A51839:439
XVIII sermons on the second chapter of the 2d Epistle to the Thessalonians containing…
XVIII sermons on the second chapter of the 2d Epistle to the Thessalonians containing the description, rise, growth, and fall of Antichrist : with divers cautions and arguments to establish Christians against the apostasy of the Church of Rome : very necessary for these times / by that late reverend and learned divine, Thomas Manton ...XVIII sermons on the second chapter of the 2d Epistle to the Thessalonians containing the description, rise, growth, and fall of Antichrist : with divers cautions and arguments to establish Christians against the apostacy of the Church of Rome : very necessary for these times / by that late reverend and learned divine, Thomas Manton ...
London: printed by J.D. for J. Robinson, 1679
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. The Causes of it show the efficacy of error. (1.) The sinning of their learned, to keep out all instructions; allowing the vulgar only Prayers in a strange tongue, and the Scriptures in no tongue, and teaching them implicitly to believe as the Church believeth. When the Lord permitteth such guides to order the affairs of his Church, his great Judgment of occecation and obduration is upon them, Jer. 5.31. The Prophets prophesy falsely, and the Priests bear rule by their means, and my people love (to have it) so. (2.) When gain, interests, and ambition move them thereunto. As those Masters in the Acts exclaim against Paul and Silas, when they saw their hope of gain was gone, Acts 16.19, 20, 21. These men do exceedingly trouble the City. And Demetrius Acts 18.25. Ye know by this craft we have our wealth. This is a tender point to touch interest, and when once it cometh to this, they will proceed in their fo•ly, and defend one falsehood with another; for the great Idol of the World is gain, or love of money, 1 Tim. 6.10. For the love of money, is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the Faith. It were an happiness if ⟨p. 216⟩such kind of Arguments did only prevail with us to embrace a Religion, that might convince others, that it was Religion it self that we loved: That our interest did not keep others from their duty, and that we could embrace a Religion for the goodness of it, even to our own loss. (3.) Another cause is pride of themselves, and prejudice against others; lest they should seem to be in an error and wrong, and to learn of a few Novelists: shall they teach them? No, rather they will remain ignorant still. Alas, it is not easy to strike Sa••, and submit to the teaching of those whom they hate: Therefore men continue those first prejudices they have imbibed, and will rather live and die in their errors, than give God glory by a submission to truth. Such a proud opinion and conceit have they of their own Learning and Knowledge. This cause also conduceth to make the resolution more strong, pre-engagement in a contrary way. It is disgraceful to change, men think it is taken notice of as a great wonder,