THE 
 
 NECESSITY &USE 
 
 OF 
 
 HERESIES, 
 
 Or 
 
 The Third and Laft Part 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Great Queftion 
 
 About 
 
 INDIFIERENT THINGS 
 IN 
 
 Religious VVorfliip, 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 An Anfwer to the Obje&ion againft Liberty of 
 
 Confcience, from the Growth and Spreading 
 
 of Herefies* 
 
 By Edward Ba^aK, Student of 
 Ch. Church. 
 
 LONDON, 
 
 Printed for S. CM. at the Star in St. Pauls 
 Church- Y3rd, 1662. 
 
To the Honourable S r J o h n 
 Vaughan Knight of the 'Bath, 
 Second Son to the Right Honou- 
 rable, the Earl of Qarberrj. 
 
 it 
 
 Noble and Learned Sir> 
 
 ^Jg£f£>^ Ad I had no other knowledge of 
 k (<^^ * y ou r eminent Worth and Qua- 
 <§) lity, but what was tnnfmitced 
 ^| ro me by common fame(which 
 places you> and thatdefervedly 
 in the firft Rank of our moil: knowing and 
 Religious Gentry)that alone would havefuf- 
 ficiently warranted me in this AddrefTe^fincc 
 thofc who fliine like you, in (o vigorous and 
 a&ive a Sphere of conftant and unblemifhcd 
 Piety, mayeafily excufethe careful Beholder, 
 if he turn his body with fome kind of parti- 
 cular Refpe& &c Obfervancc towards them. 
 But when to this general Account, which 
 claimes a Reverence from all, there is fuper- 
 addedan Intention you long have had, to 
 
 A 2 fliew 
 
The Epiflle Dedicdtcrj. 
 (hew me fome perfonal kindncfs ( which 
 you have lately performed, with very many 
 Noble and Obliging Circumftances) I could 
 no longer be juft, either to my own Refent- 
 ments of Gratitude>or to the Expectation of 
 others, fhould I not have taken the very firft 
 Opportunity of manifcfting to the world, 
 how much I think you are to be honoured; 
 and how fit to be propofedas aPublick Pat- 
 tern. For others of mean Endowments , and 
 narrow Fortunes, to be well principled in 
 vertuc>or to take a little compafs of Learning 
 in their way to Preferment, this carries with 
 it no fingularcommendationjforinfuchjne- 
 ceffity may feem to make their choycefor 
 them, but for one in the greatcfl: outward af- 
 fluence, & in the midft of the moft charming 
 Temptations3both from Honour &c Pleafure, 
 to preferve an unfpotted integrity , and to 
 keep himfelf free and dis-intereffed. for the 
 purfuit only of what is truly Great and No- 
 ble- this is a degree of Excellence, which God 
 vouchfafcs to very few: And, Sir,you are one 
 ofthofe, inwhofe manner of Life and Stu- 
 dies,wemay read, that fuchkind of rare ex- 
 amples are not wholly difcontinued ; but 
 God fhews he hath a Care of this Age alfo., 
 how corrupt foever , in that he hath given 
 you, as Salt, to feafbn it. But 
 
The Efifth Bcdicatorj. 
 But while others are taken up with admi- 
 ring, what you fet theloweft value upon, 
 youraccurate Learning^and through Iniight 
 into the profoundefi depths of Philofophy, 
 together with a Mafeuiine and Clean Expref- 
 fion, give me leave to take notice of that, 
 which I have often in private Wondred at, 
 your ftridl: and impartial fearch into the my- 
 fteriesof Chriftian Religionjwhich, while o- 
 thers pafs lazily over, or take the belief of 
 them upon truft, you have made it your bu- 
 finefs feverely to examine; and thence have 
 arrived to fuch an height of Aflurance, that 
 you can look down upon thofe Objedions & 
 Ditfkukies 5 wherewith puzling Difputers do 
 trouble both themfelves and others, with a 
 fixed and fteady eye-and only pity thofe poor 
 miftaken Rationalifii,xv\\o leek for facisfa&i- 
 ort>where it k not to be had ; like Saul, who 
 confulted wicha Witch* when none but the 
 Lord could truly anfwer him . 
 
 I cannot therefore wifli an higher Elogy 5 to 
 this fmall Treatife,then that it were as fit for 
 your vie w,as you are able to judge of it ; Fo* 
 you, Sir, arc experimentally acquainted with 
 the Truth it contains 4 and can demonstrate 
 from the moft undoubted Teftimony, that 
 God hath a little number in the world, 
 
 whonv 
 
The Spittle Dedicatory. 
 whona in (pite oiHeJl or Rerefiesjatis refol- 
 ved tofaye . and therefore by ftate-Artsand 
 Politick Contrivance$,toiabour the Preven- 
 tion of Herefies^k is as to the Elett>a needlefs^ 
 as to Reprobates an unprofitable tare , and un- 
 warrantable to botlvfince,whenthe Scripture 
 tels us, there mttft beHerefies^ they only take 
 the way to perpetuate them,who endeavour 
 theirfuppreffion,by waies which that Word 
 hath not warranted. As winds, till they are 
 pent up & reftrained from their motion, do 
 ieldom any hurt, fonor Herefies neither, till 
 they are impofed and forced, they make no 
 publick difturbance.The world would never 
 have been xArian heretofore, nor Antichrifti- 
 an now, did not Princes lend their Power to 
 the Beaft y to make it kill,whom it cannot con- 
 fute- That all mens Eyes maybe opened to 
 fee thatChriftian Religion,which is theP<ra>- 
 €rof(/od, needs not any Afliftance from the 
 undue Tower of mau y znd that you, whofe eies 
 are already opened,may belong Preferved for 
 the Information and Example of others, is, 
 and fixall be the conftant Prayer of 
 
 Jaq.io, x66 u NOBLE SI^ 
 
 Tour truly A$cB'\o**t* and m*ft Ob- 
 liqcA, Strvm* 
 
 Edward nSagJbaw 
 
' Pdoryi3^:: { vJi^^TAr^-3^"adL^3^ 
 
 THE PREFACE. 
 
 €>&y^I£ M<mg dU the Arguments, which are made ufe of 
 s in defence of 'a rigorous and (latedllniformiiy, 
 againft the pretentions and Plea of Chxifcm 
 Liberty fherc is nonejhat is either urged with 
 greater vigour y or that, among ft unwary and 
 fuperficlal Hearers parries with it a better appearance of pro- 
 bability y then this, that the Impofing of fome few things, 
 fuppofedto be Indifferent, is the onlj way to prevent the en' 
 trance^andtofupprefs the growth 0/Herefies. For as un- 
 ruly Cattelare kept frornjtraylngjby being put into a Pounds 
 or into fome ftraight Enclofure^fo^ where there is a certain 
 Form, and fixed Garb <?/Wor(hip, unto which all are com- 
 pelled to Agree 5 there wiSin aS probability, be no room left , 
 for thofeftcret underminings , and clande (line Infinuations, 
 by which, Err our, like undifiovered fire , is blown up and 
 kindled, andfpreads itfelf, to the ruine fomtimes both of 
 ChurchandStaie.Andtherefereastheyte/lus, that Con- 
 jurers, to keep their evti Spirits from doing mifchief, do 
 draw a Circle about them, and confine them to it •, fe, Ma- 
 gistrates^ who are the State-Exorcifts, have no better way- 
 to prevent the Defigns of Factious and light (piritedmen, 
 {who oftentimes cry up Religion, when they mean Rebel- 
 Mou) then to confine atl } even Religious Meetings,«»r^///^ 
 4 Circle and Order, ouUfif which, they may not be (uffered 
 to move, left Confcience^ whichfeemsatfirjitoflartand 
 
 fcrupfc 
 
The Preface, 
 
 fcrnple at fmaU t hi figs , becomes at length ', for want of due 
 Bounds, a Patronage and Flea for the greatel} and mofiir- 
 reg alar Exorbitances . 
 
