the Lord the things that are to come hereafter that we may know that ye are gods yea 〈◊〉 good or doe euill that we may be dismayed and behold it 〈◊〉 Where wee see that howsoeuer these heathenish gods could not maintaine their owne cause and godhead with God but that they should be conuinced confuted and confounded by their owne weapons 〈◊〉 Gâ—â—â— yet we cannot deny but by these two they bewitched the Heathen and withdrew their seruice faith and deuotions from God to themselues Let vs see the truth hereof in each seuerally and in both ioyntly First for Predictions God for the better accomplishment of his promise made to Adam in Paradise for the instructing of his people and the shewing of his prouidence did reueale many things to come to our forefathers and that by diuers wayes and meanes herein hath Satan imitated God and robbed him of his honour namely by foretelling strange euents by promises and by threatnings wherein besides Gods iust permission he had many helps whereby he is furnished with knowledge sufficient to deâ—â—ide our ignorance and to draw on simple men who naturally are curiously inquisitiue after nouelties and future euents and as credulous to beleeue whatsoeuer shall bee told them CHAP. III. A digression neither vnnecessary nor impertinent concerning the knowledge of Deuils and the meanes thereof whereby they become furnished with matter of prediction SAtan hath euer beene as now he also is the great Witch of the world be the instruments what they will he was the first mouer The parts or kindes of witchcraft are two for it is either Diuining consisting in matter of prediction and coniecture or Working consisting in matter of practise By both these Satan bewitched the heathen and Gods people so farre as they hearkened vnto him In which regard God iealous of his owne honour and zealous of his peoples good challenged the gods of the heathen indeed deuils concerning both these in the place formerly alleadged Isa 41.23 We are to speake of them both but first of Prediction By the warrant of the fore-named place God onely pâ—â—pâ—â—lâ— can 〈◊〉 shew things 〈…〉 wee may set downe this conclusion It is the propertie of God only to shew the things that are to come hereafter that is to foreshew first things in themselues considered without respect to their causes and signes necessarily accompanying them and therefore things considered as to come and not as present in their causes or signes Secondly euents in themselues contingent depending on indeterminate causes and on the libertie of mans will And thirdly to tell afore-hand of these things certainly perspicuously infallibly and also particularly with circumstance of time place manner Thus in effect saith God to the gods of the heathen All this I can doe and haue done by my Prophets doe you the like and I will yeeld I will be no more God but acknowledge your deitie as the blinde heathen and my people whom you haue bewitched haue already done Let vs then consider of Diabolicall Prediction and Diuination what how farre forth and in what manner Satan can foretell any thing And whereas all prediction and fore-shewing of any thing doth necessarily include and presuppose Prescience or fore-knowledge at the least in the first Author of prediction for else wee know that Satans prophets often spoke they knew not what themselues my purpose is to speake somewhat of the knowledge of deuils in this chapter and after of the wayes and meanes whereby they vsed to manifest to men this their knowledge Now for our better conceiuing what knowledge they haue let vs first briefly see what knowledge they had before their fall secondly what after and that either retained and old as I may call it or else new and attained vnto by other meanes 1. What knowledge the Deuill had before his fall For the first The very names giuen vnto them as well by prophane Writers as diuine doth sufficiently euince their great and wonderfull knowledge The heathen though ignorant of the creation and fall of Angels yet seeme to acknowledge very great naturall knowledge to be in them when they call them by the generall name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 common as well to good as bad spirits The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies so much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sciens or one endued with knowledge insomuch that Aristotle in regard of his great knowledge is called by some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so is Plato called by Plutarch and Homer of Dionysius is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea Plato calleth God himselfe magnum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in regard of his omnisciencie Which yet we must take with this difference God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sciens knowes what he knowes ipsâ essentiâ by his essence others in comparison as Angels who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scientes suâ naturâ endued with knowledge naturally and men who are habitu scientes and attaine to the habit of knowledge This name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or daemon is by Christians giuen only to wicked fiends in regard both of their knowledge in which they were created as also of that which in part they still retaine The Scripture cals the Angels indifferently at their creation in regard of their knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 starres of light â—ob 38.7 or morning starres and thus is Satan called Lucifer or morning starre Isa 14.12 where the King of Babylons fall and ruine is resembled by Satans fall from heauen 〈◊〉 10.18 And thus said our Sauiour I saw Satan like lightning fall downe from heauen But in particular The knowledge which was common to all the Angels before their fall was either naturall or supernaturall Naturall which was giuen them of God at their creation whereby as S. Augustine saith they saw and knew God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost and also the creatures and that either in the Word or Sonne of God by whom all things were made and in whom are the Ideaes and Images of all things this knowledge of S. Augustine is called scientia matutina diurna morning and day-knowledge Or secondly in the proper natures of the things themselues and this is called vespertina euening-knowledge as being more obscure then the former Or thirdly as Aquinas saith per species in suis mentibus innatas by the images and impressions of things connate inbred and naturally in their mindes Supernaturall knowledge is that whereby they knew diuers supernaturall things only by a supernaturall gift of knowledge which is double The first simply to know any supernaturall thing as that God is iust good of infinite power c. but without all loue or trust in God The second which is ioyned with loue of God with feare and affiance in him which some distinguishing call diuine knowledge and the former only supernaturall This knowledge howsoeuer it was most excellent in them before the fall yet euen then was it
infinitely inferiour to Gods omniscience so that they were ignorant of their owne fall and rebellion of the mysterie of mans saluation of casuall and contingent effects not yet in act of the turnings and windings and secret thoughts of mans heart vnto which their eye-sight could not attaine vnlesse God did open their eyes to see them Now being fallen if the question be 2. What knowledge the Deuill lost by the fall and what knowledge he still retaines what knowledge they haue lost by their fall and what they still retaine I answer that no question but their knowledge is much blemished and darkened so that whereas formerly they were bright morning-starres and lightning in regard of their cleere knowledge now they are said to be in darknesse yea darknesse it selfe cast out headlong from heauen a place of light 2 Pet. 2 4. Iude verse â— to hell a blacke dungeon of darknesse being deliuered into chaines of darknesse to be kept vnto damnation and all because they abode not in the truth which is a good can eat for vs. More particularly I answer first for their naturall knowledge none doubts but that now they know the same things for substance both diuine and angelicall humane and terrestriall which they knew before yet more obscurely then before as man by his fall had his mind much obscured Gods iustice required so much Secondly their supernaturall knowledge is wonderfully obscured for they are ignorant of very many things which if they had not falne they should haue knowne yet is it not quite none seeing we read in Scripture that they knew and confessed Christ to be the Sonne of God and that he was come to dissolue their wicked workes to torment to condemne them that the Apostles were the seruants of the most high God and consequently that Christ was the most high God whose seruants the Apostles were But because such knowledge of Christ and of the Gospell though fruitlesse and dead cannot proceed from flesh and blood but onely from diuine reuelation either by good Angels or by the effects of Gods power and prouidence manifested to them therefore we cease further to speake of it till we come to the third branch of their knowledge which wee obserued and called attained or new knowledge Now lastly for sauing knowledge ioyned with loue and confidence in God they haue no part at all in it though no doubt but the good Angels haue it both much increased and most strongly and immutably confirmed in them And this was the shrewdest and forest blow of all the rest whereby they were depriued of this sauing and true knowledge because they abode not in the truth But yet you may say this lets nor but that their knowledge may be sufficient enough to foresee such things as Oracles haue foretold and which farre surpasse the reach of mans foresight Therefore let vs consider these two points which are very pertinent The first is what things they can certainly know and foretell and what not The second more particular whether and how farre forth they knew the secret thoughts and affections of mans heart For the first 1. Whether Satan can certainly know and foretell future contingents we must briefly know that things to come may be knowne two wayes either in themselues or in their causes and signes In themselues when things not yet existing are as certainely foreseene as if they were present and laid open in our sight which is done either by the proper motion and spirit of the foreseer and this is Gods property alone or by inspiration from God and so Gods Prophets both saw many things in themselues by illumination from God and also told them before they were In their causes are future things foreseene when by the viewing and beholding of their causes we gather that such or such effects will follow Now because effects flow from their causes either necessarily the causes being such as cannot be hindred as is the eclipse of the