Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	know_v	zeal_n	zealous_a	191	3	9.6018	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04378	The height of Israels heathenish idolatrie, in sacrificing their children to the Deuill diuided into three sections: where is shewed in the first, the growth and degrees of this, and generally of other sinnes and idolatries. In the second, that the Deuill was the god of the heathen; with the meanes by which he obtayned that honour. With a large application to our times, against popery, shewing the pride thereof, and malice both against soule and body; together with the meanes, sleights, and policies by which it seduceth, killeth, and in the person of the Pope, raiseth it selfe to its present height. In the third, the blinde zeale of idolaters. Deliuered generally in two sermons preached at S. Maries in Cambridge: the first whereof is much inlarged: by Robert Ienison Bachelor of Diuinitie, and late Fellow of S. Johns Colledge in Cambridge.	Jenison, Robert, 1584?-1652.	1621 (1621)	STC 14491; ESTC S107702	160,311	208

him in the wildernesse and grieue him in the desert yea they turned backe and tempted God 2. Measure Secondly for quality manner degree and measure of sinne thus Hebr. 11.36 Others haue beene tried by mockings and scourgings of wicked men yea moreouer by bonds and prisonment For this is such a sin for height Luke 3.20 3. Impudency as Herod added aboue all his sinnes when hee shut vp Iohn in prison Thirdly for impudency Esay 3.9 Yea they declare their sinnes as Sodome they hide them not Fourthly for defence and iustification of them 4. Defence whereby in a manner merit is ascribed to them Iohn 16 2. Yea the time commeth that whosoeuer killeth you shall thinke he doth God seruice Fifthly for delight in sinne Isay 66.3 Yea 5. Delight they haue chosen their owne wayes and their soule delighteth in their abominations Lastly for resolution Zach. 7.12 Yea 3. Of resolution they made their hearts as an Adamant stone lest they should heare the law Now surely if such was the generall ouer-flowing of sinne when these things were written what may wee thinke is it now in these last dayes of the world wherein Saint Paul hath told vs Perillous times shall come 2 Tim. 3.1.2.3.4.5 for men shall be louers of themselues couetous boasters proud blasphemers c. We need not seeke farre to finde many amongst vs on whom we might instance all the former complaints of God and his Prophets which we might iustly take vp against the prophane miscreants of our times But leauing this generall consideration who feeles not in himselfe and sees not in others each sinne without timely resistance made growing to an height by the same degrees that man himselfe from nothing growes to his perfection This resemblance I follow the rather because it is vsed by S. Iames ch 1. v. 14.15 and Saint Paul Rom. 7.4.5 For sinne is a bastardly brood hauing the Deuill to its father and our corruption to the mother which is the Deuils concubine First Lust Eleuen degrees by which each sinne growes to its height concupiscence and the corruption of our nature is as the prostitution of the soule by which it lyeth open to the Deuils suggestions Secondly wicked thoughts whether steaming vp thence or cast in by Satan are as the seed in the wombe Then sudden delight is as the retention of the seed in the wombe Fourthly Consent is the conception of sinne Fifthly a more permanent and enduring delight vpon consent is as the fashioning and articulation of it Then Sixtly purpose to commit sinne is as the springing of the child in the wombe hastning the birth and egresse Then seuenthly followes the act it selfe as the birth of sinne These are the degrees about the breeding and hatching of sinne Yet foure more there are about the growth of it to be gathered out of Hebr. 3.8.12 which are as the increase perfect stature decaying and death of man First by iteration of the act of sinning the heart is hardened Secondly it becomes an euill heart then an vnfaithfull heart And Lastly it departs from the liuing God by vtter falling away from God grace and goodnesse Now that which will follow vpon all these is that one sinne perfited will draw on and make way for other greater sinnes so that without repentance men shall proceed from euill to worse till at the length they be tied and bound in infinite chaines and therein kept for the day of destruction Oh therefore that men out of the former considerations would but lay to heart this mysticall working of sinne that with feare they might either watch against the first motions of sinne or with speedy repentance but winde themselues out of the snares of the Deuill as knowing that otherwise God will one day wound the hairy scalpe of him that goeth on in his sinne We must resist sinne at the beginning What is then to be done Surely this should cause vs earnestly to intreat by daily and vnfained praier that we be not lead into tentation seeing there is no sinne so great into which we may not in time fall especially if God leaue vs to our owne corruption and Satans politique stratagems or otherwise in his iustice giue vs ouer from one degree of sinne to another This we may iustly feare when we are not carefull to resist sinne at the first If we giue entertainment to euill thoughts and lodge them 〈◊〉 our hearts Satan seeing how kindly we receiue and intreat his harbingers will come himselfe attended with legions and take vp the best roome