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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

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

my tediousnesse therefore for breuity sake I referre the learned Reader to that learned booke c De haereticis a ciuili Magistratu puniendis aduersus Martini Bellij farraginē nouorum ac ademicorum sectam of Theodore Beza the title wherof you haue in the margent wherin he proues by impregnable arguments That hereticks may be Lawfully punished by the Ciuill Magistrates yea and if they cannot by any other meanes be reclaimed they may iustly be put to death as e Teste Caluisio lib opus chron Seruetus was at Geneuah Anno 1553. Now what I haue said in this question concerning the punishment of hereticall seducers may iustly be applyed also to blasphemers of God For if they which denie fundamentall truth and oppose it with obstinacy deserue death how much more they which blaspheme it and the author of it which is God and Christ and therefore if any miscreant Iew or other shall come impudently amongst vs Christians and like another Goliath shall defie our Sauiour as he did the host of the liuing God surely our Magistrates vpon iust proofe may lawfully put him to death May Yea ought so to doe God himselfe maketh blasphemy capitall or death-deseruing in expresse termes Leuit. 24. 16. and Nebuchadnezzar in Dan. 3. 29. makes a Decree that if any of what Tongue or Nation soeuer shall speake any thing amisse as you haue it in the English Translation against the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego he shall be cut in pieces and his house shall be made a dung-hill the originall words in that Text namely the Caldee shew the strictnesse of that statute for whereas it is translated shall speake any thing amisse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Caldee it is shall speake an error intimating thereby that if any did speake blasphemie though it might possibly be pretended that he did so out of error of iudgement yet by the sentence of Nebuchadnezzar in that no doubt directed in the maine by the Spirit of God he was to die for it and if a Heathen King was thus zealous for God against Blasphemers how much more doth it behoue Christian Princes to bee zealous but I leaue this point and thus I haue done with the first part of my Text to wit the Caueat of our Sauiour giuen to his Church concerning False Prophets in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beware yee of pseudoprophets SECT 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which come c. WHich come vnto you in sheeps clothing In this first Description we haue three things to be obserued concerning False Prophets First their intrusion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they come vnsent Secondly their insinuation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they come to Christs Disciples not to the common multitude Thirdly their hypocrisie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they come disguized and not in their owne likenesse For the first that they are meere intruders into the office of teaching and haue no lawfull calling thereunto it is apparant in Ier. 23. 21. I haue not sent these Prophets yet they ranne I haue not spoken vnto them yet they prophesied they haue no calling from God 1. Because either they are meerely ignorant and vnsufficient to be guides as many are which take vpon them to be teachers amongst the Anabaptists and Familists being vnlearned men taken out of some trade or secondly because they haue not a right ministerial affection but aime at their owne priuate ends to wit to rob kill to destroy as our Sauiour saith of them Ioh. 10. 10. or thirdly because they hold and teach fundamentall errors which plainely argueth that they are guided by the spirit of Satan and not by Gods Spirit Furthermore commonly they haue no calling from the Church yea they contemne that calling as idle and impertinent being like those seducers spoken of Act. 15. 24. which went out and taught the Gentiles the Apostles giuing them no such Commandement I will not insist vpon this point yet it may serue as a strong motiue to disswade men and women from hearing these vnsent seducers for if they be not sent of God why should any dare to heare them yea what good can any man expect to receiue by such teachers and yet such is the folly of many at these times that they had rather heare a man without calling in some priuate conuenticle then a true minister sent of God and authorized by the Church in a lawfull assembly SECT 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnto you VNto you that is vnto you my Disciples whence obserue me what kinde of people hereticall teachers desire especially to seduce namely c Qui Lupira paces nisi spiritus subdoli ad infestandum gregem Christi intrins●cus delitescentes Tertul. lib. de praescript Christ his Disciples or such as are liuing members of the Church This is confirmed by that in Mat. 24. 24. where we haue false Christs and false Prophets going about to deceiue if it were possible the very elect and by that in Reu. 2. 