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Useless and dangerous.

457. Are false teachers useless, injurious and dangerous?

Is. 3. 12. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

Is. 9. 15. The prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.

Is. 56. 10. His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, and lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quar

ter.

Jer. 23. 14. I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evil doers, that none doth return from his wickednessFrom the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land. 32. Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness: yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the Lord.

Ezk. 13. 10. They have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar. 22. With lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life.

Ezk. 22. 25. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned my holy things:

Threatened and denounced.

they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves, ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them.

Ezk. 34. 2. Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds- -Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. 5-10.

Mat. 23. 13. Ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering, to go in.

Lk. 11. 52. Ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

2 Pet. 2. 1. 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 merchandize of you.

458. What divine threatenings and denunciations are recorded against false religious teachers?

Dt. 13. 5. That prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God.

Threatened and denounced.

Jer. 23. 1. Wo be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord.

Ezk. 13. 3. Wo unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit. 18. Wo to the women that sew pillows to all arm-holes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls.

Ezk. 22. 26. Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned my holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean. 31. Therefore, have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God.

Ezk. 34. 2. Wo be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 10. Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any

more.

Mal. 2. 8. Ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.

Mat. 23. 14. Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, ye make him two-fold more the child of hell than yourselves.

To be avoided.

Wo unto you, ye blind guides! which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor. Ye fools, and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? 23. Wo 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, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 33. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell!

Lk. 6. 26. Wo unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. Lk. 41. 52. Wo unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge.

2 Pet. 2. 3. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandize of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

459. Ought we to avoid and discountenance false and unfaithful teachers of religion?

Pr. 19. 27. Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.

Mat. 7. 15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Mat. 15. 14. Let them alone: they be blind leaders

Obligations of.

of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Mat. 16. 6. Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Mat. 24. 4. Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 24. There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Lk. 21. 8.

Mk. 4. 24. Take heed what ye hear.

Lk. 21. 8. Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after

them.

Rom. 16. 17. Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

1 Cor. 15. 33. Be not deceived: Evil communications corrupt good manners.

Gal. 1. 7. There be some that trouble you, and would prevent the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Ph. 3. 2. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit.

2 Jn. 10. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed, is partaker of his evil deeds. [See 110.]

Missions.

460. Ought those who have the gospel to send it to the destitute?

Mat. 9. 37.

Then saith he unto his disciples, The

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