Nature and Danger of Heresy, Sermon

Nature and Danger of Heresy · Sermon

A SERMON Preached before the Honorable Houſe of COMMONS at Margarets Westminſter, on the tenth of March 1646. being a day of publique Humiliation for the growth of Errours, Hereſies, &c.

2. PETER 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.

BY a Declaration ſet forth above Thirty His Majeſties declaration in the cauſe of C…nradus V…r ſtius Printed in Engliſh. Anno 1612.years ago, King James (of Famous memory) was pleaſed to let the world know not onelyonly how ill hee reſented, and how much he deteſted the Vorſtian and Arminian Doctrines, then newly borne, and in their ſwadlingcloathes: p. 2but alſo how ſolicitouſly he interpoſed with the States Generall of the Vnited Provinces againſt their admittance of Ʋorſtins into the place of Divinity profeſſor at Leiden, or into their countrey; And that he might decline the envy of being in aliena republica curioſus, he beares himſelfe upon that common rule paries cum proximus ardet, when a neighbours houſe is on fire it concernes all in the neighbourhood to looke about them, this vigilancy condemns our (I know not what to call it, I wiſh no worſe might be ſaid then) inſenſibleneſſe and ſecurity. For what were thoſe ſparkes at that time ſmoaking in a remote corner in compariſon of that fire which now flames forth at every corner of our houſe, blowne up by that foreign or liberty of all religions, which may be juſtly called the golden Calfe of theſe times, Where unto many are not unwilling to contribute their ſtrength & pollicy, & whoſe birth-day they would not fear to call feſtum Jehovae an acceptable day unto the Lord. Are not the errours which are rife amongſt us, either by infecting perſons of place and quality growne into that boldneſſe? or by carrying away Barnabas alſo crept into that credit? or by ſpreading farre and wide riſen to that ſtrength? that they do face, if not ſeem able to put into danger of rowting, our common faith, publike worſhip, authorized miniſtry, long and much expected and promiſed reformation. This to the common enemy is the Cape of good hope, the ſound part are afraid leaſt the truth ſhould come to begg for poore quarter, and be led Captive following the Chariot of triumphant liberty, ſome thinke that epiſcopacy p. 3in his pontificalibus may by this meanes be retrived, and recalled from exile to which it was ſentenced by the Covenant, many that are as diſtant in their opinions as the two poles, yet moveing up on one axletree, or tyed together by the tayles of Common intereſt, Doubt not but by laying their ſtockes together, they ſhall be able to bid faire for a Toleration. And that we might not be left alone to wonder at our ſelves, our ſympathizing brethren abroad do wonder alſo, That we ſhould be made the common ſewre to receive the garbage of other Churches, and that their ſtinking ſnuffes ſhould be allowed candleſticks here in England.

In this ſad poſture of things, All mens eyes have beene upon the Parliament, and every one ſaith Is there no balme in Gilead? is there no Phyſitian there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? And the truth is neither your diverſion by ſudden and difficult emergents, nor wiſdom in not diſobliging any party, hath been able to ſatisfie the godly jealouſies of many, untill they eſpied this day breake of hope given to them by your declaration, in which you take notice of a double bond or obligation that lyes upon you.

1. The firſt is the bond of your ſolemne Covenant: It will doe very much good abroad when men ſhall ſee that you feele the obligation of that Covenant which ſome do widen into ſuch a latitude of ſence and conſequently into ſuch a looſeneſſe, that they may be eaſily ſaid to keep that which hardly any man can breake; This additionall faſt is an additionall bond alſo. For it cannot be (without further perill to you) both a faſt and a looſe too.

p. 2duplicate page p. 3duplicate page p. 42. The ſecond is the bond of Gods mercies, miracles rather, in bringing you cleare out of the fiery furnace and therefore leſſe you cannot doe than Nebuchadnezzar, who being convinced, and aſtoniſht by the miraculous deliverance of the three ſervants of the Lord, made a decree that none ſhould ſpeake any aaforeign paraphr. …oſephi. foreign inepti quid.errour againſt the God of Shadrach Meſhach and Abednego, becauſe there is no other God that can deliver after this ſort. Dan. 3. 29. I crave leave for this prefaceing, It is only to bid this day welcome, becauſe as it is the firſt that ever was in England upon this ſad occaſion, ſo it is a new and ſtrong ingagement and demonſtration of your zeale and reſolution to endeavour, to draine theſe fens which have ſo over ſpread the face of Gods Church.

The Apoſtle in the latter end of the foregoing chapter recommends to Chriſtians the holy Scriptures as the fixed pole and un-varying compaſſe by which they ſhould ſteere their courſe, It ſeemes he knew nothing of any ſuch high forme of Chriſtians in the Schoole of Chriſt which ſhould (as I may ſay) be got above the Scriptures or have learn'd beyond them. For the commends them who had obtained like pretious faith with himſelfe and others of higheſt ranke. 2 Pet. 1. 1. for giving heed to the word of prophecy verſ. 19. and as appeares by that expreſſion ver. 20. foreign, knowing this firſt, He would have it laid downe as a principle, and ſet as a ſtrong fort againſt the battery of all falſe teachers That no prophecy of Scripture is of any private ſence or bbforeign is the unfolding or cleering of things darke and doubtfull, Mar. 4. 34. foreign Acts 19. 39. foreignMark 4:34Acts 19:39interpretation. becauſe it came not by the will of man, but holy men of God ſpake as p. 5they were carried by the holy Ghoſt. The ſetling of this principle, and the faſtning of Chriſtians, or as it were nailing them unto the Scriptures; the words of the holy Prophets and Apoſtles, is the ſcope at which the Apoſtle collimes in this Epiſtle, as himſelfe declares, Chap. 3. verſ. 1, 2. & 17. And that it might appeare to them how neceſſary and ſeaſonable it was to ſtirre them up to adhere to the ſure word of God, and the true and genuine ſence thereof, Hee foretells the comming in of Falſe teachers and Scoffers, Falſe teachers that would overthrow the truth of doctrine, which is according to godlineſſe, by bringing in damnable hereſies, even denying the Lord that bought them, chap. 2. ver. 1. Scoffers that would undermine and elude the truth of Gods promiſes. There ſhall come in the laſt dayes Scoffers, walking after their owne luſts, and ſaying, where is the promiſe of his comming, Chap. 3. verſ. 3, 4. And becauſe the Scriptures themſelves were not likely to eſcape the ccforeign Heſych.racke, the Apoſtle gives a double character of ſuch as would crooken it, or make it looke ddforeign, Sylburg.a ſquint, and they are the unlearned and unſtable, and ſo concludes with caution to all Chriſtians, that they ſhould beware, leſt they being carried away together, by the ſeducement of wicked men, or (foreign) lawleſſe Libertines of opinion and practiſe, fall from their owne ſtedfaſtneſſe, Chap. 3. verſ. 16, 17.

In this Chapter the Apoſtle foretells the comming of falſe teachers into the Goſpell Churches, and deſcribes their doctrines, their deſtruction, their manners.

The doctrines which they teach are damnable p. 6hereſies, they deny the Lord that bought them.

Their deſtruction is exemplified and paralleld in three terrible examples, the caſting down of the Angells that fell, the deſtruction of the olde world, the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrha. It may make the eares of all haereſie-Maſters and their followers to tingle when they heare that the three great and famous monuments of Gods ſore wrath executed by his owne immediate hand are brought in as examples of his vengeance againſt that wickedneſſe which above all other pretends exemption and liberty from the ſtroke of men.

Their manners (in the deſcription of which the greateſt part of this Chapter is taken up) are drawn out in ſo foule colours, that every man may make the obſervation, That monſtrous doctrines are accompanied with monſtrous luſts.

In this verſe you have the ſeedes-men, and they are falſe teachers; the ſeed they ſow, namely damnable hereſies. The crop they ſhall reap, and that is ſwift deſtruction.

In the firſt part which ſhewes us the ſeeds-men, there are two points to be taken up.

1. That there ſhall be falſe teachers in the Goſpell Churches, as there were falſe Prophets in the Church of olde.

2. That theſe falſe teachers are they that bring in damnable hereſies.

There ſhall be falſe teachers foreign amongſt you in the Churches of the Goſpell, as there were falſe prophets foreign among the people of God of olde. It's ſeldome ſeene that falſe prophets or falſe teachers will owne their owne name: goe from one to p. 7one and aſke, are you a falſe teacher? and there will not be found any; the confident falſe prophet puts it upon the true Prophet that Hee is the falſe. Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from mee to ſpeake to thee? 1 Kings 22. 24. which is the falſe prophet we ſhall ſee anon, in the meane time thus farre we are agreed, that there were ſuch then, and that there ſhall bee ſuch amongſt Chriſtians under the Goſpell, though they that are guilty are wiſer than to make ſuch a deſcription of a falſe teacher, or of haereſy which may hit themſelves: but rather will uſe their ſleight to turne the Scripture▪ as one doth a right hand glove to fit the other hand.

Falſe Prophets and falſe teachers are paralleld, both in their being in the Church, and in their character or deſcription.

1. In their Being in the Church, for

1. As God then ſent Prophets to teach his people▪ Jer. 7. 25. Since the day that your Fathers come forth out of the land of Aegypt vntounto this day, I have ſent you all my ſervants the Prophets, and there were then falſe prophets alſo ſaith my Text. So God hath ſet in his Church under the Goſpell Teachers, 1 Cor. 12. 28. and there ſhall be alſo falſe teachers; then they wore a rough garment to deceive, and now they corne in ſheeps cloathing. The Apoſtle in this Zech. 13. 4. Matth. 7. 15.Zech 13:4Matt 7:15Text determines not the falſe Prophets then to a particular place or time, but ſaith they were among the people; nor doth he determine falſe teachers now to any one place or time, but ſpeakes indefinitely, they ſhall be amongſt you. There is no age of the Church free of them: onelyonly the laſt dayes are moſt likely to have moſt of theſe dregs; and whereas p. 8its ſaid of all true Prophets, that they were ſent, and of Paſtors and Teachers, that God hath ſet them in, and Chriſt hath given them to his Church; there is no more ſaid of theſe in the Text than foreign. They were, and they ſhall be: they may eaſily find a Propheſie for their being in the Church, but will hardly finde a Scripture-warrant or calling.

2. As the Church of old, notwithſtanding thoſe living oracles of truth, the holy men of God who ſpake as they were moved by the holy Ghoſt, and the lively oracles of holy Scripture committed to it, had falſe Prophets alſo, who ſpake their owne dreames: ſo the Goſpell Churches even in the Apoſtles times, 1 John 4. 1. and not withſtanding the fulneſſe and perſpicuity of Evangelicall doctrine given by inſpiration of God, ſhall have falſe teachers in them; Who ſhall come up in Samuels mantle, and putting the Scriptures to the racke, ſhall foreign (as one ſaith of Philo) force things into allegories and conceited extractions, and make them like Anaxagoras his foreign drawing every thing out of any thing. For an haereticall wit is a ſtrange Chymiſt. The truth is, the reſiſters of the truth, and the ſeducers in the old Teſtament are but acted over againe in the Goſpell Churches. Here alſo are the reſiſtings of Jannes and Jambres, by men of corrupt mindes, reprobate concerning the faith, 2 Tim. 3. 8. Here are the contradictions of Core, Jude. verſ. 11. Here is the doctrine of Balaam, Rev. 2. 14. and here are the falſe teachers anſwering to the falſe Prophets, but yet it is argued by ſome that the Analogy betweene the Old and New Teſtament, doth not hold in regard of the p. 9puniſhment of falſe Prophets and blaſphemers, nor ought to be drawn into conſequence now. I would they would rather ſtudy to avoid the ſame ſinnes, then to evade the like puniſhments: for the greater liberty of Conſcience under the Goſpell, cannot extenuate the ſinne of blaſphemy, becauſe this liberty is accompanied with greater light.

2. In their Character or deſcription. The Greek which hath great felicity of compoſition of words calls him in one word a falſe prophet, whom the Hebrew cals a Prophet, & leaves him by ſpurious characters or properties to be detected falſe or illegitimate.

A falſe prophet or a falſe teacher may be ſo denominated in a two fold reſpect.

1. As he teaches or vents lies and falſe-hood, which is the moſt uſuall and common acceptation of the word.

2. As he teaches without a commiſſion or calling.Ier. 14. 14. Eſay 9. 15. Ezec. 13. 2. &c.Jer 14:14Isa 9:15Ezek 13:2

1. In the firſt notion he is a falſe prophet that teacheth lies, or delivers forth the viſions and deceit of his own heart, which he covers over with Thus ſaith the Lord Ezech. 13. 6. Ier. 28. 2. and ſo fathers his falſe dreames upon God, and his cheifeſt aime and care is not to ſting the people, but to feed his deluded followers with pleaſing things, and rather to tickle than to prick them, Saying to Ahab, go up & proſper, 1 King. 22. 12. or God hath broken the yoke of Babylon, Jer. 28. 2. which was the advantage that Ahabs falſe prophets had of Micajab, and Hananiah had of Ieremy, & this obſervation the Scripture makes upon them, Thy prophets have not diſcovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity. Lam. p. 102. 14. and they thinke to cauſe my people to forget my name. Ier. 22. 27. Whence it is that they are applauded and that all men ſpeake well of them Luk. 6 26. They are wiſer then to marre their owne markets by ſharpe reproofes, as a cutpurſe is afraid to touch the quick with his knife leſt he looſe his prey.

The character of falſe teachers is anſwerable, they are aaforeignLying maſters ſpeaking perverſe things to Druſ. praet. in 2 Pet. 2. 1.2 Pet 2:1draw Diſciples after them. Acts. 20. 30. and ſpeaking lyes in hypocriſy, which they palliate over with It is written, or the name of the ſpirit, and are therefore called ſpirits of errour 1. Tim. 4. 1. as we are forbidden to beleeve every ſpirit. 1. Iohn. 4. 1. that is every doctrine though pretended to be from the ſpirit, for men are cunning to lay downe their baſtards at an honeſt doore, and to pin them upon the backe of ſcripture; being like to the falſe prophets in this miſ-fathering of their doctrines, as alſo in that other thing, which is the bayteing of their hookes with ſweet & pleaſing baytes. foreign they allure as with a baite through the luſts of the fleſh and wantonneſſe. 2. Pet. 2. 18. And they promiſe liberty ver. 19. which are takeing things, that it is no wonder there are many that follow their pernicious wayes. ver. 2.

