cast them away as the author to the Hebrews saith Cast away 〈◊〉 12. the things that presse downe To mortifie â—hem as it is sayde to the Collâ—sians Moâ—tiâ—ie your earthlie members and names diueis Col. 3. perticulers to abstaine from them as Peter 1. Pet. 2. saith Abstaine from fleshlye lustes that fight against the soule To haue no fellowship with them as to the Ephesians Paul Ephe. 5. saith Haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse but reprooue them rather To cleanse them as the Holye Ghost saith by â—ames Cleanse your hands Iam. 4. yee sinners and purge your hearts yee wauâ—ring minded There be some things in nature indeed that must not bee cast off as the faculties of the soule and members of the bodie but whatsoeuer is corrupt in nature must bee layde aside not iudgement but the corruption of iudgement not affection Eph. 4. 26 as some thinke all anger is sinne but the corruption of affection So not the members of the bodye as some haue taken those wordes of our Sauiour Christ Mat. 5. 29 If thine eye offend thee plucke it out c. but the corruption of those members and so of all the rest And as the Scripture doth command vs to cast off the corruption of nature generally so perticulerly saith Lie not sweare not steale not commit not adultery kill not c. Some will lay aside some sinnes in their manners but not the loue of them in their mindes as the Pharises were outwardly like painted Tombes but inwardly full of rottennesse some will leaue some little sinnes but not great sinnes as Herod that reformed many things but would not put awaye his brother Philips wife and some will leaue some great sinnes but not little Mark 6. sinnes they will not forsweare but they will sweate in their common talke they will not rob openly but they will deceiue secretly But all these are borne of the flesh not of the spirite In the new history of Scot-land there is mention made of a controuersie betweene Scotland and Ireland for an Iland lying betweene them both at length it was put to the determination of a wise Frenchman whose order was that a snake should be put into the Iland aliue and if it did still liue the Iland should belong to Scotland and if not it should belong to Ireland because it is said there are no snakes in Ireland which is aleaged to this ende to shew that if the venomous corruptions of our nature doe liue and thriue in men they belong to the kingdome of Sathan for that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and cannot enter into the kingdome of God And that which is borne of the spirit is spirit That is he that is a spirituall man is spiritually 1. Cor. 2. 15. minded walkes after the spirit as he that is borne of the flesh is carnally minded Rom. 8. 1 and walkes after the flesh so he that is borne againe of the spirit is spiritually minded and manuered He meanes not that the substance of the spirite is infused into a regenerate man as the familie doe dreame but the qualities and guiftes of the spirite neyther is it meant that a regenerate man that is borne of the spirite is all spirite as a naturall man is all flesh for wee must not thinke any man can be perfect in this life Paul saith of himselfe which is true much more Phil. 3. 12 of others That he was not come to perfection but onely did striue vnto it therefore to the Romans hee complaines of his imperfections which hee calles the lawe Rom. 7. of his members or remnants of the flesh that still did rebell against the spirite for although Saint Iohn â—ayth Hee that is 1. Ioh. 3. 9 borne of God sinnes not yet the meaning is not that hee sinnes not at all for in the first Chapter hee saith If wee say we haue no sinne wee lye and sinne in saying so But the meaning is as some take it hee sinnes not as hee is borne of God or so farre as he is regenerate but as the most take it he sinnes not as he did before he was regenerate willingly and notoriouslye therfore when our Sauiour saith that which is borne of the spirit is spirit the meaning is he that is regenerate is a spirituall man not the flesh but the spirit not the corruption of nature but the sanctifying grace of God dooth rule and is predominate in him Therefore the sinnes of the children of God are called infirmities because they proceede from corruption that is weakened and made infirme in them by grace and therfore the duties of the children of God are called good workes because they proceede from grace but passing by our reason our will our affection our tongues handes and other members that are corrupt by nature and but in part sanctified they receiue some defilement yet because the motion from whence they come being the motion of