in the world that the diuell can carrie a man or woman from one countrey to another if God giue him leaue but so as he cannot do it with such celeritie and expedition as men imagine Some foolishly thinke he can carrie one many hundred miles in an houre which is a thing impossible for such a violent motion would stop a mans breath as we see if a man fall from the toppe of an high steeple his wind is gone ere he come halfe the way to the ground Againe hence we see that the diuell may by Gods permission haue power ouer the bodies of godly men and those which haue greatest graces and strongest faith in God For seeing he had power ouer the bodie of Christ to transport it from place to place by the permission of God why may he not if God giue him leaue haue power of any mās bodie though he be neuer so true a beleeuer If he had power in the head why not in the mēbers if he had power to annoy Iob to kill his childrē destroy thē though they were no doubt the holy seruants of God why may not the diuell haue power ouer our bodies to carie a mā frō one place to another If the Diuell could by Gods permissiō tormēt the bodie of one that was a daughter of faithfull Abraham and euen 18. yeares afflict her so as she was bruised and bowed together by Satan then no doubt he can do the lesse to remoue mens bodies from place to place And this may serue to admonish those who thinke their faith is so strong that the diuel cannot annoy thē or any way bewitch them But if the diuell haue power by Gods permission to torment the bodies of the faithfull yea to destroy the bodies of Iobs childrē who no doubt were the true seruants of God he may if God giue him leaue bewitch the godliest man that liueth For we know what the holy Ghost faith that all things fall out and all things come alike to good and bad and there is no difference in outward things oftentimes betweene the children of God and the wicked To the holy citie That is Ierusalem Luk. 4. 9. Now this citie was called holy for sundrie causes First because in Ierusalem was the temple of the Lord where were the sacrifices and other ceremonies prescribe◠by God for his own worship Secondly i◠the temple they had the law of God and the bookes of Moses and the Prophets read an◠expounded vnto them Thirdly becaus◠Ierusalem was a mother Church frō whenc◠religion did flow and was dispersed into many places of the world Now for these considerations Ierusalem is called the holy citie This church at Ierusalem though it hao many corruptions in it yet our Sauiour Christ cals it holy and it was a true Church of God Then hence I conclude that the Church of God in England though there be in it many blemishes corruptions yet may it be and in truth is the true Church of God For the Church of God in England is proprotionable to the Church at Ierusalē for as they had Moses and the Prophets read and expounded so haue we nay we haue the Gospell now soundly preached which they then had not in so plaine and plentifull manner as we haue They had the Sacraments of the old Testament so we haue Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Their Church was a mother church to deriue Religion to many other and though our Church cannot be called a Mother church yet it may be truly called a nourcing Church to many neighbour churches round about vs. As Christ and his Apostles did not therfore separate themselues or refuse to ioyne with them in the seruice of God because of the corruptions in this church at Ierusalem but did teach and preach in the Temple so none may therefore separate themselues and refuse to ioyne with the people of God in his seruice and worship because of some few corruptions that remaine in it Nay such as for these do separate themselues from Gods people do cut themselues from Christ himselfe seeing they seuer themselues from the Church of God If any shall say that the church of Rome is the true Church of God as well as the Church of Ierusalem seeing the Romish church hath as many priuiledges as the Church at Ierusalem I answer By examining the particulars it will appeare to the contrarie As first the Church of Rome braggeth that she hath her succession from the Apostles but I answer succession from persons without succession in the Apostles doctrine can be no true note of the Church Secondly the Church of Rome hath the sacrament of Baptisme yet that proues he◠not the true Church for in Samaria they had the Sacrament of circumcision and so in other places and yet it cannot be proued that they were the true Churches of God Besides I answer the church of Rome hath baptisme no otherwise then a theefe hath a true mans purse now it cannot be said that a theefe is therefore a true man because he hath a true mans purse Lastly though the Church of Rome haue the outward baptisme yet she in doctrine ouerturnes the inward baptisme namely the true imputed iustification and inherent sanctification of Christ by the spirit 3 The Church of Rome holdeth the Apostles Creed but it is onely in word for the truth is their God whome they worship is an Idoll and their Christ is a false counterfeit Christ forged by their owne braine as may appeare to all that will search their doctrine 