Open the
Bible Question Form to send your own question.
-
Editor’s
Introduction: Thomas Brooks served as an English Puritan
minister during the seventeenth century (born 1608, died 1680). He
is known mostly through several books he wrote. This article
is taken from Precious Remedies against Satan’s Devices which
was published in 1652, exactly 350 years ago as this introduction
is being written. The message of this article is still needed
today. I hope you will read it.
-
The
age of the writing can occasionally cause a bit of confusion. Although,
we have added section headings, changed the format in places and updated
some spelling, the text has been left as originally given. We take
full responsibility for any mistakes. One
key word that needs to be noted is the word character, which
Brooks uses in the way we presently use the word characteristic. Other
words are defined in brackets. What follows is the text of the article.
Satan labors might
and main, by false teachers, which are his messengers and ambassadors,
to deceive, delude, and for ever undo the precious souls of men (Jeremiah
23:13): ‘I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied
in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.’ (Micah 3. 5): ‘The
prophets make my people to err.’
They seduce them,
and carry them out of the right way into by-paths and blind thickets
of error, blasphemy, and wickedness, where they are lost forever. ‘Beware
of false prophets, for they come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly
they are ravening wolves’ (Matthew 7:15). These lick and suck
the blood of souls (Philippians 3:2), ‘Beware of dogs, beware
of evil workers, beware of the concision.’ These kiss and kill;
these cry, Peace, peace till souls fall into everlasting flames (Proverbs
7).
Now the best way
to deliver poor souls from being deluded and destroyed by these messengers
of Satan is, to discover them in their colors, that so, being known,
poor souls may shun them, and fly from them as from hell itself.
Now you may know
them by these characters following:
I. False
Teachers are Men-Pleasers
[1.] The first character. False
teachers are men-pleasers. They preach more to please the ear
than to profit the heart (Isaiah 30:10): ‘Which say to the seers, See
not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things: speak
to us smooth things; prophesy deceits.’ (Jeremiah 5:30-31): ‘A
wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land: the prophets
prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means, and my
people love to have it so. And what will you do in the end thereof?’
They handle holy
things rather with wit and dalliance than with fear and reverence. False
teachers are soul-undoers. They are like evil chirurgeons
[old
spelling of surgeon]
that
skin over the wound, but never heal it. Flattery undid Ahab and
Herod, Nero and Alexander. False teachers are hell’s greatest enrichers. Not bitter, but flattering words do all the mischief, said Valerian,
the Roman emperor. Such smooth teachers are sweet soul-poisoners
(Jeremiah 23:16-17).
II. False
Teachers are Dirt-Casters
[2.] The second
character. False teachers are notable in casting dirt, scorn, and
reproach upon the persons, names, and credits of Christ’s most faithful
ambassadors. Thus Korah, Dathan, and Abiram charged Moses and Aaron that they took
too much upon them, seeing all the congregation was holy (Numbers 16:3).
You take too much state, too much power, too much honor,
too much holiness upon you; for what are you more than
others, that you take so much upon you?
And so Ahab’s
false prophets fell foul on good Micaiah, paying of him with blows for
want of better reasons (I Kings 22:10-26). Yea, Paul, that great apostle
of the Gentiles, had his ministry undermined and his reputation blasted
by false teachers; ‘For his letters,’ say they ‘weighty and powerful,
but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible’ (2 Corinthians
10:10). They rather contemn him than admire him; they look upon him as a
dunce rather than a doctor.
And the same
hard measure had our Lord Jesus from the scribes and Pharisees, who labored
as for life to build their own credit upon the ruins of his reputation. And
never did the devil drive a more full trade this way then he does in
these days (Matthew 27:63). Oh! The dirt, the filth, the scorn
that is thrown upon those of whom the world is not worthy! I suppose
false teachers mind not that saying of Augustine: He
that willingly takes from my good name, unwillingly adds
to my reward.
