Scripture roundly as wel as he And therfore we must be wary how we entertaine doctrines of heretikes and false teachers though they seeme to proue them by the Scriptures for the Diuel he hath his scriptum est it is written as ready as may be But we must learne to proue the spirits that is the doctrines of men whether they be of God or not 1. Iohn 4. 1. lest the Diuel and wicked men deceiue vs for we see here how the Diuel can alleage Scripture and that fitly for his purpose And it is the subtil practise of the diuel to alleage Scripture that so he may perswade men to receiue his damnable doctrines and become heretickes and scismatickes And to this end he doth grosly abuse the Scriptures yea when he would perswade men to liue in sinne he hath his Scriptum est very ready and can tel them At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne he shall haue mercie and truly by his abusing of Scripture he preuailes with many The wordes which the diuell alleageth are taken out of the fourescore and eleuenth Psalme the eleuenth verse For he shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes c. Now the Diuell in alleaging and propounding the words is very precise and sheweth himselfe very carefull in repeating of the words in so much as he will not leaue out no not this particle For which might well haue bene left out Yet in the end he stickes not to leaue out a whole clause which is the maine point and ground of Gods promise namely this to keepe thee in all thy wayes Where we may see how the diuell doth most vilâ—ly abuse the Scriptures of God and it is vsuall with him in his allegations to put in or to put out something or some way or other to depraue them or to corrupt the sense and meaning of the Scriptures to serue his owne turne And as this is the diuels manner in his alleaging and dealing with the Scriptures so do the Papists as his scholers For though in word they hold the Scriptures yet it is vsuall with them to put in or leaue out or by some meanes to corrupt and depraue theÌ„ in the sense and meaning as might be shewed by example Well seeing the diuell is so skilfull in the Scriptures and can alleage them so readily and so fitly for his purpose and withall is so malicious to mince them and depraue them it should make all men to studie the holy Scriptures that so we might be acquainted with them and be able to disclose and to descry Satans fallations and subtilties and we should wish with Moses that all the Lords people could prophecie But especially the Ministers of the word they must labour to be thorowly acquainted with the booke of God to obserue euen the circumstances of the text else the diuell will cast a mist before their eyes and beguile them with his subtill fallations and therefore they must do as Ezechiel did eate vp the book of God And that we might not perceiue Satans subtilties and deceit he labours to keepe men in ignorance of the word and by all meanes to haue the Scriptures hid and darke and if it were possible to root out the schooles of learning and that the Bible might be burned And as he preuailes in Poperie to bring men to this that all religion and the Scriptures might hang on mens deuises and mans learning as they do in Poperie ground all vpon Lumbard the maister of the Sentences and barre the common people from the Scriptures locking them vp in an vnknowne tong so with Christians he taketh the like course for he perswades them that the Scriptures are hard to be vnderstood and very obscure and troublesome and therfore he drawes menâ— minds from the studie of them to reade the writings of men because they seeme to be more pleasant and delectable that so 〈◊〉 being not acquainted with the text might not descrie his deceipts and subtilties Againe seeing the diuell can alleage the word of God and say It is written and that he can bring in Scripture fit for his purpose what a shame is it for Christians if they do not labor so to know the Scriptures of God that they may alleage them as occasion shall serue that not as some do to heape place vpon place without all reason but to alleage them fitly and to the purpose Lastly seeing this is a diuellish and satanicall practise in alleaging the Scriptures to depraue and corrupt them to leaue out and put in at his pleasure it must warne vs that when we are lawfully called we do speake and vtter the words of other men euen all no more but all neither putting to them nor taking from theÌ„ and that without changing their words or the sense and meaning of them He shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee The true sense of the place is this that the Lore had a speciall care of his people and when he sent any iudgement vpon the Israelites he gaue them this comfortable promise that in the middest of all their troubles he himselfe would protect them And as this promise was made to them so it is generall to the whole Church of God and belongs to vs. For in all common iudgements and calamities the children of God which walke in his waies shal be sure to haue protection and securitie for the Angels of God by his appointment do hold them vp as it were in their hands In which words there is a comparison taken from nurses who hauing children committed to their care do hold them very charily and tenderly in their hands and dare not let them go out of their armes euen so the Angels of God by his appointment become euen as nurses to his children in all their lawful wayes and do attend vpoÌ„ them and are very carefull to protect them from danger so long as they keepe themselues within the compasse of Gods word It is true indeed that iudgement begins at the house of God and he often afflicts his dearest children to trie their faith and patience yet is is most certaine that in commoÌ„ calamities the children of God shall haue protection and security yea the Angels of God as it were nurses shal hold them in their hands and defend them so long as they keepe themselues in the wayes of God and within the compasse of his will in his word But if they leaue the way of Gods commandements and waÌ„der in by-paths and go out of their lawfull callings they haue no assuraÌ„ce of Gods protection neither haue Gods Angels any charge to watch ouer them Seeing then God hath made so mercifull a promise of protection to all them that walke in his wayes and within the compasse of his commaundements it should warne vs all to beware how we go out of our wayes and lawfull callings but that we studie the law of God and as we looke for