 That 1 may take nothing from the Hrength of this Argu- 
 ment {which may be yet farther improved by confident ion of 
 the great Scandal given in our own time ) I will confefs^ 
 that were a State, which pro feffetb to embrace Chriftian 
 Religion, notfolely to be guided according to the Rules of 
 that, but left at random, to be governed by thofe Prudential 
 Motives, and Political Maximes, which the Wifdom of 
 this World ' that the ^pofile cals earthly, fenfual and 
 devilifh is moS ready to invent and tofaflen upon 5 there 
 feems nothing , at fir [I Blujh 7 to befo contrary to Reafon of 
 State, as a Toleration of two or more Religions ', or the leaft 
 variation in the Mode and Form 0/ Publick Worfhip ; 
 fince this Diver fity ,may eaftly be pre fumed to beget Diff'enti- 
 ons and Quarrels , which arifing at fir ft in private FAmilies y 
 like wind that lies concealed in fecret Caverns, at I aft breaks 
 out into a* Earthquake, and, like a mighty Tempeji, over- 
 tures and bears down all before it. 
 
 It is, I believe, upon fome fuch fallacious and ill weighed 
 Inducement , as this I mention, that there hath been a 
 kind of Con/piracy, amongfi all worldly wife and (upei- 
 political aw*, again&thefinceu, fpiritual and unmixed 
 Frofeffion of Chriftianity,ever fince the death and murder of 
 him, from whom it received both its Name and DocJrine. 
 For we readjhat Chrifi fuffered as a Difturber of that (late, 
 which he came tofave^andas a Blafphemous Heretick, in 
 that cburcbjvhich he came to teach -.Paul; and 'the reft of the 
 Apoflles met with (he very fame entertainment, both for 
 L anguage and Ufage 5 and afterwards, for 3 co years toge- 
 ther , all kind of violence was prattifcd againft the Christi- 
 ans, as State- Incendiaries, and men that were obtfinate 
 
 only 
 
The Preface 
 
 0nly in Impious and Seditious Err ours. But our Religion 
 left more by Peace jhen by that bloudj andoutragious War- 
 fare 5 all the while the Ship of the True Church rode out 
 at Sea, the Storms it met with, did only to/, but could not 
 overwhelm it •, In a calm, it begAn to fink, and never 
 was near penfhing, till it came to Harbour. Infhort, the 
 Profefjed Favourers of Chrifhanity, did, bj their well- 
 meant, but ill managed kindnefs, more deftroy the Church, 
 then all its open and mo (I furious Enemies .For when Cob- 
 ftantine and his Succeffors, mfttking quite the Nature of 
 out Religion, did labour to accommodate and attemper it unto 
 their Civil Interefts, ftraight the old Heathenifh Spirit of 
 Idolatry and Perfecution, did revive, under new Names-, 
 <WHere:icks, I e. Di/fenters from the eflabhfhed Forms 
 then, were at feverely handled, at Chxl&lznsthemfelves 
 before. Which courfewas folongnontinued, until Policy 
 and Pomp had quite devoured And eaten out the Purity and 
 Plainnefs of Religion, and made it nothing elfe but a Pro- 
 ferty, for ambitions Church- men \who in all Ages, have 
 been the great eft Cryers up of, becaufe the only Gainers by, a 
 Specious Uniformity^/ whichthej are the fele Managers) 
 tomAke Attempts upon the Civil Power ; which at laft, 
 they wre fled out of the Emperours hands, and in token of 
 their entire Conqueft, they depofed not Princes only . but 
 Scripture & Reafon,^^ Spirit ofQodhimfelftoofrem 
 their Authority-, And Jet up a Political Head of their own, 
 unto whofe pretended 'infallible Dictates they enforced all to 
 yield an abfolute, becaufe blind and ignorant obediences. 
 Thus, under colour of fuppr effing Herefies, the world con- 
 ftntedto enflave tbcmfelves untothe mosJdammbte, de- 
 Jtrutfive and fatal Herefie, that ever the Sun f aw J mean, 
 to Popery -,which, by a ftrange kind of Figure ^would pafs for 
 the only Chriftian Religion, when at it hath in it jull no- 
 
 a thing 
 
The Preface. 
 
 thing of the Spirit, Purity, Knowledge, or Liberty that 
 Chrift ejlabiifbed. In which fat condition thegreatefl fart 
 of the Chrifiian world yet lies 7 and groans, forthefpeedy 
 Coming of its Redeemer. 
 
 This having been the fuccefs andiffue of Uniformity, 
 And this king its natural Tendency, I wifb all ferious and 
 diffajftonate Chriflians would confider, that, though Here- 
 fies are to he bewailed, and fio far as we lawfully can } fnp- 
 preffed too, jet we muft do Bonum bene. We mujl not re- 
 medy an Inconvenience, with bringing in a Mifchief 5 nor 
 devife expedients of a (IricJ and violent Uniformity ,whicb 
 as God in his Word hath no where war ranted Jo ,we may find 
 by the fuccefs of it among the Papifts and others, that he 
 hath not blefjed. Since by this means fluite contrary to Gods 
 Command, many Millions of Soules are forced to fit down 
 under a wretched and irreparable Ignorance ; their ever* 
 careful Guides, for fear it fe ems, left they fhould hfe their 
 way to Haaven, having with ag re at deal of Caution , taken 
 their Candle from them. 
 
 Hew unfit I am to be,fo much <ts inflrumental, in pulling 
 off the VMefrom before mens eyes, I defire to be alwales 
 fenfible : jet having already ventured upon this Controvert 
 fie, I have here once more tried U retfifie mens mi Hakes-, & 
 laboured U takeaway the fire ngth of that objection again/I 
 due Chriftian Liberty, from the man) Here fies, which 
 thereby are Occasioned. In this fhort Treatife therefore,! have 
 endeavoured to manife ft, that, in the Church of Chrift, 
 there muft b? Hereries. And while we obferve that dili- 
 gence and care in our felves, together with that equity and 
 moderation towards, sthers, which our Religion doth require 
 from us^it is asimpojfibleto avoid Diverficy of Opinions 
 {which among angry men, will certainly enough bi nick- na- 
 med Herefies)** it would be to place owfeives in the midfl 
 
 of 
 
 
The Preface. 
 
 $f Sun Jhine, and not fee Variety of Colour s< Mens judg- 
 ments , ejpecially if they give themfelves any Latitude of 
 Enquiry, are as various as their Complexions 5 fo that to 
 prescribe one certain Form to all , and thereby to force men 
 to aft outwardlyjvhat inwardly they do not afjent to, is like 
 Painting the Face with an infectious and Venomous $uict, 
 or giving a Naufeous Potion unto a Nice and Dainty Pal at, 
 whereby wefhall offend God, as much as men ; who at the 
 laH day , wtUnot thank any, for other mens conflrained,in- 
 voluntary^ and therefore falje and hypocricical Devotion. 
 Having [aid thus much, 1 now take my leave of this con* 
 trover fie; not as if I thought, that more could not be written, 
 but becaufe 1 am no longer in a free capacity to do it : Since I 
 cannot write now in ]o unconcerned a manner as I did be- 
 fore. For having lately been deprived of my juft Right Jn a 
 Freehold I had at Ch. Church, for no reafon at all, that 1 
 know ef unlefs for the impartial and unbyafled Difcovery 
 of my judgment about Indifferent, or rather Doubtful 
 Things in Religious Worfhip: // wiUbut wrong the caufe^ 
 jhould lprofecute it any further 5 fmce it may be interpreted 
 now, that I write like a Party ; andthat, not Confcience, 
 but Difcontent doth excite me to it. Unlefs therefore I am 
 called out to defend what 1 have already wr it tex^ ifhallfor 
 the future forbear-, and manifefl by my carriage^ hat though 
 for the prefent,- 1 cannot fubmit, yet > I thank God, lean 
 (utter in pence. 
 