2. In the ſecond notion he is a falſe prophet who Jer. 14. 14. Ezech. 13. 6.Jer 14:14Ezek 13:6runs indeed but is not ſent, I have not ſent theſe prophets yet they ran Ier. 23. 22. They can ſay I have dreamed, I have dreamed, ver. 25. but they have no miſſion, and ſuch a one is to be counted a falſe prophet. bbMolin. Vates cap. 4.Sive vera praedicet ſive falſa whether he preach true or falſe; The character of a falſe teacher is anſwerable hereunto, hee is one that is foreign, ſelfe p. 11called, or fills his owne hand, ſo that the queſtion is not what he teaches but by what warrant, as Cyprian Cyprian in Epiſtola ad Antonianum.ſaid once to one that was inquiſitive what doctrine Novatian did teach, we need not (ſaith he) be carefull or curious to know quid ille doceat cum ſoris doat, the like may be juſtly ſaid of falſe teachers. Its no asking what they teach ſince they have no calling foreign.to teach, There are found in the new Teſtamēt, (I had almoſt ſaid in England) Falſe Chriſts, falſe Apoſtles, falſe Prophets, falſe teachers, all theſe rankes are counterfeited, as he is called a falſe Chriſt, a falſe Apoſtle, who pretends to be Chriſt or an Apoſtle & is not, ſo is he a falſe teacher who pretends to be a teacher and is not ſent. Nor is it any wonder that when once men do begin to looke for a new Chriſt, or new Apoſtles, or new Prophets, they ſhould in the next place fall to making of them, that ſo their ſeeking may not ſeeme fruſtrate, but becauſe ſome are of opinion that preaching of the word is not ſo much an act of office as of gifts, and that gifts and talents doe carry with them letters patents of commiſſion to trade with them, I muſt crave leave to beſtow a few words upon it, becauſe it hath been generally received in the Church that both matter and forme, miſſion and viſion, gifts and calling muſt concurr to the conſtitution of him who exerciſes a publike miniſtry. For even our Lord Ieſus Chriſt in whom all fullneſſe dwells: glorified not himſelfe to be made a high Prieſt, but was called of God as was Aaron. Heb. 5. 4. 5. and the rule is there given, that no man takes foreign an honour or office to himſelfe, whatſoever be his parts or abilities, & the apoſtle ſaith not how ſhould they foreign, p. 12publikely preach the word, without gifts, and abilities? but, except they be ſent Rom. 10. 15. It muſt not be denyed, that every member in the body hath foreign, his proper office, Rom. 12. 4. 5. wherby it may contribute to the good and edification of the whole. The word of God that dwells in any, ought to diffuſe it ſelfe for the benefit of others, in their families, relations, and converſations. The talent which God hath given to every one is to be put forth to uſe, the Samaritan woman may call out her neighbours to Chriſt, and the ſhepeards may ſpread abroad what they have heard of him, though they be but ſhepheards and neither prieſts nor Levites, but every ſtarr in his owne orbe or Sphaere, aaBellarm. de eccleſia militante.diverſa eſt ratio membri & inſtrumenti publici there is a difference betweene a private member of the Church, and a publike inſtrument. For all the free-men of this City or corporation are not Aldermen, and the edification of the body by miniſtry, and by memberſhip are plainely diſtinguiſht, Eph. 4. ver 11. and 16. If every Phaeton that thinkes himſelfe able may drive the charriot of the ſun no wonder if the world be ſet on fire, I ſhould not doubt to ſay, that as in ſome caſes Omnis homo miles againſt a ſuddaine aſſaulter or invader, every man is a ſouldier, ſo, as the caſe may bee, omnis Chriſtianus Evangeliſta every Chriſtian is an Evangeliſt, as Edeſius & Frumentius publiſht the Goſpell to the Indies, and the woman to the Iberians, as the Eccleſiaſticall ſtory S…crates lib. 1. chap. 15. 16. Theod r. lib. … chap 23.reporteth, And it is ſaid Acts. 8 4. thoſe that were diſperſed by the perſecution againſt the Church at Ieruſalem, went every where preaching the word, They diſſeminated the knowledge of Chriſt, to the p. 13ignorant Iewes and Helleniſts. Acts. 11. 20. the circumſtance defends the action, if it could be proved that theſe diſperſed Chriſtians were private men and that they preacht the word in Ieruſalem which was a conſtituted Church, before they were ſcattered Mornay du pl… ſſ…s of the Church, ch 11.thence, it would be ſome thing to the purpoſe, The noble Mornay puts another caſe, that if the ſentinells be in a dead ſleep any common ſouldier or man, may give the alarum to the City, as when the dogs do not barke the geeſe do ſave the capitol, and yet it remaines good, that there is an office, in the hands whereof Chriſt hath lodged the ſtewardſhip of the miſteries of God, the word and ſacraments, for teaching and baptizing are both put into the ſame hand; It is not a mans able parts which make him the ſteward of any of your houſes, but your committing the keyes into his hand. Nor abilities, but commiſſion, which makes an Ambaſſadour, what if a Gibeonite or any other man was able, and had the skill to dreſſe a ſacrifice, and performe all the outward work thereabout as well as any Prieſt, Muſt hee therefore take upon him to uſurpe the Prieſts Office? I think none will ſay it, No conſtituted Church either under the Law or Goſpel can be denied to have had Officers appointed for the worke of the Miniſtry and diſpenſation of the holy things of God; As concerning the Church under the Law who can doubt of it? And for the Churches under the Goſpel that they ſhould be conſtituted and founded by Chriſt and the Apoſtles who were ſent, (for its ſaid John 20. 21.) As my Father hath ſent me, ſo ſend I you) and then that all ſending ſhould determine and ceaſe, as if Chriſt p. 14had given Apoſtles, Prophets, Evangeliſts, but no Paſtors, and Teachers, can enter into no mans head, till ſenſe and reaſon be firſt gone out of it; what elſe ſhould bee the meaning of thoſe words, aaforeignElders, Rulers, Biſhops, Paſtors, Governours, which are contradiſtinguiſht to the Community of the Church. As the Elders and whole Church Acts 15. Rulers and Saints, Heb. 13. verſe 24. Angells and Churches, Revel. 1. 20. and the one ſort are ſaid to Rule and governe. The other enjoyned to ſubmit and obey them, Heb. 13. 17. for ſo doubtleſſe Chriſt hath formed this houſe of his, as other houſes are; This City as other cities, this body or common-wealth as other ſocieties. That is, to conſiſt of ſuch as govern & ſuch as are Governed: for otherwiſe it would be more like a Cyclops den then an ordered family. If any ſhall ſay that foreign and foreign doe ſignifie nothing but one that carries the lanthorne of doctrine, or goes before others by good example, let him ſayalſo that a Maſter or a father of a family doth foreign, 1. Tim. 3. 4. 5. give but a good example, to his houſe, as a very ſervant may doe, or that Joſeph was ſet foreign. Acts. 7. 10. a good example to Egypt, and no more, The word foreign, to preach is in the new teſtament moſt uſually and for the moſt part appropriated to preaching by office and authority, and when the Apoſtle ſaith 1. Tim. 2. 12. I permit not a woman to teach foreign nor to exerciſe authority (as the word f Docere eſt actus poteſlatis. Calvin in lo….ſignifies) it is plainely ſignified that to teach in the Church is an act of authority; thoſe then to whom the Apoſtle commended the overſight of the Church at his farewell. Acts. 20. 28. to whom Peter p. 15wrote and charged them with the flocke 1. Pet. 5. 1. whom the golden Candleſticks had for their Angells, and upon whom that comfortable promiſe is entaild, I will be with you alwayes unto the end of the world, Matth. 28. 20. are men in office, not indeed called unto Lordſhip and dominion, but to a miniſtry and ſtewardſhip which is to be regulated by that moſt excellent rule and to that onelyonly end For your edification and not for your deſtruction 2. Cor. 10. 8.

But this office is undermined and pulled downe by piece-meale, ſtone by ſtone, as if a man ſhould ſay this ſtone is not eſſentiall to the houſe, nor this nor that, and ſo pull all downe at laſt. This is a ſtratagem of the Socinian art; It is ſaid that impoſition of hands in ordination is but a ceremony, or formality, and in it ſelfe a cyphar; and being ſo why may it not be laid aſide as well as that ceremony of laying the Bible on the head, which is ſpoken of in the aaConcil. Carthagin 4. c. 2.counſell of Carthage? concerning impoſition of hands in the generall this I ſay that it is not a thing to be ſlighted as an outward rite incongruous to the ſpiritualneſſe of the Goſpell for its one of thoſe which the Apoſtle calls the doctrine of the beginning of Chriſt and the foundation, Heb. 6. 1. 2. and for the particular place it hath in ordination, let it firſt be ſettled & agreed that the miniſtry being an office or calling hath ſome way of entrance into it appointed by him that hath appointed the office, & that there is a ſeparation of men thereunto, or manner of their conſtitution & ordination, that is, a poteſtative miſſion as ſome expreſſe it: and then the modus is to be inquired into as touching p. 16which, it is argued that ordination by impoſition of hands as contradiſtinguiſht from the election of the people is not eſſential to the māner of entrance. Eſ-ſentiall is a great word. Baptiſme & the Lords ſupper are not eſſentiall to the being of a Chriſtian or to ſalvation; ſo as the privation of them ſhould damne the ſoule, and yet are of excellent uſe and cleare inſtitution. It may ſuffice, that there is ſo much in the word for ordination as that the way of the word in that caſe is neither to be laid aſide nor receded from, nor maimed. The engine planted for battery and overthrow of ordination is the election of the people that is the id ipſum wherein the ſeparation of a man to the miniſtry doth conſiſt, and yet we read of a ſeparation unto God for the worke of the miniſtry by faſting, prayer, and impoſition of hands, without any election of people, Act. 13. 1. 2. I am of bbLib. de rep eccl. 2. cap. 2. para… 12.Spalato his minde that this was not a ſeparation to an office which Paul and Barnabas before had not, but that it was a ſeparation unto God (foreign) for the worke of the Miniſtry, is cleere enough, and what was that worke, but the preaching of the word and ordaining of elders. Acts. 14. 23. 24. 25. 26. If any man can ſhew throughout the New-Teſtament that any did impoſe hands for ſeparation of men to the office or worke of the miniſtry but onelyonly ſuch as were in office themſelves, Apoſtles, Evangeliſts, Elderſhip, and theſe Teachers and Prophets at Antioch, or that the election of the people is the id ipſum of ſeparation, let it be done, or let us have leſſe dictating and leſſe begging, for by the way let me tell you, wee live in the beggarlieſt age that ever was, I meane for begging of the queſtion.

p. 17And if the meere election of the people be ſufficient, what neede was there that the Apoſtle ſhould leave Titus in Crete, for this cauſe, that hee might ordaine Elders in every City, Titus 1. 5. For if it be ſaid that foreign, that thou mighteſt ordain, be no more then that thou mighteſt ordain, be no more then that thou mighteſt looke on while the people did it, Then why may not Pharaoh (of whom it is ſaid foreign, hee conſtituted Joſeph Governour over Aegypt) bee ſaid to looke on only, while the people did it. And what need was there that Paul and Barnabas ſhould be ſeparated and ſent forth to ordaine Elders in every Church, Acts 14. 23. If the Churches election had beene the id ipſum of ordination; And why are the characters and qualifications of Elders and Biſhops given and deſcribed to Timothy and Titus, 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. Not ſo much to the people, by which they ſhould proceede in their elections, as to them who were appointed to ordaine them, that they might not lay on hands ſuddenly, 1 Tim. 5. 22. In which place laying on of hands (as foreign with the Hebrews) is put for ordination, and ſo is not election by the people any where found to be. As for Caſes and inſtances of a people caſt up in ſome remote Iſland or the like: may not they chuſe a Miniſter? and he perform the office without ordination? ſuch caſes may bee formed to overthrow any common rule or law of Miniſtery or Magiſtracy either. It's ſaid that an aaExceptio firmat regulam in non exceptis.exception ſtrengthens a rule, & overthrows it not, for then there could be no rule of any thing, becauſe every rule hath ſome exception; ſet the Heteroclites by themſelves, and let the rule ſtand. If David eate the Shew-bread, or the Levites p. 18performe that office which belongs to the Prieſts (2 Chron. 29. 34. with Levit. 1. 6.) in caſe of neceſſity; there is no more can be ſaid but neceſſitas quod cogit, defendit, that which neceſſity commands, it defends.

