Medical References in Sermons 07

The imperceptible diffusion of error and truth Luke 13:21

Where the word leaven is understood in a bad sense it seems to have more immediate reference to error, false doctrine Beware, says Christ, of the leaven the Pharisees and Sadducees, the former of whom depended upon their own imperfect services for justification in the sight of God and the latter denied the being of angels, spirits, a resurrection and future state of rewards and punishments. Now as it was then it is at present. The greatest errors have many advocates, the most erroneous teachers many followers and there will be Pharisees and Sadducees to the end of the world. Leaven is not only sour and disgusting but penetrating and diffusive and so is false doctrine. It eats, says the apostle, as doth a canker or, as the word might be rendered, a gangrene, which beginning in the extremities soon reaches the vitals carrying with it inevitable disorganization and destruction. Now had not this gangrene, this leaven hid by Antichrist and disguised by plausible appearances or mingled with some important truths at one time infected and corrupted the whole visible church till God raised up Huss, Jerome, Wickliffe, Luther, Calvin and the other reformers. Thus the apostle Peter speaks of persons bringing in damnable heresies and adds, many shall follow their pernicious ways. Thus some apply the words of my text to a general defection from the way of truth and righteousness.