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

3. Heresies are a suddenly rising flood: A flood is no sober or quiescent puddle, no grave or slow-paced river; but it is a quick and extemporary collection and inundation: And truly herein lies the greatness of the danger unto a people and Church by heresies, that they are quickly conceived, and quickly brought forth: quickly born, and quickly thriving: though truth gets on very slowly, by reason of that incapacity of the judgement for supernaturals, and by reason of that natural opposition in man to the things of God, and by reason of the subtle interposition of the Prince of darkness, who blinds the minds of men, lest the light of the glorious Gospel should shine unto them, yet erroneous and false opinions do break out with ease and spread swiftly: they are like the plague which is a flying arrow: there needs no ⟨p. 24⟩preparation of the ground for nettles; if the seeds do but drop down, you may soon have a full crop: yet the ground must be prepared again and again to receive good seed: the hearts of men are naturally disposed to suck in errors, as they are to send out wickednesses: the tinder is so prepared to catch the fire, that it is but the striking of the flint, and the work is done; The Scriptures do compare false doctrines to leaven, O how fast doth a little leaven sour the lump? Paul wondered that the Galatians were so soon removed to another Gospel, Gal. 1. 6. The good man slept but one night, and the field was sown all over with tares by the wicked and envious man: How quickly did the world turn Arian? How suddenly did the Anabaptists endanger Germany? The Vines which have been some months in growing, are in very few hours torn down and destroyed by Foxes and wild Boars. Now if erroneous doctrines be in themselves so highly pernicious, and in their operation so speedily diffusive, then certainly they are of all other things the most dangerous to the Church of Christ: A plague which suddenly infects many families, is therefore the more dangerous: and heresies which can suddenly infect many souls, are therefore the more dangerous evils.

3. Heresies are a suddenly rising floud: A floud is no sober or quiescent puddle, no grave or slow-paced river; but it is a quick and extemporary collection and inundation: And truly herein lies the greatnesse of the danger unto a people and Church by heresies, that they are quickly conceived, and quickly brought forth: quickly born, and quickly thriving: though truth gets on very slowly, by reason of that incapacity of the judgement for supernaturals, and by reason of that naturall opposition in man to the things of God, and by reason of the subtill interposition of the Prince of darknesse, who blinds the minds of men, lest the light of the glorious Gospel should shine unto them, yet erroneous and false opinions do break out with ease and spread swiftly: they are like the plague which is a flying arrow: there needs no