"Affections, by loving Salutes, humble Carriage, kind "Invitements, friendly Vifits; and fo they would "win upon Men, and steal into their Bofoms, before "they were aware: Tea, as foon as any New"Comers (efpecially Men of Note, Worth and Acti"vity, fit Inftruments to advance their Defign) 65 were landed, they would be fure to welcome them, fhew them all Courtify, and offer them Room in "their own Houses, or of fome of their Sect; and "having gotten them into their Web, they could easily "poifon them by Degrees: It was rare for any “ Man thus hooked in to escape their Leaven.

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3. Becaufe fuch Men as would feduce others "had need be fome Way eminent) they would appear very humble, boly and Spiritual Chriftians, and full of CHRIST; they would deny themselves far, Speak excellently, pray with Soul-ravishing Expreffions and Affections, that a Stranger that loved "Goodness could not but love and admire them, and fo be the more easily drawn after them; looking upon them as Men and Women as likely to know "the Secrets of CHRIST, and Bofom-Counfels of his "SPIRIT, as any other. And this Opinion of them 66 was the more lifted up, through the Simplicity and "Weakness of their Followers, who would, in Admi"ration of them, tell others, that, fince the Apostle's "Time, they were perfwaded, none ever received fo "much Light from GOD, as fuch and fuch had "done, naming their Leaders,

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"4. As they would lift up themfelves, fa alfo their "Opinions, by guilding them over with fpecious Terms of free Grace, glorious Light, Gospel Truths, as holding forth naked CHRIST: And this took "much with fimple honeft Hearts that loved CHRIST; "efpecially, with new Converts, who were lately

«

under

« under Sin and Wrath, and had newly tasted the "Sweetness of free Grace. Being now in their first "Love to CHRIST, they were exceeding glad to "embrace any Thing that might further advance "CHRIST, and free Grace; and fo drank them " in readily.

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66 5. If they met with Chriftians that were full "of Doubts and Fears about their Conditions, (as many tender and godly Hearts there were ) they "would tell them, they had never taken a right "Course for Comfort, but had gone on (as they ἐσ were led) in a legal Way of evidencing their "good Eftate by Sanctification, and gazing after

Qualifications in themselves; and would fbew "them, from their own Experience, that themselves, " for a long Time, were befool'd even as they are 66 now, in poring upon Graces in themselves, and "while they did fo, they never profpered, but were "driven to pull all that Building down, and lay "better and furer Foundations in free Grace; and "then would tell them of this Gofpel-Way we speak.

of, how they might come to fuch a fettled Peace, "that they might never doubt more, though they fhould fee no Grace at all in themselves: And fo (as it is faid of the Harlot's dealing with the 66 young Man, Prov. 7. 21.) with much fair Speech "they caufed them to yield, with the flattering of their "Lips they forced them.

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6. They commonly labour'd to work first upon "Women, being (as they conceived) the weaker to refift; the more flexible, tender, and ready to * yield: And if they could once wind in them, they hoped by them, as by an Eve, to catch their Huf"bands alfo; which indeed often proved too true a"mong us then.

7. As

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"7. As foon as they had thus wrought in them"felves, and a good Conceit of their Opinions, by all thefe Ways of Subtilty, into the Hearts of People; "nextly, they strongly endeavoured, with all the Craft they could, to undermine the good Opinion of their Minifters, and their Doctrine, and to work them clean out of their Affections; telling "them, they were forry that their Teachers had fo "mifled them, and trained them up under a Cove"nant of Works, and that themfelves having never been taught of GOD, it is no Wonder

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they did no better teach them the Truth, and how "they may fit 'till Dooms-Day under their legal, "Sermons, and never fee Light; and withal, fome"times, cafting Afperfions on their Perfons,and Prac"tice, as well as Doctrine, to bring them quite out "of Efteem of them. And this they did fo effectually

