The Height of Israels Heathenish Idolatry, Section 2 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. The Concluſion of the former Diſcourſe and Ʋſe concerning Satans Sleights.
ALL our former diſcourſe giues vsus eaſily to iudge of Popery, and ſhewes vsus alſo,Concluſion. contrary to Popiſh doctrine, the neceſſity of Saint Iohns admonition,1 Iohn 4.1. not to beleeue eueryevery ſpirit, but to trie the ſpirits whether they are of God, becauſe many falſe prophets are gone out into the world. This was the iuſt commendation which our Sauiour gaue to the Chuch of Epheſus, Reuel. 2.2.that ſhe had tried them which ſay they are Apoſtles and are not, and had found them liars. Neceſſity of trying the Spirits.And doe not we now ſee cauſe why we ſhould doe ſo likewiſe? ſurely, if wee bee ſo wiſe as not to receiue into our bodies an vnknowne dainty before wee hauehave approued it by ſmell or taſte; why ſhould wee be ſo fooliſh, as hand ouer head to entertaine into our ſoules any ſtrange or yet queſtioned doctrine, which without triall may proue the bane of our ſoules? eſpecially conſidering we hauehave an aduerſary that laboures to put poyſon into our drinke, and offers delightſome baits, but ſliely couers a deceitfull and pernicious hooke. We are alſo wiſe enough to trie ſuſpected coyne by the touchſtone and ballance before wee receiue it for good or currant, and waight. The like wiſedome ſhould appeare in our triall of doctrine;1 Theſſ. 5.21. to trie all things, but to keepe that which is good; and like good mony-changers to reiect all adulterate coyne if it hauehave not Caeſars image on it, if it be not circled about with Caeſars poſie. But if once we ſpy the face of Chriſt ſhining in it, then to purſe it vp in the cloſe receptacles of our heart.The Scriptures the onelyonly rule of triall. Iſa 8.20. Act. 17.11. Now Gods word written is our onelyonly Touchſtone, the one true ballance, the onelyonly true Light, ſo that If any ſpeake not according to this word, it is becauſe there is no light in them. By this thoſe noble Beraeans tried what they heard, receiuing the word with all readineſſe of mind, and ſearching the Scriptures daily whether thoſe things were ſo. Mat. 4.By Scripture our Sauiour repelled all Satans ſuggeſtions: and this is a ſound way of triall, ſeeing this is that onelyonly truth which is from Heauen, all other doctrines being either of men or of the deuill.1 Tim. 3.16. The Spirit by which the Scriptures were inſpired, is but one, and therfore called the Spirit of Truth, Iohn 16.13.whereas for ſpirits of errour, there are many And becauſe the truth of Chriſt is but one and alwaies like it ſelfe,… Tim. 4.1. we make this a firme kind of reaſoning againſt all Seducers, This doctrine is not according to Chriſt, not according to his doctrine, but ſuch as drawes vsus from him, therefore wee will none of it. Thus the Apoſtle himſelfe teacheth vsus to reaſon, Coloſſ. 2.8. Wee therefore reiect all triall of doctrine by Miracles and Ʋiſions now in theſe dayes: and we will now iudge of Miracles by doctrine,Luk. 16.29.30.31. not of doctrine by Miracles. We muſt heare Moſes and the Prophets, and not hearken after any that ſhall riſe from the dead. We are taught to iudge of Signes and Miracles, Dreames and Viſions by their end, which if it be to withdraw vsus to falſe deities or doctrines, we reiect and renounce, for ſo we are warned, Deut. 13. Ʋerſ. 1.2.3. And we are aſſured, that howſoeuer thus Seducers preuaile with others, yet with Gods children ſo long as they hold them to Gods onelyonly word, they ſhall not preuaile, though perhaps they thinke, with the falſe prophets of old,Ierem. 23.27. To cauſe Gods people to forget his name by their Dreames which they tell eueryevery man to his neighbour. Therefore, as by this note of triall, we reiect the Miracles of the Heathen, becauſe they tended either to eſtabliſh falſe gods, (for thus, ſome were made gods for their driuing away of Graſſehoppers, for killing of Frogs, Crickets and Flies, whence it came that the Canaanites called their Beelzebub by the name of Scar…ly, and the Greekes their Iupiter foreign) or to iuſtifie the wicked in their wickedneſſe, (thus the iuſtly ſuſpected …ſ…all Virgin carried water in a Sieue, and another with her only Girdle hailed that Ship, which formerly the ſtrength of men and oxen could not moue:) So, by this word of God we reiect all Popiſh Miracles, as being brought to confirm ſuch points of doctrine, as the Scriptures allow not of, and as we formerly inſtanced in; yea, all ſuch doctrine howſoeuer confirmed by Popiſh Miracles, as tends to exalt the Pope againſt God, or yet into the ſeat of God. I read in Maximus Tyrius of one Pſapho in Lybia, who deſirous to be worſhipped as God, taught a ſort of prating Birds to ſing, Magnus deus Pſapho, Pſapho is a great god: and ſo let them flye into the woods, where other birds learned the ſame leſſon, by which fraud the country people began to worſhip him. Iuſt ſo, the Pope of Rome deſirous to withdraw the people of this Land from their allegiance due to his Maieſty their lawfull Soueraigne, and to get himſelfe acknowledged as their head and God, maintaines a ſort of diſcontented fugitiues in his Seminaries as in ſo many cages, where he eaſily teacheth them what tune he pleaſeth. Theſe being ſent home againe teach other birds which are*foreign. of the ſame feather, the ſame ditty. But we being taught the former leſſon and note, will not admit of any ſuch ſtrange god or doctrine;Galat. 1.8.9. but, with the Apoſtle Saint Paul, If any man, though an Angell from heauen ſhould preach any other Goſpel vntounto vsus then that we hauehave receiued, we hold him accurſed.
