Serm. VII. Of ConJ1ancy zn the Profèfon of the True religion. 5 3 The particular nature and kind of this Apoilafte the fame Apoftic defcribes more fully, s Tim. 4. t, 2, 3 Now the Spiritfpeaketh exprelly, that in the latter° times fome(hall Apo/latize from the Faith, giving heed to feducing Spirits and Dohirines of Devils, fpeaking Lies in Hypocrifze, (i. e. under a great Pretence of Sanity, fpreading their pernicious Errors) forbidding to marry, and commanding to alifl,zin from meats. This is a very lively and pat Defeription of that great Apo/lafe' in the Chriftian Church, which began in the Weilern Part of it, and hash fpread it feif far and wide. For there the Spirit of Error and Falfehood has prevailed, under an Hypocritical Pretence of their being the only True Church and True Chriftians in the World. There Marriage, and f veral forts of Meat, are for- bidden to feveral Ranks and Orders ofMen. All the Difficulty is, what is here meant by Dofírines of Devils ; and thefe certainly can be no other than Do&rines - tending to Idolatry, which the Scripture every where Both in a particular man- ner afcribe to the Devil, as the Inventer and great Promoter Of it. And this is very much confirmed by what we find added in fome ancient Greek Copies in this Text, which runs thus; In the latter times fame fball apoflatize from the Faith; for they Pall worfhip the Dead, as fame afi in Ifrael wór/sipped. And then it follows, giving heed to feducing Spirits, and DaFlrines of Devils. So that the particular kind of Idolatry, into which fome part of the Chriftian Church Mould apoftatize, is here pointed at ; That they fhould worfhip Souls departed, or the Spirits of dead Men ; which was part of the Heathen Idolatry, intowhich the People of Ifrael did frequently relapf . So that the Spirit of God Both here foretel fuch an Ape/tafie in fome part of the Chriftian Church as the People of Ifrael were guilty of in falling into the Heathen Idolatry. They Pall be Woifhip- pers of the Dead, as the Ifraelites alfo were, And this is the great and dangerous Sedugion which the Chriftians are fo much cautioned againft in the New Teftament, and charged to hold ffl the Pro- felon of the Faith againft the cunning Arts and Infinuations of feducing Spirits ; not but (as I faid before) that we are always to have an Ear open to Reafon, and to be ready to hearken and to yield to that, whenever it is fairly propofed : Bet to be over-reached and rooked out of ones Religion, by little Sophiftical Arts and 'Tricks, is Childifh and Silly. After we are, upon due Tryal and Examination of the Grounds of our Religion, fettled and eftablifhed in it, we ought not to fuller our felves to be removed from it, by the groundlefs Pretences of Confident People to Infallibility, and to be pra&ifed upon by Cunning Men, who lie at catch to make Frofelytes to their Party. This is tó be like Children, tod to and fro, and carriedabout with every Wind ofDoctrine. And we ought to be the more careful of our felves ; becaufe there never was any time, wherein feducing Spirits were more bold and bufie to pervert Men from the Truth. Againft thefe we fhould bold fill our Religion, as a Man would do his Money in a Crowd. It paffeth in the World for a great Mark of Folly, when a Ilion and his Money are loonparted : But it is a figu of much greater Folly, for a Man eafily to quit his Religion ; efpecially to be caught by fome fuch grofs Methods, as the Seducers I am fpeaking ofcommonly ufe, and which lie fo very open to Sufpicion; fuch as ill defigning Men are wont to pra&ife upon ayoung Heir, when they have infinuated themfelves into his Company, to, make a Prey of him. They charge him to tell no Body in what Company he hatia been ; not to ask the Counfel and Advice of his Friends concerningwhat they have been perfwading him to; becaufe they for their own Intereft will be fore to diffwade him from it. Juft thus do thefe Seducers pra&ife upon weak People. They charge theta not to acquaint their Minifter, with whom they havebeen: nor what Difcourfe they have liad about Religion ; nor what Books have been put into their Hands ; becaufe then, all their kind Defign and Intention towards them will be defeated,. But above all, they mull be fure to read no Books on the other fide, becaufe they are no competent Judges of Points of Faith ; and this reading on both fides will rather' confound than clear their Underftandings. They tell them, that they have Bated the matter truly, and would not for all the World deceive them; and they may eafily perceive, by their earneft Application to them, that nothing but Charity, and
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