The Growth and Spreading of Heresy, Title page – Dedication
THE GROWTH and SPREADING OF HAERESIE.
Set forth In a SERMON preached before the Honorable Houſe of COMMONS, on the 10th. day of March, being the day of their publike Faſt and Humiliation for the growth of Haereſie.
By THOMAS HODGES, Miniſter of Gods Word, at KENSINGTON.
foreign.
Themiſt. orat. 3.
Melius aditum obſtruxiſſe, quàm aenam exegiſſe peccati.
Simpl. epiſt. 14. ad Zeno. imper.
Publiſhed by Order of the Houſe of Commons.
LONDON, Printed by T. R. and E. M. for Abel Roper, at the ſigne of the Sun againſt Dunſtans church in Fleetſtreet. 1647.
Die Jovis, 11. Martii, 1646.
ORdered by the Commons aſſembled in Parliament, That Mr. Rows and Mr. Gewen do from this Houſe give thanks unto Mr. Vines and Mr. Hodges for the great pains they took in their Sermons preached on the 10. of March 1646. at Margarets Weſtminſter, before the Houſe of Commons, being a day of publike Humiliation for the growth of Errors, Haereſies, &c. And they are to deſire them to print their Sermons, wherein they are to have the like priviledge in printing of them, as others in the like kind uſually have had.
Hen. Elſynge, Cler. Parl. D. Com.
I appoint Abel Roper to print my Sermon.
THO. HODGES.
TO THE Honourable HOUSE of COMMONS Aſſembled in PARLIAMENT.
THe GOD of heaven and earth, who is in himſelf an infinite ocean of Perfection without either bank or bottom, hath been pleaſed by the overflowings of his power and goodneſſe to create this orderly glorious frame of Heaven and Earth out of nothing; the Earth he hath furniſhed not only with great variety of excellent Beings, but alſo hath (a)Gen. 1.28. Pſal. 4.5, 6.ſet over them a viſible Governour to be his Vicegerent, giving him dominion over all things beneath; Who although he be a little leſſe then the Angels, yet is he anſwerable for this truſt to God alone. This glorious God hath furniſhed him with (b)Job 38.11. 32 8.Reaſon & underſtāding, more then the beaſts: & that he might be more happy than the world can make him, he hath not only given him vaſt deſires, and ſuch a capacity as cannot be ſatisfied by Creature-fulneſſe, but hath deſigned him to a higher end, a Heaven, which principally conſists in the (c)Rev. 22.4. 1 Cor. 13.12. Pſal. 16.11.enjoyment of himſelf. But becauſe his reaſon is not (d)1 Cor. 2.14.ſufficient to diſcover this to him, or bring him thither; therefore he hath ſent forth his (e)Pſal. 43.3.Light and Truth, the bleſſed (f)2 Pet. 1.3.ſhinings of Religion, to lead us to his dwelling, and to the place of his abode: which is not (g)Eph. 1.9.3, 9, &c.mans deſigne, but Gods diſcovery of his will and mind, pointing out the way to bliſſe. Yet hath he not appointed that man ſhould reach this end without oppoſition, and that not only from corruptions and (h)1 Pet. 2.11.luſts within which fight againſt the ſoul, but alſo poor man is encountred by the (i)Eph. 6.12.prince of darkneſſe, and ſpirituall wickedneſſes in high places: which makes his paſſage to his end ſo difficult, that did not that Almighty power that hath decreed him to the end, worke (k)1 Pet. 1 4, 5effectually to the preſerving of him in the way, he muſt needs come ſhort of happineſſe. The truth is, amongſt all encounters he meets with, there is ſcarce any monſter that more endangers him then that Hydra Haereſie; which if it once gets place in the Head by aſſent, hath a generall influence upon his affections and actions, and is a fruitfull mother, producing quickly like ſome fertile weeds a numerous progeny. This enſuing diſcourſe will in ſome meaſure diſcover that unto you: Which you will not find polite, but very plain, in an unaffected dreſſe. But I beſeech you remember, I did but bring up the Rear to my reverend Brother, in Application of that, which with great variety of Learning he doctrinally laid before you; and it was intended not to tickle the ears, or pleaſe the fancy of any, but to affect our hearts with a deep ſenſe of that ſad evil of Haereſie; to mourn for which, pray againſt it, and beg mercy for Church and State, we were aſſembled together. 'Twas your command that I ſhould publiſh it: In obedience to which, I have ſent it abroad under your protection, to be a remembrancer to you, of your engagements to God, prayers, and reſolutions taken up that day, wherein for this cauſe you afflicted your ſoules before God, and ſupplicated the deſtruction of it.