his protection to keepe within the compasse of it Iesus said vnto him It is written againe Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God In these words is coÌ„tained the answer of our Sauiour Christ to the second temptation of the Diuell wherein he doth oppose Scripture against Scripture But to expound that place which the Diuell alleaged and to shew how vilely Satan abuseth the word of God he alleageth another place of Scripture wherein our Sauiour Christ answers the Diuell that it is true God hath made sundry promises in his word of protectioÌ„ to his people but yet so as if they refuse to walke in the coÌ„mandements of God and to vse such lawfull meanes as he prescribeth in his word he is not bound to perfome them for they be made vpon that condition Againe it is written Seeing our Sauior Christ doth alleage another place of Scripture to expound that the Diuel brought against him and to shew how he abused Scripture hence we gather that the holy Scriptures are of themselues sufficient to interprete themselues for so Christ alleageth another text of scripture to expound that which Satan alleageth and to confute his abusing of it So we find that Ezra did expound the law of God and giues the sense of it by the scriptures and so expounds the one by the other Nehem. 8. 9. Iunius Now if the seruants of God could do this in the old Testament how much more may we in the new wherein many things are most plainely opened and expounded by Christ and his Apostles But the Papists cannot by any meanes yeeld to this doctrin for they hold that that which must interprete the scriptures must haue iudiciall power and authoritie to iudge of the sense of the scriptures but they hold the scriptures are but a dumbe letter and therefore are not able to iudge of the sense aÌ„d meaning of the scriptures Yet for all that we see by the example of our sauior Christ that the scriptures are of sufficient power to giue the sense of the scriptures to interprete theÌ„selues and to shew what is the true sense of the scriptures though they be dumbe And as we see that a maÌ„ may aswel shew his mind to his friend by letters and writing as by word of mouth euen so the Lord God speakes now to his people by the scriptures as well as he did in olde time by his owne liuely voice from heauen But if the Papists will yet deny the scriptures to haue power to iudge and determine of the sense of the Scriptures then would I know who hath this power giuen vnto him They answer the church must giue iudgement and determine of the sense of the scriptures but that is false for the Lord hath not giuen any such power to the Church to determine of the sense of the scriptures at her pleasure but only he hath giuen to the ministery of the word to open and expound the scriptures by the scriptures theÌ„selues As a Lawyer hath not that power to iudge of the law of his Prince and to giue what sense he listeth but onely to expound the law and to giue the sense of it by the words of the law and other circumstances coÌ„cerning the same The Church of Rome say further they 〈◊〉 determine of the sense of the scriptures either by the rule of faith or the consent of the fathers or if they faile then the Pope he is 〈◊〉 determine of them as one that cannot erre 1 Concerning the rule of Faith by which they vnderstand vnwritten traditions how can they be fit iudges to determine of the sence of the scriptures vnlesse we will giâ—e more authoritie to vnwritten verities then to the written word of God Nay onely the scriptures must be the rule of faith and only the scriptures iudge and determine of the sense of themselues 2 Neither is the consent of Fathers a sufficient rule to giue iudgement and to determine of the sense of the scriptures for we know that they being men and many of theÌ„ hauing not the knowledge of Hebrew and Greeke yea and most of all in expounding the word are subiect to error and sometimes do erre And by the same reason the Pope is no meete man to be the iudge of the scriptures and to determine what should be the sense of theÌ„ seeing he is subiect to manifold errors and many Popes haue erred in the foundations of Religion Now follow the words of Christs answer taken out of Deut. 6. 16. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God First we must search what this word to tempt signifies secondly the maner how God is said to be teÌ„pted thirdly the cause and root of this tempting of God First To tempt God is to proue or to make trial whether God be such a one as the scriptures report him to be namely whether he be so iust so mercifull so mightie as the word of God describes him to be So the Propet Dauid expounds it Psal. 95. 9. Your father 's tempted me and proued me in the desert Where to tempt is to proue Gods iustice and mercie whether he were so iust and mercifull as the word sets him out to be and as he promised to be Secondly for the manner it is not simply to tempt and to make triall of God but to tempt God is to make needlesse triall of Gods power c. when we haue no cause to try the Lord and so it is taken here in the words of Christ Thou shalt not tempt that is thou shalt not take needlesse and vnnecessarie experience and triall of Gods power and goodnesse Thirdly the cause which moueth men to tempt God is a distrustfull and vnbeleeuing heart eueÌ„ want of faith So the Israelites teÌ„pted God Psal. 78. ver 18. 22. They tempted God in their hearts and required meate for their lust And the reason is vers 22. because they did not beleeue in God and did not trust in his helpe because they did not relye vpon his care and fatherly prouideÌ„ce so that vnbeleefe was the roote of this their tempting of God So then to tempt God is to make needlesse and vnnecessarie triall and experience of his mercie goodnesse power and iustice proceeding from a distrusting heart Now God may be tempted fiue maner of wayes First when men will take vpon them to appoint God the time when the place where and the maner how God must helpe them and accomplish his promise to them Thus the Israelites in the wildernes wanting water they say Is the Lord amongst it vs or noâ— shewing that through the Lord had promised he would be with them yet vnlesse he would at that time giue them water in their need they would not giue credit to his promise Againe Psal. 78. â—0 though the Lord had giuen them water yet they say Can he giue bread also or prepare flesh for his peopleâ— still shewing that vnlesse the Lord would at their pleasures now presently send them
And the Magistrate is especially bound to looke to this seeing it is the law of God that the blasphemer should be stoned to death now this law is perpetuall And if a man for speaking a word of disgrace against the person of the Prince wittingly and willingly shall iustly lose his life then he that is a blasphemer and speakes to the disgrace of the eternall God is much more worthie to die a thousand deaths Secondly by this answer of Christ we learne how to behaue our selues when any shall go about to perswade vs to depart froÌ„ his Church to renounce true religion we must accompt of them in that respect as the instruments of Satan If the father should seeke to withdraw his owne child from the true religion the sonne must not spare the father but must cast the first stone at him Deut. 13. And when Peter would haue disswaded Christ from going to Ierusalem he saith Get thee behind me Satan though he was an excellent Apostle yet in this Christ accompts of him as of the very diuell Againe in that Christ bids Satan now auoide and will dispute no longer with him we must hereby learne how to answer the diuell in his temptations though at the first when his temptations be more mild we may reply by the word of God yet when Satan shall be more violent in his assaults we must imitate our Sauior Christ bid him auoide and dispute no more with him And whatsoeuer he shall bring against vs when we are not able to answer him yet let vs hold the maine conclusion in the word of God not vouchsaâ—ing him an answer It is written Seeing our Sauior Christ now the