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A90603
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The mysticall vvolfe. Set forth in a sermon preached in the Church of Edmond the King, in Lombard-street. / By E.P.
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Pagitt, Ephraim, 1574 or 5-1647.
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1645
(1645)
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Wing P183; Thomason E27_9; ESTC R8274
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23,897
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45
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THE Mysticall VVolfe Set forth in a Sermon Preached in the Church of Edmond the King in Lombard-street By E. P. LONDON Printed by Marie Okes and are to be sold by Robert Trot at his Shop under the Church of Edmond the King 1645. To the Right VVorshipfull Sir NICHOLAS RAYNTON Knight and Alderman of London and to Mr. WILLIAM GIBBS Alderman and Sherâ—ffe of the said City and to all his loving friends who have been Church wardens assisting him As to the Right VVorshipfull Mr. Walter Rogers Mr. Robert Smith Mr. Samuel Bridge Mr. Thomas Soane Mr. Henrie Geirie Mr. Thomas â—aton Mr. Iohn Bludworth Mr. Nicholas Cook Mr. Anthony Crosse Mr. Ambrose Brumskill Mâ— Tobias Dixon Mr. Iohn Niclas Mr. Iaspar Clayton Mr. Andrew Hâ—de Mr. George Denham Mr. Iohn Rogers Mr. Spencer Vincent Mr. â—ohn Smith Mr. Richard Kimble Mr. Francis Patâ—s Mr. Peter Worster Mr. William Devâ—nshâ—re and to all his other loving parishioners and to his loving friends and fellow labourers Mr. Iohn Hopkins and Mr. Iohn Davis Old Ephraim Pagitt Rectoâ— of Edmonds the King in Lomb. wisheth all happinesse MUnster writeth that there are no Wolves in England which is a great blessing and in a manner peculiar to our Kingdome in which our Shepheards may securely feed their flocks without dread of those ravenous beasts who are to sheepe most mischievous The like might I have said of Mysticall wolves for 40. year and more of my Pastoral charge in which I had no dread of them But now I live to see with griefe of heart grievous Wolves broken in among us not sparing the flocke Therefore the counsell that St. Paul gave to the Presbyters of Ephesus I will put you in remembrance of that is To take heed to our selves and to the flock whereof the holy Ghost hath made us over-seers It is reported concerning the mother of Gregory Nazianzen that she dreamed when she was conceived of that worthy light of the Church that shee had in her womb a white mastiffe which by his barking should drive the Wolves from the sheep-fold And whereas some of you with many other pious Citizens have erected sundry Lectures in this City in which divers Nazianzens now preach who I hope with the assistance of our religious patriots assembled in Parliament will drive away not only the Romish but all other ravening wolves from the Sheep fold of our Lord Jesus Christ For my owne part although by reason of my age I cannot barke loud much lesse bite Yet whereas about 60. yeares agoe I published in print 28. Sermons of Lavaterus upon Ruth Now not knowing how soon I shall put off this my Tabernacle I publish this sermon of my own preached among you when the plague of heresie first began among us and this I dedicate to you to whom I confâ—sse my selfe much obliged Most humbly entreating Almighty God to blesse you with abundance of all gifts and graces in this world and eternall glory in the world to come Your old Pastor Ephraim Pagitt THE Mystical VVolfe Beware of false Prophets which come to you in Sheepes cloathing but inwardly they are ravening VVolves Math. 7. 15. IN the former two Verses our Lord telleth his Disciples of two waies in which all mankind walke The one a broad way that leadeth to destruction in which many walke The other a narrow way which leadeth unto life which few finde In this verse like a most loving kind friend he forewarneth his Disciples of the chiefe impediments hindering in the way viz. False Prophets The journey of the Israelites to the Earthly Canaan was a type of our journey to the Heavenly And did not one false Prophet Balaam do them more mischiefe in their journey then Og the Gyant King of Bashan Sehon King of the Amorites and all their enemies beside Yea could the Devil himselfe in his owne likenesse have beene more noxious and hurtfull to the Church of God then some Hereticks have been As one Hereticke Arrius denying the deity of Christ in a manner infected the whole Christian world The like did another false Prophet called Eutyches denying his humanity affirming the immensity of Christs divine nature to have swallowed up his humane now if Christ had not been man how could he have