apparrell was modest and simple: They forbad the wearing of rings, pearls, and lace: They made a great show of piety, mercy, and charity: They affirmed, that it was not lawful to put any man to death, no not for the Magistrate in case of justice; but when their number increased, and that they had surprised the City, they became of all heretics most unpure, and unclean, having not only many wives, for which they pretended to have a special command from God, but also making the women of their Sect common, casting aside all Laws of honesty and pudicity.

And for their Apparel, their Prophet John of Leiden arrayed himself, his wives, and followers, like Princes, assuming to themselves glorious Titles, as the foresaid John the Taylor styled himself▪ King of Zion, and King of righteousness▪ and instead of mercy and much pi • ty before pretended, they not only robbed rich men, but also most cruelly murdered many, beheading some, and impaling others upon stakes: yea one of the Articles of their religion was to kill all the wicked. (That is, all them that were not of their Sect) and to destroy all the Kings of the earth, and to make their Prophet John King of the universe. In the History of the Anabaptists of Germany, you may read what fair pretences they made before they surprised the City.

The use that we should make of this, is to be very wary of these Heretics, who are of the best conversations; whose lives, saith Origem, are possibly directed not of God, but by the devil.

Secondly, this their sheep's clothing may be their palliating▪ their errors with the testimony of holy Scriptures. I read that the Monster Arius pretended to have 42. places of Scripture, to prove that Christ was a mere man, and not God; and this the Seducers learnt of their Father the Devil, who cited the word to the Word himself, tempting▪ him to cast himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple, viz. He cited part of the 91. Psalm, He hath given his Angels charge over thee, they shall hear thee up in their hands, lest thou shouldest dash thy foot against▪ a stone, leaving out part of the Text, viz. to keep thee in thy ways. The devil fitted it for his purpose.

This do Heretics, as among others, the Anabaptists, to maintain their uncleanness in their spiritual marriages, cite, or rather abuse the holy Scriptures, viz. That Christians must forsake those things that are most dear unto them, for Chrsts sake, and therefore women must renounce their beloved honesties.	Quidam etiam liberi fratres, impuri Nebulones persuadebant levibas mulier culis, • on posse ips • s salvari▪ nisi suam pudi • itam▪ prostituerent.
	Abutebantur autem non abs{que} blasphemia ver • is Domini. Nisi quis deser • erit & spreverit quaecu • que chara habeat, ••• posse salvari.
2. That Publicans and harlots shall enter heaven before the Pharisee▪ therefore their spiritual sisters must prostitute their bodies to enter Heaven, before honest Matrons.	Item Christi • omi • e o • nes co • tumeli • s • erendas esse.
3. For Christ's sake we must undergo all manner of infamy.	Praeterea • cum Christus dixerit: meretrices & Publicanos praececisse justitiarios in Regne Coelorum, debere mulieres meretrices fieri, & s • am pudicitiam prostituere; • u • fore in Regne coelorū majores probis & honestis matronis. Hen. Bull. Adver. Anab. lib. 2. cap. 1. fol. 31.
Again, as Christians are one spirit, so they must be one body: such Scripture they quote.

The Use that you should make of this, is, advise with your learned Pastors: and double and treble your prayers to Almighty God to keep you, and to bring into the way of truth all such as do err, and are deceived.

But inwardly they are ravening Wolves.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Wolves. Whatsoever they pretend, they are Wolves: as Wolves are to the Sheep, so are false Prophets to Christ's flock.

St. Paul calleth them, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , grievous Wolves, Our Lord setteth down their outward show, and their inward disposition: what outward show soever they make.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Wolves in divers respects.

1. As the biting of a Wolf is venomous, like the biting of a mad Dog, making them that are bitten by them, mad: so false Prophets venom men, causing them to go out of their wits.

2. As the Wolves destroy more sheep by craft, then by might; so do false Prophets▪ of whom Saint Paul speaketh of some carrryed away 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 By the cogging of men, and with craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive.

3. As Wolves are dull-sighted in the day, and quick▪ sighted in the night: so false Prophets are very accute and sharp witted to defend their errors; but very dull and blind to see the truth.