 Drnry Lane. 
 Jan. 10. 1661 
 
 EDWARD BAGSHAW. 
 
(0 
 
 THE 
 
 NECESSITY and USE 
 
 HE RES IE S- 
 
 i Cor. 1 1,19. For there muff alfo be 
 Herefies among you, &c. 
 
 Hefe arc the Words of the Apoftle /W,and urged by 
 him as a Reafon, why he did believe chc Report he 
 had heard concerning their Schlfmes and Contemns; 
 For as we find,C/wp.i. He tels them , that he was y r 
 informed by Tome who were related to the Family 
 of Chlee ( who feems to have been a Woman of Quality and Re- 
 pure in that Church of Corinth) that there were Contentions among 
 them: Each Party endeavouring to cry up thofe Teachers by 
 whom they were firft converted, or mort profited, to the Preju- 
 dice and Difgracc of the reft : Wnereupon, one faid, he was of Verfeni 
 
 R P*»l; 
 
-4,7 
 
 2 TkeKeceffityaHdUfeofBcrefus. 
 
 <P,m! ; I. e. a Difciple of Paul ; another was for Peter; a third fort 
 tor Jpollos ; whereby they did not fo much bandy againft one a- 
 no f her,as oppofe the Honour of the Lord C/^r/y? ; who, by thefe 
 Minillers, as his Inikuments, did work their Salvation. And 
 therefore for them , to have fuch fierce and vehement Conten- 
 tions about thofe who were meerly fubordinate, and could do 
 nothing but as the Power of Qhrlft did co-operate with them, ar- 
 gued thefe Corinthians, notwithstanding their Gifts, to be very 
 raw, childifh, and carnal ChrilVtans : As the Apoftle concludes, 
 Chdp.3, For while out faith, J am of Panl, and another, I am of 
 Apollo*, are not ye carnal* i.e. Are ye not led by very weak and 
 childifti inclinations, to make fuch aNote of Dirference among 
 your feives, becaufe of your Teachers ? ) For who is Pad ? and 
 wh§ is. Apollos, but Miniflers,by whom ( \. e. by whofe Mini; y , 
 and P. e r'crjji ng ) je believed, even as the Lord gave to every may ? 
 (i.e. according to that ability which God was ple.ifed to attri- 
 bute to e:ch of his Minifters )• to^im therefore the fole Honour 
 isctae, an<f npt to be fa&ioufly afcnbed to any of his Servants ; 
 as fnq ApofVle fur her argues, / have planted,?, e. laid acriongftyou 
 the Foundation of Chriliian Fairb; Apdlos hath watered, i. e.by 
 ^•ij« his EIoquence(for we read (hat he was W e < *«»»Pi i. e . a well ffoken 
 man)Apollos hath added a Verdun and Frefhnefs to my Doctrine, 
 and madcu fpringup amonglt you: Bm, fiirh he, God gave the 
 hicreafc, i. e. ra uie it fruicfui and eife&u 3 1 . From whence i: fol- 
 io wes, r hu neither hethatplmteth is any thing* i. e. to be efteemed, 
 and foleiy gloried, in ; nor he that watereth^ but God who giveth the 
 increafe. 
 
 H iving thus convinced them of their Folly, as well as fin, in 
 making Schifmesuponhich ill-gronndcd pretences; he proceeds 
 ki this Chapter , to- take notice of a' great; Diforder, which they 
 committed even at the rime of,the Sacrament ; for there, when 
 they should have acfed in the highelt Love and Condefcention 
 towards each other,yet then they brought their Contentions and 
 Animofuies along with them, and made the Publicly Affembly, 
 (for to I underhand the Word Euaud*, fmce the ChriiHans as 
 yet had no publick Places of Refort, but met, as they could, in 
 Private Houies)witnefles of their unchriftian Difcord. whenyr 
 come together in the Church, faith he,*/. f.asTunderhhnd it, in the 
 ■ PMck Affembly, I hear that there be Divifions among you : and 
 
 though 
 
Tht NeceJfiti*ndHfcpf Hirefics* . 
 
 though it might feem a thing almolHmpoilible, atthactime, 
 when you come to receive, the Lords Sapper ', and in thacPiace. 
 when all the Faithful are met together, there fhould be any To 
 bold Defyersof Chriilim Charity and Order, as then and there, 
 to vent their Difcontents,and manifeft an ambitious Strife; jet, 
 faith he, [partly believe it ; For there muftalfobe Her e fie s amongft 
 you, &c. And therefore I do not much wonder if you begin 10 
 early in Schifm and Separation. 
 
 The words contain Two Parts. 1 . A Prediction. 7 'here muft 
 be Herefies. **. One Reafipn or Ground of it. That »*^V*"ifc e. 
 thofethat are approved and fincere, may be made manifefi. 
 
 The Pofition or Doctrine th it 1 intend to infift on, is, That in ^ - 
 the Church ofChrift* there U an unavoidable necejfity of herefies. As ~? ' 
 pur Saviour faith of Offences^ Aj^JUto* <£t p» uti&v, i, e , [ t is *«. 
 chanceable, or, it cannot happen bm they muftcome. So fay I of He- 
 refies^tiv<hKToy'6it s t c [ s impoflible to avoid it, but they will 
 come. 
 
 To clear up this, I fhall explain thefe two things, i. What is 
 meant by Here fie 'j.2.What are the Grounds or Reaions , why in 
 the Church ofChrift, they arefo fatally neceflary. 
 
 For theFirft, viz,. Wnat is Herefie ? Some hold it is impo(!ib!e 
 
 to be defined,- a:r.ongft whom was Auftin.Oxhzts define it to be 
 
 Sententia humano fenfu eletla, Script ura Sacra contraria,palam edo- 
 
 Ua.& pert'wAcitcr defer. fa, i.e. An Opinion cho(en by a mans own ,. „ .,, 
 „» i n ' ?• / / / ~ • ii i / Mat, fanj.o. 
 
 Under ji an dwg, contrary to the holy Scriptures, openly taught, and ob- g-. 
 
 ftinately defended. Which is the Defin tion of Groflhead, the 
 
 Learned Bifhop diLincolne, who for his fingular Zeal in oppofing 
 
 the Popes Ufurpations in England, w^s (Uled, Romanorum Mai- 
 
 lew & Contemptor. With this Definition, becaufe of the Leai n- 
 
 ingandVertue of its Author, I<hould acquiefce, but that all 
 
 who have got long pofieffion of any Tenet, charge Diflenters 
 
 with the name of Hereticks ; and every one, who maintains any 
 
 fingular Opinion, doth endewour to back it with Authority of 
 
 Scripture. And therefore without attending to Conditions of 
 
 others, the bell way to underfhnd aright the nature and meaning 
 
 of Herefie, will be to have recourfe our felves unto the Scripture, 
 
 from whence alone we had the firft Notice of fuch a thing ; I 
 
 mean, as it is a thing criminal and damnable. 
 
