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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86433	The growth and spreading of hæresie. Set forth in a sermon preached before the Honorable House of Commons, on the 10th. day of March, being the day of their publike fast and humiliation for the growth of hæresie. / By Thomas Hodges, Minister of Gods Word, at Kensington. Published by order of the House of Commons.	Hodges, Thomas, 1599 or 1600-1672.	1647 (1647)	Wing H2315; Thomason E379_1; ESTC R201396	42,374	73

fall away you shall stand like mount Sion that cannot be moved 3. (r) Rom. 16.18 2 Tim. 3.5 Mark them that cause divisions and avoid them saith St. Paul for they serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies Whether they seek to divide you from the Christian verity by pernicious haeresies or from the unity of Christs church and people by peace disturbing schismes and seperations Mark them with a note of infamy as notoriously (s) 1 Tim. 6.3 4. proud basely self-seeking foolishly erring Truths enemies adversaries to Peace destroyers of Souls And do not only mark but also (t) 1 Tim. 6.5 avoid them after two or three admonitions shun and avoid their discourses and disputes which serve to no good purpose but as foiles to their pride rises to their slanders and when they are more publike as baits to deceive and delude poor souls being like Fencers challenges inventions to give the better advantages to Cut-purses to act their prizes And as for their persons avoyd them too O how zealously affected against Seducers were the Primitive (u) 2 Joh. 10 11. Christians John the Evangelist would not endure (w) Iraen l 3. c. 3. in the Bath at Ephesus with the haeretick Cerinthus nor Polycarpus would entertain communion with Marcion but defied him as the first begotten son of Satan So zealous were the Apostles and their disciples saith Irenaeus that they would not communicate with haereticks in word but were answerable to (x) Tit. 3.10 11. St. Pauls admonition Eschew him that is a Haeretick after the first and second admonition knowing that such a one is perverse and sinneth being condemned of his own conscience 4. Forsake not your faithfull Pastors (y) Heb. 3.17 but obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls The fable is well known of the Wolves that offered to make a league with the Sheep conditionally that they would put away their dogs I need not make the application but this I am sure of That the Devil and Seducers who are his instruments make it one of their first and chiefest designes to alienate the hearts of people from their faithfull Guides which if they can once effect on the ruines of their reputation they use to lay the foundation of their own esteem Thus dealt the false Apostles with the Corinthians in the case of Paul (z) 2 Cor. 10.10 His bodily presence say they is weak and contemptible (a) 2 Cor. 11.6 11 12 13. That he was rude in speech did not love and esteem them as themselves profest they did and such like stuffe to foment and increase jealousies in their hearts as do our Seducers now adayes that they may make way for themselves in the peoples estimation 5. Despise not the (b) 1 Cor. 11.16 Churches of Christ especially in the Doctrine which they unanimously hold forth For is not the (c) 1 Tim. 3.15 Church the ground and (c) 1 Tim. 3.15 pillar of truth whereon God hangs forth to view that sound direction to the world which may guide their feet in the way of peace to the reaching of everlasting blisse 6. Forsake not the (d) Heb. 10.25 assembling of your selves together be not a stranger to the publike Congregations as the custome of some is who think Christ is not to be found except in a wildernesse or in a chamber (e) Mat. 24 26. but go not after them says he 7. Endeavour after a greater measure of mortification of corrupt passions and affections which (a) Si vis lumine claro cernere verum gaudia pelle pelle timorem spentque sugato nec dolor adsit nubila mens est vinctaque fraenis haec ubi regnāt Boet. l. 1. de consol philos metro 7. so cloud the mind that Truth cannot in its lustre appear unto it and makes the heart like those that are (b) Ecclus. c 27. Lunaticks full of changes from (c) 2 Tim. 3.13 bad to worser but never right never setled but full of motion (d) Camerar Hor. Succis par 1. c. 36. like a horse stung with wasps that runs capers and curvets to little purpose Corrupt passions and affections prevailing the soul is like to an (e) Prov. 25.28 unfenced city open to rapine and ruine by every enemy They are in a word such a complying party with whatever is evil that if Seducers can but find a way to parley with them and proffer them what is proportionable to their nature if they have but the art to sute their bait to those (f) 2 Pet. 2.18 19. Jude 16 17 c lusts or passions that have domination and rule within be it (g) 3 Joh. 9. ambition (h) Tit. 1.11 covetousnes feare or whatever it be That soul is easily made a prey of by these Haereticks Therefore if ever you would be safe be not content without