third time answers the Diuell by the scriptures saying It is written we learne that the written word beleeued and vnderstood is the most sufficient weapon to confute to confound Satan his vile teÌ„ptations else Christ wold not now eueÌ„ the third time haue made choise of this weapon It is written againe This confutes the Papists who make two Scriptures one vnwritten and inward which is traditions the consent of the fathers which haue liued in all ages the other written in the holy scriptures Now they do make their vnwritten scriptures as they call them and the consent of fathers to be of equall authoritie with the written word of God which our Sauior Christ doth shew here to be the most powerfull meanes to repell all Satans temptations And the holy scriptures which they call a dead letter and make as though it had no power in it eueâ— this alone is the sword of the spirit to confound satan and therefore damnable is that their doctrine which so abuseth the holy Scriptures sets vp the erronious tradition of sinfull men For if the written word had bene but a dead letter our sauiour Christ would neuer haue made choise of it abouâ— all other weapons three seuerall times to confute Satan euery time answering It is written Secondly by this answer of Christ saying It is written we learne how to behaue our selues when any shall seeke to turne vs from true Religion to embrace false Religion though we cannot answer their arguments but they set such a colour on them by their wit and eloquence and seeme to dazle our eyes that we can not see their deceits yet we must sticke to the scriptures and cleaâ—â— fast to the text of the Bible and if we find but one sentence in al the Bible to perswade vs of the truth of Religion we must hang vpon it with both hands and let not oâ— hold go nay it must be of more force credit with vs then a thousand arguments that tend to the contrary Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God only In these words is contained the answer of our sauiour Christ to the third temptation of the Diuell The words are takeÌ„ out of Deut. 6 13. where they are read thus Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serue him Now there may seeme to be some difference in the words as they be alleaged by Christ for in that place of Deuteronomy it is said Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God our sauiour Christ saith Thou shalt worship Againe our sauiour Christ addes a word which is not added by Moses in that place namely Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God onely this word onely is not in that text of Moses But if we vnderstand two points concerning the alleaging of scripture there will appeare to be no difference the first is this that Christ and his Apostles in their alleaging of scripture do not so much sticke to the very â—illables as aime at the sense of the scriptures which they alleage The second thing is this that our sauiour Christ in alleaging scripture seekes to expound scripture and to open it in alleaging of it and so doing he may well adde a word when as the word he addeth maketh much for the meaning of the text And thus Christ in this place chaungeth the word not mistaking of it but rather to expound Moses for whereas Moses saith Thou shalt feare the Lord he meaneth that religious feare whereby we feare God and worship him Now our sauiour Christ he saith Thou shalt worship shewing Moses meant that feare whereby we do with reuerence and bowing of the body and adoring of God worship him moued thereunto by religious feare either in praying for some mercy we want or giuing thankes for some benefite receiued Againe Christ in alleaging this text of Scripture he addes a word yet so as he doth it without any fault for though this word alone be not in Moses his text expresly set downe yet it is included and in sense it is vnderstood for where he saith in the thirteenth verse Thou shalt feare the Lord and ads no more in the fourteenth verse he saith Thou shalt not walke after any other gods so that a maÌ„ may easily perceiue he did in seÌ„se include it though not expresse it in words and thus we see our sauiour Christ cleared In the text of scripture alleaged by Christ note two points first what this worship and feare is secondly to whom worship is due First worship taken generally signifieth the giuing of honor and reuerence to another Now this honour is either ciuill or diuine Ciuill honour is that outward reuerence we giue to men by â—rostrating of the body or bowing of the knee and the end of this ciuill worship is that thereby we might acknowledge another to be our superiour therfore it is giuen of subiects to Princes or of inferiours to those that by some meanes are their superiours And thus Iacob worshipped that is gaue ciuil worship to Esau seuen times Genes 33. 3. This reuerence Abraham gaue to the Hittites Gen. 23. 7. Lot to the Angels bowed himselfe to the ground Gen. 19. 1. where he gaue them onely ciuill worship and honour So then it is manifest by these examples that we may lawfully bow and bend the
her sonne to cause him to heare their prayers which is to make her euen aboue God himselfe And therfore in truth they giue more to Saints then the Diuell required of Christ. Againe they answer That which may be done to earthly Princes may much more be done to Saints in heauen Now say they we kneele and bow to earthly Princes and do reuerence to the chaire of Estate why then may we not to Saints But we answer them It is true we do kneele and bow vnto earthly Princes but all this that we do we do it not so much to their persons as to that authoritie God hath laid vpon them and we do it onely to shew our subiection vnto thē But to kneele to Saints is no token of ciuill honour as this is which we giue to earthly Princes but a part of diuine honour For by that they do acknowledge that the Saints can heare their prayers search the hearts that they be omnipotent and present in euery place which honour is due to God alone Yet though we may not thus adore Saints as the Papists do we do acknowledge a certaine honour due vnto them this honour stands in three things First by giuing thāke◠to God for them in that the Lord hath giu◠his Church in former times such worthy instruments Secondly by a reuerent estimation of them in that we accompt of them as the friends of God Thirdly by honouring them though not with diuine worship yet by imitating their vertues and this is all that honour we owe vnto the Saints departed Now if that the adoring of Saints be flat vnlawfull and forbidden then it is not lawfull to appoint and dedicate solemne dayes vnto them to fast for them to worship the◠to worship their reliques all these be vnlawfull and yet common among the Papists Neither can the Church of Rome iustly accuse vs of the like though we haue and retaine the names of Saints dayes in the church of England because we dedicate those dayes not to the worship of Saints as they do but to the seruice and worship of God alone We must mark how our Sauiour Christ in alleaging and expounding of Moses ioynes worship and feare together to shew that none can truly worship God but they that do truly feare God Men commonly think they haue done enough if they come to church on dayes appointed listen a while to the word receiue