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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.

Matth. 7.15.

Beware of False Prophets, which come to you in Sheeps Cloathing, but inwardly they are Ravening Wolves.

Rev. 2.2.

Thou hast Tried them, which say they are Apostles, and are not, and hast found them Lyars.

Boston, Printed for the Booksellers. 1700.

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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.

IT is not without some Concern upon our Minds, that in the late Writings of our Presbyterian Bretheren in England, we find awful Complaints, about ‘ Bold Intruders into the Work of the Ministry, & the swarming of that Vermine, with an hide­ous Noise, not in Corners and Chambers, but in the very Pulpits; likely to prove an E­gyptian plague;’ upon which they add, ‘If these Illiterate Usurpers are not speedily and effectually discountenanced by Mini­sters and People too, they who are alrea­dy the Blemish of Nonconformity, will quick­ly prove the total Ruine of it.’ But it satis­fied us more than a little, to hear of their care that the Confusions thus complained, may be prevented, by a Vote of this Impor­tance, [Page 4] That they would Employ none to Preach in any of their Pulpits, but such as ei­ther arrived unto them with credible Testimo­nials, or submitted themselves unto a solemn Trial of their Qualifications for the Evange­lical Ministry. Our Congregational Bretheren in England, being alarumed with a clamour of the Dangers hence arising to the Interests of our Holy Religion, we do with a like satisfaction find, they have lately published a Declaration, wherein, signifying, ‘That inas­much as they count none meet to dispense the Oracles of God unto others, who are not themselves Qualified for Communion in all Ordinances, their joining themselves to a particular Church of Christ, would be a good Expedient to prevent Ignorant and Rash Intruders into the Ministry; seeing then, it would be the Duty of Particular Churches and their Officers, to take special care, that none of their Communion, who are not Qualified, may enter on that Work; they thereupon [...], We Express our Dislike, and witness against all Ignorant and Scanda­lous persons, Entring on the Ministry; and we do in the Bowels of our Lord Jesus Christ, pray and beseech all such as fear God, that they give not the least Encou­ragement unto the Preaching of men, either Ignorant or Erroneous in the Great Articles [Page 5] of Faith, or Scandalous in their Lives and Conversations, or otherwise Unmeet for this Holy Employment, Lest they bring the Guilt of these mens Sins on their own Souls.’

In Conformity to this Watchfulness of our United Brethren, we cannot but in the most publick manner, call upon our Churches, that they beware of all undue Precipitancy, in their Admitting Unqualified persons, to be Re­ceived and Employed, in the Character of Preachers unto them.

We have indeed often wished, That the Young men brought up in our own Universi­ty, might appear with Testimonials, under the Hands of the Praesident and Fellows, That up­on Trial, they are found Able and Pious, and likely to be Blessings unto the Churches; be­fore the Churches venture too far in setting of them up for Preachers.

But inasmuch as there have sometimes ar­rived among us, Deceitful Strangers, who have set up themselves for Preachers, and many un­wary people have discovered much sinful Folly, in suffering themselves to be strangely Deceived by those Impostors, it obliges us un­to a further point of Pastoral Vigilance over the Churches, whereof we are made the Overseers.

'Tis well known, That Worthy Ministers of the Gospel, Retiring to New-England, from other Countreys, have all along met [Page 6] with Respects from our Churches, Equal (to say no more) unto what they have shown unto any of the Pastors bred among them­selves; Heaven is witness, to the Injustice of the Slander by some uttered against us, That we have been ever uncivil to Strangers; and the Strangers themselves have been Witnesses, that no where under Heaven could they expect more Civility, than that wherewith we have ever treated them.

Nevertheless, we have, upon sufficient Oc­casions Resolved, ‘That for the future, no Stranger coming as a Preacher among us, without sufficient Assurances of his being what he pretends to be, shall be Employ'd in our Pulpits, without a solemn Examinati­on of his Capacities, for the Tremendous Work, of Preaching the Glorious Gospel of God.’ And we earnestly Request, the Reve­rend Ministers of the Gospel, in the several Associations and Vicinities throughout the Country, to joyn with us, in such a necessary Resolution.

We do also Solemnly Advise, all our People, to beware of Running after New Preachers, of whose Endowments and Principles, they have not had a Reasonable Attestation; lest they unawares run themselves into shameful and woful Reflections. The Apostolical Injuncti­ons, To prove all Things, does not invite Un­stable [Page 7] people, to Run after all Preachers, (as they too often pervert the sence of it,) but it only directs people▪ to Examine by the Word of God, the Doctrine, which they hear, from those that in an orderly way are to be heard as their Teachers.

The Preaching of the Gospel, being that Grand Institution, whereon depends the E­verlasting Salvation of men, Satan seeks it as a mighty Triumph, to pervert it unto their E­verlasting Destruction. And a people, that having Itching Ears, do after their own Lusts heap up Teachers to themselves, do miserably render themselves, obnoxious unto the Im­pressions of those New Preachers, that will se­duce them unto damnable Heresies. Or, suppose the New Preachers, do broach no New Errors, yet if they shall prove Cheats, that have made the Preaching of the Gospel only a Cloak, for their Covetous, or Lascivious, or other profane Designs, they that shall have too suddenly im­proved those men, will be partakers of their Sins. And the Glorious Ordinances of God will be likely to fall into a loathsome Contempt among the people, if Contemptible Fellows can Easily prostitute them unto their pernici­ous purposes.

The Sermons, wherein the Everlasting Gos­pel is Preached, as well as the Prayers made in our Congregations; are to be Considered, as [Page 8] a principal part of the Worship of God among the People of God: they are to Glorify God, & our Lord Jesus Christ, with agreeable Confessions of the Truths He ha's Revealed unto us; &, as in the Peace Offering of old, God hath His part in them, as well as the People theirs. Hence, whether the people that are the Hearers, be many or few, learned or weak, froward or meek, the Preacher must prepare an Offering, as far as he can, Suitable for that God, who is a Great King and whose Name is Dreadful. But if E­very piece of Ignorance, and Arrogance, be set up for a Preacher, the Name of the Holy God, will be profaned, with an Offering, that is made a Ridicule in the Repetition.

We are not unsensible, that one thing, which ha's much Exposed some Injudicious people among us, is, An opinion that Illiterate Men, may be Serviceable and Admirable Preachers. Now, inasmuch as the Jesuites, have given this among their Instructions to their Emissaries, To teach that Learning is needless in a Minister, and if they understand the Gospel, it is Sufficient, we are sorry that any of our people should be so Besotted, not to say, Bejesuited. When the Knowledge of the Tongues and Arts Revived, Religion had a Revival with it: And though some Unlearned men have been useful to the Interests of Religion, yet no man ever decried Learning, but what was, an Ene­my [Page 9] to Religion, whether he knew it or no▪ When our Lord, chose Fishermen to be Mi­nisters, (which often is impertinently pleaded) He would not send them forth, until they had been a considerable while under His Tu­ition, (a better than the best in any Colledge under Heaven!) and then also He Miracu­lously Furnished 'em with more Learning, than any of us, by seven Years Hard Study can at­tain unto. If God, should be provoked by the Unthankfulness of men, to send the Plague of an Unlearned Ministry upon poor New-England, soon will the Wild-Beasts of the Desartly there, the Houses will be full of doleful Creatures, and Owles will dwell there. Ordinarily, that man, who undertakes the Ministry of the Gospel, without some Education for it, is, we doubt, in as presumptuous an Error, as the unhappy Uzzah, that perished in his Error: though we also allow different measures, and places, for that Education. And that man was never worthy to Preach one Sermon, who did not feel, and would not own, that all the Learning that can be had, is little enough to accomplish an Able Minister of the New Testament.

Upon the whole, As Luther observed, That God punished the Primitive Churches, with False Teachers, for their starving, and sleighting of their Faithful Ministers; Thus, we fear the Churches of New-England may [Page 10] suffer mischiefs in Time to come from False Teachers; and we see cause to Admire the Compassion of Heaven unto this Land, that such Dangerous Things have all this Time done so little Damage, unto any of our Churches. But as the Church of Ephesus, having been warned by the Apostle, That grievous Wolves would enter in among them, was afterwards commended by our Saviour, for so taking the warning, that they Tried them who said, they were Apostles when they were not so, and found them liars: Even so, we would hope, that after this Day, no Untried persons will be Entertained for Preachers, in any of our Colonies.

We lay this Advice before our Churches, purposing to do our part, in attending to it.

  • Increase Mather
  • James Allen
  • Samuel Willard
  • Moses Fiske
  • Benjamin Woodbridge
  • Nehemiah Hobart
  • John Danforth
  • Cotton Mather
  • Nehemiah Walter
  • Jonathan Pierpont
  • Joseph Belcher
  • Benjamin Wadsworth
  • Benjamin Coleman.
Boston, Decemb. 28. 1699.
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An HISTORY, Of Some IMPOSTORS, Remarkably and Seasonably detected, in the Churches of New England; Written to maintain the Advice Published by some of the Pastors in those Churches relating to Impostures, and prevent all future Mischiefs from them.

IT was a notable Discipline, by which the Reformed Churches in France, preserved themselves, from the Into­lerable Mischiefs, arising by the allow­ance of Unworthy Preachers: Their National Synods every Time they Sat, would publish a Roll of those Unworthy Preachers, that could be found creeping in among them, and with a description of their Feature, and Stature, and other circumstances, like what uses to be given in an Hue in Cry, this Roll would notify the Crimes laid unto their charge, and admonish all People to beware of Entertaining them.

[Page 12]The Churches of New England, have Here­tofore been in such Good Order, that no man could be Ordained and Received as a Pastor in them, without the Concurrence of the Churches in the Vicinity, and a very solemn and publick Action. But a Good Order ha's never yet been provided among us, that no Untryed, and Unfit person, shall set up for a Preacher, and run about from Town to Town, getting into the too much unguarded Pulpits, and threatning our Holy Religion, with no little Inconvenience. Now to prevent and redress, this Inconvenience, it ha's been by some Considerate persons desired, That some­thing like the French Roll may be Exhibited unto the Churches of New-England, which may Exemplify some few of the many Cheats, that have gone to Impose upon them. It is unreasonable to complain, That the Crimes of those Cheats are thus openly Exposed; for, I beseech you, Sirs, are they not as openly Committed? Men are too insensible, of the horrible Villany and Blasphemy, in the Crimes of those Fellows, who set up for Teachers to the people of God, when God knows they are wicked Vagrants and Varlets, designing to abuse the Honest people; if they imagine it, a severe Thing, to stigmatize them, in the view of all the affronted Churches. The Faults of the Paenitent, indeed should be Con­cealed; [Page 13] but these pretended Preachers of Re­pentance, are not known to practise the Repen­tance which they Preach A Pillory were a very gentle punishment for the Wretches, who wholly unqualifyed Steal into a Pulpit, and Forge a Commission from the King of Hea­ven unto His Churches. Our Laws not pro­viding such a punishment for them, they that would be faithful to the Churches, will do well (for did not the Apostle as much to Hy­menaeus, & Alexander?) to set them up in an History, instead of a Pillory, with a Writing, as it were in Capitals, to signifie, THESE WERE IMPOSTORS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN ESTEEMED MINISTERS.