Gods grace the end whereto they tend being Gods glorye and the ground whereon they stand beeing Gods worde is good therefore they are called good workes are accounted good and accepted in the faith of Christ who whose workes were absolutely good and therfore the workes of those that are regenerate and beleeue in him are accounted as his are for this cause a regenerate man is called a spirituall man taking his name of the more excellent part as a man is called a melancholike man not as if he had no fleame or choller in him but because that humour beares the greatest sway in him so a Christian is called a spirituall man not as if there were no remnantes of flesh in him but because the spirit beares the greatest swaye and ouer rules corruption in him therefore we must put a difference betweene iustification sanctification The Papistes speake of such a sanctification as may iustifie a man before God but iustification must be teached by faith from Christ Iesus whose perfect iustice is imputed to those that beleeue Gal. 3. 1â— our sanctification is alwayes in this life imperfect and mingled with some wantes but yet so as regeneration makes a man exceedingly to differ from a naturall man he that is of the flesh saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 5 sauours the things of the flesh that is corruption affectes them delightes them c. But hee that is of the spirite that is as Christ saith Borne of the spirite saueurs the things of the spirite a regenerate man in that he is borne of God loues his heauenly father and delightes in him but hee that is not borne of God but is a naturall man Iob 27. 10. dooth not beeing nothing of kin to him A regenerate man delightes in the lawe of Rom. 7. 22. Ioh. 1. 20 God an vnregenerate man dooth not but hateth the light a regeneraâ—e man loues those that be regenerate being the children of God and his
thereof our Sauiour Christes owne wordes My father is greater Iohn 14. then I Ergo say they he is not God because he saith he is inferior to the father not vnderstanding the misterye of those speeches that he speakes there of himselfe as he is man or mediator and so he is inferiour to the father but in the second to the Philipians it is said He Phil. 2. thought it no robbery to be equall with God in his deuine nature Those that haue denied his manhood aledge these words of Paule God sent his sonne in the similitude of sinfull Rom. 8. flesh Ergo say they he was not man because it is sayd he had but a similitude of flesh but the Apostle saith not he had the similitude of flesh But the similitude of sinnefull flesh For though he seemed to be a sinner as others were as the Pharises wrongfully Iohn 7. said of him Yet Peter saith In him was no 1. Pet. 2. sinne neither was there guile found in his mouth So that though he had true flesh yet he had but the similitude of sinnefull flesh those that confound his two natures as if the one of them did destroy the other were led thereto by this that the scripture doth sometime attribute that to his manhood which belongeth to his Godhead as that it is saide the sonne of man is in heauen when he talked with the Iewes and sometimes doth attribute that to his God-head which belongings to his man hood as Paule saith to the elders of Ephesus Acts. 20. watch ouer the flock which God hath purchased with his owne blood Which speeches are vsed by reason of Christes personable vnion that is the vniting of his two natures in one person for as in owne nature of God there are three persons so in one person of Christ there are two natures But to leaue the confuration of heretickes whose property is alwayes to passe ouer all plaine places of scripture that doe shew the trueth and to cauill with darke places that may seeme to maintaine their error Those that would bee confirmed in the truth of the deuine and humane natures in the person of Christ let them read Iohn 11. Rom. 9. 5 Heb. 1. 8. 1. Ioh. 5. 20. these few places of scripture quoted in the margeant for the heaping vp of many testimonies is needlesse in this point that is so pregnant and plaine in this very Text which saith That God was manifested in the flesh Furthermore let vs marke that the sonne of God did not onely become base man but the basest of men for hee was borne of a base person a poore maide that had not a Lambe to offer for her purification but was faine to offer a payre of Pigeons he was borne in a base place in a Stable or Stall for beastes he liued diuers yeares in a base trade of a Carpenter and after he entred vpon his publike office he kept company with base persons with Fishermen Paul saith Hee made himselfe of no reputation yea he was