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

Among you.] This is the second point, the Place whither these false Teachers come; unto you, to the Church. So Mat. 7.15. Beware of false Prophets which come to you. Not to the Turks, or Gentiles, or other heretics only; but to you, that have the Gospel. They seem to come unto you, but indeed they come against you: they promise your good, but they perform your hurt. Here may be demanded, why GOD doth suffer such in the Church? For Paul saith, 1 Cor. 11.19. Oportet haereses esse; There must be heresies among you. Now there is an Oportet of necessity, and of duty: in respect of the latter, Oportet haereses non esse; saith Augustine; There must not be heresies. This is an oportet of consequence: the Apostle concludes it necessarily, upon the presupposition of Satan's malice and mans wickedness. Neither is this prediction any cause of it: a man sees some loose companions set close to drinking: hereupon he says, These men will be drunk: the necessity is not because he said so, but because they will do so. Another sees men quarrelling, and multiplying incensive terms, he says, These men will fight; he doth not cause their combat: they would have done it, though he had never said it. So we perceive the air cloudy, the weather muddy; we say, it must needs rain: it doth; yet never the sooner because we spake it. So Peters Erunt, and Pauls Oportet, do not cause this false teaching, but premonish it.

Among you.] This is the second point, the Place whither these false Teachers come; unto you, to the Church. So Mat. 7.15. Beware of false Prophets which come to you. Not to the Turks, or Gentiles, or other heretikes only; but to you, that have the Gospell. They seeme to come unto you, but indeed they come against you: they promise your good, but they performe your hurt. Here may be demanded, why GOD doth suffer such in the Church? For Paul saith, 1 Cor. 11.19. Oportet haereses esse; There must be heresies among you. Now there is an Oportet of necessitie, and of duty: in respect of the latter, Oportet haereses non esse; saith Augustine; There must not be heresies. This is an oportet of consequence: the Apostle concludes it necessarily, upon the presupposition of Satans malice and mans wickednesse. Neither is this prediction any cause of it: a man sees some loose companions set close to drinking: hereupon he sayes, These men will be drunke: the necessity is not because he said so, but because they will doe so. Another sees men quarrelling, and multiplying incensive termes, he sayes, These men will fight; he doth not cause their combate: they would have done it, though he had never said it. So we perceive the aire cloudy, the weather muddie; we say, it must needs raine: it doth; yet never the sooner because we spake it. So Peters Erunt, and Pauls Oportet, doe not cause this false teaching, but premonish it.