Sun or Moone or though not of meere necessity nor of meere chance yet for the most part and most commonly they follow their causes which yet may sometimes be hindered in their operations as seed sowne by diuers occasions is hindered that it doth not alwayes sprout out spindle and become corne or lastly wholly casually and contingently their causes being altogether indeterminate and indifferent Hence it is that Satan and his instruments may certainely know the first kind of effects which euen men can certainely see and foretell And for the second kind howsoeuer men cannot certainely but onely coniecturally and probably foresee the euents of things yet Satan may at the least more certainely then men foresee them as more exquisitely knowing the nature of their causes and whether or no there be any impediment which may hinder their actual existence yet because such impediments often are sent from God immediately whose secret will they are ignorant of hence wee also safely conclude that euen such effects cannot infallibly bee knowne by the Deuill before-hand for God hath said Isay 44.25 I destroy the tokens of the Southsayers and make them that coniecture fooles But concerning the third and last kind where the question is whether deuils know things meerely contingent or no without speciall reuelation as that Iudas was to betray Christ and the like I answer that to know such things certainely belongs onely to the true Iehouah and cannot bee knowne precisely either by man or Angell good or bad vnlesse God reueale the same As for example to know before-hand the time and kind of a mans death is contingent of which the good Angell professeth himselfe to be ignorant when he was asked by Esdras concerning that mattter 〈…〉 So likewise many things were to befall the Church after Saint Iohns time which the Angell could not foretell but by reuelation from Christ yea Christ himselfe reuealed such things onely to Iohn which hee as man receiued from his Father and from his owne diuinity Much lesse then can any wicked spirit naturally foreknow any such contingent effect howsoeuer they may coniecture better of these things then we men Therefore seeing we speake not of a coniecturall but of a certaine and infallible knowledge of future contingents wee conclude that no such thing can bee foreknowne or foretold by deuils certainely without reuelation 2. Whether and how taâ—â—â— Satan 〈◊〉 mans 〈◊〉 Now for the second question whether and how farreforth they know the secrets and thoughts of mans heart for if it be granted that they doe know them then doubtlesse they may foreshew many things which they see a plotting and contriuing to diuers who are ignorant of other mens secret plots and practises to this I answer that Deuils cannot know any mans thoughts certainely and of themselues vnlesse they bee made knowne by some outward signe or effect in the body or by diuine reuelation or the like To make this plaine we may consider our thoughts either as yet future and
added which they cannot hide from the eyes and obseruation of the wise but because this depth of Satan is bottomlesse as reaching to hell it selfe we cease to search further into it as hauing already beene drawne on further then at the first we intended These are the deuillish policies of such as would seduce the soules of men from the truth of God whereby yet as they deceiue so are they deceiued being those very deceiuers which S. Paul so long since hath warned vs of 2 Tim. 2.13 For behold while they are playing their feates you may as it were see Satan looking ouer their shoulders setting them also and heartning them on and by them working his owne purposes hee being the grand-deceiuer deceiues both and laughes to see the deceiuer deceiued by himselfe Yet if you please to looke vp higher you may see God the Great Master of this game and tragicke-comedy who by his infinite wisdome being as it were the Poet contriued purposed the being of each thing and from eternitie disposed of them you may I say see him ruling ouer-ruling and disposing the actions of them all so that while euery one workes for himselfe and for his owne end he makes vse of all for his owne glory either in the iust condemnation of them that perish whether they be deceiuers or deceiued or the saluation of his chosen Ezek. 14.9 10 11 1 Cor 11 19. who thus are proued and approued On him then and on his onely word wee are to depend for direction Yet are wee also wisely to obserue and take notice of the policies of enemies which when we know wee are to take heed of lest Satan should get an aduantage against vs for saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 2.11 wee are not ignorant of his deuices The same Apostle saith of seducers They shall proceed no further 2 Tim. 3.9 for their follie shall be manifest to all men Where we may note the reason why seducers so long and so much preuaile is from mens ignorance of their follie madnesse and plots Wee may iustly then bewaile the estate of the commoner sort of Papists for others they are iustly hardned whose eyes are blinded so that they can neither see the sophismes trickes by which they are deluded nor yet the euidence and onely rule to iudge both of truth and falsehood Gods sacred word in the Scriptures which word tels vs what Pastors and Teachers we are to hearken vnto namely to such as Christ gaue at his ascension and still giues to make vs perfect men in him and that we henceforth should be no more children Ephes 4 1â— tossed to and fro and carried about with euery winde of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in wait to deceiue The remedie he giues vs is double in the next verse the first is to speake or follow the truth in loue And â—â— otherwise we may feare to be giuen ouer to strong delusion 2 Thess 2.10.11 and to haue our portion with them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued This loue of God and his truth is made a note of a true professor whom God by false prophets doth proue whether he loue the Lord with all his heart or no. The second is Deut. 13.2.3 to grow vp into him in all things which is the head euen Christ For as it is in the same chapter said by him and by his ministerie we may become perfect men Verse 13. and attaine to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ In Christ then there is a fulnesse and from him we haue a fulnesse Therefore I conclude with the Apostle S. Paul Coloss 2.3 4. And verses 8.9.10 that in Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge And this I say lest any man should beguile you with entising words CHAP. X. Satans policies in himselfe and by his Instruments the Popish sort for the killing the bodies of the Saints 2. Popish plots and policies for the effecting of their second end Namely For the killing the bodies of the Saints LEt vs now in the next place see if we cannot also finde like deuillish sleights and policies vsed for and in the killing of the bodies of the Saints Satan to animate the Heathen to the voluntary murthering and killing themselues children in sacrifice to him wanted not his tricks of deceit and delusion his religious pretext of most acceptable seruice when our dearest things are not spared for Gods sake his plausible perswasions as of a thing most reasonable viz. that man who sinneth should also by his bloud expiate sinne especially the innocent as are children die for the nocent In the 3. Sect. and the like of which more hereafter In like manner we may now finde him by his instruments plotting and politiquely practising the death of Gods dearest seruants on earth I doe not speake of that Popish bewitching the minds of their owne whereby men are perswaded and made willing to vndergoe an imaginarie and false martyrdome but of those pretences grounds colours and deuices which are vsed by them for the animating of others to attempt and practise the murthering of Christs harmelesse sheepe Our Sauiour hath foretold vs that whosoeuer killeth his seruants Ioh. 16.2 will thinke that he doth God seruice So now the time indeed is come when the doctrine and practise of killing Gods Saints especially of Christian Kings is made passable and approued vnder pretence of pleasing God All now is shrouded vnder the habit of Catholike zeale and the Catholike cause Let vs in particular see vpon what grounds and pretences they goe and by what degrees they proceed First they haue learned one point of policie of old practised by others Pharaoh king of Aegypt who knew not Ioseph nor Gods people and children with him seeing the Children of Israel to increase abundantly and fearing herevpon the weakning of his kingdome called a Conuocation and said to his people Come on Exod. 1.10 1â— 22 let vs deale wisely with them lest they multiply c. Hereupon when hard taskes could not keepe them vnder hee commanded the Hebrew midwiues to kill all the males as soone as they were borne and that not taking effect his owne people to cast them into the riuer and drowne them Now this was a Deuillish Policy and fit for him to practise who is a deuouring Dragon which accordingly he did for fearing what now hee feeles namely the weakning of his kingdome by the birth of Christ Reuel 12.2 He stood before the woman which was ready to be deliuered for to deuoure her childe as soone as it was borne Mat. 2.13.16 Euen so did Herod seeke to destroy and kill our Sauiour so soone as hee was borne whose Kingdome he imagined would be contrary to his and consequently ruinate it The very same the Iewes his owne people to whom he
