The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole…

Secondly, It must needs be damnable, Because it's opposite to saving grace, and that is a true faith and knowledge of God in his Word. Now this is a Rule, We judge of the illness of every privation by the excellency of the habit it is contrary unto. Now ignorance and error, they are contrary to a sound faith, to a true knowledge, and deprive the soul of those divine truths, which are so instrumental to all holiness. Therefore to say, to err, or be of this or that opinion, is no great matter, is as much as to say, faith is no great matter, the truths of the Scripture are no great matter. It was well said of Austin, Veritas Christianorum est incomparabiliter pulchrior Helenâ Graecorum: The Christians truth is more lovely than the Grecians Helena, for whom there was much strife. Hence the Apostle commands us, To strive earnestly for the faith once delivered to the Saints, Jude v 3.

Secondly, It must needs be damnable, Because it's opposite to saving grace, and that is a true faith and knowledge of God in his Word. Now this is a Rule, We judge of the illnesse of every privation by the excellency of the habit it is contrary unto. Now ignorance and errour, they are contrary to a sound faith, to a true knowledge, and deprive the soul of those divine truths, which are so instrumental to all holinesse. Therefore to say, to erre, or be of this or that opinion, is no great matter, is as much as to say, faith is no great matter, the truths of the Scripture are no great matter. It was well said of Austin, Veritas Christianorum est incomparabiliter pulchrior Helenâ Graecorum: The Christians truth is more lovely than the Grecians Helena, for whom there was much strife. Hence the Apostle commands us, To strive earnestly for the faith once d•livered to the Saints, Jude v 3.

Thirdly, They endanger salvation, Because all errors come from a damnable cause. Gal. 5.20 Heresies are said to come from the flesh, as opposite to the Spirit, and therefore are reckoned in the same Catalogue with gross sins. So that if you go to the first fountain, you shll find errors in Doctrine, and looseness in practice, boh came from the same ground; they are both fruits of the flesh; though they be different streams, yet they are united in one ping: Though they may struggle one with another, yet both are twins in the same womb. Oh what an antidote would this be against these soul-infections that are abroad, to think that errors and ungodly practices come both from the same fountain! They are all fruits of the flesh, and therefore have a damnable cause.