in Gods Church must goe together with the outward element else it is nothing Thirdly for the Apostles Creed they haue it in word but they deny it in deede For though they say they beleeue in God the father and in Iesus Christ yet in effect they deny both God and Christ. For the God of the Papists is an idol God and the Christ of the Papists a false Christ as we haue shewed in handling of the Creed Fourthly for the scripture wee must know the word of God stands not in bare words and letters but in the true sense and meaning of the Holy ghost contained in the scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles Now though they haue the bookes of Scripture yet in sundry main grounds of religion they ouerthrow the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Again they keep the scripture as a lantern holds a candle not for it selfe but for passengers so is the scripture with them not for their synagogue but for Gods secret ones among them for euen in the midst of Poperie hath God euer had some of his elect who haue not embraced their cursed doctrine Lastly for their plea to be the mother Church we must distinguish between the ancient Church of Rome and the strumpet that now is the ancient Church of Rome to whom Paul writ was a true and famous church and a mother Church but she is now dead and buried and the now Roman Church is no mother Church no spouse of Christ but the whore of Babel the mother of abhominations from which we are commanded to depart Reuelat. 18. 4. Secondly in that Christ is brought to Ierusalē that holy City there to be tempted wee learne that no holinesse of place on earth can debarre the Diuell from his temptations he brings Christ from the wildernesse to tempt him in the holy city euen vpon the holy temple hee will thrust himselfe on Iehoshuahs right hand to resist him though Iehoshuah stand before the Angell of the Lord to minister to the Lord. And therefore the follie of Papists is egregious that thinke the signe of the crosse holy water reliques and such Massing inchantments haue vertue in them to free their houses or their bodies frō the assaults of Satan Lastly heereby wee see that change of place is but a sillie cure for a troubled mind indeed change of aire may much further bodily cures but a troubled mind hath conflicts with the diuel who will not leaue for change of place Ierusalem will fit his turne as well as the wildernesse The second part of the Diuels preparation to this conflict is this and set him on a pinnacle of the temple The word translated pinnacle signifieth properly a wing of the temple whereby some take to be meant the sharpe brouches and spires on the top of the temple whereof there were diuers but these as I take it are not heere meant for such a spire cannot wel be called a wing others take it for some part of the battlement made on the top of the Temple which was flat as the Iewes vsed to build to keepe men from falling others take it for any top corner of the Temples and whether of these it was we cannot certainly define but this we must holde that it was some dangerous steepe downe place on some corner of the Temple or on the battlements from which a man might easily cast himselfe whereby we see the Diuell will omit no aduantage that may further his temptations which should make vs the more carefull of our standing against him VERSE 6. And said vnto him If thou be the sonne of God cast thy selfe downe for it is written that he wil giue his Angels charge ouer thee and with their hands they shall lift thee vp lest at any time thou shouldst dash thy foot against a stone THese wordes containe the second maine point in this conflict to wit Satans assault vpon Christ wherein we are to obserue first his temptation then the reason whereby he doth enforce it His temptation heere is framed as the former was in a kind of reasoning thus If thou be the sonne of God then shew the same by casting thy selfe downe from this pinnacle of the temple But as I see thou art certainly perswaded that thou art the sonne of God Therefore cast thy selfe downe and thereby declare it Seeing this is a distinct temptation from the former I doubt not but it must be thus framed with this conclusion for if it had the same conclusion with the former it should be the same temptation Satans meaning then is this as if he had said I haue made triall to see expresly whether thou be the sonne of God or not and it seemes thou doest vndoubtedly beleeue that voice of thy father to be true which said This is my welbeloued sonne in whom I am wel pleased Now if this be so indeed it is conuenient thou shouldest confirme the same by some miracle and the fittest place thou canst doe it in is this therefore cast thy selfe downe headlong from this pinnacle and yet preserue thy selfe in safety without all hurt in the fall The drift of Satan in this temptation was to bring our Sauior Christ to a vaine confidence in his Fathers protection and indeed to flat presumption vpon his extraordinarie prouidence in the neglect of lawfull ordinary means as by Satans conclusion the answer of Christ will easily appeare And hereby we may obserue that one maine drift of Satan in his ordinarie temptations in Gods church is to carry men to presumption and vaine confidence in the loue fauor and mercy of God this appeares by the strange reasonings for libertie in sinne which many frame to themselues and some are not ashamed to vtter as first God is mercifull and Christ shedde his bloud for their redemption and therefore