 In the Scripture I find tfee woro 1 *.i$s*u to be vox media figmfi- 
 
 B 2 • cationis 
 
4 The Ncctffitjtnd life $f Hen ftcu 
 
 mienUy and to fignifie any Opinion indifferently, whether good or 
 
 Arts i j. 17. W. Thus we read of the herefie of the Sadduces j and the herefie 
 oft ht P hart fees. And Paul mentions it of himfelf,by way of ho- 
 
 Afts 15. j. nour ; according to the moft exatl or accurate herefie or Opinion of 
 
 Ads 16.$. mr RgHgi on ^ ili ve d a Pharifee. But for tne mod part, the word 
 ai}iin is taken in an ill fenle, to lignifie, an Opinion repugnant to 
 the fen fe of Scripture, and, I'ikewife deftruttivc of the Civil Peace. 
 Thus when Tertullns would blaii the Repu.e of Chrifiun Religi- 
 on before Felix,ihc Roman Deputy,he cals it an her efieirTc have, 
 
 Ads 24 5. ^uh he, fpeaking in behalf of the ?.ews agxinii Paul, found this 
 man Kot t**> v >avery Pefi, and one that moveth&o r> Sedition, or up- 
 roar amongfl the Jews ^throughout the world; and a chief Leader of 
 the St & or Herefie of the Naz,arenes : So doth he in contempt ca'l 
 the Chrtftians, as being the followers olefins of Nazareth, which 
 wjk a Name of Difgrace and Obloquy among them. As Paul t e- 
 ftifies of himfclf, whilft he was yet an Unbeliever ; t^i^rf, 
 
 Ads 26 9. I thought with my felf that 1 ought to do many things againft the 
 Name of Refits of Nazareth. In chis fenfe is the word Herefies to 
 
 Gal, 5. 10, 11. ^ underuoo.i, when by the Apoftle they are reckoned among 
 Works oftheFlejh^nd they are joyned with Strife, Seditions jVrath, 
 Envyings, which are the ufual Attendants of Herefie. Now be- 
 ziwiz Works of the fltfh are of two forts, either fuch-as flow from 
 the flejhly Understanding ( as the Apofiie cals corrupt Rcafon,N«* 
 eof^U xhzHnderfiandingofthePlefh ) or fuch as flow from the 
 
 CI. * fl e fo l y *y*^ ' 2Ccor ^ n ^y l ^ erc a:e LW0 f° rts o£ herefies mentioned 
 
 ~°' 1 * 1 ' and fpoken againft in Scripture. 1. Such as upon Preemptions, 
 of natural Reafois, do contract exprefs and clear Revelation of 
 Scripture. Thus th^ Apoflie Peter eds the denying our Lord Chrifi y 
 
 1 P«.i.i. ;'. e . either his Nature, as the Socimansoi our times ; or his Offices,. 
 as all the *Papifts do, a damnable Here fie. There (kail, faith he, be 
 falfe Teachers among yeu,who **?"<*£,«* tv y fall covertly fo: over and 
 above, or contrary to the Truth) bring in deflruttive herefies, even 
 denying the Lord that bought them. So the Opinion of thofe, who 
 under pretence of Humility , brought in the Worship of Angels , 
 into the Church of Colojfewzs a Formal herefiefincc the Authors 
 of ir,had no warrant of Scripture toadd fuch kind of Party Med'i- 
 
 C0U.18 aeors to Chri(> v but as the Apoftlefpeaks, wererafhly puffed up by 
 their fiefhlj mind. Thus the denying of the Refurreflton of the Body, 
 by fo.nein the Church of C^wr/j, was a great Herefie, as over- 
 
 throwing 
 
The Ncceffitj and Uje i/Hcrefics. j 
 
 throwing fhe Foundation of a Ch;i(tians ho h :e, and opening \ iCor.15.1^ 
 door to ail manner of Impiety and ViJlany ; For if the dead rife 
 >;^,[heConfcquence is very natural and reafonabJe, let us cat and 
 drink, for to morrow we {hall die 2 . There are another fort of He- Verfc 3 u < 
 rcfiejlpoken agamftin Scripture,wnich flow from iheflejhly will, 
 and have 3n immediate tendency to patronize and encourage 
 diflibluteneft of Lif<e/uch was the Herefie of the Nicolaitans, who 
 held, that it was lawful to eat things offered to Idols -, ;. e . to commie 
 I olatry, in times of Penecut -oji ; and to commit Fornication , . 
 which our Saviour fpek ih itply feaioft in the Revelations , cal- V**' 1 ** 1 *' 
 ling it trie D*5rine of Balaam, and expreiTem his ucter dillike of 
 fuch Tene:s, in chefe words, which 1 hate. So the ApofHe Peter 
 fpeaks againft fome vicious Hcrccicks ( as fome think, the G*o- * P * * % 
 flicks) w no, under pretence of advancing Chr ft ion Liberty, gave 
 chemfe'vesupco all manner of Impurity ; promlfing, faith he, Li- Ver ' e I9 ' 
 berty, they ihemfe'vcs are the Servants of Corruption. Jade carries 
 on the fame men* herefie further,and faith, they did nor only, dc- * v *' 
 file the fle'h, .but by itrerching the Notion of Liberty, beyond its 
 due Bounds, did fee at nought Government, and revile Dignities^ 
 i.e. undervalue, difefteem, and difobey their Civil Governours. 
 Which kin J of Herefie*, as they are mote dangerous, fo they are 
 more damnable then others ;' becauie there can be no pretence 
 of Confcience to jurtifie them. From what I havefiid concer- 
 ning Here pet ^ I find them recorded in Scripture,! drw this ge- 
 neral Dehni ion' of them all. An Herefie is fuch an Opinio* ju either 
 hath no Foundation in Scripture, ( as the Worloip of Angels, among 
 the Colojfians) or, exprefly contradiils it ( as the denial of the Refur- 
 furrctlion, amo n g rn e Corinthians) or, Miftalees and mlffe-interprets 
 it, to countenance dijfolmencfs of Life, and difabedier.ee unto the Civil 
 Magi j! rate. 
 
 Theneceflicy that there fhouldbe fuch herefies in the Church 
 of Chrift, will appear, from the consideration, 1 Of the Caufes. 
 2. Of the Occafions, which concur to the producing of them. 
 
 1 . The Neceflky of Herefits will a~pe^r from t ne coniicemion 
 of the : r Caufe>, and they iri thde 'h:ce , 1. God permitting. i.Sa- 
 tan exciting. $. Mm begetting and ingtndrlngrf them. f 
 
 1 . The rirft Caufe ot Herefies, wnxn makes he be' ng of them ; ' 
 neceffary^Godspermxffion of them. Whe-e,by Vj ermifficn, I do 
 not mean, an idle, unconcerned, ineue&uai ietcin- tn^m pafle 
 
 only 
 
6 The Ntctffitj a*d life $f Htrtfus. 
 
 only, and barely fidfering them to be 5 but Gods wife, p owerfu\ 
 ' and m'ghty ordering of r hem-, as he did the hardnefs of Pharaohs 
 . heart, for very gracious and holy ends, ef^ecialLy ihele two. 
 
