Book IV. FALSE-TEACHERS COMPARED TO DECEIVERS. DECEIVER. I. A Ot:ceiver, or cunning lmpotlor, hath many Ways whereby he lecret!y, and with much Craftinefs feeks to trapan and beguile his Neighbor: As (1.) He will pretend himfelf to be a fpecial Friend, and fo inlinuate inro a Man's AffeCtion. (2.) He fhives to find out the Difpolition of the Perfon he intends to cheat. (3·) He will, the better to accom– plilh his Defign, change his Name, and pretend himfelf lame worthy and noble Perion, and of fame eminent Family. (+) He will watch the fitteft Opportunity to effeCt his Enterprize. (5.) He will fometimes put a V izard on his ·Face, and often change his Hahit, that he may deceive the more fe– curely. (6.) And if he is in Dan– ger to be taken, he will exclaim againft the Deceiver, and cry our, Stop 'l"hief, &c. PARALLEL. I. FALSE-TEACHERS, who are cunning to deceive, have many Ways to delude poor Creatures: As, '( 1.) They commonly pretend much Pity and Compaffion to the Souls of Men, and hereby they endeavor to win themfelves into their AffeCtions ; and when once a Perfon bar– bars a good Opinion of them, their Work is half done. (2.) They feek to find out what Parts they have, and what Principles they hold, with whom they converfe: For if they perceive they are Men and Women well rooted and grounded in the Or· thodox Faith, and able to defend the Truth, they have little hopes of prevailing; but if they find that they are Perfons of a weak Judgment, and mind more abundantly the Converfation of Men, than what DoCtrine they hold, or do more mind and regard the Circumftantials of Religion, than the grand Fundamentals thereof; they will purfue fuch clofe. (3.) They do always change their Names; for if their Names were known, they could not beguile fo many: Were Error, falfe Doftrine, Blajphemy, Herejj, Wolves in Sheeps Cloathing, Foxes, cunning Serpents, Deceivers, &c. but writ upon their Foreheads, !110ft People would be afraid of them ; but they contrariwife, call themfelves Chri!l's Minifters, Witneffes of Jefus, Friends of Truth, the Lamb's Fol– lowers, &c. Alfo it is common with them to pretend themfelves to be the Orthodox Men, Sons of the Church, of the holy Church, of the Catholic Church, Malters in Ijrael, Guides of the Blind, &c. (4.) They ftudy to find out the fitteft Seafon and Opportunity to accomplilh their Delign, and hellilh Purpofe, viz. they watch for fuch a Time, when the Profeffors of the Gofpel and Truths of Jefus begin to decline in their Zeal, and to lofe much of the Power of Godlinefs, and leem to make a mighty Stir about the Form thereof, and are much divided amongft themfelves; when Iniquity cloth abound, and the Love of many waxeth cold; in a Word, when Men begin to grow fecure, or the true Shepherd is off of his Watch, then thefe Wolves and De– ceivers ge< abroad, and, like that wicked E;;emy, fow their Tares of Error and De– lufion. (5.) The Jefuits, thofe crafty Deceivers, h>Ve often appeared in a Difguife externally, and do ufually change their Garbs, f.<ic. Sometimes they are Holders– forth in a ~akers Meeting; at pther Times they will counterfeit themfelves to be Lawyers: Sometimes they will take on them the Habit of Prielh, fometimes Mer– chants, fomecimes Shoe-makers, in lhort any Thing. And all this, that they may the more fecurely carry on their wicked Deligns and Purpofes to pervert poor Souls, &c. (6.) And laftly; When thefe Falfe-Teachers and Deceivers begin to fear they !hall be difcovered, and perceive there is a Cry railed againft them, and that they are clofely purfued, and in Danger to be taken, then, to fave themfelves, they cry out againft others. None are more ready to exclaim againft Falfe-Teachers and Deceivers than they, endeavoring to caft all the Infamy and black Afperlions imaginable upon the true and faithful Minifters of the Gofpel, loading them with all the fouleft Calumnies they can devife, that they themfelves may in the mean while pafs the better for true Men, and be the lefs fufpeCled, Thus thofe blind Guides in lfrael ferved our Savior himfelf: Some faid he is a good Man; others Jaid 11ay, but he deceiveth the People.-Say we not well, that thou art a Samaritan, and hajl a Devil? John vii. 12. and viii. 4H. Sir, we remember that the Deceiver Jaid, whiljl he was yet alive, After three Days I will rife again, Matt. xxvii. 63. And thus they exclaimed againft the Apoftles: Paul wa. called a Mover of Sedition; and by Falfe-Teachers he with others were called Deceivers : As Deceivers, and yet true, &c.-After that Way which they call Herejj, fo worjhip I th• God of my Fathers, &c. Afls xxiv. '+· !I. Some Deceivers have been II. So the Pope, and his Hierarchy, chafe curfed notorious in the horrid PraCtice Deceivers in the Romilh Church, have been nolO F · torioua
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=