The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being…

DIRECT. XXVIII.

Do not too much reverence the impulses or revelations or most confident opinions of any others, upon the account of their sincerity or holiness: but try all judiciously and soberly by the Word of God.

Many that have no such impulses themselves, are yet so much taken with the reverence of others, that they are very apt to be seduced by their confidence. When so great a man as Tertullian was deceived by Montanus and his prophetess: when such a one as Hacket could deceive not only Coppinger and Arthington, but abundance more, some taking him for the Messiah, and some by his breathing on them thinking that they received the Holy Ghost! When David George in Holland, and John of Leiden in Munster, and Behmen Stiefelius and so many more pretended Prophets in Germany could deceive so many persons as they did? When the pretended revelations of the Ranters first, and the Quakers after could so marvellously transport many thousand professors of religion in this land; I think we have fair warning to take the counsel of St. John, Believe not every spirit; but try the spirits whether they be of God. It is a pitiful instance of the good old learned Commenius, who so easily believed the prophesies of Daubritius and the rest which he hath published: Yea when he saw the prophesies fail, yet when he adjured the prophet to speak truth, and ⟨p. 165⟩got him to swear as before the Lord that it was truth; this seemed enough to confirm his belief of him: whereas if he had been as well acquainted with the nature of Melancholy and Historical passions as many others are, he would have known that as strange things as that he recordeth of the man or women, may be done without any Divine inspirations: and that it is no wonder if that person swear that his words are true, who is first deceived himself before he deceive others. For a cracked brained person to believe his delusions to be real verities, is little wonder.