CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

2. This is a stumbling block in Religion, That some of those who are eminent in the profession of Christ should yet degenerate and turn Hypocrites, Heretics, and Apostates; Oh these are sad Temptations, and cause many weak ones to fall, when such pillars prove rotten, This was Judases Case in the Text; Better he had never been born even in this respect as well as others, that hereby Religion was wounded, the souls of many endangered and the Adversaries of Christ more confirmed and made obdurate in their wicked ways; Therefore the Scripture foretells such sad things for Heresies, that they should break out in the preaching of the Gospel, that such Tares should grow up as well as the wheat, is again and again spoken of, 2 Pet 2.1, 2, 3. False Teachers shall arise that shall bring in damnable Heresies, and though they be thus damnable, yet many shall follow their pernicious ways; There is no Heresy so deformed, but many people will follow it, and by this means the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of; See this in our days; How greatly do the Papists blaspheme that holy Truth of God by which we are saved, because of the many Sects and errors which sprung up amongst us; They think this Argument enough if there were no other, when they can say how violent is one Protestant against another, condemning one another for Heretics, They all plead the Spirit, and yet are opposite to each other, and certainly did not the Scripture forewarn us of such things, it were enough to make the stoutest believer sometimes at a stand, but 1 Cor. 11. The Scripture saith there again, There must be Heresies, That necessity ariseth both in respect of mens corruptions, and also in respect of Gods wise permission, that so the approved and sound may be made manifest; It's no little part of a Christians wisdom in the overflowing of Heresies, when men of several ways speciously pretend to Truth and Piety, to know how to deport our selves, and so to walk that we do not fall from our steadfastness: Now there is not a surer Buckler to keep off these poisonous arrows from our breasts, then to strengthen our selves with powerful Considerations out of the Scripture: Thus it must be, Thus it will be;

2. This is a stumbling block in Religion, That some of those who are eminent in the profession of Christ should yet degenerate and turn Hypocrites, Heretiques, and Apostates; Oh these are sad Temptations, and cause many weak ones to fall, when such pillars prove rotten, This was Judasses Case in the Text; Better he had never been born even in this respect as well as others, that hereby Religion was wounded, the souls of many endangered and the Adversaries of Christ more confirmed and made obdurate in their wicked waies; Therefore the Scripture foretels such sad things for Heresies, that they should break out in the preaching of the Gospel, that such Tares should grow up as well as the wheat, is again and again spoken of, 2 Pet 2.1, 2, 3. False Teachers shall arise that shall bring in damnable Heresies, and though they be thus damnable, yet many shall follow their pernicious waies; There is no Heresie so deformed, but many people will follow it, and by this means the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of; See this in our daies; How greatly do the Papists blaspheme that holy Truth of God by which we are saved, because of the many Sects and errours which sprung up amongst us; They think this Argument enough if there were no other, when they can say how violent is one Protestant against another, condemning one another for Heretiques, They all pleade the Spirit, and yet are opposite to each other, and certainly did not the Scripture forewarn us of such things, it were enough to make the stoutest beleever sometimes at a stand, but