07. CHAPTER 6.
CHAPTER 6.
PRIDE AND VANITY OF MIND, SLOTH AND NEGLIGENCE, LOVE OF THE WORLD, CAUSES OF APOSTASY — THE WORK OF SATAN, AND JUDGMENTS OF GOD IN THIS MATTER.
III. The innate pride and vanity of people’s minds is another factor that predisposes them to apostasy from the profession of evangelical truth. In this regard, the purpose and work of the gospel is to "demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God," taught within, "taking captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ," 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. The human mind is naturally filled with high thoughts of itself and its abilities. The prevailing belief is that it is sufficient for all the purposes of its existence and all the duties of its situation without any special help or assistance from above. People not only naturally say, "With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?" Psalms 12:4 - claiming sovereignty over all their outward actions; but also, that nothing is or can or should be required of us that we don’t have the power within ourselves to comprehend, comply with, and perform. This belief has been contested in various forms and under different pretences throughout the history of the church. The real crux of all controversies surrounding the powers of nature and grace is this: on one hand, it is argued that the minds and wills of people are self-sufficient in terms of internal abilities for all duties of obedience necessary for eternal happiness; on the other hand, it is argued that we have no sufficiency of ourselves, but that all our sufficiency comes from God. See 2 Corinthians 3:5; 2 Corinthians 9:8. This principle, which arose directly from the pride that, in aiming to expand our self-sufficiency, ultimately led to the loss of what we had, has never been fully uprooted from the minds of the majority of professed Christians. In all things, the human mind seeks to be its own measure, guide, and rule, continually giving rise to these two problems:
It elevates its own ideas, which it loves, applauds, obsesses over, and clings to. This is the origin of heresy and has led to the birth, growth, and progress of error. "God created humans upright, but they have sought out many schemes," Ecclesiastes 7:29. Seeking out and exalting our own ideas in spiritual and religious matters is the most harmful consequence of our fall from the state of uprightness in which God created us.
It considers itself the sole and absolute judge of what is divinely proposed to it, determining whether it is true or false, good or evil, to be accepted or rejected, without any desire or expectation of supernatural guidance or assistance. Whatever does not conform to its own preconceived notions, it is prepared to ridicule and disdain.
What we now need to demonstrate is that where this pride and principle are dominant, where pride is not humbled by grace nor the principle eradicated by spiritual light, people can never receive the truths of the gospel in a proper manner and are ready to abandon them when they have, for a time, been led to profess them. This is because: The gospel, meaning the doctrines and truths it contains, is presented to us in the name and on the authority of God, bearing His image and inscription. It has impressions of divine wisdom, goodness, grace, holiness, and power upon it, revealing it as the "glorious gospel of the blessed God," 1 Timothy 1:11. Therefore, it should be received with holy reverence and a due sense of God’s glory, as His voice speaking to us from heaven. The apostle cautions us not to "refuse" or "turn away from him who speaks from heaven," Hebrews 12:25. Without this, the gospel will never be properly received, truly understood, or steadfastly believed. It is not to be accepted as "the word of humans, but as it is in truth, the word of God," 1 Thessalonians 2:13. It must be embraced with the mindset, submission, and subjection of the soul and conscience appropriate for mere mortals when dealing with the great and holy God, as expressed in Genesis 18:27. Jesus tells us that "unless we change and become like little children, we cannot enter the kingdom of God." Unless we deny ourselves and our own ideas, and become humble and teachable, we can never truly understand its mysteries. He showed the learned Pharisees that due to their pride, vanity, and hypocrisy, they could not perceive or comprehend the doctrine he taught.
God promises that He will teach the humble in judgement: "He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way," Psalms 25:9. "The Lord confides in those who fear Him; He makes His covenant known to them," verse 14. "Whom shall He teach knowledge? Whom shall He make understand doctrine? Those weaned from milk and taken from the breast," Isaiah 28:9. Unless people become like weaned children, as David claimed of himself in Psalms 131:2 when "his heart was not proud nor his eyes haughty," verse 1, God will not teach them. Therefore, nothing obstructs divine teachings more effectively than human pride, which is utterly incompatible with them. Hence, people approach the study of the gospel and its contents with carnal confidence in themselves, their intellectual abilities and the acuity of their own minds, without any particular awe or reverence for God, the source of the gospel. As a result, they assume themselves to be capable judges of the Holy Spirit’s intent in all divine revelations. Can anyone who has read the Scripture believe that this is the way to learn heavenly truth or benefit from God’s teachings? When we consider how most people learn the truth, it’s no surprise to see how easily they forget and abandon it. If truth ever finds its way into a soul whose mind is not humbled and whose desires are not subdued, it is an unwelcome guest and will be cast aside at the first opportunity. It’s true that we should use our utmost rational abilities to investigate sacred truth; however, if we follow the guidance of our own minds in this endeavour, perhaps delving into subtleties and nuances while abandoning humble reliance on God’s teachings, we may mistakenly assume we possess unique wisdom, leading ourselves into disastrous folly. This was the error that corrupted the efforts of the schoolmen, leaving them to become vain in their imaginations in the height of their inquiries. They rejected the approach of handling spiritual matters in a spiritual way, using the words taught by the Holy Spirit, and instead opted for curious, subtle reasoning and inventions of carnal, unsanctified minds. As a result, they corrupted, degraded, and distorted the Scripture’s teachings. Most of their disputes would never have arisen if Aristotle had not invented obscure terms and distinctions, far removed from the common understanding and reason of wiser men than himself. These scholars never considered inquiring into divine revelation with a holy, humble heart, waiting and praying for divine teaching and illumination of the mind, so that they might gain wisdom in the knowledge of the gospel’s mysteries and instruct others in the knowledge and fear of God. Instead, they were filled with a conceit of their own intellectual abilities, philosophical prowess, and disputing skills, and they tackled Christian religion with boldness, reshaping it according to their own imaginations. In doing so, they dressed it up in foolish terms of art, and under the guise of extraordinary subtlety, they completely corrupted it and led people away from the simplicity of the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. This proud, self-confident generation of men left no article of religion unaltered, making it impossible for anyone to understand it without first becoming a better student of Aristotle than of Christ. To believe and teach Scripture’s doctrine with sound reason and judgement, and to influence people’s minds and consciences in the way Scripture does, without their philosophical notions, subtleties, and distinctions, was, for them, to be considered a heretic or a fool. Through the pride, confidence, and supposed subtlety of these men, religion was completely corrupted, and the source of sanctuary waters was poisoned. Even the truth that remained among them was so debased, stripped of its native heavenly glory, beauty, and majesty, and rendered so deformed and unsuited to the spiritual light in which it can only be usefully discerned, that it became entirely useless and ineffective for its intended purposes. We are never in greater danger of withdrawing ourselves from God’s teachings than when we rely on our own understanding in our inquiries into spiritual matters, forgetting the humble, lowly mindset that is essential for proper learning and teaching. This is one way in which, through the innate pride of their minds, people are hindered from accepting and inclined to abandon the truths of the gospel.
