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A61206
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Satana noēmata, or, The wiles of Satan in a discourse upon 2 Cor. 2. 11 / by William Spurstow ...
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Spurstowe, William, 1605?-1666.
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1666
(1666)
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Wing S5096; ESTC R22598
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68,825
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114
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us in this kind he may come again to morrow and do it because we cannot discern between his suggestions and our own thoughts Yet we may suspect them when we find that they are 1. Against nature such where the very shadow of a thought peeping out strikes the flesh into a trembling 2. When sudden and violent like lightning 3. When without reasonings being accompanied with importunity But the best remedy against this Wile is not to be curious in the search to distinguish between his suggestions and our concupiscence but to be careful not to consent and to remember Omnis mali cogitatio est antiqui serpentis caput as Parisiensis out of Jerom speaks that evil thoughts are the head of the old Serpent SECT IX THe ninth Wile which is a very great subtilty and device of Satan is in his delusions about Doctrine in seducing and drawing men a side into errour by plausible Opinions and Doctrines that seem to come near the Scripture in shew and being like unto it as Alchymy is like Gold Such are as Epiphanius saith of the Cantharides Auricolores but they spit poyson venenum ejaculantur A pregnant instance of this we have 2 Thes 2. 1 2. and 1 Pet. 4. 7. Some false Teachers for Satan hath his Apostles and Ministers as well as Christ came with the plausible Doctrine of Mortification For what could tend more to Mortification than the thoughts of the nearness of the Day of Judgment and to strengthen this opinion they pretend they came to the knowledge of this truth partly by Revelation from the Spirit partly by computing the Years and partly by something the Apostles had written Now what was there in this opinion that was hurtful Two things may be said for it 1. That it is an opinion that comes very near the Scripture doth not Peter say almost the same thing Be sober and watch the end of all things is at hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nay doth not Paul say the very self-samething 1 Cor. 10. 11. The ends of the World are come 2. It tends much to Mortification and the practice of holiness Do you think men would not live holily if they did apprehend the Day of Judgment near that it would be shortly Would not this keep down abundance of corruption How doth Jerom profess himself overawed with this that he thought he heard the sound of the last Trumpet whatsoever he was a doing But to discover this Wile let me again tell you two things 1. Wherein it differs from the Scripture 2. To shew the danger of it First It differs from Scripture thus the word Peter uses is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appropinquat approaches and so Paul saith the ends of the world are coming But the word Paul expresses their opinion by is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instat it shall be upon them living hoc anno as Grotius saith this year and so the word is in other places used for things present 1 Cor. 3. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all are yours things present Rom. 8. 38. Now they said the day of the Lord is upon us it is a word as Grotius saith noting proximity nearness So that their drift was to bring the day of the Lord within such a small space as within a year or few months Secondly Wherein lay the danger of it what got Satan by it To shew the hurt of this opinion he might aime at three things by it 1. It might occasion liberty in sin some might reason as they 1 Cor. 15. 13. Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye The rage of wicked and ungodly men might put them into excess of riot Rev. 12. 12. Satan himself hath great rage knowing his time is but short and so wicked men when they know their time is but short that they have but a little space to take their fill of sin in they might be brought to a greater animosity against what was good and to a greater excess in all that was evil 2. It might work a great deal of consternation and dejection in weak Christians whom the very thoughts of so great and sad a day approaching might either with trembling or fear or many jealousies overwhelm 3. The main end was this to weaken the authority of Scripture admit but a lye in Scripture and all its Authority will fall to the ground Let it be once entertained or taught by Scripture or divine Revelation that Christ shall come at such a time and this time not answering now faith comes to be weakened as the delay of Christs coming bred scoffing in some 2 Pet. 3. 4. and made others say there is no Resurrection or that it is past already And thus Augustine in his 80 Ep. writing to Hesichius that was troubled in this kind and apt to think the day of judgment might be such a time thus advises him to beware how he leaned to such opinions reproaches and insultations of enemies Multos infirmos a Christianâ fide avertentium dicendo tam fallacitèr regnum esse promissum quam fallacitèr dicebatur cito esse venturum That many weak ones would be drawn by them from the Christian Faith and they would say there was no more certainty in the thing it self than in the Prediction that it should be so suddenly And he adds Qui dicit dominum citius esse venturum optabilius loquitur sed periculosius fallitur The Doctrine of Christs speedy coming is more desirable but the mistake is more dangerous So that the danger is in this a man may call in question many other truths as well as them which before he thought he did believe Therefore let me speak to you that are Christians do not think those Doctrines that seem to come near and be like the Scripture may presently be entertained or hearkened to but be sure that they come up to the Scripture and be adaequate to the Rule if not they are in no wise to be hearkened unto O that we had in this kind the Zeal and Affection of our Fore-fathers who did contend for the truth that they would not lose an Iota one tittle of it The Council of Nice would not gratifie Arrius in a Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he would grant Christ was of a like not of the same substance By the sound he seemed to come near the truth But as two men upon the top of two Mountains seem so near they can shake hands but must go a great way before they meet So it is here they seem near the truth in words but were a great way off it And so the Nestorians in acknowledging the Virgin Mary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a letter only changed but made a wide difference and so the Latine and Greek Church in the procession of the Holy Ghost differed in a Preposition The Greek would grant the Holy Ghost to proceed by the Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