A01956:863
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ…The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ…
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations upon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrews : together with certain other meditations and discourses upon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles whereof immediately precede the book : being the sum of diverse sermons preached in S. Gregory's London / by Thomas Adams ...The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations vpon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrewes : together with certain other meditations and discourses vpon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles wherof immediately precede the booke : being the summe of diuerse sermons preached in S. Gregories London / by Thomas Adams ...
London: printed by G.P. for John Grismand, 1619London: printed by G.P. for Iohn Grismand, 1619
THE BAD LEAVEN: OR, THE CONTAGION OF SIN.THE BAD LEAVEN: OR, THE CONTAGION OF SINNE.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But the Church must take care lest it spread too far: Let them alone in quiet (yet what quiet can they have that disturb themselves?) and then fEvil men and seducers will wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. Augustine says of Arius his schism in Alexandria; Una scintilla fuit: That it was at first but a little spark: but because not, Statim suppressa, totum orbem eius flamma populata est: the flame of it singed the whole world, not being extinguished in time. The kindling fire is easily quenched: when it possesseth the Town, it rageth and rangeth like a tyranny, scorning the offers of suppression. gNow therefore, I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences, contrary to the doctrine that ye have learned, and avoid them. The malice of an heretic, hUel dolenda tanquam hominis, vel cavenda tanquam hostis, vel irridenda tanquam imprudentis: is either to be lamented, as a mans, or avoided, as a foes, or derided, as a fools. When proud Marcion said to Polycarpus, Non me agnoscis? Dost thou not know me? Yes, replied that good Saint; Agnosco te Primogenitam Satanae: I acknowledge thee the devils eldest son. If it prove an uncurable Gangrene, Ense recidendum, ne pars syncera •rahatur; cut it off to save the rest. Pereat unus potius quàm unitas. Better lose one of the whole, then the whole for one. It is Hippocrates maxime: Quae ferro non curantur, ignis curet: where the knife can do no good, fire must. How-ever heretics escape fire temporal, let them beware fire eternal. For our-selves, bless we God, that hath cleared the way of truth among us; and thrust this leaven out of our coasts. Whiles the plague rode circuit in our streets, we prayed: when it ceased, we praised God. No plague so dangerous as Heresy: whiles that ranged in our Church, as Syluius said of ruinated Constantinople, O miseram urbis faciem! So we of our ⟨p. 370⟩Church, O miseram Ecclesiae faciem! This leprosy gone, she is now fair in the eyes of her Beloved: Christ now kisseth her lips, and for this, let us kiss the feet of Jesus Christ. A little leaven, leaveneth the whole Lump.