Again, it’s agreed that there is nothing proposed in the gospel that contradicts reason, as reason is the appropriate understanding and measure of things as they are in their own nature. This is because the gospel itself is the principal external effect of God’s wisdom, which has given all things their natures, properties, and measures. However, there are aspects revealed in the gospel that are beyond the comprehension of human reason. This isn’t due to the accidental corruption of our nature but the essential limitations of our understanding. There are, indeed, divine mysteries in the gospel that we can understand in terms of their revelation, but we cannot fully comprehend the nature of these mysteries themselves. Reason itself must acknowledge this limitation, as it knows it is finite and restricted. How can we fully comprehend the infinite or all the effects of infinite wisdom?
"Can we discover the depths of God by searching? Can we find the limits of the Almighty? It is as high as the heavens; what can we do? Deeper than hell; what can we know? Its measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea," Job 11:7-9. These mysteries surpass the natural and appropriate objects of our understanding, and we cannot fully grasp them. In this context, human reason has no choice but to humbly accept the revelations that are made.
Additionally, there are aspects of the gospel that are unsuited or even contradictory to reason as it is corrupted. Reason is now not only limited and finite, but also impaired, depraved, and corrupted. To deny this is to deny the fundamental principle and assumption that the gospel is based on – that Jesus Christ came into the world to restore and repair our nature. In this state, our reason is not only incapable of discerning and judging spiritual matters properly but is also prone to creating vain imaginations and being preoccupied with countless prejudices contrary to the teachings and requirements of the gospel. Whatever our minds perceive or create in this manner, we tend to consider as valid acts and effects of reason as any other exercise or capability.
Regarding both the weakness of reason as it is finite and limited, and the depravation of reason as it is corrupted, the aim of the gospel is to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of faith. To this end: As for the former, the gospel requires people to believe in things beyond their reason, solely based on the authority of divine revelation. They must believe in things that "no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the human heart to conceive;" they are only "revealed to us by the Spirit," 1 Corinthians 2:9-10. The gospel doesn’t allow for questioning how certain things can be, which were spoken by the Lord. We may inquire into the meaning of the revelation but cannot fully comprehend the things revealed. "We don’t need curiosity after Jesus Christ, nor investigation after the gospel; when we believe, we desire nothing more than to believe, for this is what we first believe, that there is nothing more we should believe," Tertullian. When the wise, the scribes, and the debaters of this world refused to submit to this principle, guided by their reason, they descended into the most irrational unreasonableness, judging God’s wisdom to be foolish and his power to be weak, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25. It is an unprecedented act of atheism that some in our days (who still want to be considered Christians) have undertaken, attempting to elevate philosophy or human reason to a position of authority over all divine revelations. Nothing should be assumed to be contained in them unless it is measurable by reason’s principles and rules. Anything claiming to be beyond reason, they argue, should be rejected, essentially claiming that human reason is infinite, or that God’s wisdom and understanding are finite and limited. Therefore, concerning the things revealed in the gospel, because many of them are absolutely beyond the comprehension of our minds or reason, reason is not the judge of them but serves faith only in bearing witness to them; for "the things of a man are known by the spirit of man within him; but the things of God, no one knows except the Spirit of God," 1 Corinthians 2:11. In short, asserting that we can be obliged to believe only what we can comprehend, or nothing other than what we can fully understand in itself, or that we may reject what is genuinely above reason under the assumption that it is contrary to reason, is to renounce the gospel and, along with it, all divine revelations. This is spoken not of reason as it is corrupted but merely as it is human reason, finite and limited. As the gospel proposes to people things that are beyond their comprehension in terms of infinite, spiritual, and heavenly matters, assuming their reason to be pure and uncorrupted, only allowing it to be finite and limited; it also prescribes things contrary to our natural conceptions or reason as it is depraved within us concerning the obedience of faith that it requires. The natural conceptions of our minds about religious duties and the way of living for God are all in line with the covenant of works, as they are the effects of the remnants of that light which directed us to walk with God in that manner. However, the arrangement of things in the covenant of grace is diametrically opposed to this, and their accounts will never mix, Romans 11:6. Indeed, the carnal mind – that is, reason as it is corrupted – acts in contradiction to the will of God as revealed in the gospel with enmity and hatred, Romans 8:7. As for the duties that are in line with the light of nature, the gospel alters them with respect to the mediation of Christ and the efficiency of the Holy Spirit, to the extent that corrupted reason rejects them, considering them foreign to its conceptions. Corrupted reason can approve of the duties themselves but not of their relation to Jesus Christ, to which they are directed by the gospel. This is why those who claimed an absolute sovereignty of their own reason in the past, accepting nothing as truth but what complied with its dictates, were the slowest to receive and the quickest to oppose the mysteries of the gospel. Because some aspects were beyond their reason and more were contrary to it as it is corrupted, they regarded them as foolish and thus despised them. The apostle discusses and documents this in 1 