Sinners not some one or some few but they indefinitly the children of Israel it seemes it was a generall sinne and farre spreading 2 Of the multiplying of Sin Secondly in regard of the multiplication and reâ—terations of their sinnes according to the number of Idols in the Citie and out of it Thus Manasseh shed innocent blood very much till he filled Ierusalem from one end to another 2 Kings 21.16 Thus is Ierusalem said to haue built her an high place in euery street and at euery head of the way to haue multiplied her whoredomes with the Aegyptians Assyrians Canaanites yea saith the Lord thou hast plated the harlot with them and yet couldest not be satisfied 3 Of the faculties of soule and body Ezek. 16.23.24 c. Thirdly in regard of all the faculties of soule and body Ier. 8.2 all which haue beene carried to their imagined gods and hoast of heauen whom they haue loued whom they haue serued after whom they haue walked and whom they haue sought and whom they haue worshipped 4 Of the intention of each faculty Fourthly in regard of the vtmost extent and intention of each faculty Thus was Samaria set on fire with her louers Ezek. 23.5 And the Israelites inflamed or inflaming themselues with Idols slaying the children in the valleyes vnder the clifts of the rocks Esa 57.5 O height of impiety This is it by little and little to fall from God from his onely will and worship and to giue the reynes to little beginnings for thus often God in his lust iudgement giues men ouer to extremities punishing coldnesse in our holy profession by giuing men ouer to a superstitious zeale 2 Thess 2.10.11.12 Sending strong delusion that they should beleeue and loue lyes who beleeue and loue not the truth This is also the nature of sinne vnresisted for so one sin causeth another First as the efficient cause one being a bait to another and a step thereunto euen as the lesser wedge makes way for the greater Secondly as the matter thereof as drunkennes of lust Thirdly as the end thereof as when whoredome is the end of theft increasing of wealth immoderately the end of false dealing Fourthly as the meritorious cause thereof God often as is said punishing one sinne with another Where these causes concurre especially when God leaues men to themselues and to their owne corruption which being capable of all formes may receiue the very stampe print and image of the diuell himselfe what maruell if from little springs there grow a sea of wickednesse We haue seene it in these Iewes and may further see it by this gradation for we may not thinke they became sodainly thus extremely euill but by these degrees Whereas there is a double power to ouercome sinne first the power of Nature or of our owne free will such as was in Adam before his fall and secondly the power of Grace by Iesus Christ These Iewes First euen now since the fall conceiuing the wound of originall sinne to be in part curable by the power of their owne free will Malach. 4.2 they beganne to neglect Christ their promised Messiah and the onely true Physitian And whereas from this power of Nature and of Grace Righteousnesse is double Christs and our owne they Secondly proceeded to a mixture of their owne righteousnesse with his Thirdly from that to their owne righteousnesse onely from Christ to Moses from the Gospel to the Law Now whereas their owne righteousnesse and obedience is eyther inward or outward they Fourthly fell from the inward to the outward onely from inward obedience to outward performances of morall duties that is from the Spirit to the Letter from the heart to the lips and hand witnesse the fift of Matthew Now againe this outward obedience being eyther in regard of Morall duties or of Ceremoniall they Fiftly fell from the Morall to an externall Ceremoniall holinesse and a looking for of righteousnesse from their sacrifices obseruation of dayes and other Ceremonies which they preferred before Mercy Faith Obedience Now Ceremonies are eyther prescribed by God himselfe or they are onely of mens deuising they therefore Sixtly proceeded to seeke righteousnesse from ceremonies of their owne deuising and from will-worship Againe these ceremonies and practises are eyther lesse impious and abhominable as the washing of hands cups chayres or more wicked vnto which they Lastly fell namely to most wicked practises and superstitions of their owne and such as Gods Law most plainly condemnes as the prostitution of their daughters and the sacrificing of their children to deuils for saith my text Yea they sacrificed their sonnes and their daughters vnto deuils CHAP. II. Containing an Application of the former Chapter WAs it thus with the Iewes Gods owne peculiar people Rom. 3.2 and â— 4 to whom were committed the Oracles of God to whom belonged the adoption and the glory and the couenants and the giuing of the Law and the Seruice of God and the Promises and may it not be so with vs Christians What better or greater priuiledges promises or exemptions from possibility of erring haue we then they further forth then we and they hold our selues to the heauenly patterne the onely rule of Gods word Nay is it not so already with vs Christians and hath not the mystery of iniquity and Idolatry growne to its height by like degrees Popery growes on by degrees See it in these particulars not to apply to Papists what was lastly obserued concerning the Iewes which any diligent eie comparing the one with the other 1 Worshipping of Images may easily do First In the worshipping of Images many doubt whence this had its beginning I doubt not to affirme from corrupt nature for we see men naturally delighted with pictures and Images wee see what loue and respect children giue to their puppets how they prefer the resemblance of a Doue or Dog made into a cake before the lumpe or loafe it selfe some picture or puppet made out of siluer before the lumpe or masse of siluer Though with Plutarch Plutarch Sympos 5. qu. â— I easily grant that Art and imitation of nature draw on our affection and liking to them without any other master yet I thinke that is rather in men growne then in children who haue no iudgement of the workes either of nature or Art but men both vpon the former ground and also naturally delight in making and beholding pictures as resemblances of the workes of God and nature which workmanship of his seeing they cannot make they yet imitate and delight in it These then are the degrees grounded partly on Nature partly on Art First Delight Secondly Ornament for so also are they vsed Thirdly they had also an historicall vse But fourthly honour and respect giuen to deceased friends and benefactours haue caused statues to bee made and erected pictures to be hanged vp first onely in the houses and porches of priuate friends but at the length in Churches also and
apes with God in all things required this seruice also after the example of the old Testament and that with obseruation of many like circumstances which the rather they vsed as to deceiue the Heathen so in likelihood in time to come the more easily to draw on the Iewes to heathenish superstition when they should see the same or like seruices to their owne as indeed the euent proued Now God required the firstlings of their fruits and cattell 1. Of fruits and beasts that they should acknowledge themselues beholding to him for them on the contrary these gods require the acknowledgement of such things to be made to themselues and to their Images And as God so did the auncient heathenish gods inioyne the sacrifice of bruite beasts where wee know that among the Iewes Lambs especially and more ordinarily were vsed in sacrifice as in the daily sacrifice morning and euening and in their most celebrated â—â—â—st and sacrament of the Passeouer Exod. 12.3 c. vsed to signifie and typifie Iesus Christ who is called the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world In which sacrifices then and now in Christ 1. Iohn 2.2 they and we finde reconciliation with God through his blood So did the Gentiles also in case of reconciliation with their gods sacrifice Lambs thence comes the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lambe which is all one in signification with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consiliare to reconcile and from thence is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pugno decerto c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to hate irreconciliably and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Particularly men But God moreouer commanded Abraham to sacrifice his sonne in which as in all others Christ in his humane nature was signified wherein he should be sacrificed and dye for the sinnes of the world Hereupon the Deuill must needs put this also into the heads of the Heathen namely to sacrifice men and so to lay the sinnes of a whole City or Country vpon the backe of some one poore wretch to make an attonement for the rest To giue but one instance The Leucades as Strabo reports yearely made choise of some notorious malefactor and sacrificed him for the whole If we cast our eies on diuers circumstances about the sacrifices of the Iewes we shall finde the like among the Heathen Aâ—â—â—â—â—â—ing First the Priests were commanded to wash themselues with Water before they executed the Priests office in the Temple 〈◊〉 Satur◠〈…〉 So the Heathen being to sacrifice Dijs superis to the higher and superior gods they did corpus abluere aquâ wash their whole body with water but if Dijs inferis 〈◊〉 13. Oâ— Saâ—t â—in lib. 3◠〈◊〉 7 lib. â—1 〈◊〉 18. Nec 〈◊〉 propitâ—â—â—â—am dii mola 〈◊〉 a supplicantiâ—â—â— imo verà pâ—aâ—atioâ—e Lucret. lib. 1 â—â—am fundere Bacchum Coepeâ—â—t obliquoque molas inducere â—â—â—ro 〈◊〉 roâ—â— Eâ—log 8 â—arge molam to the lower gods then did they onely aspergere besprinkle themselues Secondly we know the meat-offerings must be seasoned with Salt and that vpon all oblations salt should bee offered Now that this was an accustomed thing in the sacrifices offered to false gods Pliny witnesseth saying Sacra nulla perficiuntur sine mola salsa that is no offerings nor sacrifices were made without a cake made of meale salt Hence came the Latine word Immolatio which signifieth a sacrificing from the putting or placing of this salt cake vpon the beasts head for the custome of the Romans was that when the beast was brought to the Altar after theâ—r praiers and other ceremonies were finished the priest either laid this cake on the beasts head with frankincense or breaking and crumming it sprinkled it on the offering Thirdly 3. Of Fire againe wee know that God sent Fire from heauen which consumed the sacrifices of Moses Elias and Salomon this though the deuill cannot doe yet would he seeme to doe and therefore to content my selfe with one onely example when Seleucus was sacrificing at Pella the wood on the Altar turned it selfe as it seemed to Iupiters image and so tooke fire And as God commanded that the fire which hee sent downe to consume the first burnt offering that Moses made on the Altar Leuit. 9.24 should burne continually on the Altar and neuer bee put out Leuit. 6.12.13 See Laps de Vestae vestalibuâ— so wee know that both the Romanes had their Temple and vestall virgins for the continuall keeping in of their fire which at the first was and should after if by any occasion it went out be kindled at the Sun-beames onely as also the Persians Medes Chaldaeans Assyrians Graecians had their peculiar Temples for it and indeed made a god of it sacrificed to it kept solemne feasts in honour of it onely because they had such a conceit that the fire from heauen which God sent to consume the sacrifices of the Iewes should be God himselfe appearing in likenesse of fire which their custome no doubt was deriued from the Iewes as appeareth by the Latine and Greeke names of fire Vesta and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in neither tongue signifying any thing but being indeed Hebrew words compounded of Esh and Iah which signifie fire of God So the Persians called their fire Orimasda corruptly from the Iewish language and so the Aegyptians their Seraphim These were the apish toyes of Satan among the Heathen concerning sacrifices not that he was so much delighted with them as with that which he gained by them What was that honour to himselfe hurt to vs. Augâ—â—t Câ—â—â—â— Dei 〈◊〉 cap. 1â— Nec 〈◊〉 aliud â—â—laces 〈…〉 Non enim reuerà saith Saint Augustine cadauerinis nidoribus sed diuinis honoribus gaudent they delight not so much in the sauour of the dead sacrifices as in the fauour and diuine honours giuen them by the sacrificers They require sacrifice because they know it is due to the true God onely and also because it is hurtfull for man to giue it for as saith the same Father Their delight is in hauing the affection of the â—â—â—â—ificers through their deceit subiected to them that so our 〈…〉 bâ— no acceptable sacrifice to God nor ought we can 〈…〉 we 〈◊〉 to any 〈◊〉 to the true God onely Now to proceed we may yeâ— note that in nothing more hath 〈◊〉 Deuill imitated God then in such things as cannot proceed but from infinite Power and Wisedome which are peculiar properties to the onely true God and these are especially the certaine foreshewing of things to come and the working of Miracles or the doing of good and euill by the counterfetting of which two the heathenish gods or deuils so farre preuailed that God is in a manner forced to vindicate his owne honour whereof they robbed him biddâ—ng them produce their cause and bring forth their strong â—eaâ—onâ— what were they Shew saith