That the holy Ghoſt was given by the impoſition of the Apoſtles hands; (I ſay the Apoſtles) Act. 8. 18. is true: but no argument againſt laying on of hands by the Elderſhip in ordination, for there were divers reaſons and occaſions of laying on of hands beſides in ordination: and other hands were laid on in ordination, than could give the holy Ghoſt. The Levites had impoſition of hands (aaFagius in Chald. paraph. in locum. tanquam in ſacrificium, Numb. 8. 10, 11. as upon a ſacrifice) dedicating them to God and his ſervice. And ſo in the New Teſtament, it was uſed for ſeparation of men to the worke or office of the Miniſtery: but there is no miracle wrought, nor is the holy Ghoſt given, nor any inward grace. The word foreign grace ſeems ſomewhere to be put for office, as Rom. 1. 5. bbSee Rom. 1. 5▪ & 15. 15, 16▪ Gal. 2. 9. Grotius, Beza, Dieu. foreign.Rom 1:5Rom 15:15Rom 15:16Gal 2:9Grace and Apoſtleſhip, that is, the grace of Apoſtleſhip, & in this ſenſe (as Beza ſaith) if that foreign or grace be taken, 1 Tim. 4. 14. Then may it be ſaid to be given with impoſition of the hands of the Presbytery. As for election by the people, which is by ſome cryed up as the All in All in this point, though I have nothing to ſay againſt the lawfullneſſe of it, where it's duely conditioned: yet if any ſhall plead the neceſſity of it as eſſentiall to the calling of a Miniſter, I ſhould not ſtick to ſay, that there is clearer evidence in Scripture for ordination of Miniſters by impoſition of hands, then for election by the people. That word, foreign, Acts 14. 23. out of which p. 19it is expiſcate, after a man hath made the beſt of it, will leave him to beg the queſtion, for there appeares in it no act of the Church at all: but whatſoever it ſignifies, it refers wholly to Paul and Barnabas, who did foreign ordaine Elders for the Diſciples, and therefore without endangering not only the ſenſe, but the grammer of the Scripture, can no more referre to the people, then ccDiatrib p. 6. & page 10.he that affirmes that it may, can prove Luke to bee an Apoſtle (as he ſtiles him.) I deny not that Cheirotonia in the ddforeign Zonar▪ in Can. 1.original and firſt riſe of the word ſignifies a giving vote or ſuffrage by ſtretching forth the hand, or an election manifeſted by that ſigne, but the uſe of words, not the Etymology muſt rule their interpretation; and it is paſt all queſtion that the Greeke Heathen Authours doe uſe this word foreign generally, to eeforeign Heſ…ch.conſtitute, appoint, ordaine, as is obſerved by Heſychius, as they doe alſo ffSo alſo in Scripture, Acts 1. 26.Acts 1:26foreign to reckon or give ſentence, though there be no uſe of counters or little ſtones: and foreign to bee choſen to a place, or to obtaine a poſſeſſion, though there be no uſe of any Lot therein, accordingly to w^ch a man may bee ſaid pedibus ire in ſententiam, though he have no feet to goe upon: but becauſe we would not reſt in generals, let us examin what was the act of Paul & Barnabas in this place: for it is plaine that they put ggEpheſ. 1. 11.Eph 1:11forth ſome particular act, when 'its ſaid they ordained for them or unto them Elders, did they ordaine by impoſition of hands? as the word foreign ſignifies in the Greeke Fathers and counſells who may be thought to underſtand the language) It is not unlikely that thoſe very men that had been ſent forth upon this expedition p. 20by impoſition of hands, faſting & prayer ſhould in the like manner ordaine Elders, for ſo the very te… in hand couples together, ordaining of Elders in every Church & praying with faſtings; or did they elect Elders for them? as hhGrotius in locum.Grotius ſeemes to interpret it, but thoſe that contend for that ſenſe of the word, to ſignify election, will not eaſily diſgeſt the interpretation, and the truth is, They that argue the peoples election of Miniſters, from the election of the ſeven, Acts. 6. which the Apoſtles permitted to the people there, cannot eaſily grant that Paul and Barnabas did aſſume it to themſelves here, becauſe it gives away the queſtion, namely election by the people; or did Paul and Barnabas joyne with the Diſciples in election? If it had been ſaid foreign it had been ſomething to the purpoſe, but it is not ſaid they choſe with them, but they ordained for them Elders in every Church, And for that which Grotius ſaith, Credibile eſt &c. I'ts to be thought that the conſent of the people went along alſo, the reaſon that he gives, namely becauſe in a leſſer matter their conſent was ſometime taken in, quite overthrowes that which is contended for ex vt verbi out of the word foreign, uſed in the text, and we know that where the Apoſtles, Elders, and Brethren concurred in an act they are all named Acts. 15. 23. which as here it is not ſaid ſo it cannot hence be proved; or in the laſt place, if it be ſaid that the word tranſlated, ordaine, ſignifies an ordination upon a previous or antecedent election of the people, then 'its cleare that election doth not thruſt out ordination nor the act of the people juſtle out the act of Paul and Barnabas, and ſo that engine p. 21workes not by this Text, which is ſo much clearer for ordination than election, as the act of Paul and Barnabas is more expreſſe then that couchant act of the people, which is pretended to lie hid in the ſame word: which if it be taken in one ſimple ſenſe, ſignifying either generally to conſtitute or ordaine, and ſo relate to the act of Paul and Barnabas, (without thruſting into the notion of the word either impoſition of hands (which may be made good elſwhere in Scripture to have beene uſed in ordination, or election by the people, which cannot be made good elſewhere) or ſignifying election by ſuffrage, and ſo relate both to Paul & Barnabas and the people, as if they all concur'd in election or vote, and that was all they did: both theſe ſignifications the word will beare, though not the Text: but if it carry twins in the belly of it, and import two divers acts different in kinde, and ſo relate to ſome act of Paul and Barnabas, differing from the act or ſuffrage of the people, then muſt that ſignification be proved by good examples, leſt it bee found never to have beene ſo uſed before Luke uſed it ſo: but I hold my hand from further proſecution of this Scripture, and offer to you one obſervation more, tending to cleare the point in hand, and that is out of Acts 6. where it is cleare that there was an election of the ſeven, and as cleare, that the conſtitution or ordination of them was reſerved unto the Apoſtles, verſ. 6. Looke yee out ſeven men whom wee may appoint or conſtitute over this buſineſs; the people elected, the Apoſtles ordained, verſ. 3. & 5. But the election is not called the conſtitution or ordination, for that the Apoſtles are ſaid to doe: p. 22and how did they doe it? verſ. 6. when they had prayed they laid their hands on them, ordination by impoſition of hands was the conſtitutive act. The peoples foreign ver. 6. and the Apoſtle foreign ver. 3. are not all one: that poore criticiſme would never have beene borne, if the ffDiatrib p 10.Author of it had but ſet the words together foreign the people ſet or preſented the elected before the Apoſtles, they did not ordaine them before the Apoſtles, but preſented them to be conſtituted and ordained by them over that buſineſs unto which they were choſen, verſ. 3. There is not a more uſuall word in the aaAriſt. politic. paſſim. Acts 7. 10. 27. 35. Mat. 24. 47. & 25. 41. …u. 12. 14. Acts 6. 3. Titus 1. 5. uſually with the prepoſtion foreign, ſignifying the place or the ſubject matter of their office & goverment.Acts 7:10Acts 7:27Acts 7:35Matt 24:47Matt 25:41Acts 6:3Titus 1:5greeke tongue, to ſignifie the making of a Governour, or ſetling one into an office or praefecture then this word foreign which is alſo uſed for the conſtitution of Elders and Church Officers in the new Teſtament, which wee call ordination.

If you pleaſe to conſult the practiſe of antiquity in the point of election of Biſhops ab ordine & plebe (as they uſe to ſay) by the Church officers and community, you ſhall finde 1. That election was never ſet ſo high as to give checke to ordination, nor accounted that wherein the miſſion or ſending did conſiſt: but as a preparative to ordination by way of good teſtimony of the perſon to bee ordained. 2. When you have ſearcht all records (as bbSpalato derep. eccleſ. lib. 3. cap. 3.they are laid together by a very learned hand) the reſult and ſumme will be this, that election had the force only of a nomination, preſentation, poſtulation, or conſent, ſo as a Miniſter could not bee obtruded invitae eccleſiae upon a Church whether it would or no▪ if they were able to put in a juſt exception againſt p. 23him, for which end the perſon to be ordained was firſt to be proclaimed, or (as I may ſay) asked in ccforeign. Concil. Chalced. can. 6.the Church, for the very reaſon of Cyprians ddCyprian Ep. 68. E…it. Pa…n.ſpeech, that the people principally have power to chuſe the worthy, or refuſe the unworthy, is rendred in the ſame Epiſtle, that they do fully know the life & converſation of every man. And therefore it is eeDiatrib. cap. 11.injudiciouſly ſpoken that ordination neceſſarily follows election: for an irrational or meer arbitrary diſſent, when no juſt exception could be put in bar againſt a man, could no more hinder a mans ordination, then ſuch a peeviſhneſſe now a▪ days can hinder the marriage of one whoſe name is publiſht in the congregation. Ab ordinatoribus plebs docenda non ſequenda, ſaith Caeleſtinus.

The cloze of this point might well have beene an Apology for ſpeaking ſo much of it in this place, had not the Text led me to ſay ſomething, and the neceſſity of the times, together with the preſent occaſion conſtrained me to this prolixity. For the office of the Miniſtery, and the power thereunto belonging, are very much undervalued, and laid very low by many: who differing among themſelves in principles, doe as in a common intereſt, joyn together to cry downe and degrade them, In order to a two-fold liberty. The one is the liberty of propheſying or preaching, as any man is able to ſet up the trade: in oppoſition to which they conceive the Miniſters do ſtand for their own livings and power ſake. The other is the liberty of their luſts and ways of looſeneſſe, and theſe are ſuch upon whom the feare of the Miniſtery is fallen, whoſe Spirit cannot bear too free reproofe, nor their courſes a too cloſe p. 24obſervation. And hence it is that ſome of them having learning, doe ſet their wits on worke to rout this office and the power thereof, by bafling the evidences of the word, and endeavouring to diſpute the Scripture out of doores, which though God hath not pleaſed to deliver Syſtematically in a way of abſolute precept or demonſtrative clearneſſe in every particular, yet ought to be regarded in the hints and conſequences and implications which afford foot-hold to a good conſcience, and not to be out-wrangled for our ends and luſts ſake, as being the becke of that great God who is able to becken us all into nothing, others that calculate by the Ephemerides of policy, doe diſcover or imagine future inconveniences, which may ariſe from the indiſcretion, paſſion, weakeneſſe of the Miniſters, and if they will but goe on to play that Cannon a little further, they ſhall find it will batter and overthrow all Magiſtracy, or any government that is managed by men; others whoſe tongues are ſharper then their arguments fall foule upon the miniſtry, and poure treble contempt upon it, in lieu of double honour, never was miniſtry more bleſſed and witneſſed unto from heaven, by the ſucceſſe and fruitfullneſſe of it in bringing in and bringing up, a people unto God, (though ſome of their chickens are caught and carried away by kites or have forſaken them, as duckes forſake the hen that hatched them) never more contemned That which the^f Collat. Carthag. 3.Donatiſt objected ſometime to Auſtin is now rife againe tu quis es? Filius es Ceciliani, an non? who ordained you, you are the brat of Cecilian, are you not? (whom they pretended p. 25to be a traditor or to have given up the holy Scripture to the fire) ſo they ſay to the Miniſters, whoſe ſons are you? is not your pedigree by lineall deſcent from Antichriſt? is not he the top of your kin? he that hath but halfe an eye may ſee the reaſon why the Wolves would have the Sheep to quitt their dogs. The miniſtry if encouraged and ſupported to doe their duty, will be (next under the Parliament, who, we hope, will doe theirs) the greateſt bulwarke or banke againſt the inundation of errour, haereſy, and blaſphemy, whoſe increaſe is the occaſion of this humiliation; It is the lot of the Miniſters of the reformed Churches to be grund betweene two Mil-ſtones, in the firſt reformation, the popiſh Champions fell pell-mell upon the calling of the aaNon miſſi non vocati non conſecrati. Briſtow motiu.Miniſters of the reformed Churches pretending it to be null (ac proinde nulla eccleſia, and conſequently (ſaith bbNon ab epiſcopis ordinati ac proinde nulla eccleſia Greg de Valentia. Tom. 4. diſput. 9. queſt. 3. punct 2. in fine.Gregory de Valentia) (the Churches no Churches) becauſe they were not ordained by Biſhops. The ſame concluſion is now undertaken; That the preſent Miniſters in this Church are not lawfull Miniſters, upon a medium quite contrary, that is, becauſe they were ordained by Biſhops, nor are thoſe who are ordained by Preſbyters, in much better account with the objectours, for they are in the ſame line of pedigree, being but once more removed from the ſtocke, great-grandchildren, to the Pope; The cauills of the Papiſts have been long agoe laid to ſleepe by the anſwers of ccMornay of the Church. chap. 11. Sadeel de legitim, vocat. Miniſter. reform. eccle. … Miniſt. Anglicano.learned men, who have diſtinguiſht betweene the corruptions in the perſons ordaining or in the fieri of ordination, and the ſubſtance and validity of ordination in facto eſſe, and the very p. 26ſame anſwers which were made for the firſt reformers and the Miniſters ordained by them, are of as full force for the Miniſters now in being with us, and the Miniſters ordained by them, nor can our Miniſtery fall by this argument now uſed againſt us, without the fall of all miniſtery in the Churches of Chriſt in all times and places where Biſhops had a hand in ordination, and if the Scripture doe ſettle the power of ordination in a Preſbytery or in the Elders of the Church, it can never be made good, that a Biſhops hand (who is alſo a preſbyter) being joyned with others, can anull the ordination, as neither is Baptiſme a nullity becauſe adminiſtred by a Biſhop and haply with ſome corrupt ceremony uſed in the adminiſtration thereof.

I proceed to the ſecond point which I will touch but breifly and reſerve the uſe of both and of that which followes untill the cloſe of all.

Theſe falſe teachers are they that bring in damnable Hereſies, Doctrine. 2 Stuprant veritatem adulterio haeretico. Tertull. de praeſcript.They defloure the truth by haereticall adultery not onelyonly thoſe that teach without commiſſion, but ſuch as have a calling to teach doe by doctrines of errour bring in damnable haereſies, as its ſaid Acts. 20. 30. Alſo of your own ſelves, ſhall men ariſe ſpeaking perverſe things to draw Diſciples after them-They called Paul (becauſe he was a zealous teacher of the Goſpell) a ringleader of the ſect of the Nazarens, Acts. 24. 5. foreign ſignifies one that is the firſt man of the ranke, it is a military word, and I wiſh that our military men had not transfuſed errour into the ſeverall parts of our body. If it be ſaid that many of thoſe who are charged with p. 27teaching of errours or haereſy are holy men, I anſwer that a holy man cannot eaſily be a haeretick, nor are all the errous of holy men to be called haereſy though they may be Hay and Stubble upon the foundation, but it hath been obſerved of old that ſome haereſiarchs or heads of haereſy have been well reputed for ſtrictneſſe and unblameableneſſe of life: we learn out of Auſtine, that aaPelagij nomen non ſine laude aliqua poſui quia vita ejus a multis praedicabatur. Retract. lib. 2. cap. 33.Pelagius had a very good teſtimony, and Scripture tells us they come in Sheeps cloathing and ſpeake lies in hypocriſy. Lies would not take, if they were not co…ended by the holineſſe of the perſon, and guilded over as a rotten nutmegge with gold, There is a foreign or tranſformation of Satan into an Angell of light, of falſe Apoſtles into the Apoſtles of Chriſt, of Satans Miniſters into the Miniſters of righteouſneſſe 2 Cor. 11. 13. 14. 14. and therfore we muſt not meaſure or judge of bbEx perſonis fidem? an ex ſide perſonas? Tertull. de praeſcip.faith by the perſon but of the perſon by the faith. Truth may be as a Iewell in a dunghill, and errour carried (as Hanniball carried his poyſon) in a Gold-ring, That horſe of ſuperſtition and idolatry, upon the back of which the Divell hath in former times made warr againſt the Church is ſlain under him, and now he is mounted upon a freſh horſe of another colour, called liberty of opinion, falſely called liberty of conſcience, Lets not be ignorant of his devices.

I paſſe on to the ſecond part of the text. The ſeed which theſe falſe teachers doe ſow, and the text ſaith They ſhall privily bring in damnable haereſies even denying the Lord that bought them, in which wordes we take up theſe three things.

1. That haereſies are damnable.

p. 282. That damnable haereſies are brought in privily.

3. That thoſe which bring them in doe evendeny the Lord that bought them.

I ſhall firſt open theſe in few words, and then come to the inveſtigation or ſearching out what haereſie is, w^ch is here by the Apoſtle called damnable.