 \.p<rr the Trial of the Godly : As the Apoftle Bath it , that the 
 A'xsuotitfo fincere and fingle-hearted Chrlftians, might, by this 
 •means, appejr the more eminent and confpicuous. As it did 
 fhevv the Power of God, to preferve the Bufh (by which his peo- 
 ple of //W was reprefented ) i* the midjl of the Fire ; fodoth 
 his Power equally appeir, when his Truth is born witnefs to , in 
 t he mid(i of the Triumph and Crtncacy <5f Errour. Were there 
 but one Opinion which pafled for currant among Chriftians, 
 there would not appear any thing extraordinary in the owning, of 
 it j but when there are fo n\i»y Panic--, each crying up their own 
 way, as the Efhejians did their Duma, there to keep touch with 
 the things of God, and, in fpight cf all contradiction, openly to 
 avow and countenance them, this fhews a well-principled Inte- 
 grity ; a temper that God is Angularly delighted with.- In the 
 world, God lets his Heaven be overtures wrapped up in clouds, 
 V\A. Dcut. 13. that the ftars which he hath appointed for the Government of 
 i> *• the Night, may appear more bright and ufefu! : So in the Churchy 
 
 which is Gods Heaven on Earth, the molt vifible Manfion of the 
 Divine Nature, he lets Darknefs break forth, and thick Vapours- 
 that thofe Saints of his , whom he cals Lights of 'the world, rmy 
 fhine with the greater Luftre,and redouble their Beams, from the 
 greatnefs of the Oppofuion made agatnft them. Wemuftnot 
 think that God hath either given us Faith o: Knowledge, which 
 are his choiceft Largeiles, but he intends to try the conftancy of 
 the one, and theferioufnefs of the other: Andhncethegrea:er 
 Difficulties we encounter, ftiil the more Honour redounds to 
 God, who is our General ; therefore he will feem to hazard his 
 Truth, by letting it, to outward appearance, be loft as it were, in 
 the midft of a fwarm of Herefies, that by railing up fome Heroic!^ 
 Champions, he may recover it again with g-earer advantage. Thus 
 in the firft ages of the Church, Peter refcued Freedom of Com- 
 munion with the Genti'es ; Paul aflerts Freedom from the Teke 
 of needlefs and infignificant Ceremonies ; and John defended 
 
 the Eternal Divinity of our Saviour, againft the Narrow-fpirited, 
 Tyrannical, and Heilifh ImpoAu-esof theHereticks in their 
 
 1 
 
 Times : And in all ai^es, many there are recorded to us of great 
 
 efteem 
 
The Neceffitj and life tfHmfics. 7 
 
 efteem aad credit in the Church of drift, whofe Memories, in 
 all probability, had notfurvireJ their Bodies, had not chey fig- 
 nai-zed thernfelve* by their zeilous affercing of Truth, wnen ic 
 w ts almolt iwillowed up by the Deluge, or outfaced by the autho- 
 rity of Errour. And fuch Example? God will ever continue ; for 
 wnivn Reaion, he lets Here/ie, like Pharaoh and his Egyptians , 
 captivate his Truth, that h$ may fend fome Mofes and Karons 
 for tie Redemption and Deliverance of it. 
 
 2. Tne Second, and no lefs principal end, as to the Defign Eick. 3.10, 
 of God,why he permits Hrejies^is, that Reprobates may haveocca- 
 [10ns presented them offtumblwg and taking Offence. When a wicked 
 man turns from that Riguieoufnefs he once pretended to, God 
 faies, I lay aftumbling blockbefore him ; anq! upon the wtcked,the 
 Pfalmifi fates, God mines Snares., i. e. fcatcers Traps and Snares in pf a l, IX ,^, 
 their way, that the may be taken. There are fome men, who in 
 Scrip ure are (tiled, the People of Gods curfe, the Veffels of his wrath, •> 
 and by Jade Forewriue.tuwo condemnatiowTo whom Gods great- R G n^J' lJt 
 eft methvxi ; of Goodnefs prove only means of hardning them, to jude »-4» 
 fin mo r e defperuely ; thus did Gods Word prove to the lfrae- 
 li es : It wat, frith the Prophet, Line upon Line, and Precept upon Ifa. z.%, '3. 
 ¥-<cept,thattheymighgo , and fall backwxrd, and be broken •, and 
 f»ared, and taken. An J Christy 1 o the un relieving Jews, became a 
 Sione of Jtumbling and a Rocl^of Offence, unto which,( \: h the Apo- 
 ft'e Peter, they were appoin ed>o T ^ Gofpel, ^f d^a^vui-oi^to loft. l ^ ct#2, 8 ' 
 and ferifo'wgWretches, i* a Savour of death. But what thefe things 
 do only by accident, that Herefies co in their own proper nature , 2 C 01 * 2 ' 1 * • 
 1',.*. they harden Unbelievers, and nakerbem more refolute in 
 their opposing of the Truth. As when Gxl did intend Ahab 
 iTiould go down to burel, and penfh there, he let a Lying Spirit 1 KIngs 12 12 
 ofProphefie be in the mouth of all his Po.he s ; For,' (.\th he, 
 thou (halt perfaade him, and prevail alfo. So wnen God fees a com- 
 pany^" 1 izy, vicious men, who are weir of the Po verfui pi in- 
 nefs of Truth, then he lets fome corrupt *D llrines be fcattered a- 
 broad, which may fit thofe Inclinations, they are already princi- 
 pled with ; and likewife, when others have curious itching Ears , 
 and found DMrinemW not rellilh with them, then God fuffers 
 fome lofty airy f peculation; to -ebroachel, byftudy of which, 
 they may grow drunk with Pride and P ejudice sgainftmore 
 wholfom Tenets.. Ic was this juft Judgment of God upon mens 1 Thef: ~- I0 j 
 
 willing- 
 
Mat.iS. 
 
 g The Neceffity and Ufe of Here fie s. 
 
 willingnefs to be deceived, that God gave them up to Antichri- 
 ftian,*.*. to Papal Ddufions.te the Apoftle hath \i,Becanfe they re- 
 ceived not the Love of the Truth, that the/ might befaved. For this 
 cattfe Godjhallfend them ^W^the attive power and efficacy ofEr- 
 rour, that they fkould believe a lie, i.e.* falfe and feigned dod^riae . 
 That they all may he damned who have not believed the Truth , but 
 hadpleafure in unrighteoufnefs, i.e'.in fajfe and unrighteous Tenets. 
 And therefore as our Saviour (aye?, Wo to the world, becaufe of Of- 
 fences j fo, Wo to the world, becaufe ofHere/ies ; becaufe as we fee 
 traps to catch Vermine,foGod appoints thefe to enfn are arrogant 
 and felf-prefuming, or vicious and felt-defiling men. 
 
