The Gift of
Try ng and

Well then, by what hath been faid, You, who 1erning are of Chrifts true Sheep may perceive, that it is eSpirits, is a vident by the Word, that faithful Chriftians have Grace in the Right and Power to try Spirits and Doctrines, truc Church, though Antichrift, for many Ages hath robbed them of this Priviledge.

Common

For (that I may speak a little more to this matter) the Tryal of Spirits doth unquestionably belong to all Men, who have received the Spirit of God: for to this Spirit of God which dwells in the faithful, the Gift of Difcerning Spirits is infeparably annexed: and the Spirit of Chrift, which truly dwells in all true Chriftians, cannot deceive, nor be deceived in the Tryal of Spirits. So that this now is a Common Grace, that in fome measure belongs to all true Chriftians, who have received the Unction that teacheth them all things, and is true, and is no lye..

And though there be in the Church Diverficies of Gifts from the fame Spirit, which are given to fome, and not to others, as Tongues, and Interpretation of Tongues, and Miracles, and Gifts of hea Ling, &c. mentioned by Paul, I Cor. 12. yet this gitc of Trying Spirits is given to All in fome meafure, that have received the Spirit. For as in the Natural Body there are feveral Gifts given to feve ral Members, which are not given to all the members, as Seeing to the Eye, Hearing to the Ear, Walking to the foot, &c. But Feeling is given to all the Members; fo alfo in the Body of Christ, that is, the fpiritual Church, feveral Gifts are given to feveral Saints, but the Tryal of Spirits and Doctrines to all Saints, who have received the Spirit; and if any have not Chrifts Spirit he is none of His; and if any have Chrifts Spirit, he can in fome measure difcern and judge of all Spirits in the World: and the more any man receives Chrifts Spirit, the more a ble is he to judge of all Other Spirits. Wherefore

Wherefore they who are true Believers, and have received Chrifts Spirit, their Judgment is to be preferred in the Tryal of Spirits, before the Judgment of a whole Council of Clergy men.

And they only, who can try Spirits by the Spirit of God, and Doctrines by the Word of God, written in their hearts by the Spirit, are fit to commend Minifters to the Work of God: that is, the Congregations of the faithful, and not Universities, and Affemblies of Divines.

And thus you may perceive that feeing many false Prophets are gone out into the World, it concerns the faithful, as they tender their own everlasting Salvation, not to believe every Spirit, that speaks of Chrift, and his Kingdom, and his Things, but to Try the Spirits whether they be of God.

Object. But now (it may be) fome will be ready Object. to fay, We ought indeed to try the Spirits, feeing there are many falfe Prophets in the world; but we hope there are no fuch Perfons among us, but only fome upstart Men, with their new Light, who with their Novelties and Fancies trouble the Nation, and would fain turn all things upsidedown, and we know these well enough already, and do fufficiently despise them.

Anfw: It is very like you do; but yet let me fay Anfio. to you, Men, Brethren, and Fathers, understand Your felves, and know what you do in this matter. For at the beginning of the Reformation by the Ministry of Luther, Zuinglius, Calvin, and divers others, precious fervants of Jefus Chrift, the Popish Clergy applyed all these Scriptures, Try the Spirits whether they be of God, for many false Prophets are gone out into the world; and beware of falfe Prophets, which come to you in fheeps clothing, but inwardby are ravening wolves; I fay, these, and the like places of Scriptures, they applied to thefe Godly Men, and yet they Themfelves were the falfe Pro

phets

Falfe Prophets not

cerned.

phets indeed, and the Other, whom they termed uch, were true Ones. Wherefore it is poffible for You to be mistaken as well as They, and no doubt but you will be mistaken, except the Lord be gracious to you, and give you his own Spirit, by which alone you can make a Right Judgment in this Matter.

Wherefore, that he that reads may understand, eafi y dif- you must know, that the falfe Prophets are not fo cafily difcerned as you think; for they seem to be true Prophets, and Godly, Holy, Learned, Orthodox men, Men of Eminency and Renown in the Church and State: and fo to flesh and blood, and the Wisdom and Religion of the world, it will be Because of a difficult, yea, an impoffible thing to find them Vails under out; for the falfe Prophets have feveral glorious Vails which they over them, to hide and obfcure then from common Knowledge.

their feveral

lie hid.