onely Word made the world of nothing Christ and his Apostles gaue life to the dead limbs to the lame c. so the Deuill in imitation hereof hath perswaded silly credulous men and women that there is in words and speeches if rightly rehearsed a certaine naturall and effectuall power of working strangely vpon things and persons ouer which they shall be vttered So nothing can fall out extraordinarily as strange births monsters and such like things as are wrought by the hidden and secret operation of naturall causes August de Ciuit. Dei lib. 10. cap. 16. not without Gods speciall hand of prouidence but by his craft he will seeme to be the author of them And thus to speake iointly both of his predictions and miracles of his words and works when he perceiues beforehand by the meanes formerly mentioned Gods will or purpose concerning any thing he foretels it and intermeddles in it whereby it might seeme not onely to be foretold but also effected by him hereby winning the praise and credit of it if it be good if otherwise yet comes he to bee feared and reuerenced Whereunto the practise of Columbus the first discouerer of America seemes not vnlike who being in the Iland of Iamaica sicke and in want the barbarous inhabitants denied him food commerce and trafficke whereupon he foreseeing an Eclips of the Sun which they worshipped as God threatned to be reuenged on their god shortly vnlesse they did relieue him telling them the time when which being obserued and the Sun eclipsed they forthwith supplied his wants feared and reuerenced him exceedingly Daeâ—â—one â—eneâ—â—ntur homines quasi terrestrâ—s dâ—os depalsores malorum quae ipsi faciunt arrogant coli se volunt ne noceant Laâ—tant Instit lib. 2. cap. 15. Hinc Febris culta fuit Pallor à Babyloniis Draco apud Danielem ne malâ—m inferant Nâ—stus Bethul ad Lactant. Instit lib. 2. cap. 16. August de ciuit Dei lib 10. cap. 32. So Satan if any good thing be to befall any according to Gods appointment this he promiseth in his owne name to doe for them but on a condition they must dedicate temples and sacrifice vnto him but now let any danger be towards then for some friuolous cause or other he is exceeding angry and therefore pronounceth some direfull sentence or other vpon them which indeed he knowes that God will execute yet this he doth that it might seeme to come vpon them for some contempt of him suppose it come not then will he seeme to haue beene appeased with their sacrifices so that indeed they must needs both feare him in regard of euill and sue to him for good things and for the remouall of euill Now by these meanes haue these wicked spirits attained their end which was as Saint Augustine saith Vt sibi jus quodammodo vendicent in materiâ infirmâ fragilitatis humanae to domineere ouer mans frailty And thus for a generall conclusion of this point we say with a certaine Father Satan hominum credulitatem mentitâ diuinitate deludit that Satans suttlety through mans credulity hath wonne himselfe the name and credit of a god vpon earth and that not onely among the Heathen but with Gods owne people also But what saith my Text for all this Is the Deuill so indeed or doth God so acknowledge him No for they sacrificed their sonnes and their daughters vnto Deuils CHAP. V. Diuers vses and inferences from the former Considerations Inferences from the former considerations THese former considerations being of such waight are not thus to be left and passed ouer without our further meditation on them what may we then gaine by the former discourse First let vs thus reason 1. Hypocrites in time shall be discouered were these goodly gods then of the Heathen but deuils and hath God now vnmasked them and discouered them to vs his seruants so to bee Then surely God likewise in his good and appointed time will bring to light all such things as now lye hid in darknesse and take from all hypocrites the vaile of their hypocrisie Now perhaps men strout it out and liue as little gods here vpon earth or like the children of the most high both in their owne and others estimation but yet the time commeth when as the Lord saith they shall die like men Psal 82.6.7 Ezek. 28.2 and 7.8.9 and fall as one of the Princes Thus saith the Lord God to the prince of Tyrus because thine heart is lifted vp and thou hast said I am a god I sit in the seat of god in the midst of the Seas yet thou art a man and not God though thou set thine heart as the heart of God Behold I will bring strangers vpon thee they shall bring thee downe to the pit and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slaine in the midst of the Seas wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee I am God but thou shalt be a man and no God in the hand of him that slayeth thee Ezek. 28.2 c. Wee read in the histories of the West Indies Ioseph Acosta in his naturall and morall history of the East and West Indies in English lib. 5. cap. 10.21 and 30. that the Mexicans had a yearely sacrifice for the which in some feasts sixe moneths in others a whole yeare before they tooke a Captiue to whom before they did sacrifice him to their idoll they gaue the name of the idoll to whom he should be sacrificed and apparrelled him with like ornaments to those of the idoll during which time he was reuerenced and worshipped in the same manner as the idoll it selfe hee had the most honourable lodging in all the Temple where he did eat and drinke what he would and was merry but yet he had alwaies with him twelue men for his guard lest he should flye and to this end at night he was put into a strong prison or cage well the feast being come and he growne fat they disrobed him killed him opened him eate him making thus a solemne feast and sacrifice of him The application is easie what one man is that in the Church or yet on earth that hath giuen vnto him and takes vnto himselfe the name of God inuested in the titles and properties of God exalting himselfe against all that is called God or worshipped that sits as God in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God If you know not the Apostle will tell you 2. Thess 2. namely he it is who when that 〈◊〉 withholdeth shall be taken out of the way shall be reuealed in his time whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of â—â—s worth and destroy with the brightnesse of his comming in the meane time Pride is as a chaine vnto him not to beautifie him onely but to bind him and his owne iniquities haue taken him and he shall be holden with the cords of his sinne then shall the time be
to make him their god but euen when in their liues they obey him more then God bestowing their best affections on the basest obiects Ephe. 2.2 and walke in sinnes and trespasses according to the course of the world and after the prince that ruleth in the ayre euen the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience For in this sence he is called the god of the world 2 Cor. 4.4 Or more indirectly when we giue it first to Saints Moreouer men deifie the Deuill when they giue diuine honour to any creature This I say first euen in regard of the Saints themselues and their images for hereby the Deuill onely is indeed honoured who often abuseth their names and appeares in and at their images The Saints themselues neither doe nor dare take that honour which idolaters would giue them they dare neither take it on earth nor now in heauen though we should grant they see and take notice of our prayers and deuotions done vnto them Doe we thinke that the blessed Virgin now in the presence of Christ and of God dares arrogate such titles to her selfe as superstitious Papists giue vnto her who in their Rosaries and Letanies call her Queene of heauen Gate of Paradise Mother of mercy our saluation she that bruised the Serpents head which last propertie in the vulgar translation of their Bibles is attributed to the woman Gen. 3.15 who also in their Ladies Psalter called Saint Bonauentures Psalter which is nothing else but the 150. Psalmes of Dauid take away the name of God and in its roome put the name of Mary Yea in their other Psalter of our Lady which is digested into 15 demands she is called the first cause of our saluation and one who at the last day shall moderate the sentence of the Iudge Yea so farre haue they proceeded as to place her before Iesus Christ in these words Glory be to you ô Virgin and to Iesus Christ c. The like honour they giue to other Saints but doe they accept it no they are all chast Virgins chast Matrons and know that by accepting such honours they should consent to spirituall adulâ—ery which is idolatry Thus the Saints are abused by Papists who yet themselues are not excused from spirituall adultery though the Saints partake not with them in it as it is said Matth. 