Englands sickness, comparatively conferred with Israels Divided into two sermons, by ThoEnglands sicknes, comparatively conferred with Israels Diuided into two sermons, by Tho

1 Error, ¹indeed Heresy cannot possess a Church, but it gives a subversion to it. Errare possum, Hereticus esse non ⟨p. 32⟩Possum, sayth that Father, I may err, an heretic I cannot be. Now, Quic quid contra veritatem sapit, heresis est, etiam vetus consuctudo. What is diametrally opposed against the Truth,² is heresy, yea though it be an ancient and long received custom. But Logic, which is a reasonable discourse of things, shows a great difference between diversae and contraria. A Church may be sick of error, and yet live: but heresy (a wilful error against the fundamental truth, violently prosecuted and persisted in, kills it. Therefore Haeresis potius mors, quam morbus: Heresie is rather death then sickness. When the truth of doctrine or rather doctrine of truth, hath been turned to the falsehood of Heresy. God hath removed their Candlestick, & turned their light into darkness. Error may make it sick, but so that it may be cured. The Churches of Corinth, Galatia, Pergamus had these sicknesses: the holy Ghost by Paul and John prescribeth their cures. If they had been dead, what needed any direction of Physic? If they had not been sick, to what tended the prescription of their remedy. To God alone, and to his majestical word, be the impossibility of erring.³ That Church that man shall in this err palpably, that will challenge an immunity: whosoever thinks, he cannot err, doth in this very persuasion err extremely. I know there is a man on earth, a man of earth, (to say no more) that challengeth this privilege. Let him prove it. Give him a term ad exhibendum, and then for want of witness ho may write, Teste meipso, as Kings do, Witness our self, &c. Nay ask his Cardinals, Fryers, Jesuits. This is somewhat to the Proverb, Ask the son• if the Father be a thief. But he cannot err in his definitive sentence of Religion. Then belike he hath one spirit in his consistory, and another at home: and it may in some sort be said of him, as Sallust of Cicero. Al••d stan•, aliud sedens de Republica loquitur. He is of one opinion sitting, of another standing.