Firft.

Secondly.

Thirdly.

Wherefore we declare unto you from the Word of the Lord, touching these falfe Prophets, who fhall do fo much mischief

1. That they shall not proceed, or come forth from among the Jews, or Turks, or out of the barbarous Nations, but they fhall arise of fuch as are called Christians.

2. Seeing among Chriftians fome are openly profane and evil, others feem to be Religious and Godly; the falfe Prophets fhall be found among the better fort; and therefore faith Chrift, they fhall come in Sheeps cloathing, as if they were of Chrifts own flock: and Paul faith, they have a form of Godliness, that is, they fhall be painted over glorioully, with all appearances of truth, righte oufness, honefty, goodness, and all the names of godliness.

3. Seeing amongst those that seem to be the bet ter Sort of Chriftians, fome give themselves to the Miniftry of the Word, and fome do not; the

falfe

falfe Prophets fhall be found among thefe Chriftians who take upon themselves to be Preachers, as Paul teftifies, Acts 20. where having called together the Elders and Teachers of the Church of Ephefus, he faith to them, ex vobis ipfis, out of your Own Selves fhall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away difciples after them.

4. And feeing among thofe who are Minifters, Fourthly. fome are light, and vain, and carnal, and formal Perfons, and others are men of great Worth and Reputation, and feem to be the precious Members of Chrift,and even Pillars in the Church, fo that the Common People think, that all Religion would go down with fuch Good men, they having fome Gifts and enlightnings of the Spirit, and feeming more than ordinarily godly, religious, wife, holy, fober, devout; now the falfe Prophets fhall be found among Thefe. And as they who opposed Chrift at his first coming in the flesh, feemed more wife, and holy, and eminent in the Church than the reft, as the Scribes and Pharifees, who fat in Mofes Chair, and had the outward Letter of the Word in all exactness, and the outward Form of Religion in all ftrictnefs; fo they, who do, and fhall most oppose Christ in his coming in his Spirit, and fhall contradict his Word, and refift his Servants and Witnesses of his Truth, do, and shall appear more Wife, Holy, Learned, and Godly, than the rest of the Teachers of the Church.

And thus you fee, that the falfe Prophets of Antichrift fhall arife among Chriftians, and among fuch Chriftians as feem to be Godly; and among fuch feeming Godly Chriftians as Preach the Word; and among fuch Preachers of the Word as feem to be of greater Worth and Eminency than the rest: and fo in all thefe Regards it will be a hard matter to difcern them. 2. Again,

2. Difficulty in trying falle Prophets.

3. Difficulty.

2. Again, Such perfons, of fuch appearance of Worth and Holiness as thefe, do ufually get to their fide, the Greatest and Highest Perfons in the Kingdoms and Nations, and do obtain, not only their Countenance and Favour, but also their Power and Authority for Themselves.

3. By both these means (to wit, their feeming Holiness, and their Intereft with Worldly Powers) they exceedingly enlarge their Credit and Reputation with the World, and do get Multitudes of people and Nations to entertain them.

For Antichrift could not deceive the World with a company of foolish, weak, ignoront, prophane, contemptible perfons, but he always hath the Greatest, Wifeft, Holiest, and most Eminent in the visible Church for Him, and by These he feduces and fubjects to Himfelf, even the Whole 1 World.

A Difficulty. Befides, they that are against Him and his falfe Prophets, are but a very handfull of Saints, who have the Spirit of Chrift, and through his Spirit difcern Them, and oppofe Them, and for fo doing are despised and hated of all the World.

Third Point.

Tryal.

Wherefore it is a harder matter to try these false Prophets, than we are well aware of. And yet as hard as it is, the Apoftle, by the Spirit, hath given us a manifeft and certain Rule of Tryal: And this is the third general thing I named.

The Third Point.

The Rule of To wit, The fufficient Rule, whereby the true Church may throughly try the Spirits and Prophets, how cunningly and fubtilly foever they are difguized, and this he lays down, verfe 3.

Hereby know we the Spirit of God; every Spirit that confeffeth that Jefus Chrift is come in the flesh, is of

God;