1. Firſt you ſee that haereſies are ſaid to be damnable or deſtructive. Haereſies of deſtruction as its ſaid, Pſa. 5. 6. foreign a man of bloods, that is a bloody man: but why ſhould haereſies be emphatically called haereſies of deſtruction? for is not all ſin of damnable guilt? and is not death the wages … ſin as ſin? Its true; And yet as Judas that was an Apoſtle, and an eminent Diſciple of Chriſt, and betrayed and ſold him for money, is called, John 17. 12. foreign the ſon of deſtruction, and as the Antichriſt is alſo called, 2 Theſ. 2. 3. the man of ſinne, the ſonne of deſtruction, becauſe under Chriſts name and colours he fights againſt him, and ſerves his own luſts upon the profeſſion of his name, and ſo ſhall fall under more eminent and remarkable deſtruction. So Haeretickes who profeſſing Chriſtianity, and the name of Chriſt, doe denye him, or adulterate his trueth for their owne ends and luſts, ſhall come under more heavy and ſore damnation, which is aggravated by that expreſſion, Swift deſtruction, which ſhall fall upon their heads violently and unexpectedly: for their judgement lingreth not, and their damnation ſlumbreth not, verſ. 3. And that it may appeare that God had an eye of wrath and vengeance upon this kinde of men long agoe. Its ſaid by our Apoſtle here, verſ. 3. their judgment now of a long time lingreth not: and p. 29by Jude, verſ. 4. that they were of olde ordained to this condemnation or judgement, which new and unuſuall expreſſions or aggravations of the deſtruction of this kinde of men, doe give ſufficient reaſon why haereſies are called haereſies of deſtruction: whether the word damnable be reſtrictive to ſome haereſies, as implying that there are ſome that are not damnable; or whether it be deſcriptive, as deſcribing what haereſies are ccGerard in locum.(in ſuo genere) in general, muſt be anſwered and reſolved by the definition or deſcription of haereſie, what it is: and if we either looke at that deſcription of it, which is implied in this Text, to bee a denying of the Lord the Redeemer, or which is given of it in any place, in the Apoſtolicall Epiſtles; we ſhall find, that in the Scripture acceptation & deſcription of haereſie, All haereſie is damnable, not that every Haeretick is certainly and peremptorily damned: for then I ſee no more reaſon for admoniſhing an haeretick, then for praying for one that hath ſinned a ſin unto death; even Judas called the ſon of perdition, had hee had (as ſome of the Ancients ſay) Peters repentance, might have found forgiveneſſe as he did: but there is this marke ſet upon haereſie, that we may all heare and feare and doe no ſuch thing.

2. Damnable haereſies are brought in privily, words of this decompoſition as foreign doe ſignifie inſinuation, theſe tares are ſowne while men ſleep, in a clancular or ſubtill way whereof men are not aware, as its ſaid, Gal. 2. 4. Falſe brethren ddforeign Gal. 2. 4.Gal 2:4at unawares, privily crept in, and Jude 4. eeforeign Jude 4.Jude 1:4Certain men are crept in privily, meaning Haereſy-maſters or falſe teachers. Haereſie is modeſt at firſt, and inſinuates p. 30as the Serpent into Eve by ſubtle fetches and quaeres, yea, hath God ſaid? Gen. 3. 1. or by ſweete promiſes and inducements, ye ſhall not ſurely dye, ye ſhall be as Gods, your eyes ſhall be opened, verſ. 4. 5. So its ſaid, verſ. 3. they ſhall make merchandize of you. foreign with fine forms of ſpeech, words compoſed for the nonce. The Apoſtle obſerves that there is a ſubtilty, or as you might ſay a myſtery in this Trade of corrupting mens mindes from the ſimplicity that is in Chriſt, 2 Cor. 11. 2. Eph. 4. 14. And ſometimes they worke by the wife (as the Serpent did) to give her husband the apple: they draw men as Juglers doe a pieoe of mony with a fine inviſible haire, and never bring forth the portenta of their opinions, until their ſigmenta have made the way: they mixe their droſſe among good ſilver, and lap up errour in the pap of truth, that ſome parts of the monſter may have their true ſhape.

3. Theſe that bring in theſe damnable haereſies doe even deny the Lord that bought them, and here I might take in hand two ſorts of opinions. The firſt is that of the Socinians, who deny that Chriſt by a proper ſatisfaction made to the juſtice of God, did buy or purchaſeus. To theſe the ſinger of the Text ſeemes directly to point: for they not only deny the Lord Chriſts theanthropie? but his redemption by way of purchaſe. The other is that of ffLutherani, alijque.ſome that hence inferre an univerſall redemption, becauſe that theſe that bring upon themſelves ſwift deſtruction are ſaid to bee bought by ^f Chriſt: of both which points I cannot ſay a little without ſpeaking much, and therefore ſhall hold me to my ſubject in hand; wee may partly perceive by this expreſſion p. 31what damnable haereſies are: for its ſaid that they who bring them in, doe even deny the Lord that bought them; If they deny Chriſt the Soveraigne Lord ooSee Jude, v. 4.(foreign) by everting his perſon or natures. If they deny his redemption and ſo evert his office (whether his Lordſhip or his redemption bee denyed) the haereſie is damnable, and the word denying ſeems to me to imply, that the proper naure of haereſie is to bee ggSpalato, oſtenſio errorum Suareſij cap. 1.euerſive and overthrowting: It conſiſts not properly in additions to the word, ſaving ſo farre as thoſe additions are overthrowing the pillars and foundations of truth; that is, Chriſt the Lord that bought us, or the like to it: for if hay and ſtubble be built on this foundation, 1 Cor. 3. 12. becauſe they doe not overthrow it, or ſhake and ſhiver it, therefore though they be errours yet they are not haereſie. Non omnis error eſt haereſis (ſaith hhAd quod vult deum in praefat. Auguſt.Auſtin) every Errour is not haereſic: and therefore ⁱ ſome diſtinguiſh of doctrines Weems. Treatiſe of the 4 de generate ſons. pag. 180.or errours thus: ſome are praeter, ſome are circa, ſome are contra fundamentum, that is (as Auſtine ſaith) ſome touch not, ſome ſhake, and ſome raze the foundation. The weight and valour of doctrines muſt be reckoned by their proximity or neareneſſe to the fundamentals: for it is in the Conſanguinity of doctrine (as Tertullian calls it) as it is in kindred, the neereneſſe of kindred is to be meaſured by neerneſſe to the ſtocke.

This denyall of the Lord that bought them, may be either expreſly conceptis verbis and ſo with a little more height of expreſſion may amount to blaſphemy, but haply theſe in the text who uſed compoſed wordes were not ſo blacke mouth'd, or this denyall p. 32may be interpretativè and by conſequence: and the conſequence is either from their doctrines or a conſequence of fact alſo, from their courſe or converſation.

The conſequence from their doctrines (if it overthrow the faith) muſt not be drawn out into a long chaine and farr fetcht, leaſt by that meanes every errour be made haereſy, but the conſequence muſt be neere and cloſe, ſo that you may be able to ſay this or that doctrine or opinion at the next remove or at a very neer diſtance denyes the onelyonly ſoveraigne God and our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Jude 4. the battery may ſtrike off a tile or make a hole in the wall, but except it be neere, will not overthrow the foundation, for as from every branch of a great tree one may goe or move to the root, yet the cutting off of any twigge or branch is not a cutting down or rooting up the tree, ſo though all branches of truth have continuity with the fundamentalls or principles, yet the deniall of every truth is not a razing or overthrow of them, I inſtance in the great principle, Chriſt Jeſus is the Lord that hath bought us, not becauſe there are not other which being denyed, faith is overthrown, but becauſe it is the inſtance in my text, and in Jude. 4. and alſo becauſe principles lie ſo cloſe together, and are ſo concenterate that an errour which routs one, routes another by immediate conſequence. I will give one inſtance or two, Suppoſe the reſurrection future bee denyed, this overthrowes the faith, 2 Tim. 2. 18. and ſee how the conſequence immediately ſhatters all principles, 1 Cor. 15. 13. If there be no reſurrection of the dead, Then is Chriſt not riſen, Then is p. 33our preaching vaine, Then is faith vaine, Then beleevers are yet in their ſins. Then the dead in Chriſt are periſht, verſ. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. Or ſuppoſe the Law bee brought into equipage with Chriſt for juſtification, marke the conſequence. If ſo (ſaith the Apoſtle) then Chriſt ſhall profit you nothing, Gal. 5. 2. Chriſt is become of none effect unto you, verſe 4. Yee are fallen from grace, and I make no doubt to ſay that thoſe of the Galatians, who for their carnall ends, Chap. 6. 12, 13. did breake the continuity and communion of the Church, by giving themſelves up to this opinion, were haereticks, not while it was an opinion in debate or controverſie: but when it grew into a ripe Impoſtume in ſuch as adhaered to it: and do but obſerve in both the inſtances given, by how immediate conſequence the denyall of the reſurrection, or the contemperament of the Law with Chriſt, doe overthrow the fundamentall of Fundamentalls, Chriſt Jeſus, in reſpect of his redemption or office.

For that which I call conſequence of fact, from the courſe or converſation of Haeretickes: I obſerve that both the Apoſtle in this Chapter, and Jude in his Epiſtle, who follows the ſame thred in his deſcription of them, do characteriſe them by the Iuſts and fleſhy courſes wherein they live. Jude ſpeaks of falſe teachers, as is evident by that he exhorts Chriſtians to contend for the faith: becauſe certain men were crept in privily or unawares, verſ. 3. 4 He exemplifies the deſtruction of theſe by the ſame▪ examples of the Angells that fell, and of Sodome and Gomorrha. He drawes out their picture in the like foul colours: and in the fourth verſe calls them p. 34ungodly men, turning the grace of God into laſciviouſneſſe, and denying the onelyonly Lord God, and our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. And though luſts of the fleſh, as adultery and the like, cannot be called haereſie; aa… de E…cl. lib. 4. part 2. cap. 1. Morton in 1 Cor. 11. 18.1 Cor 11:18yet if a man profeſſing Chriſt ſhall chuſe ſuch an opinion or doctrine as doth patronize and maintain thoſe luſts, and ſo walkes in a courſe of ſinne under the protection of ſuch an opinion or tenet, as is contrary both to faith and holineſſe, that comes up to the Scripture-deſcription of haereſie: for ſo theſe falſe teachers that bring in damnable haereſies, are ſaid to allure through luſts of the fleſh and much wantoneſſe, ver. 18. and to promiſe liberty, as likewiſe thoſe that are entangled in their errours doe turne from the holy Commandement, and turn to their former vomit and wallowing in the mire, verſ. 20. 21, 22. and ſo the ſhipwrack of faith and the putting away of good conſcience, 1 Tim. 1. 19. goe both together; and therefore the Nicolaitans, whoſe doctrine was hatefull to Chriſt, Rev. 2. 15. and whoſe luſts and filthineſſe maintained by their pernicious doctrine aaIren. lib. 1. cap. 20. Clem. Alex. lib. 7. Strom.were monſtrous, can bee accounted no other then damnable Haereticks (and we may judg the like of others of the ſame ſtamp) being the very perſons (as is bbEpiphan. haereſ. 26. Beza in Revel. 2. 15. Quiros in Judam.Rev 2:15conceived by good Authors) whom both Peter and Iude deſcribe as turning the grace of God into laſciviouſneſſe, and denying the onelyonly Lord God and our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, Iude 4.

So much for the opening of the three points, which you may if you pleaſe bind up together into one, That falſe teachers ſhall privily bring in damnable haereſies, even denying the Lord that bought them.

p. 35Now we come to ſearch out what Haereſie is.

The word haereſie is of Greeke originall, and is often tranſlated Sect, not ooJuſtinian in 21 et. 2.a ſecando from cutting, but a ſectando from following, as being a way which men chuſe to follow as its ſaid. The way which they call haereſie, Acts 24. 14 A way of worſhip or doctrine, for ſo he ſaith, ſo doe I worſhip the God of my Fathers, beleeving, &c. It appeares to be an act of the will electively pitching upon ſuch a way. For the word it ſelfe ſignifies election, comming not from bbMartinius lexicon.foreign to expugne or lay waſte, (though that be proper enough) but from foreign to chuſe or adhere unto: and therefore the Septuagint Levit. 22. 18. 21. tranſlate foreign free-will offering by foreign election or free-willedneſſe. The Rabbins call an Haeretick ccDruſius de 3. ſectis Judae, lib. 1 cap. 2. Grotius in Tit. 3. 10. Nic. Fuller Miſcellan.Titus 3:10foreign which in ffGen. 1. 12. Levit. 11. 22.Gen 1:12Lev 11:22Scripture ſignifies a kinde or ſpecies, and ſo they denote a man to be an Haereticke, who leaving the common road or way of faith and Doctrine, ſets up and followes a particular way of his own, eeElias in Tiſhbite.foreign one that is foreign or foreign without law, that will not bee bound up by the rule, but runnes out into his owne way, and ggNic. Fuller miſcel. ſacra. lib. 2. cap. 3.ſome derive it from foreign which is tranſlated foreign Nehem. 9. 17. Exod. 22. 16. ſignifying to refuſe or deny, as if you would ſay a renegado or denyer of the trueth.

This word foreign while it kept it ſelfe among Philoſophers, Phyſitians, and other Profeſſors of knowledge and learning paſt, for an honeſt word, but when it came into the Churches quarters, and was taken up by Chriſtians, it became branded, ſtigmatized and odious. Its uſed about ſixe times in the hhActs 5. 17. 26. 5. 15. 5. 28. 22 24. 14. 24. 5.Acts 5:17Acts 5:26Acts 5:5Acts 5:15Acts 5:28Acts 5:22Acts of the Apoſtles, and whether it may not p. 36in ſome of thoſe places at leaſt, bee taken in good part or indifferently, ſhall not bee my diſpute at this time. But when you finde it in the Epiſtles Apoſtolicall, and in the Goſpell Churches, it hath not a jot of good ſavour in it, but carries a marke of iniquity and infamy upon it: In thoſe Epiſtles it is uſed about ii1 Cor. 11. 18. Gal. 5. 20. Titus 3. 10. 2 Pet. 2. 1.1 Cor 11:18Gal 5:20Titus 3:102 Pet 2:1foure times expreſly, and becauſe I would not make a definition which you might ſay is mine owne, and ſo ſlight it, I will lay before you the Scriptures that ſpeake of it, that you may in their light ſee what it is.