5.28 He that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart Duo fuerunt adulterium vnus admisit Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 1. c 19 though she be only a meere passiue obiect and not consenting of whom as also of the Saints and idolaters we may say as Saint Augustine said of Lucretia being rauished and forced by Tarquinius they indeed were two yet one committed the adultery And yet seeing idolatry as adultery is properly betweene two or moe we conclude that the idoll here thus pleased and honoured is the Deuill and none other Secondly 2. To the Pope if we giue like honour to the Pope as is due to God we thus both deifie the Deuill in him and him in himselfe who herein is an instrument of the Deuill or else hee durst neuer approue of such honour as is giuen him when texts of Scripture which are properly truly meant of Christ and the holy Ghost are applied to him as in the vacancy of the Popedome when to obtaine a new Pope Cerem Rom. lib. â— sect 15. they sing that tract out of the Prophet which they reade Erit dux ejus ex eo sz Israele princeps de medio ejus producetur Thus in English Ier. 30.21 And their nobles or noble ruler shall bee of themselues and their gouernour shall proceed from the midst of them Which words are meant of our Sauiour Christ So when they apply to the Pope that speech of our Sauiour Christ which is true only of the holy Ghost I will not leaue you comfortlesse Iohn 14.16.18 I will pray the Father and hee shall giue you another Comforter Consonant to which when he is chosen he is set on high vpon the Altar which is the seat of their god and there he is adored By these and the like honours done the Pope they shew what god they worship namely their god-pope or which they are not aware of the Deuill in the Pope they may say what they will but their intentions will not excuse them Thirdly the like in effect is done when we feare loue 3. To other men whom we honor more then God respect honour any thing or person more then we do God himselfe Question Must none be honoured but God only Quest and doe we make them gods whom wee any wayes honour Answer No all superiours must be honoured according to the fifth Commandement whether they be superiours with authority ouer vs as are Magistrates though euill as Samuel honoured Saul 1 Sam. 15.30 which popish Iesuites will not doe who otherwise are not behind any in giuing honour where they should not or without authority as are the aged learned noble c. whom we must honour by acknowledging and approuing their gifts and that order in which God hath placed them so by our loue and thankfulnesse yea all must be honoured of vs though our inferiours in other respects in whom any grace of God appeares and that according to that measure of grace and goodnesse we espie in them For honouring them so we in them honour God Secondly Vse Not to take Gods honour to ourselues Secondly it concernes vs vnlesse we will shew our selues â—â—ps and instruments of Satan by no meanes to appropriate Gods honour to our selues The very pride of the heart is a thing hatefull to God and the inordinate desire of honour is as Saint Paul said of the desire of money the root of all euill Aâ—gâ—â—t de 〈◊〉 Dei â—ib 1â— cap. â—3 as elsewhere Initium omnis peccati superbia The beginning of all sinne is Pride nay it is the height of all sinne whereby man peruersly affecting highnesse forsakes God who should be the beginning and end of all his desires and becomes a god to himselfe Thus we offend when we seeke honour to our selues from any thing we either receiue or doe in any thing we either receiue or dâ—e He that considers and ponders duely how naked both in soule and body he came into the world how miserable and disabled he is by sinne how destitute of all good without the grace of God in Iesus Christ will see he hath but little cause to be proud of any thing and that he oweth all honour and respect to God for whatsoeuer good thing hee either hath or doth which if he ascribe to himselfe hee sets himselfe in Gods stead and exalts himselfe against God Thus doe they who haue their hearts lifted vp and are proud of their riches which they ascribe to their owne meanes as in Hezechiaâ— 2. King 20.13
Gods word and lastly he withdrew their obedience and loyalty from God Thus he beguiled Eue. 2. Cor. 11.3 2. King 22.10 34 Thus to Ahab he promised nothing but good yet being a lying spirit in the mouth of his prophets hee intended nothing but hurt to him and so to others Ierem 27 10. Neither intended he any good to King Philip of Macedon when by his Prophetesse Pythia as Demosthenes said he did a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Satan ab initio mundi fallax se per mendaâ— mentitur vt fallat blanditur vt noceat bona promittit vt mala tribuat vitam pollicitur vt perimat Cyprian lib. 1 Ep. 8. 1. Cor. 11.13.14.15 flatter and seeme to speake as King Philip would haue him And thus to be worshipped of our Sauiour Christ he promised no lesse then all the kingdomes of the world But what he obtained not of him he easily obtained among the Heathen especially when by seeming miracles reuelations and predictions he confirmed and authorized whatsoeuer hee taught commanded and required From these premises we will now vrge the Apostles argument which in effect is this Satan himselfe is transformed into an Angell of light therefore no maruaile if false Apostles be deceitfull workers Secondly in his instruments and transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ it is no great thing if Satans ministers be transformed as the ministers of righteousnesse No maruaile indeed for seeing Satan is still the same he was and also hath like aduantage of our weaknes we may easily imagine he will stirre vp instruments like himselfe by whom he may effect all his forenamed ends which are three First to seduce our soules secondly to kill our bodies thirdly to become our God who also themselues haue like ends For the first namely the seducing of our soules 1. To seduce the Soule and the corrupting of our minds before we speake of his trickes and policies by his instruments in these our daies it will not bee amisse to shew what aduantage is afforded vnto them from mans naturall frailty Their aduantage first from mans frailty and readinesse to be deceiued Shewed first in Eue. and readinesse to bee deceiued that so we may not wonder to see so many seduced by errour in these our daies in comparison of sound and sincere professors This frailty we may first see and obserue in our great grandmother Eue who herein is a liuely type of the Church of God on earth both before her fall and after She may signifie the spotlesse spouse of Christ the true Catholike Church which as she was taken out of Adams side while he slept and after brought and espoused to Adam so sprang of the water and blood which issued out of the side of our Sauiour the second Adam while he slept the sleepe of death which two are the matter of our regeneration and is thus espoused spotlesse to Christ her onely husband being that Ierusalem from aboue which is the mother of vs all Gal. 4.26 But the slie Serpent seduced the woman to disobedience from the simplicity of Gods word and her obedience thereunto in which consisted her safety and felicity and herein she is a type of the visible Church and of such as fall from outward grace through disobedience and from the simplicitie which is in Christ Iesus If therefore the Serpent had then craft enough to deceiue her being in perfect innocency how much more may he deceiue vs whose frailty euen the best is such in all the parts and faculties of soule as whereof Satan can easily 2. In the parts and faculties of each mâ—s soule â—â—aâ—â— 19.20 yea doth ordinarily take too great aduantage He is the father of lies and errours and a master seducer our flesh and concupiscence is the mother thereof Idolatry variance seditions heresies are made the workes of the flesh which is Satans concubine who therefore while we sleepe and are secure Matth. 13 2â— sowes his seed his tares from whence issueth this bastard and vnholy brood And this mother now Satans concubine 〈…〉 Eph. 4.22 1. In the vnderstanding is that old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts where within our selues we haue both corruption and deceit First in the vnderstanding naturally is ignorance accompanied with a deprauation yea a naturall incapability of receiuing diuine truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man perceiues not he cannot know the things of the spirit of God Nay the Deuill takes aduantage of our ignorance euen of good arts and sciences as Logicke Philosophy and of the tongues and so deceiues vs with sophistry and paralogismes as hee did Seruetus and other hereticks how much more then of our ignorance of Scripture which is made the maine cause of errour Matth. 22.29 which therefore Satan labours to depriue vs of 2. In the will Act. 7.51 Secondly our wils afford him like aduantage which first often euen resist the known truth and the holy Ghost Yet I hold not that mans faith and assent depends onely and wholly on the command of the will in assenting or dissenting Quoad specificationem quoad exercitium though the vnderstanding doth for the exercise of it as to thinke or not to thinke Secondly our will affecting a liberty makes choice of her religion and opinions Coloss 2 20-23 Isa 66.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence proceeds all wil-worship and cultus electitij whereby men chuse their gods which properly according to the word is an heresie Thirdly it causeth obstinacy in errour and consequently heresie especially in women Ierem. 44 10.17 who hold fast the conclusion with this band they will because they will 2 In the conâ—ience T it 1.15 â—6 1. â—â—m 1 19. 〈…〉 Thirdly our conscience being naturally impure causeth shipwracke of faith and being also erroneous as it must needs be when diuine truth guides it not both misleads to error and holds men in errour who commonly haue nought to say for themselues but their consciences and this the Deuil knowes well enough Fourthly our affections also naturally being corrupt 4 In the affections helpe to corrupt the iudgement which this Serpent knowing makes vse First of fleshly pleasures as his snares to hold and lead captiue silly women especially laden with sins and led with diuers lusts Secondly of mans naturall pride 2 Tim. 2.26 and 2. Tim 3 6 which Saint Augustine maketh the mother of all heresies this causeth first Schisme through selfe-conceit and singularitie of opinion secondly heresie through obstinacy and stiffenesse in defending that opinion Thirdly Satan makes vse not to name ambition and flattery of which 1. Thes 2. verse 3.4.5.6.7 of couetousnesse in men and of their loue of mony which saith the Apostle 1. Tim 6 â—â— while some couet after they erre and are seduced from the faith And therefore Mammonists are the greatest Satanists And now I pray you
