fly vnto euē the inuincible power of almighty God which we stād armed withal throgh faith This is it which S. Paule teacheth where he speaketh of the battell which we haue with the diuel My brethren saith hee be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power Put on the whole armour of God that you may stand against the assaults of the Diuel For we wrastle not against bloud and flesh but against rulers against powers c. Therefore take vnto you the whole armour of God that yee may bee able to resist in the euill day hauing finished all things stand Ephes 6. vers 10.11.12.13 Now it is faith that putteth vpon vs the whole armour of God and maketh vs strong in his mighty power It is faith as he sheweth in the same place by which we shal quench all the fiery dartes of the diuell Likewise S. Iohn setteth foorth this matter saying Whosoeuer is borne of God ouercommeth the world this is the victorie that ouercommeth the worlde euen our faith Who is it that ouercommeth the worlde but he that beleeueth that Iesus is the son of God 1. Ioh. 5. ver 4.5.6 By the world he meaneth the whole corruption of sin or whatsoeuer is against the commandementes of God and so the Diuell the Prince of the world is included He that ouercommeth the world ouercommeth the prince of the world for all the power of Satans kingdome is in darknesse and in sin Then when Saint Iohn saith that faith is our victorie and that by it we ouercome the world he teacheth that it is saith by which wee are armed with the power of God in which we stand safe and ouercome the Diuell Heerby it is manifest what a woonderfull precious thing faith is There is no force that can ouercome it he that hath obtained it cannot be poore he cannot be vnhappy or wretched all the diuels in hel cannot preuail against him They that trust in the Lord are as mount the Sion which cannot be mooued but standeth fast for euer Psalm 125. vers 1 If it be then the most excellent thing that is to stand stedfast in the faith then are we aboue all other things to seeke after it For wisdome teacheth to seeke most for the best thinges Golde pearle and precious stones doe excell in price and therefore they be greatly sought after and men do much reioice when they finde them They bee more then drosse being compared with faith by which we put diuels to flight and obtaine eternall glory Shall wee not then seeke for faith Shall we not make account that if we find it we haue found all for what can a man haue more then God And if we misse of it we haue lost all seeing without it nothing can defende vs from the assaultes of the Diuell But when we are willed to resist the Diuel stedfast in the faith is it so that wee haue faith in our owne power or when wee will Can wee of our selues be stedfast in faith Or is it a matter so easie to obtaine a strong faith Saint Peter hath no such meaning For goodly thinges are hard to be attained vnto and faith is the most precious and excellent of all other most hard to be come by It is not in mans will or power to beleeue and to beleeue stedfastlie at his pleasure But Saint Peters meaning is to mooue all men to seeke it where it is to be found and by such meanes as be ordayned for to come vnto it by For there is no man almost but will acknowledge that a strong faith is a most rich iewell but when it commeth to the matter they depriue themselues for the most part either deeming that they haue it or can haue it in their owne power resting in a vaine shadowe not knowing at all the nature of the true liuely and powerfull faith or if they doe acknowledge it to be the gift of God yet they neuer seeke it by those meanes which he hath ordained to worke it in men and to nourish it vp in them When wee are therefore willed to resist the Diuell stedfast in the faith it is as much as to saye giue all diligence and vse all the wayes and meanes that may be to increase and strengthen your faith that you may ouercome the Diuell If you be diligent that way happie are you and if you take not that course then are you vtterly vndone for what way can you then escape the power and tyranny of the roaring Lyon But it will be said S. Peter doth not heere shewe how men shall come to this stedfast faith No for his whole doctrine tendeth to that point in al this Epistle and therefore hee needed not to put them in mind particularlie yet it shall not be amisse for me to note somewhat He that will attaine to the true liuelie and iustifying faith which armeth a man with the power of God must first of all know for certainty that he hath not so much as anie spark thereof of himselfe we are all of vs by nature shut vp vnder vnbeleefe and in miserable blindnesse which while many doe not know they rest and content themselues in a certaine dead image of faith and are vtterlie seduced for that faith hath no power He that knoweth this indeed beholding the depth of the calamities which hee is in will looke vp to God who is the giuer of faith Hee is desirous to know what the promises of God are which hee is to beleeue and what the way is in which hee must walke to performe the duties of a Christian life for the true faith worketh by charitie as Paule saith and cannot be without good workes He searcheth the Scriptures as Christ willeth Ioh. 5. hee doth with all diligence bende his eare to heare the holy Gospell of Iesus Christ preached feeling therein the power