The Consequence and Advantage of this Action, 'tis hoped, will be, That both Pastors & People, will be more wary of being too sud­den, in asking to Preach for them, those to whom they are utter Strangers: That needy and profane Strangers, will no more venture to Preach in a Country, where their detected Wickedness will be proclaimed for the Terror of all that shall come after them: That all pious minds will give glory to the Lord Je­sus Christ, who Walks in the midst of His Churches, when they see what Quick Work, He has ordinarily made in these Churches, to discover those Atheistical Preachers, that have so horribly mocked Him: and admire [Page 14] His Gracious and Watchful Providence, in still delivering His Churches, from those Little Foxes, that would have spoiled them. And now, we will Address our selves to do that, which when 'tis done, what will they merit but the Cardinals Blessing, who will take no warning?

§ 1. THE very First Minister (one Ly­ford) that ever came into New En­gland, (which was in the Year, 1624.) at his first coming did Caress the good people at Plymouth, with such extream shows of Affect­ion and Humility, that the people were mightily taken with him, nevertheless within a little while, he used most malignant Endea­vours to make Factions among them, and con­found all their Civil and Sacred Order. At last there fell into the Hands of the Gover­nour, his Letters home to England, fill'd with wicked and lying Accusations against the people, of which things being shamefully con­victed, he did publickly in the Church confess with Tears, That he had slanderously abused the good people, and that God might justly lay inno­cent Blood unto his Charge, for he knew not what hurt might have come through his Writings, and that Pride, Vain glory, and self love had been the causes of his miscarriages. These things he ut­tered so pathetically, that they again permit­ted [Page 15] him to Preach among them: And yet in two or three months be so notoriously re­newed his miscarriages, which he had thus bewailed, that his own Wife, thro' the Affli­ction of her mind at his Hypocrisy, could not forbear declaring her Fears, that God would bring some heavy Judgment upon their Family, not only for these, but some former Impieties by him committed, especially in fearful Breaches of the Seventh Commandment, which he had with an Oath deny'd, though they were afterwards Evinced. Being there­upon Banished, he went unto Virginia, where he soon ended his Dayes.

The Disaster thus befalling of this Coun­try in the First Minister, that ever came into it, seems to have been an Intimation from Heaven unto the Country, to beware in all after times, how they suffered Cheats in the Evangelical Ministry to be Imposed upon them. Nevertheless, there have Crept in se­veral Cheats, among the Churches, which have been speedily, and notably Detected. It will be neither Needful, nor Useful, that they should be all Enumerated: Some of them shall.

§ 2. MAny among us, do still Remember, a Fellow that made himself Me­morable, by Preaching Zelously on that Text, Let him that Stole, Steal no more; when he [Page 16] had at that very Time a parcel of Stolen Money in his Pocket. The Sum, as I re­member, was Five Pounds, but in the dozed Conscience of the Thief, hardly made the weight of a Scruple.

§ 3. I Have been informed, That a certain Gentleman in the Southern parts of this I and, having with much pains, taught an Irish Servant in his Family, to be almost able to read English; this fellow, after his Time was out, set up for a Preacher in a Neighbour­ing Plantation: But the Gentleman his Master, happening some Time after to meet our Preaching Teague, Severely Chid him, for his presumpteous Arrogance, and among other Expressions, bestowed this pretty Saty­rical Scourge upon him; If such Fellows as thou art, may set up for Preachers, there will be one Text impossible ever to be Preached upon, or to be fulfilled or understood: The Almighty in one Text, threatens as a Judgment, A Famine of Hear­ing the Word of the Lord; But if such Varlets as thou art, may be Preachers, 'tis im­possible, that such a Judgment should ever be Ex­ecuted!

§ 4. MAny of those persons, who have gone to Insinuate themselves in­to our Churches, with Spirits in them, that [Page 17] were for their Coveteous, or Contentious, or Ambitious, or otherwise Evil Inclinations, displeasing to the God of the Spirits of all Flesh, have been immediately and remarkably con­founded, by their being left unto the Crimi­minal Folly of Preaching Stollen Sermons. The detected Plagiaries, have gone off, as a Thief is Ashamed when he is found. One happy Hindrance to the Designs of the Fiery Serpent have been this way afforded among us.

Others Remember Instances; I shall not mention them.

§ 5 A Young Fellow, (one Dick Swayn) that had been Servant unto a Cap­tain of a Ship in Boston, after a thousand Rogueries, had his Time given him, by the Widow of the Captain, when she became so, because that she would not be troubled with so Thevish, Lying and Wicked a Villian. This Fellow was afterwards detected in Vil­lanies, enough to fill a Volumn, which pro­cured his going in miserable circumstances to Virginia; from whence he got through se­veral Stages, at length unto the Island of Providence! There the Monster set up for a Preacher of the Gospel, and putting on a Mighty show of Religion, he was Mightily followed and admired; and the people treat­ed him with a more than ordinary Liberality. Percieving that it was Time to be gone from [Page 18] thence, he forged Letters of his Fathers Death in England, by which a vast Estate was fallen to him; under the umbrage of that Forgery, he gets off immediately by a Vessel, that must first carry him to New England. Having Preached several Sermons in the Southern parts of New England, he comes to Boston, in the year 1698. Where in private Houses, he would be ridiculously forward in thrust­ing himself upon Prayer, which he would manage with a Noise, that might reach all the Neighbourhood. He began to Court Opportunities of Preaching among the Neigh­bours; but forgetting to change his Name, the Gentlewoman to whose Deceased Hus­band he had been a Servant, accidentally coming in to the House is here he lodged, and hearing one of that Name exceedingly cryed up, as a worthy, able, eminent man, ask'd for a sight of him. When to her Astonishment she found it was Dick, even that very Scan­dalous Dick, that had plaid for many abomi­nable Pranks in her own Family some years ago. The Gentlewoman could Scarce be­lieve her Eyes; and finding the Vagrant not give her any intelligent Account how he be­came a Christian, it was yet more unintelligi­ble to her, how he became a Minister. He begg'd her Pardon for all his old Knaveries, but she being advised that he was now practising of New ones, took a course that the [Page 19] people should be deprived of so Charming a Preacher, as no doubt, some of the Giddy Populace would have counted him. So with­out any more Disturbance, but only the cheating some credulous Folks, of considera­ble Sums of Money, he marched off.

§ 6. A Fellow, in this present year, 1699 appeared in Boston, pretending to be a Minister: concerning whom, an Honest and a Discreet man, in the Country having a just Fear, lest our Charity should unjustly, and unawares▪ take too kind notice of him, wrote me the following Account.

‘This day, a man, whose Name is Eleazer Kingsberry, [...] in discourse with him, [...] me, He had Preached the Gospel four Months; He shewed me a Certificate to prove it, with about Twelves Names to it, all Written by his own Hand, (the Instru­ment was drawn by another,) He also told me, he Preached the last Sabbath, between Tanton and Freetown, before a considerable As­sembly; which was confirmed by a man of Tanton then present. Considering how God is likely to be dishonoured, and the Gospel scandalized, by him, I thought it my Duty to undeceive you, by giving you, the following Relation. He was born, and brought up in Wrentham, and bound pren­tice [Page 20] to a Tailor, but so Vitious a Servant, that his Master could do no Good with him. He gat Free, and Married a Wife; but not long after Stole, and left her; and adding to his Felony several other Vicious Tricks, he went to the Westward. From thence he wrote a Letter to Wrentham, which consisted chiefly of Lyes and Curses. When I now spake with him, I advised him to follow his Calling, and provide for his Wife, and not seek to Dishonour God, and deceive his People. He replied, As for his Wife, she was a Devillish Jade, and he would never take her more; but when he was Settled, and had an House, he would take her as a Servant; and if she would not obey him, he would kick her into the Fire; but he would go on in Preaching, — and he would wage twenty pieces of Eight, he would get Money, and Credit in a short Time. — I could fill a Sheet of paper, but I hope, I have said enough to prevent his having any En­couragement from you; and what further ought to be done concerning him, I leave to your Consideration.’

One of the Ministers, in Boston, immedi­ately sent after him, a Letter under a flying Seal, Solemnly charging him, to leave off the presumpteous and Blasphemous course, that he had thus taken up, and return unto his [Page 21] Family and Employment; and giving him to understand, that the Justices every where should be informed of him, as being, A Va­gabond. Hereupon, the Vagabond, as I am told, changed his Name into Berry, & Ran away to a place called, Cape May, where I am also told, the people were so Bewitched with him, that they were almost ready to tear in pieces any man, that should speak diminutively of him.

§ 7. BUT tho' this Bird flew away to the Southward, unto Cape May, ano­ther, whose pretended Name was May came upon this Coast about the same Time. And on that Occasion, an Excellent and Ingenious person, wrote unto me such passages as these.

‘ May uses to prove Pleasant and Healthy; but the Mob are wont to Dance, at the En­trance of it, let it prove how it will. Mr. Parker used to say, The people love to Tap a New Barrel. I think, I once told you of E. F. and M. J. but lest I have not, I'le give you a word of each.’

‘ E. F. Sometimes of Salem, coming to New Haven, on Saturday▪ Even, being Cloa­thed in Black, was taken for a Minister, and was able to Ape one, and Humoured the mistake, like him that said, Si vult populus decipi, decipiatur. Word being carried to [Page 22] Mr. J.T. that a Minister was come to Town, he immediately procured him to Preach both parts of the Day. The First was to Acceptation; but in the Last Exercise, he plentifully shewed himself to be a why msi­cal Opinionist, and besides Railed like Rab­shakeh, and Reviled the Magistrates, Mini­sters and Churches, at such a rate, that the people were ready to pull him out of the Pulpit.’

