Zechariah 13:4

And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:

Ver. 4. The prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision] Of their Midianitish dreams, which they had first dreamed, and then told it for gospel to their fond neighbours. They shall be so clearly convinced, that they shall blush and bleed to think how they have been besotted, how many souls they have murdered, how often they have even straddled over hell's mouth, and yet have been preserved, 2 Thessalonians 2:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:12; See Trapp on " 2Th 2:10 " See Trapp on " 2Th 2:10 " This makes them shame and shent disgrace themselves in the presence of God and his people, saying, "O my God, I am ashamed, and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God; for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our guilt is grown up to the heavens," Ezra 9:6. This was fulfilled in those scribes and Pharisees that afterwards became believers, and said, with Saint Paul, "Beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh," Philippians 3:2,3. Luther revolted from the Popish religion which he had held and maintained, taking it for an honour to be called apostate by them; that is, as he interpreted it, one that had fallen from the devil, Qui fidem diabolo datam non servavit. Bugenhagius, when he first read Luther's book de Captivitate Babylonica, pronounced it to be the most pestilent piece that ever was published; but afterwards, when he had better considered, he grew ashamed of that rash censure, and protested that Luther only was in the right, and all that held not the same that he did were utterly deceived. Latimer was of the like mind after that he had once heard Bilney's confession. Vergerius, after he had read Luther's books with purpose to confute them, Denckius and Hetserus, two great Anabaptists in Germany, retracted their former false doctrines, and repented of their licentious and abominable practices (Scultet. Annul.). The former of them, being converted by Oecolampadius, grew ashamed of his pretended visions, and died piously at Basle. The latter was beheaded at Constance for his multiplied adulteries: which first he sought to defend by Scripture, but afterwards died very penitently, confessing his former filthinesses, giving glory to God, and taking shame to himself. These two were learned men, well skilled in the Hebrew; and had joined their forces in translating the prophets into the Dutch tongue. But oh how few such as these and of that sort of people shall a man meet with today! Copp, indeed, that arch-ranter, Venereus ille furcifer, et Cleri dehonestamentum, is said to have newly set forth his recantation, which I have not yet seen, and therefore cannot tell what to say to it. Only I wish he deal not as Bernard Rotman, that first Anabaptist, and Islebius Agricola, that first Antinomian, did in Germany; who both of them, having condemned their own errors, and recanted them in a public auditory, printing their revocation, yet afterwards they relapsed into the same errors, and stoutly stood to them, when Luther was dead and more liberty was afforded, so hard a thing it is to get poison out when once swallowed down; and having once said yea to the devil, though but in a little, to say him nay again, when a man pleaseth; such a man especially, quem puduit non fuisse impudentem (Augustin), who had gloried in his shame and taken pleasure in his unrighteousness, 2 Thessalonians 2:12 qui noluit solita peccare, who not wishing to become accustomed to sinning, as Seneca saith of some in his time, that is, none of the ordinary sort of sinners, but hath sought to out sin others, as unhappy boys strive who shall go furthest in the dirt.

I will not say but such, by the Almighty power of God, may be reclaimed, and made to see that there is no fruit to be had of those errors and enormities whereof they are now ashamed, since the end of those things (in the desert of them) is death, Romans 6:21,22; but now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, they will have very great cause to be thankful to God for the cure; sith jealousy, frenzy, and heresy are held hardly curable, the leprosy in the head concludes a man utterly unclean, and excludes him the camp. Heresy is by the apostle compared to a precipice, vortex, or whirlpool, that first turns a man round, and then sucks him in, περιφερεσθε, Hebrews 12:9, and by others to the Syren's banks, covered with dead men's bones, to Goodwin's Sands, that swallow up all ships that come near them, or to the harlot's house, whence few or none return alive, Proverbs 7:26,27 .