A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

Secondly, they that come in Gods name, and are sent, but deliver a false message when they are come. They are called False, because they be falsifiers of Gods holy word; like the cunning lapidary, that sells a Beryl for a Diamond. No messenger of the Lord must go beyond the bounds of his commission, by adding his own devices: nor come to short of it, by keeping back his Masters counsels. It is a fearful protestation in the end of the Bible, summing and sealing up all the curses and woes that went before. Revel. 22.19. If any man shall take away from the words of this book, God shall take away his part out of the book of life. If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues, that are written in this book. It hath terror enough to amaze all those, that dare set their sacrilegious hands to these nice and religious mysteries. He that ventures to broach the dregs for wine, traditions of men for the constitutions of God; unwritten truths, untrue writings, for those sacred sanctions, to father lies on the Father of truth; and teach the bastards of his own brain to call the wisdom of heaven Father: He hath said it, when he said it not; this is the false Prophet. This was Saint Pauls earnest charge to Timothy. I give thee charge in the sight of God who quickeneth all things, and before JESUS CHRIST, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession. 1 Tim. 6. Keep that which is committed to thy trust: doubling his charge with intensive adjuration. Keep it, for enemies watch to purloine it: Quod tibi creditum, non quod a te inventum: a thing entrusted to thee, not invented of thee: a matter not of thy wit, but of thy learning; whereof thou art a Scholar, not a Master. How keep it; as the miser keeps in his corn? No, feed the poor with it, divide it in right order and matter: thou hast received gold, return gold: be sure to impart the same, neither more nor less, but just weight: ut cum dicas novè, non dicas nova; though thou speak in a new method, let it be old substance. Some have too many ⟨p. 372⟩fingers on their hand, like the Giant of Gath: some too few, like those whom Adonibezek maimed: some offend in excess, some in defect. But keep thou a steady flight: so did a bad Prophet against his will; when his fingers itched for the gold,¹