the death of these 8. Grow in grace (i) 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8 11. Adde vertue to vertue as St. Peter presses that an abundant entrance may be administred to you into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ If you would not be led away with the error of the wicked saith the same Apostle (k) 2 Pet. 3.17 18. grow in grace for 't is that is only able to (l) Heb. 13.9 establish the heart against temptations and seducements (m) 1 Cor. 14 20. A silly child is easily cozened with copper instead of gold but as (n) Heb. 5.14 knowledge and discerning increases in him he is free from that delusion A (o) Eph. 4.14 weak body reels to and fro and every blast of wind is ready to throw him down but as strength grows he becomes more able daily to endure its strongest blasts so is it with the soule according to the measure of grace it is endowed with 't is able to resist and stand out against seducements Above all endeavour to increase Humility which is the (p) Jam. 4.6 womb of vertue (q) 1 Pet. 5 5. a sweet adornment and an excellent fence against this monster Haeresie which had some cherisht the Church had not been pestered with this evil nor had this plague of Error found such footing in this our Israel If any spark of this hellish fire at any time light on your souls dally not with it but be sure to call in help betimes to quench it there 's many a house hath been consumed to ashes by the inhabitants (r) Et neglecta solent incendia sumere viris Horat. 1. ep 19. Facilius est excludere perniciosa quàm regere non admittere quàm admissa moderari Sea l. 1. de ira c. 7. inadvertencie not heeding the first kindling of this mischief in their souls and others by an overweening opinion of their own ability to extinguish it at pleasure and perhaps some few out of an over-tendernesse of their

THE GROWTH and SPREADING OF HAERESIE Set forth In a SERMON preached before the Honorable House of COMMONS on the 10th day of March being the day of their publike Fast and Humiliation for the growth of Haeresie By THOMAS HODGES Minister of Gods Word at KENSINGTON 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Themist orat 3. Melius aditum obstruxisse quàm aenam exegisse peccati Simpl. epist 14. ad Zeno. imper Published by Order of the House of Commons LONDON Printed by T. R. and E. M. for Abel Roper at the signe of the Sun against Dunstans church in Fleetstreet 1647. Die Jovis 11. Martii 1646. ORdered by the Commons assembled in Parliament That Mr. Rows and Mr. Gewen do from this House give thanks unto Mr. Vines and Mr. Hodges for the great pains they took in their Sermons preached on the 10. of March 1646. at Margarets Westminster before the House of Commons being a day of publike Humiliation for the growth of Errors Haeresies c. And they are to desire them to print their Sermons wherein they are to have the like priviledge in printing of them as others in the like kind usually have had Hen. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. I appoint Abel Roper to print my Sermon THO. HODGES TO THE Honourable HOUSE of COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT THe GOD of heaven and earth who is in himself an infinite ocean of Perfection without either bank or bottom hath been pleased by the overflowings of his power and goodnesse to create this orderly glorious frame of Heaven and Earth out of nothing the Earth he hath furnished not only with great variety of excellent Beings but also hath (a) Gen. 1.28 Psal 4.5 6. set over them a visible Governour to be his Vicegerent giving him dominion over all things beneath Who although he be a little lesse then the Angels yet is he answerable for this trust to God alone This glorious God hath furnished him with (b) Job 38.11 32 8. Reason understāding more then the beasts that he might be more happy than the world can make him he hath not only given him vast desires and such a capacity as cannot be satisfied by Creature-fulnesse but hath designed him to a higher end a Heaven which principally consists in the (c) Rev. 22.4 1 Cor. 13.12 Psal 16.11 enjoyment of himself But because his reason is not (d) 1 Cor. 2.14 sufficient to discover this to him or bring him thither therefore he hath sent forth his (e) Psal 43.3 Light and Truth the blessed (f) 2 Pet. 1.3 shinings of Religion to lead us to his dwelling and to the place of his abode which is not (g) Eph. 1.9.3 9 c. mans designe but Gods discovery of his will and mind pointing out the way to blisse Yet hath he not appointed that man should reach this end without opposition and that not only from corruptions and (h) 1 Pet. 2.11 lusts within which fight against the soul but also poor man is encountred by the (i) Eph. 6.12 prince of darknesse and spirituall wickednesses in high places which makes his passage to his end so difficult that did not that Almighty power that hath decreed him to the end worke (k) 1 Pet. 1 4 5 effectually to the preserving of him in the way he must needs come short of happinesse The truth is amongst all encounters