AllwhichwaysHeusedalsointheNewTestament。TotheVirginMary，byavisionofanangel；toJoseph，inadream；againtoPaul，inthewaytoDamascusinavisionofourSaviour；andtoPeterinthevisionofasheetletdownfromheavenwithdiversesortsoffleshofcleananduncleanbeasts；andinprison，byvisionofanangel；andtoalltheApostlesandwritersoftheNewTestament，bythegracesofHisSpirit；andtotheApostlesagain，atthechoosingofMatthiasintheplaceofJudasIscariot，bylot。
Seeingthenallprophecysupposethvisionordreamwhichtwo，whentheybenatural，arethesame，orsomeespecialgiftofGodsorarelyobservedinmankindastobeadmiredwhereobserved；andseeingaswellsuchgiftsasthemostextraordinarydreamsandvisionsmayproceedfromGod，notonlybyHissupernaturalandimmediate，butalsobyhisnaturaloperation，andbymediationofsecondcauses；thereisneedofreasonandjudgementtodiscernbetweennaturalandsupernaturalgifts，andbetweennaturalandsupernaturalvisionsordreams。Andconsequentlymenhadneedtobeverycircumspect，andwary，inobeyingthevoiceofmanthat，pretendinghimselftobeaprophet，requiresustoobeyGodinthatwaywhichheinGod’snametellethustobethewaytohappiness。Forhethatpretendstoteachmenthewayofsogreatfelicitypretendstogovernthem；thatistosay，ruleandreignoverthem；whichisathingthatallmennaturallydesire，andisthereforeworthytobesuspectedofambitionandimposture；andconsequentlyoughtbeexaminedandtriedbyeverymanbeforeheyieldthemobedience，unlesshehaveyieldeditthemalreadyintheinstitutionofaCommonwealth；aswhentheprophetisthecivilsovereign，orbythecivilsovereignauthorized。Andifthisexaminationofprophetsandspiritswerenotallowedtoeveryoneofthepeople，ithadbeentonopurposetosetoutthemarksbywhicheverymanmightbeabletodistinguishbetweenthosewhomtheyought，andthosewhomtheyoughtnottofollow。Seeingthereforesuchmarksaresetouttoknowaprophetby，*andtoknowaspiritby；*2andseeingthereissomuchprophesyingintheOldTestament，andsomuchpreachingintheNewTestamentagainstprophets，andsomuchgreateranumberordinarilyoffalseprophetsthanoftrue；everyoneistobewareofobeyingtheirdirectionsattheirownperil。Andfirst，thatthereweremanymorefalsethantrueprophetsappearsbythis，thatwhenAhabconsultedfourhundredprophets，theywereallfalseimpostors，butonlyoneMicaiah。*3AndalittlebeforethetimeoftheCaptivitytheprophetsweregenerallyliars。“Theprophets，“saiththeLordbyJeremiah，“prophesyliesinmyname。Isentthemnot，neitherhaveIcommandedthem，norspakeuntothem：theyprophesytoyouafalsevision，athingofnaught，andthedeceitoftheirheart。“*4InsomuchasGodcommandedthepeoplebythemouthoftheprophetJeremiahnottoobeythem。“ThussaiththeLordofHosts，hearkennotuntothewordsoftheprophetsthatprophesytoyou。Theymakeyouvain：theyspeakavisionoftheirownheart，andnotoutofthemouthoftheLord。“*5
SeeingthentherewasinthetimeoftheOldTestamentsuchquarrelsamongstthevisionaryprophets，onecontestingwithanother，andasking，“Whendepartedthespiritfromme，togotothee？“asbetweenMicaiahandtherestofthefourhundred；andsuchgivingofthelietooneanother，asinJeremiah，14。14，andsuchcontroversiesinthenewTestamentthisdayamongstthespiritualprophets：everymanthenwas，andnowis，boundtomakeuseofhisnaturalreasontoapplytoallprophecythoseruleswhichGodhathgivenustodiscernthetruefromthefalse。Ofwhichrules，intheOldTestament，onewasconformabledoctrinetothatwhichMosesthesovereignprophethadtaughtthem；andtheother，themiraculouspowerofforetellingwhatGodwouldbringtopass，asIhavealreadyshownoutofDeuteronomy，13。1，etc。AndintheNewTestamenttherewasbutoneonlymark，andthatwasthepreachingofthisdoctrinethatJesusistheChrist，thatis，theKingoftheJews，promisedintheOldTestament。Whosoeverdeniedthatarticle，hewasafalseprophet，whatsoevermiracleshemightseemtowork；andhethattaughtitwasatrueprophet。ForSt。John，speakingexpresslyofthemeanstoexaminespirits，whethertheybeofGodornot，afterhehadtoldthemthattherewouldarisefalseprophets，saiththus，“HerebyknowyetheSpiritofGod。EveryspiritthatconfesseththatJesusChristiscomeintheflesh，isofGod“；*thatis，isapprovedandallowedasaprophetofGod：notthatheisagodlyman，oroneoftheelectforthisthatheconfesseth，professeth，orpreachethJesustobetheChrist，butforthatheisaprophetavowed。ForGodsometimesspeakethbyprophetswhosepersonsHehathnotaccepted；asHedidbyBaalam，andasHeforetoldSaulofhisdeathbytheWitchofEndor。
Againinthenextverse，“EveryspiritthatconfessethnotthatJesusChristiscomeintheflesh，isnotofChrist。AndthisisthespiritofAntichrist。“Sothattheruleisperfectruleisperfectonbothsides：thatheisatrueprophetwhichpreacheththeMessiahalreadycome，inthepersonofJesus；andheafalseonethatdeniethhimcome，andlookethforhiminsomefutureimpostorthatshalltakeuponhimthathonourfalsely，whomtheApostlethereproperlycallethAntichrist。Everymanthereforeoughttoconsiderwhoisthesovereignprophet；thatistosay，whoitisthatisGod’svicegerentonearth，andhathnextunderGodtheauthorityofgoverningChristianmen；andtoobserveforarulethatdoctrinewhichinthenameofGodhehathcommandedtobetaught，andtherebytoexamineandtryoutthetruthofthosedoctrineswhichpretendedprophets，withmiracleorwithout，shallatanytimeadvance：andiftheyfinditcontrarytothatrule，todoastheydidthatcametoMosesandcomplainedthatthereweresomethatprophesiedinthecampwhoseauthoritysotodotheydoubtedof；andleavetothesovereign，astheydidtoMoses，toupholdortoforbidthem，asheshouldseecause；andifhedisavowthem，thennomoretoobeytheirvoice，orifheapprovethem，thentoobeythemasmentowhomGodhathgivenapartofthespiritoftheirsovereign。ForwhenChristianmentakenottheirChristiansovereignforGod’sprophet，theymusteithertaketheirowndreamsfortheprophecytheymeantobegovernedby，andthetumouroftheirownheartsfortheSpiritofGod；ortheymustsufferthemselvestobeleadbysomestrangeprince，orbysomeoftheirfellowsubjectsthatcanbewitchthembyslanderofthegovernmentintorebellion，withoutothermiracletoconfirmtheircallingthansometimesanextraordinarysuccessandimpunity；
andbythismeansdestroyingalllaws，bothdivineandhuman，reduceallorder，government，andsocietytothefirstchaosofviolenceandcivilwar。
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