The firſt place is that 1 Cor. 11. 18, 19. I hear that there bee Schiſmes among you, and I partly beleeve it. For there muſt bee alſo haereſies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifeſt among you.

The Greeke Interpreters take Schiſme and Haereſie in this place, for both one in a manner, and underſtand not by the word Haereſie any matter kkforeign Chr… & Oecumen in …cum.dogmaticall or of Doctrine: but others llBeza in loc.argue from the word foreign alſo. (There muſt alſo be haereſies) that they are diſtinct, and that though haereſie include ſchiſme, yet ſchiſme doth not include haereſie: and to mee it ſeemes that they are neare a kinne, becauſe the Apoſtle riſes from one to the other, ſaying, there are ſchiſmes, there muſt alſo be haereſies: but they are not collaterally a kin; for by the aſcent, haereſie ſeems to be the greater: For there muſt bee alſo haereſies, into which thoſe that are foreign do not mmNeque enim eos probatos intelligi jubet qui in haereſin fidem demutant Tertull. de praſcript.eaſily fall, but are made the more conſpicuous or manifeſt for ſoundneſſe and integrity.

That we may find the true nature of haereſie, let me in few words declare what ſchiſme is.

p. 37The word ſchiſme imports a rent or diviſion of things that were or ſhould be in continuity and undevidedneſſe, and as its taken in the matter of Religion, it ſignifies a rupture in the communion, or from the communion of the Church upon unneceſſary and unwarrantable cauſes and grounds. A cauſeleſſe breaking, or breaking off from the communion of the Church in matter of worſhip or Religion. Society and communion are of great importance: the evill of ſchiſme is anſwerable to the good of ſociety and communion; we are to judge of ſchiſme by the cauſe of it: For if it bee upon a cauſe which the Word warrants not, it is a ſinne of high nature; Cameron de Schiſmat.Some diſtribute it into two ſorts or parts, ^b negative and poſitive. Negative is the very rupture and breaking off: poſitive is the coalition of the parts rent off into new bodies, or aſſociations under other Paſtors and Teachers. The formality of ſchiſme conſiſts in the ſeceſſion or negative part, though the coalition into new bodies, which was called the ſetting up, altare contra altare may make it more obſtinate and pernicious; Now I ſay the cauſe muſt rule us in judging of it. For as it is not the party which ſeparates that makes the Divorce, but the Adulterous party which gives the cauſe. And as (Mornay ſaith) it is not the man who commences or begins the ſuite which makes the trouble, but he that detains the right: So they are the ſchiſmaticks who give the juſt cauſe of ſeparation from them, what a hurry was made in the Church by the paſchal controverſie; wherin (aaTract of ſchiſ. page 5. as one ſaith) both parties might beſchiſmaticks, dividing themſelves aſunder upon ſo triviall a matter, who were p. 38the Schiſmaticks when the ſecond Councel of Nice ſet up Images into ſuch honour, and thereby put the Churches into combuſtion? Doubtleſſe the Councell was the Schiſmaticke? who were the Schiſmatics when the reformed Churches after all means uſed, were either driven out, or broke off from the communion of the Church of Rome? queſtionleſſe the bbMornay of the Church. cap. 10.Pope and his followers, not the Proteſtants, who departed from them, as the Romans had a ſaying, that when the Gauls had taken Rome, and Camillus, with the reſt of the Patriots were at Veij, then, though the walls of Rome ſtood where they did before, yet Rome was not in Rome but at Veij; I ſhall not meddle with thoſe Epiſcopal diſſentions in the auncient Churches, commonly called ſchiſmes, nor thoſe about the Popedome ddSpalato lib. 4. de rep. eccleſ. cap. 11.thirty in number, as they are reckoned: Schiſme ſimply and nakedly is a breaking off, or breaking off from the communion of the Church, upon ſuch grounds as have no weight in the word of God to allow them, as namely when ccSchiſma ni fallor eſt eadem opinantem at que eodem ritu colentem quo caeteri, ſolo congregationis delectari diſſidio. Aug. contra Fauſtum. lib. 20. et contra Creſconium grammat.the ſame faith or doctrine in ſubſtantialls is held, and there is accordance and agreement in them: yet through paſſions and private ends or fancies, there is offence taken at leſſer matters of fact or order, and ſo the divorce is made for ſuch faults in the yoke-fellow as are farre ſhort of adultery, as if the members of any of the ſeven Churches ſhould have ſeparated, becauſe of ſome droſſe in thoſe Golden Candleſticks. The Donatiſt who ſeparated upon that principle, that there was not true Church where good and bad were mixt; and that the chaffe in the floore made the wheate uncleane, or that the communion of the p. 39godly was blaſted and polluted by the mixture of ungodly ones amongſt them, was in open ſchiſme: both in breaking off from the Churches of Chriſt upon that reaſon, and in aſſu…eing liberty to erect new Churches, onelyonly which, he called the true Churches of Chriſt.

Now for haereſy; it is ſchiſme and ſomwhat more as the Apoſtle implies, and what is that majus quid as Tertullian calls it, or that ſomewhat more, the anſwere is given in that generally received ſaying of Terome, haereſis perverſum dogma habet Haereſy goes with a perverſe opinion, or errour in doctrine, which I conceive to be a very truth, (though ddGrotius in 1 Cor. 11.1 Cor 11Grotius affirme that ex vi vocis it be nihil aliud quam ſchiſma) becauſe the word haereſy in all authors, from the firſt uſe of it hath ſignified a ſentence or dogmaticall tenet or aſſertion, as the ſeverall Sects of Philoſophers who differd in their opinions are i Jamblichus. lib. 2. cap. 1.called haereſies and therefor ^e Jamblichus haveing written of the life of Pythagoras, now ſaith he it remaines that I ſpeake foreign concerning his tenets or opinions, ſo the ſects of Saducees and Phariſees who differd in opinions are called haereſies, and the ffHaereſin Syri vocant foreign Doctrinam Druſius in Act. 24. 5.Acts 24:5Syriake calls haereſy, doctrine, in which ſenſe it muſt be taken. Acts. 28. 22. this haereſy that is this doctrine concerning Chriſt is every where ſpoken againſt or contradicted, and the Apoſtles Peter and Jude are expreſſe, that theſe haereſies are brought in by falſe teachers, and are oppoſite to the faith, denying Chriſt Ieſus the Lord and his redemdtion. 2. Pet. 2. 1. Jude. 3. 4. upon all which conſiderations, and that (as Tertullian elegantly ſaith) haereſy is a degenerate thing, which ariſes from the p. 40corruption and adulterating of the truth (tanquam caprificus a papauere fici, oleaſter, ex olivae grano &c) I am cleer enough that in haereſy there muſt be matter of opinion or doctrine, and ſo the meaning of the Apoſtle in this place of the Corinthians is to ſhew, that as there were already ſchiſmes amongſt them, and dividing into parties as their partiality, affection, and ſelfe-reſpects led them, ſo, there muſt be alſo haereſies or errours in doctrine which ſhould fight againſt the truth of the Goſpell, & patronize vitious, and filthy luſts of the fleſh, to which both errours, and luſts there would be ſome that would decline, but thoſe that were approved and ſound-hearted would be made manifeſt among them, and ſo I conclude that haereſy is a renting or tearing the communion of the Church, as it is ſchiſme, and a ſubverting of the doctrine of truth and holineſs as it is haereſy, like ſedition in the common wealth, (for ſchiſme as one ſaith is an eccleſiaſtical ſedition) when it is not only made againſt the faults of ſome perſons, or their miſcarriage in government, or ſome abuſes in fact, but ariſeth from principles or errours oppoſite and deſtructive to the fundamentall lawes and juſtice of the Kingdom.

The ſecond place is that Gal. 5. 19. 20. The workes of the fleſh are manifeſt which are adultery fornication. &c. Seditions, hereſies, foreign tranſlated diviſions. Rom. 16. 17. is here tranſlated ſeditions, ſeditions or diviſions and haereſies may well be ſet together for they goe together, haereſies are workes of the fleſh, manifeſt workes of the fleſh, The workes of the fleſh are ſaid to be manifeſt, either becauſe they are the product and fruites of that inward corruption p. 41called fleſh, and are the tokens and markes of a carnall man, or becauſe they may be diſcerned and knowne by the ggMr. Perkin… in Galath 5.light of reaſon and of a naturall conſcience, except the light be by ſtrength of luſts extinct, or by the judgement of God darkned or put out. Divines uſually from this place doe prove againſt the Papiſts, that by fleſh is not onelyonly meant the ſenſuall appetite or inferiour faculties of the Soule, but the higher alſo, as the minde and judgement, becauſe haereſy is an errour of the minde and ſo no doubt it is, though it may be called carnall alſo in reſpect of thoſe fleſhly luſts or ends which carry men thereinto, and are exerciſed under the patronage thereof. Auſtin ſometime ſaith that in his judgement, it either not at all, or very hardly can be regularly defined bbAut non omnino aut difficulter &c. Aug. ad quod vult deum in proefatione.what makes an haeretick, but he comes very neere it in another place ſaying hee is an haeretick (in my opinion) who for ſome or other temporall profit eſpecially his owne glory or dignity, doth either beget iiDe… vi…a…e …redendi cap. …. …ui … commodi & maxime … … ri… principatuſque ſui gratia. &c.or follow falſe and new opinions. The Scripture notion of the word haereſy runs very much this way, and it is to be feared that mens ſelfe ends, wealth, eminency intereſts have too much ingrediency into their opinions in theſe times, the Lord will diſcover and blaſt the doctrine which he hates, and them alſo that hold up ſuch opinions, as are under his … and haply againſt the conſcience alſo, of thoſe that follow them, for their private and unworthy ends.

The third place is that Titus▪ …. 10. 11. A … that is an haeretick after the firſt and ſecond ad…i…on reject. Knowing that …e that is ſuch, i… ſubver… and p. 42ſinneth being condemned of himſelfe. In the former verſe there is an exhortation to avoid fooliſh queſtions and genealogies and contentions and ſtriveings about the Law becauſe they are unprofitable and vaine, and then it followes. A man that is a haeretick. &c. whence the aaExamen cenſurae. pag. 272. and 280.Arminians interpret an haeretick to be one that makes contention and diviſion upon trifling and ſlighty queſtions, who is condemned of himſelfe becauſe he litigates and makes a ſtirre about ſuch things as himſelfe knowes to be of ſmall importance, but I conceive the matter not to be ſo ſlighty as they would make it, for it is ſaid of ſuch a one foreign he is ſubverted, as a Ship that turns up her keele or a houſe when the foundation is turned topſy turvy, and therefore Deut. 32. 20. where the extreamly deſperate eſtate of a people at laſt caſt, is expreſt, the Greeke renders it by the word uſed in this text. foreign it is a people turned upſide downe or ſubverted, which alſo the bbforeign Subvertit us cum ſuperior pars in …mam vertitur Avenarius.Hebrew word imports both in this place and elſe where, and ſo haereſy is concluded to be a ſubverſive thing and not a peeviſh litigation about ſlight queſtions, as the Arminians would put it off, but thus much may be collected from the cohaerence, that a man may be denominated an haeretick for doctrinall and dogmaticall errours holden and contentiouſly defended and maintained, and it is obſerved by ſome that wordes of this forme and termination as foreign do ſignifie an aptitude or readineſſe, and ſo the ccCameron myrothec. cui volupe eſt tueri falſas & erroneas opiniones.word in the text ſignifies, one that with complacency and choyce adheres to ſuch errours, but the greateſt doubt is what is meant by thoſe wordes, he ſinneth being condemned p. 43of himſelfe, which ddChriſoſt. in Titus. 3. 10. 11.Titus 3:10Titus 3:11Chryſoſtom refers to the admonitions precedent, for in that ſuch a man hath been admoniſht, he cannot reply in his owne defence foreign &c. no man hath ſhewed me my errour, no man hath better inſtructed me, and ſo hath his mouth ſtopt and is condemned of his owne conſcience, and it is not to be denyed that very many interpreters both ancient and moderne by the word foreign doe underſtand a man that is convinced in his owne conſcience that he erres, and that he goes contrary to his owne light, ſciens, volens, but this interpretation is by eeMinus Celſus pag. 13. Eſtius in locum, cum multis aliis.many diſallowd and argued againſt, that moderate and ſweet breath|'d ffDe Arrianis. lib. 5.Salvian ſpeakeing of the Arrians ſaith, Haeretici ſunt, non ſcientes, apud nos non apud ſe, quod illi nobis, hoc nos illis &c. They are Haereticks but not knowingly, with us they are, but not with themſelves, And indeed the word in the text doth not neceſſarily carry ſo farre, as that an haeretick is condemned of his owne conſcience, but as foreign is a man taught of himſelfe, without a Maſter, ſo foreign is a man condemned of himſelfe, not merely miſled by others to whom he hath given up himſelfe blindfold, but as one that hath electively taken up and with a fixed ſelf-will is reſolved to perſiſt, in his errour and way, which he thinks to be truth, and that he doth Godgood ſervice in holding on in it, there are two things that may be cleerly taken up. 1. That it is made the character of an haeretick to ſin becauſe condemned of himſelfe. 2. That another man may know that he is ſubverted and ſins being ſelfe condemned, for 'its ſaid after admonition reject him Knowing that he that is ſuch is ſubverted. p. 44&c. But how ſhall this be known? Is it becauſe he ſins againſt common notions or principles within the ken of natures light? This reſtraines haereſy which is a ſubverting of the faith onelyonly to that which is contrary to light of nature, which light of nature may bee in ſome particular ſo defaced, like a ſuperſcription on old coyne, that though I may know he ſins, yet he is not convinced in himſelfe. Is it then becauſe he takes an opinion for his luſts ſake and private ends againſt his light and knowledge? Then indeed he ſins becauſe condemned of himſelfe, but how can another know it? It reſts therefore that an haeretick rejecting admonition may be ſaid to be condemned of himſelfe, becauſe hee chuſeth his owne errours, and rejects the truth and ſo interpretative that is vertually and by conſequence is condemned of himſelfe, as they who thruſt away the word from them, did judge themſelves unworthy of eternall life. Acts. 13. 46. Here is (as you ſee) an foreign or ſelfe condemning without conviction of conſcience or knowledge of their own ſin in it.