4 Make a garment, saith Plutarth, of the hair of a Wolf, & it will prove odious, being lousie, and breeding vern •• e upon him that weareth it. So all the profit you shall get by false Prophets, will be noxious to you.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which signifieth dilanio▪ to tear asunder 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to rend asunder▪ as one Wolf may destroy a flock, so one Heretic a Congregation.

• . Lupus quasi Leopus, followeth the Lyon hunting for his prey; and what the Lyon spareth, the Wolf devoureth.

So false Prophets follow their father the Devil, the roaring Lyon, seeking whom they may devour.

Wolves play with little Children, as Aristotle reporteth, and sometimes spareth them▪ as we read of Ro • ulus brought up by a Wolf; and of late days I read of a man brought up among the Wolves, and ra •• e about with them, and preyed as they did▪ but being taken by Hunters, and chained up, he howl'd like a Wolf; and continuing among men, and having gotten his speech and understanding▪ he would complain, that he lived more carefully among men, than among Wolves.

I never read that a false Prophet spared any man whom he could seduce: and it is not so dangerous to live among Wolves in the fields, as with false Prophets in a strong City.

Ravening wolves they are by reason of their rapacitie, taking away truth from our understandings, charity from our affections, and holiness from our action.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , grievous Wolves, cruel Wolves: a Wolf delighteth in blood: so these mystical Wolves: of the cruelty of these ravening Wolves you may read▪ Hebr. 11. 37. By them the Saints of God were stoned, they were sawne asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword, &c. In the Primi • ive persecutions, they opened the Bellies of holy men and virgin • , and filling them full of Corn exposed them to be eaten of Swine. Cyril of Hierapolis had his breast opened, and his Liver taken out, and chewed by these ravenous Wolves.

In cruelty the Romish Wolves excel. Call but to mind the martyrdom of our holy men in Queen Mary's days, which holy men delivered our Nation from Idol worship, Bread-worship, invocation of Saints and Angels, and translated the holy Bible into English, who restored to us the Cup in the Sacrament, the symboll of Christ's blood, who sealed their confession with their blood. Their blessed remembrance shall remain forever.

In the Massacre of the Protestants in France you may see their Wolvish cruelty. The Papists being not able to quell the Protestants in Battle, they put on sheep's clothing, made a League with them confirmed by Oaths, and a public Edict. And that the Protestants might the better confide in them, the Protestant King of Navar, our Queens father, was to marry the sister of the then French King. To the which marriage the Protestant Princes & Nobles resorted, invited with great joy and expectation of future happiness. The marriage was solemnized; but in the night time the Wolvish Papists fell upon their guests, and worried them against the Law of hospitality, promises, and oaths. The noble Prince, the Admiral (among others) was murdered in his Chamber, was drawn to the Gallows, and hanged up by the heels. And to consummate this abhominable Treacherie, the Pope (hearing of this their mass • cring the P • o •• stant) went in Procession with his Cardinals, and sang Te Deum. But what need I foreign examples? Call to mind our powder-Plot, a cruelty superlative, in a moment to destroy our King, Queen, Prince, Nobles, Bishops, and Patriots. What Devil could have devised such a plot, and this to be done, not in open Rebellion, but to be blown up with Gunpowder, sitting in the house of peace, making the Parliament-house like Mount Sinai, Tonitru & fumo, with Thunder and Smoke.

The can be no agreement between wolves and sheep: strings made of wolves guts, and sheep's guts, can never agree in an Instrument.

I might also relate of the cruelty of the Anabaptists in Munster, and papists in Ireland; but this shall suffice.

There are divers kinds of Wolves.

1. There are Wolves called Cervari, insatiable Creatures.

2. A Wolf called Glanos, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which seeks to prey upon men.

3: A Wolf called Cirucs, who when the mountains are covered with snow, will venture into Cities.

4. In Ethiopia, wolves that have Maines like Lions.

5. In India wolves that have three rouse of teeth, feet like a Lion, a face like a man, and voice like a trumpet, Taile like a Scorpion, swift as a Hart, a like fierce and cruel.