they will not be so strict and precise in hearing sermons and reading conferring about the word as many are but they wil take the pleasures and seeke the profits of this life Thus reasoned some in the Apostles daies Let vs continue in sin that grace may abound of such Iude complaineth saying They turne the grace of God into wantonnesse Such there haue beene euer since at this day they doe euerie where abound Secondly some say they are either ordained to saluation or damnation now if to saluation they are sure of it how euer they liue and if to damnation they cannot escape it though they liue neuer so holily for Gods decree is vnchangeable and therfore they will take their pleasure and liue as they list Thirdly others say they haue euer found Gods goodnesse towards them and they are perswaded he will neuer see them want and therefore they will not toile themselues with labor care as others do but take their ease and pleasure while they may haue it and so neglect their charge and calling and giue themselues wholly to their sports and pleasures to company keeping or such
pinnacle of the temple Now if hee had power to set him there why might hee not also cary him thither God ordaining this as well as his temptation The vse By this we see that men may be transported by the Diuell from place to place as the records of all ages do report this one thing yet obserued wherin the common opinion faileth that the Diuell cannot conuey a man aliue so far in a little time as many men thinke as a thousand or two thousand miles in an houre for no man is able to endure such violent motion and yet liue as experience teacheth let a man fall from some high steeple and his breath wil be gone and hee dead before hee come at the ground by reason of the violence of his motion Indeed the Diuell can carrie a man very swiftly but yet for the safetie of mans life he must prolong his time far more than otherwise of himselfe hee needs to doe Secondly hence wee learne that by Gods permission the Diuell may haue power ouer the bodies of Gods owne children which are true beleeuers to transport them from place to place for dealing thus with the head Christ Iesus why may hee not doe so with any of his members besides we find that God permitting him hee hath done more than this to the Saints of God hee may possesse their bodies as he did the woman of Canaans daughter Mat. 15. 22. He may torment them long as hee did exceeding grieuously bow the body of a daughter of Abraham eighteen years Luk. 13 16. Yea he may kill the body as he did to Iobs children who no doubt were holy persons Iob. 1. 19. And therefore much more may hee transport them from place to place Heere this question may fitly be answered whether a true beleeuer may be bewitched Answ. Hee may there is none vpon earth so faithfull and holy but if God permit Satan can afflict their bodies grieuously and therefore also they may be bewitched It is but the fancy of presumptuous persons when they say their faith is so strong that all the witches in the world cannot hurt them for if God permit Satan can grieuously afflict mans body as he did the body of Iob. yea he can kil the body as hath been shewed Salomon speaking of outward things saith truly All things come alike to all and the same condition is to the iust and to the wicked now the wicked man may be bewitched as al will grant why then may not the godly also seeing it is but an outward euill This therfore must abate their pride that stand so much on their strong faith behold this fact of Satan to the holy body of Christ and heereby learne for thy humiliation that if God permit Satan is able to bring vpon thy body great affliction Further obserue the place whither Satan caries our Sauiour Christ into the holy city that is Ierusalem Quest. Why is it called holy seeing now it was a polluted place full of sinful people Answ. It is called holy for these causes 1. because heere was the Lords temple the place of his solemne worship wherein were the holy rites and ceremonies prescribed for Gods worship Secondly in Ierusalem as also in all the synagogues of Iudea was Moses chaire the law and the Prophets were read expounded Thirdlie Ierusalem was the mother City of all the world in respect of religion heere God ordained that his church should first be planted and from hence must religion bee deriued to other nations The vse Hence we may obserue that at this time Ierusalē was the true church of God indeed it was very corrupt both for doctrine and maners as Christs seuere reproofe of both doth plainely shew Mat. 5. 21. c. and Mat. 23. 13. 14. c. and yet a true Church else the holy ghost would not haue called it the holy city Now if Ierusalem at this time were the true church of God then then may wee well say that in England God hath his true church for let the corruptions of our Church bee as they are yet shall it match Ierusalem in the prerogatiues of Gods church They had the law and the Prophets read and expounded so haue wee and the Gospel also which is the power of God to mans saluation They had the Sacraments and ceremonies of the Law answerable thereto wee haue the Sacraments of the Gospell and also a true and holy forme of seruing God Their Ierusalem was a mother city and though wee cannot say so much in that behalfe yet hath our Church beene a nurce to neighbour Churches in Germany France and other places round about for many yeares in regard whereof the Lord no doubt hath bestowed many blessings vpon vs. And therefore though our sinnes