Second aduantage from Gods prouidence 2 Thes 2.9 10 11. Deut. 13.1.2.3 Dan. 11 3â— 1. Cor. 11 1â— Third from their owne suttleties Reuel 7 7.8-10.11 hath not Satan men at great aduantage especially further considering first that God giues him some and liberty and that first to worke with all power and lying wonders with all deceiueablenesse and strong delusion in such as receiue not the loue of the truth secondly thus to proue and so to approue and manifest the loue the faith sincerity and constancy of the faithfull Secondly considering that as Satan in deceiuing Eue had and abused the Serpent as his instrument so hath he now some of Serpentine disposition who yet the more easily to abuse our simplicity haue their faces as ours the faces of men and their haire as the haire of women but yet they are Serpents and their tailes are like vnto Scorpions and these are hereticks and seducers of all times Euseb Eccles hist lib. 4. cap. 1â— ex Jren Whence Policarpe the ancient Martyr called Marcion the heretick Primogenitum diaboli the first borne of the Deuill and yet some were borne a little before him euen in S. Pauls time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Cor. 11.13.14 Act. 20 29.30 2. Pet. 2.1.2.3 of whom he saith they are false Apostles and deceitfull workers transforming themselues into the Apostles of Christ Such as these he also prophecied of whom he describes by the name of grieuous Wolues who speake peruerse things to draw disciples after them of false teachers who priuily shall bring in damnable heresies speaking euill of the way of truth and through couetousnesse with fained words making marchandize of men And these are they who being deceiued themselues deceiue others also Iude 10. who being corrupt themselues yea corrupting themselues like bruit beasts in what they know naturally corrupt others also as doth their mistresse that whore which did Reuel 19.2 and now doth corrupt the earth with her fornication Now all these sleights this guile and deceitfulnesse to delude and seduce are foretold vs of Antichrist of whom it is said 2. Thess 2.9.10.11 His comming is after the working of Sataen with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceiuablenesse of vnrighteousnesse in them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued and for this cause it is added God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeue a lye c. Where wee see that the sonne of perdition must vse all guile and deceitfulnesse to delude and seduce men from the truth of God how needfull then is it for vs to feare what Saint Paul feared on the behalfe of the Corinthians Cor. 11.3 saying But I feare lest by any meanes as the Serpent beguiled Eue through his subtilty so your mindes should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ especially when wee see and feele in our selues both in Court and Country the stinging effects of this serpentine Romish brood who take and make vse of all the forenamed aduantages especially in these our Northren parts where our peoples eyes are put out Reuel 9.2 and our Sunne in great part darkened by the smoake of the bottomlesse pit out of which come these Locusts to vs. Qui cauet ne decipiatur vix cauet cum etiam cauâ—tâ—etiam cum cauisse ratus est saepe is cautor ceptus est Plaut captiu Prouerbs 17. Therefore there is scarce any humane caution sufficient against them who want neither will nor skill to hurt by deceiuing so that the most warie is not so warie but for all his warinesse hee may bee warred and foiled Moderate feare may here be commended vnto vs by that commendation which the wisedome of God giues to the feare of God It is the beginning of wisedome For as also saith euen naturall wisedome in Aristotle Feare causeth consultation Arist in Rhet. and consultation causeth wisedome Who then are easiliest misled and seduced but the simple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Minime mali and such as are least of all distrustfull The Scripture cals such simple I would they were not also vnwise children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prouerb 1.4 Prouerb 8.5 Matth. 10.10 It is said of seducers causers of sects and offences that by good words and faire speeches they deceiue the hearts of the simple Rom. 16.18 What then ought wisdomes worke to be in vs she tels vs her selfe to giue suttlety to the simple and her counsell is O ye simple vnderstand wisedome There is wisedome then required in the children of light to espie and preuent the wisedome of the children of the world and therefore we are bid be wise as Serpents wise not to doe euill but to preuent euill and this our wisedome consists in cautelousnesse As the Apostle hath foretold vs of grieuous wolues so he bids also haue an eye to Philip. 3.2 and beware of dogs beware of euill workers Now I need not much beware of that dog that giues me warning by his barking but I will haue an eye to the close sullen Cur that will pinch me by the heele ere I be aware If our aduersaries were all of hasty dispositions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and free spirited to expresse themselues boldly then by Aristotles rule I need not much feare them but being still and close fellowes dissemblers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet lib. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deceiuers and as Saint Paul said deceitfull workers there is too iust cause of fearing such These saith Aristotle are to be feared and so are as he cals them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such impostors as can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imponere that is put a tricke vpon a man finely Concerning all which Saint Paul warnes vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Thes 2.3 2. Cor. 113. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Popish policies for the corrupting of mens soules beginning his discourse concerning Antichrist with this caueat Let no man deceiue you by any meanes wherefore not doubting but the Pope of Rome and that succession is Antichrist his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and meanes of deceiuing and corrupting mens minds are now to bee considered which being both for the supplanting of truth and planting of errour we may reduce with the Apostle to our minds that is partly to the vnderstanding on which the will much-what dependeth partly to the affections and sences all which these seducers seeke to corrupt 1. For the corrupting the vnderstanding 1. Which they doe 1. By blinding it First for the vnderstanding It they goe about to blind and to delude Their first tricke is to put out the light and with Vlysses to put out Poliphemus his eye while the people are secure so that the hurt is done And that 1. By denying the Scriptures to the people and Vtis No-body hath done it This is done first by wresting the Scriptures out of the
follow their steps Thus haue some Popish parents vpon their death-bed charged their childrens loue with an obedience to their last command which was that they should also liue and die in the same religion and this is the chiefe reason which some of them can giue of their faith as in experience I haue found Thus also he is no Gentleman that is no Papist whereas God knowes men how noble soeuer neuer cease to bee Gentlemen in Gods account till then for then indeed doe they cease also to be men * See Lactant. Instit lib. 2. de Orig. erroris cap. 1. fine Ipsi ergo sibi renunciant seque hominum nomine abdicant qui non sursum aspiciant sed deorsum cap. 2. fine when they beginne so slauishly to subiect themselues to man yea to cast themselues downe before and vnder Images of earth and mettall whereas God and Nature hath giuen vnto man an erected face and countenance to looke in his deuotions to heauen the place and seat of Gods glory Vpon the like ground when they finde any vntractable through too much prejudice they labour to temper him with their plausible conuersation winding themselues into credit reputation loue c. thus to gaine some interest and possession in the hearts and affections of such as they would seduce All this while not a word must be spoken of Religion as if that were no part of the errand Euen thus saith a worthy Obseruer D. Hall in his Quo vadis Sect. 16. haue wee seene an Hawke cast off at an Heron-shaw to looke and flye a quite other way and after many carelesse and ouerly fetches to towre vp vnto the prey intended All this is that at least for loue of their persons the poyson of their after-perswasions may be loued taken and digested For now hauing got themselues the reputation of a sweet ingenuitie and delightfull sociablenesse opportunitie is found to bestow some witty scoffes vpon those parts of our Religion which lye most open to aduantage and so from them with many protestations of loue warily and by degrees to other points Thus especially are our English Gentlemen who crosse the seas wooed and dealt withall by their insinuating countrimen smooth Papists who vpon notice formerly giuen them expect and waite their comming Now contrariwise especially among their owne and with others also the Teachers and Louers of the Truth are both secretly and also openly and impudently traduced calumniated and euill spoken of that so the truth they preach and professe may be distasted by reason of that prejudice which mens naughty affections haue conceiued against their persons Euen thus did the false apostles of old deale â— Cor. 10.10.12 who vainly vaunting and commending themselues did withall vilifie S. Paul and speake of him to the people as of a bragging fellow who seemed terrible a farre off by his letters but yet being present was but weake and his speech contemptible It were infinite to relate particularly what slaunders and vile imputations are laid vpon Protestants and true professors so that calumniations lies slanders falshood are now one chiefe pillar of Popery on which it stands It is the Popish practise if not doctrine Calumniare audacter semper aliquid haerebit lay on load wound them in their good names calumniate and charge them falsly for what though the wound be closed and cured yet some scarre will euer remaine there will bee some or other to beleeue it Relation of Religion Sect. 30. Thus as is obserued they suborne post-men to write the Legends of Protestants that afterwards they might cite them as approued authors and histories as is euident in the liues of Caluin and Beza written by their sworne enemy Bolseck the twice banished and thrice runnagate Friar and Physitian who being by their side requested to write thus is in their writings alledged as Canonicall Now this they gaine by such slaunders they put the party slaundered to iustifie and proue the negatiue which in Logicke is made alwayes very difficult and often impossible which yet if he be notable directly to doe the other triumphs as in a matter of infallible truth and victory But as bare deniall doth not alwayes cleare a man so should not a bare accusation especially of an enemy bee taken as sufficient to condemne him for then as Iulian answered Delphidius who shall be found guiltlesse Surely few that haue enemies as all good men haue Againe whereas corrupt affections and manners 2 By polluting the affections partly of their owne nature partly by Gods iust iudgement cause error in minde and vnderstanding so that where the will is inclined to euill there the minde is bent to falshood behold how Satans bawds goe about to bewitch mens affections and pollute them by corrupting and inclining them to sinne that so the iudgement may conceiue of things not as they are in themselues but as they appeare through the false glasse of affections which not onely raise vp fogges and mists to blinde the iudgement but also plead mightily for what