of God to worke faith He doth crie and cal vnto God day night for to teach him to lighten him to giue him vnderstanding to increase his faith He findeth the blessing of God in these meanes therfore applieth them But now on the contrary part hee that resteth in this God giueth faith and if it be his will I shall haue it and so despiseth all meanes not considering how God giueth faith is vtterlie awrie and out of the right way From hence it is that there be so manie commendations of the word of God and of the liuelie power that it hath to saue our soules From hence it is that wee are often called vpon to giue eare to the voice of God to hearken to his counsels Thus shall wee obtaine the holy faith And he that hath faith and feeleth the power of God in him if he will haue it increase is to consider the abundant kindnes of God who hath bestowed so great a gift vpon him he is from the bottom of his heart to giue all praise and thankes and honor vnto him for so great kindnesse and mercie shewed
haue the diuel driuen out of her daughter who with the strength of her faith would not be denied Math. 15. but like to king Saule who receiuing no answere from God gate him by and by vnto a Witch for not finding helpe by faith and prayer or by those waies that God hath appointed they then begin to hearken to the diuell and he telleth them that if they shall doe such a thing such a diuell shall depart Heere be the meanes which some doe holde to bee appointed by God But is not this a woonderfull blindnes that Satan can set vp himselfe to bee a teacher and men learning of him shall thinke that they learne of God Well say some wee are glad to haue ease we find that the diuell is expelled we may think that God doth allow it Shall a man be glad for to buy ease so deare May we call that ease when the diuell ceaseth to vexe the body for a time to the end that he may torment soule and bodie in hell for euer If a man be sicke of a burning ague and take that to coole the heat and to giue ease for the time which will afterwarde cause it to bee more burning is that a good remedie Is that a good remedie which for a little while doth seeme to mitigate but afterward doth increase the disease Euen so the blind people doe imagine that Satan is expelled by those meanes by which indeed he entreth more deepe into them For tell me but this wherein doth the kingdome of the Diuel consist Is he not called the prince of this world and the prince of darknesse This his kingdome doth consist in infidelitie in darknesse and in sinne Hee that is vnder the power of sinne so that sinne hath dominion ouer him hee is vnder the power and working of Satan Sinne is his kingdome there is his throne ye cannot separate them he cannot be cast forth and sinne still remaine in force If pride enuie couetousnesse hatred malice selfe-loue fornication or any other such sinne doe raigne and rule in the heart of man there ruleth the diuell for these be the workes of the diuell Heereupon our Sauiour said to the Iewes Ye are of your father the diuell ye doe the workes of your father Ioh. 8. Hee that will then caste foorth the diuell hee must cast out those workes For hee that committeth sinne is of the diuell as Saint Iohn saith in his first Epistle chap. 3. Hee that still committeth sinne and therefore is of the diuell is the diuell expelled or driuen from him I suppose that there is no man so void of reason that he will imagine that the diuell is driuen away from that man in whose heart he hath his throne and power A man is ignorant of the word and waies of God with his ignorance of necessitie goeth vnbeleefe with vnbeleefe there goe the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse There is much vanitie of minde there is much prophanenesse there be foule errors and abominable vices This man hath some of his cattell destroyed by the diuell he would haue the diuel expelled he hath not faith which armeth men with the power of God he hath not the faith which ouercommeth the world 1. Ioh. 5. or which purgeth the heart Act. 15. or which quencheth all the firie dartes of the diuell Ephes 6. or as Saint Peter saith heere resisteth him And seeketh some other helps to resist him yea to be deliuered from him and neuer doth consider that hee is first to haue him remooued out of his heart He should consider that the diuell as Saint Paule saith worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes 2. vers 2. And therfore so long as he is disobedient to God Satan cannot bee cast foorth of his heart If those things can resist Satan which men doe learne and practise heere in the world as there be a thousand deuises by which he perswadeth the world that he is resisted then it skilleth not whether a man bee godlie or vngodlie faithful or vnfaithful touching the resisting putting diuelles to flight If when a mans cattell are plagued and destroyed by the diuell it will deliuer the rest if he burne one aliue this way may the Iew or the Turke or the heathen cast him out as well as the Christian And so it may be said in all other their wicked means They tend wholie therefore to this ende that men may be held in infidelitie in blindnesse and hardnesse of heart euen void of repentance for their sinnes that is the craftinesse of Satan For if diuels can bee put to flight and ouercome by such meanes men will neuer seek to be armed with faith they neuer