and abuses be many and grieuous yet in regard of Church prerogatiues we may be called a holy nation and a true member of the Church of God so that as our Sauiour Christ and his Disciples ioined themselues to the congregations of the Iewes in their legal seruice and forsooke them not till they became no Church so ought it to be among vs till we separate from Christ none should seuer themselues from our church ministery seruice of God Those therefore that make a separation from our Church because of corruptions in it are farre from the spirit of Christ and his Apostles If any shal say this makes wel for the church of Rome if so corrupt a place as Ierusalem in regard of Church prerogatiues were an holie city for they haue as many prerogatiues for religion as the Iewes then had and therefore are the church of God and so we do not well to separate from them Answ. Some indeed that are no Papists say the Church of Rome is the Church of God but the truth is the present Church of Rome is spirituall Babylon the mother of abhominations no spouse of Christ but a strumpet But they plead their prerogatiues as first their succession from Peter Secondly true baptisme for substāce according to the first institution Thirdly the Apostles Creed which they hold and beleeue Fourthly the word of God in the writings of the Prophets Apostles And Lastly that theirs is the mother church Answ. All this is nothing when the truth appeares for first succession in person without succession in doctrine is no note of a church now let them shew succession in the Apostles doctrine and we yeeld Secondly their baptisme alone though for substance true baptisme cannot prooue them a true Church Circumcision was the Sacrament of Gods church yet Samaria and Colchis were not the Church of God though they vsed it againe the thiefe may shew the true mans purse but that proueth him not to be true and honest no more doth baptisme iustifie the church of Rome to bee a true church Lastly though they haue outward baptism yet indeed they ouerthrow inward baptisme the life of that sacrament to wit imputed righteousnesse and renued holinesse which
like Yea by this temptation to presumption Satan oft preuailes with the better sort for if a man fauour the trueth and giue himselfe to know religion in any sort the Diuell will straight way go about to perswade him that that which he doth is sufficient to his saluation thus wil keepe him from vsing further means to come by the certaine knowledge of his election and full affiance in Christ Iesus to become a perfect man in Christ which is the end of Gods holy ministery Ephes. 4. 13. whereunto we should giue all diligence 2. Pet. 1. 10. See the truth heereof in the fine foolish virgins who carried burning lamps but tooke no oile with them neuer minding that till it was too late and so doe most men content themselues with the blazing lampe of an outward profession neuer looking for the oile of grace till the time of grace he past The vse Heereby then wee are all taught in speciall maner to beware of presumption this is the common snare of the Diuel wherein he intangles many a soule It is true indeed that he oft preuailes by bringing men to desperation but a thousand perish through presumption almost for one by desperation for despaire is a painfull thing to flesh and bloud and as the Diuell knowes well doth sometimes turne to a mans more sound conuersion but to presume is sweet and pleasant to the flesh and most agreeable to mans corrupt nature in regard whereof wee ought to keepe out heart with all watch ward as Dauid praieth Keepe thy seruant from presumptuous sinnes Ps. 19. 13. Againe obserue the order of Satans temptations by comparing this with the former There he sought to ouerthrow Christs faith to bring him to distrust the trueth of Gods word vttered from heauen but finding hee could not that way preuaile heere he takes the cleane contrary course and seekes to bring him to presume This serues to discouer vnto vs the deepe guile and subtilty of the Diuell that can so cunningly turn himselfe from one extreame vnto another And looke as he dealeth here with Christ the head so doth hee continue towards all his members if he cannot bring them to one extreame he will assay them hard in the other If hee cannot bring a man to couetousnesse and keepe his heart to the loue of money then let him beware of riot and prodigality Is a man giuen to pleasures and delight and an length is depriued of them then let him beware the Diuell swallow him not vp with ouermuch griefe as he sought to do with the incestuous person of Corinth Doth a man come to loue religion that formerly was giuen to loosenesse of life then if it be possible the Diuell will carrie him to schisme heresie The Diuel cannot abide that a man should keepe the meane according to Gods word Isay 30. 21. He would haue our first parents to be Gods or no body Gene. 3. 