1

*Mr. JOHNSON, writing of thefe Times, obferves, "that the good old Way would not ferve the Turn "with certain Sectaries, who, like cunning Sophif66 ters, feeing the Bent of the People's Hearts (after 66 fo many Mercies received) was to magnify the "rich Grace of GOD in CHRIST, began to tell "the People (yet very privately) that the most, if not all the Minifters among them, preached a "Covenant of Works, either course or fine; "with a what do you fay to this? Vid. his der-working Providence of SION's SAVIOUR, P. 93. In the next Page he goes on to fpeak of them,

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and

on

as

perfwading the People, their Minifters were legal "Preachers, teaching them little better than

Popery, and unfit for Gofpel Churches.----Here's "nothing, fays one of them, but preaching out of "the Law and the Prophets. Truly, fays another "of them, I have not heard a pure Gospel-Sermon 'from any of them.”

that

"that many declined hearing them, though they "were Members of their Churches; and others "that did hear, were fo filled with Prejudice that they profited not, but ftudied how to object

.

against them, and cenfure their Doctrine, which "(whilft they flood right) was want to make their "Hearts to melt and tremble. Tea, fome that had "been begotten to CHRIST by fome of their faith"ful Lalours in ENGLAND, for whom they could have "laid down their Lives, and not being able to bear "their Abfence followed them to NEW-ENGLAND, to "enjoy their Labours; yet thefe, falling acquainted

with thofe Seducers, were fuddenly fo altered in "their Affections towards thofe their Spiritual Fathers, "that they would neither hear them, nor willing"ly come in their Company; profeffing they "had never received any Good from them.

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"8. They would not, 'till they knew Men well, open the whole Mystery of their new Religion to "them; but this was ever their Method, to drop a "little at once into their Followers as they were ca"pable, and never would adminifter their Phyfick,

'till they bad given good Preparatives to make it "work, and then stronger and fronger Potions, as "they found the Patient able to bear.

9. They would in Company, now and then, let "fall fome of their most plaufible Errors, as a Bait laid down to catch withal: Now if any began to "nibble at the Bait, they would angle ftill, and ne

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ver give over 'till they had caught them; but if any fhould efpy the naked Hook, and fo fee their Danger, "and protest against the Opinions, then you fhould have them fairly retreat, and fay, nay, mifiake me not, for I do mean even as you do ; you and I are both of one Mind in Subftance, and differ only in

Words.

"Words.By this Machivilian Policy, thefe Delu"ders were reputed found in their Fudgments, and fo were able to do the more Hurt, and were longer "undetected.

10-11. But the last and worst of all, and "which moft fuddenly diffus'd the Venom of thefe 0"pinions into the very Veins, and Vitals of the Peo"ple in the Country, was Mrs. ------ double week"ly

ly Lecture."--This Mrs., to give fome Account of her, from the Author of the Rife and Reign of Antinomianifm in NEW-ENGLAND, Pag. 33, 34. was a Woman of a nimble Wit and active Spirit, and a very voluble Tongue, more bold than a Man, though in Understanding and Judgment, inferior to many Women. She had difcovered fome of her Opinions in the Ship as she came over, which occafion'd fome Delay of her Admiffion, when she first defir'd Fellowship with the Church of BOSTON; but by colouring her Opinions, he got admitted into the Church, and foon went to Work ; and being a Woman very helpful in the Times of Child-Birth, and other Occafions of bodily Infirmities, and well-furnish'd with Means for thofe Purpofes, fhe easily infinuated her felf into the Affections of many; and the rather, becaufe fhe was very inquifitive about their Spiritual Eftates, and in difcovering to them the Danger they were in by trufting to common Gifts and Graces, without any fuch Witnefs of the SPIRIT as the Scripture holds out for a full Evidence ;----all which was well, and futed with the public Ministry: But when he had thus prepared the Way by fuch wholfome Truths, then fhe began to fet forth her own Stuff, and taught, that no Sanctification was any Evidence of a good Eftate, except their Juftification were first cleared up to them by the immediate Witnefs of the SPIRIT; and that to fee any Work of Grace (either Faith or Repentance,