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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

ranke soeuer they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beware of false Prophets First Kings and Princes must beware of them and that both in respect of themselues and also in respect of their subiects In respect of themselues they must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looke to themselues lest any sonne of Belial or any instrument of Antichrist be so impudent as to presse into their roiall presence to seduce them and this they had neede to looke vnto with infinite circumspection because the beloued Disciple Saint Iohn in his Apocalips c. 16. v. 13 14. giues them an item that three vncleane spirits like frogs shall come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the false Prophet being spirits of Diuels working miracles and going forth to the Kings of the earth and of the whole world c. Secondly Princes must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beware of false Prophets in respect of their subiects They must take the Foxes the yong Foxes which spoile the Vines Cant. 2. 15. they must not giue any toleration to Idolatry in the Lords Land but like good Iosias in their time they must take away all the abominations and cause all men to serue the Lord 2 Chron. 34. 33. Princes are Shepheards of the people so the Euangelicall Prophet Esay stileth them in his 44. Chapter verse 28. that saith of Cyrus hee is my Shepheard c. and c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dryantem etiam pastorem populi Homer the King of Poets giues them the like title in the first of his Iliads tearming Dryas a Shepheard who was indeede the Prince or C●●ef-taine of the people Now as it is the care of Shep●●rds not to suffer noysome Beasts Wolues and the like 〈◊〉 haue their dens amongst their Sheepe euen so it ought to be the care of all Christian Princes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abigere Lupos not to suffer Idolaters to set vp their abhominations in any part of their Kingdome the danger that may in any sort accrue vnto Princes whose soules doe thou O Lord alwayes binde vp in the bundle of life comes not by denying vnto Idolaters that which tends to their owne hurt no more then euill vnto indulgent Parents by denying kniues and poyson to their Children when they earnestly cry for such things but the danger is rather in satisfying their vnlawfull and sinfull desires for herein they prouoke Gods anger against themselues 1 Kin. 11. 9. Reuel 2. 20. Secondly Ministers must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beware of false Prophets They must beware of reading and preferring the erronious postils of pseudoprophets before the Orthodox writings of sound Diuines the want of this good take heed is the cause that many young Ministers come quickly to be corrupted in their iudgements and instead of teaching doe rather corrupt others Secondly they must beware in respect of their flocke caueant Ministri lest while they sleepe the enuibus man sowe tares as it is in the Gospell c Mala est pax concordia quae inter pastores Lupos est Che●nitius in harmon Euangel Thirdly they must beware of entertaining peace with common seducers that is an euill peace and a bad concord indeede which is betweene the Shepheards and the Wolues as a learned man speaketh Thirdly they and I doe not exclude my selfe must beware of being conuersant or familiar or delighting in the company of the enemies of Gods truth and of his seruants it is recorded by Eusebius concerning Iohn the beloued Disciple of Christ that when Cerinthus that damnable haeretick came into the same Bath where Iohn was washing himselfe the Apostle sprang or leapt out of the Bath as the Author e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb lib. 4. Eccles hist c. 14. significantly speaketh fearing lest God should haue showne a visible iudgement vpon him by the fall of the roofe of the Bath if he had remained in the company of such a wretch Oh that there were such an abhorring in vs Ministers at these dayes for surely then errours would not so thriue as they doe Fourthly Ministers must take diligent notice of the errours that spring vp in their times as the learned Fathers did in their dayes and by their preaching must beat downe to their power the same errors It is reported concerning the Mother of Gregorie Nazi●nzene by some although it be somewhat otherwise recorded by others in the life of the same reuerend Father That she dreamed when shee was conceiued of that worthy light of the Church that shee had in her wombe a white whelpe which by his barking should driue away the Wolues from the Sheepefold I stand not vpon the Historie but I wish that all the Ministers of England were such white whelpes as Gregorie Nazianzen was and that their preaching were like vnto his barking to feare away the wolues from the sheepfold of Iesus Christ Thirdly the people must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beware of false Prophets For first they must beware of hearing them either publikely if at any time they intrude themselues or priuately in their clandestine or secret conuenticles The Sheepe of Christ will not heare the voice of a stranger but flye from him Iohn 10. 5. It is recorded by Theodorite that when Lucius an arian Bishop came and preached amongst the Antiochians broaching his damnable errors the people e Lib. 4. Eccles hist c. 20. in hist trip forsooke the Congregations at the least for the present hauing indeede bin soundly taught before by worthy Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh that the people of this age had their witts thus exercised to iudge betwixt truth and falsehood but alas at these dayes if error come but masked with a pretence of zeale a thundering voice it is readily receiued for truth by the common multitude yea I would there were not many that make a great profession of religion and yet are thus silly SECT 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beware in that our Sauiour onely mentions here a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dutie of bewaring of false Prophets ergo it may fitly be demanded and that as a case of conscience whether it be lawfull for the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to put false Prophets to death In the which question we must carefully note whom wee are to vnderstand by false Prophets And by false Prophets in this question concerning life and death wee are not to vnderstand them that differ in opinion from vs in smaller matters although I wish from my heart that we were all of one iudgement in the least things as well as in the greatest neither are we to vnderstand thereby them which of meere simple ignorance hold some error at the least for a time against the maine foundation of Christian religion The Apostles themselues were ignorant for a time both of the death and also of the resurrection of Christ and therefore when our Sauiour spake of either of these they wondered as

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