Corinthians 1:2. This was particularly true among those who, in addition to the general "darkening of their foolish hearts" due to vain imaginations, had adopted a specific philosophical sect that was highly regarded among the wise people of the world. They believed and upheld all the maxims of their sect as the absolute dictates of right reason, even though most of them were foolish fantasies, either inherited through tradition or sophistically imposed on their understandings. Consequently, they considered anything contrary to or inconsistent with these principles to be against reason and therefore dismissed it. Many Christians today exhibit similar behaviour, using the traditional principles of their sect or group as the rule for examining everything proposed to them in religion. Although the majority of philosophers and wise people in Athens rejected the apostle’s doctrine, none were as quick and fierce in their opposition to him or as contemptuously proud in their criticism as the Epicureans and Stoics, Acts 17:18. The reason for this was that the doctrine he taught was directly opposed to the maxims of their particular sects. The Epicureans denied the providence of God in the governance of the world, the existence of human souls after death, and all eternal rewards or punishments, making it impossible for them to accept any part of the apostle’s doctrine without renouncing all their impious beliefs and thus destroying their sect. The Stoics, on the other hand, believed that people should seek all happiness and blessedness within themselves and from things within their power, considering themselves entirely self-sufficient for that purpose. Everything the apostle taught about the mediation of Christ and the grace of God through him was also directly opposed to this principle. As a result, these two sects opposed him in a unique way, not only due to the pride and darkness inherent in human minds and the elevation of corrupted reason above its proper place and dignity but also due to the prejudiced opinions to which they clung on the basis of their sects’ reputations as being the assured dictates of right reason in general. When some such individuals later adopted a profession of the gospel based on a general conviction of its truth, they were the ones who corrupted its main mysteries with their futile philosophy, as the apostle suggests in Colossians 2:8. Tertullian similarly observed, "Heresies are fostered by philosophy. From it come the Æons, forms, and other notions, as well as the human trinity of Valentinus, who had been a Platonist. From it came Marcion’s better God of tranquillity, derived from the Stoics; and the idea that the soul perishes, observed among the Epicureans; and the denial of the restoration of the flesh, taken from the school of all philosophers."
We can apply these concepts to our present purpose. The aim of the gospel, in all its specific truths and mysteries, is to bring every thought into submission to the obedience of faith. This is why we have the direction which human instinct will never adhere to: "If any of you think you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise," 1 Corinthians 3:18. Unless people renounce their worldly wisdom, in all its principles, effects, and actions, they will never gain the wisdom that comes from above; and anyone who doesn’t know what it means to become a fool in this sense has never been wise towards God. As a result, when individuals adopt the outward profession of the gospel, they start to discover, upon inquiry, that the mysteries and principles of its teachings don’t fit with the natural pride of their minds and conflict with the absolute sovereignty they want to give to their own reason. In response, various alternatives are sought to throw off the burden of faith and re-establish reason in its place; not that people abandon faith with this explicit intention, but it is the hidden motivation driving them. Consequently, most of those who abandon the truth on this basis are those who, trusting too readily in their own rational abilities and lacking the will, humility, or diligence to properly examine the foundations and reasons for the truth, end up following the guidance and teachings of others who have devised opinions better suited to the inherent pride of their minds and worldly reasoning. Some, through an overzealous pursuit of their own rational faculties in spiritual matters, having removed their minds from the humble state in which they are capable of divine teaching, also fall into the same mistake. All ancient heresies sprang from this root; even those that were most absurd and foolish, and most directly opposed to sound reason, arose from a claim to it. When people insist that reason must have absolute supremacy in religion, it is unavoidable that they will assume their own reason is the one intended, and it is easy to imagine how some might be led by this belief into very foolish notions, unless we suppose all people to be equally wise and sensible.
I will briefly illustrate these concepts with one example, focusing on a prevalent deviation from the truth that is currently gaining ground in the world; this is the case of Socinianism. I provide this example because its influence is particularly potent when it encounters the mindset previously described and is more widespread than many realise. Although the name is generally condemned and some opinions under its umbrella are incompatible with the interests of the majority, all the deviations from the truth that we see among us, under various labels, stem from this corrupt source. In fact, the entirety of Socinianism is a system of ideas craftily tailored to the initial notions and perceptions of corrupted reason and the inherent pride of people’s minds who, in any capacity, acknowledge divine revelation. Upon first hearing these ideas, those who are not prepared and fortified against them through a spiritual experience of the excellence, power, and efficacy of the gospel’s mysteries readily embrace them, as they cater to all the corrupt desires and worldly reasoning of their minds. As previously noted, there are two types of concepts in the doctrines of the gospel: 1) Those that are beyond the comprehension and scope of reason in its best state, as it is in us limited and confined; 2) Those that are contrary to it when corrupted and depraved. This type of apostasy can be categorised under these two headings.
