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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69197	The white wolfe, or, A sermon preached at Pauls Crosse, Feb. 11 being the last Sonday in Hillarie tearme, anno 1627, and printed somewhat more largely then the time would permit at that present to deliuer wherein faction is vnmasked, and iustly taxed without malice, for the safetie of weake Christians : especially, the Hetheringtonian faction growne very impudent in this citie of late yeeres, is here confuted / by Stephen Denison...	Denison, Stephen, d. 1649 or 50.	1627 (1627)	STC 6607.5; ESTC S109591	56,251	87

prose n Lib. 11. nat hist c. 38. Plinie saith of the Wolues called Ceruarij that they are vnsatiable they can neuer be sufficed or haue enough m Lib. 1. de quadrup Conradus Gesner saith of the Wolfe called Circus that hee is semper famelicus alwaies hungrie And Aristotle declaring the opinion of all men concerning the Woolfe hath this report 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot lib. 8. de histor animal c. 5. They say of Wolues that for hunger some times they will eate the very earth yea the Woolfe beares rauenousnesse in the very forehead of his etymologie for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commonly vsed for a Woolfe either comes of the Greeke Theame 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies dilanio to teare in peeces or of the Hebrew root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth absorbeo to swallow downe both importing greedinesse And hereticall seducers are like vnto Wolues in this respect being commonly such as hunger after worldly gaine according to that in Rom. 16. 18. they that are such serue not our Lord Iesus Christ but their owne bellies And such also as thirst after the bloud of soules compassing Sea and Land to make a Proselyte Mat. 23. 15. Which may serue to teach vs First that the desire of winning of soules is not alwayes the marke of a true Minister a false Prophet may hunger and thirst to winne soules to his owne faction but a sincere desire to gaine soules to Christ and to his truth this is a badge of a true Shepheard Secondly this may serue to forewarne Gods children to looke to themselues the more carefully and to commit themselues the more feruently by prayer daily to Gods speciall protection considering their destruction is so greeded after by many rauenous seducers Thirdly it must teach vs that still remaine in the truth vnstrangled by the rauenous Welues of the time to blesse God for it and to say of our spirituall deliuerance as the Church saith of her corporall in Psalme 124. if it had not beene the Lord who was on our side now may Israel say if it had not beene the Lord who was on our side when men rose vp against vs then they had swallowed vs vp quicke but blessed be the Lord who hath not giuen vs as a prey to their teeth Thus much for the intent of the Text or of the Text in generall The Extent followeth The occasion of all which followeth THis which followeth was added because an order of submission or recantation was enioyned by the most reuerend Father in God the Lord Archbishop of Canterburie his grace and other his Maiesties Commissioners Ecclesiasticall vnto one Iohn Hetherington late of the Citie of Westminster and now of Putney in the Countie of Surrie to be performed by him the same day this Sermon was preached at Pauls Crosse being the eleanenth day of February Anno 1627. when it was ordered that the said Hetherington vpon Sonday the 11. day of February should before the beginning of the Sermon at Pauls Crosse come within the wall there iust before the Pulpit and there stand before the Preacher bare-faced and bare-headed in some eminent place where hee might be best seene and heard of the Congregation assembled during the whole time of the Sermon hauing a paper on his breast expressing his offence in these words for scandalizing the whole Church of England in saying it is no true Church of Christ and publishing other erronious opinions proceeding from that ill ground for the which cause he was enioyned this acknowledgement Whereas I Iohn Hetherington stand by the depositions of sundry witnesses iudicially conuicted before the Kings Maiesties Commissioners appointed for Causes Ecclesiasticall for that since the 20. of December 1623. I haue maintained and published that the Church of England as it is now by the Law established is no true Church of Christ and that it teacheth false Doctrine that the Sabbath day or Sunday which we commonly call the Lords day since the Apostles time was of no force and that euery day is a Sabbath as much as that which we call the Sabbath day the Lords day or Sunday that the Bookes of Esdras are and ought to be esteemed part of the Canonicall Scripture as also to haue vsed reproachfull words to and of the Ministers of the Church of England and of their calling And further whereas it standeth proued against