The nature and danger of heresies, opened in a sermon before the Honourable House…

3. That the Lord hath still raised fresh succours for the Church, against the fresh dangers of the Church.

Concerning the first of these, I intended to have demonstrated both the truth of it, and the practise of it in all ages of the Church, as also the several methods, wiles, stratagems, and designs of Satan upon, and against the Church of Christ: and the reasons of shifting his hand, and making use of his mouth, of desisting from open cruelty, and of falling to his wiles of policy: And then also the wonderful mischief which hath redounded thereby, that whereas his cruelty hath killed thousands, his policy hath slain ten thousands: where also might have been discovered, 1. The advantages of policy above cruelty. 2. The general receptivity or capacity in men to be catched by the policies of this Serpent. 3. The usual inadvertencies rather under the workings of the Serpent, then of the Dragon. 4. The specious ways of insinuating his mischief in the ways of policy: But I was taken off from my purpose in the handling of this point (though as to my own opinion, very necessary and excellent) because I should thereby check my self in the handling of the second point, which I desired chiefly to discourse upon this day before this Honourable Auditory: And therefore omitting other things, I address my self unto that Proposition which shall be the only subject of ⟨p. 5⟩my present pains: The Proposition is this,

Concerning the first of these, I intended to have demonstrated both the truth of it, and the practise of it in all ages of the Church, as also the severall methods, wiles, stratagems, and designs of Satan upon, and against the Church of Christ: and the reasons of shifting his hand, and making use of his mouth, of desisting from open cruelty, and of falling to his wiles of policy: And then also the wonderfull mischief which hath redounded thereby, that whereas his cruelty hath killed thousands, his policy hath slaine ten thousands: where also might have been discovered, 1. The advantages of policy above cruelty. 2. The generall receptivity or capacity in men to be catched by the policies of this Serpent. 3. The usuall inadvertencies rather under the workings of the Serpent, then of the Dragon. 4. The specious wayes of insinuating his mischief in the ways of policy: But I was taken off from my purpose in the handling of this point (though as to my own opinion, very necessary and excellent) because I should thereby check my self in the handling of the second point, which I desired chiefly to discourse upon this day before this Honourable Auditory: And therfore omitting other things, I addresse my self unto that Proposition which shall be the onely subject of