The fourth place is the Text which we have in hand, and this whole chapter, compared with the Epiſtle of Iude, in both which haereſy is graphically deſcribed, as hath before been opend. That which remaines to be done, is the drawing up of that hath been ſaid concerning the meaning of the word, or the explication of the things, out of the Scriptures alleaged, into a reſult, and that is this. The Scripture ſeemes to make haereſy a complicate evill in which there is theſe three things (whether all of them eſſentiall ingredients, or ſome of them p. 45be uſuall attendants or concomitants I diſpute not)

1. Dogmaticall or doctrinall errour, even over throwing the faith or aaforeign 2. Tim. 2. 18. Funditas ever. tunt, ſolo equa…t.2 Tim 2:18ſubverting the pillars and foundations of the doctrine of Chriſt which Jude calls the common ſalvation ver. 3. 2. Seperation from, or renting of the unity and communion of the Church, ſome time bbSchiſina eructat in here. ſin ut non nemo ait.ſchiſme introduces haereſy, when men are run out upon peeviſhneſſe of ſpirit or ſome unwarrantable grounds, they commonly run on into errour of opinion and doctrine, being caught like a looſe and wandring ſheep, ſeverd from the flock by the wolves which lie in waite for ſuch, ſometimes the ſchiſme followes upon the errour of opinion drunke in, and ſo departure from the truth, is attended with departure from the ſociety and communion of the Church Jude haveing deſcribed haerenicks, ſaith ver. 19. foreign theſe are they that ſeparate themſelves. 3. A looſe and carnall courſe taken up and followed either privately or openly, and that under the patronage and protection of theſe dogmaticall errours, Their lives are as full of Athiſme as their opinions of blaſphemy or falſe-hand, all which being laid together, it appeares that an haereticke's underſtanding & mind is corrupted, a good conſcience is thruſt away, his will electively adheres to errour and falſe wayes; his affections are drowned in ſenſuality and luſts, he is ſubverted and ſins being ſelfe condemned, either ccforeign. Oicumen in tit. 3. 8.formerlly, by his owne conſcience and light yet remaining, or ddIdeo ſibi damnatus quia in quo damnatur ſibi eligit Tertull, de proevirtually by his voluntary rejection of Gods truth to ſtick to his owne errour, and ſo in concluſion (except the Lord pull him out of the fire by ſome happy hand in the meane p. 46time) hee brings upon himſelfe ſwift deſtruction. As touching pertinacy or obſtinacy which is generally by Divines put into the definition of haereſie according to that ſaying: errare poſſum, haereticus eſſe nolo, I ſhall ſay but this, that obſtinacy may bee conſidered, either in reſpect of the crime of haereſie, or of the cenſure and rejection of an Haereticke.

In reſpect of the crime of haereſie two ways. Firſt, that an errour in it ſelfe not haereſie is made haereſie, by obſtinacy, as ſome of the Papiſts will have that to be haereſie which is ſtifly holden by any man after the eeRhemiſts Annot. in Tit. 3. 10.Titus 3:10determination or admonition of the Church, when a Councell, or that tranſcendent thing called the Pope hath defined by the authority of his infallible Chaire, that ſuch an errour is haereſie, and hath put it under Anathema, though ffError in ſide non ideo haereſis quia ab eccleſia damnatus ſed quia fidei contrarius. Altenſtaig, &c. verbo, haereſis & Turre crem, ſumma, lib. 4. … part. cap. 3.others of them (in my opinion) ſay more rightly, that an errour in faith is not therefore haereſie, becauſe condemned by the Church: but becauſe contrary to the faith: or ſecondly, that an errour ſubverting the faith is not haereſie, unleſſe attended with obſtinacy, and that (as I conceive) cannot be ſaid; for as Conſtancy in that which is good, as namely faith or juſtice, doth not make faith to be faith, or juſtice to be juſtice: ſo neither doth obſtinacy in evill, or errour, make that errour to be haereſie; but as vertue is commendable, and rendred more glorious by conſtancy, ſo is haereſie aggravated and made more high by obſtinacy. The eſſence or nature, and ſo the denomination of haereſie is not to be meaſured by obſtinacy againſt the deciſion or admonition of the Church, (for then every ſuch obſtinate errour ſhould be haereſie) but by the contrariety and oppoſition of it to p. 47the principles of faith which are razed or overthrowne.

In reſpect of the cenſure and rejection of an Haeretick, (which rejection, whether it be by a private beleever or by ſentence of the Church I now diſpute not) I ſuppoſe obſtinacy is requiſite: for as in other ſcandalls the rule of proceeding is. If hee heare not thee, or if he heare not the Church: ſo its ſaid, a man that is an Haereticke, reject, after the firſt and ſecond admonition; Contumacy is a common adjunct of ſinne, in order to the finall judgement or ſentence of the Church in excommunication; In a word, I cannot read thoſe words, Titus 3. 10. Thus, or in this ſenſe. ggforeignA man that after the firſt and ſecond admonition is an Haereticke, as if he then became an Haereticke by ſtanding out againſt or after admonition, but thus, reject a man haereticall; after the firſt and ſecond admonition, which argues and demonſtrates, that he may be an Haeretick before he bee obſtinate, and ſo obſtinacy is not eſſentiall to the nature or being of haereſie, Though I confeſſe, (and doe ſuggeſt it to your obſervation and ſaddeſt thoughts) that Haeretickes are generally and uſually ſtricken with obſtinacy, few of them that runne into this labyrinth doe either ſeeke, or finde the way out; when the vitall parts of faith are putrified and corrupted in any Patient, the recovery is hopeleſſe; weigh ſeriouſly that expreſſion or marke ſet on theſe very men by Iude, ver. 12. Trees twice dead, plucked up by the rootes; when do you ſee ſuch a tree recover life and fruit? Its a hard reſcue to fetch a man off that is priſoner to an erring conſcience, eſpecially if he be fetter'd by both legs, his judgment being p. 48captivated by errour, and his affections enſlaved by luſts; we muſt doe our duty, and of ſome have compaſſion, and others of them ſave with feare: foreign ſnatching them out of the fire. Jude, verſe 22. 23. Though they complaine of violence offered to their liberty, when they are pul'd out of the fire. For (as hh… qui ſervat idem facit …cidenti Horat.the ſaying is) hee that ſaves a man againſt his will, hath no more thankes for his labour then if he kill'd him. It is a matter of wonder and amazement to ſee men of eminent parts and learning, of great reputation for Religion, captivated, carried away, and made prey of, by ſenſeleſſe and abſurd fancies and opinions: but that wee know there are no deluſions or lies, but are ſtrong when God delivers a man up to them in way of puniſhment for not receiving the truth with love thereof. The Lord give us to receive his truth with fear and trembling, and make us thankfull (whom in this time of wantonneſſe (as ſome call it) or rather wickedneſſe of opinions, hee hath kept from ſhipwracke of faith, and made to ſtand upright when men that have lived ſtrictly and religiouſly (as iiforeign Chryſ. Epiſtola 4. ad Olymp.Chryſoſtome ſaid of Pelagius) ſeem to warp and to be drawn awry.

Having thus farre laid open the nature and danger of haereſie by the Scriptures, I ſhould now come to the uſe of all: but that in few words I deſire to put you in minde in what notion the word haereſie hath paſſed amongſt men in common acceptation, and that I ſhall doe in theſe two words.

1. The Eccleſiaſticall or Scholaſticall acceptation is this: aaT…rre…rem. ſum. lib. 4.Haereſie is an errour or aſſertion contrary to the faith in points fundamentall or momentous, p. 49holden or maintain'd by a man profeſſing the Chriſtian faith: this they call ſimple haereſie, and ſuch a one an Haereticke: licet ab eccleſia non receſſerit, though (ſaith bbIn Gal. cap. 5.Gal 5Ierome) hee doth not ſeparate or make ſeceſſion from the Church: and though hee cannot be blemiſht with wickedneſſe morall, or in converſation. All momentous truths are not ſtrictly ſo called fundamentall; there are truths (as I may ſay) of ſecond and third magnitude; like ſtones in a building which be next unto, or upon the foundation; what theſe are which are preciſely fundamentall, and what is the boundary of them, and by what certaine meaſure they muſt be meaſured, if it exceed not my skill to determine (as I dare not ſay but it may) yet it is a worke beyond my time. This only I ſay to the point in hand, That the formalis ratio or nature of haereſie as it is diſtinguiſht from ſchiſme and fleſhly luſts, is rightly ſtated to conſiſt in an errour or aſſertion, contrary to, and deſtructive of the faith, and the degree of pravity in the errour, is correſpondent to the degree of impor tance of the truth that's deſtroyed by it ordenied.

2. The vulgar, and indeed abuſive acceptation of the word, is an infamy or reproach which uſually men flinge in the face of others at random, that are not of their opinion: and its too true (as a learned man ſaith) that haereſie and ſchiſme are two theologicall ſcare-crowes, many times ſet up to ſcare people and affright them. The ſtrongeſt party of the two commonly cries out of haereſie: the weakeſt party cry out of perſecution, ſo the Papiſt puts a marke or brand of haereticall pravity upon, and calls all Haeretickes, who are oppoſite to their ccSpalato. lib. 1 cap 10.falſe doctrines p. 50or filthy luſts; Haereſie was taken in a large ſenſe, when the ddL. Cooke his Inſtitutes.Lollards were indicted for haereſie, becauſe they held it not meritorious to goe in pilgrimage to Saint Thomas, or Mary of Walſingham: or when Virgilius Biſhop of Saltzburg was condemned for the haereſie of holding that there were Antipodes; eeApology, cap. 7.Bellarmine tells K. Iames that for all his beleeving the Scriptures, the three Creeds, the foure great and generall Councells, yet he might be an Haereticke: and his meaning was, becauſe the Popes infallibility or ſupremacy was not in any of the Kings Creeds. As the intollerable abuſe of excommunication formerly, made no man to value it above the price at which he could buy it off; ſo the abuſe of this name, and throwing it about at randome, makes it not regarded, which yet is a fearfull thing in it ſelfe, and bringing ſwift deſtruction; It hath been ſtretcht too farre to be a brand ſtigmatizing true beleevers, and to ſcare men from prying into the trueth by making it odious, and it is ſhriveled and ſhrunke up too much, even almoſt to nothing by ſuch as are affraid to hit themſelves by defining it: but is there not ſuch a thing? is there not ſuch a damnable ſin? why then doe ſuch horrible ſins as the ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt, and the ſin of haereſie, lye like a terra incognita undiſcovered, unpreacht againſt? Seeing there is to be found in Scripture, eſpecially in the Apoſtolicall Epiſtles, ſo much ſaid in deſcription of, and for caution againſt damnable haereſies and doctrines, and the falſe teachers which privily bring them in, and bring upon themſelves and many that follow their pernicious wayes, ſuch fearfull deſtruction.

p. 51That which now remains is to draw up that which hath been ſaid into matter of uſe and application.

And firſt let me ſpeak to you all, who profeſſethe Uſe 1 trueth of the Goſpel of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, that you would be Proteſtants once again, by declaring your ſelves againſt the heterodoxies & dangerous errors of the preſent times, for the infection ſpreads by reaſon of many that goe abroad with running ſores upon them; and if the Apoſtle, when hee gave all diligence to write to beleevers of the common ſalvation, thought it needfull for him to write to them, and exhort them that they ſhould earneſtly contend for the faithonce delivered to the Saints, upon this ground and reaſon that there were certain men crept in unawares, &c. Jude 3. 4. You cannot thinke it impertinent and unſeaſonable at this time to be exhorted to the ſame earneſt contending for the faith, for you are beſet with danger on all ſides, the contagion is epidemicall, many are diſtracted with here is Chriſt, and there is Chriſt, and are miſ-led into pernicious wayes: yea even ſome that ſeemed to be good eares of come are mil-dewd and almoſt blaſted, I doe therefore exhort you to conſider the danger, as you may eaſily ſumme it up from that which hath been ſaid, for you have heardⁱ that there ſhall be falſe Teachers amongſt you, weneed not ſay there, ſhall be, but more ſuitable to our owne condition wee may ſay, There are as its ſaid, 1 Iohn 4. 4. many falſe Prophets are gone out into the world; you ſee they are gone out, I would we might ſee that they were come in againe. 2. That theſe are they who bring in damnable haereſies, they goe out to bring theſe in, they are ring-leaders, or (as p. 52Tertullian ſaid of Philoſophers) the patriarchs of haereſies. 3. That they bring in theſe damnable haereſies privily, they ſpawn firſt in quaeries or plauſible beginnings (the greateſt Crocodile did at firſt lye in an egge aaFranzius hiſtoria animali um.Paulo majus anſerino, little bigger then a gooſe-egge) bb2 Cor. 11. 15.2 Cor 11:15themſelves are transformed as Miniſters of righteouſneſſe: cc2 Pet. 2. 3. Rom. 16. 18.2 Pet 2:3Rom 16:18their words are compoſed and good, their ſpeeches are faire, their artifice is ddEph. 4. 14.Eph 4:14full of ſleight and cunning craftineſſe, and therefore they creepe at unawares not onelyonly into houſes, but into mens boſomes alſo. 4. That haereſies are damnable and deſtructive poiſon, though given in honey, they ariſe and are made up coede Scripturarum (as Tertullian ſaith) by felling downe the goodly timber of the holy Scriptures; ee2 Pet. 3. 16.2 Pet 3:16wreſted to the deſtruction of them that wreſt them; they turne grace into laſciviouſneſſe; deny the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, overthrow the faith, ſubvert the ſoule, carry men down the ſtream of luſt and liberty, and ſo bring ſwift deſtruction. 5. That many ſhall follow theſe pernicious wayes, ffRom. 16. 18.Rom 16:18the ſimple are deceived, the learned are given up to gg2 Theſ 2. 12.2 Thess 2:12ſtrong deluſions, the unſtable are carried about like children with every hhEph. 4. 14.Eph 4:14wind of doctrine: Thoſe that by profeſſion of the truth had eſcaped the pollutions of the world, are againe ii2 Pet. 2. 20.2 Pet 2:20entangled and overcome, and ſo the latter end of many (that are carried away either by ſpeciouſneſſe of errour or liberty of luſt) is worſe then the beginning. 6. That the laſt times ſhall be moſt of all infeſted with theſe pernicious errours. kk1 Tim. 4. 1.1 Tim 4:1The ſpirit 1 Jude 17. 18.ſpeaketh expreſly, that in the latter times ſome ſhal depart from the faith, giving heed to ſeducing ſpirits: the Apoſtles have foretold that there ſhall bee p. 53mockers in the laſt time: and by this (ſaith mm1 John 2. 18.1 John 2:18the Apoſtle) we know that it is the laſt time becauſe there are many Antichriſts, and wee may very well underſtand by the laſt times, not onelyonly the times of the Goſpell in generall, but the time of Antichriſts declining as well as of his ariſing and growth. The laſt of the laſt times: For as the laſt times of the Jewiſh Church (after it had ſhaken off the captivity and idolatry) were peſter'd and infeſted moſt of all with haereſies untill Chriſt came with a new doctrine of the Goſpell, and untill the deſolution of the frame of that Church: ſo the laſt dayes of Goſpell Churches having ſhaken off the ſecond Babyloniſh captivity and idolatry, ſhall be infeſted with theſe dangerous errours and haereſies, and haply untill the very ſecond comming of Chriſt, or at leaſt untill he ſhall gloriouſly declare himſelf in the deſtruction of the beaſt and falſe Prophet and in the calling of the Jewes.