§ 8. THe same Worthy Person goes on▪ ‘ M. J. A Welch Tanner by Trade, some time Servant unto Capt. P. at Salem, left Salem, went to Say-brook, workt at his Trade, and Stole Mr. W.'s Leather Bree­ches. Thence he went to Staten Island, by New-York, and Set up for a Preacher, being a ready Prater. At the Informati­on of a pedling Trader, he had an Invi­tation by some few of Killingworth, to visit them▪ and Preach in order to Settlement. He came; but hapning to speak irreve­rently of something in the Scripture, be­fore some of the people, it occasioned such Division & Tumult, that he was not suffered to Preach, before Mr. Buckinghams Advice and consent was obtained; which when sought, he advised them to Enquire first whether this were not the Fellow that [Page 23] Stole the Leather Breeches. This proving even so, prevented him at Killingsworth. Thence he went to Brainford, the night before a Fast, and making known his pre­tended Function it was counted a good Providence; for they had no Minister, and he was earnestly desired to Preach, and as readily accepted it. But one Peter Stent, a Brother that used to Pray and Read a good Sermon among the People, when they had no Minister, knew nothing of this, (for he lived at a Farm,) but in the morning came provided, to Read one of Mr. A. Grayes, Sermons. But he found Morgan at it, when he came; and when he named his Text, it was the same his intended Sermon was on: and out of Curiosity, to see how mens wits jumpt in prosecuting the same Text, he turned to his Book, and found Morgan the same with Mr. Gray, word for word. He followed him while he was weary, and at length run before, to a place in the Sermon, that spoke of Glasgow Sinners, and there Lay wait for Morgan ▪ but when he came there, he turned it, New England Sin­ners; and that was all the variation in the whole Sermon. The people were mightily affected with the Sermon, and were hot up­on calling Morgan to the Ministry. But S [...]nt discovered the Cheat. So they dis­missed [Page 24] him, and the Tanner departed with Liberty to go as far as a New pair of Shoes would carry him.’

§ 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 [Page 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 ask'd him for it. So Silly and Shallow a per­son he was, that it was impossible for any but such to be many miputes 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 look'd about to see who look'd 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 seem'd 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 publick Pulpits. Though the bigger and [Page 26] wiser part of the Town, were not seized with this Bigotry, yet a multitude became so Furious, that making it their business, to solicit all sorts of persons, to go a Maying with them, if any Refused, they could hard­ly escape some Reproach for it. The Jews were hardly more engaged for their Sabatai Sevi. The Disciples of this Money Catcher, became so Exceeding Fierce, many of them, that some sober men, became afraid of Pas­sing by that way, where one must Encounter them. Though he were detected in several Crimes, as, pretending to Languages which he knew nothing of, and this in the special Service and Presence of the Lord; and Preach­ing Stollen Sermons, wherein he could not pro­duce one material Sentance of his own; and horrid Lying, in very Repe [...]ed Instances▪ Yet his Followers would go on, making Ri­diculous Apoligies for him; and Malicious In­vectives against any that would not yet believe him an Eminent Saint. Yea, they began to throw Bibels into the Houses of the Ministers, the most insolent that ever I saw. The Ana­baptists Employ'd him at their Meeting-House, which was now filled with great Congregati­ons: and it was an undeserved, an astonishing, a very memorable Mercy of God unto the Town, that this man, was now kept from venting any Heresies among a people, that [Page 27] made themselves to become such Tynder, for any Sparks, that he might strike into them. And yet it was another Mercy as great as This, that the Young Women in the Town, were not betray'd and debauch'd into fearful Whoredoms. For, at length, Witnesses, Good, Vertuous, Credible Witnesses appear'd, that shew'd him, to have been as dangerous a Devil, as the poor Young Women could have met withal, when, by a certain Reverence for him as a Minister, they were prepared for his vile Sollicitations. He perceived these things beginning to break out; and away he new: none of the Endeavours used by his Admirers, to make him stay, could stop him. The Pastors of the Churches, had before made this Reflection, That after men of the of most unspotted Piety, have spent whole Prentice-ships of Years, in the faithful, watch­ful, painful Service of the Churches, and have served them Day and Night; with Prayers, with Tears, with Fastings, with their most studied Sermons, and Writings, and have never such a Reputation with the Churches in Countreys afar off; yet if any Wolf in Sheeps Cloathing do come with a few Good Words among them, the simple Souls of many▪ will not only follow the Wolf, but on his Account bark at the Shepherds. This is a Vanity, that I have seen under the Sun. But the People had now this Reflection to make; That [Page 28] since they had Sinfully sleighted their most Serviceable Pastors, who never craved after the Riches of this World, they should by the just Judgment of God, be left unto such an Infatuation, as to Enrich a Craving Beggar, with many Pounds of their Substance; which Beggarly Stranger, immediately apply'd him­self, (not to instil the Fear of God, and Love of Christ, into your Children, O Injured People, as your Pastors do, with a most inde­fatigable Application! but) to teach them, that Fornication and Adultery is no Sin, and to watch oppotunities of making them, like himself, the Children of the Devil. Repent, O Infatuated People; Repent, of what you have done; and let the Ensuing Letter, help you more throughly to consider the occasions for your doing so.

‘Religio Contaminata ad omnium Pertinet injuriam.’
[Page 29]

Boston, 25 d. 10 m. 1699. A LETTER, Containing a Remarkable HISTORY, OF AN Impostor.

SIR,

I Am going to Entertain you, with a very surpising Story, by the Communication whereof, the Wisdom, and Goodness, and Justice of Heaven, will become Ob­servable to many Christian Minds, and the Devices of Hell against the Interests of Heaven, be a little more fully understood, and by being understood, for the future prevented.

[Page 30]The Last Summer, in the very Ship that brought us Letters from our Friends i [...] [...] to the Nonconformists from [...] fellows, that pretended unto the Preaching of the Glo­rious Gospel, there arrived unto us a man, that pretended the Name of Samuel May, and the character of a Preacher; having with him a Woman whom he call [...]d his Wife, but used her with an Unwifely Crabbedness, that gave Scandal to the people aboa [...]d. Albeit this man gave me much cause to be suspicious, Lest he might be one of those whom our Letters complained of, yet my compassion towards a Needy Stranger, whom I saw, in ragged, wretched, forlorn circumstances, cau­sed me among other wayes of being Helpful unto him, to seek that he might be twice Employ'd in, and Requited for Preaching at our Private Meetings; hoping thereby to have a little Trial of him His Plausible Delivery, presently Enchanted abundance of Honest people, who thought all was Gold that glistered; but many Dayes passed not, before I found several Things, which made me say, I doubted, he was a Wolf in Sheeps Cloathing They that now say, They fol­low'd this man, because I commended him, wrong me very much; for though 'tis not my manner to speak ill of men, till I know what [Page 31] I speak, and that it is my Duty to Speak, yet I let fall words from the very first, that any Intelligent Hearer might see I had some Fear about him. The cause of that Fear was this; I found, That altho' 'tis no time of any Persecution, that should force a­ny but Ill men to Conceal themselves, yet he came Aboard the Vessel under some Conceal­ment, not professing, nor supposed, for to be a Minister ▪ but rather a Mendicant, until they had Sailed many Leagues. I found that he could mention the Name of no one Minister in London, with whom he durst say, that he had any Acquaintance; Lest, as it should seem, he should happen to mention one, with whom we should be better Acquainted. I found, that he was unaccountably Shy, of giving us any satisfactory Account of his O­riginal, his Education, his former circum­stances; by no means, could I get him, to tell me, in what Employment, he had spent the first six or seven and twenty years of his Life. What appear'd most probable (and since, more probable) was, That he was a Barber. A blind Charity, would still have perswaded me, to keep alive some hope, that Folly rather than Design, might ly at the bot­tom of his odd conduct; but I soon observ­ed something that made me say to some of my Intimate Friends, That I fear'd, he [Page 32] would prove at last, a smutty, filthy, wanton Fellow. However, Things not being yet come to that maturity, I contented my self with calling to mind, the Rule which the Old Briton gave his Country-men, to discover whether Austin the Monk were a Man of God or no. Thought I, ‘If this be an Honest man, he is an Humble man: If he be a Faithful Servant of Christ, he'll plainly let his Fellow Servants know what he is, what he intends, what he can do, and humbly re­fer himself to Them for Direction and Assist­ance.’ We found nothing of This; but though he were wholly Illiterate, and not able, even to write a little Common English. (for instance, there were Eighteen horrid false Spells, and not One point, in one very short. Note, that I received from him,) yet this proud Thraso, would in his Preaching, Ostentate skill in Latin, and in Greek, yea, and in Hebrew; But God left him to such Folly in his pride, that he frequently pronoun­ced the Exotic Words, in a manner so ridiculous, as to render it plain, that he kn [...]w nothing of them: & in one of those two or three pri­vate Preachments, by which 'twas hop'd, we might have some Taste of his Faculties, he was under such an Infatuation, that he would needs give some Hebrew to us; but what he gave us, might be Welch or Irish, or the Va­gabonds [Page 33] Can't, for ought I knew; One Mini­ster present, knew it was not in six or seven Languages, in all which himself had in vari­ous Writings Address'd the world, and others of his Hearers besides I, knew that there was no such Hebrew in the Lexicon. Who, but one Hypocritically disposed would have done so? If he were a Shaver, 'twas plain however, he was not the most Cunning in the world: In the mean time, 'twas a strange Enchantment upon the people, that they should after these things, put themselves into his Hands. But that his Humility might be the more notorious, I was presently informed, that the Blade with an Arrogance equal to his Ignorance, began to complain, That the Ministers of the Town, did not immediately Invite him, into their Pulpits; and upon his Complaints, many sinful people, (who have great cause to take no little shame unto them­selves, for their causeless and shameless Ini­quity) began to Defame the Ministers, with Slanderous Outcries, That they were alwayes uncivil to Strangers; and some could bestow this Comparison upon them, That here was come, a better Workman than themselves, whom therefore they would not suffer to stay in the Town, if they could help it. The Pastors of the Churches, being desirous to answer the Expectations of the people, as far as they [Page 34] could, in Conscience unto the people them­selves, and with credit unto the Evangelical Ministry, they sent unto this man, in as Lo­ving and as Tender Terms, as they could, a Message to this purpose, That they being sin­cerely desirous to Encourage him, in doing all the Good he should be found Able to do, and he not having brought Satisfactory Testimonials into the Countrey with him, they pray'd a visit from him, in which they would inform themselves of his Abilities, for the Evangelical Ministry, and with all possible Easiness proceed in their Examining and Advising of him. To this Message there was brought us from him, an Answer of this purport, That he knew no Authority the Ministers had to Enquire after him, and he was not bound to give them an account of him­self, and more to that Effect. The Mini­sters had now done but the Duty of Watch­men, that would be found faithful to the Churches and Neighbours; but none of their Watchfulness could hinder many of the people, from the great fault of running them­selves into Temptation, by giddily running af­ter the Instructions of a Fellow, that had Shunn'd the Light, because his Deeds were Evil. The people, (whose Charity has been for the most part so Exemplary, that, methinks 'tis pitty it should ever be misplaced and perverted) some of them not only made a [Page 35] large Collection, to pay the Passage of this mischievous Beggar, and put Money into his Pocket; but also fill'd the Town, with so much Lying and Outrage against their faith­ful Ministers, for not counting such an Un-Lettered Thing, a fit Instructor for their Flocks, that I could not but think an hun­dred times of the people Bewitched by Simon the Sorcerer, and say, That the greatest Blemish, that ever befel the Town, was in the madness, which th [...] now discovered. Who would have believed it, that in a Town so Illuminated as Boston, there should be any people of such a principle, That if the greatest Villian in the World, should arrive a total Stranger among us, and for his True Name, give us perhaps only the first Syllable of his Name, and of a Barber turn a Preacher, the Pastors here must immediately Set him up in the publick Pulpits, or else the people justly load them with all the Calumnious Indig­nities that can be thought of? However, the Ministers bore with patience all the Contempt which their Great Lord, saw the people foo­lishly cast upon them; and no two of them that ever I heard of, ever let fall one word, publickly to Rebuke their Folly; But, Syr, You shall see anon, Whether the Lord Him­self will not Rebuke it, and make the people wish, They had hearkened unto the Voice of their Teachers.