20. where we haue the Romish Iesabel for of her I take it is typically spoken in that place seducing Gods seruants we may also see it daily verified by very experience for whom do Familists Anabaptists and other Sectaries commonly labour to peruert and seduce Not Drunkards Adulterers Sabbath-breakers Gamsters Lyers Swearers and such like but rather such as seeme to be conuerted which mourne for their sins and desire to know the right way to heauen hauing bin in some measure wrought vpō by the publike ministery of the Church wherein seducers are like vnto kites which flie vp and downe to ceaze vpon tender Chickens or rather like vnto their father the Diuell who loues to come in amongst Gods children Iob 2. 1. not for loue of their persons much lesse of the exercises of Religion but to accomplish his owne ends which may serue for a Caueat to all tender Christians to teach them the more carefully to looke to themselues but I will not further insist vpon this point SECT 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in sheeps clothing that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in sheepes skinnes for what is the cloathing of a silly sheepe but its skinne or fell in this Description of False Prophets our Sauiour may seeme to allude to the Woolfe in the Fable concerning the whcih the Mythologist speaketh thus Lupus ●uis pelle indutus ouium se immiscuit gregi quotidieque aliquam ex eis occidebat quod cum pastor animadue●tisset illū in altissima arbore suspendit interrogantibus autem caeteris pastoribus cur ouem suspendisset aiebat peblis quidem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 videtis est ouis opera autem Lupi a Woolfe on a time putting on a sheepes skinne immingled himselfe amongst the Flocke and so euery day strangled some of the sheepe which when the shepheard perceiued he tooke the Wolfe and hanged him vp in an high tree at the which when other shepheards ignorant of the cause wondered and demanded

vs heere many other pernitious errors are couched in this Booke against Smith by cunning intimations which none shall ordinarily vnderstand though they reade the Booke but onely his seduced Proselytes which are secretly acquainted with his mystery it is obserued by c In prompt con 2. c. 8. dux peripateticorum se ea lege sua naturalia instituta tradidisse dixit vt nemo intelligeret nisi ipso qui tradidit inter pretante Franciscus Venetus a very learned Writer concerning Aristotle that he wrote his naturall Philosophy with that art that none should vnderstand the precepts thereof saue onely they which were his Schollers and vnto whom hee himselfe would vouchsafe to interpret them Iohn Hetherington is like Aristotle in this respect not for learning but for cunning none shall fully vnderstand all his errors but such idiots as are his Proselytes The second Booke written by Hetherington as he himselfe saith is that which was set forth in the name of one Edmund Iesop called the discouery of the errors of the Anabaptists Wherein by the way Iesop deserues no small rebuke for whereas at that time he made a shew of turning from the Anabaptists to the Church of England hee turned not to vs but to Hetheringtons faction and conspired with him about the making of this erroneous Booke howbeit by his hypocriticall seeming to turne he reaped no small gaine to himselfe as it is well knowne But to let him passe and to come to the errors of the Booke In this Booke at page 3. he confoundeth Reprobation and Damnation making the foresight of mans folly and wickednesse to be the cause why God preordaines any to condemnation Secondly at page 18. hee affirmeth that the Gospell hath bin declared to the Gentiles in former times and is declared at this present in diuers parts of the world onely by the workes of creation wherein he teacheth cunningly that pernicious point c Nota est Historia expresly maintained by him and his followers in their priuate Conuenticles viz. that a man may be saued without Christ reuealed in the word by the meere contemplation of the creatures abusing that in Rom. 10. 18. which speakes of such a preaching by the creatures which leaues men without excuse not which is sufficient to saluation Thirdly at Page 48. hee cunningly coucheth a point which is maintained by him and his factious company to wit that the soule of man comes ex traduce that is that it is traduced from Adam as well as the body and that it is not immediately infused of God into this or that particular body Fourthly at Page 61 he speaketh dishonorably of Baptisme for hee saith What can men haue lesse then Baptisme which can giue to no man more then an outward name of a Christian as Circumcision did the outward name of a Iew it doth neither conferre nor confirme grace to the heart of any no more then Circumcision did And in his former Booke at pag. 13. hee speaketh contemptuously of Baptisme tearming it elementish baptisme And indeede it is apparant to them which know and are acquainted with his opinions that hee holds no other Baptisme to be of any vertue but that which he cals the Baptizing in a thousand teares