266 rv1n€xpojition "ppon I ""f,, t~is time whcnlo_hn y.'\'it, it W:lS"'a more famous it\ Chut:cb then the timrch of Ron1c, and therefore went nor rhirhn for counfdl.: · l l.L Point. In \'.'h::t things tlris difccrning of fa. if..: Apo.ll\c.s doth conftH. 1t is a iudiciallaCl:ion ofthe Church,t:onfifling in t.\\'O thing'\ here: I 1 noted; FirH, in ex3mination of falfc do..:trinc :~nd falfc teachers; [ccondly, in conricmnation afterward. The cxarninati oo ·of...thcm is fct Jo.wnc in tbc(e \o\ 1 ords ; .And-haft 1~xamined t~~m tboll fay tht:] · fire Apo/llc-s.,. 1md arc not;. ~Vheit condcnmit'l:; or fentencc· giuing , in the wor.ds following, Andhaji[Mndthcm lyarJ·.' . • Fourt~1ly, fer.i?us confideration ~mft be had~ -ofthc fa1th and hues ofthe teach~rs CXlmJncrl: for a falfc teacher by Gods lull: iudgcmcm.is vfually a wicked liucr. And therefore Chrif\ \ , faith : a )'fC /ball kltowc tbmJ 6y their ft:ti<s .- lf I ;o Mar. 7. 1,, they be throughly cxamincd,fuch thcy,wi!l ap- · pearc,howfoaucr for a time they may blcartbc ~yes ofmen: as the hyfiorics 0f the Church in , many famous hercdkcs doe plainly declare. The fccond braunch of rhis difcouerie 1 is fcmcncc ·giuing, in thcf(!' vvords: .And haft found themlyers. The Church here giucth o1u a !harpc and iCucrc iCntencc againfi them, fhc·c calleth th<m filift: Apofiles, and lycr>; and yet ilie Jinncrh not, for ChriH commcndcth her for I~or the firfl; cx~minarion is 2 gift ofGod to his Church, and v\·as hercv!Cd for. the triall of fall<: ApoCtlcs. ~,fr,Howmaya1 ychurch trie dfalfc teacher? .An f. This is :1 point of large dif-· aourfe·; but the heads of rruccxan'lination arc it.Though to railc or taunt c:mnot b~fcem <>ny, B yet Magifiratcs &minifiers in their places may giuc our feuere fpceches againil offenders in tli·efc. :. ' . token of dctcfiation oftheir finncs,and not cf.. fend. Tl1us/ohn calkd the Scribes and Pharifics agenertltion ofvipers,Matth. 3· 7· and out Sauiour Cln·ifi called Htrodt a foxc, Luk. 'l· 3 2. and Paul called the Gttlathiansfooln, Gal. l· t.And in this place the Church call<th·thefe f3.lfc teachers lycrs, which is very much: for therein 01c accufcth them of three rhings:firtl of teaching that V. 1 hich was falfc·it]decd: S~condly, that they kncwe it to bccf::dfe, andfo finned ofknowkdge: Thitdly, that they did it of malice, ·with intent to blind the eyes ofthe Church, and ro dccciuc the people. In this difcounic, we may obfcrue the iuft Thtvfo. ' .Firft , that Church ,orrhatman-that would rightly cxi.minc: a fl.lfc teacher, mull prepare himfclfc thereunto after this manner; hec mufi looke that be hauc a mcekc fpirit and a humble heart; for God reucalcth his will, not to the proud, but::o the mecke and lowly; and as !fay faith, to themrh<ltarc of a. contrite !ptrit, Ifay 57· 15. /\nd in tl.Hs humbling of himfelfe, a m:m muH renounce his O\o\'nc naturall wit and reafon, and become r.othing in himtClfe but c– uen .a: foolc,in rcfpeCt ofhis ownc conccit.Alfo he mufivnfaincdly pray to God,that he would ~ rcuca!c vmo him his truth, A.rkf (faith Chrifl) 1 Lt~k.u.n. 11 ~tndJt jlJa!lbcgiuenyou. ,mm a the holy Ghofl,vnto 1hem thatdeJir" ufrhe Father. And S. /amesfaith, 0 hm.I·S'· b.lf :111} m:m lack$ wifed,me ,lethim ~'<!.of God, l which yitleth to allmen llberalf;• C accomplilbmcnc of P4ul.s prophc:cie; ACl's, 20. 19, 30. namc:ly, that thcte lbould rife vp a mong the Ephdians greiuous wolues and men fpeakingperucrfe things; and fuch were theft falfc Apo{Hcs, who after examination were . Scc~~ndly,after preparation he mult labour to know throughly wh~t the falfc teachers are, and what bee their opinions, \'l.'ith che grounds and foundatio1ls thereof; wherein chey.:1grec, and·whcrcin they differ from the truth ofGod, maintained bv the Church: for it is afoulc o– ucrftght to m'ifi:otrceiuc the A:atc of the aduer– fariesquefl:ion, b¥propounding it othcrwife then they hold, as it fallcth ?ut \o\'ith many in the handling of controuedies. . T-hirdly, due proofc mufl be made, whether the-adueftJ.ric:s doCtrine bee ofmen or of God. I This is Gods conunaundcm~m, 1. Ioh. 4• J. , Prootu the JPiritJ, whether thry hce of God, or not. And for triall hcrof, we mufl hauc recourfe vntothe \Vord of God; it mufi be Judge in this caufc, Ifa.8. 20. To tbe/aw,and to the tejlimome, tjthey[peak§ not according to thinvord, it Ube– call{<there u nalrght inthnn. !oh.5 ·39· S-.rch tflt.·ScriplureJ,for in them;e loof<!to haneeterna/1 I lifc, "ndthry arohc; w/Jich tej}i{icofmcc. Who fo fit to iudc e ill.thc matters of God, as God himfclfc? ,ti;d{o hee d~t1~ in h~s wr~tt~n word, ofa.ll doJhinc and opu11ons m rchgton. The Scriptures fl1ew whether the doCtrine examined be:e dirctrly gathered drencc, and by iufl c01.1fequent, or nor•. found lycrs. · Againc, fedng in rh< daycs of this -Apotllc John, men durft prefume to daimc Apo.fiolicke authoritie, and call themfcJues Apoll:les, when they were not: no marucll if the Pope of Rome fix hundred ycarcs afrer did challenge to him– fclfc to be Peters fucccffour, and to haue-.Apo. fl:olicke authoritie: a!,ld tha~ they dare now a. uouch fomc bookes tP bee Scripture wliichare not; a~ alfO bring in their traditions and vn– writtcn veri tiCS tO bee rC'ceiucd~ndobeyed e– qually wiih Gods word, D v. ~· Thou htt/lfulfered, and haft patience , and for my :J\(ames faN.!, hafl lab~u# i re::re our Sauiour Chrifl dcclar~tll h~,~-;his ' minifler & church ofEphc(u•oppofed t)1€fdus againft falfc teachers af~cr their difcoucrif.Thc manner we 01al fee inhandling the points par– ticularly asthcy lie in order. Thou·haj} fujf'"'d, or, Thou b::~ll born a burden: for the woFd lig– nificth tObe prc/f(J downe vnder a g~·eat hurthen.\ This6'urdcn was the troubles which falfc Apo~fllrs ----------~------------~----·
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