[Page 36]We have in our Vicinity, a Small Congre­gation of Anabaptists, with whom I had al­wayes Lived in a Good Correspondence. For­give me the vanity, if I say, without judging it proper in this place, to prove what I say, That never any Minister so distant from their perswasion, carried it with more civility, and Affection towards persons of their per­swasion, then I made it my Endeavour to do Because, I believed, there were Godly persons among them, I offered them, that if they should come (as they were likely) to have the Divine Institutions fail among them­selves, I would freely accept them to Com­munion with my own Flock; and though they should be so scrupulous as to Turn their Backs as often as an Infant was Baptised, it should not be made an offence. This Offer I made them, I hope not out of a sinful Af­fectation to Enlarge my Flock; The most undeserved Favour of Heaven, has Employ'd my poor Services, in such Assemblies, that I have cause to Study how I may Serve them better before I go to get them Larger; but it was purely from a Spirit of Charity. Indeed, I had no Answer but this, We look upon you, as an Unbaptized man, and therefore we cannot hold Communion with you: But tho' this New-Comer were in their Opinion, An Unbaptised man, yet they now took this opportunity, to [Page 37] Invite him, unto publick and constant Prea­ching every Lords Day, and Lecture besides, in their Meeting-House. Indeed, I must so far Vindicate these Brethren, as to tell you, That they do not seem to me, so much in Fault, as divers other people of my own pro­fession, who Solicited them, and Instigated them, to Set up a Preacher for them, which their own Pastors had Refused; and it was on some Accounts a Time of Temptation with them. Nevertheless, I cannot wholly Justify this Faulty Action: And their Setting up such a Fellow, under all these Ill Circumstances, to be their Publick Teacher, look'd the worse, because they could not but see, that it nou­rished in his Numerous Proselytes, not only the sleight of a Learned Ministry, but also a disposition which ordinarily Inspired those that were proselyted by him, to become E­nemies and Revilers of the Ministers of the Town. One of those Ministers beholding the Spirit, which this thing was done withal, freely told the Anabaptists, That the Lord Je­sus Christ, who saw what Principles they acted upon, would certainly make this very man, the Occasion of the greatest Confusion that ever befel them: And at the same Time, saw cause to Foretel unto many others, That the Devices of Satan in this matter were, for this man, to Engage many of our weaker People, to be his [Page 38] Hearers, by his not professing himself an Ana­baptist, but when he had them fast, then about three or four months hence, to profess himself an Anabaptist, and lead them, who could say, whi­ther? with him. Unto the man himself also, that person having signifyed his Dislike of what he had seen in him, Concluded, ‘The Ministers of this Town, who have by your means been greatly & ungratefully Reviled, will, I suppose, trouble themselves no far­ther about you, Except some remarkable Occasion oblige them to it: but they will carry their Flocks to the Lord Jesus Christ, and they will carry their Names to the Lord Jesus Christ, and they will carry You also unto the Lord Jesus Christ; but I believe, the Consequence of This, will very speedily be unto You, very uncomfortable.’ He, and his Creatures, went on filling the Town with Slander, in Instances, which I desire to Forgive and Forget: Only one of them, I will mention, because they made more than ordinary Noise about it. Having too just cause to fear, that this Insolent Fel­low, would Steal an Admission to the Lords Table, in my own Church, I went unto his House, on purpose to Forbid him from it; but they spread a story over the Town, that I came to Invite him to it. Many Dayes did not now pass, before I did by a singular Ac­cident, [Page 39] meet with a Book of Dr. Samuel Boltons, wherein there is a Discourse about, The Royalties of Faith; and this Discourse, to my Surprise, I found so very much the same, with what I had my self heard this man de­liver, that I thought the two Boyes in Plautus, were not more alike, Dixitqu [...] sibi sua C [...]ncio, Fur es. I sent for many other of the Hear­ers, who had better Memories than my self, and offered them, to give them a considera­ble Price for every Sentence they could call to mind, in their Dr. Samuel May's Discourse, that I could not show them in my Dr. Samuel Boltons; which offer they some of them took, but could not find One Sentence for their Ad­vantage: The Exact Agreement, between Samuel the Doctor, and Sam the Dunce, was a diverting Surprize to all that saw it. Here­upon, a Minister of the Town, visited the man himself, and profered him a Piece of Eight, for every material Sentence, that he could produce, of his own Discourse, about, The Royalties of Faith, which could not be produced from the Author, and in the Order, and with his Flourishes, and Expressions, that were most Peculiar; and he set before him the Cheat and the Crime, that there is in Preaching Stollen Sermons. Indeed, because the man had no Academical Education (Ex­cept one should suppose at Samourgan, a cer­tain [Page 40] famous Academy in Lithuania,) it was to no purpose, to quote unto him the saying of Synesius, Magis impium esse mortuorum Lu­cubrationes, quam vestes furari; but I did in Plain English tell him the Dishonesty of the matter. He not only Denyed, that ever he had us'd or seen any of Dr. Boltons works, (though he was also detected of Stealing Three or Four more Sermons, out of this very Book!) but he also called the Great and Dreadful God to Witness, That the Discourse he delivered, was the pure effect of his own In­dustry and Invention; adding, That he had no other way to give Satisfaction, but by Preaching on any Text, that Minister should give him. The Minister told him, That he was astonished at his horrid Wickedness and Atheism, and that if he were to be believed in this thing, all Humane Proof of any thing must come to an End. He proceeded; That he had out-gone, all the Cheats that ever had appear'd among us, for being so hardened in Impiety and Stupidity, as to Deny a Fact, wherein he was as plainly Detected, as ever any Theef, that was taken with the Stolen Goods about him. And he concluded; ‘ Miserable Man, Do you ask me for a Text to Preach upon? I have a Text, more than one, for you, to Think upon. Go Preach, if you dare to do it, upon that Text, Psal 101.7. [Page 41] He that telleth Lies, shall not tarry in my sight. Preach, if you dare to do it, upon that Text, Psal. 50.16. Unto the Wicked God saith, what hast thou to do, to declare my Statutes? Preach, if you dare to do it, upon that Text, Rev. 21 8. All Lyars shall have their Part in the Lake. And if you dare carry on your Impiety so far, Preach upon that Text, Rev. 2.23. All the Churches shall know, that I search the Reins and the Hearts. But let me faithfully and Solemnly, and as a Minister of God, and as one speaking to you in the Name of God, and in the Fear of God, Admonish you to Repent of your Wick­edness. I doubt, you will not Repent, and therefore, I tell you, I am verily perswaded, the Lord Jesus Christ, who knowes, your Secret Wickedness will bring it out. I verily Believe, That in your Detection, the Glorious Lord Iesus Christ, will make all the Churches to know, that He searches the Reins and the Hearts of the Children of men. Remember, I told you so, and that many Months will not pass, before this come to pass: It may be, I may Live to see it.’ He Trembled & Quiver'd, when the Minister spoke these things unto him; yet he Repented not, but in a few Hours, he set the people a Railing at that Minister, in many Corners of the Town, for, Abusing a Precious, Godly, Worthy [Page 42] man. Some Advised, the Arresting of that Mi­nister, in Great Actions, for Defaming of this Excellent Person; And others had the Fear of God, so little in Exercise with them, as to cry out, That if this man had been guilty of all that was charg'd on him, yet for that Minister to speak such Things to him, was as great an offence as his.