care for true repentance they bee perswaded that the diuell hath nothing to doe with them And therein lyeth one of the greatest subtilties of Satan that hee may deuour men when they dreame of no perill and therefore seek not to God to be armed with his mightie power through faith For when men doe knowe that there is no way to escape but by faith as Saint Peter saith heer whom resist stedfast in the faith if they be not mad they will haue a care to attaine to that true faith In the Poperie there were many things deuised to driue away diuels Men were perswaded that the signe of the Crosse did put him to flight They had their coniured holiwater to sprinkle vpon the men and in their houses thither the Diuel might not come Likewise if a man had a peece of holie bread in his purse or any where about him hee was armed hee might goe safe in the darkest night that was There were hallowed candles and within the light of them the wicked Prince of darknesse could not approch But there was yet a stronger thing and a more terrible vnto the Diuels then all the rest euen to hunt them out of the countrie The Lorde sendeth lightening and thunder and mightie windes hee doth therby declare his maiestie When these tempestes doe arise the diuell woulde gladly make men beleeue that hee hath raised them hee would be as a God of power and therfore he coueteth to shew himself in those tempestes and so doth come with terrour To meet with this mischiefe and to repell him the Papistes had their hallowed belles their Saintes belles and those they did ring out when any terrible tempest did approch trusting that the sounde of them would repel him and put him to flight O how the Diuell was skared with these things S. Peter forgate himselfe that he did not tel of these and not speake of resisting him by nothing but by faith Such readie helpes for to defend men and so easie and not one of the Apostles would tell of them but speake only of faith to bee our victorie Well beloued knowe for certaintie that all these are but sleights of the Diuell which were vsed in the poperie and which many at this day doe vse when they suppose that they are bewitched Leaue all such
praie swalloweth them vp vnto eternall captiuitie But there is great force in euerie worde to expresse vnto vs this danger and therfore I will handle them particularlie Your aduersarie Saint Peter propoundeth vnto vs an aduersarie and what doe men looke for at the handes of a deadly aduersarie but all the harme and mischiefe that he can worke them and therefore each man hath an eie to his aduersarie to beware of him that hee catch him not at any aduantage Now this aduersarie which is here propounded doth so burne in extreame hatred and malice against God and against all mankind that it is giuen vnto him as a proper name for in the Hebrue tongue he is called Satan which is as much as to say an aduersarie For he is the aduersarie as I may say of aduersaries or the chiefe of all other There is no way of reconciliation to be sought with him there is no truce to bee made nor yet any mitigation of his cruell furie to be looked for but we may be sure of all the mischiefe and harme that hee can any way doe vnto vs make full account of that There is no pittie or mercie with him neither is he any way to be trusted for he is a lyar he is a deceiuer hee is a Diuell Your aduersary the diuell As hee is called Satan in the Hebrew tongue so is he in the Greek tongue called Diabolos which we call Diuell it is as much as to say one that doth accuse one that with cauillation doth depraue lay crime Look what is best done that doth displease him most he is nothing but falshood and lies as I said heere is no trusting here is no way or hope of mitigation of his cruell rage But it may bee obiected seeing the multitudes of nations and people vpon the earth are so many how can one Diuell put all in danger for Saint Peter speaketh as it were but of one Diuell While he is in one countrie he cannot be in another and while hee is dealing with one man another then goeth free For answere vnto this we are to vnderstand that S. Peter speaketh as of one diuell not because he is but one for the holie scriptures do teach that there be multitudes and as it were Armies of Diuels which doe compasse vs about seeking our vtter destruction wee reade in the Gospell of a legion of Diuelles which did possesse one man as it is sayd they were manie But S. Peter heere speaketh as of one because there is but one kingdome of Satan one prince of darknesse that kingdome is not diuided Satan is not diuided against Satan as our Sauiour teacheth Mat. 12. They doe all deale in one busines one doth not enuy another one doth not hinder or let another but further what they can and so they ioyne all together as if they were all but one Diuel The bond which doth tie them togither in this consent is that cruell malice and hatred wherewith they burn both against God man So God may bee dishonored and blasphemed it pleaseth them by whomsoeuer it be done so men may bee brought to damnation they care not which of them preuaile most If one of them doe as it were halfe preuaile to cast downe a man to perdition and another do finish it vp they contend not who hath done most There needeth no praise or commendation in that kingdome to pricke any forward neither any threatning to the negligent all are caried with a