I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's
cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your
sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
The text which heads this page, contains one part of the experience of a
very famous Christian. No servant of Christ perhaps has left such a mark
for good on the world as the Apostle Paul. When he was born the whole
Roman Empire, excepting one little corner, was sunk in the darkest
heathenism; when he died the mighty fabric of heathenism was shaken to
its very center and ready to fall. And none of the agents whom God used
to produce this marvelous change did more than Saul of Tarsus, after his
conversion. Yet even in the midst of his successes and usefulness we
find him crying out, "I am afraid."
There is a melancholy ring about these words which demands our attention.
They show a man of many cares and anxieties. He who supposes that Paul
lived a life of ease, because he was a chosen Apostle, worked miracles,
founded Churches, and wrote inspired Epistles, has yet much to learn.
Nothing can be more unlike the truth! The eleventh chapter of the second
Epistle to the Corinthians tells a very different tale. It is a chapter
which deserves attentive study. Partly from the opposition of the
heathen philosophers and priests, whose craft was in danger--partly from
the bitter hatred of his own unbelieving countrymen--partly from false or
weak brethren--partly from his own thorn in the flesh--the great Apostle
of the Gentiles was like his Master--"a man of sorrows, and familiar with
suffering" (Isaiah 53:3).
But of all the burdens which Paul had to carry, none seems to have
weighed him down so much as that to which he refers, when he writes to
the Corinthians, "my concern for all the churches" (2 Corinthians 11:28).
The scanty knowledge of many early Christians, their weak faith, their
shallow experience, their dim hope, their low standard of holiness--all
these things made them peculiarly liable to be led astray by false
teachers, and to depart from the faith.
Like little children, hardly able to walk, they required to be treated
with immense patience. Like exotic plants in a hothouse, they had to be
watched with incessant care. Can we doubt that they kept their Apostolic
founder in a state of constant tender anxiety? Can we wonder that he
says to the Colossians, "How much I am struggling for you," and to the
Galatians, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who
called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel."
"You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?" (Colossians 2:1; Galatians
1:6; 3:1).
No attentive reader can study the Epistles without seeing this subject
repeatedly cropping up. And the text I have placed at the head of this
paper is a sample of what I mean: "I am afraid that just as Eve was
deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray
from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ." That text contains three
important lessons, which I wish to press on the attention of all my
readers. I believe in my conscience they are lessons for the times.
I. First, the text shows us a spiritual "disease to which we are all
susceptible, and which we ought to fear." That disease is corruption of
our minds: "I am afraid your minds may somehow be led astray."
II. Secondly, the text shows us an "example which we ought to remember,
as a beacon:" "Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning."
III. Thirdly, the text shows us "a point about which we ought to be
especially on our guard." That point is being led astray "from sincere
and pure devotion to Christ."
The text is a deep mine, and is not without difficulty. But let us go
down into it boldly, and we shall find it contains much precious metal.
I. First, then, there is "a spiritual disease, which we ought to fear:"
"Minds that are led astray."
I take "Minds that are led astray" to mean injury of our minds by the
reception of false and unscriptural doctrines in religion. And I believe
the sense of the Apostle to be, "I am afraid that your minds would
partake of erroneous and unsound views of Christianity. I am afraid that
you should receive as truths, principles which are not the truth. I am
afraid that you would depart from the faith once delivered to the saints,
and embrace views which are intrinsically destructive of the Gospel of
Christ."
The fear expressed by the Apostle is painfully instructive, and at first
sight may create surprise. Who would have thought that under the very
eyes of Christ's own chosen disciples--while the blood of Calvary was
hardly yet dry, while the age of miracles had not yet passed away--who
would have thought that in a day like this there was any danger of
Christians departing from the faith? Yet nothing is more certain than
that "the secret power of lawlessness" began already to work before the
Apostles were dead (2 Thessalonians 2:7). "Even now," says John, "Many
antichrists have come" (1 John 2:18). And no fact in Church history is
more clearly proved than this--that false doctrine has never ceased to be
the plague of Christendom for the last eighteen centuries. Looking
forward with the eye of a prophet, Paul might well say "I am afraid:" "I
am not only afraid of the corruption of your morals, but of your minds."
