A practicall commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and vses upon the first Epistle generall of John by ... John Cotton ...

Doct. Antichrists Teachers are as gross Lyers as who are the worst.

Who is a Lyer if not these? let none be accounted Lyers if not they; they are as great Lyers as any, equal to the worst; these words come home; and no wonder Christ called James and John Sons of Thunder, for they speake plainly and boldly.

Two things make a man a grosse Lyer, equal to the worst.

• 1 The perniciousnesse of his Lye.
• 2 The evidence of it.

1 The perniciousnesse of it; It is a pernicious Lye, to speake against the Go∣vernment of an house or Family, or good of others, but no lye so pernicious as Popish Lyes, none doe so much harm as the Lyes of Antichristian Teachers, they lye not only against their own souls, but also to the hurt of others, 1 Pet. 3.2, 3. they shall bring in damnable Heresies, such Doctrins that if men live and dye in them, they shall be damned, and many shall follow their pernicious wayes, and so they sell the souls of men, and so one part of the merchandize of the Romish Whore is the souls of men, Rev. 8.12, 13. and therefore if any per∣nicious Lyers, who more pernicious than they that lye against the souls and sal∣vation of men? no greater Cheaters than to cheat us of our Saviour, of our Father, of Salvation.

2 The evident falshood of them, A man lyes when he mistakes the truth which he might easily see, or though it were more hard to see; but if a man know it to be false and pernicious, yet to lye against his knowledge and Con∣science, this makes the Lye palpable and grosse; now these Lyes are not only contrary to the truth of the Word, and experience of Christians, but also con∣trary to their own knowledge and Conscience, and they must needs be grosse Lyers that lye in such weighty matters as Salvation, and that so evidently that he that runs may see their falshood.

Ʋse 1. Let us see the damnable estate of all Antichristian false Teachers, for they that shall not only hold, but thrust on others damnable Doctrins, where∣by

they hasten their own, and others destructions, must needs be in a dam∣nable estate; it is their tenent, that no Church so safe to live and dye in, as their Catholick Church, and their reason is, because among Pagans, and Infi∣dels you shall find nothing but horrible lyes,, and blasphemies; and it is true; and among Christians, there is the safest living, for they are confident that salvation is found in their Church, and all out of their Church cannot be saved and therefore it is safest for all to live in their fellowship; but though there may be some that in that Church may be saved, yet whosoever they be that doe know the Doctrine of the Church of Rome, and that doe beleeve, and obey, and practise that Doctrine, not one of them, but they have suckt in damnable Heresies, and bring on themselves swift damnation; so that if thete be any lyars among Turks and Infidels, these Antichristian teachers shall car∣ry away the prize in lying, and those that are saved among them, it is▪ because they secretly renounce their Doctrine. therefore let them not boast of our charity to some amongst them, for none more pernicious and evident Lyars than they; therefore let us be dehorted from their Doctrine, and cleave close to the profession of the truth.

Ʋse 2. Let us take heed of Antichristian Doctrine, if ever they come a∣mong us; these are described to be the Frogs that goe about the World to se∣duce poor people; be not deluded then, when they professe themselves to be Patrons of the truth, the Spirit condemns them to be Lyars; and none more grosse and evident lies than theirs.

They are likewise cunning Lyars, 2 Thes. 2.10. none ever, by cunning de∣ceit, so circumvented the World as they have done.

Ʋse 3. It may serve to teach men not to be mealy mouth'd in speaking plainly and home; the Spirit we see puts the grossest terme on them; who be Lyars, if they be not? therefore we must not be offended at the plainnesse and simplicity of the Scripture, none so plaine as this Apostle, he calls them Lyars and Froggs, in the Revelations, and Beasts, and the Whore of Rome; he deals even as an old Father, when he would deteine Children from any evill, they use to put homely names on them.

Ʋse 4. It may serve to teach us all to be abundantly thankfull to God that hath delivered us from this lying false Doctrine, wherein many of our Fathers have perished; for there is no Religion more grosse; and no blessing greater than to be delivered from such a grosse lying Religion; to be delivered from a grosse sin, is no such great matter, for the Publicans and Sinners came into the Kingdome of Heaven sooner than the Pharisees, and yet theirs was the strictest sect, and Paul blesses God that delivered him from that Religion, when he was a strict Pharisee, yet God was pleased to call him to the grace of Christ, and such a mercy is it to us, as none can be greater to any Nation, to be delivered from this lying Religion, and on this ground God urgeth obedience to the morall law, because, he was the God that had brought them out of the Land of Egypt, out of the house of Bondage, Exodus 20.1. and on this ground, we should stick close to God, and that Religion he hath set us in, that God may see that we are sencible of this great mercy, that we are delive∣red from such grosse pernitious evident lyes.