me that being by trade a Boxmaker about fiue or six yeeres since I gaue ouer my said trade and frequented priuate Conuenticles by the Lawes of this Realme prohibited taking vpon me within the time articulated to be the chiefe Speaker and to instruct others not being of mine owne familie in points of Doctrine and matters of faith giuing expositions contrary to the receiued opinions of this our Church of England and in defence of such Conuenticles haue said or writ that Caesar may command a place in publike so as he forbid none in priuate As also that i haue bin of opinion with the Familists touching the perfect puritie of the foule with some other erronious opinions mentioned in the proofes For the which I haue bin imprisoned by the order of his Maiesties Commissioners Ecclesiasticall and haue beene enioyned to make this my publike Recantation or submission here this day I doe therefore before you all here present from my heart renounce abiure and disclaime all the said opinions as erronious and schismaticall and doe promise from henceforth not to entermeddle in the keeping or frequenting of any priuate Conuenticles or exercises of Religion by the Lawes of this Realme prohibited but to conforme my selfe in all things to the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England as a member of that Church without disturbing the peace and vnitie thereof and doe blesse and praise God that as a member of the said Church I may freely ioyne with the Parochiall Congregations where I shall reside in the hearing of Diuine Seruice said Gods word Preached and in the participation of the holy and blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper rightly and duly administred and in all other religious duties For the due performance whereof I doe here giue my faithfull promise and that I may so doe I desire you all here present to ioyne with me in saying the Lords prayer Our Father which art in heauen c. The Seuerall kinds of Mysticall Wolues breeding in ENGLAND * ⁎ * YOu haue heard in the generall handling of the Text Segnius irritant animes demissa per aurem quam quae sunt oculis commissa fidelibus of disguised and palliated Wolues but because as a c Horat de art Poet. Poet saith truely things heard with the eare oftentimes leaue lesse impression behinde them then things seene with the eye Therefore I will now endeuour in the more particular Application of that which hath beene spoken to shew you or to present before your eyes such a very Woolfe as our Sauiour speakes of in my

Minister of cree-Cree-Church London To the Christian Reader THou which hast a tender conscience and desirest nothing so much as to know the right way to heauen hauing also many doubts which cause thee to runne vp and downe sometimes to the publike Congregations and other sometimes to priuate Conuenticles for resolution I haue for thy sake and safety vndertaken this paines whereby I haue incensed many factious persons against my selfe exposed my good name to the obloquie of a thousand bad tongues and made somewhat to bold with my owne Flocke whilst I was painefully imployed in this more laborious worke which concernes a more generall and publike good I haue had no helpe in this seruice saue onely the good Assistance of Authority for the which I hope I shall praise God as long as I liue and the testimonies of honest witnesses For howsoeuer there were many which disliked the Hetheringtonian Faction abhorred their opinions complained of them to Ministers in secret and murmured against them which should see these things reformed yet for any that would lend their helping hand to set forward this matter of so great importance for the common safety of the Church I found none vnlesse it were according to the Latine Prouerbe post bellum suppetiae I met also with many discouragements some in their ignorance would be ready to say that though this faction held some absurd points yet that they held nothing against the foundation not vnderstanding how they vndermine Religion at the very roote of it for grant vnto them this that our Church is no true Church of Christ that our Ministers are no true Ministers of the Gospell that our best Professors are Pharisees The WOOLFE in a Sheepes Skinne BVT BEVVARE OF FALSE PROPHETS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 MAT. 7. 