A92855:56
The nature and danger of heresies, opened in a sermon before the Honourable House…
The nature and danger of heresies, opened in a sermon before the Honourable House of Commons, January 27. 1646. at Margarets Westminster, being the day of their solemn monthly fast. / By Obadiah Sedgwick, B.D. Minister of Gods Word at Covent-Garden.The nature and danger of heresies, opened in a sermon before the Honourable House of Commons, Ianuary 27. 1646. at Margarets Westminster, being the day of their solemn monthly fast. / By Obadiah Sedgvvick, B.D. Minister of Gods Word at Covent-Garden.
London: printed by M.F. for Samuel Gellibrand, 1647
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Again, there is dubius in fide, one who is doubtful in the faith: one who is wavering and reeling (anceps & fluctuans) his anchor doth not fasten, he is not quite on, nor quite off, but staggers and totters: the equal apprehensions of truth and falsehood do so poise and balance the one against the other, that he comes not up fully and determinately any way: Now although some do affirm, that even dubius in fide is Haereticus, yet I dare not to assert it; Thomas the Apostle did dubitare in fide, he was Incredulus, yet surely not Haereticus; Indeed as Augustine speaks, he who doth dubitare doth errare: for the man doth err who approves falsehood for truth, or disallows truth for falsehood, or takes uncertain things for certain truths, or certain truths for uncertain conjectures: error here is, but not heresy.
Again, there is dubius in fide, one who is doubtfull in the faith: one who is wavering and reeling (anceps & fluctuans) his anchor doth not fasten, he is not quite on, nor quite off, but staggers and totters: the equall apprehensions of truth and falshood doe so poise and ballance the one against the other, that he comes not up fully and determinately any way: Now although some doe affirm, that even dubius in fide is Haereticus, yet I dare not to assert it; Thomas the Apostle did dubitare in fide, he was Incredulus, yet surely not Haereticus; Indeed as Austine speaks, he who doth dubitare doth errare: for the man doth erre who approves falshood for truth, or disallows truth for falshood, or takes uncertain things for certain truths, or certain truths for uncertain conjectures: errour here is, but not heresie.
There is also Haeretico-credens: one who is rolled up, wriggled in, packed up into a dangerous error: misled, seduced, follows his leader: holds that which really is contrary to the faith, and destructive: yet not out of obstinacy of mind, but upon an imagination of truth: not out of deliberation, but by surreption; he is utterly deceived by taking upon trust: his erroneous opinion is not fortified with pertinacy, but only crept into him by his simplicity; And therefore being candidly dealt with, and being admonished, he contends not, but yields, and wheels about to the truth: as the bow when the string is taken off returns to its own posture