William Perkins on Revelation 2:20

Vers. 20. Notwithstanding I haue a few things against thee, that thou sufferest that woman Iesabell, which calleth her selfe a prophetesse, to teach & deceiue my seruants, to make them to commit fornication, and to eat meat sacrificed to idols.

Here is Christs reproofe of this church of Thyatira, and it is twofold: First, of the whole church, in this 20. verse: Secondly, of a woman in that church, vers. 21. In the reproofe of the whole church note two things: The reproofe it selfe; And the reason thereof. The reproofe it selfe is contained in these words, Notwithstanding I haue something against thee: That is, though I haue praised thee for manie worthie works, yet there be some things which I do not approue. This reproofe hath bin handled in the former Epistles. The reason of the reproofe followeth in these words, That thou sufferest the woman Iesabell, who calleth her selfe a Prophetesse, to teach and seduce my seruants.

This reason of her reproofe containeth sundry points worthie our consideration. I. From the phrase and forme of the words wee may consider the large power that God gaue to his church: which was, besides the power to preach the word, & administer the Sacraments, a further power to appoint who should preach among them, & who should not preach: and also a power to represse euill men and euill women, & so to keepe them in order. The like power was giuen to the church of Ephesus, as we haue seene in the Epistle to that church: they had power to discerne false Prophets, & Apostles, and to restraine the same. The like power did God giue to all churches, as we shall see if wee read the histories of the church; and great cause there is hereof: For without this authoritie no church could long stand & be a church.

II. Here note that it is not sufficient for a church to haue the preaching of the word, but it must haue seueritie and sharpe gouernement, whereby wicked people may be restrained. This church is therefore discommended for that shee vsed not that seuere authoritie which God had giuen her in suppressing of sin. And in our congregations the like fault is to be found; where much preaching is, yet sinne abounds, as adultery, blasphemie, vsurie, and cruelty: and the cause is for that this seuere execution of gouernment in restraining sinnes, is not so straitly put in practise as it ought to be.

Againe, in this reason of his reprofe Christ doth charge thē with two faults: First, for suffering a woman to teach: Secondly, for suffering a woman to seduce his people. For the first, the word translated teach, is in the New testament commonly put for publicke teaching in the ministerie. Their fault then was this, that they suffered a woman to teach openly: and it is against the word of God, 1. Tim. 2.12. I permit not a woman to teach. And, 1. Cor. 14.34, 35, Women ought to keepe silence in the congregation, and be subiect to their husbands, and learne of them at home. Obiect. But Deborah was a Prophetesse, Iud. 4.4. And Hulda prophesied, 2. Kin. 22.4. For Iosiah sent to her for counsell, 2. Chro. 34. And therefore women may prophesie. An. These womē had extraordinary gifts & calling: & therefore vpon their exā ple we may not make an ordinary rule. II. Ob. But it may seeme Paul alloweth it, when he saith, A woman praying, or prophecying vncouered dishonoreth her head, 1. Co. 11.5. Answ. Hereto some do answer thus, that in the infancie of the church some women were extraordinarily indued with that gift, and did indeed prophesie. Others iudge it to haue bene a fault in that church, and therfore say, in the 14. cha. the Apostle reproueth it, commaunding women to keepe silence in the churches. Thirdly, a woman may be sayd to pray when she giueth her assent to the prayer of the minister, by saying, Amen: and she may be sayd to prophesie, when she Singeth Psalmes, or readeth the Scripture: For so the word is vsed in Scripture, 1. Chron. 25.1. Asaph and his company prophesied with harpes and vials, That is (as it is translated) they sung prophesies, and playd thereunto vpon their instruments.

From the rebuke of Christ against this church, The Vse. we gather that it is not warrantable by Gods word for a woman to administer the Sacrament of baptisme. For baptisme is a seale of the couenant in the publicke ministerie, and so a part thereof, and must goe with the preaching of the word, and may not bee administred by women, who are not allowed to preach, no not in time and case of necessitie when men are wanting. And although they may not teach publickly, yet they may teach at home, and in the absence of their husband it is her duty to teach her children. Prouerb. 31, Lemuel, that is, Salomon is taught many worthie things of his mother. And Timothie was broght vp of a child in the scriptures by his grandmother Lois, and his mother Eunice, 2. Tim. 1.5.