5. And so still he laboureth to bring a man to some extreame We therefore in all estates during life must labour to keepe the golden meane as Christ heere did neither doubting on the one hand nor presuming on the other but retaining still that blessed faith whereby his blessed heart was firmly setled in these assaults Thus much for Satans drift Now come to the words of this temptation If thou be the sonne of God then cast thy selfe downe that is shew by this miracle that thou art the sonne of God Marke here the Diuell perswades him not to shew himselfe to be the sonne of God by doctrine in the execution of his ministerie but Cast thy selfe downe shew a miracle wherein we may beholde the very liuely image of that naturall disposition which is in all impenitent persons they affect Christes miracles but they care not for his doctrine Herod longed to see Christ and was glad of his comming when Pilate sent him yet not to heare his doctrine for that he could not endure els he would not haue imprisoned Iohn and also put him to death but he hoped to see a miracle The wicked Iewes desire a signe that put Christ to death for his doctrine yet if be will come downe from the crosse and so miraculously saue himselfe then they will beleeue Mark 15. 32. And this venom of the olde serpent hath poisoned the hearts of many students in the Scriptures who care not at all to ground themselues in the fundamentall points of religion as faith and repentance and yet are woonderfull eager after quidditles and difficulties wherein may appeare some outward shew of wit and learning like the hypocriticall Pharisies that would tithe mint and rue and yet passe ouer iudgement and the loue of God Luk. 11. 42. And the cause hereof is the want of sound grace for naturall men indeed can not sauour the things of the spirit of God the knowledge of Christ crucified seemes foolishnesse vnto them Secondly the Diuell tooke occasion of his former temptation from Christs infirmitie of hunger but perceiuing Christs sure faith in his fathers word by his gratious answer to that assault heere he borrowes his temptation from that profession of his faith as if he should say thou seemest to be resolued of the trueth of thy fathers word that thou art the sonne of God and if that be true indeed then shew it by this miracle Cast thy selfe downe Heere then behold another tricke of Satan if he cannot preuaile by assaults drawen from our infirmities then will he assay vs by temptations drawen from Gods good gifts and graces in vs If he cannot keepe a man in ignorance that hath good gifts of wit memory then will hee seeke from his knowledge to puffe him vp with pride and so mingling his poison with Gods good gifts doth cause many a one to become a bane to Gods church that otherwise might haue prooued an excellent instrument therein as might easily be shewed in sundry particulars Thirdly heere marke how Satans malice is restrained and his power limited By Gods permission he is able to carrie Christ from the wildernes to Ierusalem and there to set him in a most dangerous place on a wing of the temple the thing hee now desireth is his destruction by casting downe head long but that he can not doe and therefore perswades Christ to cast himself down wherein we see the speciall prouidence of God ouer Christ Iesus in all these temptations restraining his enemy in the thing he most desired And the same prouidence doth he still continue ouer his Church for the effectuall preseruation of Christs members in all their temptations The Diuels vnwearied desire drift is to bring contentions hurliburlies and ruines into all societies in Church and Common-wealth therfore the peace and tranquillity of these is and so must bee acknowledged a notable fruit of Gods blessed prouidence restraining the spite and malice of Satan Againe hence it is euident that in temptation Satan cannot go beyond the permission of
by them the Diuell can cunningly conuey his temptations into our hearts the senses specially these two are the windowes of the heart and soule and if we keepe them not well Satan will be sure to conuay some euill into vs. We must therefore obey Salomons counsell keepe thy heart aboue all watch and ward this we cannot do vnlesse we looke well to our outward senses for they are the doores of the heart This made Dauid to pray Lord turne away mine eies from beholding vanity and Iob to make a couenant with his eies And so must wee make conscience of hearing and looking lest thereby wee giue aduantage to the Tempter Further in this sight obserue the deep policy of the Diuell there are in the kingdomes of the world besides glory and dignity many troubles hurliburlies and vexations now these the Diuell conceales from Christ and shewes him only the glory pompe wealth and dignity of the world that so hee might the more easily winde his temptation into the heart of our Sauiour Christ. And this same course he stil obserueth in tempting men to sinne he hides from their eies all the miseries plagues and punishments which are due to sin and that will follow vpon it and shewes them onely all the profits and delights that they may reape thereby thus hee sugars ouer the poison of his temptations that men neuer feele the bitternesse of them till their soules be thereby deadly infected but then he takes a cleane contrary course and shewes to the wounded soule all the woes and terrours of Gods wrath that if it be possible he may bring a man to despaire And therefore we must be most watchfull of being insnated with the deceitfulnesse of sinne in the false shew of profit and pleasure Secondly the diuels policy doth notably appeare in reseruing this temptation for the last place for he knowes full well how forcible with man be the temptations of profits pleasures honors From whence we may also learne that temptations fetched on the right hand from honour pleasure and commodity are the most dangerous and doe soonest creepe into the heart of man preuailing far more then temptations on the left hand which are taken from aduersity The Diuell foiled Dauid worse in the time of peace ease then euer he could do