who hath power iudiciall to expound the scripture Indeed their answer is that the Church is this Iudge and that we must consult at her mouth for the true meaning of the Scripture Answ. The church hath a ministery and dispensation committed vnto her in the execution whereof she deliuereth the meaning of the Scripture vnto Gods people but that is not from any iudiciall authority committed vnto her to determine of the sense of Scripture of her selfe but onely by comparing scripture with scripture and expounding one place out of another euen as the Lawyer giues the sense of the law not from any iudicial power giuen vnto him aboue the law but by obseruing the words with the scope and circumstances of the law But heere I would know if the Church must needs bee iudge by what meanes must she determine They answer by the rule of faith the consent of Councels and Fathers and if these faile then by the Pope Answ. By their rule of faith they vnderstand vnwritten traditions that is such truth beside Scripture as hath beene kept by tradition from hand to hand since the primitiue Church But these are meere forgeries and shame it were to subiect the truth of God to the deuice of man if these bee made iudge of Scripture then shall the faith of the church depend vpon the wisedome of man and not vpon the power of God a thing abhorred of the Apostle 1. Cor. 2. 5. The onely rule of faith is the Scripture and true faith will admit no other iudge beside the Scripture to determine of that whereon it must depend Secondly for their consent of Fathers and Councels that is no sufficient meanes to determine of the true sense of Scripture for their seuerall errors and contradictions one to another many times to themselues shew that they wanted the immediate assistance of the Spirit And the same is true of the Pope as might easily be proued at large by their grosse ignorance errors And therfore it remaines that the true iudge and expounder of Scripture is Scripture it selfe as Christ himselfe by his practise sheweth in this place The place alledged by Christ is this commandement of God vnto his people Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God For the vnderstanding whereof we must search out three things first what the tempting of God signifieth secondly the manner how God is tempted and thirdly the cause and root thereof For the first to tempt God signifieth to make triall and experience of God and to prooue whether hee be so true iust mercifull prouident and powerfull as his word reporteth him to be Thus did the Israelites often tempt God as the Lord saith When your fathers tempted me proued me and saw my workes which latter words shew what it is to tempt God euen to seeke to haue proofe by his works whether he be such a one as his word saith he is If any shall say we are commanded to taste and see how gratious the Lord is Ps. 34. 8. yea the Lord bids his people proue him Malach. 3. 10. Answ. Those places do sufficiently expound themselues for Dauids taste and sight is by the grace of true faith and affiance for in the same verse he pronounceth such blessed and in Malachie the Lord bids them prooue him but yet in their way of obedience in prouiding for his Sanctuary according to his ordinances Therefore we must know for the second point that euery triall of God is not simply euill but that which is needlesse when without warrant from his word we presume vpon him beyond the meanes of his ordinary prouidence Thirdly the root of this sinne is an vnbeleeuing heart whereby a man doubts of the truth of Gods word of his power presence and prouidence Ps. 78. 18. The Israelites tempted God in their hearts there is this sinne the maner how followeth in requiring meat for their lusts c. not contenting thēselues with Gods present prouidence the root ground whereof is set downe vers 22. because they beleeued not in God and trusted not in his helpe When a man doubts of the fidelity of his seruant he wil lay something in his way as a peece of siluer his purse c. to trie him withall so when a man begins to doubt of Gods goodnesse and fidelity towards him hee will easily be brought to make needlesse triall of him by some worke of God beside his ordinary prouidence The meaning then is this Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God that is thou shalt not make any needlesse triall of Gods goodnesse mercy power or prouidence from a distrustfull heart in the truth of his word Heere yet further for our instruction wee are to know that God is tempted fiue waies as the word of God doth manifest first when a man shall appoint vnto God either the time when the place where or the maner how God shall helpe him and performe his word vnto him heerein he seeks experience of the truth and power of God Thus the Israelites tempted God in the wildernesse when they wanted water saying Is God among vs or no God had promised to bee with them in all their iourney to Canaan but that they will not now beleeue vnlesse he wil shew his presence by giuing them water in that place And so likewise they tempted him in the want of foood Ps. 78. 19. Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse The consideration whereof must teach vs in all our petitions which we make vnto God for the accomplishment of his promises vnto vs to beware of limiting God as the Iewes did by prescribing vnto him time place maner for the accomplishment thereof but wait with patience his good leasure For hee that beleeueth will not make haste but wil commit his way to the Lord Ps. 37. 5. Secondly God is tempted when men require a signe at his hands Thus the Pharisies tempted Christ Matt. 12. 38. Master we would see a signe of thee meaning thereby to be certified whether hee were the Messias and Luke saith they tempted him Luk. 11. 16. And thus doe all those tempt God which refuse to embrace the doctrine of the Gospel because they cannot see the ministers therof to confirme the same by miracles Thus do many Papists plead against our religion embracing rather the mysterie of iniquity because it is confirmed vnto them by lying wonders not considering that the truth which wee professe was once sufficiently confirmed to bee the truth of God by his owne testimony thereunto in signes wonders through the hands of his Apostles Quest. Is euery asking of a signe a tempting of God for Gedion asked a signe when he was to be a Iudge and deliuerer of gods people Iudg. 6. 17. And so did Hezekiah to bee assured of the lengthning of his daies 2. King 20. 8. And yet we reade not that God charged them with tempring him but did condescend to their requests Answ. There be two causes
heart that hee maketh his God Thirdly heere obserue that the Diuell would faine make a couenant with Christ for worship at Christs hands he wil giue Christ the glory riches of the world heereto is nothing wanting but Christs consent Whereby we see that it may bee true which sundrie times wee heare of and many histories do record to witte that some persons doe make a league with the Diuell wherein the Diuell couenanteth to be seruiceable vnto them in procuring them honour riches pleasures or great renowme for some strange actiuities wherto he will enable them vpon condition that they for their parts giue vnto him their bodies their soules or their bloud Some indeed are of mind that such things are meere forgeries and delusions of the Diuell and that no league can bee made betweene him and man but they are deceiued for hee attempted in effect such a thing with Christ what will hee not therefore do with silly and sinfull men especially when he finds them cast downe with discontents And thus much for the Diuels assault The third point in this conflict is Christ answer vers 10. Then Iesus said vnto him Auoid Satan for it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serue This I will handle as the words do lie in order Before his answer hee propoundeth a speech of indignation and detestation both of the Diuell and his offer auoid Satan as if he should say I haue heard thee Satan to speake imuriously against my fathers word and against my selfe and now againe thou vtterest blasphemy against my father wherein thou goest about to dishonour him greatly but I abhorte thee Satan and these thy temptations therfore hence auoid and haue no more to do with me In this detestation of Christ towards Satan for vttering blasphmie against his father in his chalenge to haue power to dispose of all the kingdomes of the world as being his own we are taught not onely to greeue at such blasphemies as we shall heare vttered against God but to testifie our detestation and indignation towards them The world is full of black mouthed Rabshekaes who wil not spare to blaspheme the glorious name of our God to scoffe deride his sacred word now whē we meet with such we must not be like Stoicks without affection but in Christian wisdome from bleeding harts for the reproch of God shew forth godly zeale and indignation for the rescue of his glorie The Hypocriticall practise of wicked Iezabel in proclaming a fast vpon the false accusation of Nabothes blasphemie against God and the king may teach Gods Church to be zealous indeed a-against all blasphemers When Rabiheka railed on the God of Israel good king Hezekiahrent his clothes and humbled himselfe in great measure for that reproch against his God Teares were Dauids meat day and night while the heathen among whom he was constrained to liue said vnto him where is thy God And iust Lot vexed his righteous soule from day to day with the vnlawfull deeds of the filthie Sodomites liuing among them The practise of these godly men must be a president for vs to follow that we heare no blasphemie against God without