Hence some would gather, that as a woman may not teach publickely, so she may not publickely gouerne in the commonwealth. But this consequence is not good: for publicke teaching is flatly forbidden to a woman, so is not publicke ciuile regiment. There is speciall reason why shee may not publickely teach; for it is the will of God, that as Christ was a man, so they that stand in his roome and stead in the publicke ministerie, should also be men. But the regiment of a kingdome is a ciuile thing, and so may lawfully bee administred by a woman when shee commeth vnto it by lawfull succession to her father, whose whole patrimonie in the want of sonnes she may rightly enioy. Obiect. But the woman must b[illegible: 1 letter]e in subiection vnto the man, 1. Cor. 14.[illegible: 1 letter]4. Answ. So shee may, and yet haue soueraignetie in the kingdome. Obiect. But the man is the head of the woman, 1. Cor. 11.3. Answ. That is, the man in that he i[illegible: 1 letter] a man is a person more excellent than the woman as she is a woman: Yet the person that in regard of sexe is inferiour, may haue more excellent gifts, and so likewise may exercise authoritie and rule▪ and wee find by good experience▪ that the gouernment of a woman is a ha[illegible: 1 letter]pie gouernment; no records of time can shew a more happie regiment for blessings temporall and spirituall vnder any man, than wee haue long enioyed vnder our noble queene.

The second fault of this Church is, that they suffered a woman to seduce and teach false doctrine, and thereby to seduce Gods people. That this is a fault, Christs reproofe sheweth euidently, and therefore I will not stand to prooue it.

The Vse. Hence wee may gather, that euery man is not to bee left to his owne conscience, to teach and hold what doctrine he will: but all such men or women as [illegible: 1 letter]each erronious doctrines, by the gouernors of the Church are to bee restrained. It is a grieuous fault in any Church not to restraine the authours and maintainers of sects and false doctrines, and of opinions which stand not with the truth of Gods word: and on the contrarie, it is a vertue and a good gift in any church, when they restraine the authours and fauourers of sects and false doctrine. And in this regard our Church is to bee commended and approoued, and the commonwealth likewise, for making lawes to restraine both Popish recusants and some Protestants, who depart from this our Church, as being no Church of God, but a member of Antichrist and of Babylon.

Now that Christ might aggrauate these their offences, hee doth describe both the woman and her teaching. Hee describeth the woman, first by her propertie, in this name I[illegible: 1 letter]zabell, that is, one like Iezabell: secondly, by her action, Which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse: her teaching is described in the end of the verse. Touching her propertie, Christ calleth her Iezabell for two causes: First, for that she was like to Iezabell, and in her person reuiued the manners and opinions of Iezabell. For as Iezabell brought among the Israelites the false worship of the Idoll Baal: so this woman laboured to bring into this Church of Thyatira, Idolatrie, and other sinnes.

Againe, Iezabell was giuen to fornication, as the Scripture recordeth of her by the mouth of Iehu, 2. Kings. 9.22. and so was this woman giuen to fornication. Thirdly, Iezabell was a woman of authoritie, and by her place and dignitie did countenance and maintaine Idolatrie, and her wicked sinnes: so it is lik[illegible: 1 letter], that this woman was of some place and authoritie, and did ther[illegible: 1 letter]by countenance her wicked opinions, and damnable sinnes▪

In this reason of her name, The Vse. note first a notable practise of Sathan for the furtherance of his kingdome, which is this: In succeeding ages hee laboureth to reuiue the erronious opinions and wicked vices of vngodly persons of former times. This wee see plaine in this place: for long after [illegible: 2 letters]zabel[illegible: 1 letter] death (the wife of Ahab, a wicked woman) [illegible: 1 letter]uen in the Apostles time, he raised vp [illegible: 1 letter]nother woman like Iezabell both for wicked life and doctrine. And the like practise hee vseth at this day. In all such as follow the rules and counsell of Machiauell, is reuiued the craft of Achitophell: in the Papists are reuiued the opinions and manners of the wicked Scribes and Pharisees: in the recusant Protestants is reuiued the sect of the Donatists, and the sect called Audiani. The familie of Loue reuiues the opinions and manners of the Valentinians and the Montanists, and many other damnable errours. Now this the deuill doth, because hee knowes by experience the great hurt that these opinions and sinnes haue formerly done vnto Gods Church.