Those who follow this path absolutely reject what is above reason and incomprehensible to it. Examples include the doctrines of the Trinity and the incarnation of the Son of God. Because the ideas taught in these doctrines are not comprehensible to their reason, they conclude that they are opposed to sound reason. Other people also refuse these doctrines as they do not align with the inner light within them; they cannot accept the existence of the divine nature in three distinct persons or the union of the divine and human natures in one person. These ideas, so thoroughly, so plainly, and so frequently revealed and asserted in the Scriptures, and so attested by the early universal church, are rejected for no other reason than that they are against reason. The only basis for this claim is that they are beyond reason. When these individuals have confounded themselves with Nicodemus’ question, "How can these things be?" they categorically deny their existence simply because they cannot grasp the manner of it.
Regarding those things that are contrary to reason when corrupted, these individuals distort and manipulate them to comply with their own beliefs. They deal this way with the doctrines of the attributes of God, His eternal decrees, the role and mediation of Christ, justification by His righteousness, the power and efficacy of the Holy Spirit’s grace in the conversion of sinners, and the resurrection of the dead. Because they cannot bring their corrupted and depraved reason to agree with these truths, they will force, twist, and contort the truths themselves to make them subservient to their own reasoning or their worldly understanding of spiritual matters. They accept the words, terms, and propositions in which these truths are expressed but impose absurd interpretations on them, which are destructive to faith and contrary to the overall purpose and intent of the Scriptures. In this way, they attempt to subjugate every divine revelation to the bondage of their own distorted reasoning and imagination.
It is therefore evident that this type of apostasy stems from nothing other than the pride of people’s minds, which refuse to accept the evangelical truths based solely on the authority of divine revelation when they are beyond reason as it is limited or contrary to it when corrupted. On these terms, the gospel cannot maintain its position, nor will it relinquish its prerogative by subjecting itself to be tested by these uncertain standards or weighed in these uneven, unstable balances. Only the humble, the meek, and the teachable – those who are willing to surrender their understanding to the obedience of faith – are the ones with whom the gospel will remain and endure.
However, it may be argued that this is just one private heresy with no significant influence or acceptance in the world, and thus there is no risk of it contributing to a more widespread defection. This might be how it appears to many, but I must admit that I have a different perspective, for two reasons:
One reason is the daily progress it makes by adding new, bold, and arrogant ideas to those it has already successfully promoted. In pursuit of the same principles as those held by people of this persuasion, many are beginning to submit the Scripture and everything it contains to the judgment and verdict of their own reason. This is the true form and spirit of Socinianism, visibly asserting itself with more than ordinary confidence. They accept what aligns with their reason, and what doesn’t, even if it is affirmed a hundred times in the Scripture, they reject as easily and confidently as if they were mere human imaginings. Both books written for this purpose and common discussions among many fully attest to this increase in human pride. Anyone who doesn’t see that the next step is outright atheism is not paying attention. This is the pit into which such glaring displays of pride ultimately fall. Many defend themselves with the false and foolish pretence that all those they disagree with are fanatical enemies of reason when, in fact, they give reason all the credit it deserves from anyone who believes in divine revelation and does not completely deny the corruption of human nature by the fall. The poison of these principles is widespread in the world. It is for this reason that all those gospel doctrines containing any spiritual mystery or constituent principles of the covenant of grace, which are not entirely reconcilable to corrupt and carnal reason, are so burdened with contempt and ridicule by many that merely expressing support for them exposes one to accusations of being "ignorant, irrational, and foolish." Such doctrines include eternal predestination, total corruption of human nature concerning spiritual matters due to the fall, the power and efficacy of God’s grace in the conversion of sinners, the nature and necessity of regeneration, union with Christ, justification by the imputation of His righteousness, the nature of internal, inherent righteousness or evangelical holiness, the need for continuous spiritual support for all acts of obedience, the power of the Holy Spirit in demonstrating the divine authority of the Scriptures, and several others. Many cannot see the reason for accepting these things or cannot understand the rationale behind them. Therefore, although they are clearly and plainly declared in the Scriptures, they are mocked and rejected by a significant number of people to the point where the very names of these doctrines have become contemptible. But why all this scorn and severity? People would do well to consider that not long ago, all the bishops of England acknowledged these doctrines as articles of faith, which are now so ridiculed. While they are not obligated by any divine command to share the same beliefs simply because they were once held by these bishops, they might be bound by the laws of the land not to renounce the ancient doctrines of the church and are certainly bound by the laws of Christian modesty and sobriety not to vilify and scorn the doctrines they once held and all who profess them. But some people find it sufficient reason to detest any religious principles if they seem incompatible with their reason, even if that reason is clearly corrupted by prejudice and weakened by ignorance. They refuse to accept that there can be consistency between the unchangeability of God’s decrees and the freedom of our wills; that justification by the blood of Christ does not make our own obedience unnecessary; that the efficacy of God’s grace and the necessity of our duty can be reconciled. In doing so, they appear to rely on two principles as their security, without which they have no foundation to build upon:
(1.) The belief that their individual reasoning is the same as right reason in general and that whatever respect is due to one is also due to the other. It would be helpful if prejudices, corrupt affections, and significant ignorance did not frequently reveal themselves among this group of people. Not only that, but some of them display a lifestyle that no one who believes in the Scriptures would consider consistent with divine teachings. However, it has come to pass that the humility, meekness, self-doubt, and conscientious fear of sinning and practice of holiness, which the word of God deems so necessary for those who want to learn the truth as it is in Jesus, are completely disregarded by many who are puffed up with the belief in their own ability to know everything.