detestation And as all Gods children must practise this duty so especially Masters of families Dauid would not suffer a lier or a slanderer to come in his sight or to abide in his house much lesse would he haue endured a blasphemer of God or a slanderer of his word The law commanded that the blasphemer should he stoned to death who wittinglie and willingly spake a word against God and no doubt this law is perpetuall Let a man but speake a word of disgrace against an earthlie prince and it costs him his life and that iustlie how much more then should he die the death though he had a thousand liues that shall blaspheme the king of kings Shal one that hath been baptized into the name of Christ say there is no God and that the Scriptures are but a deuice of man and yet liue God forbid for this hellish sinne defiles a kingdome And therefore the Magistrate with the sword of iustice must cry out against such wretches Away from vs blasphemers Secondly in this Auant of Christ giuen to Satan wee learne how to behaue our selues against entisers from religion and the obedience of God wee must hold them as limmes of the Diuell and in that regard haue nothing to do with them but with Christ bid them auoid from vs. The Lord commanded that in this case Parents should not spare their owne children nor children spare their Parents if they were enticers to idolatrie but their owne hands must be first vpon them to put them to death Our Sauiour Christ would not spare Peter when he gaue him bad counsell to spare himselfe from suffering that which God hath ordained for him but saith vnto him get behind me Satan So that we are without excuse if we shal reiect this counsel of Salomō Heare no more the instruction that causeth to erre from the words of knowledge Thirdly heer by we also learne how to behaue our selues towards satan when he is violent and importunate in his temptations to wit that howsoeuer we may reply to them out of Gods word when they are more milde yet when Satan begins therein to shew his force and violence we must not reason with him for Christ would not endure his blasphemy though hee answered his temptations In schooles of learning it is counted a simple part to hold alwaies to the conclusion but in the schole of Christ when the conscience is to deale with Satan the safest way is by both hands of faith to lay fast hold of the conclusion cleause fast to Christ let the Diuell say what he wil be not drawen thence one iot After Christ hath shewed his detestation to Satans blasphemy he answers his temptation saying It is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God c. And whereas he saith the third time it is written taking his answer from the Scripture it teacheth vs that Scripture of it selfe is of power sufficient to vanquish the Diuell This the Church of Rome wil not admit for they make Scripture to bee of two kinds inward and outward By inward Scripture they meane the vniuersall consent of all Catholikes in all ages And by outward Scripture they vnderstand the written word contained in the Bible Now they say inward Scripture is the more excellent for the outward Scripture they call a dead letter of little or no power they make general councels equall with them for substance of doctrine If this were true Christ would not haue alledged outward Scripture as they call it but hee knew the written word was the powerfull weapon sufficient to vanquish the Diuell And therefore heerein they doe shamefully blaspheme the truth of God and so God himselfe Secondly this allegation of Christ teacheth vs how
righteous but the Lord deliuereth them out of all If it please you to giue these after-lines the reading you shall see set downe that monomachie or single combat which was hand to hand betwixt Christ and the Diuell And as for Christ Iesus you shall see him fasting fighting conquering Fasting and an hungry to shew he was man fighting and encountring to shew he was Messiah and conquering and triumphing to shew he was God And as for the diuell you shall see him obiecting answering flying Obiecting that Christ might despaire answering that he might presume and flying when he could not ouercome In Christs temptations we see the estate of the Church in Satans assault we see his malice to the Church Is Christ tempted think it not strange if we fall into temptations For the griefe of the head is the griefe of the members and the temptations of Christ shew the temptations of Christians It is true of Christ that by many tribulations he did enter into the kingdome of God that our High Priest was consecrated by afflictions that so he must suffer and enter into his glory He is no sooner borne into the world but he is hunted by Herod baptized at Iordan but Satan sets on him a Preacher for repentance but the Scribes proscribe him to worke miracles but the Pharises slander him