Theſe things being laid together doe cry aloud unto you, to conſider your danger, and to hearken to the frequent inculcations of the Apoſtles in their Epiſtles, in almoſt all their aa2 Cor. 11. 3.2 Cor 11:3Epiſtles, deſcribing falſe teachers to bee like the Serpent that beguiled Eve, branding them with the name of Jannes and Jambres, Balaam, falſe Apoſtles, deceitfull workers, miniſters of Sathan, &c. ſtigmatizing their doctrins with the names of damnable haereſies, doctrines of Devills, &c. Fortifying Chriſtians with effectuall arguments and exhortations againſt the impreſſions and infections of ſuch poyſonous errours. And if you looke upon thoſe Epiſtles which were ſent from heaven to the ſeven Churches, you ſhall finde p. 54that the greateſt part of thoſe comminations in them contained, are thundred forth againſt haereſies or doctrinall errours, maintaining or cheriſhing (as I may call them) haereticall luſts, there wee finde them bbRevel. 2. 2.Rev 2:2that ſaid they were Apoſtles, but were lyers, the cccap. 2. 9. 14. 15. 20. 24.blaſphemy of ſuch as ſaid they were Jews, but were the Synagogue of Satan, the doctrine of Balaam, the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, the teaching and ſeducing of Jezebel, the depths of Sathan, &c. The Churches are commended, or the Angels of thoſe Churches, who found out theſe diſguiſed ſeducers, and kept the truth uninfected by them, and thoſe Angels or Churches blamed which ddRevel. 2. 15.Rev 2:15had them eeVerſ. 20.and ſuffered them in their boſome. Theſe things I offer to your ſerious and ſad conſideration, you have not made uſe of the point, as ſoone as you have ſaid The Miniſter railes. Its not my meaning to poure out all this that hath beene ſaid upon every errour either preacht or followed in our times: but to ſhew you that falſe teachers and haereſies muſt be and ſhall be in the Goſpel Churches: and to put you in minde what the Scripture ſaith concerning them, and how much you are concerned to looke about you: for I obſerve that men are not ſo jealous over themſelves, or ſo affraid of ^e corruption of their minds as they ought to be, nor ſo ſenſible of ſin in intellectuall errours as in morall corruptions, and yet we know diſeaſes in the head are mortall too: and that a fiſh begins to corrupt and ſtink in the head and ſo throughout; corrupt manners uſually and naturally follow upon corrupt minds; they that are not ſound in the faith, no wonder if they be not ſound in the feare, and in the wayes of p. 55God, whither will this new ſcepticiſme come and into what will it be reſolved? but into Athieſme, when men begin to fall; we ſee by experience, that many fall from ſtory to ſtory till they come to the very bottom, And therefore I exhort and beſeech you all to that which the ſcripture exhorts and in joynes upon Chriſtians, who are in danger of being ſeduced by falſe teachers or their doctrines, and that is, to try the ſpirits whether they are of God. 1. John. 4. 1. To contend for the faith once delivered Jude. 3. To beware leſt you be carried away with the errour of lawleſſe men 2. Pet. 3. 17. To turne away from ſuch as creep into houſes and lead captive ſilly women, 2. Tim. 3. 5. 6. To avoid fooliſh queſtions which are unprofitable and vaine Titus. 3. 9. To hold faith and a good conſcience. 1. Tim. 1. 19. To continue in the things that you have learned and been aſſured of out of the word of God, 2. Tim. 3. 14. And laſtly If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your houſe neither ſay to him foreign 2. Epiſtle. of John. 10. 11. For he that bids him god ſpeed is partaker of his evill deeds, where the Apoſtle ſuppoſes that falſe teachers are men of evill deeds, beſides their falſe doctrines, or that indeed their falſe doctrine is evill deeds in the plurall number, and therefore not to be ſlighted off as a thing of the minde or mentall mistake onelyonly, you ſee that to countenance or encourage ſuch teachers is to be partaker of their evill deeds, and whatſoever credit you will give to the report of fflib. 3. cap. 3.Irenaeus concerning John his leaping out of the bath from Cerinthus or Polycarp his refuſeal of Marcion p. 56his acquaintance, yet, the obſervation which he makes uponthoſe reports or hiſtories, is to be taken notice of that the Apoſtles and their followers, would Tantum Apoſtoli & eorum diſcipu…i &c. Iren lib. 3. cap. 3.not ſo much as verbo tenus communicate with any of them that had adulterated the truth, how much leſſe ſhould private Chriſtians cloſe with ſuch ſeducers who are more likely to pull them into the water, then they to pull them out, Naturally wee are tinder too apt to take fire by their ſparkes, he that fiſhes with an haereticall bait may haply catch more in a monethmonth, than ſome godly Miniſter ſhall bring to Chriſt with all his travell and paines, as long as he lives, for he hath the advantage of the bait and therein lies the odds of ſucceſſe between preaching of errour and preaching of the truth, I maruell (ſaith the Apoſtle) that you are ſo ſoone removed from him, that called you into the grace of Chriſt, unto another goſpell. Gal. 1. 6. there was the wonder foreign that they were removed ſo quickly, and the Apoſtles wonder may be ours alſo, wee have been a people of as powerfull godlineſſe, as any in the world; practicall divinity was improved to a great height of cleareneſſe and ſweetneſſe but I feare that I may truely ſay we were beſt in worſt times, wee held our cloake in the winde and now are laying it off in the ſun, A miſerable declination from the life and power of godlineſſe is come to paſſe within theſe few yeares, our practicals, our inward and cloſe wayes of walking with God in faith and love, are ſublimed into fancies and vapour out into fumes of new opinions, and which is worſt of all, we take this dropſy to be growth, and conceive our ſelves to be more ſpirituall and refined p. 57becauſe more ayry and notionall. The Lord humble us for our declenſions and ſwervings from the gg1 Tim. 6. 3.1 Tim 6:3end of the commandement (which is love out of a pure heart and of a good conſcience and of faith unfained) and for our turnings aſide to vaine ianglings, The beſt way of fortification of our ſelves againſt the allurements and aſſaults of falſe teachers is 1. To be grounded in the principles of the doctrines of Chriſt, or elſe we ſhall eaſily be tumbled up and downe like looſe ſtones that lie not faſt in the building upon the foundation. 2. To ſtudy and adhere unto the doctrine which is hh1 Tim 1. 5. 6.1 Tim 1:51 Tim 1:6according to godlineſſe, practicall and edifying truths, which draw up the heart into acquaintance and communion with God, and draw it out in love and obedience to him, For its good that the heart be ſtabliſht with grace, Heb. 13. 9. 3. To hold faith and a good conſcience 1. Tim. 1. 19. for if we thruſt away a good conſcience by entertaining baſe luſts and ends, the ſhipwrack of faith will follow. 4. To pray for confirmation and eſtabliſhment by the hand of God, for as it is not a ſtrong conſtitution that is a protection againſt the plague, ſo neither is it parts and learning which ſecure us from beleeving lies and deluſions. Its a mercy for which we are not enough thankfull, that God keeps any of us ſtanding upright when others ſhrink awry, or that wee are enabled to diſcerne between truth and errour, and to ſtand for the one, and withſtand the other; when ſo many that have driven a great trade of profeſſion are broken and turned bankerupts.

5. To keep as a treaſure thoſe truths wherein you have formerly found comfort, and which have p. 58been atteſted and confirmed to you by your owne experience, ſit upon thoſe flowers ſtill and ſucke their freſh honey every day. A Chriſtian very hardly parts with thoſe truths that have been ſealed up to his experience, but its no wonder that a man ſhould loſe that out of his head which he never had in his heart.

To thoſe that bring in or follow theſe pernicious Vſe 2 wayes of damnable haereſy, you ſhall ſee the crop which you ſhall reap, ſwift deſtruction, you are under judgement which ſlumbers not. It will be deſtructive to you to wreſt the Scriptures. 2. Pet. 5. 16. and to make merchandiſe of mens ſoules for ſinfull ends. 2. Pet. 2. 3. To corrupt the mindes of men from the ſimplicity that is in Chriſt. 2. Cor. 11. 3. and to cauſe diviſions and ſcandalls Rom. 16. 17. are things which will coſt you deare, lay to heart the terrible expreſſions of wrath which are fulminated againſt ſuch men in Scripture, There may be differences in opinion, betweene them that are godly, which are not inconſiſtent, with the peace of the Churches and for which its unlawfull foreign (as the hiſtorian ſaith) to make butter and cheeſe of one another, Its a diſcreet rule which is laid downe by one aaConradas Bergius. dedictamine, &c.Si non idem ſentimus de veritate at ſaltem de pondere If we cannot agree upon the truth of every queſtion or point of divinity yet at leaſt lets be agreed concerning the weight and moment thereof, ſo as not to make as great a ſtirr about a tile of the houſe, as if it were a foundation ſtone, nor erect new parties or Churches upon every leſſer variation; but to contend for, or pretend a liberty of profeſſing or publiſhing ſuch doctrins p. 59as overthrow the faith and ſubvert the ſoule under the name of liberty of conſcience can be no other then foreign 2. Tim. 3. 9. a manifeſt folly or madneſſe. Is this liberty any part of Chriſts purchaſe? Hath he made men free to ſin and deny him that bought them? what yoake of bondage doth this liberty free us from? Gal. 5. 1. ſhould we claime a liberty of being in bondage to errour? or promiſe to men a liberty of being ſervants to corruption, which the falſeteachers in effect did 2. Pet. 2. 19. God hath (as one ſaith) reſerved to himſelfe as his prerogative three things. Ex nihilo creare, futura praedicere, conſcientijs dominari. To create out of nothing, to foretell things to come, to have dominion over conſcience, and it is true that while a thing is within, in the conſcience, its out of mans reach, but when 'its acted and comes abroad then it comes into mans juriſdiction and is cognizable in foro humano, God onelyonly is judge of thoughts, men alſo are judges of actions, Its a great miſtake and of very ill conſequence to imagine that a man is alwayes bound to act or practice according to the light or judgement of conſcience though rightly informed in theſi, for then I ſee not, that there can be any place for that rule given by the Apoſtle. Rom: 14. 22. Haſt thou faith? have it to thy ſelfe before God, Truth it ſelfe though never to be denyed yet is not alwayes to be declared, for the hurt or ſcandall may be greater, then an inſeaſonable profeſſion or practice of that which is in it ſelfe lawfull may be worth, but the miſtake is yet more groſſe to imagine that an erring conſcience is a ſufficient protection or warranty for an evill act. Its p. 60ſin to goe againſt an erring conſcience, (Stante dictamine) as its ſin to raviſh and force awhore. Its ſin alſo to act according to the dictate of an erring conſcience as to committ adul tery with conſent. To make conſcience the finall judge of actions, is to wipe out the hand writing of the word of God, which doth condemne many times, thoſe things which conſcience juſtifies, yea and men alſo may paſſe juſt judgement on deluſions or lyes though thoſe that vent them doe beleeve them for truths; If conſcience be warrant enough for practices and opinions, and liberty of conſcience be a ſufficient licence to vent or act them, I cannot ſee but the judicatories either of Church or State may ſhut up their Shop, and bee reſolved into the judicatory of every mans private conſcience. And put the caſe that the Magiſtrate ſhould conceive himſelfe bound in conſcience to draw forth his authority againſt falſe teachers, or their damnable haereſies, and (upon that ſuppoſed errour) ſhould challenge a liberty of judging, as wee doe of acting, would our liberty give us any eaſe ſo long as he had his, and were it not better for him to judge and for us to walke by a knowne rule? and if we ſhould ſay that his liberty of judging is unlawfull, it is as eaſy for him to ſay that our liberty of preaching or profeſſing errours, is ſo too.

To you that are Miniſters of the word, that you would draw forth the ſword of the Spirit againſt theſe ſpirits of errour, as not onelyonly the duty you owe to Gods truth and mens ſoules requireth, but alſo the preſſing examples of the Apoſtles doe conſtraine you; let not the Lord Jeſus Chriſt and his p. 61offices, be denyed by falſe teachers and by your ſilence too, and the Lord grant that it may not be ſaid of you as of the Miniſters of Epheſus Acts. 20. 30. alſo of your owne ſelves ſhall men ariſe ſpeaking perverſe things to draw away Diſciples after them. Catharinus ſaid of ſome middle-region men in thoſe times, that they were Luther anunculi halfe or dough-baked Lutherans; Let us not halt between two opinions but be valiant for the truth. He is but halfe a good Sheepheard that feeds the ſheep in good paſture, but defends them not from the wolves; It belongs to you foreign Titus. 1. 11. to ſtop their mouths that is by conviction as is plaine by the ninth verſe as Chriſt foreign Matth. 22. 34. Stopt the Sadduces mouths by ſilencing their arguments. They wil tell you that arguments of vre ſeca, fire & faggot are not fit arguments for Miniſters, that their minds ought to be enlightned, not their bodies burned, and the truth is, the keys are given to Peter not the ſword, He uſurps that without authority, the weapons of our warfare are not carnall, Malchus eare is not to be cut off by us. But wil they that plead exemption from violence, ſuffer & endure the word of conviction? will they afford their ears & patiently beare the examination of their errours? I fear they will not; ſuch is their love to & their plerophory of errour, Nay will they not rather caſt dirt upon the Miniſtery, and uſe all ſtratagems to undermine it, decrying their calling and their lively-hood or tithes which among all their deſtructive errours muſt needs be confeſſed to bee a ſaveing doctrine, whatſoever be the event, you that are Gods Miniſters muſt venture into the Lions mouth to ſave a p. 60duplicate page p. 61duplicate page p. 62ſheepe, and aſſert and vindicate the truth of God from being taken captive by errour: for if either his trueth or his people be loſt by your default, the account will be heavy.