Meanes to come to the knowledge of the truth. Prouer. 2. verſ. 3.4.5.To conclude: If any be deſirous in the midſt of ſuch varietie of doctrine, to know what doctrine is true, let him vſe but diligence, and let him not deſpaire. For if thou cryeſt after knowledge and lifteſt vp thy voice for vnderſtanding, if thou ſeekeſt her as ſiluer, and ſearcheſt for her as for hid treaſures; then ſhalt thou vnderſtand the feare of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. The meanes then are; firſt, a diligent ſearching and digging in the mines of the Scriptures. But this muſt be done with humilitie and prayer, without curioſity, and with deſire of ſauing knowledge, and with purpoſe of reformation of life according to that word. 2. Prayer, by which we obtaine the Holy Ghoſt, as is promiſed,Luk. 11.13. Iohn 16.13. Reuel. 3.18. 1 Iohn. 2, 27. which is the Spirit of truth, and will lead vsus into all truth. This is that eye-ſalue by which our blind eies receiue ſight. Which annointing if once we receiue, then need we not that any man teach vsus, for it teacheth vsus all things. If then,Pſalm. 143.10. with Dauid, we can pray, Let thy good Spirit lead me vntounto the Land of righteouſneſſe, wee ſhall heare the ſtill voice of Gods Spirit behind vsus,Iſa. 30.21. ſaying, as is promiſed, This is the way, walke ye in it: which way (by the way) is not Popery,22. which reſerues and worſhips Reliques, for it followeth, ye ſhall defile alſo the couering of thy grauen images of ſiluer, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold. Laſtly, to name no other, Obedience to Gods will, and a care to liue according to the meaſure of knowledge receiued, hath a promiſe to be guided by true knowledge: for, as ſayth our Sauiour,Iohn 7.17. If any man will doe his (that is, the Fathers) will, he ſhall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I ſpeake of my ſelfe. And thus ſaith Dauid, I vnderſtand more then the ancients, becauſe I keepe thy precepts. Knowledge is a talent, and where any talent is rightly vſed and imploied, it hath a promiſe,Mat. 25.29. to him that hath it ſhall be giuen. Looke then how good huſwiues deale with their ſeruants, they giuegive their maids their penſa, towe on their rockes, and ſet them other taskes, which when they be performed, more is giuen vntounto them; ſo God reueales himſelfe to vsus by degrees, and where he ſees any to indeauour himſelfe according to his knowledge, vſing it well, God will not let him want a greater meaſure of further knowledge, whereby himſelfe is ſo much honoured.
And thus much of theſe idoll gods in my text, who were Deuils, and of the meanes how Satan became the god of the Heathen, and of the Application thereof.
FINIS.
SECTION III.
IDOLATERS BLINDE ZEALE, In ſacrificing their Children to the Deuill; As alſo in many other particulars: To the prouoking, or elſe ſhaming, of CHRISTIANS.
Deliuered in a Sermon preached at Saint Maries in CAMBRIDGE, March 5. 1614.
Newly publiſhed By R. I. Bachelour of Diuinity, and late Fellow of Saint Iohns Colledge in Cambridge.
LONDON, Printed by G. Eld for Robert Mylbourne, 1621.