The Nature and Danger of Heresies, Title page – Dedication
THE NATVRE and DANGER OF HERESIES, Opened in a Sermon BEFORE THE HONOURABLE Houſe of COMMONS, Ianuary 27. 1646. at Margarets Weſtminſter, being the day of their ſolemn Monthly Faſt.
By OBADIAH SEDGVVICK, B. D. Miniſter of Gods Word at Covent-Garden.
2 PET. 2. 1.
But there were falſe Prophets alſo among the people, even as there ſhall be falſe Teachers among you, who privily ſhall bring in damnable hereſies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themſelves ſwift deſtruction.
Yee therefore beloved, ſeeing yee know theſe things before, beware leſt yee alſo being led away with the errour of the wicked, fall from your own ſtedfaſtneſſe: but grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, 2 Pet. 3. 17, 18.
LONDON, Printed by M. F. for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND, at the Brazen ſerpent in Pauls Church-yard. 1647.
Die Mercurii 27. Januar. 1646.
ORdered by the Commons Aſſembled in Parliament, that Sir Peter Wentworth doe from this Houſe give thanks unto Mr Sedgewick for the great pains he took in his Sermon preached on this day at Margarets Weſtminſter before the Houſe of Commons, and that he doe deſire him to Print his Sermon. Wherein he is to have the like priviledge in printing of it, as others in the like kind uſually have had.
H. Elſing. Cler. Parl. D. Com.
I Appoint Samuel Gellibrand to Print this Sermon.
OBADIAH SEDGEVVICK. Febr. 19. 1646.
TO THE HONOURABLE The Houſe of COMMONS now aſſembled in Parliament.
HAving received your commands to preach, that which firſt preſented it ſelfe unto my thoughts, was the ſubject of this enſuing Diſcourſe; A Theam (if I doe underſtand the preſent poſture of theſe times) both ſeaſonable and neceſſary. There are ſome points of difference which are of an inferior conſequence, and ſtand farther off from the foundation; theſe being but Judicia domeſtica, I meddle not with: But there are other poſitions which pull hard at the very foundation, and which doe ſubvert the faith, dogmata ſalutis devoratoria, as Tertullian ſtyles them; and Religionis Chriſtianae Carcinomata, as another ſpeaks: againſt theſe I held it my duty, as a Chriſtian, as a Miniſter of Chriſt, and as your ſervant to declare my ſelf; And I beſeech you before whom was it more fit to open thoſe ulcerous ſores, then before your ſelves (Right Honourable) who under God are our moſt choice and tender Phyſitians?
If any Reader ſhould now be ſo unhappy in his charity as to calumniate this diſcovery of hereſies and blaſphemies to be an arrow ſubtilly deſigned againſt holineſſe and good men: to ſuch a one, all that I would reply is this; 1. The ſureſt friends to holineſſe have been the ſharpeſt enemies to errours; Chriſt and his Apoſtles were ſo. 2. That I never yet have learned what direct advantage did at any time redound to true ſanctity, by a patient endurance of hereſie and blaſphemy. 3. Nor can I be ſo uncharitable as to think, that any perſon ſincerely holy, or incending the progreſſe of holineſſe, durſt be a friend to ſuch damnable and ſoule-deſtroying errours. The deſign which I would commend to all in this time of Reformation, is this, That truth and holineſſe (which are ſo naturally combined, and ſo mutually intereſted) may be conſcientiouſly promoted with equall zeal: encourage holineſſe, but contend for the truth too: maintain the truth, but countenance holineſſe too: he who pretends holineſſe, but regards not truth; and hee who pretends the truth, but regards not holineſſe, neither of theſe is a cordiall friend either to truth or holineſſe. For your parts (Right Honourable) be you pleaſed to goe on (as you have begun) in the ſtrenuous ſupport of them both: Both of them have a neceſſary reſpect to Gods glory: both of them have a neceſſary reſpect to mans ſalvation: both of them have a neceſſary reſpect to our preſent Reformation: both of them will prove the Kingdomes ſafety, your conſciences comfort, and the crown of all your long and great labours. For both theſe you have the prayers of
Your moſt unworthy, yet moſt faithfull Servant, OBADIAH SEDGVVICK.