I had reason, to desire, That the Truth might now appear, a little more irrefraga­bly; and therefore I went unto the Officers of the Anabaptist Church, declaring, That I apprehended my self able to convict the man whom they Employ'd as a Publick Teacher among them, of being a Cheat, and of having horribly Ly'd against his Conscience, in several repeated and Notorious Instances; and that I desired on my own behalf, and on the behalf of the other Ministers in the Town, that they would appoint a place, the next week, where I might prove my Charge to his Face, and they should be Judges of it. I could not have Imagined it; But the Church being informed of my Demand, im­mediately Renewed (as I am told) their Call unto him, to continue his Preaching a­mong them; and by their Minister and Ano­ther, there was an Answer of this Importance brought unto me, That inasmuch as this man was not a Member of their Church, they did not apprehend themselves concerned, to take any notice [Page 43] of what I had offered. Whereto my Reply was, Well, I have done my Duty, and I hope, you have considered, Whether it will be for Christ's Honour, or for your own, to Employ a man, as a Publick Preacher, against whom such a Charge is urg'd, and may be prov'd, if you will but hear it. And thought I, How much will Christians act besides themselves, when Led into Temptation! From this Time, even from September, (I think) to December, I con­cern'd my self no further: being satisfied, that it would not be long before the Lord Jesus Christ, who saw how impiously this man mocked Him, would Search him out, and cloath with perpetual Confusion, those that would persist in Assisting such a Mocker of Heaven. One would have thought that considerate people after this warning would have been as much afraid of seeing such a Spectre in a Pulpit, as if he had been the Holder forth, which they say, sometimes appears in the Coper Mines of Sueden. But many people, instead of taking the warning, went on still, under the Influences of this Ignis Fa­tuus, to treat me (and much better men) with Numberless & Furious Abuses for giving it; and with a practical Commentary upon the Distempers mentioned in the Beginning of the first Epistle to the Corinthians. I praise the Lord, for His making me unwilling to [Page 44] Remember them, and I pray Him to cast them out of His Remembrance. At last the malice went so far, that they began to throw in­to my House, insolent, bitter, bloody Li­bels, wherein, albeit the nameless Writers Confess A great Esteem for me, for my mo­derate Spirit towards them that differ from me, yet they now in most venemous Terms of Rage, flew upon me for my Reviling an Eminent Worthy Stranger, (as they express it) and Persecuting one who had the Root of the matter in him, and one who had now the Liberty of a more Unstained Pulpit, than any of those which had been deny'd him. All these, and many more such things, wherein I heard the Defaming of many, I bore, I hope, I may say, Silently, and Patiently, & it was a great Fault in me, if not Prayerfully: & if I did not set my self, to consider, What Holy Lessons were to be Learnt out of such Temp­tations: In which Lessons I should have been sufficiently Requited Good, for the Cursing of all the Shimei's in the Town. But, thought I, what Spirit possesses these Touchy Folks, that they can't let me be quiet? I do nothing to Disquiet them: Or, Does that Spirit see, that his Time is but Short, e're the Displea­sure of Heaven, put this Boutefeu and his Disciples, to the Blush, which had been fore­told unto them? Truly; Syr, I had no Re­medy, [Page 45] but humbly to carry my Complaints unto the Lord, who knew my Faithfulness.

This Evil Worker now apply'd himself un­to the Anabaptists, with private Intimations, That for four or five years, he had been con­vinced in his Conscience, that their way was the Right way, and that he was now in some Trouble of Conscience for his having De­lay'd so long to Declare himself, but it should not now be long before he did. When Things were now become just Ripe, for the Devices of Satan, to take effect; behold, how the Wonderful Providence of Heaven defeat­ed them! The Lord sent an Evil Spirit, be­tween this man and the Anabaptists that had adhered unto him. Even They began to find their Eminent Worthy Stranger, Guilty of such Lying, and such Lewdness, and such Damna­ble Coveteousness, (especially, when upon their not carrying Money to him, on a Lords-Day, wherein he Preached not, he flew out as I am told, like a Dragon, spitting this among other Fire, at them, I see, no longer Pipe, no longer Dance!) that they came to fear, he was a Cheat, and wished, they had never seen him. While things were thus operating, the Guilty Fellow having bubbled the silly Neigh­bours of incredible scores of Pounds, and thinking that the Answers of my Letters to Europe about him were not far off, all on the [Page 46] sudden, he will be gone; and none of the charming offers that were made him, if he would continue, could procure his continu­ance any longer in the Countrey. He that had often told us, his coming from England, was with a purpose to see his Uncle in Vir­ginia, whom it may be, no man else ever saw, now without one look towards Virginia, Ships himself to Return for England. But, God will no longer be mocked!

A Vertuous and Laudable Young Gentle­man, in the Neighbourhood, Lets fall a word unto one of his Friends, That he was informed, this man had used some uncivil carriage towards a Woman that belonged unto one of the Churches in the Town. Some of the Hearers go and complain, that this Gentleman said, The man had got such a Woman with Child, whereupon some of the mans Friends began to be ob­streperous. The Ingenuous Young Gentle­man, was too well beloved, by all that knew his constant piety, to be suspected of speak­ing a Falshood; and the Trouble on the minds of his Friends for him, immediately made se­veral Discreet and Honest Women, to speak out more plainly, how able They were to Assert the Truth, of what he had really spo­ken. Horrid Things began to be muttered a­bout this Wretch, for divers weeks before, and no doubt, the Apprehension of their ta­king [Page 47] Air, hastened his Flight: but a [...]dest Woman, especially if she don't know of any one else, to sustain with her the weight of the Testimony, appears with no small Reluct­ancy to testify an affront offered unto her. It had been Remark'd by some, That this Villian, though in Publick Prayer he were ex­traordinarily Devout, yet he had a strange Indisposition to Private Prayer. And there was enough to render Prayer uneasy to his Guilty Soul; for while he was Feasting with the Abused Neighbours, he had Eyes full of Adultery, that could not cease from Sin. The Burning Jealousie of the Lord Jesus Christ, will now bring out the Villany of this man, and Make all the Churches to know that He searches the Reins and the Hearts. The Hypocrite had made such a show of zeal, in his performances on the Stage, that every one said, This man must be either a great Saint▪ or a great Rogue; and as to one of these, I question, whether a greater ever came into his Land.

Sir, I durst not blot my paper, with all the Abominable Things, that are testified up­on Oath, against this Eminent Worthy Stranger. But the Sum of the Testimonies, deposed up­on Oath, before the Magistrate, Decemb. 7. 1699. by several Women of unblemish'd Reputati­on, is. ‘That he would often watch Oppor­tunities [Page 48] of getting them alone, and then would often affront them with Lewd, Vile, and Lascivious Carriages, which rendred it a dangerous Thing to be alone with him, and abundantly assured them, that he was a great Rogue, and that, if they had been for his Turn, he would have stuck at no Villa­ny towards them. That he would also talk at a vile rate, and among other things, he would plead, That there was no Sin in Adultery.’

The Testimonies after T [...]is, increased on our Hands, which assured us, That on a Saturday, with his Bible in his Hands, he could sollicit Young Women to Wantonness; Yea, and Endeavour to Intoxicate them, that he might pursue his vile Purposes upon them. Yea, That when he heard of a Young Wo­man affected with his Ministry, he would find her out, and spend several Hours to­gether in rude actions and speeches, to her, and urging her to Ly with him, which he said, was no Sin, for David and Solomon did as much; and adding, They need not fear being with Child by him, for none ever were so! More of this prodigious Devillism was testi­fyed against this Eminent Worthy Stranger; and other horrid stuff begins to come to Light, and I suppose would soon be found, if sought for: but I abhor to rake any further in such a Dunghill.

[Page 49]They that fill'd the Town with other Im­piety, by setting up this Filthy Dreamer, have now a Time to Admire the Favour of Hea­ven, (more than their own prudence) That there was not Set up a Congregation of Ni­colaitans, in the Town, and that the Young People, have not been debauched into fear­ful Whoredomes, and Led away to the Un­clean Spirit, like the Transylvanian Children, which danced after the Pied Piper, into the Cave of Hamelen.

But I have observed, That whereas grievous Times of Temptation are ever now and then, sent upon our Churches, if the Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ can, for a while bear to be buffeted by the Foolish Rage of those Times, and apply themselves to Humble Prayer, and Faith, before the Great Lord, who holds the Tempter in a Chain, and if instead of answe­ring to Reviling with Reviling, they are only quickened unto more of Holiness, and Useful­ness, the Times do not prove Dayes of Temp­tation, but meer Hours of Temptation; and Nubeculae cito transiturae, presently at an end. And so it was, in the Storm of Temptation, which by Satan, was now Raised in our Neighbourhood.

It has in some former years commonly happened unto me, That when I visited in the way of my Pastoral Duty, persons Pos­sessed [Page 50] with Evil Spirits, the persons though they knew every one else in the room, yet through the unaccountable Operation of the Evil Spirits upon their Eyes, I must appear so Dirty, so Ugly, so Disguis'd un­to them, that they could have no know­ledge of me. I have a thousand times thought, That the Lord ordered This for some Intimation unto me, that when Times of Temptation come, wherein Evil Spirits have as much Operation on the Minds of many people, as they have upon the Eyes of Energumens, a Minister of the Lord Je­sus Christ, that will be faithful unto His Interests, must look to be all over Disguis'd, by misrepresentations, unto the Minds of them that are under the power of Tempta­tion. A Minister shall strictly Impose that Law of Kindness upon his Lips, to speak not one Intemperate or Injurious Word, on the greatest provocation; and yet be Re­presented, as a man full of Bitterness. He shall be always Devising Things to Relieve the miserable, and Spend more than many others do imagine possible to be spent in Pi­ous Uses, and scorn to take many Little Gains, that might lawfully be taken, and yet they shall cry out of him, for Uncha­ritableness and Incivility. He shall never once in his Life, ask a Salary from his [Page 51] Flock, nor agree with them about a Salary, nor have his Dependance on the Lords-Day Collections for a Salary, nor be in any Likeli­hood of seeing the Lords-Day Collections to fail, and yet they shall flout at him, as one afraid of Loosing his Contribution. A Minister, shall be of such a Temper, that perceiving a considerable and valuable part of his Flock, to put themselves unto a deal of Trouble to attend upon his Ministry (by passing a large Ferry every Lords-Day,) he shall one year after another call upon those Belov­ed Christians, to Leave his Ministry, and set up a New Church by themselves, and set a Worthy Pastor over them, to support whom, he shall offer to contribute not a little, and part with some of his own Salary; and yet this Minister shall be represented as Afraid of nothing more than Loosing his Hearers. He shall —But I don't love to mention these Things; The Lord of Heaven, Teach us by these Things, to Long for Heaven, and even while we are on Earth, to Live in Heaven.

You will doubtless make some Advan­tage to your Holy Thoughts from this Remarkable Story; and my other Neigh­bours will make, I hope, at least this Ad­vantage from it, That if another Barber, instead of the other Courses, that bring so [Page 52] many to Tyburn, come over from London hi­ther, to recruit his Broken Fortunes by the Blasphemies of Stollen Sermons, plausibly and fervently delivered, the people have now Learnt a little more Wit, than to pamper such a Fellow with their plentiful Cookery, and Equip, him with scores of Pounds in his Pocket, and send him to London again, to Laugh at the Folly of them that will per­mit themselves to be so Abused.

'Tis time for me now, to Subscribe my self, (inasmuch as I am not Writing a Libel)

Sir,
Your Sincere Servant, Cotton Mather.
[Page 53]

Postscript.