Phi. 2. so base in outward appearance that the 〈◊〉 5. Prophet sayde There was no forme nor 〈◊〉 in him but he was despised and reiected of men The reason of this basenesse was because he did not onely take on him our nature but our case and condition that is the frailties and infirmities of our nature I meane not our sinfull infirmities for that is alwayes excepted in his humanity else how should he haue beene ioyned to God who can abide no impuritie but I meane he tooke on him our naturall infirmities both of minde and body The infirmities of minde that he tooke on him without sinne were both in his iudgement and affection For iudgement it is sayd of him He grew in wisedome Luke 2. which he could not haue done except there had beene some want and also Mark 13 it is said he was ignorant of the day of iudgement for his affection it is said he sorrowed Mat. 9 Heb. 5. and he feared and that he tooke on him our infirmities of bodye appeares when it is said he was hungry and that he Mat. 4. Iohn 4 was weary c. But we are not to thinke that he tooke on him euery particuler mans infirmities that grow of some speciall cause franzinesse of minde or lamenesse of body but generally the infirmityes which bee common to the nature of all men that hauing experyence of infirmities he might be able to succour vs in ours as the Apostle saith Heb. 2. But is this all the mistery of religion to know that the Godhead was ioyned to our base and fraile nature No but there is much more in it that doth carrie our consideration a great deale further as appeares by the wordes of the text that follow He was preached to the Gentiles and beleeued on in the worlde yea it reaches not onely to this world but to the worlde to come He was receiued vp into glorye A great part of the mistery of Christes personall vnion standes in the vse of it to vnite mankinde vnto God by a spirituall and misticall coniunction the Apostle Paul hauing said The faithfull are members of Christes body of his flesh and of his bones Ephe. 5. He addeth This is a great mistery but I speake concerning Christ and the Church The sonne of God was manyfested in the flesh that he might be the redeemer not of Angels but of men as it is said He Heb. 2. tooke not the Angels nature for the Angels that fell shall remaine in the state of perdition without recouery for euer therefore one wondring at the worke of our redemption saith let all the Angels tell me if euer God did any such thing for them but he tooke the seede of Abraham saith the Apostle That is our humaine nature that he might be the redeemer of men and yet not of all men for reprobate men are no more ioyned to God by Christ then reprobate Angels but the elect that Ephe. 1. were chosen in him although by their fall in Adam they deserued to be for euer seperated from God yet they are in and by Christ againe reconciled and ioyned vnto him againe God was manyfested in the flesh that he might doe that for men that no other could doe but he Yea that hee might doe that for man that he himselfe could not haue done except he had beene both God and man For if he had not beene man how could he haue performed our obedience in all the dueties of holinesse righteousnes and temperance which the law of God doth require of men and sanctifie mans nature that was defiled in which respect he is called our wisedome righteousnesse and 1. Cor. 1. sanctificatiō againe if he had not bin man how could he haue suffered our miseries and borne the punishments which by sinne we had deserued in which respect he is called our redemption this is that one saith is a matter of
Christ who doth communicate to vs not onely his name his nature and his graces but also his priuiledges that we should be Kinges and Priestes that we should be Kinges and Priestes that we should haue interrest in the creatures and be wayted on of Angels therefore this is a great mistery that God is manifested in the flesh 4 From hence comes the mutual feeling and affection that is betweene Christ vs that he takes the injuries done to vs as done to himselfe as he saith to Saule why persecutest thou me when he went to Damascus to Acts. 9. persecute the Church he takes the benefites bestowed vpon his members to be bestowed on himselfe as he shal say at the last day when I was hungry ye gaue me meate Mat. 25. when I was thirsty ye gaue me drinke and he expoundes his meaning in saying that which ye did to one of these little ones that beleeues in me yee did to me as that which is done to the hand or foote by reason of a naturall coniunction reaches to the head so that which is done to Christians by reason of a spiritual coniunction reaches to Christ the head of the Church and on the other parte from hence comes the feeling griefes of Christians when Christ is blasphemed or dishonoured as Dauid sayeth Tâ—â— rebukes of those that rebuked they are fallen on me and the feeling comfort and reioysing that Christians haue when Christ is honoured his kingdome furthered and his will obeyed And from hence comes not onely the simpathie and â—eeling that Christians haue with Christ their head but that they haue one with another as members of the same body as the Apostle requireth Be like affected Rom. 12 one towards another mourne with those that mourne and reioyce with those that reioyce as in a naturall body there is not that feeling with the members of another bodie as of the same so in Christes misticall body there is not that feeling among the members of a strange body as among those that be the true Church and body of Christ therefore the scripture maketh thâ—â— a marke of a true Christian and disciple Iohn 13 1. Iohn 3. to loue thy brethren This is the great misterie that the sonne of God is manifested in the flesh whoâ— he is God is our father as he is man heâ— our brother and as he is God and man â—â— is our attonement maker therefore let â— not so looke to his humanity as we forgâ— his diuinitie least we be offended at â— basenesse as the Iewes were who callâ— him the Carpenters sonne and let vs nâ— so looke to his diuinity as we forget his humanity least we be dismaide at his brightnesse as the man was that said depart from me for I am a sinnefull man But let vs so consider the vniting of these two natures in his person that in him we may see our happye condition and know assuredly that as there is no saluation to them that are without him soe there is no condemnation to them that Rom. â— are in him hee knowes not religyon that knowes not this saith Maister Caluin Iustified in the spirit All that which followes in this verse serues but for the amplification of this mistery therefore hauing beene somewhat large in the former wordes I will bee briefe in the rest Iustification sometime in the Scripture dooth signifie to account a thing or a person iust and pure that is not so of himselfe and so it is taken commonly when it respectes vs who are by God esteemed iust by grace that are not so by nature but so it cannot be taken here for in this sence Christ cannot be said to be iustified except it bee from our sinnes that he had taken vppon him as our surety as Paule saith he Rom. 4. dyed for our sinnes and rose agayne for our iustification that is to say hauing by his Rom. 4. death payde the price of our sinnes hee was by his resurrection iustified and freed from them and in him wee are iustyfied from our sinnes and the punishmentes of them because the penaltye of our sinnes beeing payde by him can no more bee exacted of vs therefore Paule saith as by one mans disobediene manye were made sinners so by the obedyence Rom. 5. of one many were made righteous therefore contrarye to the opinion of the Papistes wee must fetch our iustification by the faith of the Gospell from him that is iust and hath kept the lawe and not from our selues that are vniust and cannot keepe the law therefore saith the Rom. 3. Apostle wee are iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the workes of the law and yet faith dooth not iustyfie vs as it is a quality in vs no more then to see patience or any other grace but as it is grace that layes hould of Christ neyther is it the quantitye or strength of faith that dooth iustifie vs but true faith how little soeuer that layes holde of the strength of Christ but I will stand no longer vpon this point though it be a speciall part of this misterye of godlynesse because the Apostle dooth not speake of this kinde of iustyfication heere as appeares when hee sayeth hee was iustyfied in the spirite Therefore iustification is heere to be taken in another sence that is to alow or acknowledge a thing or a person to bee that which hee is in himselfe when it seemed to some to be otherwise as where Mat. 11. it is saide wisedome is iustified of her children that is acknowledged to bee excellent wisedome Though other doe deny it and account it foolishnesse in this sence the Apostle speaketh heere when hee saith Christ was iustified in the spirite as if he should saye though hee were manifested in the flesh and seemed to bee a base person yet hee was found and acknowledged to bee the euerlasting and glorious God to the like effect the Apostle 1. Pet. 3. Peter speaketh of him saying Hee suffered in the flesh and was quickned in the spirite which is the same that Saint Iohn speaketh after hee had saide the worde