15. But beware yee of false Prophets which come vnto you in Sheepes cloathings but inwardly they are rauening Wolues SECTION 1. IN this Chapter and the two former wee haue that famous and learned Sermon of our Sauiour made by him in the Mount graphically penned and set downe by our holy Euangelist Saint Matthew one of the blessed pen-men of sacred Scripture and secretary to the holy Ghost In the description of which Sermon we haue three maine parts the Preface the Narration and the Conclusion the Preface in the first and second Verses of the fift Chapter wherein are expressed diuers necessary circumstances belonging to the Sermon as first the Author of it hee i. e. Iesus Christ Secondly the place a Mountaine Thirdly the gesture vsed by our Sauiour fitting downe Fourthly the persons whom he taught his Disciples Fiftly the manner of expression when he had opened his mouth The narration begins at the third verse of the fift Chapter and endeth in the 23. verse of the seauenth Chapter and it is partly consolatory from the third verse to the end of the 12 and therein our Sauiour demonstrateth the procreant causes of true happinesse for the comfort of weake Christians Partly exhortatory from the 13. verse to the end of the 16. and therein he exhorteth his Disciples to walke worthy of their most holy calling Partly interpretatory from the 17. verse to the end of the fifth Chapter and therein hee vindicates diuers of the Commandements from the false glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees Partly dehortatory in all the sixt Chapter and beginning of the seauen In the sixt hee dehorteth his Disciples frō two Pharisaicall sinnes viz. vaine-glory concerning almes deeds fasting prayer from the first verse to the end of the 18. and couetousnesse expressed by worldly cares from verse the 19. to the end of the Chapter This Dehortatory part is also continued in the beginning of the seauenth Chapter from the first verse to the sixt and therein he dehorteth from two sinnes more to wit rash iudgement vers 1 2 3 4 5. and rash communicating of holy things to vnworthy persons vers 6. partly excitatory to the dutie of prayer vers 7 8 9 10 11. partly declaratory demonstrating the maine thing the Law and the Prophets aime at in their doctrine Partly directory concerning the way to heauen vers 13 14. and partly premonitory giuing warning concerning false Prophets and other things depending thereupon from vers 15. to the end of the 23. Then in the last place wee haue the Epilogue or Conclusion from the 24. verse to the end of the seauenth Chapter wherein we haue Christ his application of his whole Sermon ver 24 25 26 27. expressed by an elegant comparison taken from builders and the effect which followed vpon this excellent pithie Sermon in the hearts of the hearers which was astonishment or admiration in the two last verses By the which Logicall Analysis we may conceiue that this Text is a maine part of the narration or subiect matter of the Sermon it selfe being the very premonicion concerning false Prophets and also vpon what occasion it is brought in namely immediately vpon a direction giuen concerning the strait way to heauen in the two verses going before and it is as if our Sauiour had said I know my deare Disciples that you hearing of the narrow way which leadeth to happinesse will be desirous after the manner of trauellers to aske all that you meet but especially those which seeme to be Prophets concerning this way for your better confirmation and conduction But let me forewarne you of all other to beware how you aske direction of false guides for they instead of directing you will set you quite out of the way as it is the c Haeresis enim rectè gradientes ab itinere suo deuiare ad se diuertere docet Hier. in 9. prouerb manner of Heresie so to doe In the Text it selfe wee haue two parts First our Sauiours caueat giuen to his Church concerning Seducers in these words Beware of false Prophets Secondly his liuely description of them in the rest of the Text. In the first we haue two things a title False Prophets and a caution beware yee In the second our Sauiour giues a double description of seducers and first hee describeth them by their outward habit or externall shew they come vnto you in Sheepes cloathing Secondly by their internall qualitie or disposition but inwardly they are rauening Wolues In the handling of this Text we will obserue this method First we will speake of the intent or of the Text in generall Secondly of the extent or of the particular application thereof SECT 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of false Prophets FAlse Prophets Hauing dispatched the Logicall Analysis and diuided the Text into its seuerall branches in the former Section come we now Christo duce to the particulars as they haue bin placed in the Diuision And first of the first namely the title false Prophets The word Prophet is vsed in two senses in the Scripture in a strict sense and in a large in a strict and thus it is put for a prenunciator or foreteller of things to come being