4 She saith that they hold the word of God and the writings of the Apostles but it will appeare in their writings that they hold it but in shew not in truth for in the maine grounds of religion they ouerturne the doctrine of the Prophets Apostles Againe they hold the Scriptures but as a lanthorn holds the candle not for it selfe but for those that passe by so the Church of Rome haue the word of God not for themselues but for the good of Gods children which euer lye hid in the middest of Poperie 5 She brags that she is the mother-church of many Churches I answer we must consider that citie as Rome is and as Rome was the old Rome which was in the time of Paul was the true Church of God but as for that old Rome it is dead and buried and this new Rome is that whore of Babylon no mother-church but a cruell step-mother to Religion By al this we may see that the present church of Rome is no Church of God but onely in name and outward shew And seeing that the Diuell tempts our Sauiour Christ in the holy citie we learne that there is no place so holy but the Diuell can broach his temptations in it as we may see Zach. 3. 1. 2. and therfore this condemnes that dotage and sorcery of the Church of Rome who teach that their charmed holy water their
take paines that their diligence in defending and vpholding true religion and building the church of God may counteruaile Satans diligence in hindering of it Secondly it behooueth all Christians not onely to pray for themselues but seeing the Diuell labours the ruine of the church specially in preuailing with Princes and great men we must pray for the good of Gods Church and children and euery member of it by name for Kings Queens c good reasō is there that we should do so for in the good and flourishing estate of the church we all receiue benefite by it and fare the better for it Thirdly if Satan durst set vpon the Sonne of God and tempt him to idolatrie and to worship the Diuell then much more will he be tempting vs to the like sinne and set vpō sinfull man to moue him to worship him and make him his God But you will say there is none so mad to worship the diuell to make him our God oh we defie him True it is men say they defie the Diuell and spit at him but alas if we consider their dealings we shall see the Diuell sits in their hearts and rules there as God Do but cast your eye vpon the three maine Religions of the world the religion of the Turke of the Iew and of the Papist and it will appeare that most men worship the Diuell and make him their God because the Turke he is ignorāt of the true God the Iew worships God the Father but not by Iesus Christ whom they deny the Papist worships a false and counterfeit Christ forged by themselues and neuer read of in the word of God for they make him a Sauior in part a Priest to be creator or the maker of his Creator That it may appeare that these three sorts of people do not worship the true God but euen the diuell himselfe let vs marke these 2 principles First that al doctrines set downe and inuented by man concerning Gods seruice and worship being against the word of God they be the doctrines of Diuels so saith Paule 1. Tim. 4. 1. 3. that there shall come false teachers which shall teach doctrines of Diuels and what are these Vers. 3. he saith Such as forbid to marrie and teach men that some meates be holy in themselues some vnholy and not lawfull to be eaten The second principle is this all worship of God deuised by man being against the word of God is the doctrine of Diuels So the Gentiles offering to Idols Paule saith they offered to Diuels yet none of them intended that but rather by the idols offered to God So whatsoeuer worship shall be inuented being against the word of God it is indeed the worship of the Diuell not of God Now by these two principles it appeareth that the worship of God performed by the Turkes and by the Iewes it is no worship of God but the worship of Diuels seeing both of them worship the Father out of the Sonne And the worship of God in Poperie it is no better then the worship of the Diuel seeing they worship God out of the true Christ and haue forged to themselues a false counterfeit Christ. And if Paule might truly affirme of the Gentiles that they worshipped not the true God but offered to diuels then mnch more may it be auouched of that abominable sacrifice of the Masse that it is indeed the worship of the diuell seeing it is more vile idolatrie then that of the Gentiles Now it will be said Though the Diuell preuaile thus with them yet he cannot preuaile so with Protestants neither can they be said to worship the diuell I answer That in truth there be thousands of Protestants in the world who do worship the Diuel for all those which do onely in outward shew professe true religion but in heart loue the world set their hearts vpon pleasures profites and preferments such professours do in truth make the diuell their God and may be said to worship the Diuell For to whom soeuer they giue their hearts to them they do giue worship but while they set their hearts on these things they do not loue God neither do they beleeue in God and rest vpon him as their God and therefore