the Sacraments they thinke this is all the worship of God that he requires though they want the feare of God in their hearts but alas all this is to no purpose if men want the feare of God practise iniustice in their particular callings Reade the first of Esa. vers 14. The Lord hates all the seruice and worship which the Iewes offered him not simply because these things were vnlawfull in themselues for the Lord had commaunded them but because they ioyned not not so much to their persons as to that authoritie God hath laid vpon them and we do it onely to shew our subiection vnto thē But to kneele to Saints is no token of ciuill honour as this is which we giue to earthly Princes but a part of diuine honour For by that they do acknowledge that the Saints can heare their prayers search the hearts that they be omnipotent and present in euery place which honour is due to God alone Yet though we may not thus adore Saints as the Papists do we do acknowledge a certaine honour due vnto them this honour stands in three things First by giuing thākes to God for them in that the Lord hath giuē his Church in former times such worthy instruments Secondly by a reuerent estimation of them in that we accompt of them as the friends of God Thirdly by honouring them though not with diuine worship yet by imitating their vertues and this is all that honour we owe vnto the Saints departed Now if that the adoring of Saints be flat vnlawfull and forbidden then it is not lawfull to appoint and dedicate solemne dayes vnto them to fast for them to worship the◠to worship their reliques all these be vnlawfull and yet common among the Papists Neither can the Church of Rome iustly accuse vs of the like though we haue and retaine the names of Saints dayes in the church of England because we dedicate those dayes not to the worship of Saints as they do but to the seruice and worship of God alone We must mark how our Sauiour Christ in alleaging and expounding of Moses ioynes worship and feare together to shew that none can truly worship God but they that do truly feare God Men commonly think they haue done enough if they come to church on dayes appointed listen a while to the word receiue the Sacraments they thinke this is all the worship of God that he requires though they want the feare of God in their hearts but alas all this is to no purpose if men want the feare of God practise iniustice in their particular callings Reade the first of Esa. vers 14. The Lord hates all the seruice and worship which the Iewes offered him not simply because these things were vnlawfull in themselues for the Lord had commaunded them but because they ioyned not to the seruice of God the feare of God but their hands were full of crueltie iniustice and they practised no mercie to men and whatsoeuer men professe in the worship of God and shew not the feare of God conscience in their particular callings and dealings with men all is but hypocrisie Whereas we teach that a man may be certainely perswaded by faith of his election and saluation the Papists say we cannot proue it out of the word of God Now what though we cannot find this sentence in so many words I am elected yet as our Sauiour Christ by alleaging Scripture gathered the sense of it so may we without blame gather that out of the word which is the same in sense which we hold in this point We see it is our dutie not only to worship God with outward worship of the bodie but with inward worship in the soule mind will affections and in the conscience Paul he preached the Gospell of God vnto the the Corinthians to bring their very thoughts into subiection that is so to order them that they might not thinke any thing but that which was holy and according to the will of God Then the diuell left him c. In this verse is set downe the third and last part of the conflicts of Christ with the diuell namely the issue and euent of them which is that glorious victorie and conquest which our Sauiour Iesus Christ got against the diuell And this is the most principall part of all the rest For what comfort could we haue had in Christs temptations in the preparation in the conflicts seuerall temptations vnlesse Christ had vanquished Satan and
in the Lions den the three children in the fiery fornace Which proceedeth out of the mouth of God That is by euery decree of God by euery blessing decree that God giueth out concerning the life of man So then we see the meaning of the words If any say It seemes we must liue onely by the word of God without meate or drink euen by the scriptures and the written word I answer No but we must liue and preserue our liues by euery word that is euery decree that God giueth out to preserue the life of man so that without the speciall decree and blessing of God nothing could preserue and maintain the life of man our meat could not norish vs our apparel could not warm vs c. Now let vs see how this answer of Christ is applied to the diuels temptation The diuel had labored to proue that Christ was not the sonne of God his argument was this If thâ—â— be the sonne of God commaund that theâ—â— stones be made bread but thou canst noâ— make these stones bread therefore thou 〈◊〉 not the sonne of God Our Sauior Christ doth alleage this placâ— of Scripture and doth deny the proposition or first part of the diuels argumeÌ„t for whereâ—as the diuell takes this for graunted that if â— man be hungry he must haue bread by anâ— meanes to preserue his life Christ answers 〈◊〉 is not necessary because a mans life is noâ— preserued by bread onely but it is maintained by the special decree blessing of God And indeed this is a speciall point and woâ— thy lesson to be learned as may appeare iâ— that the Lord was no lesse then fortie yeares teaching it to the children of Israel Deu. 8. 3. The vse of this doctine is manifold first hence we learne to consider aright of thâ— creatures of God namely that we do noâ— content our selues to looke vpon the substance of them but besides the outward substance we must consider the secret blessing oâ— God vpon his creatures proceeding from hiâ— word that is his decree As for example 〈◊〉 must not onely looke vpon the outward substance of bread but besides that we mâ—â— consider the blessing and decree of God that bread should be the meanes to nourish man for besides the bread there is the staffe of bread that is that power and facultie whereby it nourisheth and maintaineth life which it hath from the decree and blessing of God vpon it And as we see an old weake man take away his staffe and he wil soone fall to the ground euen so if the Lord take away the staffe of bread that is his secret blessing though a man had all the dainties vnder heauen his life would faile in the midst of theÌ„ all for the weake life of man must needs fal decay if once the Lord take away the staffe of bread For what reason is there that bread which hath no life in it should nourish our bodies giue life streÌ„gth to vs and that that which hath no heate in it as our clothes should keepe vs warme were it not for Gods word and decree and his blessing vpon them And that we may know that it is not so much bread that preserueth mans life as Gods blessing vpon bread by vertue of his word and decree we may see it plainely in that the poore mans child which fareth