during the time of Sauls grieuous persecution against him And he preuailed more against the Church by errours and heresies vnder Constantine and other christian Emperours then he could do by most bloudy persecution for the space of three hundred years before Yea in these our daies wordly hopes haue drawn those from the syncerity of religion whom outward violence could not moue prosperity is a slippery path wherein a man doth soone catch a fall and therefore we must learne to be most watchfull ouer our owne harts when we haue fairest weather with the world Lastly S. Luke addeth this circumstance of time that the Diuell shewed all these things vnto Christ in as short a time as might be euen in a moment or point of time whereby we may perceiue the Diuels great celerity speed in doing any thing he takes in hand herein he goes beyond all men in the world for being a spirit hee is able to worke wonders and though he cannot go beyond the strength and compasse of nature because his power is finite yet by reason of his agility and speed he can goe beyond the ordinary course of nature in the maner of working the things hee takes in hand And this exceeding quicke speed the Diuell heere vseth to stirre vp in Christ a more eager desire after those strange goodly things wherof he had but as it were a glimple that so by degrees he might worke in Christ a liking of them for the nature of man doth more eagerly affect strange things when they be sudden and the eie of man doth more wistly behold them And this also as the former must make vs watchful against all Satans crafty wiles that wee be not beguised by him Thus much for Satans preparation The second point in this conflict is the temptation it selfe in these words vers 9. And said vnto him all these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me The drift of Satan in this assault which we must carefully obserue is to draw Christ to commit idolatry by the hope of wordly kingdomes and the glory of them heerwith he proues him when he could neither weaken his faith by his first temptation nor worke presumption in him by his second And looke how he dealeth heere with Christ so doth he commonly in the world many a ones conscience and religion doth he quite ouerthrow by wordly hopes of riches pleasures and preserments heerby not only ordinary professours but ministers and preachers of the Gospell haue beene drawen to absure and renounce that truth which formerlie they haue taught and to betake themselues as the Popes vassals to professe and maintain his blasphemous idolatries heerby also Protestant merchants are drawen to become very seruiceable to the Popish Churches by transporting among them wax and such like merchandize which serue as necessary helps furtherances to their idolatrous seruice And what else is it that makes the people generally to change religion with the times and states but because they would still enioy their wordly commodities And the more men doe possesse in the world ordinarily the lesse courage and resolution they haue for the religion of God as experience in Queen Maries daies hath shewed which in generall may admonish vs how dangerous an enemy the world is to the power of true religion This temptation hath two parts A promise made to Christ and the condition thereof The promise in these words All these will I giue thee he saith not I will procure God to giue them vnto thee but I will giue thee them where we may see that Satans drift is to cause Christ to take him for his Lord to depend and wait on him for his kingdom and to acknowledge him to be the giuer thereof which notably bewraies his egregious boldnesse that dares thus challenge to himselfe the Lords owne right euen in the presence of him who was true Lord King of heauen and earth Let no man therefore thinke that Satan will lose ought for want of aduenture but in regard thereof be better armed against him Now that which the Diuell aimed at in Christ doth hee commonly effect in the world he makes men beleeue that he is the giuer of all things and so brings many a one to relie vpon him Indeed with their lips men wil confesse that God giues them their daily bread euen all things they haue but their dealings and practises speake aloud that the diuel is gouerner and giuer of all for how do many men get their liuings Is it not by lying fraud and oppressio Doe not most men heereby seeke to inrich themselues Wel the iust Lord neuer
that which belongs to God alone The consideration whereof must moue vs who in all godlie conuersation must be contrary to Satan to renounce all lying and to make conscience to speake the truth from our hearts And also to abandon all vaine boasting of our selues what we are or what we can do yea rather to speake basely of our selues that so God in all good things we do may haue the glory Lying and bragging are the properties of Satan and therefore can not beseeme the tongue and heart of the children of God The second point in this temptation is the hard condition which satan would haue Christ to yeeld vnto for this gift If thou wilt fall down worship me euen to commit most abominable idolatrie in worshipping the Diuell himselfe Heerein we may obserue sundrie things First that it is a principall part of the Diuels endeuours against Gods church to seeke the ouerthrow of true religion and the pure worship of God by sowing therein the seeds of heresies and idolatries for if he dares be thus bold with Christ the head as to seeke to draw him from the worship of his Father