he meets with there is scarce any monster that more endangers him then that Hydra Haeresie which if it once gets place in the Head by assent hath a generall influence upon his affections and actions and is a fruitfull mother producing quickly like some fertile weeds a numerous progeny This ensuing discourse will in some measure discover that unto you Which you will not find polite but very plain in an unaffected dresse But I beseech you remember I did but bring up the Rear to my reverend Brother in Application of that which with great variety of Learning he doctrinally laid before you and it was intended not to tickle the ears or please the fancy of any but to affect our hearts with a deep sense of that sad evil of Haeresie to mourn for which pray against it and beg mercy for Church and State we were assembled together 'T was your command that I should publish it In obedience to which I have sent it abroad under your protection to be a remembrancer to you of your engagements to God prayers and resolutions taken up that day wherein for this cause you afflicted your soules before God and supplicated the destruction of it (l) Causin l. 9. c. 42. It is reported That during the time the Olympian games lasted there was not a Fly seen on Mount Olympus the like is (m) Paul Fagius praefat ad Thargum affirmed of Onkelos his Chalde Paraphrase I cannot say much for the truth of either But this I am sure of That it is not so with us for the (n) Baal-zebub i. e. muscarum princeps Shindleri pentaglot vervo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prince of Flies during your sitting hath raised such swarms of flies an every corner of our Land that many of our Congregations and Families are miserably Fly-blowne with Haeresies and corrupt Tenets The truth is the World is now grown old neer its ruine and 't is no marvel if it dote be full of fancies But when they are grown to such a heigth of madnesse that they produce destructions as our Apostle stiles Haeresies in the Text is it not time to cry to you for help He was a Monster of men that could please himself with fidling when Rome was on fire or could make a sport to see poor wretches swim for their lives and drown'd in Tiber being thrown thither by his command We know you are Christian Magistrates who resembling the God of heaven in his care for soules will not endure that the Devil his enemy should tryumph here or be worshipped in his image Haeresie amongst the inhabitants of this Island seeing it is so opposite to the first Truth and dangerous to peoples immortall spirits If it shall be thought that I have not sufficiently pointed out what I mean by Haeresie I answer My reverend Brother did prevent me and as I did not in Preaching so I will not in Printing actum agere but referre my self to his description of it Only give me leave to say That if the Opinion overthrows any Fundamentall Truth I intend that by the name Haeresie if it shake or loosen the foundation-stones it is not to be past by Little serpents grow great ones by degrees if they be let alone the Egge may quickly become a Cockatrice nay a Flying-serpent But as for more petty differences in opinion concerning things not much material either not determined in Gods word at all or after such a manner as is dubious not only to particular persons but also to many Churches of Christ as some particulars perhaps in Discipline and the like so the

destroying Errors with Truths (d) Act 19 27 c. 35. ornaments attributing to them as Numa and other deceivers to their Lawes the title of Divine oracles (e) Euseb eccl hist l. 4. c. 6. Depths of wisdome Rules of piety Saving truths High and mystical excellencies Thus did Saturninus and divers others He that would satisfie himself farther concerning these particulars may take a view of Porphyrie's railing books against the Christians or later horrid Pamphlets exceeding his in blasphemy as that De tribus Impostoribus mundi Popish railing libels Haeretical writings as that of Paul Best The Mad-mans Divinity and such like stuffe And thus briefly you see the truth of this second particular viz. The course usage Religion meets with at the hands of some in the world It is evil-spoken of or blasphemed But how comes this to pass Indeed it is mens basenesse and prophanesse so to do but yet there is seeming cause for it which the Text holds forth in those words By reason of whom i.e. of such as are seduced Which is the third and last Particular of this second generall Part. A main cause and root of wicked mens blaspheming or speaking evil of Religion is the following of Seducers by multitudes who pretend to Truth yet imbrace their pernicious wayes and errors Thus was in the Primitive times the people who bare the name of Christians yet being seduced profest such doctrine as could no way agree with the Christian verity and walked in an answerable practise to their erroneous tenets raised (f) Euseb l. 4. hist. eccl c. 7. no smal persecutions against the Church For when the profane atheistical spirits of the world took notice in