vehement heat to do their vttermost There is no man free then from the assaults and temptations of Diuels they seeke to deuoure euery soule Let no man imagine that hee can bee drunken in minde and so lie asleepe and yet be free from danger He that will escape must be sober and watch for a multitude of Diuelles compasse vs about It is sayd further As a roring Lyon We are very fast asleep if this roaring cannot awake vs and cause vs to be sober and watch especiallie if we consider why he is said to roare It is written Psal 104. vers 21. The Lyons roaring after their praie doe seeke their meate at God Wherby it doth appeare that the Lyons being very hungrie and greedy they roare after their praie and therfore to expresse how greedily Satan doth hunt after the soules of men how hungry he is for to deuour them he is likened vnto a roaring Lyon which seeketh his praie This comparison sheweth that hee is verie terrible for a Lyon is a mighty beast and being so hungrie and greedie that hee roareth for the praie it much increaseth the terror The diuel then is here set forth vnto vs to be mightie in as much as he is likened to a Lyon and verie hungry greedy in deuouring the soules of men in that he is likened to a roaring Lyon Who then that is wise wil make himself drūken in mind with cares and pleasures and lie sleeping when such a terrible enemie seeketh to deuour him And now it may be demaunded what is the cause that the holy Ghost doth set him foorth vnto vs to bee so mighty and so terrible the cause is manifest wee are secure we are negligent we are ready to sleep our minds are ouerwhelmed and drowned in all lustes and carnall pleasures as if there were no danger at all such is our extreame madnesse And that is the cause why the Scripture in other places also describeth the diuell to bee so horrible Saint Paule calleth the Diuels Empires and powers the rulers of the darknesse of this worlde and spiritual wickednes in the high places And sheweth that the Diuelles haue their fierie dartes with which they seek to pearce through slay the souls of men Ephe 6. ver 12.16 What a dreadful monster is he set foorth to be Reu. 12. Hee is not only likened to a dragō but also a most huge gret one yea so mōstrous great that he casteth forth a floud of waters out of his mouth his tail casteth down the third part of the stars of heauen He is not only a most monstrous great Dragon but also fiery red burning with hatred with crueltie blood Full of deep subtilties for he hath seuen heads Very mighty as hauing ten hornes One that hath as a victorious Prince often conquered the nations of the world for he hath seuen crownes What a terror is set foorth in all these a hungrie roaring Lyon mightie powers with fierie dartes a most monstrous fierce Dragon full of subtiltie crueltie and power Is heer any place to be drunken and to sleepe doth it not stand vs vpon to be sober and to watch vnlesse we account it a small matter to fall as a praie into the pawes of this roaring Lyon to haue our soules pearced through wounded to death with his fierie dartes and to be swallowed vp into the bellie of this Dragon and with him to be cast into the lake of fire which is the second death Reuel 20. ver 14.
Moreouer he is to take heed that wil be stedfast in the faith to resist the diuel that he bee rich in good workes and that hee abstaine from committing those vices which nature doth lead vnto For in the time of triall in the hower of temptation or when Satan doth assault it will greatly shake the mind if a man when he doth looke for the arguments of a true faith and findeth that hee hath beene fruitlesse but if his conscience doe accuse him not only of a slacknesse in good workes but also of foule sinnes commited then will he crie out that all his former profession of the faith was but in shew or in hypocrisie This Apostle in the first chapter of his seconde Epistle teacheth that if we ioyne vertue with our faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherlie kindnes and with brotherlie kindnesse loue we shal make our calling and election sure we shall if we doe these thinges as he saith neuer fall 2. Pet. 1. vers 5.6.10 We shall perceiue assuredly if these things be in vs that God hath called vs effectually and that hee hath chosen vs. And therein doth consist the stedfastnes of faith euen when we are sure that God hath chosen vs in his sonne vnto life eternall If this assurance of Gods loue and fauour towards vs were not to be attayned vnto how could he say Whom resist stedfast in the faith Can there be any stedfast faith without that I beseech yee let vs thinke well of these things let vs vse all care and diligence yea all the holy meanes that God hath appointed to increase our faith that being armed therby we may resist and ouercome our enemie the diuell But here it may be demaunded whether the diuell be to be resisted only by faith or some other things to be vsed I answere that Saint Peter doth set downe the only way by which we are to resist the diuell we haue nothing whereby to withstand him but faith and that is sufficient alone to withstand him whatsoeuer way hee sekeeth to hurt vs. I suppose that the reason heerof is euident vnto all men The power of God alone is sufficient euery man will confesse to shielde vs from the Diuell and no power indeed but the power of God Faith onely armeth vs with that power