The plain truth is that "false doctrine" has been the chosen device which
Satan has employed in every age to stop the progress of the Gospel of
Christ. Finding himself unable to prevent the Fountain of Life being
opened, he has labored incessantly to poison the streams which flow from
it. If he could not destroy it, he has too often neutralized its
usefulness by addition, subtraction, or substitution. In a word he has
"led astray men's minds."
(a) False doctrine soon spread throughout the Early Church after the
death of the Apostles, despite what some may wish to say of the Early
Church's purity. Partly by strange teaching about the Trinity and the
Person of Christ, partly by an absurd multiplication of newfangled
rituals, partly by the introduction of monasticism and a man-made
asceticism, the light of the Church was soon dimmed and its usefulness
destroyed. Even in Augustine's time rituals grew to such a number that
the estate of Christian people was in a worse case concerning this matter
than were the Jews. Here was the leading astray of men's minds.
(b) False doctrine in the middle ages so completely spread throughout the
Church, that the truth as it is in Jesus was nearly buried or drowned.
During the last three centuries before the Reformation, it is probable
that very few Christians in Europe could have answered the question,
"What must I do to be saved?" Popes and Cardinals, Archbishops and
Bishops, Priests and Deacons, Monks and Nuns, were, with a few rare
exceptions, steeped in ignorance and superstition. They were sunk into a
deep sleep, from which they were only partially roused by the earthquake
of the Reformation. Here, again, was the leading astray of men's minds.
(c) False doctrine, since the days of the Reformation, has continually
been rising up again, and marring the work which the Reformers began.
Neologianism in some districts of Europe, Socinianism in others,
formalism and indifferentism in others, have withered blossoms which once
promised to bear good fruit, and made Protestantism a mere barren form.
Here, again, has been the "leading astray of the mind."
(d) False doctrine, even in our own day and under our own eyes, is eating
out the heart of the Church and endangering her existence. One school of
Christians does not hesitate to avow its dislike to the principles of the
Reformation, and travels over the sea and the land to Romanize the
Establishment. Another school, with equal boldness, speaks lightly of
inspiration, sneers at the very idea of a supernatural religion, and
tries hard to cast overboard miracles as being useless extra weight.
Another school proclaims liberty to every shade and form of religious
opinion, and tells us that all teachers are equally deserving our
confidence, however heterogeneous and contradictory their opinions, if
they are only clever, earnest, and sincere. To each and all the same
remark applies. They illustrate the "leading astray of men's minds."
In the face of such facts as these, we may well remember the words of the
Apostle in the text which heads the paper. Like him we have abundant
cause to feel afraid. Never, I think, was there such need for English
Christians to stand on their guard. Never was there such need for
faithful ministers to proclaim a loud warning. "If the trumpet does not
sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?"
(1 Corinthians 14:8).
I charge every loyal member of the Church to open his eyes to the peril
in which his own Church stands, and to beware lest it is damaged through
apathy and a morbid love of peace. Controversy is an odious thing; but
there are days when it is a positive element. Peace is an excellent
thing; but, like gold, it may be considered too dear. Unity is a mighty
blessing; but it is worthless if it is purchased at the cost of truth.
Once more I say, Open your eyes and be on your guard.
The nation that rests satisfied with its commercial prosperity, and
neglects its national defenses, because they are troublesome or
expensive, is likely to become a prey to the first Napoleon, who chooses
to attack it. The Church which is "rich; and has acquired wealth," may
think it, "does not need a thing," because of its antiquity, traditions,
and endowments. It may cry "Peace, peace," and flatter itself that it
sees no evil. But if it is not careful about the maintenance of sound
doctrine among its ministers and members, it may be surprised someday
when its light is taken away.
