The reformation of the church to be endeavoured more then that of the common-wealth,…The reformation of the church to be endeavoured more then that of the common-vvealth,…

The next Objection is of those, who say, It's no such dangerous thing to live and die in errors, therefore there needeth not so much strictness and accurateness herein, and the handling of this is necessary in these times, when it is thought that heresy is but a theological fiction, and that it is great innocency. Now though great care ought to be used, for the declining of all tyranny in Discipline against errors; and in opinions of less concernment, a Magistrate is not to make the major proposition; a jailer, the minor, and a prison the conclusion; yet that people may be more afraid & tremble about error then they do. It is good to consider, first, a man may pervert Scripture to his own damnation by error, 2 Pet. 3.16. Which the unlearned and unstable wrest to their own damnation: So that a man may damn himself by errors, as well as by a wicked life. Yea Oecumenius makes it as great a sin to wrest and mangle the Scripture, as to take the bodies of the holy Pen-men, and to murder them; consider that place, Prov. 30.6. Add thou not to his words, lest he reprove thee. By reproving, is meant a real chastisement and affliction; now when thou liest under heavy troubles, thou enquirest, what sin have I done? What iniquity is it that I have committed, for which God doth thus heavily afflict me? never considering that it may be for a sinful and carnal opinion. If therefore error may be the poison, and damnation of a mans soul, it is not to be judged, as a thing of pardon, rather then of blame, as some would have it.

The next Objection is of those, who say, It's no such dangerous thing to live and die in errours, therefore there needeth not so much strictnesse and accuratenesse herein, and the handling of this is necessary in these times, when it is thought that heresie is but a theologicall fiction, and that it is great innocency. Now though great care ought to be used, for the declining of all tyranny in Discipline against errours; and in opinions of lesse concernment, a Magistrate is not to make the major proposition; a jailor, the minor, and a prison the conclusion; yet that people may be more afraid & tremble about errour then they do. It is good to confider, first, a man may pervert Scripture to his own damnation by errour, 2 Pet. 3.16. Which the unlearned and unstable wrest to their own damnation: So that a man may damn himself by errours, as well as by a wicked life. Yea Oecumenius makes it as great a sinne to wrest and mangle the Scripture, as to take the bodies of the holy Pen-men, and to murder them; consider that place,