The debate over heresy is a struggle to specify the legitimate boundaries of the worshiping community. That it is a necessary struggle is widely acknowledged: even tolerationists who rule the word heresy out of bounds (as if it were alien to polite discourse) are themselves asserting a boundary. Absurdly, they are implicitly ascknowledging the need for boundary-definition in ruling boundary-making out of bounds!The Rebirth of Orthodoxy, 131
This is the way to avert wrath; like John sometimes Bishop of Magdenburge, against whom the Duke of Saxony raised an army; one coming from thence, the Duke asked him, what preparation the Bishop made? he told him, that he saw none; Why, but (says the Duke) what does he then? The other replied, That he reformed his Church, his house, his City; Which when the Duke heard he disbanded his army, saying, He would never venture upon him that engaged such a course God to assist him. Thus this course will make you too hard for your enemies: it will hold up the hands and hearts of your friends.https://www.google.ca/books/edition/A_Glimpse_of_Gods_Glory/FDg3AAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
give me leave to further you in it; and to the fame end, to lay before you certain considerations; wherein we may all of us see enough to make us vile in our own eyes. Consider we therefore: 1. What have we done? How many Sabbaths have we profaned? How many opportunities of exalting God have we lit slip? How many Sermons have we sleighted? How many Lords Suppers by unpreparednesse and irreverence polluted? How in our love and fear, hath every vanity been set up, and God debased? How low, and seldom is God in our thoughts? How little is God extolled by our tongues? How far are our actions from advancing his name in the world?
Against whom have we exalted ourselves? Is it not against the Highest? A trespass against an ordinary man, being committed against the King, proves treason. Do not our hearts tremble? Were it against a King, it were too much, His wrath is as the messenger of death; But what is it then against the Kings King? against that God that infinitely surpasses all Princes of the earth in glory?
But, if we seriously in the sense of our own vileness humble ourselves this day before our God, Do our sins trouble us? he will discharge them; Is he departed? This will cause him to return, and heal our Land. Would we gain audience this day? the prayer of the humble self-abhorring soul cannot miscarryA Glimpse of God\'s Glory
alas! in many places, there is no day in the week, wherein the devil has been more served in revellings, drunkenness, and all manner of ungodliness, then on that Day. We have been so far from esteeming it a delight, that no day has been a greater burden to us, accounting the work of that day most irksome, and the time most tedious.A Glimpse of God\'s Glory
we have brought God as low in his Day, as in any of the former: though it be a Day of commemoration of one of the greatest mercies; a Day of special communion with God in his Ordinances; a sign between God and his people; a type of our eternal rest in heaven; a Day of God's own institution; yet how in many places of this kingdom has it been profaned? We have been so far from calling it Honourable, that we have made it Ordinary; a Day of sports, pasttimes and recreations; we have done our own works, and spoke our own words;A Glimpse of God\'s Glory
O how deplorable a thing is it, that even this fear usually lasts not long when plague, sword, famine, or the like judgements come first amongst us!A Glimpse of God\'s Glory
Indeed we talk much of fearing God, but where is the man that lifts up God on high in his heart, by making him his dread? That acknowledges so his eminency with reverence, as to stand in awe of him above all creatures?A Glimpse of God\'s Glory
We see indeed, the eye of our body may be fill'd with the sun's brightness, but it is impossible that so narrow a receptacle should perfectly contain such a large glory: So, although the Angels understandings now are, and the Saints hereafter shall be fil'd brimfull with the clear manifestations of Gods eminency and glory, yet that they can fully reach, or perfectly contain the exact, and precise knowledge of it, is an error so gross, that it much more deserveth pity then confutation.A Glimpse of God\'s Glory
Who may endure in his indignation? alas, none may behold him, his wrath is so high, ore-topping the creatures weakness, that it is all one whether it be against a man or against a Nation.A Glimpse of God\'s Glory
In his great condescension; though he be so high, yet for the preservation, and gubernation of his poor creatures, he abaseth himself; i.e. rather then they shall want governing and sustaining, he will take charge of them himself, and so far veil his glory, as to imploy his wisdom, power, and other attributes for their advantage.
A glimpse of God\'s glory
Jude classifies the heretics as "people . . . relying on their dreams" (v. 8), that is, mystics who claimed to enjoy privileged access to esoteric knowledge.The Heresy of Orthodoxy
Heresy is not so much rejecting as selecting. The heretic simply selects the parts of the Scripture he wants to emphasize and lets the rest go. This is shown by the etymology of the word heresy and by the practice of the heretic. "Beware," an editorial scribe of the fourteenth century warned his readers in the preface to a book. "Beware thou take not one thing after thy affection and liking, and leave another: for that is the condition of an heretique. But take everything with other." The old scribe knew well how prone we are to take to ourselves those parts of the truth that please us and ignore the other parts. And that is heresy.We Travel An Appointed Way