It is not so dangerous to live among those Wolves in a wood, as among our mystical wolves in a strong City: As we have none of these wolves in England, so Lord deliver us from these mystical wolves.

O God thou hast not cast us off forever.

Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy Congregation.

They have cast fire into thy Sanctuary▪

O God, how long shall the adversaries reproach us? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name forever?

O deliver not the soul of thy Turtle Dove to the multitude of the wicked.

Arise, O Lord, and plead thy own cause.

Mr. Calvin that admirable man of God, whose name is yet terrible in the kingdom of popery, setteth down certain characters of these Impostors, taken out of St. Augustine.

1. Great boasters making ostentation of their own worth, like Simon Magus who bewitched the people, saying, that he himself waa some great man, like the Gnostiks who had a high conceit of their own knowledge, as if they were the only knowing men of the whole world, &, as Elijah, left alone for their faculty to expound scripture: Yea, among us some Trades-men have a high conceit of their deep learning. As a shoomaker being demanded by one of his neighbors whether he could preach better then the Doctor his Parson, answered with indignation, that he should be very sorrowful if he could not preach better then he.

2. Superbia tumidi, blown up with pride. It is reported by Bede, that when Austin the Monk came into Brittany, and that the British Bishops were in doubt of receiving him, an old man gave them advice to observe whether he were humble or no, and that by his humility they should know whether he were of God or no: by their pride you may know them, their talk, being commonly in commendation of themselves, and casting dirt and vilifying others. This overweening of heritickes hath bred much distraction in the Church: In the primitive times Marcion the heretic, having not that preferment that he expected and thought himself worthy of, demanded what was the meaning of those words. No man pleceth an old garment with a piece of new clothe, for that that should fil up taketh away from the garment, and the breach is worse.

They gave him the true sense of Christ's words; but the proud heretic applied the parable to himself, & avouched that he should make a remediles breach among them.

Thereupon he broached his heresy, viz. That there were two God's, the one the author of good, the other the author of evil; which error cost St. Augustine more pains in confuting it then many other. Arius being denied a Bishopric, wrote against the whole order. And among us many proud spirits having not these preferments which they thought themselves worthy of, have forsaken our Church, & gone to Rome and Amsterdam.

3 Calumniis insidiosi, deceitfully slanderous, and in this faculty of all others the Brownists excel; they fill their sermons, books, and communication with scandalous imputations: they spare neither government nor church; like cursed children tearing their mother a pieces; which when they have done, they may confess with Nero, who, when he had ripped open his mothers belly, affirmed that he never thought his mother had been so fair: The Jesuits are not so bitter against our Church as the Separatists, compare their writings: Michael the Arch-Angel durst not give the devil such cursed speaking, nor rail upon him as they do upon us.

4 Treacherously seditious, not preaching peace, as Christ commanded his disciples to do, but division: yea the Brownists arrogate to themselves the name of Separatists, which well they may, being separated from their Mother Church, from all the reformed Churches and maliciously divided among themselves. Read Mr. Whites discovery of Brownism, who setteth down among other what a fiery contention was among the Johnson's, the younger brother becoming a libeller, and loading his elder brother with reproaches of shame and infamy, and that in print, and the other separated himself, and brake fellowship with his brother and father, & cursed him with all the curses in God's book, which he confirmed with the sentence of excommunication, giving his brother and father to the Devil.

Lest they should seem to be destitute of the light of truth, they arrogate to themselves the shadow of austerity, a show of holiness. The substance of holiness is charity, which they want, 1 Cor. 13. Without which they are nothing: Having a show of godliness, but denying the power thereof, from such turn away.

Sacrilegious, what the appetite of all schismatics hath been this way is notorious, caring not for the ruin of the whole Church, upon condition that they might get some-what. They have so taught, that some think that there is no such sin as sacrilege a • all.

For whereas sacrilege may be committed, 1. Against holy persons, viz Against God's Ministers, as the wrong done to Zacharias the Priest was punished, not only in the King and people that did it, but upon the Jews that lived many hundred years after.