Iohn 1. was made flesh hee addeth wee saw the glorye thereof as the glory of the onely begotten sonne of the father full of grace and trueth for though the sonne of God tooke on him our humane nature frailety he did not lay aside his deuine nature and maiestye but onelye couered vnder the vayle of the flesh as the sunne though it bee couered with cloudes yet the bright beames thereof doe sometime breake out and shew foorth it selfe to those that haue eyes so the beames of Christes Godhead did sometimes breake out and appeare to those that were not spirituallye blinde and not onelye in his excellent words and Doctrine speaking as it is sayde of him so as neuer man spake but in his gloryous transfiguration Mat. 17. vppon the mountaine which Peter calles the holy Mount where saith 2. Pet.
accounted Christians among men yet they shall be shutte out of the kingdome of heauen with the Mat. 25. fiue foolish Virgins Therefore saith our Sauiour Christ Except a man bee borne of water and of the spirile except hee been cleansed from corruption and made partaker of the guiftes of sanctification he cannot enter into the kingdome of God But if a man be borne againe he shall enter our Sauiour Christ vseth the like speech in Math. 19. 9. He that putteth away his wife except it bee for fornication and marries another committeth adulâ—erie but if it be for fornication it is otherwise then so in this place he saith Except a man be borne againe hee cannot see the kingdome of God but if hee be borne againe he shall see it both heere and hereafter as Peter saith Blessed be God who hath begotten vs againe to 1. Pet. 1. inheritance immortall vndefiled rescrued in â—eauen for vs. It is not indeed our Sauiour Christes purpose to set foorth the excellencie of a regenerate and Christian estate that is shewed in other places of Scripture but his purpose is to shewe the necessitie of it and that without it a man cannot be saued That which is borne of the flesh is flesh Verse 6. Our Sauiour Christ confirmes his answere to Nichodemus as if hee should saye I would haue thee vnderstand I did not meane when I sayde a man must bee borne againe that a man should enter into his mothers wombe againe as thou diddest carnally take mee for if he could or should that would not profit him because it is carnall and all one with the first birthe for that which is borne of the flesh is flesh By flesh in the first place is meant the substance of flesh and in the second place the corruption of flesh as if hee should saye that which is borne of naturall parents bodilye is sinfull and corrupt If Adam had stoode in his first estate that which should haue beene borne of the flesh had not beene corrupt but holy but since Adam fell all that are naturallye borne of him are flesh that is to say corrupt both in body and soule and not onelye the inferiour partes of the soule as the thoughts and imaginations thereof which in Genâ—sis are sayde to bee euill Gen. 6. 5. continuallye but also the higher partes of the soule as the wisdome and conscience As Paul speaketh to the Romans Rom. 8. 〈◊〉 The wisedome of the flesh is emnitie against God and to Titus Their conscience is defiled Tit. 1. 15 And as the soule is corrupted so is the bodye and the partes thereof therefore Rom. 3 the Scripture speaketh of some men and saythe Their eyes are full of adulterie and the poyson of Aspes is vnder theyr lippes their handes are full of bloud their feete runne to euill Therefore the Ephe. 2. 5 Apostle sayth of all naturall men They are dead in trispasses Therefore when the Papists saye there is free-will in men by nature and some disposition to goodnesse they speake contrarye to our Sauiour Christ That which is borne of the fleshe is fleshe Let them shewe what parte of a man is vncontrouled in the Scripture and in what parte eyther of religion or conuersation wee are not directed from the highest point of â—aith to the lowest part of manners as how to eate and drinke and to apparell our selues Theâ—efore whatsoeuer the Papists doe ignorantly speake we must knowe as it is vnpossible for vs to doe any thing belonging to this life till we be borne so it is to doe any thing belonging to a better life till wee be borne againe for wee are not sufficient saith the Apostle of our selues to thinke a good thought but all our sufficiencie Phil. 2. 13 is of God who worketh in vs both the will and the deede that is by a spirituall and new birth for that which is borne of the flesh is flesh It is true that the corruption of our first birthe dooth not shewe it selfe in all alike but in some more then in other some are so incontinent that their owne wiues cannot serue them but are like fedde horses neighing after their neighbours wiues some are so intemperate that they become Iere. 5. 