 * C<**fa 2 * The fecond Caufe which concurs to the producing otHere- 
 
 fies,\s Satan exciting. That evil Spirit, whom our Saviour cals, the 
 Prince of the world, and the Apoftle, the ruler of the Darknefs of 
 the world; out of that innate hatred he hath to Truth , by 
 which his Kingdom is overthrown, fcatters the feeds ot Errour 
 and ignorance.every where up and down the world : and as he fet 
 upon our Saviour with miife quoted Scripture, in which he ap- 
 peared fo dexterous and retdy, as if he intended to puzzle and 
 non-plus his eternal wifdom : So the moft deadly and poyfonous 
 here/ies,hzve by him, by a ftrange kind of Chymiftry,been extra- 
 cted out of the fame holy Scriptures. Thus he brought in the pra- 
 
 CoU. 6tifeof needlefs rigour and aufterity of Life, under prerence of 
 
 Chriftian ftri&nefs and feverity,in thofe Precepts, Touch n$t,tafl 
 
 i Tim. 4. not, handle not. Thus brought he in the Doctrine of forbidding mar- 
 
 riages , under presence of Chriftian Chaftity. and Abfti- 
 
 t Cor. 1 1.3. nence, which the Apoftle in cxprefs words, cals the Dotlrineof 
 Devils.Thus he brought in Superftition, Will-worjhip ,and idle Cere- 
 monies, under pretence of Chriftian Decency and Order ; thereby, 
 as the Apoftle complains, the Serpent beguiling many through his 
 
 Rev .13. Subtilty,fo that their minds we re corrupted from the fimplicity which 
 
 was in Chrifi.Thns laftIy,brought he in thecruel and incompaflio- 
 nate killing of men that would not worfhip the Image of theBeaft, 
 and in fome outward and yifible manner acknowledge their con- 
 formity, under pretence of Chriftian zeal and care of Truth. In 
 fhorr, as the greareft Cordials, ifnotrigWly.preparsd, doprove 
 the molt deadly and killing Poyfons; fo the moft dangerous and 
 deftru&ive hereftes,havebeen compounded by Satans malice,out 
 of the moft Soverafgn Drugs of Sacred Truth ; but by bimpur- 
 pofe'y ill mixed and tempered. And here I deftre to obferve, 
 
 that 
 
 
the Huejfity &*ditje tftlerefia. 9 
 
 that chough the Devil likewifedoth (Hr up Perfecntlon, as our Sa- 
 viour fek in hi mfelf, when he faid of his own Sufferings, that 
 then was the Power ofdartyefs, i. e. Hell was then broke loofe , Luke n, 1 ji 
 and wicked men in crucifying Chrift,a6ted the Devils bufineffesj 
 fohe foretels to the Church of Smyrna, Fear none of tbofc things 
 then art to fnffer ; beheld the Devil (ball cafi fome of you into prifon, Rtv.j.io. 
 that yon may be tried. Yet this is buc Satans After-game ; for his 
 great defign is, to eclipfe the beauty of Truth, by the Mitt of Er- 
 rour : And if he finds, that his Heretical Tares will not take root, 
 then under pretence otFaftion, Sedition, and the like old charges, 
 which were laid both againft our Saviour, and his Aportles, he 
 deftroyes thofe careful Husbandmen, which would fow better 
 Seed, and leave no room for the Devils Cockle. The Art and 
 Policy of Hell, lies in the quiet fpreadiag of H<rr*/fr, for this 
 gains him feuls, whereas violence never got him any thing, but 
 the bodies of men ; that is, it made them obfeqmous Slaves, but 
 not real Converts. We find therefore in the Revelation, that when 
 the Woman, under which the True Church is emblemed, had Rev.n. 
 brought forth, the Dhel ftood by, ready to devour her Child asfoon as 
 it was born ; and for fome time,endeavoured to maintain his foot- 
 ing in Heaven, and till he was caft down from thence, didnos 
 think of making war with her Seed. The Moral of which Repre- 
 fentation, 1 take robe this, That when Chriftian Truth begins 
 to break forth, then the Devil for a time endeavours to deftroy it, 
 by difputing the cafe, and venturing his caufe upon Argument 5 
 but when he finds himfelf mattered at that weapon , then he 
 changes the Sttbtilty of the Serpent, into the Roaring of the Lion ; 
 and with open mouth devours his Oppofers. But this way the 
 Devil doth not ordinarily try, till his Fmlfe DoBrines have been 
 baffled and foyled, and he hath no u*5otki* 9 no wile, no era/Heft, 
 to countenance the groffenefs of his Impoftures* 
 
 3. The third Caufe concurring to the neceffary Being oihere- Cau J'3* 
 Jies in the Church, is, Mm himfelf, begetting and ingendring of 
 them. For as the moft fruitful and pregnant Seed, if it be not 
 caft into a warm and prepared Soyl, lofcth all its Vert ue,foth©fe 
 Seeds of Errour the Devil fowes, if the heart of man was not a fit 
 foyl for them, would never rife up again in fo large an harveft of 
 abfurd and impious Herefies. Were the winds never fo fierce, 
 yet if the water of the Sea were nor of an unviable and moveable 
 
 C nature, 
 
xo Tie Xuef/ity Atdltfe ofHerefio. 
 
 nature, there would never be any Temp eft. So, how impetuous 
 and-vioIentfoevercheGufts, and Breach of Satans Temptations 
 be, yet if our nature were not of it felf du&ile, and pliant, the 
 world had never been fo prodigioufly tofled up and down, nay, 
 eftcn over turned by erroneous Maximes. Now there are Two 
 Principles in man, which are alwaies fuiceptibleof any faife and 
 Heretical Impreflion ; the one is, his Ignorance in fpiritual mat- 
 ters, the other is, his Pride in Natural Knowledge. By his Igno- 
 rance, he is apt to miftake Errour for truth, and by his Pride he is 
 ape to propagate it ; that like Simon LMagtu ( the firft noted 
 Heretick in the Church of Chrift ) he may appear fome body in 
 
 A*$ 8. t h e C yes of a few partial Followers ; and this is ir, which makes 
 
 his Errour Herefie. So that till we can find fome Art to change 
 the Nature of man, to make his Underftanding more refined, fub- 
 lime and fpiritual 5 till we can purge the Will from prejudice, de- 
 fign and partiality ; till we can alter the courfe of his Affections ; 
 and fet them afloat another way, to love God, in fteadofhim- 
 felf, and to prefer Truth before applaufe ;till we can do this, we 
 have as little hope to fee the Church free from Herefies, as to 
 iiaveour Gardens clear from infectious Mifts and Vapours, which 
 have the Sun to exhale, the wind to convey, and a Boo hard 6y, 
 toingenderthem. 
 
 ButbehdesthefeCrf*/*?/, which do abfolutdy necelTitatc the 
 Being of Herejies. There are two other OccafioMs, which do migh- 
 tily conduce, if I may fofpeak, to the mil-being of them, i.e. co 
 their eafier growth and fpreading. And they are, 1 . Serif ture- 
 difficulty* 2. Chrift ion Liberty. 
 
 i. The Difficulty of Scripture is a very great occahon for the 
 
 Qccifum i. increafe of Herejies, becaufe of that variety of Interpretation , 
 which many places, efpecially in the Apoftle iWjEpiftles* are 
 capable of: Whofe Writings, even in the Apoftle Peters time, 
 were liable to much miffe-conftru&ion. For to omit, thar the 
 
 2 Pet. 3, things themfelves recorded by him, are Jbevwrtt* fcarcelj intelligi- 
 ble, being full of myfterious and fathomlefs depths , they are 
 written by that excellent Apoftle, in a ftyle fo diflbnant from all 
 Rules of ordinary Grammar, that it requires great pains, meerly 
 to find out his Literal Meaning. Which Induftry, very few,who 
 read him with prepoffeflion and prejudice, have leifure for ; and 
 therefore haftily expound their owafenfe, without attending ro 
 
 his: 
 