2. Against holy places; Ye shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my Sanctuary.

3. Against holy things: Ye have robbed m • , saith the Lord, in detention of Tythes and Offerings.

1. Now for holy persons, some affirm there to be none now: men making no difference between a Minister and a Cobbler.

2. For holy places: they impute no more holiness to a Church than to a stable.

3. For holy things: as holy days, as Sabbaths, every day alike; and for Tythes, they think they are repealed: never by Christ, but as the work continueth, and the service of God; so also the main • ainance: Indeed I find them forbidden by Muntzer the Anabaptist, who also forbade paying rent to Landlords, with other things.

It must needs follow, if there be no holy persons, places, nor things, that there can be no sacrilege. Wha • ? have we lost a sin? is that Law abrogated? happy it were for many sacrilegious persons (among us) if it were so, to avoid this curse. If there were no such sin in the Gospel, why doth St. Peter so curstly rebuke Ananias for it? Ananias, why hath the Devil filled thy heart to lie to the holy Ghost, and keep away part? If the devil were in him, and he and his wife stricken dead, who kept back but half that he himself had offered? what shall become of them? & what devil is in them, that take away all, no • which they themselves had given, but which their forefathers with great piety and devotion had offered unto Almighty God? St. Paul • quaileth or preferreth Sacrilege before Idolatry. Thou that abhorrest Idols, committest thou Sacrilege? An Idolater may have some Religion, but the sacrilegious person none at all: an Atheist is worse than the Devil himself.

7. Madly obstinate, convincere •• s possum, saith St. Augustine, convertere ve • o non possum, He could convince them, but could not convert them, they being given over to a repr • bate sense. From hardness of heart good Lord deliver us.

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Having before spoken of the description of false Prophets, and how dangerous they are, I come now to the Caveat, Take heed.

The word is taken in a double sense.

1. In the sense of attending. 2 Peter 1. 19▪ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , To which you do well that you do attend: So we read in the vulgar, Attendite à falsis Prophetis.

2. It is taken in the sense of bewaring, Mat. 61. Take heed: So it is to be taken in this place. In the Syrian Translation, which tongue our Lord preached in, To be forewarned.

Beware, is the word of a friend: yea the Counsel of our Lord and Savior, who is our best friend: Beware, as if he should say, I know my dear, that you hearing of the narrow way that leadeth unto life, will be very desirous to inquire of everyone, but especially of those that seem to be Prophets, concerning this way, for your better direction: But let me forewarn you above all others, to beware of false Prophets; for they instead of directing you, will set you out of the way.

This Caution he gave his Disciples whom he loved, Mat. 24. 4. Take heed that no man deceive you. Again, Take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees.

Let our Lord's Counsel be acceptable unto you: Beware usually precedeth some danger. This doubling, some great danger.

Poison is very dangerous, but no poison so dangerous to the body, as false Doctrine to the soul. Beware of false Prophets, more dangerous than men infected with the plague.

The plague is of all diseases most infectious to the body; heresy is as infectious to the soul.

This City is much more to be pitied at this time swarming with false Prophets, then when there died in it 5000. a week of the Plague. Then we lamented the dead bodies of our friends departed, whose souls God had taken to himself; But now we may lament the souls of our people who are departed from God.

They are not only in danger of infection, but grievously infected. One poor soul crieth out, no set prayers; another no Sabbath; another, no Lord's Prayer; another, no Law for a rule of life: and for them that go about to cure these infected persons, they are in as much danger as they that go to visit men sick of the pestilence: they being not much unlike those swine and dogs, of whom our Lord forewarneth his Disciples, Give not holy things unto dogs, nor pearls unto wine, lest they tread them under their feet, and turn again, and rend you. We are in danger of them in our houses, yea, Cordolio I speak it, they enter irreverently into our Churches: some tear our Books, and have been ready to lay violent hands upon us at the Lord's Table, administering the holy Communion.

They are worse than murderers; a murderer may kill a man, but one fa • se Prophet may destroy a whole City, or C • untrey; a murderer destroyeth only the body, but a false Prophet both body and soul.

The curses that were to be denounced upon mount Ebal, may in part be pronounced against these seduce • s.

Cursed be he that causeth the blind to go out of the way. Yea, more cursed are they that seduce ignorant w • ll-meaning people, from the simplicity of God's truth.