they make the world their God and so worship the Diuell Fourthly by this practise of the diuell we see those men confuted who thinke that the diuell cannot make a league with men as with witches coniurers c. For we reade and know such things haue bin done and here we haue a manifest proofe of it for the Diuell offers a league to Christ there was nothing wanting but our Sauiour Christ his cōsent And if sinfull mā had bene in Christs stead questionlesse there had bene a league and for so great gaine he would haue the diuell his seruice Then said Iesus vnto him Auoide Satan c. Now followeth the answer of our Sauiour Christ. And first in Christs answer marke in propounding of it he vseth first a speech of indignation and of defiance to the Diuell and his offer Auoide Satan as though Christ should haue said I haue heard thee blaspheme both me and my Father haue thus long suffered thee but I will suffer thee no longer get thee hence Satan I will not vouchsafe to answer to thy temptations any more Marke here in the answer of Christ that he was content to endure the diuels temptations and reproches which concerned his owne person but when he is so bold to blaspheme God his Father he can endure him no longer Now when he makes challenge and claimes title to all the kingdoms of the world as though he were Lord of them and could bestow them at his pleasure therin he blasphemed God his Father Then this teacheth vs that if we shall heare vngodly wretches blaspheme the name of God we may not endure it but haue indignation great dislike of it And if we heare black-mouthed Rabshekahs blaspheme the holy name of God by swearing cursing banning we must be touched with griefe to heare the glorious name of our God dishonoured and if time and place require manifest our dislike in open reprehension of it Whē Ahab and Iezabel being both wicked heard that Naboth had blasphemed God they rent their cloathes in token of sorrow So when Hezechiah heard the blasphemies of Rabshekah he rent his cloths and was very much grieued for it Whē Dauid heard the Gentiles say where is now their God this blasphemous speech did greatly affect him so as his very teares were his drinke And the bad speeches of the men of Sodome did much affect Lot vexe his righteous soule 2. Pet. 2. 8. And as all men must be grieued to heare wicked men blaspheme the name of God so especially those that be gouernours of others and by name maisters of families as Dauid saith Psal. 101. he would not suffer a talebearer in his house much lesse a blasphemer
feeling the waight and daunger of temptations he might be a mercifull high Priest to helpe vs in our temptations as the Apostle doth witnesse The next point to be noted is the cause and author of his temptation He was tempted of the diuell This name Diuell signifieth a cauililer a slaunderer a priuie accuser for he accuseth God to man as he did to Euah Gen. 3 ◠Hath God said indeed ye shall die Nay but it is because God loues you not for when ye eate of the tree God knoweth ye shal be like vnto God Secondly the Diuel accuseth man to God and is therefore called the Accuser of the brethren one which ceasseth not to put vp bils of accusation against vs and to accuse vs vnto God as he dealt with Iob. Thirdly the Diuell accuseth one man to another by raising suspitions and bad surmises and by backbiting one another And seeing the holy Ghost calleth Satan an accuser let vs all beware of accusing our brethren of slaundering and backbiting for such men become like vnto the Diuell Againe it must admonish al men to beware that they do not by any accusations or slanders seeke to draw men from embracing the Gospell for they which take this course make themselues Diuels incarnate Of this sort was Elyma◠the sorcerer Act. 13. 10. whom Paul therefore calleth the child of the Diuel And thus much of the first part of the preparation Now followeth the second part viz. the abode of Christ in the wildernesse which is set out by three circumstances First by his fasting forty daies and forty nights Secondly by his companie there namely the wild beasts Manke 1. 12. Lastly by those temptations wherewith the Diuell did incounter him within the space of those fortie dayes Luke 4. 2. though the particulars be not set downe by the Euangelists The first point is Christs fasting in the wildernesse the space of fortie dayes There be three sorts of fastings First a dayly fast which is nothing else but the vertue of sobrietie or a moderate vsing of the creatures of God with abstinence and this kind of fasting all men must vse continually and we must take heed of the abuse of Gods creatures by surfetting and drunkennesse Rom 13. 12. The second kind of fasting is a religious fast when we abstaine from meate and drink for a certaine time that we may be more fit for the exercises of repentance prayer and duties of religion and this kind of fasting the Iewes vsed sometimes for one meale sometimes for two or three sometimes for many as 1. Sam. 31. 