dyed for us sinners And if not God how could hee have wrought the salvation of mankind Time will not serve me to relate what mischief false prophets have done by the instigation of the Devill neither need I Our poore Church hath sence enough of it groaning under the burthen of them at this present and especially they that have cure of soules may with great griefe of heart complaine of Infants not brought to the Sacrament of Baptisme of multitudes refusing to receive the holy Communion of the accounting of the Lords prayer abhominable and the Apostles Creed defective and banishing the ten Commandements out of many of our Churches The miseries of this time are infinite and who layeth hand to help Is not our help only in the name of the Lord upon whom our mother the Church hath taught us to call from all false doctrine and herisie from hardnesse of heart and contempt of thy Word and Commandements good Lord deliver us These words are part of our Lords holy sermon in the Mount which containeth A Premonition in which there is A Caution in this word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} A description of them whom wee are to beware of whom hee 1. Describeth generally by their Title Ealse Prophets 2. Particularly by their Externall shew they shall Inward disposition being Ravening wolves 1. Intrude themselves 2. Insinuate 3. Dissemble And of these as God shall enable me I pray God that this Text may be as profitable to you as fitting And first I purpose to speake of false prophets how dangerous they are and of the caveat in the last place which will be then more acceptable to you you seeing the great danger that you are in by them {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of false prophets The word Prophet is used in Scriptures First for a fore-teller of things to come derived from the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifieth to divine or fore-tell Secondly in a larger sense for all Ministers and Teachers Our Lord biddeth us beware not of Prophets but of false prophets or such as pretend themselves to bee Prophets The word signifieth lying prophets Saint Peter termeth them {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} lying teachers who privily shal bring in damnableheresies St. Paul calleth them {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} speaking lies in hypocrisie Take heed of such also as pretend that they speake immediatly from God by revelation as the illuminated Anabaptists Familists and other Enthusiasts make their proselytes beleeve or from the Oracle of Gods Word by an especiall insight given them from above to interpret Gods Word Again from such as turne the truth of God into a lye
murthered in his Chamber was drawne to the Gallowes and hanged up by the heeles And to consummate this abhominable Treacherie the Pope hearing of this their massâ—cring the Pâ—oâ—â—stant went in Procession with his Cardinals and sang Te Deum But what need I forraigne examples Call to minde our powder-Plot a cruelty superlative in a moment to destroy our King Queen Prince Nobles Bishops and Patriots What Devill could have devised such a plot and this to be done not in open Rebellion but to be blowne up with Gunpowder sitting in the house of peace making the Parliament-house like Mount Sinai Tonitru fumo with Thunder and Smoake The can bee no agreement between wolves and sheep strings made of wolves guts and sheeps guts can never agree in an Instrument I might also relate of the cruelty of the Anabaptists in Munster and papists in Ireland but this shall suffice There are divers kindes of Wolves 1. There are Wolves called Cervari unsatiable Creatures 2. A Wolfe called Glanos {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which seeks to prey upon men 3 A Wolfe called Cirucs who when the mountains are covered with snow will venture into Cities 4. In Ethiopia wolves that have Maines like Lions 5. In India wolves that have three rowes of teeth feet like a Lion a face like a man and voyce like a trumpet Taile like a Scorpion swift as a Hart a like fierce and cruell It is not so dangerous to live among those VVolves in a wood as among our mysticall wolves in a strong City As wee have none of these wolves in England so Lord deliver us from these mysticall wolves O God thou hast not cast us off for ever Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy Congregation They have cast fire into thy Sanctuary O God how long shall the adversaries reproach us shal the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever O deliver not the soule of thy Turtle Dove to the multitude of the wicked Arise O Lord and pleade thy owne cause Mr. Calvin that admirable man of God whose name is yet terrible in the kingdom