False Teachers Compared to Deceivers

    FALSE TEACHERS COMPARED TO DECEIVERS

    "For many Deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh; this is a deceiver, and an antichrist" 2Jo 1:7.

    DECEIVER, or one that causeth to err, is by the Greeks called, a despiser; by the Chaldee, a mocker; Mt 27:63, alanov, a notable cozener, impostor. Ainsworth. See Leigh's Crit. Sacr. seduced, and seducing others: such our Saviour and his apostles were reputed, but falsely; others are truly so called, who deal fraudulently and false-heartedly with God, men, and their own hearts.

    DECEIVER

    I. A Deceiver, or cunning imposter, hath many ways whereby he secretly, and with much craftiness seeks to trepan and beguile his neighbour: as (1.) He will pretend himself to be a special friend, and so insinuate into a man's affection. (2.) He strives to find out the disposition of the person he intends to cheat. (3.) He will, the better to accomplish his design, change his name, and pretend himself some worthy and noble person, and of some eminent family. (4.) He will watch the fittest opportunity to effect his enterprize. (5.) He will sometimes put a vizard on his face, and often change his habit, that he may deceive the more securely. (6.) And if he is in danger to be taken, he will exclaim against the Deceiver, and cry out, stop thief, &c.

    PARALLEL

    I. FALSE TEACHERS, who are cunning to deceive, have many ways to delude poor creatures: as, (1.) They commonly pretend much pity and compassion to the souls of men, and hereby they endeavour to win themselves into their affections; and when once a person harbours a good opinion of them, their work is half done. (2.) They seek to find out what parts they have, and what principles they hold, with whom they converse: for if they perceive they are men and women well rooted and grounded in the orthodox faith, and able to defend the truth, they have little hopes of prevailing; but if they find that they are persons of a weak judgment, and mind more abundantly the conversation of men, than what doctrine they hold, or do more mind and regard the circumstances of religion, than the grand fundamentals thereof; they will pursue such close. (3.) They do always change their names; for if their names were known, they could not beguile so many: were error, false doctrine, blasphemy, heresy, wolves in sheep's clothing, foxes, cunning serpents, Deceivers, &c., but writ upon their foreheads, most people would be afraid of them; but they contrariwise, call themselves Christ's ministers, witnesses of Jesus, friends of truth, the Lamb's followers, &c. And it is common with them to pretend themselves to be the orthodox men, sons of the church, of the holy church, of the catholic church, masters in Israel, guides of the blind, &c. (4.) They study to find out the fittest season and opportunity to accomplish their design, and hellish purpose, viz., they watch for such a time, when the professors of the Gospel and truths of Jesus begin to decline in their zeal, and to lose much of the power of godliness, and seem to make a mighty stir about the form thereof, and are much divided among themselves; when iniquity doth abound, and the love of many waxeth cold; in a word, when men begin to grow secure, or the true shepherd is off of his watch, then these wolves and Deceivers get abroad, and, like that wicked enemy, sow their tares of error and delusion. (5.) The Jesuits, those crafty Deceivers, have often appeared in a disguise externally, and do usually change their garbs, &c. Sometimes they are holders-forth in a Quaker's meeting; at other times they will counterfeit themselves to be lawyers: sometimes they will take on them the habit of priests, sometimes merchants, sometimes shoe-makers, in short any thing. And all this, that they may the more securely carry on then: wicked designs and purposes to pervert poor souls, &c. (6.) And lastly; when these False Teachers and Deceivers begin to fear they shall be discovered, and perceive there is a cry raised against them, and that they are closely pursued, and in danger to be taken, then, to save themselves, they cry out against others. None are more ready to exclaim against False-Teachers and Deceivers than they, endeavouring to cast all the infamy and black aspersions imaginable upon the true and faithful ministers of the Gospel, loading them with all the foulest calumnies they can devise, that they themselves may in the meanwhile pass the better for true men, and be the less suspected. Thus those blind guides in Israel served our Saviour himself: "Some said, he is a good man; others said nay, but he deceiveth the people." "Say we not well, that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?" Joh 7:12; 8:48. "Sir, we remember that the Deceiver said, whilst he was yet alive, after three days I will rise again," Mt 27:63. And thus they exclaimed against the apostles: Paul was called a mover of sedition; and by False Teachers he with others were called Deceivers: "As Deceivers, and yet true," &c. "After that way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers," Ac 24:14.

    METAPHOR

    II. Some Deceivers have been notorious in the horrid practice of beguiling others; they have been such craft-masters at it, that they have deceived multitudes; and not only the common sort of people, but divers great men and princes have been cheated by them.

    PARALLEL

    II. So the Pope, and his hierarchy, those cursed "Deceivers in the Romish church, have been notorious in the hellish trade of beguiling the souls of men. How many millions have they deceived! O the multitudes they have led blindfold to hell! The kings of the earth have been beguiled by her, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk, and bewitched with the wine of her fornication.

    METAPHOR

    III. Some Deceivers have so far prevailed, that they have utterly ruined whole families, cheating people of their best and chiefest treasure.

    PARALLEL

    III. So False-Teachers have sometimes so wonderfully prevailed, that they have utterly corrupted ruined, and undone, by their false doctrine, many nations, cities, towns, and families, cheating them of the truth of Christ, and his blessed ordinances; and not only so, but thereby also of their souls, which are of more worth than all the world, Mt 16:26.

    METAPHOR

    IV. Grand impostors, old cheats and Deceivers, it is observed, rarely reform their hellish lives, and become true men, but grow worse and worse, till justice seizes them.

    PARALLEL

    IV. So False Teachers, heretics, and seducers, seldom or never are recovered, and brought back by unfeigned repentance, to the true Church of God: and therefore the apostle Paul saith, "Evil men, and seducers, shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived," &c., 2Ti 3:13.

    METAPHOR

    V. The end of cheaters and impostors, we see, oft-times is sad. If he be a notorious offender, and be taken, he dies without mercy.

    PARALLEL

    V. So the last end of false teachers and heretics will be sad and miserable: they are said to "Bring upon themselves swift destruction." "The beast, and false prophet shall be cast alive into the Lake of fire, burning with brimstone," &c., 2Pe 2:1; Re 19:20.