of God and maketh it as it were ours He that standeth and liueth as the the Scripture speaketh by faith standeth and liueth not in himselfe but in the power of God If we thinke it lawfull to seeke help to resist him and to put him to flight any where but in God then may we vse some other way to resist him besides faith We are to resist him by praier will some say That is true for prayer is a speciall fruite of faith the liuely faith doth bring foorth true prayer And if the prayer bee not of faith it cannot help to deliuer vs from the tyranny of Satan Faith sendeth vp praier yea with fasting strong praier which draweth downe the power of God vpon vs which shieldeth and defendeth vs from the rage of the fiende All other meanes that haue beene deuised to put diuels to flight are vaine and friuolous yea meere illusions of Satans owne deuising which wickedlie deface the power of God For when men cannot resist by faith then doe they flie vnto those other meanes as more sure Wofull is the state of the world in this thing that when men wil not learne of God to resist the diuell they learne at the diuell himselfe But that this thing may be more euident we are to see how many wayes the diuell seeketh to deuour vs. I doe not meane that we should in particulars see those wayes by which the Diuell deuoureth the soules of men for who is able so to expresse them surely not any mortall man For he hath manifold sleightes subtilties and craftes yea euen ten thousand deuises of all sorts to snare and to entrap the soules withall Hee hath also his forces and fierie dartes of terrour to wounde withall It is no dealing in particulars but to bee armed stronglie to resist him howsoeuer he commeth My purpose therefore is but to touch certaine generall heads which containe the rest So that this cruell aduersarie this roaring Lyon the Diuell may catch the praie deuour it he careth not which way it bee for that is the ende of all if hee may carie soules to hell And therefore according to the seuerall states and conditions that men bee in hee frameth himselfe to set vpon them There is no man I suppose which will make any doubt that the diuel coueteth to plunge al men as deep as he can into all euill but according as men are apt and incliued he is faine to deale as he may with some one way with some another Such as be ignorant in darknesse with them he dealeth that he may keep the pure cleere and heauenlie light of the Gospell out of their harts so holde them still vnder the power and in the kingdome of darknesse Touching these Saint Paule saith If our Gospell be hid it is hid to those that perish in whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes euen of the infidels least the light of the Gospell of the glorie of Christ shoulde shine vnto them which is the image of God 2. Cor. 4. vers 3.4 To bring this to passe this enemie vseth speciall meanes by which he may diffame the Gospel and the profession of it as a doctrine not to bee suffered breeding and drawing with it so manie enils As namelie he soweth errours heresies and wicked opinions He is the father of al such things He raiseth vp the heretickes and Schismatickes and then suggesteth to the heartes of men which be his chiefe seruants that the Gospell hath bred them and they proclaime it with open mouth Behold and see say they what a doctrine is this yea this new learning that hath brought foorth so many foule heresies and diuisions The diuell say they the diuell goeth with it How can it be of God how can it bee good doctrine which bringeth foorth such fruit Satan did practise this while the holie Apostles were aliue vpon the earth as we read how the false Apostles did seeke almost euerie where to pul down that which S Paule had built S. Iohn in the Reuelation mentioneth the Nicholaitanes and a woman which said she was a Prophetesse that taught seduced the seruāts of the Lord that they might commit fornication and eat of things offred vnto Idols And the same Apostle saith that in his time there were many Antichrists for so he calleth the heretikes which then were 1. Ioh. 2. S. Paule said to the Elders of Ephesus I knowe this that after my departure there shall enter in among you grieuous Wolues not sparing the flocke and there shall rise vp of your selues that shal speak peruerse
them in their bodies or in their goods because of their sinnes They haue despised the lawes of God they bee carelesse to knowe the way of saluation When this scourge is vpon them they are to weigh and to consider how grieuouslie they haue offended and how much they haue prouoked the Lorde to wrath who hath therfore giuen leaue to this wicked enemie so to plague them They should nowe seeke vnto the Lorde and intreate him to haue mercie vpon them They should lament and bewaile their sinnes and turne from their wicked wayes vnto the way of righteousnesse and then should this their calamitie be a meane to bring thē neerer to God to the saluation of their soules They are to intreat the Lorde vpon their repentance to remooue the plague from them And if it bee not remooued they are still more and more to be humbled they ought to fast and pray yea they are to vse all good meanes to come to the true knowledge of God and to a sound faith that they may escape from being deuoured by this enemie vnto eternall damnation If the Lorde doe not deliuer them by and by but that