in his former Booke at page 14. allegorizing the Sacrament as the rest of the familists doe And herein appeares the hypocrisie of this faction they will submit to vse our Sacraments and to come to our Churches and yet haue them in plaine contempt Fiftly whereas at page 89. he condemnes the Familists of H. N. his order as the most blasphemous and erroneous Sect this day in the world I answer all this he may doe and yet remaine a notorious Familist himselfe of another order for as it is amongst the Anabaptists so it is also amongst the Familists there be diuers orders of them and they doe mutually hate and oppose one another The Familists of the Castalion order despise them of Caps his order accounting them simple men and they of Caps his order fauour not them of Hetheringtons order and they of Hertheringtons order gnash their teeth against all but their owne faction Sixty at pag. 101. he deliuers a strange paradox viz. that Sathan himselfe with all his Angels and spirits of wickednesse by force of their torments shall be compelled with all powers people and kings whatsoeuer to confesse bow before Christ to serue and obey him to praise and magnifie him his Iustice and Mercy for euer abusing that place in Philip. 2. 10 11. which proues not that euer hell shall be made a Chappell to praise God in Thus foolish and ignorant men will take vpon them to be teachers of Diuinitie being vnseene in the very grounds thereof much like to presumptuous Quacksaluers Verum penitus absurdum est vt discipulus ad magistrum vadens antè sit artisex quam doceatur Hier. aduers Luciferian which take vpon them to be great Chirurgians and Physicians being vngrounded in the art of Surgerie and Physicke and so instead of curing men doe indeede kill them There be moreouer other Books whereby this Sect doe seduce written by T. L. Hetheringtons predecessor to wit First the Epistle to the Church of Rome Secondly the tree of regeneration Thirdly an Exposition vpon the 11 12 13. Chapters of the Reuelation Fourthly the Key of Dauid and some other Concerning the Epistle pretended to be written to the Church of Rome It is said in the Preface of it that this Booke deserueth as well to be regarded as the best newes that euer thou hast heard now the best newes that euer we haue heard as we know is the Gospell and I appeale to the consciences of this factious company whether they haue not in contempt all writings since the Apostles time in comparison of T. L. his writings yea whether they doe not equalize them to the very Scripture it selfe accounting T. L. a great Prophet In this Booke of his at page 16. the Author solemnly protesteth that hee knew not any one after the flesh that taketh part with him wherein hee sheweth himselfe a notorious factionist in thinking himselfe alone in the dayes of the libertie of the Gospell Secondly although this railing Epistle be pretended onely to be written to the Church of Rome yet it is intended also against our Church as it doth manifestly appeare by his girding at Hussites Lutherans Caluinists Euangelists Protestants and Precisians at pag. 108. and by his girding at false reformed Prophets at page 69. wherein hee cunningly inueigheth against all reformed Churches whom he tearmeth in the tree of regeneration at pag. 20. foolish and irreformed c Hetherington and his company are well knowne to despise all Churches in the world reformed and vnreformed and to acknowledge no other cōuerted Church but their owne faction reformers Thirdly in this Epistle to the Church of Rome at pag. 113. The Author saith when hee wrote this Epistle that he was in Babylon and yet he

in resting vpon the seauenth day from all his workes of Creation binde the Iewes and not vs Gentiles are not wee bound to be imitators of God as deare children as well as they or any other Ephes 5. 1. Fourthly shall it be an argument to perswade the Iewes to keepe the Sabbath because God hath blessed and sanctified it that is hath ordained it to be a day of blessing to the conscionable obseruers of it and hath set it apart from common labour to holy vse and shall it not be an argument to perswade vs haue not we as much neede of Gods blessing as the Iewes haue not wee cause to feare to deuoure that which is sanctified as well as the Iewes Thus we see all the reasons in the fourth Commandement are morall which doe plainly demonstrate the Commandement it selfe to be morall Now if any shall obiect that in Deut. 5. 15. where God presseth the obseruation of the Sabbath with a reason seeming to be peculiar to the Hebrewes namely because he had brought them out of Aegypt I answer that doth no more infringe the moralitie of the fourth Commandement then the generall Praeface praefixed before the ten Commandements I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Aegypt and out of the house of seruants doth infringe the moralitie of the rest of the morall Law Secondly there was something also signified in this reason I brought thee out of the land of Aegypt to wit the great benefit of redemption which bindes the Gentiles as well as the Iewes in way of thankfulnesse to celebrate the Sabbath day to Gods glory Reasons prouing against Hetherington and other Familists that the Lords day ought to be kept for the Christian Sabbath THat the Lords day ought to be celebrated for the Christians Sabbath and that by vertue of the moralitie of the fourth Commandement it is apparent by diuers Arguments First because the morall Law is not abrogated by the Gospell but established Rom 3. 