be rid of them; for this is Antichrifts proper Remedy against those that oppofe him; but the Apoftle fhews a more Chriftian Remedy, which is this, Believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits whether they be of God; and this Remedy alone is fufficient for the true Spiritual Church of the faithful in every Age, to preserve it fafe and found against all falfe Teachers whatsoever, and their falfe Doctrines; neither doth it defire, or need any other. Wherefore in this Cafe, the Apostle contents himself, to give only this Caution to the Faithful, Believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits whether they be of God.

Believe not every Spirit, &c. that is, every Notei one that speaketh of Spiritual things. Whence it is plain, that we neither ought rafhly and hastily to believe every mans Doctrine, nor yet rafhly and unadvisedly to cenfure and condemn it, till it be heard and known what it is; bnt it is a Chriftians Duty to prove all things, and to hold fast that which is Good, upon Proof, as Paul adviseth, wherefore John alfo adds here, But try the Spirits whether they be of God.

have right

Whence we note, That Chriftians have Right and Chriftians Power to try and judge the Spirits and Doctrines of and power their Teachers; and this is evident by many plain to try Spi Scriptures, as,

Math. 7. 15. Beware of falfe Prophets (faith Chrift to the faithful) which come unto you in Sheeps cloathing, but inwardly they are ravening Wolves; ye shall know them by their fruits.

Math. 16. 6. Fefus faid to them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharifee, which is bypocrific.

Math. 24. 4. Jefus faid, take heed that no man deceive you, for many fhall come in my Name, saying, I am Chrift, and shall deceive many.

rits.

It concerns the faithful

Spirits, for

Firft.

John 10. My Sheep hear my voice, and know my voice, and a stranger will they not hear, but flee from him, for they know not (that is, own not) the voice of strangers. And all that came before me are Thieves and Robbers, but the Sheep did not hear them.

By all which Scriptures, and many more that might be added, it is manifeft, that the faithful, the true Sheep of Chrift, have Right and Power to judge of the Spirits and Doctrines of the Teachers.

Let Fathers, Schoolmen, Doctors, Councels, Affemblies of Divines, Univerfities, Minifters, propound and publifh what Doctrine they please, the Sheep of Chrift, the faithful Flock, have Power and Authority from Chrift Himself, to try and judge, whether the things they speak be of Christ, or of themselves and of Antichrift. And this Power the faithful People ought not to part with, neither for any fear, nor for any favour.

Yea, it moft nearly concerns the faithful, to try to try the the Spirits, and judge the Doctrines of the TeachTwo caufes. ers, for these two Confiderations among others. First, Because we must each one give an account for our felves before the Judgment Seat of Chrift; wherefore it concerns every one of us, to look to our own Eternal Condition, and not to leave this care to others for us. In Death and Judgment, each one must answer for Himself; and therefore we ought to be as certain of the word of God, on which we build our immortal Souls, as we are fure we live, and are Creatures; we ought, I fay, to be fure our felves, and not to truft any body for us, in this great matter whereon depends either Eternal Life, or Eternal Death.

Secondly.

Secondly, It concerns us to try the Spirits, and Doctrines, because otherwife we may easily mitake, and instead of Artichrift and his Difciples,

dab

dafh against Christ himself, and his precious Saints, Yea, we have seen how the World and Worldly : Church, not being able to try the Spirits and Doarines, have contradicted and crucified the Son of God himself, and have reproached and perfecuted all his People, who are baptized into one Spirit with him; and doing this, they have thought they have done God good service too; and all because they were not able to judge of the Spirit and Truth of Chrift in Himself and his Members, but have followed the Judgment and Councel of the chief Guides in the outward Church, who have caused them to err, and to mistake Truth for Error, and Error for Truth; Chrift for Antichrist, and Antichrift for Christ,