(2.) The belief that there is no time or instance in which our seemingly most rational thoughts should be submitted to the obedience of faith; yet without this, there can be no true knowledge of God’s mind in the gospel. It would be easy to guess where such principles would lead people in their religious beliefs if experience didn’t make guessing unnecessary in this case.
Therefore, this pride of people’s minds, refusing to bow or subject themselves to the authority of divine revelation and aiming to exalt themselves in their intellectual and moral abilities, has always been a significant principle of opposition to and apostasy from evangelical truth. It has never been more widespread than in the days we live in. Besides openly spawning a whole range of errors that some entire sects embrace, it spreads its effects among all types of people professing Christianity. A humble submission of mind and conscience to the authority of God in His word, which alone will be found to answer the experience of believers, is the only protection against this problem. We can and should pray for this, not only for ourselves but also for those who hardly believe that God gives anything spiritual and supernatural to people’s souls in a way that the effect depends on the efficiency of grace and not on their own wills.
Along with this pride, we can include the vanity and curiosity that exist in people’s minds. The Apostle Paul identifies these under the outward sign and effect of "itching ears" (2 Timothy 4:3), which indicates an inclination and craving for new, vain, and curious things. Under the power of these affections, people "cannot endure sound doctrine" and will not remain in the simplicity of the gospel. They don’t know how to be wise with moderation and keep their speculations about spiritual things within the limits of modesty. Instead, they constantly intrude into things they haven’t seen, being vainly puffed up by their own fleshly minds (Colossians 2:18). This curiosity has produced many needless, vain opinions, subtle, complex, philosophical debates and distinctions, which some have filled religion with. The unrestrained vanity of mind also leads to the levity and inconstancy seen in many people, making them "tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine" that blows upon them, from the "cunning tricks of men who lie in wait to deceive." To all of these, we can add carnal pride and ambition (when the external affairs of the church or the profession of religion are associated with such worldly benefits of wealth, honour, and authority, as to provoke envy and rivalry among people with earthly mindsets). These factors have not only caused many scandalous actions in religion, but have also been the origin and cause of numerous heresies.
IV. Careless security and baseless confidence can lead people into apostasies from the gospel when unexpected trials befall them. To provide evidence for this, we may consider the following points: The Holy Spirit has sufficiently warned us that defections and backslidings from the truth would occur among its followers. This has been clearly demonstrated in the specific instances of such warnings and predictions previously mentioned. In the word, there is a strong application of all these warnings to us and our responsibilities. Hence, there are numerous exhortations and instructions to "watch," "stand firm in the faith," and "be strong and act like men" in this matter. Only diligent attention to all gospel duties and vigorous practice of all gospel graces will preserve us if we are to believe the Scripture. As for those who despise these things, it does not matter at all what religion they follow.
We are foretold and warned about the significant danger that will confront the followers of the gospel when such a season of apostasy comes upon them. The means of this danger will be so powerful that many will be deceived, and if it were possible, even the elect themselves (Matthew 24:11; Matthew 24:24). Such a season is an "hour of temptation that comes on the whole world, to test those who live on the earth" (Revelation 3:10); and the dreadful outcome for those who fall under its power, in their utter and eternal destruction, is presented to us in many instances.
It is also clearly suggested that such a period of widespread defection from the truth will be a time of great security among the majority of professed Christians. Churches will be asleep, and people will cry, "Peace, peace," when that day comes as a snare.
We are not, therefore, left without sufficient warning in this case, both about the certainty of our trial, the importance of our involvement, and the danger of complacency. Despite all these means of encouraging a vigorous attention to our situation, danger, and duty, it is evident to every discerning eye how dangerously complacent the majority of gospel followers are regarding this issue and its consequences. Nothing can awaken them to consider their own state, even though their neighbours’ houses are set ablaze from hell. Love of the world, with prosperity and ease on one hand, or the cares and businesses of it on the other, so occupy the minds of people that they do not feel any involvement in these matters. We may briefly consider the various ways this complacency manifests its effectiveness in predisposing people to apostasy when they encounter its causes:
(1.) It does so by possessing and overpowering them with a proud, careless, and supine negligence. People hear of this issue and the danger of it, but like Gallio, they "care for none of these things." They are unaware of any involvement they have in them or any need to prepare against them. To some others, perhaps, these things may apply, but not to them at all. Those who would impress these matters on their minds and consciences are viewed as individuals pointlessly insistent, or troubled with baseless suspicions and fears. If there is any danger concerning religion, they have no doubt that sooner or later, provision will be made against it by law. However, as for any special duty incumbent on themselves concerning their own souls, they know nothing of it and will not consider it. Had the world not been asleep in this complacency, had people not been entirely indifferent to their interest in the truth, it would not have been possible for religion to become so utterly corrupted as it was in the Papacy, and yet so few take any notice of it. In certain periods, God raised among them witnesses for the truth, who not only declared and professed it but also sealed their confession with their blood. However, the majority of Christians were so far from being prompted by this to consider their own involvement and duty, that they opposed and persecuted them to destruction as disturbers of public tranquillity. The situation is no different today. Many complain of, and even more fear, a defection from the gospel. It is also evident how much the doctrine of it is already corrupted by some who previously professed it. Instances of as significant apostasies as the name of Christianity can tolerate are multiplying among us, and yet how few are there that pay any attention to these matters or even consider what their duty or danger is during such a time!