in our hearts out of which he will not be dislodged till we seeke to and giue welcome to Christ and his spirit a stronger then Satan Here then is vse and need of our diligence watchfulnesse and wisdome Oh that we could be but as wise in this kinde as others are wicked Harlots which prostitute their bodies to filthy lusts labour by all meanes they can either to hinder the conception or to kill the childe in the wombe or to drowne it or otherwise to make away with it afterwards that so they may auoid the shame of the world and charge of bringing it vp When Pharaoh would hinder the multiplying of the children of Israel in Aegypt Come on Exod. 1.10.16.22 saith he to his people let vs deale wisely with them lest they multiplie Hereupon as he set hard Taske-masters ouer them so he commanded the Hebrew Midwiues when they did the office of a Midwife to the Hebrew women to kill all the males Which when it tooke not effect he then charged all his people saying Euery sonne that is borne ye shall cast into the riuer Happy we if we were so wise in dealing thus with the children and fruit of our concupiscence either to hinder the conception of them by not consenting or the birth by not committing sinne or being borne to dash these little ones the children of confusion against the stones Psal 137.9 or rocke Christ Iesus But alas sinne and Satan are too wily for vs and our owne hearts too treacherous and our nature weake so that in this state of mortalitie we cannot possibly hope to be free of sinne Humanum est labi errare decipi we must cease to be men before we can hope to cease from sinning To sinne is inseparable from mans nature and that man doth sinne it must be ascribed to humane frailtie as it s said of Ephraim and Iudah Hos 6.7 But they like men haue transgressed the couenant What then Seeing we cannot but sinne shall wee delight in sinne God forbid Thus of men we should become beasts namely filthy dogges and swine 2 Pet. 2.22 whose propertie it is to returne to the vomit and to wallow in the mire Much lesse then must we become deuils by defending knowne sinne or being enemies of righteousnesse or resisting the good motions of Gods Spirit or the truth for which Elymas deserued the name of childe of

the deuill Act. 13.8.10 Our onely way then is to be as zealous in good We must shew a proportionable zeale against sinne as euer wee haue beene forward in euill and whereas perfection in this life is to be measured rather by our desires affections resolutions and indeauours then by performance to shew our zeale first by our hatred of euill 1 By our confession and our confessing and bewailing of sinne aggrauating it against our selues by the same degrees by which we trespassed against God Dan. ●5 and 7. saying with Daniel for himselfe and the people in captiuitie We haue sinned and haue committed iniquitie and haue done wickedly yea we haue rebelled and departed from thy precepts c. 2 In our new obedience and willingnesse Secondly by being ready and willing to our power yea beyond our power to yeeld obedience to Gods Commandements that so for our readinesse and resolution to obey we may say with Dauid Psal 40.8 Psal 11● 34 I delight to doe thy will O my God yea thy law is within my heart and pray with him Giue me vnderstanding and I shall keepe thy law yea I shall obserue it with my whole heart that so it may be said of vs generally in respect of all good duties what Paul said of the Macedonians in the matter of almes 2 Cor. ● 2 To their power I beare record yea beyond their power they were willing This resolution to obey God euen in his hardest commands whether by obedience actiue or passiue our Sauiour Christ would haue to be in vs all Luke 14 20. saying If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his owne life also he cannot be my disciple This affection was in S. Paul and should be in vs when for Christs sake and the Gospels he said to the Philippians Yea Philip. 2. ●● and if I be offered vpon the sacrifice and seruice of your faith I ioy and reioyce with you all 3. In our sorrow for sinne Thirdly by our sorrow for sinne committed and by the fruits thereof that so also it may be said of vs as S. Paul said of the Corinthians 2 Cor. ●●● Behold this selfe-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulnesse it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selues yea what indignation yea what feare yea what vehement desire yea what zeale yea what reuenge Such Yeaes as these would eccho well to this Yea in my text where it is said Yea they sacrificed their sonnes and their daughters vnto Deuils THE HEIGHT of ISRAELS Heathenish Jdolatrie PSAL. 106.37 Yea they sacrificed their sonnes and their daughters vnto Deuils SECTION II. CHAP. I. Wherein is proued that the gods of the Heathen were Deuils NOw let vs consider this sinne in particular and because it is a sinne of this nature belonging to Idolatrie and false worship Of the Idoll gods of the Iewes and Heathen let vs first take a view of these Idoll gods Secondly of the sacrifices and seruice done vnto them It s here said They sacrificed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to deuils or to destroyers and spoilers so called from the effect not to any Platonicall or good Daemon but to the deuill himselfe our malicious aduersarie If wee compare this place with Deut. 12.31 we shall see that these deuils were the gods of the Heathen There the Lord forbids his people to doe vnto him as the Heathen did to their gods for they saith the text haue euen burnt in the fire their Sonnes and Daughters to their gods and Deut. 32.17 Moses in his Song complaines of the Israelites that they sacrificed vnto deuils not to God to gods whom they knew not to new gods that came newly vp These gods were the Idols of Canaan verse 38. of this Psalme and the Idoll Moloch whereof in particular God gaue his people caueat Leuit. 