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The Nature and Danger of Heresies

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The Nature and Danger of Heresies Copyright ©Monergism Books The Nature and Danger of Heresies by Obadiah Sedgwick Opened in a Sermon BEFORE THE HONOURA BLE House of COMMONS, Ianuary 27. 1646. at Marga rets Westminster, being the day of their solemn Monthly Fast By OBADIAH SEDGWICK, B.D. Minister of Gods Word at Covent- Garden 2 PET. 2:1 But there were false Prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false Teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction Yee therefore beloved, seeing yee know these things be fore, beware lest yee also being led away with the errour of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastnesse: but grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 2 Pet. 3:17, 18 LONDON, Printed by M. F. for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND, at the Brazen serpent in Pauls Church-yard. 1647 Table of Contents To the Honourable Introduction Of the Nature of Heresy Of the Danger of Heresies The Greatness of Danger by Heresies TO THE HONOURABLE The House of COMMONS now assembled in Parliament Having received your commands to preach, that which first presented it selfe unto my thoughts, was the subject of this ensuing Discourse; A Theam (if I doe understand the present posture of these times) both seasonable and necessary. There are some points of difference which are of an inferior consequence, and stand farther off from the foundation; these being but Judicia domestica, I meddle not with: But there are other positions which pull hard at the very foundation, and which doe subvert the faith, dogmata salutis devoratoria, as Tertullian styles them; and Religionis Christianæ Carcinomata, as another speaks: against these I held it my duty, as a Christian, as a Minister of Christ, and as your servant to declare my self; And I beseech you before whom was it more fit to open those ulcerous sores, then before your selves (Right Honourable) who under God are our most choice and tender Physitians? If any Reader should now be so unhappy in his charity as to calumniate this discovery of heresies and blasphemies to be an arrow subtilly designed against holinesse and good men: to such a one, all that I would reply is this; 1. The surest friends to holinesse have been the sharpest enemies to errours; Christ and his Apostles were so. 2. That I never yet have learned what direct advantage did at any time redound to true sanctity, by a patient endurance of heresie and blasphemy. 3. Nor can I be so uncharitable as to think, that any person sincerely holy, or pretending the progresse of holinesse, durst be a friend to such damnable and soule-destroying errours. The design which I would commend to all in this time of Reformation, is this, That truth and holinesse (which are so naturally combined, and so mutually interested) may be conscientiously promoted with equall zeal: encourage holinesse, but contend for the truth too: maintain the truth, but countenance holinesse too: he who pretends holinesse, but regards not truth; and hee who pretends the truth, but regards not holinesse, neither of these is a cordiall friend either to truth or holinesse. For your parts (Right Honourable) be you pleased to goe on (as you have begun) in the strenuous support of them both: Both of them have a necessary respect to Gods glory: both of them have a necessary respect to mans salvation: both of them have a necessary respect to our present Reformation: both of them will prove the Kingdomes safety, your consciences comfort, and the crown of all your long and great labours. For both these you have the prayers of Your most unworthy, yet most faithfull Servant, OBADIAH SEDGWICK. Introduction And the Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a Floud after the woman, that he might cause her to bee carried away of the Floud. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the Floud which the Dragon cast out of his mouth." - Revelation. 12:15, 16. This Text is a seasonable Text; Seasonable to the times wherein we live, and seasonable to the worke of this day, which should be humbling work, and reforming work; The parts of the text are two: 1 A new Danger, v. 15. 2 A renued Succour, v. 16. 1. The New Danger is set forth in four particulars.* 1. By the Author of it [And the Serpent] There is a former danger mentioned in v. 12, 13. And that was managed by the wrathfull Dragon: And here is a New danger, which is contrived by the cunning Serpent: Open cruelty is more dreadful, but subtill policy is more pernicious: The cunning Devill is a more mischievous enemy to the Church of Christ, then the raging Devil: Nero and Dioclesian were sore enemies to the Church, but of all, the Emperour Julian is reputed the worst. 2. By the Engine of it, [The Serpent cast out of his mouth] It is a question amongst the School-men, whether peccata or is may not be worse then peccata operis? Sure I am, that the danger which comes out of the mouth of the Serpent, far exceeds that danger which depends upon the sword of the Dragon. There is a mouth of truth, and that is Gods mouth: there is a mouth of peace, and that is Christs mouth: there is a mouth of prayer, and that is the good mans mouth: there is a mouth of cursing, and that is the wicked mans mouth: there is a mouth of mischiefe, and that is the Serpents mouth. When the Devil wracked Adam and Eve, then he used the mouth of the Serpent: And when he deceived Ahab, then he became a lying spirit in the mouth of the false Prophets: And when he would deceive the whole world, then he fals into the mouth of the Beast to speak great things: And here intending to destroy the Church, hee useth the mouth of the Serpent. 3. By the Matter of it: [And the Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a floud] It is not said, that he did cast out water onely, (and yet even that dropping out of the mouth of a Serpent had been sufficiently dangerous) but he did cast out water as a floud: Flouds in Scripture are the periphrases of extreamest dangers; when the danger is sudden, high, violent, quick, it is then expressed by the metaphor of a floud: David speaks of flouds of ungodly men, Psal. 18:4. And the Prophet speaks of the enemies comming in like a floud, Esa. 59:19. 4. By the Scope or intention of it, [That he might cause the woman to be carried away of the floud] There was a floud which did bear up the Ark, but here is a floud to overwhelm and drown the Ark: which way soever the Devil and his Angels attempt against the Church of Christ, not lesse then the utter ruine of it is still the aim and project: when the Devil rageth as a Dragon, then his intent is utterly to wast; and when he acts as a Serpent, then his design is utterly to sink the Church. II. Thus you see the Churches New Danger: but now behold the Churches Renued Succour: And indeed it is very remarkable, that this Chapter is as full of succours, as it is of dangers; In v. 7. you may read of the Dragon and his Angels appearing in the field and fighting, but then you read of Michael and his Angels succouring even to victory, v. 8, 9. Again, in v. 13. you find the Dragon persecuting the woman which brought forth a man-child, but then also you read, that there was given to the woman two great wings of a great Eagle, that she might flie into the wildernesse, v. 14. And here you see a floud cast out to carry away the woman, but withall you read of a gracious and present succour; [And the earth helped the woman by opening her mouth, and swollowing up the floud which the Dragon cast out of his mouth.] Thus you have the distribution of the Text. Now I proceed to the Propositions which may be observed from it. The whole state and summe of this Text may be resolved into these three Conclusions. 1. That the mischief which Satan cannot compasse by open cruelty,* he will assay against the Church of Christ by subtill policy: when he fails as a Dragon, then he will try what he can doe as a Serpent. 2. That the Serpents floud is the chiefest and the worst of the Churches dangers. 3. That the Lord hath still raised fresh succours for the Church, against the fresh dangers of the Church. Concerning the first of these, I intended to have demonstrated both the truth of it, and the practise of it in all ages of the Church, as also the severall methods, wiles, stratagems, and designs of Satan upon, and against the Church of Christ: and the reasons of shifting his hand, and making use of his mouth, of desisting from open cruelty, and of falling to his wiles of policy: And then also the wonderfull mischief which hath redounded thereby, that whereas his cruelty hath killed thousands, his policy hath slaine ten thousands: where also might have been discovered, 1. The advantages of policy above cruelty.
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