Secondly, Christ calleth this woman Iezabell, that he may prouoke this church to a greater detestation of her in regard of her damnable wayes: and that shee might be in as great disgrace with them, as was Iezabell in the old Testament to the people of God, that so they might better eschew her wicked seducement. And herein we haue a good direction for our profitable reading of the bookes of the old and new Testament: namely, that when we meet with examples of wicked men and wicked women, we must thereby take occasion to be vnlike them. And if we find our selues like them any way, either in wicked opinion, or in practise, wee must thereupon grow to a dislike with our selues. Againe, finding the examples of good men or good women, wee must labour to conforme our selues thereto, and become like them: and in this regard approoue our selues, when wee see our selues conformable vnto the godly in any vertue and grace.

The second argument wherby Christ describeth this woman, is her action: Shee calleth her selfe a Prophetesse; that is, shee chalengeth her selfe to bee one that doth teach Gods will by the instinct of his spirit. And herein shee became a notable patrone of the damnable sect of the Nicolaitans: for she held the lawfulnesse of fornication, and of eating things sacrificed to Idols. And for the maintenance hereof, shee sayth shee is a Prophetesse, one that speaketh nothing but as shee is taught by Gods spirit. This is the practise of heretickes, vnder pretence of the spirit to maintaine their damnable deuices, as might easily bee prooued by induction of particular heretickes in former ages.

First, The Vse. hence then we are taught to labour to haue the spirit of discerning; whereby we may trie the spirits whether they be of God or not. Many will bee of no religion, because there bee so many false teachers, and such diuersitie of opinions in religion. But herein they bewray their prophanesse: they ought the rather to labour for this gift of discerning, whereby to know what is from God, and what is not.

Secondly, hence wee are taught, that when wee are vniustly slaundered, disgraced, or iniured, wee ought not to fret and fume, but by patience to content our selues: for wee see that wicked men to maintaine their wicked opinions and manners, will not sticke to abuse God himselfe, and make his blessed spirit the author and patrone of their errours and sinnes. Wee by our sinnes deserue disgrace and reproch: but the spirit of God hath done nothing amisse. And therfore wee must bee patient, being in the same condemnation, as Luke 23.40, 41. and rather reioyce, in as much as wee are partakers of the sufferings of the spirit, 1. Pet. 4▪ vers. 13.

Againe here obserue how shee prooueth her selfe to be a Prophetesse, namely, by her owne testimonie onely, She calleth her selfe so. Where we may see the note and marke of a false Prophet: to wi[illegible: 1 letter], their owne bare word and testimonie. A true Prophet or Prophetesse hath sundry testimonies, besides their owne words, to proue the lawfulnesse of their calling: as in the primitiue Church, they had the gift of speaking diuers languages without studie, and of working miracles: they had also puritie of doctrine, ioyned with integritie of life; & lastly, many excellent gifts of God, as zeale, courage, and constancie to maintaine the same.

Christ hauing described this woman, for her further disgrace, as also to aggrauate the fault of this Church in suffering her, proceedeth to describe her doctrine. And first hee sheweth the end and scope thereof, namely to seduce and to deceiue. Wherein he giueth vs a further note of a false Prophet or Prophetesse, to wit, to teach such doctrine as drawes men to sinne against the first or second Table. True doctrine is according vnto godlinesse, and leadeth men thereto; but the end of false doctrine is impietie against God and man: as was shewed by the doctrine of Balaam, vers. 14. and such was the doctrine of this woman.