I denounce, from the bottom of my heart, despondency or cowardice at this
crisis. All I say is, let us exercise a godly fear. I do not see the
slightest necessity for forsaking the old ship, and giving it up for
lost. Bad as things look inside our ark, they are not one bit better
outside. But I do protest against that careless spirit of slumber which
seems to seal the eyes of many Christians, and to blind them to the
enormous peril in which we are placed by the rise and progress of false
doctrine in these days. I protest against the common notion so often
proclaimed by men in high places, that "unity" is of more importance than
sound doctrine, and peace
more valuable than truth.
I call on every reader who really loves the Church to recognize the
dangers of the times, and to do his duty, courageously and energetically,
in resisting them by united action and by prayer. It was not for nothing
that our Lord said, "If you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy
one" (Luke 22:36). Let us not forget Paul's words, "Be on your guard;
stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong"
(1 Corinthians 16:13). Our noble Reformers bought the truth at the price
of their own blood, and handed it down to us. Let us be careful that we
do not cheaply sell it for some bread and stew, under the seeming names
of unity and peace.
II. Secondly, the text shows us an "example we ought to remember, as a
beacon:" "Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning."
I need hardly remind my readers that Paul in this place refers to the
story of the fall in the third chapter of Genesis, as a simple historical
fact. He does not afford the least appearance to the modern notion that
the book of Genesis is nothing more than a pleasing collection of myths
and fables. He does not hint that there is no such being as the devil,
and that there was not any literal eating of the forbidden fruit, and
that it was not really in this way that sin entered into the world. On
the contrary, he narrates the story of the third chapter of Genesis as a
truthful history of a thing that really took place.
You should remember, also, that this reference does not stand alone. It
is a noteworthy fact that several of the most remarkable histories and
miracles of the Pentateuch are expressly mentioned in the New Testament,
and always as historical facts. Cain and Abel, Noah's ark, the
destruction of Sodom, Esau's selling his birthright, the destruction of
the first-born in Egypt, the passage of the Red Sea, the brazen serpent,
the manna, the water flowing from the rock, Balaam's donkey speaking--all
these things are named by the writers of the New Testament, and named as
matters of fact and not as fables. Let that never be forgotten. Those
who are fond of pouring contempt on Old Testament miracles, and making
light of the authority of the Pentateuch, would do well to consider
whether they know better than our Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostles. To
my mind, to talk of Genesis as a collection of myths and fables, in the
face of such a text of Scripture as we have before us in this paper, is
unreasonable and profane. Was Paul mistaken or not, when he narrated the
story of the temptation and the fall? If he was, he was a weak-minded
accepting person, and may have been mistaken on fifty other subjects. At
this rate there is an end of all his authority as a writer! From such a
monstrous conclusion we may well turn away with scorn. But it is well to
remember that much infidelity begins with irreverent contempt of the Old
Testament.
The point, after all, which the Apostle would have us mark in the history
of Eve's fall, is the "cunning" with which the devil led her into sin.
He did not tell her flatly that he wished to deceive her and do her harm.
On the contrary, he told her that the thing forbidden was a thing that
"was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for
gaining wisdom" (Genesis 3:6). He did not hesitate to assert that she
could eat the forbidden fruit and yet "not die." He blinded her eyes to
the sinfulness and danger of sin. He persuaded her to believe that to
depart from God's plain command was for her benefit and not for her ruin.
In short, "he deceived her by his cunningness."
Now this "cunningness," Paul tells us, is precisely what we have to fear
in false doctrine. We are not to expect it to approach our minds in the
garment of error, but in the form of truth. Counterfeit money would
never become currency if it did not appear like the real thing. The wolf
would seldom get into the fold if he did not enter it in sheep's
clothing. Catholicism and liberalism would do little harm if they went
about the world under their true names. Satan is far too wise a general
to manage a campaign in such a fashion as this. He employs fine words
and high-sounding phrases, such as "Catholicity, Apostolicity, Unity,
Church order, sound Church views, Ecumenicalism, free thought, broad
sense, kindly judgment, liberal interpretation of Scripture," and the