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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31442	A late great shipwrack of faith occasioned by a fearful wrack of conscience discovered in a sermon preached at Pauls the first day of July, 1655 / by Dan. Cawdrey.	Cawdrey, Daniel, 1588-1664.	1655 (1655)	Wing C1632; ESTC R23918	31,017	42

late in some that deny the immortality of the soul At the beginning of our troubles the first Pamphlet that appeared was of the Mortality of the soul and consequently the Resurrection of the body and the last judgement so did those Saint Peter speaks of the false teachers he had spoken of Chap. 2. they made a mock of the last judgement 2 Pet. 3.3 4. This first know that in the last dayes shall come mockers walking after their own lusts mark that saying where is the promise of his coming that is to judgement Willingly ignorant sayes he of all those grounds that evidence the truth thereof willing easily to believe there should be none because they could heartily wish there might be none And is not this pleasing doctrine to men that walk after their own lusts Again That cursed and blasphemous doctrine That God is the Author of mens sins Not of those actions alone in and with which sin is but of the very pravity ataxy anomy irregularity and sinfulness it self pag. 36. Abfit Abfit Rom. 3.5 6. Pag. 37. that it s feared though the Author be dead and the book burnt lives in the heads and hearts of some it not being then time to vent it till a Tolleration of all Opinions be granted and the times fitted to bear it That opinion I say who are like to embrace it Why troubled souls troubled with the horror of guilty consciences so for their comfort was it published but troubled not Evangelically sure they need no such comforts but Legally that would fain enjoy their lusts but dare not unless their consciences be stupified with some such doctrine as this That God hath more hand in mens sinfulness then themselves Let me not multiply cases I will give you one instance of a lusts that troubles many though in several wayes Do you think the Scripture sayes in vain The spirit that is in us lusteth after liberty Where doth the Scripture say so you will say If it say so by consequence a fair deduction I hope you will say it says so The Apostle hints so much when he sayes Brethren you are called unto liberty only use not your liberty as an occasion to the flesh Gal. 5.13 implying not onely a possibility but a proclivitie in men to abuse their liberty Now I am much deceived if this be not the common bait of most seducers of these times and that which subverts the Faith of many but through their own lusts It was fore-prophesied by Saint Peter of old to come to pass in these last times 2 Pet. 2.18 19. He had said in the beginning of the Chapter vers 1. But there were false Prophets also among the people even as there shall be false Teachers amongst you which privily bring in damnable heresies c. How shall they convey their poison See vers 18. In speaking swelling words of vainity they beguile them that were a little escaped from them which are wrapped in error What 's the bait vers 19. promising them liberty are themselves the servants of corruption promising them liberty But what betrayes them much wantonness through the lusts of the flesh which lusteth after Liberty I pray consider if this be not the Lure that allures most of our Sectaries at this day The Antinomians preach Liberty from the Law Liberty from sin Liberty from Repentance from sorrow for sin Liberty from punishment or chastisement for sin Liberty from Duties from the Sabbath c. Is not this a fine Doctrine for loose libertine consciences The Anabaptists preach Liberty from the power of the Magistrate so some of them have though others yet disclaim it Liberty of prophesying or preaching and administring Sacraments to any supposed gifted brother Liberty from Tythes a taking doctrine no question not like a Gangrene but like wildfire The Brownist pleads for Liberty too Liberty from Classes and Synods Ecclesiastical Liberty for the people to Govern and Vote in the Government of the Church and to have power and Authority in the keyes in election ordination excommunication c. And how neer our Independent brethren of New and Old England come to them in granting their people the key of Liberty I would wish them to consider If all be true which is reported they find their peoples key of Liberty in N. E. hath almost devoured their Officers key of Authority as Aarons Rod devoured all the rest But Liberty desire of Liberty in this and the like kind is that I fear that wins them so many proselytes In a word your Seekers that have lost their Religion and God knows when they will finde it and those that are for Toleration of all Religions Quakers and the like do they not find speedy acceptance and entertainment amongst loose-professing Christians we may now cease to wonder we have seen the reason A corrupt life corrupts the judgement To conclude this second Use Who are they ordinarily that are the prey of seducers the Apostle hath told you often either very simple or very sinful either weak in judgement or strong in lusts and passions I shall instance but two places The first is that in 2 Tim. 3.6 Of this sort are they that creep into houses their qualities are afore described and lead captive Whom First silly simple women 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 women or men as simple as women people never very well principled in the grounds of Religion alwayes learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth and then follows their sinfulness laden with sins and led about with divers lusts pride and wantonness scorn and bitterness c. The second place is in the 4 Chap. of the same Epistle vers 3 4. The time will come and now it s come when they will not suffer wholsome or sound doctrine but having itching ears 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Emphatically shall get them an heap of teachers What makes their ears itch thus after variety of new teachers their own several lusts after their lusts their own lusts shall they get them an heap of teachers that is as I hinted afore Teachers suitable to their several lusts And thus I have done with the second Use 3. We may upon this ground Use 3. A prognostick of more Apostates make a very probable prognostick concerning the state and condition of many men and women viz. those who are loose and corrupt in their lives not yet taken with any of the New old errors and blasphemous notions of these times They are in a fair and ready way to Apostasie to be made a prey to one seducer or other who can most sutably scratch their itching ears and comply with their own proper lust An unsound heart will make an unsound head These are the perillous times the Apostles have forewarned of to come to pass in the last dayes 2 Tim. 3.1 1 Tim. 4.1 when many shall depart from the Faith These are discovering times if ever any were as in the State so in the