(2.) Complacency works and is effective through a wicked indifference concerning all things in religion. People under the power of this complacency do not see, nor want to understand, nor can be made aware of the difference between truth and error, piety and superstition, so as to value one more than the other. "It is all religion, and it is no more than that. If individuals switch from one path to another, so long as they do not completely renounce Jesus Christ, they may be saved in the way they choose." The profession of such individuals adapts to all circumstances, and an apostasy from the mysteries of the gospel will be seen as a useful compromise with opportunity.
We do not judge people or groups of people regarding their eternal state and condition based on their outward religious profession, unless they are openly idolatrous or flagrantly immoral in their lives. Only God knows the relationship between them and their souls. The creation of churches (as the Church of Rome) according to people’s thoughts, whims, opinions, or interests, and then confining salvation to them, is a result of pride and folly, as contradictory to the gospel as anything that can be imagined. However, there is a significant difference to be made between apostates and others. "It would be better if people had never known the way of righteousness than to turn away from the holy command after knowing it." Those who have been educated in the truth of the gospel and have professed it are mostly driven by such corrupt principles, influenced by such corrupt desires, and demonstrate such ingratitude against the Lord Jesus Christ in their defection, "denying the Lord that bought them," that they put a unique character and mark upon themselves. Although we will not judge anyone, it is our duty to remind people of the danger that comes with such apostasies. The apostle Paul explicitly tells the Galatians that, upon their acceptance of legal ceremonies and falling from the grace of the gospel in the one point of justification, "Christ should profit them nothing," or they would have no benefit from what they still retained in the profession of the gospel (Galatians 5:2-6). Regarding those carried away by the "strong delusion" of the grand apostasy foretold in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12, he plainly says that "they shall be damned" (verse 12). Peter also affirms that those who introduce "damnable heresies" bring upon themselves and those who follow their destructive ways "swift destruction" (2 Peter 2:1-2). The Scripture provides little support for this effect of cursed complacency.
(3.) It also operates through false confidence. Most people think, like Peter and with no better basis than he had (or even not as good, as they are not aware of as much sincerity as he had), that even if all others abandon the truth and purity of religion, they will not do so. However, they do not understand at all what it means to be preserved during a time of temptation, nor what is required for it. They disdain the idea of falling away and yet they scorn all the means by which they could be protected from doing so. Tell them that they need the power of God for their preservation, the intercession of Christ, the constant support of the Spirit, an experience of the goodness and efficacy of the truth, and the benefits their own souls have received from it; and that to achieve this, they must watch, pray, and live in constant attendance to all evangelical duties; and they either despise them all due to their pride, or neglect them due to their spiritual laziness that they have succumbed to. People like these, if they encounter anything that challenges their confidence, fall at once under the power of the next temptation they face.
Therefore, as the majority of professed Christians are influenced, in one way or another, by this dreadful complacency, it is no wonder if they are caught off guard and swept away from their profession by deceivers, or if they will be easily carried down the current when they encounter a general inclination towards defection.
V. Love for this present world and its fleeting satisfactions betrays countless souls into frequent apostasies from the gospel. The apostle Paul assures us of this in the example of Demas: 2 Timothy 4:10, "Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world." And as he abandoned the apostle, he also abandoned the work of the ministry, and possibly Christianity altogether. I will not dwell on the love of the world that operates through greed in the course of people’s lives, although this too is a means of predisposing them to apostasy; for our Saviour asserts that the "seed that falls among thorns is choked," – the word that is received by people whose hearts are filled with the cares of this present world never comes to the perfection of fruit-bearing. I will only mention two situations in which the predominance of this love in people’s hearts leads to a multiplication of apostates from the truth. The first is that of persecution, in which the followers compared by our Saviour to the rocky ground quickly fall away. "Such people," he says, "have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, they are offended," Matthew 13:20-21. The first thing that persecution attacks in people’s minds is their worldly interests; their wealth, houses, land, and possessions are put at risk by it. These individuals might be willing to follow Christ for a while, like the young man in the gospel; but when they hear that everything they have will be at risk and perhaps must be given up, they leave with sorrow. They might be sad for a while to abandon the word or doctrine they previously received with joy, as in Matthew 13:20, but the love of the world overcomes all other considerations, and they depart. Such seasons have driven countless people from the truth, and no nation has had greater experience of this than our own during the days of Queen Mary. I pray that we never face another trial like that and hope it is unlikely to happen again! The other situation when love of the world leads people to this fatal error is when and where superstition and error reign supreme. We can observe some foreign nations where the gospel once held significant influence, especially among the nobility who were obedient to the faith. However, the supreme power of those nations remained in the hands of those who adhered to the Roman Catholic faith, and with it the allocation of authority, wealth, and honour, those vain illusions of the world and idols of corrupted minds. It is evident what impact this has had on religious beliefs, as most descendants of those great and truly noble individuals who once professed the Protestant faith have in many places reverted to the old apostasy. Their minds, filled with love for this world and driven by ambition in pursuit of their desires, found the path to worldly honour and wealth closed to those who would steadfastly adhere to the truth. As a result, they have generally sacrificed their convictions, consciences, and souls to this dominant lust. A situation like this is more to be feared than persecution itself. Many possess a courageous determination not to be forcefully driven from their beliefs and professions, but when these cursed temptations are laid before people, with various pretexts to suppress their consciences and advantages to maintain their reputation, there is no stopping the torrent of their love for this world. The warmth of the sun caused a man to cast away his garment, which the blustering wind only wrapped tighter around him. The rays of power, in the form of honours and favours, have led more people to abandon their religion in neighbouring nations than persecution ever could. Therefore, as long as the world rules people’s minds, as long as it is made their idol, and as long as hopes of advancement and fears of loss are the primary emotions steering their lives, the profession of the truth stands on very uncertain and unstable ground. Thus, while we see that the minds of many are under the influence of this lust, the only assurance we can have of their continued profession of the truth is their not being led into either of the temptations mentioned.