As I began, ſo I ſhall conclude with you (the Honorable Vſe 4 houſe) every one ſees what height we are come unto. Arrius in Alexand. was but as one ſpark, a little water at firſt would have quench'd that fire which afterward ſet almoſt all the world in flames, I ſee by your order for keeping of this ſolemne day, that you take notice of the growth of errour, haereſie and blaſphemy, I would you had taken ſuch notice of the beginnings of them. If you take notice of theſe as a judgement upon us, then ſearch out the ſin for which this judgement comes. If you take notice of them as our ſin, then let every man labour to owne it ſo farre as by participation it is made his owne, that ſo we may be truly humbled, and renew our Vowes and Covenants to owne and ſtand up for the truth of God, againſt all invaſions of errour and haereſie; you as Magiſtrates, we as Miniſters, all as men that have ſoules to be ſaved or loſt. Its a good rule, In eo ſerviunt reges deo, in quo non poſſunt illi ſervire niſi ut reges, Kings and Princes, and indeed all magiſtrates doe therein ſerve God, wherein they cannot ſerve him but as Magiſtrates: we are exhorted to pray for Kings and all that are in authority, that wee may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlineſſe and honeſty, 1 Tim. 2. 2.

There is (as Divines diſtinguiſh) ſimple haereſie and complicate.

Simple haereſie is an opinion or aſſertion holden and maintained contrary to, and ſubverſive of the p. 63faith by one that profeſſes the Chriſtian Religion: Complicate haereſie is that which is attended with ſchiſme, ſedition, blaſphemy, where one opinion lyes with another, and begets a new baſtard: a new monſter growing up into a multiformity more & more, until it break forth into ſuch dangerous ſymptoms as the fore-named.

The ſchiſmaticall Haereticke upon his opinion breaks off from the communion of the Church, and runs out into ſeparation, ſetting up his new light (as he calls it) in a new candleſtick.

The blaſphemous Haereticke ſtrikes through the name of the great and glorious God, or his truth with deſpightfull reproaches not to be named.

The ſeditious Haereticke troubles the peace of the Church and State, as an army is troubled by Mutineers.

The ſeducing Haereticke panders to his bed all hee can, and goes up and down to vent his poyſon to the infection of others, privily bringing in damnable haereſies.

There is a great conteſt about ſimple haereſie whether it come under your ſword or no in reſpect of capitall puniſhment. The ooVide 18. argumenta Lutheranorum apud Conradum. Bergium de haereſi.Lutherans are negative and ſo are very many others, Haereticidium ob ſimplicem aut nudam haereſin nemo noſtrûm ſimpliciter aſſeruit. None of us (ſay they) aaCenſura in cap. 24.have aſſerted haereticide or capitall puniſhment for ſimple haereſie. And bbCalvin in opuſc. de Serveto.Calvin ſaith of Servetus, vel ſola modeſtia potuiſſet vitam redimere, that he might have ſaved his life had he been but modeſt. And to ſuch I wiſh light and not fire, let bloudy Papiſts only have this brand p. 64of cruelty upon them to confute errours by fire and faggot.

For the blaſphemous and ſeditious Haeretickes, both ccHaereticum ſedittoſum & blaſphemum capitali ſupplicio dignum nemo ex noſtris facile impugnabit. Tota quaeſtio eſt de haeretico ſimplici. Meiſnerus Philoſ. ſob ſect 2 cap. 4.Lutherans and others of the Reformed churches do agree that they may be puniſhed capitally, that is for their blaſphemy or ſedition; but the ddSchlichtingius pro Secino contra Meiſnerū page 457.Socinian ſtands out herealſo, and denies it; alleadging that the puniſhment of falſe Prophets in the old Teſtament was ſpeciali jure by ſpeciall law granted to the Iſraelites, and therefore you muſt not looke (ſaith the Socinian) into the olde Teſtament for a rule of proceeding againſt falſe Prophets and blaſphemers: Nor (ſaith eeCalvin de Serveto in opuſc. Catharinus in 3 Titus 10.Calvin and Catharinus) can you find in the new Teſtament any precept for the puniſhment of Theeves, Traytors, Adulterers, Witches, murtherers and the like, and yet they may, or at leaſt ſome of them bee capitally puniſht: for the Goſpell deſtroys not the juſt lawes of civill policy or Common-wealths; but I will not enter upon the debate of this point, neither bringing in the Scriptures or reaſons for it, nor anſwering the arguments brought againſt it, of which arguments this I ſuggeſt (by the way) to your obſervation, that ſome of them doe even ſhip in one bottome the morall duties commanded in the old Teſtament, and the typicall ceremonies or ſhadowes. Some of them doe make aaWhich Eraſt…s denies not as to Haereticks or ſuch as keep not the faith, Th…ſ. 9. & 70.againſt Eccleſiaſticall cenſures as well as civill, and ſome of them doe carry further then haply they are intended, even to take off civil puniſhments of ſinnes againſt the ſecond Table alſo: neither doe I ſee any juſt reaſon, that if the office of a Magiſtrate have any place in the matters of the firſt Table, he can puniſh ſedition, which is againſt p. 65his owne name or dignity, and ſtand ſtill and looke on with his hands tied, whiles the name and honour of the great God is openly traduced or blaſphemed.

For the ſeducing Haereticke, he is to be prohibited and reſtrained: you will not ſuffer a man that hath a running plague-ſore to go abroad to infect, though his ſhutting up be not in way of puniſhment, as if hee was puniſht becauſe hee hath the ſore, but in way of prevention of contagion, as the reſtraint of the Leper was. You pull downe another mans houſe and that juſtly when 'tis on fire to prevent the burning of the whole Towne: one way to put out the fire in the Oven, is to ſhut it up. Many errours and haereſies would die of themſelves if they had not free vent. Falſi doctores ſathanae lenones ſaith Calvin: Falſe teachers are the Devils panders; would you ſuffer panders to come into your houſes & ſolicit the chaſtity of your children? would you ſuffer Mountebanks to ſell poiſon upon a ſtage, to deſtroy the bodies and lives of people? This the bbExamen cenſurae, page 285.Remonſtrants in ſcorne call our palmarium argumentum: but it is not to be deſpiſed as if it was void of reaſon. You that are Chriſtian Magiſtrates ſhould not forget the ſoules of them that live under your ſhadow. There is a ccMinus Celſus in diſputatione de haereticis, &c. pag. 194. &c.learned man who argues againſt the puniſhing of Haereticks with death, and pitches upon this as the ſolida, vera, certa, ratio, the ſolid, true, and certain reaſon why other flagitious offenders are to be puniſht, but not Haereticks: becauſe haereſie (ſaith he) is the errour of a depraved minde, an intellectuall errour: but other morall vices ariſe from a depraved and corrupt will, and p. 66the error of the underſtanding is not (ſaith hee) to be puniſht with death, but that it is to be reſtrained from ſpreading and infecting, the compariſons which he brings in doe fully ſignify. For you would not (ſaith hee) put a Phyſitian to death as a murderer who upon meere miſtake gives his patient a potion of poyſon in ſtead of good medicine, nor a mad man that breaks out and kills and ſlaies ſuch as he meets with, becauſe this proceeds from laeſion of his underſtanding, though I doe not concur with this ſuppoſition that haereſie is a a meere act of the underſtanding: for it hath its denomination from the act of the will chooſing the errour: yet thus farre I goe with it, that ſuch pretended Phyſitians as hold that to be wholſome which is poiſon, and miniſter it to their Patients, are not to bee licenſed to practiſe, nor ſuch mad men ſuffered to be looſe to exerciſe their fury; damnable haereſies can never be prevented, if falſe teachers may have liberty to bring them in. Its one thing to ſuffer Jewes, Turkes, Papiſts, Haeretickes, to live in the kingdome or City, and another thing to give them liberty or freedome of Trade, to open their ſhop and call in Cuſtomers to buy their deſtructive wares; Thou haſt them that hold the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans, Revel. 2. 15. Thou ſuffereſt that woman Jezebel which calls her ſelfe a Propheteſſe, to teach and to ſeduce my ſervants, was a ſore charge laid by Chriſt upon thoſe Churches.

Nor is it the Pulpit which can keep off the infection, whiles the poiſon is carried up and downe in books, and cryed at mens doors every day, in which there are many ſtrange doctrines going abroad open p. 67faced, and ſome more ſtrange which goe vailed, and dropt into the Reader by inſinuation, there ſeeme to be very ſtrange dreams about the manner of Chriſts being in the Saints, and Gods being manifeſt in their fleſh, and about the Kingdome of the Saints, and the licking of the duſt of their feete by the world. There are myſteries if the world was ripe for them; I take notice of one thing in a late book which hath a very ill aſpect, brought in by way of enquiry, what is meant by the word Scriptures when it is aſſerted, that the denying of the Scriptures to be the word of God, ſhould be holden worthy of death. For ſaith the Author, either the Engliſh Scriptures, or Scriptures in Engliſh, are meant by the word Scriptures, or the Hebrew and Greeke Copies or originalls. The former cannot bee meant with reaſon, becauſe God did not ſpeake to his Prophets and Apoſtles in the Engliſh tongue: nor doth the Engliſh tranſlation agree in all things with the originall or the true ſenſe of it; Nor the latter, for the greateſt part of men in the Kingdome doe not underſtand or know them. If this dilem be good, what is become of the certaine foundation of our hope or faith or comfort; how can we ſearch the Scriptures without going firſt to ſchoole to learne Hebrew and Greek. Its well knowne that our Saviour himſelfe and the Apoſtles doe uſually cite the Greek tranſlation or Septuagint, when they quote the Scriptures of the old Teſtament, and yet that tranſlation had many variations in it from the originall, and haply more then our Engliſh tranſlation hath. The Apoſtle citing a place out of the Septuagint, where they expreſſe not the originall p. 68foreign, ſaith foreign it is contained in Scripture, 1 Pet. 2. 6. And there is no queſtion but the Helleniſts and weſtern Jewes ſcattered up and down in Greece and Italy, &c. uſed the Greeke tranſlation of the Scriptures in their Synagogues, as appears by the confluence of the Greeks and Gentiles to them who underſtood not Hebrew, and yet they of Beraea, a city aaPlin. lib. 4. cap. 10. foreign Stephanus foreign.of Macedonia, are commended for ſearching the Scriptures of the old Teſtament, and examining of Pauls doctrine by them: and in that ſearch there were Greeks that bare the Jews company, as appears, Acts 17. 11, 12. And what Scriptures could they ſearch but the Scriptures of the Greeke Tranſlation; I could eaſily demonſtrate that the Scripture calls the originall tranſlated, ſcripture, & not without juſt reaſon: for the Scripture ſtands not in cortice verborum but in medulla ſenſus, its the ſame wine in this veſſel w^ch was drawn out of that. Tranſlations are but veſſels or taps (as I may call them) to ſet Scriptures abroach; as for faults & errours in that tranſlation, if that argument be able to batter and make a breach, let it but have rope enough, and it will make as great a breach in the Hebrew, for when you come to find that ther are variae lectiones, and that in the Margent truer then that in the Text, as in that famous place aaforeign in textu. foreign in margine. Vide Foord in Pſalm 22.Ps 22Pſal. 22. 17. or ſhall queſtion the true pointing or printing of the originall, whither will not this wild argument run away with you, until you come to find the very original written by the Prophets own hand, or by the hand of ſome amanuenſis infallibly directed & guided; The Scriptures expreſt in Engliſh are the word of God. The deficiency of exact tranſlation of this p. 69or that particular word doth not invalidate the canon or bodie of the Scriptures. But I ſhall not further proceed in this chaſe; I have but a word or two left, and that is to exhort you to quicken up your zeale for God and his truth: ſearch out and remove the obſtructions that are in and amongſt your ſelves, whether private ends or State ends, or whatſoever they be. Let not Reformation and religion be cryed up for deſigne, and to ſerve turnes; ſettle it ſpeedily. Send forth the Confeſſion that it may teſtifie to the world that you hold the forme of ſound and wholſome words: Let ſome governement and order be eſtabliſhed; religion is the ball of contention, many mens hopes lye in our differences, and their intereſts are ſerved upon them. We have profeſt enough for reformation and purity, and have covenanted to endeavour it. The world is weary of words, they looke for fruit; Let this day ſet an edge upon you. No man take a breake-faſt of this faſt, let not our ruine be under your hand. There was a But in Naamans ſtory: he was ſuch and ſuch a man, but a Leper; You have done worthily, Covenanted ſeriouſly: But the matter of Reformation lyes moſt of it as yet in the Covenant, and is but little crept out of that ſhell; It may be the fooliſhneſs of many opinions on foot, makes you ſlight them, as aaCalvin in opuſc. de Serveto.Calvin ſaid of Servetus his firſt onſet, ſecurum me reddidit ipſa dogmatum fatuitas: but be not ſecure, bbforeign Socrates lib. 1. de Arrio.a great fire may riſe out of a ſmall ſpark. Let the ſoules of ſo many thouſands of people be precious in your eyes, and the Lord make your name like the name of thoſe that have built the houſe of God; I pray you let mee not bee underſtood to ſhip p. 70in one and the ſame bottom every error or miſtake with damnable haereſies; ſome differences in opinion are as the ſtrivings (as ccL. Verulam▪ Advancement of learning.one elegantly ſaith) of one Iſraelite with another: and theſe Moſes quiets and parts them fairely, and ſome (namely haereſies fighting againſt the very foundation) are like the Egyptian ſtriving with the Iſraelite whom Moſes ſmites down. There muſt be differences made between errour and haereſie, erroneous and Hereticks, ſeducers and ſeduced, I would I might intreat, nay preſſe it upon thoſe that are called pure Independents, that they would zealouſly and ſincerely declare againſt the doctrinall errours and haereſies of theſe dayes, that ſuch pernicious opinions may not ſhelter themſelves under their name or wing, nor ever any indulgence or toleration be either deſired or granted upon ſuch a reaſon, as all may come in at the ſame breach or port, for that would bee but a ſelling of the Church into a liberty of being in captivity to deſtructive confuſions and errours.

FINIS.

Pag. 11. lin. 5. for deat r. doceat. P. 30. l. 15. for ſigmenta r. figmenta. p. 43. l. 30 for becauſe r. being. p. 45. l. 29. for formerly r. fermally.

Die Jovis, 11▪ Martij. 1646.

ORdered by the Commons Aſſembled in Parliament that Mr. Rows and Mr. Gewen doe from this Houſe give thankes unto Mr. Vines and Mr. Hodges for the great paines they tooke in their Sermons preached on the 10. Martij, 1646. at Margarets Weſtminſter before the Houſe of Commons, being a day of publique Humiliation for the growth of Errours, 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 kinde uſually have had.

H. Elſinge. Cler. Parl. D. Com.

I appoint Abel Roper to Print my Sermon.

RICHARD VINES.

End of the text · Richard Vines, Nature and Danger of Heresy (1647)