III. False
Teachers are Vision-Vendors
[3.] The third character. False
teachers are venters of the devices and visions of their own heads
and hearts. (Jeremiah 14:14): ‘Then the Lord said unto me, The
prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have
I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto
you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit
of their heart’; chap. 23:16: ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts,
Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you;
they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and
not out of the mouth of the Lord.’
Are there not multitudes
in this nation whose visions are but golden delusions, lying vanities,
brainsick fantasies? These are Satan’s great benefactors, and
such as divine justice will hang up in hell as the greatest malefactors,
if the physicians of souls do not prevent it.
IV. False
Teachers are Gnat-Strainers
[4.] The fourth character. False
teachers easily pass over the great and weighty things both of law
and gospel, and stand most upon those things that are of the least
moment and concernment to the souls of men. (1 Timothy 1:5-7): ‘Now
the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a
good conscience, and of faith unfeigned; from which some having swerved,
have turned aside unto vain jangling, desiring to be teachers of the
law, and understand neither what they say nor whereof they affirm.’ (Matthew
23:2-3): ’Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye pay
tithe of mint, and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier
matters of the law, judgments, mercy, and faith; these ought ye to
have done, and not to leave the other undone.’
False teachers are
nice in the lesser things of the law, and as negligent in the greater.
(1 Timothy 6:3-5): ‘If any man teach otherwise, and consent not
to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to
the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing
nothing, but doting about questions and strife of words, whereof cometh
envy, strife, railings, evil surmising, perverse disputings of men
of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is
godliness: from such withdraw thyself.’ If such teachers are
not hypocrites in grain, I know nothing (Romans 2:22). The earth groans to bear them, and hell is fitted for them (Matthew 24:32).
V. False
Teachers are Speech-Makers
[5.] The fifth character. False
teachers cover and color their dangerous principles and soul-impostures
with very fair speeches and plausible pretences, with high notions
and golden expressions. Many in these days are bewitched and
deceived by the magnificent words, lofty strains, and stately terms
of deceivers, viz. illumination, revelation, deification, and fiery triplicity.
As strumpets paint
their faces and deck and perfume their beds, the better to allure and
deceive simple souls, so false teachers will put a great deal of paint
and garnish upon their most dangerous principles and blasphemies, that
they may the better deceive and delude poor ignorant souls. They
know sugared poison goes down sweetly; they wrap up their pernicious,
soul-killing pills in gold.
In the days of Hadrian,
the emperor, there was one Ben-Cosbi gathered a multitude of Jews together,
and called himself Ben-Cocuba, the son of a star, applying that promise
to himself (Numbers 24:17), but he proved Bar-chosaba, the son of a
lie. And so will all false teachers, for all their flourishes
prove at the last the sons of lies.
VI. False
Teachers are Argument-Makers
[6.] The sixth character. False
teachers strive more to win over men to their opinions, than to better
them in their conversations. (Matthew 23:15): ‘Woe unto
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land
to make one proselyte and when he is made, ye make him twofold more
the child of hell than yourselves.’
They busy themselves
most about men’s heads. Their work is not to better men’s hearts,
and mend their lives; and in this they are very much like their father,
the devil, who will spare no pains to gain proselytes.
VII. False
Teachers are Merchandise-Makers
[7.] The seventh
character. False teachers make merchandise of their followers
(2 Peter 2:1-3): ‘But there were false prophets also among the people,
even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall
bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them,
and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow
their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be
evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned
words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.’
They eye your goods
more than your good; and mind more the serving of themselves, than
the saving of your souls. So they may have your substance, they
care not though Satan has your souls (Revelation 18:11-13). That
they may the better pick your purse, they will hold forth such principles
as are very indulgent to the flesh. False teachers are the great
worshippers of the golden calf (Jeremiah 6:13).
Now, by these characters
you may know them, and so shun them, and deliver your souls out of
their dangerous snares; which that you may, my prayers shall meet yours
at the throne of grace.