Wherefore it concerns every one, to be wife to Salvation for Himfelf, and to try the Spirits for himself, and not to content himself to fay, thus faid Augustine, Ambrofe, Hierom, &c. or this was the Judgment of the Fathers, or thus have the Councels and Univerfities determined, or thus do our Ministers teach us; but if thou art one of Chrifts Flock, thou must have skill to know and judge for thy felf, which is Chrifts Spirit and Doarine, and which is Antichrifts; otherwife thon wilt certainly mifcarry in this great matter, and be undone for ever. If thou build on Men in thefe things, and canft not judge for thy felf, thou wilt be fure to be undone.

have ufurp

power of

But now this Power of Trying Spirits, and Judg-The Clergy. ing Doctrines, which Chrift hath given his true ed to themFlock, and which they ought to have upon fo good felves this Grounds, the Teachers of the falfe and Antichriftian trying Spij Church, that is, the Common Clergy, diftinguished is. by feveral Names, Titles, and Degrees, have robbed them of, and have falfely and treacherously arrogated to themfelves, the Power of trying Spirits, and Judging Doctrines, and have faid, that it be

Hh 3

longs

pation the

longs to the Clergy or National Ministry, and their Councils, and Affemblies of Divines to Judge of Spirits, whether they be right or false; and to Judge of Doctrines, whether they be agreeable to Gods Word, or no; and that all Chriftians ought to expect their Judgment and Determination, and to fubmit to it, and to depend on it, as on an Oracle from Heaven, yea, though it be, not only without, but also against their own particular Judg

ment.

And these men (I mean the Clergy) through the Ecclefiaftical and Temporal Power which they had gotten, have ftricken great fear into the whole World, and have miserably vexed innumerable Confciences, with a grievous and lasting bondage, and have even driven them to Defpair, whilft none durft approve or own any Spirit or Doctrine, though never fo manifeftly of Chrift and his Gofpel, without their Allowance and Approbation; fo mightily hath the power of Antichrift prevailed in the World, and that against the exprefs Word of Christ.

Now the ground of this their Antichriftian Pride, and Ufurpation is This, that they arrogate to Themfelves, that They are the Guides and Shepherds of all Chriftian men, and are to teach them the Gofpel, which they are only to receive from their lips; whereas Chrift hath promised his true Church, that they fhall be all taught of God, and fhall hear and learn Themselves from the Father, and hath alfo promifed to fend to them the Spirit, to lead them in all Truth, and to give them an Annointing, to teach them All Things.

By this ufar Now they by robbing the Faithful of this PowCergy have er, and arrogating it to Themselves, have made made them-themselves contrary to Chrifts Command, Lords fters in the and Mafters in the Church of God, and have ufurped to themselves Superiortry and Authority over

felves Ma

God,

other

other Believers, and have fubjected all the World to their Opinion and Judgment in the things of God: by which means, they have fet wide open the flood-gates to Antichrift and his Kingdom, to break in upon the World, and to overflow it, whilst they had robbed all Chriftian People of their own Judgment in all the Things of God, and had made them to depend wholly on the Judgment of the Clergy:

And had not Chriftian People thus unchriftianly delivered up their Judgments to the Clergy, and that in the very Higheft Points of Religion, Chriftianity had not been fo miferably blinded and corrupted as it is, and the Mystery of Iniquity had not fo much prevailed in the World, as now it hath, For when Chriftians would not try the Spirits whether They were of God, and the Doctrines, whether they were the Word of God or no, but thought this sa matter too High for them, and would refer and fubmit all to the Judgment of their Minifters; then Antichrift (the Apostle of the Devil) came forth boldly, and proudly exalted Himfelf above all that is called God, and his Kingdom, above all the Kingdoms of the World, having firft put out both the Eyes of Chriftians, by taking away from them their Right and Power of trying Spirits and judg ing Doctrines.

2

But when true Chriftians fhall fearch the Scriptures (as God I truft hath now fully put into their hearts to do) and fhall justly and lawfully take to themselves the Power which God hath given them, to try Spirits and Doctrines, than Antichrift, and his Agents, the carnal Clergy, muft foon be brought down: for the Faithful by that Word fhall foon perceive, that They are not of God, nor their Dotrine of that right Gospel, which is after the Mind of Chrift.