of popery setteth downe certaine characters of these Impostors taken out of St. Augustine 1. Great boasters making ostentation of their own worth like Simon Magus who bewitched the people saying that he himselfe waa some great man like the Gnostiks who had a high conceit of their own knowledge as if they were the only knowing men of the whole world as Eliah left alone for their faculty to expound scripture Yea among us some Trades-men have a high conceit of their deep learning As a shoomaker being demanded by one of his neighbours whether hee could preach better then the Doctor his Parson answered with indignation that he should be very sorrowfull if he could not preach better then he 2. Superbia tumidi blowen up with pride It is reported by Bede that when Austin the Monke came into Brittany and that the Brittish Bishops were in doubt of receiving him an old man gave them advice to observe whether hee were humble or no and that by his humility they should know whether he were of God or no by their pride you may know them their talke being commonly in commendation of themselves and casting dirt and vilifying others This overweening of heritickes hath bred much distraction in the Church In the primitive times Marcion the heretique having not that preferment that he expected and thought himselfe worthy of demanded what was the meaning of those words No man pleceth an old garment with a piece of new cloath for that that should fil up taketh away from the garment and the breach is worse They gave him the true sense of Christs words but the proud heretick applyed the parable to himselfe avouched that he should make a remediles breach among them Thereupon he broached his heresie viz. That there were two Gods the one the author of good the other the author of evill which errour cost St. Augustine more pains in confuting it then many other Aerius being denyed a Bishopricke wrote against the whole order And among us many proud spirits having not these preferments which they thought themselves worthy of have forsaken our Church gone to Rome and Amsterdam 3 Calumniis insidiosi deceitfully slanderous and in this faculty of all others the Brownists excell they fill their sermons books and communication with scandalous imputations they spare neither government nor church like cursed children tearing their mother a pieces which when they have done they may confesse with Nero who when he had ript open his mothers belly affirmed that he never thought his mother had bin so fair The Jesuits are not so bitter against our Church as the Separatists compare their writings Michael the Arch-Angel durst not give the devil such cursed speaking nor raile upon him as they doe upon us 4 Treacherously seditious not preaching peace as Christ commanded his disciples to doe but division yea the Brownists arrogate to themselves the name of Separatists which well they may being separated from their Mother Church from all the reformed Churches and malitiously divided among themselves Read Mr. Whites discovery of Brownisme who setteth down among other what a fiery contention was among the Iohnsons the younger brother becomming a libeller and loading his elder brother with reproaches of shame and infamie and that in print and the other separated himselfe and brake fellowship with his brother and father cursed him with all the curses in Gods booke which he confirmed with the sentence of excommunication giving his brother and father to the Devill Lest they should seeme to be destitute of the light of truth they arrogate to themselves the shadow of austerity a shew of holinesse The substance of holinesse is charity which they want 1 Cor. 13. Without which they are nothing Having a shew of godlinesse but denying the power thereof from such turne away Sacrilegious what the appetite of all schismaticks hath been this way is notorious caring not for the ruine of the whole Church upon condition that they might get some-what They have so taught that some thinke that there is no such sin as sacriledge aâ— all For whereas sacriledge may be committed 1. Against holy persons viz Against Gods Ministers as the wrong done to Zacharias the Priest was punished not only in the King and people that did it but upon the Jewes that lived many hundred yeares after 2. Against holy places Yee shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuarie 3. Against holy things Ye have robbed mâ— saith the Lord in detention of Tythes and Offerings 1. Now for holy persons some affirme there to be none now men making no difference between a Minister and a Cobler 2. For holy places they impute no more holinesse to a Church than to a stable 3. For holy things as holy dayes as Sabbaths every day alike and for Tythes they