164 sufpea of bers pretenfies to DIRECT. XXVIII. Do not too much reverence the impulfes or revelations or mole confident opinions of any others, upon the account of their fn- cerity or holinefs : but try all jedicioufly and foberly by the word of god. Any that have no fuch impulfesthen-ifelves, are yet fo much takenwith the reverence of others, that they arevery apt to be feduced by their confidence. When fo great a man as Ter- tullian was deceived by Montanan andhis prophe= tefs : when fuch a oneas Hacket could deceive net only Coppinger and Arthington but abundance more, fome takinghim for the Melfiah, and -fome by his breathing on them thinking that they re- ceived the Holy Ghcf+ ! When David Çeoree in Holland, and Iohn of Leyden in er, and Beh- men Stiefeliie and fo many more pretended Prat phets in Germany could deceive fo many perfóns as they did ? When the pretended revelations of the Ranters firfl, and the Quakers after could fo marvelloufly tranfport many thoufandprofef- fours ofreligion in this land ; I think we have fair warning to take the counfel of St. john,Beliive nrt everyfpirit ;but try thefpirits whether they be of God. It is a pitiful inflance of the good old learned Commenimi, who fo eafily believed the prophefies of Darebritim and the reíl which he bath publifh- ed : Yea when he faw the prophefies fail, yet when he adjured the prophet to fpeak truth, and got
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