(l)Cauſin. l. 9. c. 42.It is reported, That during the time the Olympian games laſted, there was not a Fly ſeen on Mount Olympus; the like is (m)Paul. Fagius praefat. ad Thargum.affirmed of Onkelos his Chalde Paraphraſe. I cannot ſay much for the truth of either: But this I am ſure of, That it is not ſo with us; for the (n)Baal-zebub i. e. muſcarum princeps. Shindleri pentaglot, vervo foreignPrince of Flies, during your ſitting, hath raiſed ſuch ſwarms of flies an every corner of our Land, that many of our Congregations and Families are miſerably Fly-blowne with Haereſies and corrupt Tenets. The truth is, the World is now grown old, neer its ruine, and 'tis no marvel if it dote & be full of fancies. But when they are grown to ſuch a heigth of madneſſe, that they produce deſtructions, (as our Apoſtle ſtiles Haereſies in the Text) is it not time to cry to you for help? He was a Monſter of men, that could pleaſe himſelf with fidling, when Rome was on fire; or could make a ſport to ſee poor wretches ſwim for their lives and drown'd in Tiber, being thrown thither by his command. We know you are Chriſtian Magiſtrates, who reſembling the God of heaven in his care for ſoules, will not endure that the Devil his enemy ſhould tryumph here, or be worſhipped in his image Haereſie amongſt the inhabitants of this Iſland, ſeeing it is ſo oppoſite to the firſt Truth, and dangerous to peoples immortall ſpirits.
If it ſhall be thought, that I have not ſufficiently pointed out what I mean by Haereſie; I anſwer, My reverend Brother did prevent me; and as I did not in Preaching, ſo I will not in Printing, actum agere, but referre my ſelf to his deſcription of it. Only give me leave to ſay, That if the Opinion overthrows any Fundamentall Truth, I intend that, by the name Haereſie: if it ſhake or looſen the foundation-stones, it is not to be paſt by; Little ſerpents grow great ones by degrees, if they be let alone; the Egge may quickly become a Cockatrice, nay a Flying-ſerpent. But as for more petty differences in opinion, concerning things not much material, either not determined in Gods word at all, or after ſuch a manner as is dubious, not only to particular perſons, but alſo to many Churches of Christ, as ſome particulars perhaps in Diſcipline, and the like; ſo the peace of Church and State may ſtand with it; if the perſons profeſſing it be of an humble & conforming ſpirit to Authority, not stubborn or refractory, but willing to open their eyes to further light, not plotting nor contriving the overthrow of others, nor ſeeking to undermine what tends to order & ſafety, nor have their mouths open to cenſure, condemne, and raile againſt others; Such perſons I have (o)Multa donanda ingeniis puto, ſed donanda vitia, nō portenta ſunt. Senec. praefat. l. 1. contr.not the leaſt aim at in any part of this enſuing diſcourſe, only wiſh them the ſpirit of judgement and of a ſounder mind. But as for foul-mouth'd Haereſie, I wiſh the ſame (p)Joh. 2.15, 16, 17.zeale that was in Chriſt, may act ſtrongly in you, to whip them out of the Temple. God hath dealt by you, as (q)Eph. 6.11.Ahaſhuerus by Mordecai, cloathed you with his own robe and title, called you (r)Pſal. 82 1, 6.Gods, and put (s)Rom. 13.1, &c.power into your hand: I hope it ſhall ever be your Motto with the bleſsed Apoſtle, (t)2 Cor. 13.8We can do nothing againſt, but for the Truth. If for the Truth, then certainly againſt Error, Truths chief oppoſite. I look at you as (u)Cant. 3.7, 8.the ſpirituall Solomons guard of valiant men about his bed: Error is got into Chriſts bed-chamber, mens ſoules, and there attempts to aſſault Him that is the Truth, in the hearts of his people. We are confident you are too well-affected to this King of Kings, to ſuffer it: Yet give me leave to tell you, That many of theſe unworthy people have not a little boaſted of encouragement from Above, as they call it; but we believe it not, knowing that their tongues are much their own, and that they are great maſters of untruths: We rather think it is here, as it was in the ſpeech of Henry the VI. who when a man that counterfeited a recovering his ſight at his dead Ʋnkle the D. of Gloceſters tombe, was brought unto him, the man hoping by magnifying the holineſſe and vertue of his Ʋnkle to have gained ſome reward from him; He having found out by enquiry that he was a man of a wicked life, in ſtead of giving credit to him, told him, That he knew his Ʋnkles goodneſſe ſo well, that he was ſure, if he had ſeen, he would rather have pluckt out both his eyes, then have reſtored either of them to him. The like we may ſay of you. Yet give me leave in all humility to repreſent unto you no ſmall affliction to good men, which is, The fruitfulneſſe of the Preſſe in producing monſtrous miſſhapen births: 'Tis believed by wiſe men, (x)Sueton. vit. Tiberii.that Tiberias as much was (z)Non ſunt commiſeratione digni, qui tanti putant caput potius quàm dictum perdere. Sen. l. 2. contr.miſtaken in that connivence of his at ſuch kind of traſh as this, which might tend like a ſpark to ſome terrible flame, as almoſt in any act of his government.
To conclude; I beſeech you do not delay this buſines, There is nothing more excellent then Gods truth, nor more of concernment then Mans ſoule; both lie a bleeding. It is obſerved that the Spartans, too much contemning the weakneſſe and puſillanimity of the Thebans, made but petty inroads upon them by ſmall parties: had they put forth the utmoſt of their power, the Thebans were a people at that time ſo ſluggiſh and unapt to reſiſt, they might eaſily have ſubdued them; but by theſe ſmall parties they ſo awakened them, that they made them warriours, and after a grievous ſlaughter found their own error and miſtake too late.
The GOD of heaven direct and guide your Counſels. Which is, and ſhall ever be the Prayer of him that is
Your moſt humble and affectionate ſervant in Chriſt Jeſus, THO: HODGES.