The Vse. Sundry students now adayes are maruellously affected with the sermons, commentaries and postils of monks and friers. These they prefer before the writings of other godly and sound Diuines, which is a lamentable case: for they are in their kind Iezabels; the scope of their doctrine is to draw men to errours and transgressions against the law of God; yea, to bring men from heauen to hell. And therefore this exceeding approbation of them is no small offence: being in truth the right way to bring in againe errors, Atheisme, and Poperie. For turne a Papist from a morall point (wherein he often erreth) and his doctrine and sermons are nothing but false and erronious: and therefore as Christ would haue this Church to hate the doctrine of this woman, because it did deceiue; so must wee labour to grow in dislike with the commentaries and postils of monks and friers, which tend to that end.

Secondly, Christ setteth forth the end of her doctrine by two arguments: First, by the persons deceiued, his seruants: secondly, by the meanes whereby they are deceiued; to wit, by causing them to commit fornication, and to eat mea[illegible: 1 letter]es sacrificed vnto Idols.

Touching the persons. Whereas shee deceiued not all men, but the seruants of God (for here is a plaine distinction of men) this encreaseth her fault, because they belonged vnto God. But here two questions may bee mooued: First, why some men are the seruants of God, and some are not. Secondly, whether the seruants of God may bee seduced by false teachers. To the first some answere, that God would haue all men [illegible: 1 word] bee his seruants, and for his part doth all things needfull vnto all men, to make them his seruants; redeeming them, and giuing them sufficient grace hereunto: yet some are not his seruants, because they themselues will not, but wilfully reiect his grace that is offered vnto them. But this doctrine is against common reason, and doth much derogate from the glorie of God: for hereby they make euery man an emperour, and God an vnderling, subiect vnto man; they make Gods good pleasure to depend vpon mans pleasure, and the accepting of his grace to depend vpon mans will. But God is the first cause of all things, his will ouerruleth mans will: and therefore it is absurd to say, some men are not Gods seruants, because they themselues will not. The true cause hereof is Gods good pleasure, electing some, and they alone become his seruants because hee hath chosen them. But God did neuer chuse all men first to grace, & then to glorie: and therfore as Luke saith, Act. 13.48. so many as were ordained to euerlasting life, beleeued. So wee may say: so many as are elected of God to grace and saluation, they become his seruants.

The second question. Whether may Gods seruants be seduced by false Prophets? Answ. There bee two sorts of seruants of God: seruants in appearance, and seruants in truth. Seruants in appearance are such as outwardly onely embrace the word, and receiue the seales of Gods couenant: and the greatest part of particular churches are such seruants. Now these may fall away and that wholly: and hence it commeth, that whole particular churches may fall away, as did the church of Galatia, and many other: and these are called seruants, because we must in charitie iudge, that all which make professiō of true religion in Gods church, are the seruants of God. But the true seruants of God, though they may be seduced in part, and for a time, yet they can neither wholly nor finally fall away: for the promise of Christ is to the contrarie, Mat. 16.1[illegible: 1 letter] Thou [illegible: 1 word] Peter and vpon this rocke, that is, the faith which thou professest, will I build my temple: and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against [illegible: 1 word]. Which last word (preuaile) insinuateth, that the diuell shall shew great malice and strength to vanquish their faith, but yet shal neuer wholly ouercome it. And Matth. 6.13. we are taught to pray, L[illegible: 1 letter]ad vs [illegible: 1 word] into temptation. To be lead into temptation, is wholly to be ouercome in temptation, which being a lawfull petition, must needs haue God[illegible: 1 letter] promise to graunt the same belonging vnto it. And therefore though Sa[illegible: 1 letter]han may assay to ouercome the child of God▪ yet he shall neuer get finall victory ouer him: for true faith purifieth the heart, and cannot stand with a purpose to continue in any one sinne: these two banish each other, sinne brings the child of God vpon his knees; but true faith doth raise him vp againe.

II. point. The means wherby she sought to seduce thē, was by drawing them to commit fornication: and to eate things sacrificed to Idols. Whereby it is plaine, shee was a fauourer of the sect of the Nicolaitans: whereof entreatie was made in the foureteenth verse. And thus much for the reproofe of the Church.