N00777:39
A warning to the flocks against wolves in sheeps clothing. Or, A faithful advice,…A warning to the flocks against wolves in sheeps cloathing. Or, A faithful advice,…
A warning to the flocks against wolves in sheeps clothing. Or, A faithful advice, from several ministers of the Gospel, in and near Boston, unto the churches of New-England, relating to the dangers that may arise from impostors, pretending to be ministers. : With a brief history of some impostors, remarkably and seasonably detected written, by one of the ministers in Boston, to assert that advice, and prevent future mischiefs. : [Five lines of Scripture texts]A warning to the flocks against wolves in sheeps cloathing. Or, A faithful advice, from several ministers of the Gospel, in and near Boston, unto the churches of New-England, relating to the dangers that may arise from impostors, pretending to be ministers. : With a brief history of some impostors, remarkably and seasonably detected written, by one of the ministers in Boston, to assert that advice, and prevent future mischiefs. : [Five lines of Scripture texts]
Boston: printed by B. Green and J. Allen, 1700
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
§ 9 Fascination is a thing, whereof mankind ha's more Experience than Comprehension. And Fascination is never more notoriously sensible, than in Mens Running after False Teachers of Religion. When False Teachers Imposed on the Galatians, the Apostle said, O Foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you! One cannot easily ascribe unto a Truer cause, than a Satanic Energy, the strange Bias upon the minds of a multitude, forcibly and furiously sometimes carrying them into Follies, from whence the plainest Reason in the World will not Reclaim them. What, but such an Energy could be upon the minds of many people in Boston, after the Arrival of one that went by the Name of Samuel May, about the Beginning of July, 1699. The wonderful Success of Mahomet upon a World where Christianity was to another Degree lost, than it is yet in Boston, was no longer a wonder unto us, when we saw the Success of May, in a place of so Christian a Character as Boston. It was all over pure Enchantment! He showed unto one Minister at his first Arrival, a Testimonial of little but some hopes of his being a man of ⟨p. 25⟩a sweet Gospel Spirit, Signed with two Names, whereof one was of a man, that once had been a Scandalous Fire Ship, among the Churches in this Country: Which when this Blade understood, he would never after show his Testimonial to any more of our Ministers, tho' they earnestly and frequently asked him for it. So Silly and Shallow a person he was, that it was impossible for any but such to be many minutes in his Company without being sensible of it. The first thing that made some to suspect him was, his using to Lift up his Eyes and Hands, with strains of Devotion used by none others in the Assembly, after he had first looked about to see who looked upon him. Numberless marks of a Cheat, were daily more and more discovered in him; nevertheless, he was able to imitate a plausible Utterance and Action, and seemed so zealously set upon Inviting men to Christ, that after Sermon was over, he would make another Speech, to put 'em in mind on't. Abundance of the people became so fiercely set for him, that they poured out a thousand expressions of Rage, upon the Faithful Pastors of the Town, that thought not such an Illiterate Creature, (who by his own Confession, had never been one year under any Education,) worthy to be set up in the public Pulpits.
§ 9 FAscination is a thing, whereof mankind ha's more Experience than Comprehension. And Fascination is never more notoriously sensible, than in Mens Running after False Teachers of Religion. When False Teachers Imposed on the Galatians, the Apostle said, O Foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you! One cannot easily ascribe unto a Truer cause, than a Satanick Energy, the strange Biass upon the minds of a multitude, forceably and furiously sometimes carrying them into Follies, from whence the plainest Reason in the World will not Reclame them. What, but such an Energy could be upon the minds of many people in Boston, after the Arrival of one that went by the Name of Samuel May, about the Beginning of July, 1699. The wonderful Success of Mahomet upon a World where Christianity was to another Degree lost, than it is yet in Boston, was no longer a wonder unto us, when we saw the Success of May, in a place of so Christian a Character as Boston. It was all over pure Enchantment! He show'd unto one Minister at his first Arrival, a Testimonial of little but some hopes of his being a man of