hardly â—is but meanely clothed is as well legged and 〈◊〉 and likes as well euen as the child of the Prince now the reason is because Godâ— blessing is all in all vpon the poore fare of the poore mans child aswell as the Kings 2 Againe seeing it is not so much bread as Gods blessing vpon bread that preserueth mans life it should teach vs al sobriety in the vse of Gods creatures for neither meate nor drinke nor clothing can do vs good vnlesse the Lord send out his word and decree and giue a blessing vnto them euen to euerie bâ—â— of bread we put into our mouthes Now if we abuse the good creatures of God in surâ—etting and excesse how can we looke that the Lord should blesse them vnto vs nay we may rather feare he will curse them for our abuse and intemperancie so that they shall hurt yea choake vs rather then do vs good 3. We must learne from hence to vse the creatures of God with inuocation vpon his name for a blessing vpon them for seeing it is not the substance of bread that nourisheth vs but the blessing of God vpon the bread who seeth not that we ought before we vse the creatures of God to craue a blessing 〈◊〉 God vpon them 4. This should teach vs to be content with our estate to moderate our affections and to take heed we do not so eagerly desire seeâ— for abundance for the blessing of God is riches enough hath not these cutting cares with it he which hath but a meane estate may be as wel blessed of God as he that hath the greatest abundance nay this immoderate seeking for abundance it argueth great distrust and vnbeleefe in the prouidence of God 5. If mans life stands not in abundance and our life is not preserued by bread alone though a man had all the bread in the world vnlesse God infuse a blessing into it this teacheth vs that we may not be so much intangled with the things of this life we must not so eagerly seeke after meat drinke clothing lands liuings gold siluer c. for in taking too much care for these things we see many mens harts are so caried away that no grace can take place in them But you will say meate drinke cloathing and such things they be my liuing I cannot liue without them I aunswer that our liues do not stand in these things alone but especially in the blessing of God vpon these meanes without which though we had all the world at commaund it could doe vs no good Againe the Lord can not onely preserue our liues by bread but euen without all meanes yea if so it please him against meanes Now then seeing our liues stand not in these meanes but especially in the blessing of God vpon them we must first seeke for the blessing of God without the which all these meanes shal become vnprofitable vnto vs and do vs no good and it is not wisedome too greedily to seeke for the things of the world seeing our life is not preserued by them alone Mans life standeth not in abundance saith Christ Luk. 12. 6 Seeing man liues not by bread alone that is mans life is not maintained by these outward meanes but by Gods blessing vpon them this must teach vs all to be content with that estate the Lord sends vs though it be poore and meane and we must learne patience in extreame miseries and afflictions And if the Lord should dealâ— with vs as he did with his seruant Iob eueÌ„ 〈◊〉 all from vs yet we
beleeuer in the midst of temptations It is written Here we see whence our Sauior Christ tooke his answer though that 〈◊〉 could haue confounded Satan by the leaâ—â— word of his mouth and could if he had 〈◊〉 pleased called for many legions of Angelâ— from heauen to haue guarded him being thâ— true and onely son of God yet he makâ— choise of this weapon It is written And thâ— he did to teach vs that the most sufficienâ— weapon to beat back all Satans temptationâ— and to quench all the fierie darts of the diueâ— is the word of God written therefore 〈◊〉 bids vs take vp the sword of the spirit whiâ— is the word of God both to defend our seluâ—â— and also to put Satan to flight Ephes. 6. 16. Hence from the example of Christ we maâ— learne sundry instructions First seeing thâ— he made choise of the word of God as thâ— most sufficient weapon to repel Satan it condemneth that vaine and vile practise of thâ— Church of Rome who instead of this 〈◊〉 into mens hands other weapons not worâ— a rush as holy water the signe of the crossâ— c. and affirmeth that these be sufficient weâ—pons to skarre away the Diuell Alas thâ— Diuell is not so childish to feare a drop 〈◊〉 water or the shaking of a straw but our Saâ—iour Christ shewes what is that which is abâ—â—◠〈◊〉 a most sufficient weapon to beate back all â—atans temptations which he can hurle aâ—ainst vs. And therefore wicked is the praâ—tise of the Papists who locke vp the word of God from the people keeping it in an vnâ—nowne tong and so betray the poore soules â—f the people into the hands of the Diuell We see here the miserable estate of all such â—en or women which do either contemne â—r neglect the knowledge of the word of God they do wilfully betray themselues inâ—o the hands of the Diuell lay themselues oâ—en as a prey vnto him so as they hauing no â—eapon to defend themselues nor to repell â—atan thus he smites them wounds them â—ea euen cuts the throat of their poore soules â—efore they be aware We may heÌ„ce gather what is the cause why â—o many sins abound in euery place namely â—e vile and grosse ignorance of the word of God Hos. 4. 1. 3. The want of the knowledge of the Gospell and the word of God is the â—ery cause that sin so abounds in al places for â—he word of God should be vnto vs as Sauls â—eare which he vsed to set at his beds head 〈◊〉 that if any enemy set vpoÌ„ vs on the sodain â—ur weapoÌ„ might be euer at hand in readines â—hat we might answer the Diuel in his instruments if he tempt vs to any sin whatsoeuâ—â— that as here Christ said It is written so 〈◊〉 must say I may not lie sweare commit adâ—â—tery c. for it is written c. Seeing Christ by his own practise teacheâ— vs that the word of God written beleeueâ— vnderstood truly applied is the most alâ— and all-sufficient weapon to resist the diueâ— how ought this to stirre vp all men to serioâ—â— studie of the word of God How should moue euery man as he loueth his soule to â—â— bor for a sound knowledge vnderstanding of the holy Scripture seeing this is the bâ— weapon to foile the diuell If we knew thâ— any man had vowed our death and soughâ— our liues how careful wold we be to prouiâ— the best weapons we could get and also 〈◊〉 learne how to handle them and to vse theâ— so as we might be able to defend our selueâ— when we meet with our enemy Wel we 〈◊〉 not be ignorant that the diuell is the swoâ—â— enemy of our soules he lies in waite contiâ—â—ally seeking our bloud oh then if men 〈◊〉 that care of their poore soules that they ougâ—â— to haue how prouident would it make theâ— to store themselues with this most sufficieâ—â— weapon eueÌ„ the true knowledge of the wâ—â— of God! and therfore it must moue all of vâ— â—eare the word continually to study it to lay â—t vp in our hearts against the time of need â—o resist the diuell when he assaults vs. It is lamentable to consider how poore ignorant people deceiue them selues they â—ooth themselues and say they defie the diâ—uel they spit at him but alas what if two men that be enemies meet together the one well appointed with weapons of death the other hauing nothing in his hand to defend himself but defies his enemy spits at him wil this do him any good will not the other wound him and kil him And so though poore ignorant people say they defie the diuell spit at him he wil shew them no pity but giue them their deadly wound and they shall neuer know who hurt them till it be too late Now follow the words of Christs answer Man shall not liue by bread onely c. This answer of Christ is taken out of Deut. 8. 