THE Countrey has been so fill'd with Lyes, on the occasion of the Things which have been truly Represented in this my Letter, that I suppose, I shall publish the Let­ter unto the Countrey: And if any blame the Publication, I think they will forget, What is required in the Ninth Commandment: and I fear, they will but Expose themselves unto the censures of Wise and Good men, as the Friends of this Impostor, not out of Charity (as diverse worthy Christians before they knew him, were) but from a principle of Impiety and Malignity. Among the ancient Israelites when a False Prophet, or an Unclean Priest, was found, every man had a Commission, in the presence of Ten men, to Execute the Law upon him, (as Grotius tells us,) Non Expectato Judice. But when one of those Wretches received his punishment, it was the Custom, That a Letter concerning it, should be dispatch'd unto all the Cities of Israel. As for this Unclean Prophet, the Letter it self, that is now dispatch'd unto all the Churches, is the chief punishment hitherto inflicted on him.

[Page 54]

Something to be known, by all the Churches.
OR, Short Remarks upon the Remarkable Dispensations of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, unto His Churches, dis­covering Secret Offendors and Im­postors, among them.
At Boston Lecture, 14. d. 10. m. 1699.

REV. II.23.

All the Churches shall know, that I am He, who Searches the Reins and the Hearts.

THE Vilest of Creatures, do some­times creep into the purest of Churches. Yea, some that set up for Zealous Teachers of Godliness, are Secretly the most Ungodly Wretches in the World. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in His Holy [Page 55] and Wondrous Providence, often detects these Woful Hyprocrites. But when such Hypocrites are detected, He so orders the Detection, that His Churches, not only Should, but Shall take Notice of it.

There was at Thyatira, One that set up for a Teacher, and was marvellously. Approved, Admired, and Followed, by many of the People; at whose Giddiness the Lord Jesus Christ, was therefore Exceedingly offended. But this Teacher was in the Issue proved an Horrid, Filthy, Lascivious Wretch, and fell un­der the dreadful Judgments of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ now declares the Use, that He will have to be made of such a matter; And His Doctrine unto us, is This.

The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who Searches the Reins and the Hearts of men, will by won­derful Dispensations of His Providence, make all the Churches to Know, that He is indeed an Heart-Searching Lord.

It is from hence, A CASE to be now discoursed on.

What are the Apprehensions, and what the Dispo­sitions, with which the Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ, are to Consider Him, Searching the Reins and the Hearts of men?

[Page 56] I. The Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ should know, That He is very GOD, and the Son of God. Who is it that saith, All the Churches shall know, that I am He, who Searches the Reins and the Hearts! We find it here, These Things saith the Son of God. It is the prerogative of God alone, to Search the Reins and the Hearts. To say, I am He that Searches the Reins and the Hearts; tis no Language for the Mouth of a Creature. It was said, in Jer. 17.10. The Heart, who can know it? — I JEHOVAH, Search the Heart, I Try the Reins. When our Lord Jesus Christ says, I am He that Searches the Reins and the Hearts, He alludes unto that very Oracle; tis as much as if He had said, I am the Lord JEHOVAH. Thus we read in Jer. 11.20. O Lord of Hosts, who tryest the Reins and the Heart. We cannot be sensible, That our Lord Messiah Tryes the Reins and the Hearts, if we are not sensible, that He is, The Lord of Hosts. The Incommunicable Attributes of God, are ascribed unto our Lord Jesus Christ. The Godhead of our Lord, is fully asserted, in the Things thus ascribed un­to Him. And this All knowledge, to be a [...], one that Knows the Heart, is one of those Incommunicable Attributes. Tis the pe­culiar Glory of God, in 1 King. 8.39. Thou, e­ven Thou only, knowest the Hearts of all the Children of men. But, this Glory belongs unto [Page 57] our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory. The Godhead of our Lord Jesus Christ, is then to be Known and Own'd in all His Churches. Indeed, they are no True Churches, which do not own the Godhead of our Lord Jesus Christ. If this Confession of Faith, be not laid in the Foundation of Churches, they are not Founded upon a Rock, and the Gates of Hell, will prevail against them.

The Scriptures of God, have called our Lord JESUS CHRIST, Expressly, The True God, and, The Great God, and, God over all: And the Churches of God, must accordingly ac­knowledge Him. This is indeed a Great Mystery; but with every Godly man, it is a Mystery beyond all Controversy, That our Lord Jesus Christ is, [1 Tim. 3.16.] God manifest in Flesh. Yes, The New Testament speaks at this rate, will a Jew say; But give me the Old Testament; where will you find any such passage in the Old Testament. Well, To the Old Testament thou hast Appealed; Thither thou shalt Go! If the Messiah were not God, why did Job say, In my Flesh I shall see God? I can find you a Jewish Rabbi, who gathers from hence, That the Word of God, shall one Day take Flesh in a Woman. Or, if this be not plain enough, I am sure, tis plain in Psal. 45.6, 7. Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever: God, thy God hath anointed thee. 'Tis plain, in [Page 58] Isa. 9.6. To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, His Name shall be called, God, the Mighty. We are very certain, That the Name JEHO­VAH, is peculiar to God alone; yet even this peculiar Name, is given to the Messiah, (who is therefore called, He which was, and is, and is to come:) You have it, in Zech. 12.10. JEHOVAH sayes, They shall Look on me, whom they have pierced; It may be there is nothing more worthy of Note in all the Jew­ish Talmuds, than that Note on this Text, Peace be on him, who sayes, That these things are to be said of Messiah. Several of the Rabbi's own, That the Messiah is meant, when tis said, JEHOVAH shall build up Jerusalem. Thus, when we read in Jer. 33.16. This is the Name, whereby He shall be called, JEHOVAH our Righteousness: And in Jer. 33.16. He that shall call it, is, JEHOVAH our Righteousness: The Ancient Jews themselves Expound it of the Messiah: They ask, What shall the Messiah be called? They Reply, The Eternal JEHOVAH. The Objection which the Modern Jews make against this most comfortable Article of our Creed, is, That the Messiah is Man, and therefore cannot be God. But let them An­swer one Question; Is not the Second person in God able to Unite a Man unto Himself? They dare not say, but God is able to do such a Thing. And there is a Sentence in the [Page 59] Bible, which Expressly affirms, That there should be a Man in the World, who should be God, as well as Man. You have it, in Zech. 13.7. Awake, O Sword, against the Man, that is my Equal, saith JEHOVAH, the Lord of Hosts. There was a Man, whom the Jewes did Stab with a Sword; but of this Man tis said, He is an equal to the Lord of Hosts; He must therefore be God as well as Man.

The Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ, must preserve this Faith among them: 'tis their very Life; all their Hope, and all their Joy, is Enwrapped in it. But the Faith of our Lords Deity, cannot be preserved, without the Faith of the Trinity. We don't know God, if we don't know Him as One God in Three Subsistences. It is therefore maintained by some Learned Christians, That the God of the Spragogue, is not the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. The Three Subsistences are so Exhibited unto us; in 1 Joh. 5.7. The Fa­ther, the Word, and the Spirit; and in Psal. 33.6. The Lord, and the Word of the Lord, and the Spirit of the Lord. Now, in Believing the Trinity, the Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ, must particularly Believe, That their Lord is the Son of God. That person in God, which is usually called, by the Name of, The Word, is also called by the Name of, The Son. Why? [Page 60] Because He proceeds from the Father, by an unutterable, an Inconceivable, an Eternal Ge­neration. The Jews have a Tradition, that when the Messiah comes, He will tell us the Right Name of the Eternal God; He has done it, in Mat. 28.19. His Name is, The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Except the Churches, thus acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, they can­not call God their Father, they cannot propose to be themselves by Adoption, the Children of God.

II. The Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ, should Know, That the Lord Jesus Christ has an Exact Knowledge of all men, and of all that is in Men ▪ More particularly;

We are to know, That the most Hidden and Secret, Things are known unto the Lord Jesus Christ. 'Tis the Voice of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom without falling into the Ubi­quitarian Error, we must call our Omnipresent Lord, in Jer. 23.24. Can any hide himself in secret places, that I shall not see him? saith the Lord Reins and Hearts are things altogether Out of sight. But the Things that are most Out of sight, are Seen by the Lord Jesus Christ. Men may see the Face of other men; but the Lord Jesus Christ sees the very Reins and Hearts of all men; there is nothing to be Hidden from him, tho' it be never so secret. [Page 61] Be it Known among the Churches, That (Job 34.21, 22.) His Eyes are upon the wayes of man, and he sees all his goings; Neither is there any Deadness nor Shadow of Death, where the Workers of Iniquity may hide themselves.

Again; We are to Know, That all our Thoughts, and the very Thoughts of all men, are fully known unto our Lord Jesus Christ. Let our Minds be constantly kept Awake, by that word of our Lord, in Ezek. 11.5. Thus saith the Lord, I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them. The Reins and the Hearts of men, are the Forge wherein their Thoughts are minted. The Thoughts are free, we say; but they are not free, either from the Law, or from the View, of our Lord Jesus Christ. There are neither Good Thoughts, nor Ill Thoughts in the Souls of any men, but our Lord Jesus Christ is infallibly acquainted with them; He will Requite the one, and Revenge the other. The Scribes of Old, were not the only persons, of whom it might be said, The Lord knew their Thoughts. No, Let it be known and said, by every man in all the Churches, [Psal. 139.2.] Lord, Thou knowest my Thoughts afar off.

Moreover; We are to know, That the most Secret Conditions of men are known to our Lord Jesus Christ. The Interiour, and Spiritual State of men, the Lord Jesus Christ knows what it is, 'Tis said, He Tries the Reins and [Page 62] the Hearts: How? As men Try Metals, whe­ther they be Counterfeit or no. Our Lord Jesus Christ Knows all the Members in His Churches; which of them are Sons of Zion, comparable to fine Gold, and which of them are base Metals, only guilt over with Gold. Ma­ny a man does not know himself; but there is no man whom the Lord Jesus Christ knows not. If there be Sincerity in the Soul, the Lord Jesus Christ knows the Sincerity. Hence an Embassador of God, that had been great­ly Defamed, among those who did not know him, cheerfully made his Appeal to his Hea­venly Lord, in Jer. 20.12. O Lord of Hosts, who triest the Righteous, and seest the Reins and the Heart, unto thee I have opened my cause. There is no where an Israelite indeed, of whom our Lord Jesus Christ may not say, I have seen that man! If there be Hypocrisy in the Soul, the Lord Jesus Christ knows the Hypocri­sy. Hence, when there were some, who seem'd such Strict Preachers, that every one said of them▪ They are either great Saints, or great Villians, our Lord Jesus Christ so knew them, that He could say what they were; in Mat. 23.27, 28. Hypocrites, Ye are like whi­ted Sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful out­wardly, but are within full of all uncleanness: Ye appear outwardly Righteous unto men, but within ye are full of Hypocrisy and Iniquity. Hypocrisy [Page 63] may carry a very fair Show of Sincerity. A Devil may appear as an Angel of Light: And the Children of the Devil, may be so like the Children of God, Pray so like them, and Speak so like them, and Look so like them, that no man may know them asunder. Yea, but they are known to the Lord Jesus Christ, e­very man of them all!

