^ ' Multiplicatis fidei populis fides imminuta est, et crescentibus filiis mater aegrotat, quantum copiae accessit, tantum disciplinse recessit, inaudito genere processus et recessus, crescens simul et decrescens.' — Salvian de Guhernat.
^ ' Ecclesia ex intentione fideles tantum colligit, et si nosset impios et incredulos, eo8 aut Dunquam admitteret, aut casu admissos excluderet.' — Bcllar. de Eccl., vi. c. 10.
VeR. 4.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 123
2. It may note their intrusion or invasion of the office of preaching ; presuming without a warrant, or coming into the fold not by the door, in the reguhir established way, false teachers usually running unsent ; it is often charged upon them in the scriptures : none so prone to errors as those that have a defect in their calling. Christ, when he prayeth for a blessing on the apostles' labours, he useth that as an argument, John xvii. 18, ' I have sent them into the world.' They that are loath to submit their gilts to public approbation diuw a jui^t suspicion upon themselves. How came they to you ? did they creep in ? or were they solemnly admitted ? When elements are out of their place they breed confusion. When men are out of their place they are not a blessing but a mischief to the church.
3. The two former senses may be allowed, but I rather prefer a third ; their creeping into the people's hearts and affections by plaus- ible pretences and insinuations, instilling their errors drop by drop before they could be observed, and pretending themselves to be friends of truth and piety. I do prefer this sense, partly because he saith only crept in, without mentioning either church or office ; but chiefly because this epistle is but the abridgment of the second epistle of Peter, as will easily appear to those that do compare them. Now, there it is said, 2 Peter ii. 1, ' They shall privily bring in dam- nable heresies, denying the Lord that bought them.' From this sense observe — That false teachers use to varnish over and mask the face of error with plausible pretences, that unawares we may take it into our bosoms. The apostle speaketh of their ' sleights and cunning craftiness,' Eph. iv. 14. Their sleights and pretences are many ; I shall touch upon a few. (1.) Sometimes greater strictness : Col. ii. 18, ' Which things have a show of wisdom, and neglect of the body ; ' rigorous observances and outward mortifications, as the Papists do. (2.) Special meekness : ' Eavening wolves in sheep's clothing,' Mat. vii. 15, as if they were all for love and kindness.^ Absalom stole away the people's hearts by this artifice, 2 Sam. xv. 2. (3.) Higher gospel strains ; therefore doth Paul speak so much against the ' other gospel,' Gal. i. 3, and the ' other Jesus,' 2 Cor. xi. 4, namely, such a one as they had set up. (4.) Self-denial ; as some false teachers at Corinth would take no maintenance to disgrace Paul, see 2 Cor. xi. 12, &c. ; this was their glorying, that they would preach freely ; and whereas they contributed to the relief of Paul, to them it needed not. (5.) Greater learning, and notions of a newer and more sublime strain : ' Oppositions of science falsely so called,' 1 Tim. vi. 20, Platonic speculations, un- grounded subtleties. (6.) Greater favour and liberty to nature : ' They promise liberty, and allure through the lusts of the flesh,' 2 Peter ii. 18, representing the faithful ministers of Christ as envying the con- tentment of your natures, and burdening you with exactions too rigorous ; therefore the apostle saith, ' I am afraid lest any through subtlety beguile you, as the devil did Eve,' 2 Cor. xi. 3. How was that ? I answer — By insinuating a kind of envy in God, as if he did begrudge them the perfection and freedom of their natures : Gen. iii. 5, ' God knoweth that your eyes shall be opened/ &c. So they think
1 Sic Sisinnius Novatianorum Episcopus ; apud Vedelium in Prvid. vetcris Ecdegice in Prol. c. 3, 4.
124 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 4.
others are too strict, and lay too many restraints upon your carnal de- sires, and by this means allure many loose and unstable souls. (7.) Many times pretending the defence of that truth which they secretly impugn ; as Pelagius talked altogether of grace, and Faustus Rhegien- sis, pretending to oppose the Pelagians, did but more covertly own their cause, i
Uses of this point are divers. (1.) For information ; it showeth us the reason why we cannot set down the precise beginning of errors, because they are privily brought in. Mystery is written in the whore's forehead, Eev. xvii. 5 ; the leak is not espied many times, though the ship be ready to sink. The originals of heresy are like the fountain of Nile, obscure and hidden ; a man may lose himself in the labyrinth of antiquity before he can find them out. The Roman apostasy is a mystery of iniquity, that stole into the church disguised and by degrees,^ so that the beginning of it is not so easily stated as of other heresies that are full grown at their first appearance. (2.) It informeth us of the odiousness of error ; it dareth not appear in its own colours, nor be seen in its own face ; therefore Satan, when he would set any error on foot, he maketh choice of the most subtle instruments, that they may put a varnish upon it ; as when he tempted Eve, he made use of the serpent, 'the most subtle of all the beasts of the field,' Gen. iii. 1, whereas the Lord chooseth the plainest instruments, and hath commanded them to use ' all simplicity and godly sincerity,' 2 Cor. i. 12, for truth is so lovely in itself, that it needeth no borrowed colours. (3.) It informeth us what reason those that are over you in the Lord have to press you to caution; excuse their 'holy jealousy,' 2 Cor. xi. 2, all is but need. We must bark when we see a wolf, though in a sheep's garment ; our silence and negligence doth but give them an advantage : ' Whilst the husbandman slept, the enemy came and sowed tares,' Mat. xiii. 25. (4.) It presseth you to skill and watchfulness ; you had need be sound in the faith, that you may discern between good and evil, yea, to ' have your senses exercised,' Heb. v. 15. A soft credulity is soon abused: Prov. xiv. 15, ' The simple belie veth every word.' There is no reason but knowledge should cost us pains as well as gracious conversation. It is a matter of great skill to be a thorough Christian ; there is a great deal of sophistry and cunning about. If you follow the cry, you are in danger of engaging in a confederacy against God ; if you stick to received customs, there may be error there too. If you run after every novelist on the other hand, you will soon be led into the bogs of error and profaneness ; therefore go to him for direction that hath the trea- sures of wisdom and knowledge. But you need not only skill, but care and watchfulness. It is not good to drink too freely of suspected fountains ; let not your affections surprise your judgment ; we admire the persons, the gifts, and so easily swallow the doctrine : ' Try the spirits,' 1 John iv. 1 ; 1 Thes. v. 21. When there is counterfeit gold abroad, we use the touchstone. Truth loseth nothing by being tried, and you lose nothing, for then your affections are better grounded :