Taylor - Houston-Packer Collection BS2755 .T394 1619

CxAP.I.i I. 248 Iudo3. Matth.a;.ty. 3,11/4t.2,3. Rcafons. r. 2 toh.g.ry. Iefuicïeallfrogs crccye into C. uerÿ blind cor- ner, Why Godfur firer' Lich hnttfull mess. ACommeartasie vponthe rupt and depraue that doéìrinewhich in publike is taught, andacknow- ledged the truth ofGod. In a. Tim. 3.6. they creepe intohauls, and (i- mitating Satans fubtiltie)lead captiuefimplereomen,affayl ing fuch ascan Iea(l refill; whoyet beeing fduced, are cunning topreuaile inthe(edu- cing oftheir husbands. Eminent in thiskindwere the Scribes and Pha- rifies,whowere thedeflowers ofwidows hoofs, lettingvpon fuch as had no heads to guide them, not knowledge to difcouer them,aud havingall owne in their nehands , had none to control! them in their liberali- ty towards them:thefewere perlons fit to be ouerreached by their hypo.. critic, and cauetoulneffe,both which our Sauiour deeply chargeth them withal]. The Apoflles alto foretold of fuch who fhould in after times bring indamnable hcreÍes, but privily : and there are not vnutly com- pared to foxes and wolues in Scripture: for as there beafls come fleeting and (lilyvpon the flockes, taking the wind leaf} they fhould be winded, clapping their tayles betweene their legges leaf} they fhould be heard, and foftly as though they were friends to the flocke, when as all this is but to beguile the fillyfheepe: fo there deceiuers craftily creepe into boules,fhrowding themfelues in'the fheepes cloathing,whereas indeed they are rauening woiues. And the reafon hereof is, r. becaufe publike- ly and direElly, they dare not denie the Lord Iefus, nor his holy Scrip- tures, nor the truthplainly deliuered from that,for then the light would difcouer them, fo as the fimple(ì could fcarce lie open vnto them : and therefore theymutt firfl infinuate themfelues, and thenby addìtion,and (owingoftheir owne, both deprave and denie the truth. a. The eerie nature of error (being the child of darkenes)jis tope the light: and as the adulterer watcheth for the twilight, fo clothhe that adulterated' the truth. Vfc. I.. Not needing to apply this doé}rineagainfl the Iefultes, who like fomany fwarmes of frogges and locutis,are fent out ofthebottom- les pit, and creep every where into houfes(efpecially ignorant corners ) to beguile the fimple : Let it teach vs this wiledome , to know whoine we admit into our houles. Many dangerous men there are of corrupt nùndes, who dare not, nor will fpeake again fl a do6hine deliuered to a mans face, nor before fuch as caniuflifie ìt, but behinde a preachers back can traduce it, and before the weake and Pimple offer impeachment un- to it; of thele there arenot a few,whowhether theybe Popifhlyor pro- fanely addiéìed,mutt be wifely difcouered, and remitted for their enter- tainemeut to (itch as themfelues. a. Wemuflinour privatehoufescleaue to truths publikely deliue- red, and beware loft any deceiuer defeat vs offuch a trealure.The Lord might free his Church in an inflant ofall feducers, but he fuffereth fuch hurt-

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