Furthermore; We are to know, That the most Secret Intentions of men are known unto the Lord Jesus Christ. The Counsels of men, these may have the Reins and the Hearts, for the Seat of them. Our Lord Jesus Christ knows all that is in them; that is to say, All that we Consult, and Resolve with our selves. If we have any Holy purposes to Glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and Edify His people, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself knows all that we have purposed. When there was in the Heart of a Good man, a Design to do a Ser­vice for the House of God, we read, in 1 King 8.18. The Lord said unto him▪ Whereas it was in thy Heart, thou didst well in that it was in thy Heart. And if there are any Wicked purposes, that men have taken up within them­selves, what is purposed cannot be so [...] but the Lord Jesus Christ will know [...] 'Tis no rare thing, for men to pretend one thing, and intend another; but the Lord Je­sus Christ sees through all pretensions. We [Page 64] read, in 1 Thes. 2.3, 4, 5. Our Exhortation was not of Deceit, nor of Uncleanness, we speak not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our Hearts, neither used we at any time a cloak of Coveteousness, God is witness. There were those that Preached the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet they drove a filthy Trade of Uncleanness and Coveteousness, in what they did: Now, saies the Apostle, the Lord Jesus Christ, who tries our Hearts, He knows, who did, and who did not so: There is no putting a Trick upon the Lord Jesus Christ; it is said of Him, He weighs the Spi­rits of men.

Yet once more; We are to know, That the most Secret Affections of men are known unto the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Reins and the Hearts of men, do their Affections operate. Our Lord Jesus Christ knows, how the Souls of men do Stand Affected. Have we any Desires? The Lord Jesus Christ knows them all. We may say with him, in Psal. [...]8.9. Lord, all my Desire is before thee. Have we any [...]rows? The Lord Jesus Christ knows [...] all. It was said by Him, in Exod. 2.7. I have heard their cry, I know their [...]. Do we Love the Lord Jesus Christ? Our Love is not unknown unto the Lord whom we Love. It may be said, [ Joh. 21.17.] Lord, Thou knowest all things, Thou [Page 65] knowest that I love thee. If Carnal Affections [even those of the very Reins] are flaming and raging within us, they are known to Him that is, The God of the Spirits of all Flesh. And if our Affections are set upon the Things that are above, where our Lord Jesus Christ is, they are known unto the Lord, that we have cho­sen for the Object of them.

Yea, Finally; The Knowledge which our Lord Jesus Christ hath of all these Things is a very Exact and Perfect Knowledge. 'Tis said, He Searches the Reins and the Hearts. The Exactness of the Knowledge, is implied in the Expression of Searching. Our Lord Jesus Christ Searches to the Bottom of all things. [See Heb. 4.12, 13.] We are therefore in­formed concerning our Lord Jesus Christ He hath Eyes like a Flame of Fire. He needs no other Light, but His own Eyes, to discover the most Se­cret Things in the World. There is nothing so Secret, but the Eyes of the Lord Jesus Christ, will penetrate like swift Lightning, into the Bowels of it. When the Wretches of old, heaped their Ludibrious and Abusive Treats upon our Lord Jesus Christ, one Abuse with which they treated Him was, They Blindfolded Him, as they imagined. Poor Fools! To imagine, that they could extinguish or intercept the Sight of Him that made the Eye! A little A­tom, as well might put out the Sun! Be it [Page 66] known unto you, O ye Churches of the Lord; There is nothing unknown unto your Glori­ous Lord.

III. When the Wonderful Providence of the Lord Jesus Christ, by Discovering Secret Sin­ners in His Churches, makes it Evident, that He Searches the Reins and the Hearts of men, it becomes the Churches, to take much Notice of that Wonderful Providence. When are the Churches to know, That the Lord Jesus Christ Searches the Reins and the Hearts of men? They are Then especially to Know it, when the Lord Jesus Christ, by strange Discoveries of Cheats in His Churches ▪ gives a Demonstrati­on thereof. But then, the Knowledge that the Churches are to have implies, that they take due Notice, a Serious, Notice, and an Awful Notice of it.

At the Great Day of Judgment indeed, the Lord Jesus Christ will most Eminently make all the Churches to Know, that He Searches the Reins and the Hearts of men. There will a Day come (the Day of our True Davids Kingdom, the Day wherein the Creation shall be delivered from the Vanity now upon it.) When, as we are told, in Eccl. 12.14. God will bring every Work into Judgment, with eve­ry Secret Thing, whether it be Good, or whether it be Evil. Not only will all the Churches that [Page 67] ever were found among mankind, then find that the Lord Jesus Christ Searches the Reins and Hearts of men, but all mankind will be with all possible Solemnity convinced of it. In that Illustrious Day of God, when God shall Judge the Secrets of men by Jesus Christ, and when God will bring to Light the Hidden Works of Darkness, ‘Cunctaque Cunctorum Cunctis arcana patebunt;’

Heaven and Earth shall then know, and it shall be terribly proclaimed from the Rising of the Sun to the Setting thereof, and as far as the Trumpet of an Archangel can sound the Proclamation, That every thing is known unto our Great Lord Redeemer.

But before that Last, and Great, and Notable Day of the Lord, there do oftentimes fall out, most amazing Things, to show the Churches, That the Lord Jesus Christ Searches the Reins and Hearts of the Children of men. The Word of the Lord Jesus Christ, hath particu­larly Cautioned us, against being too Quick and Rash in receiving men as Ministers of the Gospel, for fear, lest it quickly appear that those pretended Ministers, are secretly Rotten, Profane, Unclean Creatures; and then we partake in the Guilt of the Miscarri­ages that are found chargeable upon these [Page 68] Intruded Ministers: Now, saies the Apostle, 1 Tim. 5.22, 24. Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other mens Sins; some mens sins are open before hand, going before to Judgment, and some, they follow after: The Sins of some Candidates for the Ministry, are not open before Trial and Judgment is past upon them, and they are Judg'd fit for Ordi­nation, but however it won't be long before their Sins do break out, unto the Astonish­ment of all the Churches, that were too sudden in setting of them up.

Consider of it, O ye Churches of the Lord.

First; The Wonderful Providence of the Lord Jesus Christ, in discovering, of Secret Sinners, does plainly discover, that He Search­es the most Secret Sins, in the Reins and Hearts of men. By various and curious and exqui­site Methods, does the Wonderful Providence of the Lord Jesus Christ, bring about the Discovery of Secret Sinners. And those Methods of Providence do confirm This; That our Lord Jesus Christ knows the Sinners, and all their Secret Sins. Men must with some Agony of Soul, now cry out, [Psal. 90.8.] Lord, Thou hast set our Iniquities before thee, and our Secret Sin, in the Light of thy Countenance. Men may Cover their Sins a long while; but they don't prosper in their doing so: God makes a Dis­covery of them. Sometimes the Holy God [Page 69] smites them with such Horror of Conscience, that as 'tis said, in Psal. 64.8. They shall make their own Tongue to fall upon themselves. An Achan is brought into such Distress and Hor­ror of Conscience, that he shall not be able to forbear Confessing, Thus and thus have I Sin­ned, and thus hath my Sin found me out. And sometimes the Holy God leaves them to such horrible Scandals, that all the Neighbourhood shall with Abhorrence gaze upon them. There was an Impostor, that had bewitched the people; he seem'd very pious, until God left him unto that Impiety, which made every one to say, as in Acts 8.21, 23. Thy Heart is not Right in the sight of God, I perceive thou art in the Gall of Bitter­ness and the Bond of Iniquity. A Wolf in Sheeps Cloathing will go on, perhaps many months together, until God permits the Clawes and the Teeth of a Wolf to be dis­cern'd upon him in some Scandalous Acti­ons. The Lord Jesus Christ knew the Se­cret Villanies of these men, from the Be­ginning; but now he makes all men to know them; and when that which was done in Darkness is heard in the Light, when that which was done in Closets, is proclaimed on the House tops, Then 'tis proved, That the Lord Jesus Christ knew all along, what was done in Darkness, and in the Closets. The [Page 70] Lord Jesus Christ says upon such occasi­ons, as He said concerning those infamous False Prophets of Old, in Jer. 29.23. They have committed Villany in Israel, and have committed Adultery with their Neighbours Wives and have spoken Lying Words; even I know, and am a Witness, saith the Lord

Secondly; 'Tis most Remarkably in E­vangelical Churches, that the Lord Jesus Christ, who Searches the Reins and the Hearts of men, does by His Wonderful Providence discover the Secret Sins of men. In Congregations formed according to the Will of the Lord Jesus Christ i [...] is that Secret Sinners run the great­est hazards of that Vengeance, in Prov. 26.26. His Sin is covered with Deceit, his Wicked­ness shall be shew'd before the whole Congregation▪ Churches of a pure Constitution, represent the Kingdom of Heaven unto the world: Men can't Sin at so cheap a rate in the Kingdom of Heaven, a [...] they may in a dark World, or in Churches that are undistinguish'd from the World. The Pure Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ, are Golden Candlesticks: Can men think to Sin undiscovered in the midst of such Candlesticks? There are Angels burning in the Heads of them▪ There is a special and a dreeadful presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, in Churches, that maintain the Order of the Gospel. Hence there are stupendous Dispensations of [Page 71] His Providence in His Churches, to bring out those that shall there provoke his Infinite Majesty. Men may go on in a Course of Profanity, under a Cloak of Piety, for some while among the Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ; and they may applaud their own Contrivance, as long as▪ they can Enjoy the Applause of the Deluded Neighbours. The Jealous Lord Jesus Christ beholds their Hea­ven daring Abominations, but with a Day of patience, He gives them a Space to Repent of the Abominable Things, by which they thus dare the Justice of Heaven. It may be said of them, They consider not in their Hearts, that I remember all their Wickedness, tho' their do­ings are before my face, saith the Lord. At last, the Jealousy of the Holy Lord breaks forth like Fire against them, and abandons them to some Follies that fully discover them. The Lord Jesus Christ, in His Burning Holiness, gives them up to an Unclean Spirit, a Lying Spirit, a Thieving Spirit, or some other Evil Spirit, and the Infatuated Wretches are expo­sed with Consternation and Execration to all the World; As it was said, in Psal. 52.6, 7, 8. Thy Tongue deviseth mischiefs: O thou deceit­ful Tongue, God shall take thee away, and root thee out; the Righteous also shall see and fear, and laugh at him; Lo, this is the man, that strengthened himself in his wickedness; but I am [Page 72] a Green Olive Tree in the House of God. Thus, 'tis an Exclamation made in all the Churches; Lo, this is the man, that would needs appear some body among the Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ; but the Lord Jesus Christ hath made all the Churches to know, that they were Deceiv­ed in him.