He is no sooner to suffer but the Diuell assaults him apprehended but the Iewes deliuer him deliuered but Herod derides him derided but Pilat condemnes him condemned but the souldiers abuse him Is he on the crosse the people will not pity him is he risen the high Priests will belie him In a word is he vpon earth he is tempted in his person is he in heauen he is tempted in his members Thus the life of Christ was a warfare vpon earth and the life of Christians must be a warfare vpon earth We liue heere in a sea of troubles the sea is the world the waues are calamities the Church is the ship the anker is hope the sailes are loue the Saints are passengers the hauen is heauen and Christ is our Pilot. When the sea can continue without waues the shippe without tossings and passengers not be sicke vpon the water then shall the Church of God be without trials We begin this voiage so soone as we are borne and we must saile on till our dying daie We doe reade in Gods word of many kinds of temptations God Satan Man the World and the Flesh are saide to tempt God tempteth man to trie his obedience Satan tempteth man to make him disobedient man doe tempt men to trie what is in them and man tempteth God to trie what is in him The world is a temper to keepe man from God and the flesh is a tempter to bring man to the Diuell So God tempted Abraham in the offering of his son Satan tempted Iob in the losse of his goods a Queene tempted Salomon in trying his wisedome men tempted God by distrust in the desert the world tempted Domas when he forsooke the Apostles and the flesh tempted Dauid when he fell by adultery Doth God tempt vs take heed of hypocrisie doth Satan tempt vs take heed of his subtiltie doth man tempt man take heed of dissembling doth man tempt God take heed of inquiring doth the world tempt man take heed of apostasie doth the flesh tempt man take heed of carnalitie But dowe so are we warie of these tempers No we are not and therefore we fall We fall on the right hand by temptations in prosperitie and we fall on the left by temptations in aduersitie Of the one it may be said it hath slaine thousands of the other that it hath slaine ten thousands When we come and see cities dispeopled houses defaced and wals pulled downe we say the souldier hath beene there and when we see pride in the rich discontent in the poore and sinne in all we may iustly say the Tempter hath beene there Now of all other temptations it pleaseth God to suffer his church to be tempted with afflictions It is neuer free either from the sword of Ishmael which is a reuiling tongue or the sword of Esau a persecuting hand Neither was there yet euer Christian man found who had not his part in the cup of affliction We must drinke of the same cup our master did the disciple is not aboue his master The reasons why God doth visit vs thus with afflictions are 1. To humble vs. 2. To weane vs. 3. To winnow vs. 4. To preuent vs. 5. To teach vs. 6. To enlighten vs. 7. To honour vs. 8. To cure vs. 9. To crowne vs. 10. To comfort vs. 11. To protect vs. 12. To adopt vs. And last of all to teach and comfort others To humble vs that we be not proud to weane vs that we loue not his world to winnow vs that we be not chaffe to preuent vs that we do not sinne to teach vs that we be patient in aduersity to enlighten vs that we see our errors to honor vs that our faith may be manifest to cure vs that we surfet not of securitie to crowne vs that we may liue eternally to comfort vs that he may send his spirit to protect vs that he may guide vs by his Angels to adopt vs that we may be his sonnes and to teach others that they seeing how sin is punished in vs they may take heed it be not found in them that they seeing our comforts in troubles may not be discouraged in the like trials Thus a Christian mans diet is more sowre then sweet his physicke is more alcës then hony his life is more a pilgrimage then a progresse and his death is more despised then honoured This if men would thinke of before afflictions would be as welcome to the soule of man as afflicted Ruth was to the field of Boaz. But because we looke not for them before they come thinke not on Gods doing when they are come and doe desire to be happie both heere and hereafter therefore we can away with the name of Naomi but in no case would we be called Mara We see the sea not the whale the Egyptian not the saluation the Lious mouth not him that stoppeth the Lions mouth If we could see God in our troubles as Elisha did in his then would we say There are more with vs then there are against vs. But because we doe not therefore at euery assault of the Assyrians we say as the seruant to Elishah did Alas master what shall we doe and with the disciples Carest thou not Master that we perish Yet it is good for vs to suffer affliction Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receiue the