13. they fasted seuen dayes The third is a miraculous fast when any one shall fast many dayes and that beyond the course of nature thus Moses fasted fortie daies and fortie nights in the mountaine and so fasted Elias Now there is no man able to fast so long by the course of nature Indeed Paul did fast three dayes after his conuersion and those which were with Paule in the ship in that dangerous voyage Act. 27. 33. are said to haue fasted foureteene dayes which though some thinke is not meant of abstaining from all sustenance but that they did eate very litle yet the words are plaine that they did eate nothing for the space of foureteene dayes And though it be true that Phisitions affirme that a man may liue seuenteene dayes without meate yet he cannot endure longer as twentie or thirtie dayes Now our Sauiour Christ fasted fortie dayes and fortie nights and for all this his complexion was not changed nor the strength of his bodie weakened nay he was not hungrie till the end though men cannot fast a short time but it wil weaken them and make them hungry which doth proue this fast of Christ was miraculous Now there be some reasons why Christ fasted so long and no longer First that when he came to preach the Gospell he might come with more authoritie and reuerence as when Moses had fasted fortie dayes and brought the two tables the people receiued him with greater reuerence So likewise Elias when he was to restore Religion he fasted forty dayes and forty nights Secondly he fasted so long that he might answer vnto the time that Moses and Elias fasted Thirdly he fasted no longer lest any man should call into question his humanitie whether he was true man yea or no if he had fasted threescore or an hundred dayes From this miraculous fast of Christ the Papists fondly gather their superstitious fast in Lent being but an apish imitatiō of Christ and in truth their fasting is no fast but a plaine mocke-fast seeing they eate as liberally and fare as daintily then as at any other time of the yeare whereas Christ abstained from all vse of meate and drinke Secondly Christ was moued thereunto by the instinct of Gods holy spirit they haue no word to warrant them Thirdly Christ did thus fast but once in all his life but their fast is continuall euery yeare and therefore these reasons proue that their collection is friuolous The second speciall point to be marked in the abode of our Sauior Christ in the wildernesse is his conuersing with the wild beasts Marke 1. 13. Some say the cause of his conuersing among the wild beasts was that they might do him that homage which is due to the Creator but this opinion hath no warrant out of the word of God and litle truth in it for though it be true that Iesus Christ is worthy of all homage yet he came not to this end into the world but rather to take on him the shape of a seruant But the true cause is this whereas there be two kinds of wildernesses one which was inhabited and where Iohn Baptist did baptize preach and another not inhabited where liued all kinds of wild beasts as Lions Tygers Beares c. Christ made choise of that which was without the societie of men wherein were onely the wild beasts to beare him companie that so in this great combat against the Diuell he might shew he had no aide nor comfort of any man but that he ouercame by his owne power and therefore 〈◊〉 the honour and praise of the victory belonged to Christ Iesus alone And besides in the person of Christ we may behold the estate of Gods church here vpon earth that she liueth here with wicked men which be no better then wild beasts as Esay 11. 6. doth testifie The third circumstance whereby the abode of Christ in the wildernesse is described be those temptaions which befell him within the compasse of the forty dayes for before the three great conflicts Luke 4. 2. there is mention made of other temptations which though they be not specified yet it is very likely that the Diuell did set vpon Christ by sundrie small light and weaker temptations thereby making an entrance to his fiercer and stronger temptations For it is the diuels maner to go on and
least to go about to proue that Christ was not the Sonne of God Another reason may be this since the diuelâ— fell and for his pride was cast downe out of heauen he beares a deadly hatred against theâ— Lord God himselfe and we shall see that 〈◊〉 this question he doth notably bewray hiâ— spite against God for when as the Lord haâ— spoken from heauen saying This is my 〈◊〉 beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased here the Diuell comes and contradicts the voice of God nay goeth about to proue God a lier in that he would make Christ beleeue that he was not the true Sonne of God Hence we may by this practise of Satan learne to discerne false teachers There haue bene many both excellent and learned men which haue denied Christ to be the sonne of God as Ebeon Cerinthus and others onely affirming that Christ was an excellent man and a worthy Prophet Now seeing they denie Iesus Christ to be the true Son of God they shew themselues to be false teachers and such as be the diuels scholers for so saith the Apostle Iohn 1. Iohn 4. 