homini Lupus est one man becomes a Woolfe to another Thirdly as a Woolfe begets a Woolfe according to that rule in nature Omne simile generat sibi simile euery like begets his like euen so peruicious seducers spiritually beget such as proue like vnto themselues both in opinion and practise and indeede they which are conuerted or rather peruerted by haereticall spirits whatsoeuer high conceits they may haue of themselues they are but of seeming Sheepe made reall Wolues Fourthly Voce deseratur is quem prior viderit Lupus Plin. l. 8. nat hist c. 22. as the Wolfe is said to strike a man dumbe if he spie the man before the man spie him euen so when seducers preuaile they strike men dumbe in respect of any true profession of Christianity yea they bring them by their seductions to blaspheme all sound profession Fiftly as the wooll of a Woolfe if it be made into a garment will proue but an odious garment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Lib. 2. Sympos q 9. breeding vermine vpon him that shall weare it instead of ministring any comfort as Plutarch speakes euen so the good which poore seduced soules thinke they receiue by impostors and deceiuers of mindes Lupi toto anno non amplius quā duodecim diebus coeunt Isid Hispal lib. 12. Originum c. 2. it will proue corruption in the end Sixtly as the Woolfe maketh shew of ciuile vertue as of chastitie and the like congressing but onely 12. dayes in a whole yeare Euen so the most pernicious seducers commonly make shew of much ciuilitie and moralitie and thereby they doe more harme amongst the ignorant sort then by any other meanes Whereupon one of the c Orig hom 7. in Ez●k Sollicitè caueamuus haereticos qui conuersationis optima sunt quorum fortè vitam non tam Deus quam diabolus instruxit Fathers saith notably let vs be exceeding wary of those heretickes which are of the best conuersation whose liues possibly are directed not of God but of the diuell And thus we see for what reasons hereticall seducers are fitly compared pared vnto Wolues I might adde another taken from the rauenousnesse of Wolues but that I reserue for the next Section Come we now to the vse of the point And it being demonstrated that haereticall seducers are Wolues it first serues not onely to iustifie against all calumniators but also much to commend the lawfull seueritie of Courts of Iustice against such c Sicut est misericordia puniens ita est crudelitas parcens Epist 54. Saint Augustine saith there is a punishing mercy and a sparing crueltie This may seeme to be a paradox to some but the father knew what he said for it is a punishing mercie when worthy Gouernours doe punish dangerous seducers for the safetie of the whole and it were a sparing crueltie to let them passe vnpunished for looke how much mercy is shewed to the Wolfe so much crueltie is done to the Sheep yea it is mercy to seducers themselues if they could skill of it that the Gouernors seeke to restraine them from their damnable wayes by inflicting iust punishment vpon them this being the last meanes that the Church can vse to cure them according to that of Aristotle Lib. 2. Ethic. c. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 punishments are kindes of medicines but howsoeuer seducers themselues and their court-flandering adherents doe take it I am sure all good people haue great cause to praise God for the zeale of our Gouernours in this respect our bodies might as safely liue in a roring wildernesse in the midst of Wolues and Tygers as our soules in our strongest Cities amongst seducers if there were not Courts of Iustice to suppresse them Secondly it makes for the iust reproofe of many at these dayes who when they haue dangerous Wolues discouered vnto them will not lend their helping hand to suppresse them for the common safetie of the Church but suffer them to walke vp and downe in the very Sheepfold without resistance Gods cause and his truth for the which they ought to contend Iud. 3. is little beholding to them I pray God it be not one day said to their charge a bad cause oftentimes findes much patronage the wicked will straine their purses try their friends put themselues to great paines for the supporting of it but the cause of God may sinke or swim were it not for good Gouernours for any helpe or countenance that the forward men of our time for the most part will giue vnto it If it were notoriously knowne that some deuouring Wolfe did haunt about this Citie which had destroyed an 100. persons I suppose euery man would lay it to heart and vse the best meanes he could to suppresse such a noysome creature are we thus carefull for the common safetie of mens liues and shall there be no care for the common safetie of their soules Is it so heinous a matter when an hundred persons are corporally strangled and is it nothing when many hundreds are spiritually murdered But I imagine what you will say why should wee put our finger in the fire why should we meddle in a controuersie which concernes vs not I answer if the controuersie indeede were a meere priuate controuersie you seeme to say some thing but if it be a publike controuersie and concerne the common safetie your obiection or plea is little worth But many haue learned that Greeke Prouerbe in our times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is good sleeping in a whole skin yea some are such valiant champions that being ingaged in the Lords controuersie will vse meanes and friends to draw their