God he can tempt Christ yea transport his body and set him in a dangerous place for thus far God permits him to goe but to cast Christ downe from the pinnacle he cannot therein comes Gods restraint So it fareth with Gods children for the triall of his graces in them and to chastise them for some sinnes he suffers Satan to buffet them but yet one iotte of his malice beyond Gods permission he cannot shew as in Iobs affliction by him may notably appeare Which wee must carefully remember for our special comfort in our most grieuous assaults Gods will permitting Satan so farre must make vs patient and yet his power restraining Satan from doing worse must giue vs comfort Thus much for the temptation itselfe The reason whereby Satan enforceth his temptation is taken from a testimony of Scripture For it is written he shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee c. Satan hearing Christ alledge scripture for his defence against the first assault comes now vpon him with his owne weapon that if it were possible he might foile him after this sort Thou shewest thy selfe to be the Doctor of the Church by thine alleadging of Scripture and that it seemes thou makest the rule of thine actions well then thou maiest well and safely cast thy selfe downe hence if thou bee the Sonne of God for it is written he shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee and with their hands they shall lift thee vp c. From this dealing of Satan wee are taught not to embrace an opinion in religion because a shew of proofe by testimony of Scripture may bee giuen for it But we must trie the spirits that is the doctrines of men whether they be of God or not 1. Ioh. 4. 1. For the Diuell can alleadge Scripture to mooue Christ vnto presumption and it is his vsuall practise when he caries men into schisms errors and heresies Reason with a man that minds to liue in sinne and tell him of that dangerous state by reason of the shortnesse and vncertainty of this life will he not tell you straight he will doe as he does and repent when he is old for it is written At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord And some thinke three or foure good words at a mans last end wil serue his turne for the thiefe on the crosse said no more but Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome And all such as are trained vp in the schoole of Satan can easilie alledge scripture to further them in euil But let vs come to the scripture which the Diuel doth notoriously abuse by his allegation it is written in the 91. Ps. v. 11. In the alledging whereof he would seeme very carefull and precise at the first not omitting so much as this particle for which might haue beene left out and yet nothing haue been wanting to the force of his reason But heerein is the deepenesse of his policy to cause Christ not to suspect any falshood afterward for towards the end hee leaueth out that on which the promise is grounded of being kept by the Angel to wit to keepe thee in all thy waies that is in all the good duties of thy lawfull calling wherein thou shalt glorifie God and doe good to others to such as so walke in their waies doth that promise belong Heere then behold Satans notable fraud and craft that can so cunninglie leaue out that which makes not for his purpose and so peruert the true meaning of scripture this is his vsuall practise in enmity against the word to depraue the true meaning by cutting off some part when hee cannot vtterly ouerthrow the whole The like is the dealing of all heretickes who by cutting off and leauing out play legerdemaine with the scripture The Arrian holds the Bible for the word of God but such places as serue to proue the godhead of Christ he doth notably abuse and peruert The familie of Loue also doth hold the bible for the word of God but come to the true meaning of it therein they faile turning all into Allegories euen most true histories as the fall of our first Parents and such like which are maine grounds of religion in their naturall sense and the Apostaticall Church of Rome doth hold with vs the bookes of the old and new Testament but yet they put in and take out at their pleasure and take from it all sense and meaning which agrees not with the determination of their holy father the Pope and thereby they ouerturne the word of God and strongly maintaine their mystery of iniquity This dealing of Satan and his wicked miscreants with the scripture must make all Gods children willing to spend their strength in searching out the Scripture for that is the onely way to descrie their fraude in deprauing of it This caused Christ to bidde the people in his time to search the Scriptures to learne to know him to bee the true Messias which the Iewish teachers did then deny In regard whereof wee must say with Moses oh that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit vpon them oh that all could reade and vnderstand the word of God! This is it wherein all that either be or intend to be ministers must labour especially euen to get sound knowledge and iudgement in the text of Scripture The Minister must not only be able to teach the truth but also to discerne to discouer and to confure errors and heresies which hee can neuer foundly doe without good vnderstanding in the text it selfe The Diuell knowes the whole Scripture and he will spare no text therein it hee can corrupt it therfore to resoue Gods truth out of his hands who is the father of lies the Minister must shew himselfe a good souldier of Iesus Christ as Paul exhorteth Timothy giuing such attendance to the word that all men may see his profitting therein yea with Ieremie the Minister must eat the bookes of God and digest them in his vnderstanding and rejoice therein labouring to feele them the joy of his heart The Diuell knowes that Scripture truely vnderstood and well applied is the onely engine for the battery of his kingdome and therefore euen from the beginning but specially since the comming of Christ hee hath laboured by all meanes to keepe men from the knowledge and true vnderstanding of them hee it is that hath brought men from the reading of the Scriptures to betake themselues to the writings of men as schoolemen fathers and such by this meanes hee hath for many yeares euen to this day in the Church of Rome locked vp the Scripture in an vnknowen tongue yea euen in Gods church the Diuel works mightily this way by stealing away the affections of yong students from the Bible and rauishing them with delight in the writings of men for thus he keeps them from the
fountaine of truth that they either fal into error themselues or be lesse able to discerne and confute it in others And hence come dissentions and errors into the schooles of the Prophets which cannot be auoided while men leaue the text of scripture addict themselues so much to the writings of men for thereby hee can more cunningly conuey strange conceits into mens minds and therfore euery one that would maintain the truth in purity and syncerity must labour painfully in the text Secondly Gods ministers must heereby be admonished to be carefull in alleadging any text of Scripture that the same be fit and pertinent for to wrest the same from the proper meaning of the holy Ghost to serue their owne conceit is the practise of Satan which euery seruant of God must be farre from and therefore must not do it hand ouer head Which also may serue for a good aduertisement to those that vse to heape vp manifold allegations of Scriptures in the doctrine of a sermon for as in many words there cannot want iniquity as Salomō saith so in affected multiplicity of quotations can the abuse of Scripture bee hardly escaped If we deliuer but a mans testimony honesty will compell vs as neere as we can to keepe both his words and his meaning much more should conscience moue vs in alledging the testimony of the Lord to haue carefull respect to the euidence of truth and therfore that sparing course is very commendable whereby in quoting of Scripture men make sure to keepe themselues to the Lords true meaning lest by deprauing his word they become followers of Satan And thus much for the maner of Satans allegation The true and proper meaning of that text is now briefly to be discussed The ninety-one Psalme from whence it is alledged is a most heauenly part of scripture penned for the comfort of Gods people in the time of some grieuous plague or sickenesse and it containes a notable preseruatiue against the plague and by consequent against any iudgement of God to wit true affiance and confidence in the Lord that is the ground of all comfortable safety thereto among many other is this gratious promise made of the protection of Gods holy Angels which the Diuell doth heere alledge who shall be as carefull for the safety of Gods children in common calamities of famine plague pestilence c. as the nurce is ouer her tender child to hold it in her hands and beare it vp in her armes lest it should fall and hurt it selfe alwaies prouided that the child of God keepe himselfe in his waies that is in obedience to Gods commandements and in the duties of his lawfull calling It is true indeed that iudgement begins at the house of God and the righteous are taken away from the euill to come yea many times the same outward iudgement lights vpon the good that doeth vpon the bad yet this taketh not from Gods child the comfort of this protection in common calamities for all promises of temporall blessings must be vnderstood with the exception of the crosse as heere Gods Angels shall guard his children in time of plague famine and pestilence vnlesse it please God heerewith to chasten them for some sinne past or to preuent some sin or greater euill to come or to make triall of their faith and patience in which cases also the child of God doth greatly differ from the wicked for through the fruition of Gods loue in Christ the euill of the punishment is taken away and the outward smart thereof sanctified to the greater good of his soule but out of this case their protection is certaine see Exod. 12. 