1 2 3. Again in that the diuel seekes to perswade Christ that he is not the son of God though God by his owne voice from heauen had immediatly before proclaimed him to be his Son hence we may perceiue the impudent malice of Satan who seeketh in all things to contradict God himself For if the Lord pronounce a blessing vpon any man the diuell he wil presently pronounce cursing and damnation If God testifie to a mans soule that he is the child of God the Diuell he wil labour to perswade him that he is not the child of God If the Lord affirme a wicked man to be out of Gods fauor and no child of God the diuel will labour on the contrary to perswade him that he is in good estate shal be saued and so fils his heart with extreme presumption maketh him more bold then he ought to be Commaund That is as if Satan should haue said to Christ Bid this or do but speake the word and it shall be done And herein appeareth the maruellous pollicy of Satan who in these few words the better to bring his purpose to passe toucheth three especiall points of Diuinitie First that he which is the son of God is true God equal to the Father which many heretickes haue denied and the Pharisies also did not graunt for to worke a miracle it is the proper and peculiar work of God alone Secondly the diuell confesseth that God is able to make all things of nothing and that without all meanes matter or helpers by his almightie power Thirdly he confesseth that God can effect a true miracle and that is proper to God alone neither can any creature whatsoeuer worke a miracle Now when the diuel acknowledged al this one would haue thought he should haue intended no harme in these words but the truth is we shall see that in the propounding of these points his pollicy was to ouerthrow the faith of Christ and he in propounding of the truth doth it not for any loue or liking to it but that he might more easily deceiue our Sauiour to bring him to doubt whether he was indeed that Sonne of God or not This must admonish vs to take heed that we do not alwayes giue credit to the diuel listen vnto him though he speake the truth for such is Satans pollicie that when he wold seeme most to speake the truth then he meaneth to deceiue vs most and by speaking the truth he seeketh most to ouerthrow our faith in the truth But as our sauiour Christ did refuse their testimonie though the diuels spake the truth and as Paul did not suffer the Diuel to speak in the maid though he did acknowledge the Apostles to be the seruants of the true God so we must beware how we listen to Satan euen when he speakes the truth for he neuer speakes the truth because he loueth the truth but that speaking the truth he might be sooner beleeued and more easily deceiue vs and do vs the greater harme That these stones S. Luke saith this stone in the singular nomber To reconcile these two places whereas Mathew speaks in the plural number of many stones this we must vnderstand that he speakes of Satans temptations as he first set vpon Christ and then in the beginning of his temptation he bids Christ to turne all these stones into bread Luke he saying this stone speaking but of one must be vnderstood as the Diuell vrged and inforced his temptation the better to perswade Christ to yeeld vnto it as if the Diuell should haue said It may be thou thinkest it too much to turne all these stones being so many into bread do but turne this one stone into bread because I would not trouble thee ouermuch that so I may beleeue thou art the son of God By this dealing of the diuel with Christ we may learne that when the diuell hath once begun his temptation then he will be more instant in vrging of it he is very loth to haue the repulse and therefore will vrge it and follow it but if he can gaine but a litle ground at least in some smaller matter he would be content as here to perswade Christ though he would not turne many stones into bread that he would turne but this one stone into bread And therefore we must learne that as the diuell is very instant to inforce and vrge his temptations so we must be as instant to resist them and yeeld no not in the least matter that he tempts vs to Vers. 4. But he answering said Man shall â—ot liue by bread onely but by euerie word that â—roceedeth out of the mouth of God These words containe the most wise and heauenly â—nswer of our Sauior Christ to the first temptation of the diuell and in this answer of his note three points first the answer it self And Iesus answering said secondly whence our Sauior Christ took his answer It is writteÌ„ thirdly the words of his answer Man shal not liue c. First the Spirit of God sets downe the answer of Christ to shew that he was not onely willing to incounter the Diuell but that he was most able to vanquish foile the diuell Now what a singular comfort is this to Gods Church and children to remember that our Lord and Sauior Christ Iesus was in â—his base estate of a seruant wheÌ„ he liued here vpon earth able to incounter with Satan to ouercome the diuell notwithstanding all his might and malice how much more is Iesus Christ able now being aduanced vnto the right hand of God his Father in heauen hauing all power and maiestie and being King of Kings and Lord of all Lords how much more able is he now to confound Satan to destroy al the works of the diuel in his members And this may be a great comfort vnto euery