3. where Moses shews the children of Israel who were now in great extremitie pinched sore with famine and had nothing to eate that the Lord fed them with Manna to teach them that man liues not by bread only but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Man shall not liue That is man shall not preserue his naturall or temporall life in tâ—â— world I say his natural or temporal life foâ— is not meant of his spiritual life by bread 〈◊〉 that is all things necessary for the naturallâ— of man as meate drinke clothing sleep pâ—â— sick c. euen all naturall and ordinary meaâ— vsed of man for his temporall life is meant bâ— bread But by euery word He saith not in generaâ— by the word but by euery word Now 〈◊〉 hath diuers acceptions in the scriptures first it is takeÌ„ for the second person in the Trinity Iohn 1. 1. Secondly for the word of God Isâ— 40. 6. but neither of these is vnderstood iâ— this place Thirdly the word is taken for thâ— decree and wil of God for his prouidence 〈◊〉 the good wil pleasure of God and so mâ—â— we vnderstand it in this place where our sauiour Christ saith man shall liue by eueâ—â— word that is euery decree and blessing oâ— God for the life of man so it is taken Heb. 1. 3 where Christ is said to beare vp all things by his mightie word that is as the Lord haâ— created al things so doth he vphold and preserue them by his decree and prouidence Now Gods word and decree concerning the life of man may thus be distinguished namely that God hath decreed that some men should liue by bread that is by ordinary meanes secondly some should liue without ordinary bread that is without all ordinary meanes thirdly that some should liue without any means at al either ordinary or extraordinary as Moses Eliah our Sauiour Christ in their fortie dayes fast fourthly that some should liue against meanes and contrary to the course of nature as Daniel
in the world that the diuell can carrie a man or woman from one countrey to another if God giue him leaue but so as he cannot do it with such celeritie and expedition as men imagine Some foolishly thinke he can carrie one many hundred miles in an houre which is a thing impossible for such a violent motion would stop a mans breath as we see if a man fall from the toppe of an high steeple his wind is gone ere he come halfe the way to the ground Againe hence we see that the diuell may by Gods permission haue power ouer the bodies of godly men and those which haue greatest graces and strongest faith in God For seeing he had power ouer the bodie of Christ to transport it from place to place by the permission of God why may he not if God giue him leaue haue power of any mās bodie though he be neuer so true a beleeuer If he had power in the head why not in the mēbers if he had power to annoy Iob to kill his childrē destroy thē though they were no doubt the holy seruants of God why may not the diuell haue power ouer our bodies to carie a mā frō one place to another If the Diuell could by Gods permissiō tormēt the bodie of one that was a daughter of faithfull Abraham and euen 18. yeares afflict her so as she was bruised and bowed together by Satan then no doubt he can do the lesse to remoue mens bodies from place to place And this may serue to admonish those who thinke their faith is so strong that the diuel cannot annoy thē or any way bewitch them But if the diuell haue power by Gods permission to torment the bodies of the faithfull yea to destroy the bodies of Iobs childrē who no doubt were the true seruants of God he may if God giue him leaue bewitch the godliest man that liueth For we know what the holy Ghost faith that all things fall out and all things come alike to good and bad and there is no difference in outward things oftentimes betweene the children of God and the wicked To the holy citie That is Ierusalem Luk. 4. 9. Now this citie was called holy for sundrie causes First because in Ierusalem was the temple of the Lord where were the sacrifices and other ceremonies prescribe◠by God for his own worship Secondly i◠the temple they had the law of God and the bookes of Moses and the Prophets read an◠expounded vnto them Thirdly becaus◠Ierusalem was a mother Church frō whenc◠religion did flow and was dispersed into many places of the world Now for these considerations Ierusalem is called the holy citie This church at Ierusalem though it hao many corruptions in it yet our Sauiour Christ cals it holy and it was a true Church of God Then hence I conclude that the Church of God in England though there be in it many blemishes corruptions yet may it be and in truth is the true Church of God For the Church of God in England is proprotionable to the Church at Ierusalē for as they had Moses and the Prophets read and expounded so haue we nay we haue the Gospell now soundly preached which they then had not in so plaine and plentifull manner as we haue They had the Sacraments of the old Testament so we haue Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Their Church was a mother church to deriue Religion to many other and though our Church cannot be called a Mother church yet it may be truly called a nourcing Church to many neighbour churches round about vs. As Christ and his Apostles did not therfore separate themselues or refuse to ioyne with them in the seruice of God because of the corruptions in this church at Ierusalem but did teach and preach in the Temple so none may therefore separate themselues and refuse to ioyne with the people of God in his seruice and worship because of some few corruptions that remaine in it Nay such as for these do separate themselues from Gods people do cut themselues from Christ himselfe seeing they seuer themselues from the Church of God If any shall say that the church of Rome is the true Church of God as well as the Church of Ierusalem seeing the Romish church hath as many priuiledges as the Church at Ierusalem I answer By examining the particulars it will appeare to the contrarie As first the Church of Rome braggeth that she hath her succession from the Apostles but I answer succession from persons without succession in the Apostles doctrine can be no true note of the Church Secondly the Church of Rome hath the sacrament of Baptisme yet that proues he◠not the true Church for in Samaria they had the Sacrament of circumcision and so in other places and yet it cannot be proued that they were the true Churches of God Besides I answer the church of Rome hath baptisme no otherwise then a theefe hath a true mans purse now it cannot be said that a theefe is therefore a true man because he hath a true mans purse Lastly though the Church of Rome haue the outward baptisme yet she in doctrine ouerturnes the inward baptisme namely the true imputed iustification and inherent sanctification