lie NeceJJhj Midlife efHertfies. u 
 
 his :Sdthat, as Tertullian obferves, God feems to have ordered BtPrtJcrift. 
 the Text of Scripture on purpoie,that it might afford opportunity H*nri£ 
 to Heretic*! G/oJfes. • For as in the works of Providence, though 
 the whole Frame and Sytfeme of the world be admirably weli- 
 compofed, yet* if we conficerthemin parcels, wefhallmeec 
 with many thirgs , which willftartlc us into jealous, and miffe- 
 believing Thoughts. So is it in that compleat body of Divine 
 Truth contained in Scripture, the whole Connexion and Series , 
 as it relates to the lAfeJfiah, foretold in the Old, and fulfilled in 
 theNewTeihment, together with thofe ravi&ing heights of 
 Heavenly DirefHcnsfor life,is moft ineffably curious, and excel- 
 lent : But if we take thofe things afunder, and confide: them 
 diftinclly, by Chapter and Vcrfc, we rtiall meet with CMiflakes 
 in Chronology, Variations in Names, Diver fity of Readings, and fome 
 leffer feeming contradictions, which to afnarling and quarrelfom 
 wit, are fo many Bones, for him to fpend his mouth upon, with- 
 out minding more wholfom and digeftible Food. And yet this 
 makes very much for the plaufible entrance of an Herefie, that it 
 feath the Letter of Scripture to countenance it : The Papifi will 
 urge for his Implicit Faith, Hear the Churchy without ever con- Mat t i$, 
 fidering, that by the fhxrch there, is not meant, what he fancies, 
 a P$pc,ot Cardinals, or Councils, or Fathers, but a Selett Number 
 ofChrifiians ; which is the only fenfe wherein that word Chttrch 
 is taken throughout the whole New Tefhment, when it is ufed 
 by our Saviour and his Apoftles.So the Socinian fhelters his. impi- 
 ous denying of our Saviours Divine Nature , under that,which he 
 finds our Saviour fpeaking , The Father is greater then 1 : noc 
 confidering in what capacity our Saviour fpake thefe words , W** John \€, 
 according to the Perfon he then took • or how many other places 
 there are, wherein his equality with the Father is affected. The 
 Arminian wants not the fame PI a nihilities for his Free mil : and 
 in fhorr, no Herefie that ever yet was in the Chriftian world, but 
 pleaded Scrip:ure for its defence and Patronage; which fuch 
 ftrange Variety of Opinions could never have done, were not the 
 Scriprure exceeding difficult and hard to be underftood , and 
 thereby an occafion given for the Rife and Conceiving of 
 them. 
 
 *. The fecond Occafion of the large growth andfpreadingof OiUji^t. 
 Hercfiesas Christian Liberty : Which in no Religion is allowed, 
 
 C 2 nay 
 
1 2 The Ntceffitj and life $f Hen fits. 
 
 nay commanded,in that Latitude,as in ours.For we are c»joyned 
 i Thcf. $ n t to try all things* and then, to hold fdft that which is good : Wears 
 x John 4.1. bid* to try the Spirtts, and though an Angel fhould come form Hear 
 Gal. 1 , 8. yin ^ an d preach to us, we are not to believe him, if he teach a- 
 ny thing contrary to this Goffel. We are commanded to fee with 
 our own eyes, and to chufc for our felves ; without depending 
 Ifa.l.i*. an y further upon the Authority of Fathers and Doclors, then a; 
 they fpeak according to this wordy which under the fever eft penal- 
 . ties, we are obliged to ftudy and perufe. For as God, in the old 
 Mai. 1. Teftament, would not have the blind for facrifice* fo neither will he 
 
 in the New ; and they had as good not worship him at all, who 
 Joh» 4. like the Samaritans* worfhip him they. know not why. And as 
 
 in point of Judgment* we are to be thus free ; fo likcwiie in poinc 
 1 Cor.7. of Praclife,is co Religious Rites and Orders , we are commanded, 
 Mar.15. not to be thefervantfofmen ; not to worfhip God by the Preceptsef 
 
 Gal. 5.1. mfn . noc tQ y t man gi e £ wU lj any yoke of Bondage, but to fiandf aft 
 
 Junes 1. i,a. ln the liberty wherewith Chrift hath made ttsfrce ; Whereupon,our 
 Gofpel is called the Royal Law of Liberty; and we are,/* tofpeai^* 
 andfo to do* as thofe that jhall be judged by that Law* Yea , further, 
 as we are to be thus free in our felves, fo we are to be exceeding 
 charitable and tender towards others, bearing with our weak bre- 
 thren ; and it they do but hold the Foundation of Faith and good 
 works , to tolerate the Hay and Stubble* which they may build up- 
 on it. And the reafon of this is, becaufe our Religion, as it 
 fprang from Heaven, fo is it maintained from thence ; as the 
 Spirit of God did firft difcover, fio doth it (liil reveal it ; and by 
 a new and almighty Birth,of dead and finful men,.rnake us Living. 
 a Cor.3.3^ and fmcere Chrifiians : Now whererfo Spirit of God it, faith the 
 Apoftle, there is Liberty, u e. not only Freedom from Errour and 
 Ignorance, of which he there fpeaks, but from thofe wretched and 
 inhumane Ac\s of Force and Fraud, whereby other Political In- 
 ventions^ rather then Religions, are continued and upheld in the 
 world: For whereas all others hate the Lights and will not en- 
 dure to have their principles queftioned, as is clear in thatdevil- 
 lifh Cheat and Mjftery of Iniquity * the Papacy: Our Religion 
 defires nothing more, then to be fifted to the bottom,, that fo it 
 may be chofen,for its own native Truth and Excellency , and noc 
 for any outward Advantages, or to ferve a State-turn, which 
 Chriftiai Religion will never rtoop to do* And whoever have 
 
 noc 
 
The Ncccjptj dndtlje efHercfies. if 
 
 jiol after the moti ferious liudy and impartial Examination, arri- 
 ved to an embracing of t bis Faith, muft needs lofe the Comfort, 
 Satiff;6t-ion and Sweetnefs of it,becaufe till a man hath met with, 
 and in his own mind refolved all Objections chac mjkeagainft 
 him, he cannot be certain that he is in the right, but muft upon 
 the dung of every doubt, be full of anxious fear and perplexity. 
 This which I have faid concerning the neceiluy olChriftian Liber- 
 ty, doth by accident prove a great means for the propagating of 
 Herefies* for as where the Soyl is good, and the Ayr free and 
 warm, Weeds willfpring up as well as good Corn: So is it in 
 the Church of Chrift, fwce there is Liberty allowed for variety of 
 Judgments,Errour mutin^eds thrive and fpread, as well as truth. M 
 Efpecially fince we may not pull up the Tares, orby the hand of lc,I?< 
 violence, (top the Progrefs ofthemoft deceitful Errour; but if 
 found Perftvafion, if 'Dcmonflration of the Spirit and Scripture, if 
 Reje&ing of the Heretic!^, and forbearing of Communion with him, 
 will not prevail, to make him renounce his Errour, I am not yet 
 convinced, that in Opinions concerning Matters meerly fpiritu- 
 al, our Religion doth allow any other more offenfive weapons. 
 Se that fince to that Liberty, which is given to the fowing of He- 
 re/res, there is added Impunity unco their growc hand progrefs, 
 it muft needs follow,that the Canfes I mentioned, do not more 
 neceflitate the Being of Htrefies, then thefe Occajions will necef- 
 litate their Thriving and Continuance. 
 
 i. The Inference from hence fhall be to teach us,not to miftake- uje r. 
 the Occafions of HercJie,ioz the Caufes of ir. Among thofe who arc 
 exact and critical Writers of Hiftory, as Polybiw, Tacitus, and 
 others, we find, they diftingnifti carefully between the A ?:#> and 
 the A/**, the Beginning, andihe caufes ot a War. The Begin- 
 ning of a War may arife from fomthing apparent and vifible ; 
 whereas the caufe of it may be more deeply laid, even conceded 
 from the view of the Actors. So in this cafe, the Occafions in- 
 deed of Here fie, which do midwife it into the- world, are Scrip* 
 tnre- difficulty, and shrifkian Liberty : Whereas the true caufes 
 are thofe I have mentioned; efpecially Manhimfelf, whofe 
 Heart is the Womb, in which that evil Binh is formed. And 
 therefore let us take heed that through haft and prejudice, we ac- 
 enfe not either the Scriptures, or due Chrift ion Freedom, of thofe 
 ErroufS, which meerly our own Ignorance , Prefumption and . 
 
