The Nature and Danger of Heresies

Obadiah Sedgwick

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Oct 6, 2016 - Religion - 72 pages

If any Reader should now be so unhappy in his charity as to calumniate this discovery of heresies and blasphemies to be an arrow subtilly designed against holinesse and good men: to such a one, all that I would reply is this; 1. The surest friends to holinesse have been the sharpest enemies to errours; Christ and his Apostles were so. 2. That I never yet have learned what direct advantage did at any time redound to true sanctity, by a patient endurance of heresie and blasphemy. 3. Nor can I be so uncharitable as to think, that any person sincerely holy, or pretending the progresse of holinesse, durst be a friend to such damnable and soule-destroying errours. The design which I would commend to all in this time of Reformation, is this, That truth and holinesse (which are so naturally combined, and so mutually interested) may be conscientiously promoted with equall zeal: encourage holinesse, but contend for the truth too: maintain the truth, but countenance holinesse too: he who pretends holinesse, but regards not truth; and hee who pretends the truth, but regards not holinesse, neither of these is a cordiall friend either to truth or holinesse. For your parts (Right Honourable) be you pleased to goe on (as you have begun) in the strenuous support of them both: Both of them have a necessary respect to Gods glory: both of them have a necessary respect to mans salvation: both of them have a necessary respect to our present Reformation: both of them will prove the Kingdomes safety, your consciences comfort, and the crown of all your long and great labours.

About the author

Obadiah Sedgwick (1600?-1658) was an English clergyman of presbyterian views, a member of the Westminster Assembly.He was son of Joseph Sedgwick, vicar of St. Peter's, Marlborough, Wiltshire, and then of Ogbourne St. Andrew, and was born at Marlborough about 1600. He matriculated at Queen's College, Oxford, on 18 June 1619, aged 19, moved to Magdalen Hall, and graduated B.A. on 5 May 1620, M.A. 23 January1623.He was tutor (1626) to Sir Matthew Hale. Having taken orders, he became chaplain to Horace Vere, 1st Baron Vere of Tilbury, whom he accompanied to the Low Countries. Returning to Oxford, he commenced B.D. on 16 January 1630. His first preferment (1630) in the church was as lecturer at St. Mildred's, Bread Street, London, where his puritanism got him into trouble. On 6 July 1639 he was presented by Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick, to the vicarage of Coggeshall, Essex, in succession to John Dod.On the opening of the Long parliament he regained his lectureship at St. Mildred's, and became known as a vigorous preacher against episcopacy. In the autumn of 1642 he was chaplain to the regiment of foot raised by Denzil Holles. He was a member of the Westminster Assembly (1643), and in the same year was appointed a licenser of the press. On 6 October 1643 he spoke at the Guildhall in favour of the league with Scotland for the prosecution of the war, and his speech was published in Foure Speeches, 1646,. In a sermon of September 1644 he preached for 'cutting off delinquents.' He held for a short time the rectory of St Andrew's, Holborn, on the sequestration (13 December 1645) of John Hacket; but next year (before May 1646) he was appointed to the rectory of St. Paul's, Covent Garden, and resigned Coggeshall where John Owen succeeded him (18 August).He was a member of the eleventh London classis in the parliamentary presbyterian system; but also on 20 March 1654 he was appointed one of Oliver Cromwell's 'triers,' and in August of the same year was a clerical assistant to the 'expurgators.' His health failing, he resigned St Paul's in 1656, and was succeeded by his son-in-law, Thomas Manton. He was a man of property, being lord of the manor of Ashmansworth, Hampshire. Retiring to Marlborough, he died there at the beginning of January 1658, and was buried near his father, in the chancel of Ogbourne St. Andrew. By his wife Priscilla he had a son Robert, baptised at Coggeshall on 19 October 1641, who was a frequent preacher before parliament.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Nature and Danger of Heresies
• Author: Obadiah Sedgwick
• Contributor: CrossReach Publications
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016
• ISBN: 1539372758, 9781539372752
• Length: 72 pages
• Subjects: Religion / Blasphemy, Heresy & Apostasy