they be tormented in their owne bodies or in their children or goods let them knowe it is because they doe not so throughly repent nor so throughlie seek the Lord as they ought to doe Let them therefore yet humble themselues further and seek more earnestlie to knowe the way of God and to be armed with true and liuely faith There was a woman which had a spirite of infirmitie eighteen yeares and was bowed together and was bowed together and could in no wise lift vp her selfe Iesus healed her and said that Satan had bound her eighteen yeares Luk. 13. ver 11.13.15 If the Lord shall giue Satan power so long to afflict let vs not fall from God let vs not seek to resist him anie way but by faith Ye say it is knowne by experience that where the diuell hath tormented some prayer and all holie means haue beene vsed and yet no helpe at all vntill other meanes haue been sought Then belike there be meanes which are stronger against the deuill then faith prayer And there is some power mightier against him thē the power of god for those means which some men flie vnto when as they cannot preuaile by faith are such as they which are afflicted haue learned either by a prescriptiō frō the diuel himself saying let such or such a thing be don and there shall be remedie or els they haue them prescribed by some wise man or wise woman who haue them from the diuell These be very paltrie things as there be a number I need not to repeate them they bee too well knowne and too much practised and yet they be more sought vnto then faith is which armeth vs with the power of God What a dishonor is this to the high Maiestie of the Almightie What an infidelitie is it Shall men run to the diuell for help Is he fitter to teach them or of more power then God But ye say we see the thing is wrought by those meanes which could not otherwise be obtayned Satan is expelled and ease hath followed Hath Satan expelled Satā or hath he taught how he might be expelled indeede Is the diuell become so simple Wil he hinder his owne kingdome Are men so foolish as to beleeue that he is by such things in very deed driuen out A man tormented sore in his bodie he feareth that it is some witch that hath done it He is aduised by his neighbours to sende vnto some cunning man Worde is sent backe that indeed he hath bad neighbours let him do such or such a thing and he shal haue ease Well he doth it hath ease What shall we think that the diuell is driuen out A wofull driuing out He doth cease from tormenting the bodie for a time that he may enter deeper into the soule He winneth by this driuing out The like may be said where he hath power giuen vnto him to destroy mens cattell They be taught many thinges howe to resist him among other to offer some burnt offering vnto him they must burne somwhat aliue Well he commeth no more there is a power aboue faith that hath put him to flight And where as you say that some haue beene of the minde that they would not seek any way or meanes but only to God and would rest vntil he should restrain the diuell but haue been glad in the ende to vse other meanes It is a lamentable hearing that the faith of any should so far faile that in steed of approching neerer to God by strong repentance they haue turned to the counsell of the diuell If they could not find helpe by praier they might be assured that the Lord would yet afflict them further that with al humblenes they ought to submit themselues vnder his mightie hand yea they ought to haue considered the weaknesse of their faith and the grieuousnes of their sinnes and so haue sought by all meanes possible to get a stedfast faith and vnfained repentance This their affliction by Satan should haue been a warning vnto them to make thē cleaue more firmlie to God to look better to themselues and see how it hath driuen them to run backe from God to the diuell But you say God hath appointed meanes and hee that refuseth the meanes tempteth God As for example shal a man crie Lord help and not stirre Indeed if you could prooue that God had appointed such meanes to driue away diuels where faith cannot your saying were true But where can you prooue in al the whole word of God that any such meanes are appointed to put diuels to flight If those meanes be not in the holie Scriptures they be not ordained of God they be not of faith it is not the power of God that expelleth Satan but it is his owne sleight that seemeth to be repelled and vanquished when he is not they be means of his own deuising which he hath taught by those that haue familiarity with him The holie Scriptures do condemne it as a most wicked thing that men should haue any dealing with diuels to be taught at their handes Wee are to be taught of God Christ Iesus is our onely Doctor shall we then learne at the mouth of Diuels A man is taken lame he suspecteth that hee is bewitched he sendeth to the cunning man Hee demaun̄deth whom they suspect and then sheweth the image of the partie in a glasse When this is done he sheweth and prescribeth what the lame man shall doe for to get remedie howe hee shall cause the olde witch to come vnto him and how he shall vse her Heer all is done by the direction of the diuell are these meanes then appointed by God Also there is one whome Sathan doth as it were possesse and doth torment the bodie there is seeking vnto god but not like the Cananitish woman that came to Christ to