owne heads out of the collar and leaue others to endure the whole brunt of the battell and danger Such white-liuerd Soldiers are fit to take the Salmacida spolia which c In officijs Cicero speakes of spoiles which are obtained fine sanguine sudore if victorie will come of it selfe without paines or peril it shal be welcome if not they loue not to contend for it SECT 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rauening RAuening Hence obserue we that Seducers are of a rauenous disposition In which very respect they are also compared vnto Wolues in the words of my Text. And it is famously noted by Heathen Phylosophers who had a great gift in looking farre into the natures of the creatures that the Wolfe of all other beasts is the most rauenous c Ouid. l. 1. trist Eleg. 1. excussa est auidis dentibus Agna Lupi One saith making it a wonder the tender Lambe is shaken out of the greedy teeth of the Woolfe describing the Woolfe as a greedy creature Another saith that the Wolfe endures winde and weather i Virgil. AEnead 9. ventos perpessus imbres nocte super media raine and stormie tempests and that at midnight to watch for his prey Thus the poets sing concerning the rauenousnesse of the Woolfe and in like manner others write in

first Discouery of Iohn Hetherington which is by the oathes is honest Witnesses This man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being metamorphosed or changed from a man to a Woolfe as c Lib. 8. de repub Plato speakes of a Tyrant was discouered to the forenamed Honourable Court and testified against vpon the oathes not of Knights of the Post but of many honest conscionable men against whose persons or sayings Hetherington himselfe the party defendant did propound no manner of exceptions notwithstanding hee had sufficient time allowed him by the Court nor euer so much as offered to except against them in any Legall course by the testimonies of these vntainted Witnesses which were not a few and whereof two were Ministers of good note it appeared and was proued First that the said Hetherington hauing beene by trade a Boxe-maker cast off his trade and betooke himselfe to be an interpreter of the Scripture to many persons not of his owne Family keeping priuate Conuenticles by the Lawes of this Realme prohibited in the which Conuenticles hee tooke vpon him to bee the chiefe speaker and instructor in points of doctrine and matters of Faith giuing many interpretations contrary to the receiued Tenets taught and held in the Church of England Secondly that he hath maintained and published that the Church of England is no true Church of Christ that it teacheth false doctrine hauing vsed also many reproachfull speeches to and of the Reuerend Ministers of our Church whereby hee hath withdrawne many from the Church of England to his owne Faction Thirdly that he is a man disaffected to the gouernement and discipline of the Church of England now by law established and agreeth in opinion with the Sect of the Familists and other Sectaries holding with the Familists the perfect purity of the soule Fourthly that since the twentieth of December 1623. hee hath maintained and published that the Sabbath since the Apostles time was of no force and that euery day is a Sabbath as much as that which we call the Lords day or Sonday Fifthly that he holdeth and maintaineth that the books of Esdras are part of the Canonicall Scripture and that they ought so to be esteemed For the which his erroneous opinions and Schismaticall carriage tending to the disturbance of the peace of the Church and to the seducing of many sillie soules the Court adiudged him to be a dangerous Sectary and one that was well worthy to bee restrained and punished and amongst the rest of the punishments laid vpon him this was one that hee should publikely recant his errors at Pauls Crosse wherein the sentence of that Honourable Court is like to the censure of the Church vpon Schismatickes in the daies of Athanasius in the which time as appeares by c Epist Athanas ad Antioch one of his Epistles if any did fall or reuolt from the Church to Arianisme and afterwards repenting himselfe of his reuolt desired to be reconciled to the Church againe amongst the rest of his punishments enioyned him by the Church for his Apostacle this was one that hee should publikely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 renounce or make a Recantation of his Arian heresie For this worthy Sentence all Gods seruants in this City haue great cause to glorifie God yea I hope also his Maiesty will take speciall notice of it for the encouragement of his worthy Commissioners in wel-doing The second Discouerie of Iohn Hetherington which is by his Bookes Come we now to the second Discouerie Hetheringtons Bookes put amongst the Discoueries because they are vnworthy of confutation which is by his Bookes The said Hetherington and his Factious company haue certaine Bookes wherewith they doe vsually seduce