) to know a spirit by: and seeing there is so much prophesying in the Old Testament, and so much preaching in the New Testament, against prophets; and so much greater a number ordinarily of false prophets, than of true; everyone is to beware of obeying their directions, at their own peril. And first, that there were many more false than true prophets, appears by this, that when Ahab (1 Kings 22) consulted four hundred prophets, they were all false impostors, but only one Micaiah. And a little before the time of the captivity, the prophets were generally liars. “The prophets (saith the Lord, by Jeremiah, 14:14) prophesy lies in my name. I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, nor spake unto them; they prophesy to you a false vision, a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.” Insomuch as God commanded the people by the mouth of the prophet Jeremiah (23:16) not to obey them: “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, hearken not unto the words of the prophets, that prophesy to you. They make you vain, they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.”