Verse 15. Beware of false Prophets which come to you &c.]
This is another dangerous rock, that the lesse carefull may easily split against. Take heed rherefore, lest whiles ye shun a shelf, ye fall not into a whirle-poole. By corrupt teachers Satan catcheth men, as a cunning fisher by one fish catcheth another, that he may feed upon both. He circuiteth the world, seeketh whom to devour, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 beginneth with violence and cruelty. If this take not, then he puts off the frock of a wolfe, and makes his next encounter in sheeps-clothing. Now what havock he hath made by this means of silly soules laden with lusts, who knows not? The old Church was pestred with false Prophets, Deut. 1. 3. 1. 2 Pet. 2, 1. There were false Prophets among the people, and there shallbe false teachers among you, who privily shall bring 〈◊〉〈◊〉 haeresies and many shall follow their pernicious waies. This was Peters prophecy: and Paul saith the same, Act. 20. 30. Grievous wolves shall enter in amongst you (in sheeps-clothing you must think) speaking perverse things (whiles they pervert the scriptures to the defence of their own devices) to draw away disciples after them. The word signifieth to pull them limmeal, as wolves use to* 1.1 do the sheep they seize upon. A like expression there is, Deut. 13. 13. where these 〈◊〉〈◊〉 men are said to thrust or drive away* 1.2 folk from the true God, as Jeroboam is said to have driven Israel from following the Lord. This they do, not so much by 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as by craft, by force as by fraud: deceitfull workers St Paul calles* 1.3 them, transforming 〈◊〉〈◊〉 into the Apostles of Christ, and* 1.4 ministers of righteousnesse, and by good words and fair speeches 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the hearts of the simple and 〈◊〉〈◊〉. This they have learned of the devil that grand jugler, who can soon trans∣form himself into an Angel of light. St John in his first 〈◊〉〈◊〉 tells us of many petty Antichrists, even then gon out; who pro∣fessing* 1.5 Christs name, did yet oppose his truth. And in his 〈◊〉〈◊〉,* 1.6 that the beast, (which is the great Antichrist) hath two 〈◊〉〈◊〉 like the lambs, but speaks like the Dragon. The locusts also (which are his limbs and agents) have faces like women, in∣sinuative