18 21. which Idoll was the Image of a Calfe vast and hollow hauing seuen chambers or roomes in it according to the variety of seuerall gifts and sacrifices which were to be consumed in it whereof one was appointed for a sheepe another for a lambe a third for a calfe but the last was for children who by their parents were cast in and burnt quicke ●hat they were Deuils ●●oued ● From Scrip●●●● Here wee will shew first that the gods of the Heathen were indeed Deuils Secondly How Deuils came to bee acknowledged and worshipped for gods That they were Deuils will plainly appeare if first we consult with the Oracles of God Saint Paul tels vs 1. Cor. 10.20 that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to Deuils and not to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies euill spirits and the very Deuils according to the vse of Scripture which by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnderstands diabolos Deuils as 1. Tim. 4.1 where mention is made of doctrines of Deuils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus Leuit. 17.17 God chargeth his people that they shall no more offer their offerings vnto Deuils after whom they that is the Gentiles haue gone a whoring And so is Rehoboam said 2 Chron 11.15 to haue ordained him Priests for the high places and for the Deuils and for the Calues which he made and my text is plaine which saith They sacrificed their Sonnes and Daughters vnto Deuils ● From their accepting of sacrifice See Baruch chap. 6. A further proofe hereof is that they were neither the true God for Saint Paul tels the Galathians ch 4.8 that when they knew not God they did seruice to them which by nature are no gods neither good Angels for they both require and accept sacrifices which good Angels know to be due to the true God onely and so indeed they are for saith Saint Augustine a August de Civit. Dei lib. 10. cap. 19. As when we pray to or praise God we direct our words to him onely to whom we offer in our hearts the thing signified by our words so in our sacrifices we offer not any visible sacrifice but to him b Non altere quam illi cuius in cordibus nostris invisibile sacrificium nosipsi●sse debemus onely to whom we owe the inuisible sacrifice of our owne hearts and selues Therefore the good Angels being perfect in charity both towards God and man will neither by accepting any sacrifice dishonour God which euen good men Paul and Barnabas Acts 14.14.15 refused to doe nor seeing they loue vs as themselues will they haue vs to attaine happinesse by other meanes then they themselues doe so that seeing as the same Father saith August ut supr lib. 10. cap. b. 4.7.19.25.26 The summe of both Tables is fulfilled in this that we should c Et a quibus diligimur duci quos diligimus ducere both be gained to God our selues by such as loue vs and

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 ● 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 ta●●● 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

not actually in our vnderstandings or else as present Now what shal be our thoughts a weeke moneth or yeare hence no Deuill yea not our selues can aforehand vnderstand and know this belongs onely to him who knowes aforehand all kinds of impediments whereby the will being of it selfe most inconstant and variable may bee hindered from effecting this or that Pro●e●● 〈◊〉 The heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord and he turneth it whithersoeuer it pleaseth him and so are all our hearts in Gods hand To whom now can this hand of God and his inclining of our wils be knowne aforehand but to himselfe alone Againe what Angell or Deuill can certainely foresee the alteration of mans body what passions shall possesse him what good counsell precepts and admonishments shall be giuen him all which may be lets and hinderances of the will Now secondly concerning our thoughts as they are actually present in our vnderstandings we may consider the obiect and the act The obiect is the species as we call it phantasme or representation and image of any thing made in the imagination and phantasie about which our mind is busied This I will not deny but that absolutely and simply in it selfe considered it may bee seene and knowne by the Deuill or an Angell who can either penetrate into our phantasie or dart such an obiect thereinto but for the act of thinking which alwaies goes accompanied with an affirmation or negation with approbation or refusall or perhaps with a resolution and a conclusion of some thing to be done or not done this is only knowne to God and to the partie whose thought it is to God being the mouer of the heart to embrace or refuse such an obiect and who onely is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the knower of our hearts and witnesse of our thoughts by whom therefore and by none other we sweare To the man himselfe 1. Cor. ●● for what either Angell or man knoweth the things of a man saue the spirit of a man which is within him Yet consider these our actuall cogitations with