23. Psal. 105. 16. 17. Ezek. 9. 4. 6. The vse The consideration of this gratious protection of Gods Angels ouer such as keepe themselues in their waies must moue euery one to labour to know and practise the duties of his calling both generall of Christianity and particular for the state of his life in all good conscience so doing let come what will in all dangers hee shall haue safety for Gods angels pitch their tents about him they are as watchfull ouer him as a nurce ouer her child but if wee forsake our waies wee lose the comfort of their protection expose our selues to all Gods iudgements VERSE 7. Iesus said vnto him Againe it is written Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God HEere is the third generall point in this conflict to wit Christs answer and repulse made to Satans assault taken as the Diuels temptation was from a text of scripture for hee saith Againe it is written where yet hee meaneth not to oppose scripture to scripture but to confute the abuse of scripture by scripture after this sort as if he had said to Satan It is true indeed that God hath made many worthy promises of aid and protection to his children in his word yet they shal not be performed to those that presume to tempt God as thou wouldest haue me to do From this dealing of Christ with Satan we may obserue that the scriptures of God are sufficient in themselues truely to interpret and expound themselues The Diuel alledging scripture did wrest it from the true sense this our Sauiour Christ sheweth by alledging another text out of Moses which being applied to the place which the Diuel abused doth shew the true meaning thereof So Ezra expoūding the law vnto the Iews read distinctly in the law of God and as the words do signifie gaue the sense by scripture and caused the people to vnderstand much more then at this day may the scriptures be thought sufficient for the expounding of themselues sith to the Canon there of since Ezra his time there is added the whole new Testament by the hand of God wherein the deepe things of God are plainelie reuealed The Church of Rome cannot away with this that Scripture should be sufficient to expound it selfe And therefore against it they reason thus That which must expound Scripture must haue iudiciall power to determine of the sense thereof but the scriptures haue no such ludiciall power for they are but a dumb letter and therfore no sufficient iudge to determine of their owne sense and meaning Answ. The Scriptures haue iudiciall power to determine of their owne true sense and meaning for they speake euidently to all that are inlightned by Gods spirit and therby made able to know what the Scripture saith wee know a man may speake to his friend not only by word of mouth but also by letter and thereby expresse his meaning sufficiently euen so though God speake not now vnto his Church by created voice yet by his written word he speakes sufficiently for the cleare manifestation of his will and pleasure concerning them and therefore it is a shamefull slander and blasphemy against the Scriptures to call them an inkie letter and dumbe iudge And let them shew if the Scripture be not where is that speaking iudge
2. Coloss. 1 10 5. c. 2. 2 14. 15. 13. c 2. 51. c. 1. 1. Thessal 2 18 41. c. 1. 3 5 12. c. 2. 1. Tim. 3 6 9. c. 1. 4 1. 3. 41. c. 2. Â 7 13. c. 1. 6 9 22. c. 1. Â 17 22. c. 2. 2. Tim. 2 11. 12. 53. c. 2. Hebr. 1 2 20. c. 2. 2 10 53. c. 1. Â 17. 18. 9. c. 1. 54. c. 1. 11 6 13. c. 1. Iames. 1 2 4. c. 2. 53. c. 2. Â 13 7. c. 2. 3 14. 15. 9. c. 1. 4 7. 13. c. 1. 18. c. 2. 49. c. 2. 1. Pet. 1 25 20. c. 2. 2 9 5. c. 2. 4 17 31. c. 2. 5 7 23. c. 1. Â 8 9. c. 1. 13. c 1. 2. Pet. 1 5. 16. c. 1. Â 10 16. c. 1. 28. c. 1. 2 8 43. c. 1. 1. Iohn 4 1 29. c. 2. Iude. 0 4 27. c. 2. Reuela 2 10 41. c. 1. Â 13 5. c. 1. 11 8. 9. 10. 49. c. 1. 12 3. 4. 3. c. 1. Â 9 9. c. 1. Â 10 19. c. 1. 13 11 40. c. 2. 16 13. 14. 41. c. 1. 18 4 26 c. 2. 19 10 46 c. 1. A Table of the speciall points to be obserued in this Exposition The first number notes the Page the second the Columne b notes the beginning of the columne m the middle and e the end A ADoption Satan would driue vs from assurance of our Adoption 16. 1. b. We must specially labour for assurance of our adoption ibid. m. Affections how to moderate them in all estates 23. 1. b. Alleaging of Scripture Christ and his Apostles therein respected the true meaning therof 44. 2. e. In alleaging scripture they expound it 44. 