those people either of their monstrous and absurd opinions as that of (g) Epophan haeres 37. Aug. de haeres the Ophites who worshipped the Serpent that seduced Eve believing it was Christ and the (h) Epiph. haer 38. Aug. de haer Cainites who honoured Cain as their father (i) Euseb hist eccl l. 3. c. 26. Epiph. haeres 21 25. highly esteeming Esau Chore Dathan Abiran and Judas c. Their beastly tenets as that of the Nicholaitans concerning community of wives or of the Simonians concerning liberty to all licentiousnesse Which when they take notice how contrary and opposite to Justice Order Modesty such assertions are this makes them taxe Religion as the Devils product carrying souls headlong to eternall ruine Or else they look upon their inconstancy levity frequently shifting opinions and changing Sects (k) Mat. 11.7 like reeds shaken to and fro or empty (l) Jude 12. clouds carried hither and thither by every wind As (m) Socr. schol hist eccl l. 3 c. 11. Eccebolius the Sophist who in Constantines time was a Christian in Julians a Pagan after his death a Professor of Christianity again and hath this blurre left on him That he was constant in his unconstancie to his death How many such weather-cocks are there in the world who turn with every wind conforming themselves to the time not truth Well hereby worldly men charge Truth with fallibility and uncertainty Or else they take notice of their egregious Pride and Censoriousnesse (n) Hermogenes erat natura turbulentus c. Tertul. Jam. 3.17 morosity and selfishnesse stiling their own Conventicles the Elect of God the Spouse of Christ the only pure and undefiled one rejecting all others as polluted creatures Reprobates fuel for hell and the like as the (o) Euseb hist eccl l. 6. c. 42. Novatians of old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who stiled themselves the Pure ones and divers other Haereticks both in former and later times I might instance in This makes them tax Religion with pride unmannerlinesse with self-seeking and uncharitablenesse c. And lastly Their divisions and differences that were amongst them which made Pagans take notice that (p) Amb. in 2 Tim. 2.20 there were many Sects and Factions amongst the Christians and hence conclude against the Religion it self as a thing breeding and nourishing divisions and distempers But give me leave to tell you their mistake may be taken notice of to arise from these two things Either first their not distinguishing between Truth and Haeresie as if they were one and the same seed producing the same fruit in all whom they possest Thus they speak evil of the things they (q) 2 Pet. 2.12 understand not as the Apostle speaks Or secondly Their not putting a difference between the Orthodox and Heterodox professors of Religion Which error in the (r) Euseb hist eccl l. 4. c 7. Primitive time was no smal occasion of slanders cast upon the Christians and of sad persecutions raised against them And hence it was that those Primitive fathers were so much put upon it to pen Pemonstrances Confessions of faith Apologies and Confutations of Haeretical tenets that they might vindicate Religion and cleer the Church of Christ from those calumnies and false aspersions that were occasioned by their words and courses who were seduced by heterodox opinions Vse And is not here new cause of mourning to hear Truth blasphemed This is that which sads the spirits of good men It is a day of trouble to them because a day of (s) Esa● 37 3. blasphemy And that too frequently procured by them who pretend to more light piety and religion then others do So that Christ may well take up those words in the (t) Zach. 13.6 Prophet I am wounded in the house of my friend for such they are in pretence though in reality enemies What pious spirit can chuse but grieve to see the Daughter of heaven reproached the Jewel betrusted with the Saints abused the generall and onely true Medicine of soules contemned the Mirrour of Heaven spet upon the Image of Gods mind most despitefully used To hear Innocency charged with guilt Simplicity with deceit Sincerity with falshood Antiquity with novelty Light called darknesse Divine called humane nay diabolical Who can abstain from tears What have we I beseech you to leave Posterity so precious as this Way of Truth If that be gone the (u) 1 Sam. 3. glory is departed from Israel and farewell all Have we received it from our ancestors in lustre and purity and is it not grievous to us that in our time it should be so mangled and defaced that our children after us except it be timely prevented will scarce be able to distinguish 'twixt it and Error Why did the valiant Martyrs shed their precious blood but to maintain this way of truth shall we lose and let it go at so cheap a rate and not mourne for it (w) Esa 36 22 37 1. The Jewes of old when they heard blasphemy used to rend their cloaths to testifie the inward rending of their hearts Can ours be whole when the foolish people so much defame Gods truth and blaspheme his (x) Psal 74.18 name Well this I am sure of That by