to such abominable idolatrie what will he not attempt with silly and sinfull men The Scriptures are plentifull in shewing his indeuours this way Michaiah saw in vision an euill spirit offering himselfe vnto God to become a lying spirit in the mouth of all Ahabs prophets euen foure hundred at one time When Iehoshuah the high Priest stood before the Lord Satan stood at his right hand to resist him hee sought to hinder the building and worship of the materiall temple much more therefore will he seeke to hinder the building of the spirituall temple euen the worke of the ministery in conuersion of soules whereby they are pulled out of Satans kingdome and made pillars in the temple of the liuing God Satan is that enuious man that soweth tares of errors and heresies in the church of God which is the field of the good husbandman He hindred Paul from comming to the Thessalonians whereby it appeares that he did his endeuour to hinder the course of the Apostolicall ministery In the church of Smyrna he cast some into prison stirring vp wicked men so to do thereby to hinder the embracing of the Gospell Iohn saw three vncleane spirits like frogges come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet These are spirits of Diuels working miracles and going to the kings of the earth thither they go for the stoppage of the Gospell for if kings oppose themselues they become greatest hinderers to the Gospell of all other And these frogges by the common consent of Catholike expositors are the rabble of Popish Friers Priests and Iesuites who seeke the infection of States thorow all the world By all which the Diuels enmitie against the Church is most apparent The vse I. This shewes what care and diligence Gods Ministers should shew for the building of Gods Church and the furtherance of the Gospell for they should seeke to the vttermost of their power to counteruaile the enuious practise of satan against the Church II. Euery Christian must hence learne to pray not only for their owne good estate but also for the welfare of Gods Church euery where in the free passage of the Gospell in the establishing of true doctrine and in the continuance of constant obedience therunto For Satans endeuour is to subuert and corrupt the truth and to draw men from obedience and vnto him Gods children must euer oppose themselues the rather because their welfare stands in the good of Gods Church Secondlie in this condition of Satans offer to Christ wee may obserue that his endeuour is to bring men to worship him for if he durst attempt a demaund heerof at the hands of Christ who shall thinke to escape this assault when oportunity serues him And howsoeuer men thinke it impossible that Satan should thus far preuaile with any as to bring them to worship him yet doubtlesse though hee could not preuaile with Christ heerein hee attaines his purpose in the world and that with the greatest part thereof for the three religions of the Iew Turke and Papist doe at this day ouerspread the greatest part of the face of the earth and in them all such a worship of God is propounded vnto men wherein God is not worshipped but the Diuell For the euidence whereof marke these two rules First that all doctrines denised by man in the matter of religion which either directly or by iust consequence oppugne the word of God are doctrines of Diuels 1. Tim. 4. 1. 3. Doctrines repugnant to the word touching mariage and meares are doctrines of Diuels and so by proportion are all such like Secondly all deuised worship of God by man against Gods word is no worship of God but of the Diuell 1. Cor. 10. 20. The things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice vnto Diuels and not vnto God Doubtlesse the Gentiles intended to worship God in their images but because that worship was not according to Gods wil the Apostle respects not their intent as a thing that could nothing auaile in this case but saith peremptorily their worship was done vnto the Diuell And in reason it must bee so for why should wee thinke that God should accept that for his worship which is not agreeable to his will but denised by man according to the will of the Diuel From these two rules it will follow that the best of the three forenamed religions is no worship of God but of the Diuell for all of them haue such worship as is deuised by man not of God The Iew worships God out of Christ and so doth the Turke yea and the Papists worship God but yet out of the true Christ for as hath beene shewed elsewhere the Christ of the Papists is a counterfet Christ. And in many other points of their religion there is apparent repugnancy to the word of God yea of their sacrifice of the Masse wee may as truly say as the Apostle did of heathen idol worship that they sacrifice not vnto God but to the Diuell for therein is as vile accursed and abominable idolatrie as euer was deuised by man So that it is plaine the Diuel doth mightily preuaile in causing men to worship him Yea hee preuaileth thus not onely in the world but in Gods Church for all such as notwithstanding their outward profession haue their hearts set vpon the world more eagerly affecting the honours profits and pleasures thereof then God and his word do in deed and truth worship the Diuell for hee is the God of this world ruling in the heart of the children of disobedience by the baites of honour profit and pleasure he steales mens hearts from God and so heerein they doing the will of the Diuell must needs worship him for looke whereon a man seteth his