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

By whom.] The Seminaries of infection have poisoned them, and they divulge that pestilence, to the dishonour of Christ and the scandal of his Gospel. Nay, as if their teachers could not do mischief enough, these strive to go beyond them in wickedness. According to that, Matth. 23.15. They make them two-fold more the children of hell than themselves. And indeed, albeit the other were originally the worse; yet these are instrumentally and operatively worse than they. For if false teachers had not store of followers, their heretical positions would fall to the ground, and themselves slink away with reproach and shame. Here occur two notes to our observation.

By whom.] The Seminaries of infection have poisoned them, and they divulge that pestilence, to the dishonour of Christ and the scandall of his Gospell. Nay, as if their teachers could not doe mischiefe enough, these strive to goe beyond them in wickednesse. According to that, Matth. 23.15. They make them two-fold more the children of hell than themselves. And indeed, albeit the other were originally the worse; yet these are instrumentally and operatively worse than they. For if false teachers had not store of followers, their hereticall positions would fall to the ground, and themselves slinke away with reproch and shame. Here occurre two notes to our observation.

First, that not only the Principals, but even the accessories in Schism are guilty of sin, and liable to punishment. The receiver is worse than the thief: and the abettors of sin do more mischief than the authors. So long as the infected person is shut up, his plague doth not spread: while the evil man doth intra orbem suum furere; only be mad at home, his evil lives and dies with himself: the diffusion or dispersion of it is the bane. Let it wander like a fatherless child up and down, no man taking it in, but all shutting their doors against it; the very air will stifle it, it will be the own death. But when it becommeth Filius populi, and every one challengeth a part in the generation of it, the multitude fostering it; now it stands up in defiance, and (although a bastard) dares challenge the true heir, and wrangle for the inheritance. How ridiculous appears a fantastical fashion, while it is singular in the Inventers wearing and habit? The first apparition of an Hic mulier, was like a monster. But when it had stolen an approbation into women's hearts, and gotten a custom on their backs; now it stood on the terms of justification, called it self a noble accoutrement, and scorned to be dashed out of countenance. It is the many's acceptation of evil, that brings a scandal on the truth. When Theudas had gotten four hundred followers, he thought himself a jolly fellow,