they affect It is obserued by some that so many bookes of bawdry and ribaldry as are by Popish factors of purpose translated out of Italian into English doe turne more from the truth at home then their contentious bookes abroad For our English becomming once Italionated are by that meanes effeminated and consequently Satanized Such bookes in what language soeuer must needs proue exceeding prejudiciall to the chastitie both of body and of minde and of the minde because of the body I wonder what sound iudgement in religion could that Archbishop of Beneuentum Bartholomaeus de la Casa and the Popes Nuncio at Venice be of who wrote published that booke which he entitles De arte diuina Of the diuine Art yet being indeed De arte Sodomitica of the art of Sodomie being written in the commendation of that most vnnaturall sinne And what sound mindes can they haue that delight eyther in that booke or in that sinne or any other of like nature Rom. 1.27.28 Surely we cannot imagine but God giues such ouer to a reprobate minde so that it is no hard conquest to make myriads of such to be Romish prosylites and conuerts and such indeed are the greatest part of their conuerts none or few of very good affections but such as eyther take or from that religion seeke liberty to the flesh Howsoeuer if they finde them not such there shall not sometimes want their endeuour to make them such by the meanes aforesaid or otherwise Wee reade our owne times prophecied of and wee see the truth of the Prophecie with our eyes whereby wee are told of a sort of men which creepe into houses 2 Tim. 3.6.7 and lead captiue silly women laded with sinnes and led away with diuers lusts euer learning and neuer able to come to the knowledge of the truth Out of which words for our purpose we note first that corrupt and sinfull affections are enemies and
came afterward went about and also practised vpon like ground For they being inraged against our Sauiour Christ sought by all meanes to kill him yet some pretence to satisfie the people they must haue which yet was a true ground in them It was this they seeing what miracles he did and that hereupon many beleeued in him the high Priests and Pharisies gathered a Councell and said Iohn 11.47.48 If wee let him thus alone all men will beleeue on him and the Romanes shall come and take away both our place and nation They therefore thought if Iesus liued their kingdome could not stand and hereupon they sought meanes to kill him This lesson is taken out by Antichrist and his members who in like manner goe about to vphold and establish their kingdome by shedding the innocent bloud of Protestants of the members of Christ Nolite tangere Christos meoâ— Psal 105.15 especially of Kings and Princes of whom God hath said Touch not mine annointed and doe my Prophets no harme Their ground is they know that their kingdome of Antichrist and the Kingdome of Christ cannot stand together If then the life of any Christian King though in profession not a Protestant but onely a remisse Catholike as Henry 3. of France or a supposed Protestant in heart as Henry 4. whom both within few yeares they therefore haue murthered or yet if the life of any zealous Protestant shall be iudged to be any hinderance to the spirituall good or to the proceedings of the Romane Church there is then cause sufficient with them to rid him out of the way and it is warrant enough to any bloudy practiser whosoeuer for so he helpes to seate and settle the Pope in his throne Secondly to backe this and to giue encouragement to vnnaturall and bloudy attempters behold another cousenage and delusion They make this practise a thing highly meritorious so that now the trampling downe and treading vpon the backes of Emperors and Kings is not onely made a step and footstoole whereby the Popes of Rome mount and ascend vpon the back of that Scarlet-coloured Beast the seat and sea of Rome but also vsed as a ladder whereby base and desperate spirits who dare but attempt such villanies are thought to ascend to heauen it selfe For now to murther Kings is the next way to be canonized for Saints in heauen and to receiue the glorious Crowne of Martyrdome And thus among others is Garnet one of our Powder-traytors both made a saint and prayed to Lactant. Jnstit lib. 1. cap. 18. Lactantius an ancient Father tels vs of some who by cruelty and slaughter thought they not onely merited a place in heauen Si fas caedendo coelestiascandere cuiquam est Mi soli coeli maxima porta patet but euen to be gods in heauen Hereupon he alledgeth out of Ennius the speech of Scipio Africanus famous for his great slaughters of men who thought said and assured himselfe that if men were admitted to heauen for their slaughters the greatest gate of heauen should be set open for him No maruell then if blinded Papists vpon hope of so great reward as heauen it selfe striue to put such practises in execution seeing they haue no better meanes of their owne to come thither Thirdly men thus once heartned and hardened see vnder what colours and pretences they vse to put in practise their intended villanies Iudas betrayed his master with a kisse and so did Ioab Abner Herod intending and seeking to destroy Christ yet that he might the better know where he was and so kill him he pretended to worship him So these men often by like shewes of loue and friendship gaine the aduantage of practising their plots Sleidan câ—nteâ—t Thus Alphonsus Diazius a Spaniard but a wicked dissembling Papist after shew made of his distaste of Romish superstition by a friendly and brotherly letter sent to his naturall brother Iohannes Diazius a zealous Protestant he got the opportunitie to haue his brother most barbarously murthered early in the morning in his chamber hauing on him onely his shirt and nightcap by the villaine who carried the letter Thus was that bloudy Massacre in France of 30000. Protestants practised vnder pretence of friendship Anno 1572. being shadowed by the mariage of the Kings sister to a Christian Prince Henry 4. one who was conceiued in heart to fauour the Protestants Nay holy places holy actions holy things are by them prophaned and must be made accessory to their villanies Thus Pope Gregory 7. hired one to haue brained the Emperour Henry 4. with a stone in the Church but the mischiefe was preuented by the breaking of the beame and falling both of the stone and of the murtherer And Clemens 5. poysoned Henry 7. Count of Lucelburge then Emperour in and by a consecrated Host And vnder pretence of a promise solemnly made by the Emperour Sigismund was Iohn Hus put to death who vpon that faithfull or rather faithlesse promise made was imboldned to goe to their Councell vnder the safe conduct of the Emperour but contrary thereunto he neuer returned And this is according to their new doctrine that promises made to Hereticks as they call vs are not to be kept So that our complaint may iustly be as Dauids once was Psalm 12.1 Tides exulatâ— regnat fraâ—s The faithfull faile from among the children of men with flattering lips and with a double heart doe they speake Such conquests though they seeme aduantageous to Papists yet the manner thereof besides the hainousnesse of the crime it selfe brands them with a perpetuall note of periury and reproach 〈◊〉 superâ se iuvat si superâ—â—sse pudeâ— Alâ—â—â— Emblem 123. Fourtly see one fetch more whereby Hereticks may be finely fetcht ouer the coales and brought to the stake For when they can find no true and iust cause against vs which yet they seeke as did the chiefe Priests and Scribes against our Sauiour Luk. 20 1â— 20 21 22 23 who watching him an euill turne craftily sent forth spies which should faine themselues iust men that they might take hold of his words that so they might deliuer him vnto the power and authoritie of the Gouernour they then betake themselues to another course much like to that which wicked Iesabel tooke with Naboth who would not part with his Vineyard and inheritance to Ahab she writes letters in Ahabs name and seales them with his seale which she sent to the Elders and Nobles that were in the Citie dwelling with Naboth commanding them to proclaime a fast to set Naboth on high among the people and to set two wicked men â— King â—â— false and suborned witnesses to charge him with blaspheming both God and the King and so to carry him out and stone him that he may die Which was accordingly done Or the tricke is the same that to like purpose was put vpon the Prophet Daniel Dan. â— 4 c. who being preferred aboue all
Crosse In which regard most fitly and rightly is the number of the Popes and Popedomes name signified by that second Beast which shall beginne to heale the wound of the first Beast or ancient Empire which number the Scripture makes to be 666. found in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latinus λ 30 α 1 Ï„ 300 〈◊〉 5 〈◊〉 10 〈◊〉 50 〈◊〉 70 〈◊〉 â—0  6 〈◊〉 6 or Latine which is the ordinary name by which the Greeke Church doth call those of the Romane Church though otherwise by nation they be Frenchmen or Germanes And the rather because by an admirable concurrence the same number of 666. six hundred sixty six doth admonish vs that 666 yeares after the reuealing of the prophecie this second beast to wit the Pope shall begin to heale the wound of the ancient Empire and place the Romane Empire again in its former seate as hee also did See Mâ—â—â—ns â—ccomp◠〈◊〉 oâ— Pop◠〈◊〉 cap 4 〈◊〉 becomming iust then an earthly Monarch namely in the yeare of Christ 755. Saint Iohn writing his Reuelation in the Iâ—â— Pathmos towards the end of Domitians reigne in the yeare 89. 