Arg. 1 First: What a dangerous, and mischievous People, false Teachers, and false Apostles are. They do deceive men in the matter of their Souls; they are called Deceivers, and Seducers, John, 2.7. Many Deceivers are entered into the world, &c. 2 Tim. 3.13. But evil men, and Seducers, shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived: And deceitful Workers, 2. Cor. 11.13.6. For such are false Apostles, deceitful Workers. Now a man loves not to be deceived in any thing, no not in a small matter: If I had spent, or given away much more, it would never have grieved me, you say; but I cannot endure to be cheated, and deceived. And if a man cannot endure to be deceived in lesser things, what an evil thing is it then, to be deceived in the matters of his Soul? Such are the things, that these false Teachers do deceive men in; yea, they will, and do subvert mens Faith, and spoil them of the very Fundamentals of their Religion. Therefore saith the Apostle, Col. 2.8. Beware lest any man spoil, or make a prey of you. Is it not a sad thing for a man to lose his Faith for a Fable? First they will take away your Faith, and then they will lay a Fable in the room of the Faith; For their highest Speculations and Notions, are but Fables. Ye may observe therefore, that when the Apostle Paul doth dehort from their Doctrine, he saith still, Take heed, and beware of Fables. Those are many, and of divers sorts: First there are old Wives Stories and Fables; such are the Doctrines, and Speculations of false Teachers: therefore 1 Tim. 4.1. the Apostle having said, That in the latter times some should depart from the Faith, giving heed to seducing Spirits, and speaking of the Doctrines of those Seducers in the following Verses, he saith, ver. 7. But refuse thou profane, and old wives fables: for such in the Eyes of God, are the Doctrines of these Seducers. Secondly, There are Jewish Fables also, whereof the Talmud is now full; and such are all those Doctrines, & Commandments of men, which are beside the Scripture, the Doctrines of false Teachers: and therefore saith the Apostle, 1 Tit. 14. (having spoken of Seducers in the former verses, whose mouths must be stopped) Not giving heed to Jewish Fables, and Commandments of men. Thirdly, There are also the Fables of Heathen Poets, the Figments & Devices of mens own Brains: and such are the Doctrines and Speculations of all false Teachers;
Arg. 1 First: What a dangerous, and mischievous People, false Teachers, and false Apostles are. They do deceive men in the matter of their Souls; they are called Deceivers, and Seducers, John, 2.7. Many Deceivers are entred into the world, &c. 2 Tim. 3.13. But evil men, and Seducers, shal wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived: And deceitful Workers, 2. Cor. 11.13.6. For such are false Apostles, deceitful Workers. Now a man loves not to be deceived in any thing, no not in a smal matter: If I had spent, or given away much more, it would never have grieved me, you say; but I cannot endure to be cheated, and deceived. And if a man cannot endure to be deceived in lesser things, what an evil thing is it then, to be deceived in the matters of his Soul? Such are the things, that these false Teachers do deceive men in; yea, they wil, and do subvert mens Faith, and spoil them of the very Fundamentals of their Religion. Therefore saith the Apostle, Col. 2.8. Beware lest any man spoil, or make a prey of you. Is it not a sad thing for a man to lose his Faith for a Fable? First they wil take away your Faith, and then they wil lay a Fable in the room of the Faith; For their highest Speculations and Notions, are but Fables. Ye may observe therefore, that when the Apostle Paul doth dehort from their Doctrine, he saith stil, Take heed, and beware of Fables. Those are many, and of divers sorts: First there are old Wives Stories and Fables; such are the Doctrines, and Speculations of false Teachers: therefore 1 Tim. 4.1. the Apostle having said, That in the latter times some should depart from the Faith, giving heed to seducing Spirits, and speaking of the Doctrines of those Seducers in the following Verses, he saith, ver. 7. But refuse thou prophane, and old wives fables: for such in the Eyes of God, are the Doctrines of these Seducers. Secondly, There are Jewish Fables also, whereof the Talmud is now ful; and such are al those Doctrines, & Commandements of men, which are beside the Scripture, the Doctrines of false Teachers: and therefore saith the Apostle, 1 Tit. 14. (having spoken of Seducers in the former verses, whose mouths must be stopt) Not giving heed to Jewish Fables, and Commandements of men. Thirdly, There are also the Fables of Heathen Poets, the Figments & Devices of mens own Brains: and such are the Doctrines and Speculations of al false Teachers;