31. which proues that tenet of Hetherington to be false to wit that the Lords day since the Apostles time was of no force Secondly because it is written in the very hearts of men that they ought to celebrate that day as appeares by the secret checkes that they finde in their consciences when they doe prophane it and by the sweet comforts which they feele when they keepe it in an holy manner Thirdly this blessed day hath bin obserued by all Christian Churches it was kept at Hierusalem Act. 2. 1. it was kept at Troas Act. 20. 7. it was kept in Patmos Reuel 1. 10. it was kept in the regions of Galatia 1 Cor 16. 1. 2. Fourthly the ancient Fathers haue pressed the obseruation of the Lords day vpon the Church in their seuerall ages c Epist ad magnesi●s Ignatius saith let euery one which loueth Christ celebrate the Lords day e Ser. 251. de tempor Saint Augustine doth greatly presse the strict obseruation of the Lords day that men should vpon that day be separated from worldly businesses and that they should attend vpon Gods publike worship that they should not sit idling at home when others goe to Church that they should not giue themselues to hunting vpon that day or to loud laughters c. c In 1. cap. Isaiae Saint Basil saith when as almost all dayes prescribed by the Law are abolished yet there remaineth one great day of the Lord which shall neuer be abolished but shall remaine to the end of the world e Lib. 7. de diuin offic Rupertus saith the Lord hath made this day to be the solemnitie of Solemnities because the noblenesse of this solemnitie excelleth all other solemnities g Lib. 4. aduers Marcion Tertullian saith that Christ hath made the Sabbath more holy by his benefaction it being holy from the beginning by his fathers benediction i Hom. 7. in 15. c. exod Saint Origen doth in like manner not onely equalize but also farre preferre the Christians Lords day before the Iewes Sabbath n Enchir. Luther blesseth God for setting apart a peculiar day for the vse of his ordinances yea o Lib. 2. instit c. 8. Sect. 32. Caluin himselfe saith vnlesse a certaine time were set apart for the worship of God all would runne to ruine and confusion speedily and ineuitably Here I am as the learned know in a large field I might be very copious in quotations both out of the ancient Fathers and moderne writers but I must be briefe for diuers reasons Fiftly the r Homilie of the place and time of prayer Church of England hath these words in one of the Homilies God hath giuen expresse charge to all men that vpon the Sabbath day which is now our Sunday they cease from all weekely and work-day labour to the intent that like as God himselfe wrought six dayes and rested the seauenth and blessed and sanctified it and consecrated it to quietnesse and rest from labour euen so Gods obedient people should vse the Sunday holily and rest from their common and daily businesse and also giue themselues wholly to heauenly exercises of Gods true religion and seruice So that God doth not onely command the obseruation of this holy day but also by his owne example doth stirre and prouoke to diligent keeping of the same The which I haue noted first because the Hetheringtonians hold as it is well knowne that the Christians Sabbath is grounded vpon no precept in all Gods word whereas the Homily saith that God hath commanded the obseruation of this holy day Secondly because some not well affected would cry downe all stricktnesse in obseruing this day as Iewish wherein they doe not symphonize with their mother for what obseruation of the Sabbath can be more holily strict then that which is prescribed in the Homily to wit that we should cease from all weekely labour and giue our selues wholly to heauenly exercises of Gods true religion and seruice We are prone by corruption of nature to take libertie of our selues Si non satis insa●iat instiges eum apud Terent. we neede not be taught it non opus est calcaribus sed frano Sixtly God hath shewed fearfull iudgements vpon prophaners of the Lords day as you may read in the Practice of Pietie a certaine husbandman grinding Corne vpon the Lords day had all his meale burned to ashes another carrying Corne vpon the same day had his Barne and all his Corne the next night burned A couetous Flaxwoman at Kingstat in France in the yeere 1559. vsing with her maidens to worke in her trade vpon the Lords day her flax in an extraordinary manner tooke fire the same day burnt her house and so scorched her selfe and two of her children that they all of them dyed the next day Stratford vpon Auon was twise almost consumed with fire in one yeere and the like iudgement was shewed vpon Teuerton in Deuonshire both which townes were knowne to suffer