2. By suffering seducers and false teachers to come among a “people with such advantageous outward circumstances as shall further their success. These seducers prepare themselves for their work by their own inclinations and the suggestions of Satan; but God, for the executing of his just displeasure, will, by his providence, put ad- vantages into their hands of prevailing over the minds of men. So the chief seducers in the world at this day,—namely, the pope and those acting with or under him,—have possessed such place and ob- tained such reputation among men as gives them ofttimes an uncon- trollable success in their work. Did men stand upon even ground with them who were in the profession of the truth, should any so come unto them to persuade them unto the errors, superstitions, and idolatry of the Papacy, they could not but despise their offer; but these men having once gotten the name of “The temple of God,” and showing themselves to the people in the stead and place of God, what could they not draw and seduce them unto? Neither is their superstition or profession continued on any other grounds on the minds of the multitude, but only by that power over the consciences of men which names, titles, and the places they seem to possess in the church, do give unto them. Then, therefore, doth God give up men to delusions, when in his providence he affords such advantages unto them by whom they are to be deluded; for those who pos-
144 THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF APOSTASY.
_sess the places of outward veneration may lead a backsliding multi- tude unto what they please.
Lastly, God doth judicially smite such persons with blindness of mind and hardness of heart, that they shall not see, nor perceive, nor understand, even when the means of light and truth are pro- posed unto them. This effect of God’s severity is declared, Isa. vi. 9, 10; and application is made of it unto the Jews under the ministry of our Saviour himself, John xii. 39-41, and that of the apostles, Acts XxXvili. 25-27, and is expounded, Rom. xi. 7, 8.
When things are come to this issue; when God subducts the means of grace from men in whole or in part, or as unto their effi- cacy; when he permits Satan to deceive them by strong delusions; and, moreover, himself smites them with hardness of heart and blind- ness of mind,—then is the state of such apostates miserable and irre- coverable. We are not, therefore, to think it strange that the light of the gospel diffuses itself no more in the world,—that so eminent a stop is put unto its progress. God hath put an end unto his gracious dealings with some kinds of apostates, and they are reserved for an- other dispensation of his providence.
These are some of the general principles of that defection which is in the world from the mystery and truth of the gospel, with the reasons and causes of them; unto which more, I doubt not, of the like nature may be added.
But there is, moreover, a particular consideration to be had of those especial truths which any turn away from, and the imagina- tions they fall into; whereof the especial grounds and reasons, super- added unto those we have considered, as equally respecting every kind of defection from the gospel, are also to be inquired into; and it shall be done in one instance among ourselves.
CHAPTER VII.
Instance of a peculiar defection from the truth of the gospel; with the reasons of it.
BESIDES the reasons insisted on, which have a general influence into all apostasies from the doctrine or mystery of the gospel, each especial defection in every kind hath reasons and causes peculiarly suited unto its rise and furtherance. There are, indeed, not a few who forsake the truth which they have professed merely on the im- pressions of outward circumstances, in the encouraging examples of some who go before them in the same paths, from whom they ex- pect advantage. And every age giveth us, in one place or another,
A PECULIAR DEFECTION FROM THE TRUTH ILLUSTRATED. 145
_ renewed evidence, that,—where either secular interest or weariness — _of the truth, through the love of the present world and hatred of holiness or strict evangelical obedience, doth give a propensity unto a declension from any doctrines of the gospel unto persons whose grandeur and outward advantages are sufficient to attract a com- _ pliance from the minds of men under the power of ambition, or any importunate desire of earthly things multitudes of all sorts sup- pose there is nothing left for them but to crowd who shall come nearest the leaders in the apostasy. And it is not seldom that, meet- ing with new temptations, they outrun both them and themselves also into such extremes as at first they designed not; for hence it is that so many do even at present issue their recessions from the truth, under the conduct of those “ignes fatui” or erratic exhalations of countenance and favour, in the undesigned bogs of Popery on the one hand, or Socinianism on the other. But I shall not at present take them into farther consideration ; nor, indeed, are they worthy of any at all whose minds are visibly biassed, in the profession of things spiritual and heavenly, with those that are earthly and carnal.