Thirdly. When the Wonderful Providence of the Lord Jesus Christ in His Churches, by Discovering the Secret Sins of men, showes that He Searches the Reins and Hearts of Men, it is the Duty of the Churches to take much Notice of it. The Providence of the Lord Je­sus Christ, sometimes does very Tremendous and Surprising Things, in His Churches, for the Discovering of Secret Sinners. The Advo­cates of Sin, will do all they can, to Resist that Providence of Heaven, and make nothing of That, which is plainly, The Finger of God. By such Doings, men bring upon themselves the Guilt of all the Sin, they go to Smother and Shelter, and the Providence of Heaven remains irresistible. Such Partners with Sinners, will do well to Tremble before that Word of God, in Psal. 28 5. Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of His Hands, He shall Destroy them. In the mean time the Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ, are to Take Notice of what He does in His Notable Providence. When our Lord Jesus Christ [Page 73] gives us to see, That He takes Notice of His Churches, and of what is done among them, it becomes His Churches to take Notice of His Providence. Why, There are Lessons of Great Consequence, which the Churches are to Learn from that Providence, wherein they see Him Searching the Reins & Hearts of men. Tis a most Observable Thing, that is done by our Lord Jesus Christ in His Providence, when Secret Sinners are discovered. Now all the Churches are to Observe what is done: For, [Psal. 107.43.] Whoso is Wise, will observe these things.

IV. The Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ, when they see Him Searching the Reins and the Hearts of men, in the Memorable [...] of His Providence, they should make a Good Use of what they see. All the Churches are to Know, That the Lord Searches the Reins and the Hearts; But how are they to Know it? Words of Knowledge, in the Sacred Language, import Suitable Resentment. Now,

First. All the Churches are to Know, That the Lord Jesus Christ Searches the Reins and the Hearts, for the Comfort of such Hearts, as are Sound before Him. Christians, Are your Hearts Vexed with any Temptations, or grieved for any Corruptions? I may say unto you, Let not your Hearts be Troubled: But Know for your [Page 74] Comfort, under your Uneasiness, That the Lord Jesus Christ Knows all that renders your Hearts uneasy, and is ready to Succour you. Can you say with him, in Psal. 57.7. My Heart is Fixed, O God, my Heart is Fixed? It is Known to the Lord Jesus Christ, who indeed was He that Fixed it. Yea, If there be but the least Spark of Grace in thy Heart, O man, Tis all Known unto the Lord Jesus Christ. There is not one Good Motion, but it is the Lord Jesus Christ that Moved it, and He knows what it is. Have any of us been Ac­cused and Reproached by an Angry Generation of men, and are Ill Constructions made of our Faithfulness? What a comfortable Cordial may this be to our Hearts, That our Lord Je­sus Christ Knowes how Faithful our Hearts have been unto Him? As he said in Job 16.19. Behold, my witness is in Heaven, and my Record is on high; though my Friends do Scorn me: The Servants of the Churches cannot Escape the Severe censures of men, if they do what the Lord Jesus Christ would have them to do: But since all the Churches Know, That the Lord Jesus Christ Searches the Hearts, how Joyfully may we apply unto Him, Lord, Thou knowest my Heart, I have said nothing, I have Writ nothing, I have done just nothing, but what my Heart assured me, it was my Duty to do!

Secondly. All the Churches are to Know, [Page 75] That the Lord Jesus Christ Searches the Reins and the Hearts, for our Caution against Regard­ing Iniquity in our Hearts. What a Caution have we, Sirs, What a powerful Caution against all Attempts, to Mock the Lord Jesus Christ, with Hearts that are Deceitful above all things, while they are Desperately Wicked? Let us in our Churches labour to approve our Hearts unto our Lord Jesus Christ, and let us not go to Mock our Lord Jesus Christ, with any meer Shows in Religion. What said the Man of God, in Job 13.9. Is it Good, that He should Search you out? Or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock Him? Let it be Known, Oh, let it be Known to all the Churchers, That the Great God, who will not be Mock'd, will thoroughly Discern, and will terribly Confound, all those that go to Mock Him.

There are some such Cautions as these to be set before us.

I. Since our Lord Jesus Christ Searches our Hearts, Let us make sure, that our Hearts have the Religion, that we seem to have in our Lives. Let no man among us, be that man, in Jam. 1.26. A man that seemeth to be Religious, but Deceiveth his own Heart. Make no Empty Profession of Religion; Let us Inter­nally, and Practically be, what we Profess. Do we give our Names to our Lord Jesus Christ in His Churches? Let us give our [Page 76] Hearts unto Him, as well as our Names. We Profess that we Believe; But we must▪ Believe with all the Heart. We Profess that we Re­pent: But we must Repent with the whole Heart. Make sure of New Hearts, and of True Hearts, and of Souls Renewed with a real Principle of Religion Especially, when you joyn your selves unto the Churches of the Heart-Searching Lord, be careful, O my Hearers, be careful to Search your own Hearts, and by an impartial Self Examination, assure your selves, of your being by an Heart-work of real Conversion prepared for it.

II. Since our Lord Jesus Christ Searches our Hearts, Let us Bring our Hearts unto Him, in all the Exercises of Religion, & offer the Inwards, as well as the Outwards. Let us not be like those, of whom tis said, in Isa. 29.13. This People draw near me with their Mouth, and with their Lips do honour me, but have removed their Heart far from me. Remember we, that the God whom we worship, is a Spirit; and He will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth; if we do not worship Him in Spirit, we do it not in Truth. It is not Enough, that we serve the Lord Jesus Christ, with External Appearances: The Righ­teous Judgment of God, is not according to such Appearances. What said the Psalmist, Bless the Lord, O my Soul? In Praying, Let us [Page 77] be able to say, Lord, I Lift up my Soul unto thee. In Hearing, be able to say, Lord, I hide thy Word in my Heart. Oh, do not go to put off the Living God, with a Dead Carcase of Devotions.

III. Since our Lord Jesus Christ Searches our Hearts, Let not our Hearts, in declaring for the Interests of Religion, have any Indirect Glances at inferiour Interests. For persons to put on a Cloak of Zeal for the Lord Jesus Christ, but aim only at Advancing of them­selves, and their own Corrupt Humours, it will provoke Him that Searches the Hearts, to say unto them, as in Act. 5.4. Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine Heart? Thou hast not Lyed unto men, but unto God. When we attend the Means of Grace, the Lord Jesus Christ Searches our Hearts, whether it be meerly for Credit, or Custome; or, whether it be to Draw Water out of the Wells of Salva­tion. When we seek after Church-fellowship, the Lord Jesus Christ Searches our Hearts, whe­ther it be to Gain a Good Esteem among men; or, whether it be to build up our selves in our most holy Faith ▪ When we give our Alms, our Lord Jesus Christ Searches our Hearts, whether it be to avoid Contempt on Earth; or, Whether it be to Lay up a Treasure in Hea­ven. When we are forward in prosecuting [Page 78] Offendors, the Lord Jesus Christ Searches our Hearts, whether we have a single Respect unto the Honour of God; or, whether we Respect a piece of Revenge upon our Ad­versary. Oh, Let nothing be done in the Churches, on By Ends, or for Self-Ends; be­cause the Churches are to know, the Lord Jesus Christ Searches our Hearts, for the Ends which they are acted withal.

IV. Since our Lord Jesus Christ Searches our Hearts, and makes the Churches to know, that He doth so, Let none in our Churches, under seeming Sanctity indulge any Secret Villany. The Pharisees of old, were a very demure, and precise kind of men; yea, there were notable Preachers among them: and yet! [see Joh. 8.9.] Their Consciences flew in their faces, that they were secretly, Lewd, Wanton, Filthy Satyrs ▪ and the Abhorred of the Lord. For persons to carry a Face of more than ordinary strictness and fervour in Religion, and yet for these persons to be ve­ry Devils in secret, what is this to be indeed, but even Devils Incarnate? All Temptations with which the Devil urges you to Sin, from the notion of Secrecy, repel with this Answer, 'Tis impossible there ever should be a Secret Sin. As one solicited unto Lewdness, with this Ar­gument, The Doors are shut, replyed, No, but [Page 79] you have not shut the Lord Jesus Christ out of Doors! We read, God is terrible out of His Holy Places. Why, Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ, are Holy Places: Church-Members are in Holy Places If you that are in these Ho­ly Places, will secretly allow your selves in Unholy practices, be it known unto you, O ye Mockers of the Lord that knows what you do, 'tis a Terrible Thing, that He will do up­on you. Especially, Let the Ministers of the Gospel▪ beware, that they Seek not the over­sight of a Flock of God for filthy Lucre; and beware that while they Prophesy in the Name of the Lord, they be not the Workers of Iniquity: Lest the Judgments of the Lord Jesus Christ, should Thunder strike them, as He did those Young Ministers, upon whose Tragical Death He said, I will be Sanctified by them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be Glo­rified.

In fine, Let us all make that Petition, unto the Lord, who Searches the Reins and the Hearts, in Psal. 139.23, 24. Search me, O God, and know my Heart; try me, and know my Thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and Lead me in the way Everlasting.

‘Lumina quis fallet semper [...]perta Dei?’
FINIS.
[Page]

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THere is prepared for the Press, a very Seasonable Book Entituled. The Order of the Gospel: Professed and Practised by the Churches of Christ in New-England; Justified by the Scripture, and by the Writings of many Learned Men, both Ancient and Modern Di­vines: In Answer to several Questions relating to Church-Discipline.

By the Reverend Increase Mather, Praesident of Harvard-Colledge in Cam­bridge, and Teacher of a Church in Boston, New England.

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