retaineth her How careful are your merchants of the meanest commodities if but Corn or Coals c. to see them safe shipped in a good ship much more if loaden with precious merchandize Silk and Velvets Silver and Gold and precious stones would any wise man trust these in a rotten leaking Ship The application is easily made Faith is this Jewel your consciences are the Ship if you desire to bring your Treasure safe to land have a care of the Ship your conscience that it be sound and safe If you put away a good conscience you must needs make shipwrack of the Faith this incomparable Jewel That 's the first consideration 2. The Ship it self is next considerable A good ship is long in making 2. The goodness of the ship a good conscience great pains and costs in rearing and rigging of it and the use and comfort of it in a long and hard Seafare is of great concernment as a bad one fills with great fears A good conscience which is here compared to the Ship is a thing long in making and cost much to make it good The blood of Christ to purge it from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 much pains and labor to keep it good Act. 24.16 Herein I exercise my self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have alwayes a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men And for the use of it in this our Seafare where we meet with storms and pyrates and shelves and rocks c. nothing more safe and comfortable then a good conscience good with the goodness of integrity that will keep it good with the goodness of tranquility A good conscience is a continual feast Prov. 15.15 And our Apostle who was literally in perils by Sea as well as by land 2 Cor. 11.26 and was often tossed with the tempests of persecution from the knowledge of the goodness of his ship could sing in a storm as if he had been in Noahs Ark This is our rejoycing the Testimony of our conscience that in simplicity godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1.12 The Psalmist sings it out Ps 119.165 Great is the peace which they have who love thy law and nothing shall offend them or they shall have no stumbling blocks as the original bears it Nothing shall offend them is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more is meant then spoken they are much pleased delighted ravished with the peace of a good conscience But who would venture to Sea in a torn crackt weather-beaten ship having neither Sails nor Anchor nor ballast There is no worse hell on earth then an ill conscience especially in troublous and suffering times Witness Judas Spira c. It is reported of some that have run through all the Sects to the very Ranters that they lye under the horrors of hell roaring and crying there is no mercy for them I could wish they that first lead them out of the way might be sensible of this wrong Have a care therefore of this Ship that is of so great concernment 3. The passenger or Pilot of the ship 3. The worth of the passenger the soul is of special consideration to commend yea command the looking well to the Ship who is either sav'd or lost with it If the Ship and Merchandize miscarry the person in it is in danger of perishing with them He that is careless of a good conscience doth not onely loose his Merchandize the Faith but himself also even his own soul That 's a dreadful place 2 Pet. 2.1 3. False teachers shall privily bring in damnable heresies denying the Lord that bought them as some now do and bring upon themselves swift destruction Whose judgement now of a long time lingreth not and their damnation slumbreth not In the next verse to my text there are a couple of Apostates Himeneus and Alexander delivered unto Satan by a censure of excommunication that they might learn not to blaspheme The Church for want of a settled government hath not now this power but God does it immediately or mediately mediately by some Instruments of Satan It 's reported and by some confessed that by sorceries and potions and such like Satan hath really and actually had possession of them immediately God does it by giving men up to their own lusts which is worse then if delivered into the actual possession of Satan That place speaks the very terrors of hell to men that have put away a good conscience 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lye that all they might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Therefore for the passengers sake your own souls sake look well to the ship to keep a good conscience lose one and lose both 4. The sad examples of shipwrack in others 4. The sad and lamentable examples of shipwracks that are before our eyes and upon record goodly ships and richly laden that have miscarryed in sight of the Haven Here are two in the next verse of whom is Himeneus and Alexander and 2 Tim. 2. Philetus and Demas cap. 4.10 anciently and thousands more upon our own shore lye wreckt and broken to pieces who have not onely split the ship a good conscience but made shipwrack of the Faith and are themselves drowning in the Sea of perdition if God be not the more merciful to them Let these be as so many Seamarks to us all to cry Hold faith and above all if you will hold the Faith get and keep a good conscience But some concern 2. To the Ministers of God 2. The Ministers of God who represent and succeed Timothy in his office as Pilots of the Church It concerns them above others to hold Faith and a good conscience together especially to hold the latter if they intend to hold the former I shall propound but these considerations to perswade to it very briefly 1. The heart is very deceitful 1. How easie a thing it is for our hearts to deceive us if not diligently examined and observed we may strongly believe we have a good conscience when it is clean otherwise Paul himself sometimes was cheated by his own heart I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazareth Act. 26.9 He thought it conscience but it was persecution His conscience was mislead to maintain his old way with persecution of the professors of the Gospel There is a way sayes Solomon that seems right unto a man but the end thereof are the wayes of death Prov. 16.25 There are many wayes which may seem to us to be the wayes of Christ which are in a more general notion the wayes of Antichrist There may be coloured covetousness as the Apostle calls it or secret ambition pride 1