of Christ by the spirit 3 The Church of Rome holdeth the Apostles Creed but it is onely in word for the truth is their God whome they worship is an Idoll and their Christ is a false counterfeit Christ forged by their owne braine as may appeare to all that will search their doctrine 4 She saith that they hold the word of God and the writings of the Apostles but it will appeare in their writings that they hold it but in shew not in truth for in the maine grounds of religion they ouerturne the doctrine of the Prophets Apostles Againe they hold the Scriptures but as a lanthorn holds the candle not for it selfe but for those that passe by so the Church of Rome haue the word of God not for themselues but for the good of Gods children which euer lye hid in the middest of Poperie 5 She brags that she is the mother-church of many Churches I answer we must consider that citie as Rome is and as Rome was the old Rome which was in the time of Paul was the true Church of God but as for that old Rome it is dead and buried and this new Rome is that whore of Babylon no mother-church but a cruell step-mother to Religion By al this we may see that the present church of Rome is no Church of God but onely in name and outward shew And seeing that the Diuell tempts our Sauiour Christ in the holy citie we learne that there is no place so holy but the Diuell can broach his temptations in it as we may see Zach. 3. 1. 2. and therfore this condemnes that dotage and sorcery of the Church of Rome who teach that their charmed holy water their
coniured bread and the signe of the crosse and such stuffe can driue away the Diuel from their houses and from their persons and yet we see here that neither the holinesse of Christs person nor yet of the place could hinder Satan but he did tempt him Againe we see it is to small purpose to the ende wee may bee freed from temptations to change the place or to change the aire for what place is there so holy or so sound and wholesome where Satan cannot and will not set his temptation on foote and assault vs Indeed to remoue the diseases of the body these may be of some force to change the ayre c. but to cure the conscience and to help the diseases of the soule this and such like can do nothing at all And set him on a pinnacle of the temple Here is the second part of the Diuels preparatâ—on who hauing caried Christ from the wildernes to IerusaleÌ„ now he placeth him vpon a pinnacle of the temple or a litle wing of the teÌ„ple Some think that it was a sharpe broach gilded to some especiall vse but it is either the battlements which were made by Gods commaundement least any should fall because their houses had flat roofes oâ— else some corner of the temple howsoeuer it was a dangerous place If thou be the sonne of God cast thy selfe downe c. In this verse is set downe the second temptation and in a syllogisme it may be thus concluded If thou be the sonne of God then cast thy selfe downe but thou sayest and art perswaded that thou art the sonne of God therefore thou mayest cast thy selfe downe Here we must marke the scope of the Diuell in this second temptation which is this to tempt our sauiour Christ to presumption to perswade him to presume of Gods mercy and to bring him to a vaine confidence in his fathers protection without vsing lawfull meanes And in this second temptation we may obserue one especial thing which the Diuel aimes at in his temptations namely to perswade him to a vaine presumption of Gods mercy And surely we see the diuel preuails much in these days by this argument for we see how some men crie God is mercifull God is mercifull and so presume grow secure in sinne and take occasion of Gods mercie to sooth themselues in their sins Others they say I am either elected or reiected and if I be elected I am sure I shal be saued howsoeuer I liue if I be reiected I am sure I shall perish though I liue neuer so well and thus men liue as they list Others say I know the Lord will prouide for me and therefore refuse to liue in any calling And as for those which make profession of the Gospell the Diuell he labours to perswade them that it is sufficient to professe religion though they practise not the duties of religion as the fiue foolish virgines who held out their blazing lampes yet wanted the vessel of oile to maintaine their lampes This being so it should admonish vs al to take especiall heed that we be not ouer comâ— of Satan in this kind seeing the Diuell knowes our nature and seeth that to presume and thinke well of our selues it is a thing very fitting and pleasing our nature whereas despaire it is a troublesome thing and brings men often to a greater sight of their misery and the truth is the Diuell preuailes with a thousand to one more by presumption then by despaire despaire kils thousands securitie ten thousands And it is to be noted that when the Diuell had in the former temptation laboured to bring Christ to despaire of his Fathers prouidence now he labours the cleane contrary to bring him to presume of Gods prouidence And here we may see the Diuels exceeding cuÌ„ning that he fought to cary our Sauiour Christ from one extreame to another And thus doth the Diuell deale with all men he seeks to draw men either to presumption or else to despaire and labors to cary them from one extreame to another as from couetousnes to prodigalitie and so of the rest And therefore we must labour to auoide both the extreames neither to presume too much nor yet to be cast downe by despaire but to keepe the golden mediocritie euen as Christ doth in this place Cast thy selfe downe He would haue Christ not to shew by his doctrine but to worke a miracle that he may know him to be the son of God This shewes the nature of all wicked men they care not for the doctrine of God but they crie out for miracles as we may see in Herod he desired to see our Sauiour Christ worke some miracle but he contemned his word and doctrine And the Iewes who persecuted Christ and his Gospel yet when he was vpon the crosse they would haue him worke a miracle to come downe when he was nailed hand and foote And all wicked men are of the same nature more to regard and desire a miracle then to heare the blessed doctrine of Iesus Christ. Cast thy selfe downe The Diuel hauing proued before the faith of Christ to be most coÌ„stant that he would not so much as doubt of his fathers prouidence in his greatest need now he takes occasion from the graces and gifts of Christ to bring him to presume and to haue a vain confidence of his fathers protection And so wil the Diuel deale with all the members of Christ if he cannot preuaile by our weaknesses to bring vs to despaire then he wil take occasioÌ„ by the graces and gifts he sees in vs to make vs presume as often he preuailes by this meanes to make men swell and thinke highly of themselues for some grace they haue receiued of learning wit eloquence c. to puffe men vp with satanicall pride and ouerweening oâ— themselues Then cast thy selfe downe The Lord gaue the Diuel permission to place Christ in a dangerous place but yet the Diuell coulâ— not go any further to hurt Christ there 〈◊〉 cast him downe he had no power but perswades him to cast himselfe downe Where we see the Diuels power is limited his power is not so great as his malice is to mankind but the Lord doth limit Satans power and in all things hath care of his owne children that Satan can do them no harme For the Diuel though he had set Christ vpon the top of the temple could not for his life cast him downe where we may see the Diuell for all his malice can go no further then God giues him leaue And this must comfort vs for as God the Father limits Satan in respect of Christ our head so doth he in vs his members Now followes the reason which the Diuel vseth the better to perswade Christ to yeeld vnto his temptation For it is written he shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee When as the Diuell heard our Sauiour Christ alleage Scripture he like an ape imitates Christ and begins to alleage