Cursed be he that removeth the mark of his neighbors Land. Yea, more cursed are they thac remove and take away the marks of Christianity from among us▪

Cursed be he that setteth light by his father and mother. Yea, more cursed be they that blaspheme their mother the Church, in which they were begotten, & made members of I • sus Christ.

O Almighty, which stillest the raging of the Sea, and madness of the pe • ple, in mercy look upon these p • ore souls, and give thy people grace to avoid the infections of the Devil, and with pure heart and mind to follow thee the only God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 To whom o • Lord giveth this cavea • , not to his Disciples only, but to all men: the word is plural.

1. To us Ministers, who are the Lord's watchmen, and are to give an account, not only for ourselves, but also for the people committed to our charge. Take heed, saith S. Paul, unto yourselves, and to the flock, over which the Lord hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood; for I know that after my departure grievous Wolves will enter, not sparing the flock.

Again, I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing, preach the Word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, &c. For the time will come that they shall have itching ears, and after their own lusts get them a heap of Teachers, and turn their ears from the truth, and be given unto Fables. And again, In meekness instructing them that oppose themselves: if peradventure God will give them repentance to acknowledge the truth, that they may recover themselves from the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

Magistrates, who as they are nursing Fathers and Mothers to the Church, so they should make good Laws to be as walls to the Church, and also put them in execution.

They are called Shepherds (as, Cyrus my shepherd ) and are to yield an account to Almighty God for the sheep committed to their charge; which through their negligence shall be devoured by these ravening wolves.

A question may be asked, in that our Lord biddeth us to take heed, whether it be not lawful for the Magistrate 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . To put false Prophets to death: in which question we are to note whom we are to account false Prophets, viz. Not everyone that differeth from our Church in opinion, or have some naevous opinions.

But by false Prophets we understand such as hold fundamental errors, and persist therein, after all means used for their conviction; yea not only persist, but also endeavor to disperse their pernicious errors, to the perverting of others. Again, such whose Doctrines are blasphemous, as the Arians are dangerous to the destruction of the government under which they live▪ And where all these concur they deserve death, because they corrupt the faith: If such as corrupt and poison Fountains of water, at which men and beasts drink, do deserve capital punishment: how much more they, who as much as in them lieth do poison men's souls?

Again, we have divers examples of this lawful severity executed upon Idolaters: first, in Elijah's time, commanding all the Prophets of Baal to be slain. Secondly, in Jehu, giving the like commandment.

Thirdly, in all the inhabi • ants of the Land of Judah, who destroyed all the houses of Baal, and slew Mattan he Priest before the Altar.

Furthermore, we have examples in Ecclesiastical histories; as first in Constantine, that fam • us Christian Emperor, who enacted, that if any man did offer Sacrifice upon the Altars, Gladio ultore sterneretur, He sh • u • d be pu • to d • ath, and his goods confiscated. The like als • was en • cte b • Theodosius, Valentinianus, and Martianus, as Mr. Bullinger reporteth. The ground and warrant of this is G • d himself, That Prophet, or dreamer of dreams, &c. shall be put to death. If any man object, that this was a judicial Law; I answer, if it were so; yet the equity of that judicial Law remaineth to all. St. Augustine saith, that there is a punishing mercy, and a sparing cruelty. For it is a punishing mercy, when Governors do punish dangerous seducers for safety of the whole: And it were a sparing cruelty, to let them go unpunished: for, look how much mercy is shown to the Wolf, so much cruelty is done to the sheep.

This may serve for the reproof of such Magistrates, who, when they have danger • us Wolves discovered unto them, will not lend their helping hands to suppres them. To conclude this point: The Romish seducers are severely punished among us, & kept from our folds, and why not all other false prophets, who blaspheme God & seduce our people? What? shall we punish them only that attribute too much to the Sacrament of baptism, affirming Infants un-baptized not to enter heaven? And suffer Anabaptists who will not baptize them at all, but blaspheme the baptism of children, calling it the mark of the Beast, affirming that it came from Anti-christ and the Devil? and suffer them to publish books in defense of this and other their abhominable errors?