8. like Swine in drunkennesse and gormandize some are so furious as they care not who they reuile and rayle vppon some are so couetous that they will be guile and deceiue euerye one they deale withall other naturall men are more ciuill in shew but no better in deed some are in words as louing as Ionathan but in heart as spightfull as Absalon some are in words as honest as Susanna but in deede though secretly as vnchaste as Dalyla some haue new faces but olde hearts a newe cloake but an olde coate yea those that haue the best naturall guiftes as witte cloquence knowledge of humaine sciences and in some pointes doâ— seeme to shewe foorth speciall vertues as it is sayde of Socrates hee was so temperate that hee would neuer eate but when hee was hungrie and so pacient that hee was neuer seene to be angrie Scipio Affricanus is said to haue beene so pittyâ—ull that hee vsed his captiues as if they had beene his owne Souldyers There are also great things spoken of the Iustice of Aristides of the liberalitie of Mespania and of the chastitye of Lucretia But these or whatsoeuer such things haue beene found in Heathens they were nothing else but gilded sinnes because they proceeded from fleshe that is to say from pryde loue of praise and such like corruptions of nature and not from regeneration Mat. 6. 1. and the spirite of sanctification Therefore saith our Sauiour Christ That which is borne of the fleshe is fleshe as if hee should saye there is nothing but corruption in a naturall man neyther in his thoughts in his wordes nor in his workes if we could but see the heart and the corners and courses of a naturall mans life as it is indeede it would seeme more odious vnto vs then any thing that euer we sawe for all that is borne of the fleshe is fleshe and not onely all that is in a man when hee is borne is corrupt but all that afterwarde hee dooth thinke speake or doe according to his first birthe that is according to his naturall iudgement naturall affection and naturall conuersation Therefore the Apostle speaking of the estate of all naturall men saith There is none that Rom. 3. dooth good no not one For which cause wee are commanded in the Scripture to put off the corruptions of our nature Paul saith to the Ephesians Put of the olde man which is corrupte Ephe. 4. to purge them As the same Apostle saith to the Corinthians Purge the olde â—euin of 1. Cor. 5. maliciousnesse and wickednesse To denye them as our Sauiour Christ sayth Hee Mark 8. that will be my Disciple let him deny himselfe that is his owne corrupt iudgement and affection to
Spanish inquisition then came in the French massaker and other diabolicall practises so long as men liue ignorantlye eyther wickedlye or ciuillye without religion the diuell will not disquiet them because they are his peaceable subiectes but when they set their hartes to religion and shake of his subiection then he will vse all hostility against theÌ„ and wrastle with them And as the diuell doth wrastle with vs so saith the Apostle we do must wrastle with him For as we hould it not sure to haue peace with the Spaniardes because we cannot haue it without dangerous conditions so it is neuer sure to haue peace with the diuell for then we must needes haue warre with God The Church is called millitant in this world because it is alwayes fighting with Sathan sinne and spirituall enemies which doth distinguish it from the Church in heauen which is called ryumphant because it hath wonne the fielde and gotten the conquest of the enemies Now as it is with the whole millitant Church so it is with euery member therof for which cause our life is called a warfare therefore the Apostle saith We wrastle c. Not shewing what euery Christian must doe but what euery man doth if he be a Christian And among many other markes of Christianity there is none more certain nor sensible theÌ„ this to shew our selues enemies to the diuel by withstanding his assaults and temptations for although by nature we haue neither wiâ—l nor power so to doe yet by grace being furnished with the armour of God we haue both He calles these enemies principalities powers hee giues diuers of these titles to the good Angels in the first to the Collosians But they are good these are euill they are our friendes these are our enimies they fight for vs these fight against vs therefore this is the dâ—scription of the diuel that he hath spoken of before hee calles him a Prince of the world that is of the Ephe. 2. wicked world not of the Church for he is in the Church not as a