knee and kneele to Princes to giue thē this ciuill honour thereby shewing we do acknowledge them to be placed aboue vs in authoritie and dignitie in the world by God The second kind of honour is diuine or religious worship when we giue such honor to another that thereby we do ascribe diuinitie diuine power vnto it acknowledging thereby that it is some diuine thing aboue all creatures And this we do first when we ascribe the godhead to it and make it God secondly when we ascribe Gods attributes to it as omnipotencie prouidence c. thirdly whē we acknowledge it to be the creator and maker of all things fourthly when we acknowledge it to be the giuer of those good things we enioy and the defender of vs from euill This diuine worship is either inward in the heart or outward in the body Inward diuine worship is whē a man giues his heart to any thing by beleeuing in it by louing of it and reioycing in it aboue all other creatures and that because it hath in it the god-head or diuine nature or is God because it hath the attributes of God because it is the Creator and defender of all things or else because it giues vs all good things and keepeth vs from all euill The outward diuine worship is when a man any wayes by prostrating himselfe and bowing of his body doth it to manifest his faith hope loue confidence feare or any gift in his hart thereby confessing it is his Creator defender and preseruer So then here is a manifest difference betweene outward ciuill worship and that diuine worship which is outward because by that ciuill worship we do only acknowledge them to whome we do it to be our superious but by this outward diuine worship we do acknowledge that to which we do this worship to be God Creator and defender of vs and all other things Now in this place our sauior Christ meaneth not that ciuill worship but he vnderstandeth outward diuine worship There is another seruice mentioned which is feare when we giue performe obedience to another it is either a seruice absolute or in part absolute when we obey the commandement of another simply without all exception when we obey another not onely outwardly in body but inwardly in soule will affections with the conscience and this is proper to God alone neither may this absolute obedience be giuen to any creature onely God alone is to haue this absolute worship so as we must obey him without all exceptions or question and that in body soule will affections and in the very conscience There is a second seruice which is only in part which we may giue to men as to the Magistrate being in authoritie aboue vs vnder God for God hath giuen them leaue to make lawes and power to giue commandements and they must be obeyed in ciuill things yet with condition In the Lord so long as their commandements stand agree with Gods commandements Again they must be obeyed onely with our bodies their lawes cannot reach vnto mens hearts and consciences to bind them And of these two in this place we are to vnderstand that obedience which is absolute to obey the commandement of the Lord absolutely and simply without condition or exception euen in all things whatsoeuer he commaunds vs following herein our father Abraham who to performe obediēce to the Lord forsooke his natiue countrey was ready to offer his sonne his onely sonne his beloued sonne his sonne Izak the sonne of the promise Now followeth the person to whom this worship must be giuen This diuine worship whether outward or inward is due to God alone neither may it be giuen to any other creature though neuer so excellent And this is taught vs plainly by Christ his answer and it is agreeable to the first and second commandements where we are forbidden expresly to giue this diuine and religious worship either to any creature or to idols but we must haue acknowledge Iehouah to be our God alone Reuel 19 10. whē Iohn was about to worship the Angell and to giue him some part of this diuine worship he forbids him and tels him that he is but his fellow seruant and chargeth Iohn to worship God alone So then by this which hath bene said we see how fitly our Sauiour Christ answered the diuell alleaged this place of Scripture to stop his mouth The diuell had shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and the glorie of them all and tels Christ if so be he would but acknowledge him to be the giuer of them he would bestow them all vpō him Now our Sauiour Christ answereth that he may not giue that honour to him which belongeth to God alone and to none else First we learne from this answer of Christ that it is not lawfull for vs to giue this diuine worship either inward or outward to any creature though neuer so excellent neither to Angels nor Saints because it is peculiar and proper to God alone And therfore if any mā shal prostrate his bodie before Saints to pray vnto thē he maketh them no lesse then Gods in giuing them that priuiledge which is proper to God namely to search the heart that they can heare our praiers that they be omnipotent omni-present that is present in all places at once with all things which can be affirmed of none but God alone And yet this is the common practise of the Papists to yeeld this diuine worship to Saints and dead men and women and to adore and worship them But the Papists answer They do not worship Saints with that worship which belongs to God neither do they worship thē as Gods Why no more would the Diuell here haue Christ so to do neither durst he presume to tempt Christ to worship him as God but to acknowledge him to be the giuer of all the kingdomes of the earth And the Diuell requires no more but outward worship and yet our Sauior Christ tels him that this outward worship which he demaunded was proper to God alone none may or ought to haue it saue he alone Now the Papists do giue that to Saints which Christ denyeth to the Diuell for they auouch that Saints can deliuer them from this disease and that disease They make them patrons not onely of priuate men but of whole kingdomes coūtries as of Italie S. Martin of Spaine S Iames of England S. George c. Now to giue a kingdome which Christ denied to Satan is a lesse matter then to be a patron of a kingdome for one may giue a kingdome that cannot defend a kingdome Nay in truth whatsoeuer they say they make the Saints gods for they pray vnto them they make them intercessors for them vnto God to procure them fauour in things concerning the life to come They call the Virgin Mary the Queene of heauen they make Christ to be her vnderling a punie for they pray her to commaund