Shall we punish them only that attribute too much to the Element of bread in the holy Communion, accounting him no good Christian that will not call it his lord god? And suffer such men who mock and sc • ffe at the sacrament of the Lord's supper, calling it a two-penny banque • ?

Shall we punish them that give too much reverence to the blessed Virgin, holy Apostles, and Saints departed, and suffer them that blaspheme the holy Virgin, whom all Nations should call blessed?

Shall we blame the Papists for saying too many Pater-nosters, and tolerate the Brownists and other Sectaries who will not say the Lord's prayer at all? some of them affirming it to be an abhominab • e idol, although it be commanded to be said by our Lord himself?

Shall we punish them that not only keep the Lord's day, but also many holy-days, and suffer them that will neither keep holy-days nor the Lord's day, as the Familists and Antisabbata • ians?

Shall we punish them that confess their sins, and suppose that they cannot enter heaven without a particular Confession of them? and tolerate them that will not con • esse their sins at all, and affirm that God can see no sin in them? as the Antinomians.

Shall we punish them that worship God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity? and tolerate them that blaspheme the holy Trinity? as the Arians, and Antitrinitarians. I hope that our Governors will drive these also from our folds, as they do the Popish Emissaries: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , It is fit for us that are Christ • ans to avoid all those who speak against Christ, and hate them as the enemies of God, and corrupters of souls.

This Caveat of our Lord's belongeth to every Christian man.

We are not to keep company with them. It was Eves fault to admit conference with the Devil. In these false Prophets there is such a malignant spirit, that the Devil cannot do more hurt out of them, then in them. St. Paul counselleth the Romans, to mark them diligently that make divisions, and to avoid them. If we must avoid Schismatics that make divisions, how much more Heretics?

St. John in his Epistle to the Elect Lady, forbids all society with them: if there come any to you, and bring not this Doctrine, receive him not into your house, nor bid him, God speed.

According to his Doctring, so was his practice, he would not bath with Cerinthus the Heretic, nor abide under the same roof with him, but leaped out of the room, and persuaded others so to do. Polycarp, St. John's Scholar, meeting Marcion the Heretic, would not salute him: Marcion asking him whether he knew him or no? was answered by him, Yes, I know thee well to be the first borne of the devil.

Would any man entertain into his family a man infected with the plague? how much less an Heretic, who, without the great mercy of God, may be the undoing of him and his family.

This caveat should keep men from hearing those seducers: My sheep, saith our Lord, will not hear the voice of a stranger.

Yet such is the folly or madness of these times, and men have such itching ears, that if the Devil himself should preach among us, I fear that he would have too many hearers.

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But whereas they pretend to be led by the spirit, I beseech you, saith St. Paul, by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you be not so soon shaken in mind, neither by spirit (that is by pretence of the spirit) for as there is a holy Spirit, by whom the Prophets & Apostles inspired, spake: so you may read of a lying spirit in the mouths of false Prophets. Therefore St. John commandeth us not to believe every spirit, but to search and try the spirits, whether they be of God, or no.

How shall I know God's spirit, but by his Word? such spirits as speak against God's word, are the devils spirits, and not God's. I have read that in a Synod in Britain held by Dunstan, Archbish. of Canterbury, who would have had a Decree pass against Ministers marriage, a strange voice was heard out of an Image in the Church for confirmation thereof. But the British Bishop cried out, that that voice was the voice of the Devil, and not of God: for God would not speak against his word: And indeed St. Paul calleth forbidding of Marriage the doctrine of Devils. We should try all these new Doctrines pretended to come from the spirit, whether they be against God's word, or no▪ As for example, whereas the Romish Prelates forbid the Laity the reading of the holy Scriptures (in the vulgar) which God commands, and the holy Ghost commends: is this their prohibition from God, or from the devil? And whereas they command Communion under one kind, contrary to Christ's institution; whose spirit is in them, God's, or the Devils? And whereas other false Prophets forbid the saying of the Lord's Prayer, with other things commanded in holy Scriptures: those are lying Prophets, who have not God's spirit, but the devils: for God will not speak against his Word.

O ye foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you? saith St. Paul.