2. b. Ministers should be carefull not to wrest it in their allegations 31. 1. m. Ambition a bait for Satan in the subuersion of kingdoms 40. 1. b. Angels The bond their ministery vnto Christ and his children 51. 2. e. Their number that doe minister vnto men 52. 2. b. Each one hath not a good Angell and a bad 52. 2. m. B Baptisme why Christ was baptized 1. 2. m. Blasphemers how wee should behaue our selues towards them 42. 2. e. Blasphemers of God ought to die 43. 1. e. Boasting vaine boasting ought to be auoided 40. 2. e. C Calamity Gods children haue specaill protection in common calamities 31. 2. m. Callings A man must not leaue his calling for the trouble thereof 4. 2. e. Men set apart for speciall callings are other men 5. 1. e. Christians should walk worthy their calling of grace 5. 2. m. Whom God calleth hee fitteth thereto 6. 1. m. Carking care how auoided 22. 1. e. Cary Satan may carry men in the aire 24. 2. m. Yea God children 36. 2. m. Christstemptation The time when 1. 1. e. He was led by the spirit to be tempted 3. 2. b. How he went furnished to be tempted 3. 2. e. Christ was tempted in the highest degree that Satan could 50. 1. e. Church no iudge of scripture 32. 2. e. Euery one ought to seeke the good of Gods church 41. 2. b. Church militant in this world as in a wildernesse 11. 1. e. It hath entercourse of temptations 51. 1. e. Comforts to Gods church Christs power in subduing Satan in his humility 19. 1. b. Christ moderates their afflictions and temptations 48. 2. e. Company none ought to thrust himselfe into bad company 5. 1. b. Contentation in extreame misery how gotten 22. 2. m. D Danger no man must runne into danger without a calling 4. 2. b. Deferring of resistance to Satan very dangerous 49. 2. m. Desert see wildernesse Desertion of Spirituall desertion 52. 2. e. Despaire how Satan works it in a guilty conscience 38. 1. b. Comfort against despaire 50. 2. b. Diuell see Satan Diligence in our calling hath special prerogatiue 32. 2. b. Diuinity ascribed to a thing foure waies 45. 1. m. Doctrine Carnall men neglect Christs doctrine but affectmiracles 28. 2. m. E England Gods true church 25. 2. b. Enticers to idolatrie how to be respected 43. 2. b. How to be auoided 44. 1. m. F Faith Satan seekes especially the ruine of our faith 15. 2. m. Fasting three kinds of fasts 9. 2. e. How long a man may fast and yet liue 10. 1. e. Why Christ fasted forty daies 10. 2. b. Lent-fast misfounded on Christs fast 10. 2. e. Filled Christ was alwaies filled with the Spirit 5. 2. e. yet hee increased therein 6. 1. b. Food and raiment How to Consider rightly thereof 21. 2. b. We ought to sanctifie it vnto vs by praier 22. 1. b. Francis Spira too rashly iudged a castaway 50. 2. e. G Gainsaying of Gods truth a property of Satan 17. 2. m. Godhead of Christ infringed by satan 17. 1. e. And by his followers ibid. 2. b. Guide Gods spirit must guide vs in euery thing 4. 1. b. H Holy daies obserued to the honour of Saints vnlawfull 47. 2. m. Holinesse of Christs humane nature 3. 2. e. No holinesse of place on earth can debarre Satan from tempting 26. 2. m. Hunger Christ was an hungred 12. 1. m. and why ibid. e. I Idolatrie Satan seekes to bring Christ to commit it 38. 2. m. Hereby he seekes the ruine of religion 41. 1. m. Ierusalem why called the holy city 25. 1. e. Ignorant persons should labour for knowledge in Gods word 19. 2. e. Iudgement Rash iudgement against men that are tempted by Satan vnlawfulll 50. 2. m. and deceitful 51. 2. e. Iustification by faith onely 48. 1. m. K Kingdomes Satans enmity to Christs kingdome 39. 1. e. Satan knowes all worldly kingdomes and the policies thereof 39. 2. e. How hee seekes the ruine of worldly kingdomes 40. 1. b. Earthly kingdomes are preserued from Satans malice by Gods prouidence 40. 1. e. Kneeling before a chaire of estate 47. 1. m. L League some doe make a league with Satan 42. 2. b. Led how Christ was led to be tempted 3. 2. b. Life of a Christian a continuall intercourse of temptations 51. 2. b. Limite not God in thy praiers 34. 1. b. Lying Satans sinne 40. 2. e. M Magicians may shew strange representations 37. 1. e. Masters of families should be especially zealous against blasphemers 43. 1. e. Meanes neglected a tempting of God 34. 2. e. Melancholy Satans bait 14. 2. m. Ministers especially must looke for temptations 3. 1. b. It is good for them to be tempted and why ibid. e. They ought to get sound knowledge in the text of Scripture 30. 2. m. And be wary of wresting any text 31. 1. m. Monasticall life not warrantable by Gods word 7. 1. m. O Obedience absolute must be giuen to God 48. 2. b. And voluntary 50. 1. m. Occasions of sinne must be watched against 12. 1. b. P Papists are Idolaters 46. 2. e. And 47. 1. b. Papists tempt God in looking now for miracles 34. 1. m. They sacrifice to Satan in their Masse 42. 1. m. Pope of Rome that beast