gouernour and commander but as a tempter onely He is called the Prince of the darkenes of this world not of the light his dominion is by ignorance error sinne and wickednes he is an enemy to the light and seekes to put it out therefore hath taught Antichrist to perswade the people that ignorance is the mother of deuotion and that they should not haue the exercise of the scripture Therefore in the time of Popery when the people were nusled in ignorance what apparitions speeches and practises of Sathan were there that the light hath scatred therfore when God sent foorth Paul to preach the Gospell he tels him he shall turne the people from darkenesse to light and from the power of Sathan Acts. 26. to God Yea he saith not onely wee wrastle with a Prince but with Principalities shewing that many of these princes do band themselues against vs for although we commonly speake of the diuell in the singular number yet wee must vnderstand there be many diuils of the nature force that the Apostle speakes of here it is said a Mat. 5. legion possessed a man they al are not only enemies of the Church but of euery member of the church Now we know when one person is to encounter with many such enemies he had need to be well armed Powers They bee not onely princes but powers earthly princes are called powers not in respect of themselues for Rom. they are weake as other men but in respect of diuers helpes and assistanâ—es that they haue to commaund and take their part but the diuels are called powers in respect of the force and strength they haue in themselues by nature the deuils power may be perceiued by gathering togeather the Iob. â— windes and the fire and an host of men to destroy Iobs cattel his seruants children Mat. 8. sea with violence by causing those that he possessed in our Sauiour Christes time to breake the fetters and chaines wherewith they were tied maister Perkins writes of a man neare Genâ—ua blasphemed God so that all which hard him trembled who said if there be any diuell let him take me and carry me where I shal be for euer and presently he was taken into the aire and neuer seene more Some wheÌ„ they see such corporal examples say Lord how strong the diuil is thinking none are any way possessed of the diuell but those that be mad or straught but his chiefe power is exercised is to be coÌ„sidered spiritualy in drawing men to sin and thereby to distruction we may see it in tempting our first parents and preuailing against them who were perfect indowed with asmuch knowledge as the nature of man was capable of and wee may see it in tempting Caine and carrying him to kill his brother contrarye to nature and contrarye to his conscience wee may see it easily in tempting and carrying men to dyuers monstrous sinnes idolatry adultery drunkennesse and houlding them in them as with spirituall snares and bandes that no counsell doctrine nor sight of other mens harmes can drawe him from them he was strong before time but he is more strong now because he rages toward his ende for anger is the whetstone of strength spirituall and these bee no corporall enemies but spirits that cannot bee seene with bodily eves therefore are the more dangerous There bee dyuers Athistes at this day like the Saduces in our Sauiour Christes time that thinke there be no spirits because they cannot bee seene but shall we beleeue them or the Apostle there be many things that cannot be seene as the wind a voyce a sauour c. which yet are aâ— wee haue a corporall sight and sence of some things as we haue bodies so we haue a spirituall sight and sence of some other things as wee haue soules Some haue painted the diuell in a bodily shape with hornes tayle such like but it is fond seeing he is an inuisible spirit cannot be proportioned therefore the apparitions of Sathan that haue bin so much spoken of are not to be feared but his spirituall delusions and temptations must be taken heede of Now as he is a spirite so hee hath the properties of a spirite hee hath great knowledge for though he hath not so much knowledge as the good Angels seeing he hath lost by his fall that way aswell as man hath done yet hee hath much more knowledge then man hath naturally because he is a sole spirite besides that hee hath increased his knowledge by long experience practise he hath vnderstanding of all languages of the state of all countries of the condition and complexion of all persons he knowes to what sinnes men are most inclined to and by what meanes he hath preuailed against them and others that haue beene like them Some because the diuell hath more knowledge then men haue taken occasion to seeke to him to vnderstand of things