I won’t focus on other corrupted affections of people’s minds. The truth is, there is no one prevalent desire, no single dominant sin, no spiritual or moral disorder indulged in, but it disposes the soul first to undervalue and then to relinquish the truth when opportunities arise.
VI. Satan’s hand is in this matter. He was the head of the first apostasy from God. Having himself fallen away from the position and order in the obedient part of creation where he was made, his first task (and he did it effectively) was to draw humanity into the guilt of the same crime and rebellion. Ever since the revelation of the means of recovery for humankind (from which he was justly excluded), he has pursued the same design towards all to whom that way of recovery is proposed. In this way, he quickly led the whole ancient world, for the most part, into idolatry. Since God has been pleased to make known the way of life and salvation through Jesus Christ, Satan’s two main objectives and works in the world have been to prevent people from accepting the gospel and to lead them astray once they have accepted it. He managed the first in two ways: firstly, by stirring up violent, bloody persecutions against those who professed it, to deter others from engaging in the same path; and secondly, by blinding people’s eyes and filling them with prejudices against the truth, as the Apostle explains in 2 Corinthians 4:4. The specific ways and means by which he carried out this first design, in both its aspects, are not relevant to our current inquiry. Failing in this, his main objective in the world has been and continues to be corrupting people’s minds about the truth and drawing them away from it, either partially or completely. So the Apostle hints in 2 Corinthians 11:3, "I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve through his cunning, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." It was the serpent who deceived Eve, but who is it that the Apostle is concerned that the Corinthians might have their minds corrupted by, from the simplicity that is in Christ, meaning by false doctrine, or, as it were, "another gospel," as he says in verse 4? It was the same serpent, both directly and through his agents, as he makes clear in verses 14 and 15. And he compares his attempt to lead followers away from the gospel to his attempt on Eve, by which he began the apostasy from God in the state of nature. The terms of the covenant were proposed to our first parents in the prohibition of eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the warning attached to it; and he deceived Eve by corrupting the warning with his false interpretation of it, thereby corrupting her mind. The terms of the covenant of grace are proposed to us mainly in the promises of the gospel, which are at the heart of the entire doctrine. These, then, he strives by all means to distort, in opposition to the wisdom and grace of God in them. In this way, he hopes to lead people away from the simplicity that is in Christ, or the plain declaration of God’s will in the gospel, to false and foolish imaginings of his own suggestion. And what a role he was to play in the great apostasy the Apostle foretells in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11. There was to be the working of Satan in it, and powerful or effective delusions leading to belief in lies, all of which come from him, who is the father of lies. So people departed from the faith by "paying attention to deceitful spirits," 1 Timothy 4:1, — that is, to the devil and his agents. It would be too long a digression to delve into a particular inquiry of how, by what ways and means, Satan prevails with people to turn them away from the truth and towards fables. How he blinds their minds, how he inflames their desires, how he presents opportunities, how he suggests temptations with false and corrupt reasonings; what disguises and excuses he puts on his designs when he transforms himself into an angel of light; with what power, signs, and lying wonders he gives credibility to his delusions; how he works on the minds of seducers, how on the minds of those who are to be seduced; how he stirs up persecution against the truth and its profession — all of this would require a discourse longer than the entirety of what this is intended to be. It may suffice to know that he is neither weary nor lacking in any of the numerous opportunities that are afforded to him. He is at work in all places today; in some, wreaking havoc on the churches; in others, through various tricks and schemes, filling people’s minds with prejudices against the truth and leading them away from it.
Lastly, God does not observe all these things as an unconcerned spectator. Indeed, he is "not tempted with evil"; he tempts no one, he seduces no one; but he governs them all and overrules all events for his own glory. He will not allow people to first undervalue and despise, and then reject and abandon, the greatest of his mercies, such as his word and truth, without responding with some acts of his severity. Therefore, when people, due to the corrupt principles mentioned, seduced by the desires of their own hearts, and entangled by the deceit of Satan, abandon the truth, God, in his holy, righteous judgment, gives them up to further delusions, so that they shall complete their apostasy and grow stubborn in it until their destruction. When a people, a nation, a church, or private individuals have received the gospel and the profession of it, not living accordingly, God may abandon them and withdraw from them the means of their edification and preservation. The rule of his continued presence with any people or church, concerning the external dispensation of his providence and the means of grace, is that expressed in 2 Chronicles 15:2, "The LORD is with you while you are with him; and if you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you." He judicially forsakes those who wilfully forsake him.