this difference either alone without all respect or relation to any effect wrought or to any signe concomitant in the body and so they yet remaine vnknowne to any Deuill or Angell or secondly with reference to some effect signe or note in the body and so we grant that euen one man may know the inclination and affection of another mans heart and therefore much rather the Deuill Thus did Eristratus a Physitian come to know that incestuous affection and loue which Antiochus bare to his mother in law Stratonices whilest sitting by him and with no such pretence feeling and holding his pulses hee perceiued at her approching and presence his pulses to be very quicke and to beat nimbly and his colour to be ruddy but when she departed his pulses to be more dull and dead and his face to waxe palish so that we may conclude that while the act of vnderstanding is immanent it is knowne to God onely and to our selues but being transient and bewraying it selfe in the body it may bee knowne of Deuils yea of men yet not so certainely of Deuils as either of God or of the man himselfe From all this generally which hath beene said concerning the lost and retained knowledge of Deuils wee may in some measure see that blindnesse and darknesse wherewith Satan and his Angels are ouershadowed and so maintaine Gods cause and plea against them Isa 41.23 But yet if we compare their knowledge with ours it will appeare both that we are exceedingly inferiour to them and therefore haue no cause to be secure or much to magnifie our selues and that the Heathen might in great probability be easily misled and seduced by their Oracles and predictions Yet I will not here with Cardane take vpon me to define and say that mans vnderstanding comes as farre short of that of the Deuils yea much shorter then doth the sense wherewith a dog is indued come short of humane vnderstanding making the difference to be in the same proportion which is in the numbers 3. 6. 12. so that as there is double distance betweene 12. and 6. and betweene 6. and 3 so the vnderstanding of Deuils is double to that knowledge whereby a man excels a dogge Neither will I here dispute whether Deuils by discourse and reasoning as we doe or whether by inbred species or generall images and representations of things vnderstand all things which they know It shall suffice vs to know that their knowledge is great and that howsoeuer of themselues they know not the secrets of mans heart or such things to come as are meerely contingent yet that they both know and can foretell euen such things also but by other meanes So that now we are come to consider in the third place of a third kind of knowledge which they haue 3. Of the Deuils attained and acquired knowledge which I may call acquired attained or new and of the meanes and waies by which it is attained Where we make no question but their knowledge may be increased Gods knowledge onely as is himselfe is infinite and can receiue no addition Againe Deuils haue foretold things passing the reach of their naturall vnderstanding neither is their knowledge more absolute and perfect then the knowledge of good Angels which yet excepting onely their sight of God in which consists their happinesse receiues a Ephes 3 1● Scalig. exe●●●t 359. Sect. 11. increase from the Church on earth Nay did our Sauiour himselfe as man increase in b Luke 2.52 wisedome who yet as man is much more c Hebr. 1.4 excellent then the Angels and is hee yet as man ignorant of the d Marke 13.32 day and houre of the last iudgement how then may not Satans knowledge be increased Yet this I thinke this new knowledge in Deuils is not lost againe by obliuion but is now become as e Scalig. vt supra accidens proprium propter naturam aptam ad retinendum one saith of good Angels knowledge a proper accident in regard of their nature which is fit and apt to keepe and hold what once it hath receiued vnlesse we will say God doth immediately depriue them thereof for which yet we haue no warrant Let vs therefore consider the wayes and meanes of this increase I finde a threefold meanes of knowledge 1. Thom. Aquin. Of the meanes thereof Medium in quo vt speculum such a meane as wherein we behold things as in a glasse 2. Medium per quod vt demonstratio such a meane as whereby we come to knowledge as by demonstration and proofe 3. Medium sub quo vt lumen such a meane as is light and illumination vnder and in the beames whereof we see light The first some make the glasse of the Trinity which they say Saints and men glorified beholding doth represent to them and to good Angels Quod quantum quale quando

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 Dae●●one ●ene●●ntur homines quasi terrestr●s d●os depalsores malorum quae ipsi faciunt arrogant coli se volunt ne noceant La●tant Instit lib. 2. cap. 15. Hinc Febris culta fuit Pallor à Babyloniis Draco apud Danielem ne mal●m inferant N●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 ●●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

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 menda● 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 m●s soule ●●a●● 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 2● 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 con●ience T it 1.15 ●6 1. ●●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 ●● while some couet after they erre and are seduced from the faith And therefore Mammonists are the greatest Satanists And now I pray you