 Fartia- 
 
14 The Ntceffiy ariUfe of Htrepcs. 
 
 Partiality do produce. To accufe the Scripture for our Heretic, 
 is all one as if, beeaufe we meec with ill ferns, we fhould blame 
 th#Sun, and not the Dunghil. So likewife, as to Liberty of 'Con- 
 fcicHccy to charge that with the production of Errours, is all one, 
 as if the Ayr without, rather then ill humours within us,(hould be 
 thought the caufe of our Diieafes. Let wicked andlight-fpirited 
 men then bear the blame of whatever Follies they hold ; and not 
 either the Reading of Scripture be difgraced, without which,there. 
 can be no Knowledge of Truth : nor Liberty ofConfcience be de- 
 barred ; without which, there can be no opennefs of Profeflion ; 
 both which are as neceffary to Chriftian Faith,as the Sun and Ayr 
 are to Natural Life, we cannot fee without the one, nor breath 
 without the other. Take away Scripture, and we are in this world 
 as Mariners upon the Sea, without a Compafs ; who have nothing 
 but the violence of waves, and the uncertain motion of the wind, 
 to drive them. Deny Liberty, I mean, in things Lawful, then 
 Chriftian Prudence, Charity, condefcention, and wife doing, or 
 forbearing of things indifferent, as we fee occafion, lie all ufelefs 
 by us, and we labour to become more knowing then others, to 
 no purpofe. 
 
 #/6 z ; 2. Is it fo neceffary, that there muft be herefies, then let us not 
 
 take offence, or think ever a whit the worfe of our Religion , for 
 that great Variety of Herejies which have fprung up in our daies. 
 When the Apoftle Paul was himfclf in trouble, he writes to the 
 Church ofTheflalonica, That no manfhould be moved by thefe affli- 
 ctions \for, faith he, y our J r ehes knowjhatwc were ap fointed thereunto, 
 
 iThef.3,3,4, for verily when we were with you, we told you before > thatwefhould 
 
 fnffer Tribulation, even as it came to pafs. If they were to be co m- 
 
 forted under their ^ffUclions, beeaufe he foretold them, we have 
 
 the fame reafon to be comforted under our Herefies, lince he 
 
 foretold them too ; and from thence hath afforded us an excellent 
 
 Argument, to affert our Saviours Truth and Veracity , and in 
 
 that, the Truth of our Religion, againft all Oppofers. This ufe 
 
 the Primitive Writers made of them, when C elf us and others 
 
 did object to the Chriftians, the great variety of Opinions, and 
 
 diversity of Judgments amongft them, fo that, fay they, Were wt 
 
 wiHingtoturnChriftians, we know not of what Party tobe, ftneenot- 
 
 withfrandingyour Feuds and guarrels, you all equally fretend to 
 
 Cbrifi. To this, Tertullian, Grigen, and the reft reply, Htrtfts 
 
 non 
 
TbeNeceJfttydndUfffHtrefks. ty 
 
 non dolemus vemifc, quia novimns effe pradiffas. We are nit at all 
 forrj,that Here ft es are come ■, for we knew it was foretold they fhould 
 come. So thacchc very Argument, which the Heathens ufed to 
 diigracc Chrillianity, was by thoi'e wife and Learned men im- 
 proved for rhe Illuftration and confirming of it : And, indeed, 
 isoe, as I have already demonftrared, there cannor be a more ra- Dc ft ■ 
 tional Proof of the Divine Million of any, then thz fulfilling of his ^ t ^ zz j e f us " 
 Prophefos, it is very admirable to conhder, how our Saviour hath is the Chrift; 
 lefc iuch Predictions behind him ; which were beyond any Hu- 
 mane Forehght, and yet every Age hath been fulfilling fome or 
 other of them> ever finccnis time. That a Religion fo harmlefr, 
 and inoftenfive, fhould be perfecuted : that noiwuhftanding per- 
 fection, it mould take roor, and be preached throughout the 
 world : That prefemly after it was propagated, there fhould be 
 Setts and Herejies formed out of it ; and this to be the conftant , 
 un- erring Fate of our Religion, was athing beyond all Rational 
 and meerly humane Conjecture ; and therefore the fulfilling of 
 this great Prediction concerning Herefies, fhould make us with 
 thankfulnefs look up to Chrift, who hath already armed us againft 
 any Prejudice we may receive from them, fince they are only dif- 
 coveries of his Truth, and Trials of ours. 
 
 Bu: yet, Thirdly and Laltly, Let no man think, thatbecaufe u f e 3 , 
 Herefics are necejfary, that therefore any (hall be excufed, who is 
 the Author of them ; Hereiies are no otherwife neceffary, then 
 Scandals and Sins are, of which, our Saviour faich , «/W £ v±i, they 
 mftft be ; hut jet, faies he, Wo be to that man by whom they come. Mar. i*. 
 Markjhem, faith the Apoftle Paul , which castfc Divtjhns and R °m.i$.i7' 
 Offences , contrary to the Doctrine which ye have received, and avoid 
 them. And in another place, dnnm vet v$f&vo7, The Setl-making 
 man^after the firft andfeond Admonition, rejcB ; knomng that fitch 
 a one is ^nite perverted, and fins ^ being felf- condemned. All which T*' 5 ' - 
 Places, with many other, making fo directly again!* new- fang- l ^**^ fi 
 lednefs of Opinion, I cannot but wonder at theboldnefsofthofe 
 men, who are not content only to (tart up new and needlefs O- 
 pinions, buc to the dishonour of our Religion, and their own 
 Eternal Ruine, if they repent nor, make'thofe Opinions the 
 Grounds oi Separation tiQTi allChurch-AlTemblies,buc their own. 
 Whoever doth thus fet up for himfelf, rr.uft be able to cemen- 
 flratc chefe Tflfte things, i , That the Opinion he <Jiffents from, 
 
 is 
 
x £ The Ntctffit] And life of Herefies. 
 
 is apparently falfe and damnable. 2 . That the Opinion he him- 
 felf holds, is certainly and infallibly true. 3. that itisa fo- 
 lutely unlawful for him to joyn in communion with another,who 
 in that particular ( as for inibnee, in Itifant-Baptifm) differs in 
 Judgment from him. The two firl.t of which Aflertions, very 
 few of our Separate Churches will be able to maintain , and I am 
 fure, the laft, none can. For if the Errour of another be not im- 
 pofed upon my Pra&ife, I ought not to withdraw my felf from 
 the Communion of any , who hold the Foundation of Chrilttan 
 Faith, namely, Belief!* Jeftu being the Chrift ; as is clear in the 
 pracYue of thefe Corinthians^ among whom, fome denied the Rc- 
 furrettioHy and yet were all prefent at the fame Sacrament. This 
 Doctrine, becaufeit flrikes at the Root of all Separation, which 
 cannot be juftified, but in cafe of indifpenfable qeceffity, vi%* 
 whenfuch things are impofed upon us f as Conditions of Commu- 
 nions which we cannot in Confcience fubmit to ; for there if we 
 depart, we do not go, but are driven out. But this defcrvesto 
 be more largely handled ; which I fhall referve for a particular 
 Treatife. 
 
 F HhCJS.