God may be forsaken by people in one way, and he may righteously forsake them in another. For example; under the profession of the truth, people may give themselves up to all ungodliness and unrighteousness, to a shameful course of life in all abominations, thus holding the truth captive in unrighteousness. In this case, God often, as a form of punishment, gives people up to apostasy from the truth they have professed, to show that he will not always have it exploited for the desires of people. So the apostle speaks expressly in 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12. Although they received the truth in the profession of it, they did not love it; they did not yield obedience to it but took pleasure in sin: therefore, God arranged things so that they would also reject the truth itself and believe lies, leading to their own destruction. At present, there lies the danger of a total and disastrous apostasy. Numerous people, the majority of all sorts, the body of the people, still agree with and profess the truth; but, alas! what are the lives and behaviours of many under that profession? How do all kinds of sins abound among us! The profession of the truth by quite a few is the greatest dishonour and discredit that can be cast upon it. The best service many can do it is by forsaking it and declaring that belief in it is inconsistent with their wretched wicked lives. And may we not justly fear that such people may soon be given up, by one means or another, to "strong delusion, to believe a lie," leading to their just damnation? And on the other hand, God sometimes gives people up to sins and wickedness in practice, because of the rejection of the truth they have received. So he dealt with those who did not appreciate those notions of truth they had concerning him, his being and his providence, from the light of nature, Romans 1:28. And so he usually deals with all apostates. If they choose to forsake the truth, they shall forsake righteousness and holiness, which are the proper fruits of it, and be given up to all abominable lusts and practices.
We may therefore inquire into the ways and means by which God punishes and avenges the beginnings of wilful apostasy from the gospel, so that people complete them and become stubborn in them, leading to their eternal destruction. God does this through the following means:
First, by removing his candlestick from among them. The Lord Jesus threatens his backsliding church with this in Revelation 2:5. God will, one way or another, deprive them of the light and means of knowledge of the truth, so that ignorance and darkness cover them and irresistibly increase upon them. Some of the instruments of light may be taken away by death, and some may be subject to prejudices; the gifts of the Spirit may be restrained or withheld from others, so they experience darkness in their vision, and "the sword of the LORD shall be upon their right eye, that it shall be completely dried up." In this situation, the minds of apostates, already inclined to backslide, are increasingly filled with prejudices against the truth due to their ignorance and darkness and become more alienated from it. As they lose the knowledge and faith of any part of the truth, their minds are possessed by what is opposite to it.
Secondly, in this condition, God "sends them strong delusion, so they may believe a lie," as mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:11. God is, as it were, now resolved on the end of these individuals – what they have righteously deserved; and therefore, he makes use of any means, as it is merely penal, to bring them to that point. As by the former act of his displeasure, he took the knowledge of his truth from them, so by this he gives them up irrecoverably to adhere to lies. They will not only profess it but believe it, which is the cruellest slavery the mind of a person is capable of. Now, God’s sending "strong delusion, so they may believe a lie," consists of the following aspects:
Handing them over to the power of Satan. He is the grand deceiver, the one who misleads the souls of people, the original source of lies, whose main goal is to gain the faith and agreement of individuals. Satan is always ready to carry out this work, but God chooses to limit, control, and restrain him concerning those who are still under his special care. However, when it comes to these apostates, God removes all barriers around them and, through his effective permission, allows Satan to act to the fullest extent in deceiving them. This was the situation during the papal apostasy, when Satan had deceived people, seemingly to the satisfaction of his extreme malice. To demonstrate his absolute success, he seemed to make a mockery of the deluded souls of individuals. There was nothing so foolish and absurd that he didn’t impose on their gullibility. Numerous volumes cannot contain the tales of ridiculous follies that he imposed on the minds of the unfortunate deceived individuals, appearing to amuse himself in the misery of blinded humanity. May God prevent him from ever receiving permission to act in the same way among us, as our sins seem to demand it, and people live as if they longed to be given up to the power of the devil again! By allowing deceivers and false teachers to come among a community with such advantageous outward circumstances that promote their success. These deceivers prepare themselves for their work through their inclinations and Satan’s suggestions, but God, in executing his just displeasure, will, through his providence, provide them with the means to prevail over the minds of people. The chief deceivers in the world today, namely, the Pope and those acting with or under him, have occupied positions and gained such reputation among people that often leads to their uncontrollable success in their work. If people were on an equal footing with those professing the truth, and someone were to come to them persuading them to accept the errors, superstitions, and idolatry of the Papacy, they would undoubtedly reject their proposal. However, these individuals have managed to acquire the title of "The Temple of God" and present themselves to the public as God’s representatives, enabling them to draw and deceive many. The superstition or profession of the masses is maintained solely due to the power over their consciences that names, titles, and the positions they appear to hold in the church give them. Therefore, God gives up people to delusions when, in his providence, he provides such advantages to those who are to deceive them. Those who occupy places of outward respect can lead a backsliding crowd wherever they please.
Lastly, God judicially strikes such individuals with mental blindness and hardness of heart, so they cannot see, perceive, or understand, even when the means of light and truth are presented to them. This effect of God’s severity is declared in Isaiah 6:9-10, and its application is made to the Jews under the ministry of Jesus himself in John 12:39-41 and that of the apostles in Acts 28:25-27, and is explained in Romans 11:7-8. When things reach this point; when God withdraws the means of grace from people, either wholly or partially, or in terms of their effectiveness; when he allows Satan to deceive them with strong delusions; and, moreover, when he himself strikes them with hardness of heart and blindness of mind, then the state of such apostates becomes miserable and irrecoverable. We should not, therefore, find it strange that the light of the gospel does not spread more widely in the world, or that such a significant halt is put to its progress. God has put an end to his gracious dealings with some types of apostates, and they are reserved for another dispensation of his providence.
These are some of the general principles of the defection that exists in the world from the mystery and truth of the gospel, along with the reasons and causes for them; to which more, I have no doubt, of a similar nature can be added. But there is also a particular consideration to be given to those specific truths that some turn away from, and the ideas they fall into. The special grounds and reasons for these, in addition to those we have considered, which equally relate to every kind of defection from the gospel, also need to be examined. This will be done in one instance among ourselves.
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