and withdraw men and women from the Church of England and these seducing Bookes are of two sorts either such as were made by Hetherington himselfe for it is true which Horace saith scribimus indocti doctique poemata passim Hodiè quidam omnium bonarū literarum prorsus rudes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pauculis sophismatibus vt malè deguflata Aristoletis philosophia freti pedibus ac manibus illotis irruant in theolagia professionem Erasmus de vita Hieronymi ignorant idiots in our daies will bee writing Bookes as well as the Learned or such as were made by his predecessor T. L. who was as it seemes the ringleader of this factious company before Hetherington for let vs take notice of this for certainety that when any Sectmaster dies or leaueth a place either amongst Anabaptists or Familists another ordinarily succeeds him in the ministration to vphold the faction The first Booke written by Hetherington himselfe is that against one Smith an Anabaptist wherein vnder a colour of writing against Anabaptists he broacheth but very cunningly his owne familisticall errors In this Booke against Smith printed in the yeere 1610. he cunningly coucheth many dangerous errors to name but some of them for breuity sake At page 1. he acknowledgeth no other Church but that which consists of liuing stones meaning by his Church of liuing stones his owne factious Company as all Schismatickes vnderstand none but themselues whensoeuer they speake of the true Church of Christ Secondly vnto this fansied Church he appropriateth the power of the keyes page 2. 65. falsly interpreting that in Mat. 18. 17. tell the Church that is saith he at page 74. tell it to those little ones borne of God whereas it is meant that we should tell the Gouernours of the Church which are in place and authority wether they bee regenerate or vnregenerate Thirdly at page 7. 8. he arrogateth to his Church the knowledge of infallibility in iudging concerning the members of the same Fourthly at page 81. 82. hee saith that Caesar may command a place in publike so he doe forbid none in priuate wherein hee speaketh cunningly for the liberty of Conuenticles as I thinke any which know him will easily discerne Fifthly at page 86. he saith the Pope hath his power from God and that he must be obeyed wherein hee discouereth his notorious Hypocrisie as being ready if occasion were offered to submit outwardly to Antichrist himselfe Sixthly at page 88. 89. c For mine owne part I will not be peremptory in the interpreting of his meaning but let wise men reade the words and giue sentēce hee seemes cunningly to teach his Proselytes not to scruple at outward circumcision if occasion be offered nor at sitting in the Idols Temple hee would say possibly if hee durst at going to the Masse abusing that in 2 Kings 5. 19. where the Prophet bids Naaman the Syrian goe in peace as though hee had bid him goe in peace to the house of Rimmon whereby it may appeare what this man and his Proselytes would doe if Circumcision were vrged vpon them by the Turke or going to the Masse by the Pope and indeed some of his Proselytes haue beene obserued to say that if hee were at Rome hee would ioyne with them there assoone as with

fidos quid ergo restat veniant adulatores Caluin in Mich. c. 2. v. 11. it is iust with God to leaue such curious persons to bee seduced by false Prophets to their owne eternall destruction Micha 2. 11. Fifthly God doth it that they which are approued may be knowne 1 Cor. 11. 19. a sound Christian is neuer better discerned then when hee is compared with some erroneous and hereticall person hence it is that Saint Augustine saith in one of his e Epist 50. Epistles haeresis enim scandala futura praedicta sunt vt inter mimicos erudiamur ac sic fides dilectio nostra possit esse probatior Wee learne instruction amongst Haereticall enemies thereby our faith and loue are better tryed Thus for the Reasons wherefore God suffreth Haeretickes in his Church Now that you may be preserued from Seducers on euery side which I hartily wish Let mee commend vnto you these Antidotes against seduction by way of exhortation First labour to be well instructed in the grounds and principles of true religion how easily is an house ouerturned which hath no foundation euen so how soone is a man remoued from that truth wherein hee was neuer grounded and rooted for the which cause in the primitiue Church as c Antequam daretur baptismus adultis instituebantur in fidei rudimentis Aug. lib. de fid oper Saint Augustine saith Baptisme was administred to no Heathen turning Christian but vnto such as were first instructed in points of Catechisme and this indeede was an excellent meanes to preuent inconstancie and apostasie Secondly receiue the truth in the loue of it men are hardly drawne from e Tu licet vsque ad Tanaim fugias vsque sequctur amor propert Eleg. lib. 2. ad Cyn●h vers 1160 that they loue Dauid loued the Law better then Gold and