4. Let vs further consider what vse they make of Transubstantiation to this very purpose 4. The Pope makes aâ—â—â—on of the breâ—d in tâ—e Sacrament and then preferres himselfe before it They haue made a god of the Bread in the Sacrament which accordingly they worship and adore By this meanes they challenge and reason will giue it an equality with God yea an eminency superiority ouer him They say that Priests haue power to make God and to create their Creator by the words of consecration and that the Priesthood and the Godhead are like and haue the same greatnesse since they haue the same power Then say I if the cause in dignity be before the effect if the Creator be before the creature that is the Priest before the sacrifice which he offereth then also is the Priest but especially the Pope the chiefe Priest greaâ—er then the Masse-god and therefore the very same who is pointed at by the Apostle Saint Paul namely â— Thess 2.4 he who exalteth himselfe not only aboue all that is called God that is Magistrates Kings and Emperors but aboue that which is worshipped as God as is the Bread in the Sacrament And may not this be a notable point of policy in him for the honoring of himselfe first to giue a deitie to the Bread and then to preferre himselfe before it as indeed he doth We reade that the Kings of Persia reuerenced and adored Fire as a god and that when any King went any whither in Pompe hee to the end he might be ioyntly worshipped with his god had going before him a horse carrying a little Altar vpon him whereupon among a few ashes did shine a small flame of holy Fire which they called Orimasdu or Orismada 〈…〉 1. Sect. cap. 3. and Sect. 12. cap. 10 and 4. Euen thus also the Pope as wee reade in their booke of holy Ceremonies going some great iourney sendeth before him and that sometimes a day or two dayes iourney his Sacrament vpon a horse carrying at his neck a little bell accompanied with the scumme and scullery bag and baggage of the Romane Court. And when the Pope approacheth neare the place which he intendeth it returneth and goeth forth to meet him and receiue him And thus if he be not worshipped with it yet he makes himselfe the Master and the Masse-god his seruant and seeing men fall downe before it as they meet it he must needs get himselfe who followes after in greater pompe exceedingly reuerenced and in the thoughts of the ignorant people at the least halfe deified 5. The Popes incroaching and vsurping the rights and Temporalities of Princes 5. This last spoken of may gaine him some respect and reuerence in the hearts of the people but it addes little to his power Let vs now then consider how he hath aduanced himselfe for power and strength by incroaching and vsurping vpon the temporalities and rights of Christian Kings and Princes Now here are diuers particulars obseruable 1. Looke as King Cyrus obtained a victory against the Scythians with like policy gets the Pope a hand ouer Christian Kings and Princes Cyrus faining himselfe to flye left his Tents well furnished of wine and bellicheare Prâ—uâ— Sâ—ythae 〈◊〉 quam bâ—llâ— vâ—â—â—â—â—tur 〈…〉 1. to the end that the Scythianâ— being first ouercome with wine might more easily be ouercome by warre and so indeed they were Iust so the woman and whore which sitteth on seuen hils and which hath in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and filthinesse of her fornication hauing bewitched the Kings and inhabitants of the earth with her sorceries and seducements Reu. 1â— 3.4 5. â—3 17.18 shee hath cast them into a deepe slumber hauing made them drunken with the wine of her fornication And so as Delilah dealt with Sampson she clips them short and takes their power from them yea thus they themselues giue their power and strength vnto the beast 2. They haue hereupon got cases about mariage and like matters to be remoued from the Courts of ciuill Magistrates that so men from all parts of Europe might repayre to Rome for the disanulling of mariages dispensations to marry in forbidden degrees presentations to benefices and Bishopricks and the like 3. To wind themselues a little higher they haue vsed policy to get Appeales to be made to the Church of Rome and vnder pretence of the dignitie of the City to draw to them the cause of their neighbours there to be heard They haue herein carried themselues like Absolom when he aspired to his fathers kingdome of whom the Scripture notes 2 Sam. 15.2.3 4. that when any man had a controuersie and came to the King for iudgement then Absolom called vnto him and so intercepts him and by faire speeches curtesies and vsages 5.6 steales away his heart approuing of all matters how bad soeuer saying See thy matters are good and right but withall wronging the King his Father and calumniating him saying there is no man deputed of the King to heare thee But what followes what aymed he at Absolom said moreouer oh that I were made Iudge in the land that euery man which hath any suite or cause might come vnto me and I would doe him iustice And hath not the Pope in a manner proportionable thus done and behaued himselfe It was an ancient custome for the Churches of God in doubtfull cases to consult with the Apostles by Letters Pet Martyr ad 1. Cor. 7.1 as 1. Cor. 7.1 and after their decease with the Doctors and Bishops of the Church but this laudable custome the Popes ambition and tyranny abused for being often of mens free accords consulted withall he beganne at length to vsurpe dominion as if nothing were firme or to be ratified without his priuity and approbation And yet to get
listen to Saint Gregory his lesson Greg. 〈…〉 which is Iniustum est seruire diabolo qui nullo placatur obsequio We haue no reason to doe the Deuill seruice when nothing we doe can make him propitious He then that thus seekes heauen shall come as short of it as did those Carpocratian heretikes of whom Saint Austen August de haeres cap 7. who professedly taught the practise of all filthinesse that so by pleasing wicked Fiends in whose power they were they might be suffered to passe quietly without disturbance through their aery regions to the celestiall But for the true God God was much displeased therwith Deut. 12.31 Ier. 29.5 this kind of seruice could neither please him nor appease him he condemnes it here and elsewhere and his wrath was kindled against them for it verse 40. Yet might they say they intended nothing but well by it and if they erred it was an error of loue not loue of error seeing for his sake they spared not their dearest children Truth if Intentions without or against Gods word would excuse But wil-worship with disobedience is no plea at Gods bar Abrahams example doth not iustifie it Yet Abrahams zeale was commended true because it was coÌ„manded But Agamemnons was condemned because by the law Thou shalt not kill it was forbidden And was not Abrahams Yet is not the others zeale hereby warranted God who is aboue his Law tried Abraham by a special command dispensing with the general vnto which the other still stood bound as hauing no speciall Abraham obeyed while he disobeied if disobeyed not so the other Abraham was not blamed for his butchery but praised for his pietie A cult de ciuit 〈…〉 2â— saith S. Augustine Quòd voluit filiuÌ„ nequaquà m scelerate sed obedienter occidere Inasmuch as hee was ready to haue slaine his Son not scelerously but in obedience Abrahams readinesse being from diuine instinct is imitable of none who haue not the like Heroici motus non sunt imitandi Diuine and extraordinary motions are not to be imitated Wee are bound to the common rule but these diuine instincts are farre aboue it One particular Heroici motus sunt suprareâ—ulam saith Logicke is inferred proued or warranted by another onely where the cause and reason is alike in both but here the facts were not more like then the causes different But the truth is Abrahams obedience pleased God and not his sacrifice or rather his obedience was his sacrifice God is not delighted simply in our bloud no not of Martyrs but in our obedience whether actiue or passiue In Abraham wee see it Nam Deus qui iusserat vt id fieret Pet. Martyr in locis ne fieret prohibuit God who commanded the act yet forbade the acting of it Euen so though without iniury yea also iustly hee might require our bloud in ordinary sacrifice yet did hee require onely of the Iewes for it the bloud of beasts Thus both shewing them and vs our sinnes and death deserued by them and yet his readinesse to receiue an atonement yea the atonement of another for vs. Yet could not these outward sacrifices simply eyther appease his wrath as holding no proportion with the infinitnesse thereof or of our guilt or yet so much as please him without some better and more pleasing sacrifice August de ciuit Dei lib. 10. ca. Thus euen the Heathen Non boue mactato coelestia numina gaudent Sed quae praestanda est sine teste Fide Ouid. ep 19. Sacrificium enim visibile saith Saint Austen invisibilis sacrificij sacramentum hoc est sacrum signum est For the outward visible sacrifice is a sacrament that is a holy signe of an inuisible sacrifice If God then from thence smelled a * Gen. 8.20 Act. 20.28 Sauor of rest it was from the sacrifice of our Sauiour Christ For as it by the rest was typified so the rest by it were sanctified and accepted This hath so sufficiently alone reconciled God to vs and satisfied his iustice as being the shedding of the bloud of God that to offer any other eyther sacrifice or seruice or yet this againe to that end were as to derogate from the sufficiency thereof so to make God as implacable as we haue shewed the Deuill to be CHAP. III. An application of the former point THus haue wee seene Idolatry zealous though it reape no acceptance nor yet good fruit of its zeale Though it lose yet may wee gaine from it this profitable and vsefull consideration Idolaters more zealous in their kinde then the children of light That the children of this world are not onely more wise but more zealous also in their generation then the children of light Whose zeale therefore if it expell not our coldnesse shall condemne both it and vs. Religion sailes and holds her course betweene two dangerous rockes of Superstition and Impiety On the one side saith Plutarch In Camillo there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Superstitious vanity on the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Negligence and contempt of heauenly things And such saith he is mans infirmity that keeping no bounds it is hurried sometime to the one and sometime to the other Both are euill but yet the second iustifies the first as Ierusalem did Sodome Superstition at the least in shew and pretence bordering nearer to true piety Wee may see and yet shame to see our selues so farre behinde the zealous affections and practises of Heathen Heretikes Idolaters and generally of the wicked Wee may see in Scripture Samaria doting on her louers Ezek. 23.5 Isa 57.5 or set on fire with them and the Iewes inflamed or inflaming themselues with Idols and yet our selues like Moah through our ease and long peace setled on our lees Ier. 48.11 Zeph. 1.12 and like Ierusalem curded and frozen in our dregs In my Text wee haue seene children sacrificed by their Parents to the deuill and yet see professed Christians vnwillingly if at all eyther to chastise their children doing amisse or to consecrate them to the seruice and honour of God or their Country yea impatiently to take their death when God himselfe cals them away Anno 1293. Apud Laps Monit Exe. polit Yet wee reade of one Alphonsus Peresius Gusmanus a Spaniard who holding the Citie Tariffa for the King his Master was threatned by the enemies that vnlesse hee yeelded vp the Towne his onely sonne whom they had taken should be miserably mangled in his sight No said hee betray my trust I will not for an hundred sonnes of mine if you had them and if you will needs doe it loe here is a sword and so casting his owne sword vnto them his sonne therewith was barbarously murthered himselfe nothing appalled thereat Strange also it is Idolaters zeale in not sparing themselues 1 Kings 18.28 what butchery men haue executed on themselues for the pleasing pacifying and honouring of their Idols You shall