O ye foolish Galatians: we see how careful men are of being deceived in anything of weight; in buying land they advise with the best counsel they can get: for health they advise with the learnedest Physicians: in receiving money, if they doubt, they will go to the Gold-smith and weigh it and touch it at the stone: Let us not be careless only for our souls▪ Nay, who hath bewitched you, saith the Apostle? It is the fashion of witches, as some report, when they Covenant with the devil, to renounce their Baptism▪ were it possible for a man, except he were bewitched indeed, to be persuaded to renounce his Baptism?

Were it possible for any man, except he were bewitched, to forsake the Church of God, and to dream of a new one, and that Almighty God never had a true Church, until some fanatic persons at this time had framed o • e? How could all this their holy frame escape all the Patriarchs, Prophets, holy Apostles, and Doctors, and be revealed only to Brown, who likit it so ill, that h • e returned again to his Mother Church. The like antiquity have the Etonites, and others of our Sectaries.

Our Lord sending forth his Disciples, as sheep among Wolves, giveth them this counsel, Beye wise •• Serpe • ts, and harmless as Doves. And why wise as Serpents? Like the deaf Adder, that stoppeth her ear, which will not hearken to the voice of the Charmer, charm he never so wisely▪ It is written of the Asp, that to avoid charming, she layeth one ear close to the ground, and stoppeth the other with her tail. Thu • the ancient Christians were wont to stop their ears, and not hear Christ's truth adulterated. It is recorded by Theodoret, that when Lucius the Arian Bishop came and preached among the Anti •• hians, broaching his damnable Heresies, the people forsook the Church, and would not hear him, Lib. 4. Eccles. Histor. cap. 20. M. Histor. Tripart.

But now they tha • bear the name of Christians▪ & would be accounted professors, r • n a if they were mad to be charmed, to hear the false Prophets of our time: Beye wise as Serpents, saith our Lord, and harmless a • Doves. The Dove as she is innocent, and harmless, so swift winged to avoid the danger she may receive from Vultures, and other ravenous birds. O that I had wings like a Dove, (saith the Prophet) then would I fly away, and be at rest. Our souls are win • ed▪ our prayers are our wings: let us fly to the rock where we shall find rest.

You have heard of two ways, the one leading to life, the the other to destruction: and that it is a difficult thing to find heaven, and that because of falls • Prophets, who go about to lead us out of the way: you have heard also what these false Prophets are, viz. lying Prophets, falsifying God's Word; and why God suffereth them, viz. for the punishment of the ungodly, and for the trial of the godly; and that they come unsent, without any calling, in Sheepes clothing, counterfeiting holiness, pretending Scripture; being indeed ravening Wolves: and as Wolves destroy the body, so do they the soul. Our Lord biddeth beware of them: and whereas they pretend the spirit, try the spirits, as St. John counselleth you, whether they be of God, or no; and being not of God to avoid them, being wise as Serpen • s, who stop their ears, and will not hear the voice of the charmer. Let us be innocent as the Dove and mount heaven with our prayers, and praying, say with David, Sew me thy ways, O Lord, and teach me thy paths: Open thou my eyes, that I may see the wonders of thy law. Lead me forth in thy truth, and guide me, thou art the God of my salvation.

And whereas the suffering of these false Prophets may be one of the causes of God's heavy hand upon us, and of the unnatural war among us, let us use all means to suppress them in our callings, and so remove this cursed thing from us.

All you that are the sons of peace, friends of peace and servants to the God of peace, double and treble your prayers, that some Mediator may stand in the gap, to divert God's judgments from us: and if Almighty God hath otherwise decreed, let everyone of us make his own peace with God, commending our souls into his hands who is our faithful Creator, keeping faith & a good conscience, of which take heed that you do not make shipwreck; which if you keep, you need not fear neither false Prophets, nor devils, fire, nor sword, nothing shall hurt you: Although they kill you, they shall but deliver your souls out of the prison of your bodies, to enjoy everlasting peace; which I entreat Almighty God to bring us all, for his son Jesus Christ's sake, to whom with the holy Ghost, three persons, and one God, be all Glory, Praise, Honor, and Donion, &c.