Siluer and hence it was that hee could neuer be drawne from it by any Idolatrous seducer Psal 119. There is no greater cause why many become Apostates from the truth then want of sound loue vnto it Thirdly labour that your knowledge in Religion may be experimentall a man is hardly perswaded by any art against his owne experience tell a man of meane vnderstanding that the Crow is white and the Snow blake yea vse all the logicke you can to proue it you shall neuer perswade him and why because he knowes the contrary by experience euen so if we knew by experience what it were to deny our selues and to depend vpon Christ alone for iustification no Papist should euer be able to perswade vs to trust to humane merits and if wee knew by experience the infinite benefit of Gods Sabbath no Familist should euer preuaile with vs to haue it in contempt n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 experience maketh men resolute Fourthly beware of reading schismatical books Socrates was more resolute in his old age to vnder goe danger then the young men because he had experience Plat. in Euthydem though they be offred vnto you as a friendly gift beware of frequenting the company and conuenticles of seducers though you Be neuer so kindely inuited by false friends seeming friendly gifts tending to seduction are like the Troian horse which was pretended to be the c Pars stupet innupta adnum exitiale mineruae Virgil AEnead lib. 2. gift of Minerua but it proued The destruction of Troy In the Romish Church the common people are not permitted to meddle with our bookes I would they were not in this particular more prouident for Antichrist then we are for Christ Fiftly be practicall in Religion be doers of the will of God and then ye shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether the teacher speakes of himselfe as our Sauiour in effect speaketh Iohn 7. 16. if it be well obserued what kinde of Professors they be ordinarily which fall of from the Church to sects and schismes I doe not doubt but it will easily appeare that for the most part they are such as had a forme of godlinesse but denied the power as Saint Paul speakes of the hypocrites of his time 2 Tim. 3. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereupon Theophilact saith most truely in his Annotations vpon Matth. 7. whosoeuer shall build his soule vpon the practise of Christs Commandements no temptations shall euer be able to cast him downe Sixtly when you haue any scruple in your consciences repaire not to seducers for resolution but according to Gods ordinance aske the Priests concerning the Law Agg. 2. 11. and seeke the Law at their mouthes Malach. 2. 7. goe to your faithfull Ministers and let them resolue you and if you be tempted by seducers acquaint them with your temptations that they may strengthen you Consider what I say and the Lord giue you vnderstanding in all things An exhortation for Hetherington and all other Sect-masters about the Citie of London or else-where YOu which haue beene the meanes to seduce many silly soules from the truth I beseech you if you be not come to that height of wickednesse as to sit downe in the chaire of scorners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the Septuagints render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the chaire of pestilence let my counsell be auaileable with you and break of your vngodly course of seducing Gods seruants I know you rage against mee for going about to reclaime you and for endeauouring to preserue my flocke from your seducements but may it not iustly be said of you in this respect as c Serm. 5. de lapsis Saint Cyprian saith of some in his time Sacerdotibus sacrilegus irasc●tur atque ò tuam nimiam furiosè dimentiam irasceris ei qui abs te auertere iram dei nititur ei minaris qui pro te domini misericordia●● deprecatur qui vulnus tuum sentit quod ipse non sentis O Furious man is not this too much madnesse in thee thou art angry with him which endeauoureth to auert Gods wrath from thee thou threatnest him which imploreth mercy for thee at the hands of God which feeles thy wound which thou thy selfe dost not feele But to passe by your furie with compassion I will endeauour to cure you of your phrensie and that two wayes First by shewing you the causes of your disease as a necessary preface and secondly by applying some coraziues by way of exhortation And the causes of your diseases are diuers First ignorance of the true sense of Scripture according to that in Mat. 22. 29. Doe yee not therefore erre not knowing the Scriptures whereupon c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in praefat in Epist ad rom in edit Co●●elin Saint Chrysostome saith much heresie hath first sprung from ignorance of Scripture you thinke as appeares by your practice that you are the onely knowers of Gods minde in his word but alas your owne hearts doe deceiue you many of you are ignorant of the originall tongues wherein the