The Plain Mans Spiritual Plow, Chapter 34
CHAP. XXXIIII. 1. The Holder. 2. The Leader. 3. The Driuer of this impious Plough.
THis Plough hath alſo an Holder, a Leader, and a Driuer. Firſt, the Holder thereof is the Diuell, 1. The Holder is the Diuel.which apoſtating from the glory of holy Angells, oppoſeth himſelfe and his actions to God, to his Saints, and to all goodneſſe. Hee is the principall Tiller of this field,Io. 8.44. in the which he ſets forth thoſe his Oxen, not onelyonly for the ſowing of iniquity to their deſtruction: but for the terror, feare & trouble of others, both in the Church and in the commonwealth: in ſuch ſort, as hee tumbled forth rhe heard of Swine into the waterrs,Mark. 5.13. whereon not only the ſwine periſhed, but all the Country ſtoode in dread what thereof would enſue, if the Lord Ieſus had remained there among them.
The Leader of the Oxen is Antichrist: 1. The Leader is Antichriſt. Aug. de ciuit. dei c. 19. l. 20.that is, not onelyonly the kingdome of the falſe Doctors & Teachers in the ſucceſſion of the Roman Biſhops & that Sea, which obſcure the bright beames of the Goſpell, perſecute Chriſt in his members, and maintaine a worldly kingdome in the pride and ambition of their minds: but he, which is gone forth of the Church, and contrarieth Ieſus Chriſt in ſtudie, doctrine & life, as I hauehave more plainely taught in my Preparation to Contentation.Chap …, 4.5.
The Driuer of this Plough is the Spirit of Error3. The Driuer is the Spirit of Error. in the falſe Prophets, which yoketh on theſe deceiued ſoules to follow their deceiuer, ſometimes by flatteries, ſometimes by ſophiſtries, ſometimes by policies, ſometimes by tyrannies, ſometimes by heriſies, and by a thouſand hypocriſies & guilfull vanities, in and by all the which, hee euer croſſeth & contrarieth the holy Ghoſt, by whom the oxen of Pietie are iuſtly mooued to draw on the Soole. And herein, the diuell ſeeking to deceiue men, he firſt ſounds their natures, and knowing to what ſin they are moſt profane,Iſul le 3. de ſumme bono. Pet. Rauen in meerk. 2. & applies his tentations thereunto. For he is the author of euill, the originall of iniquity, the enemie of things, the corruptor of the world, the aduerſary of man: he laies ſnares, cauſeth falls, digges pits, prepares ruines, prickes on the bodies, pierceth the ſoules, ſuggeſteth the cogitations, prouokes angers, giues powers to hatreds, addes vices to louelove, planteth errors, nouriſheth diſcordes, diſturbeth peace, diſſipates affections, violateth humane things, tempteth diuine thinges, ſtrikes at the beginning of good things, captiues the rudiment of vertue, & haſteneth to extinguiſh that which is holy euen at the beginning, knowing that hee ſhall be all vnable to ſubuert that which is once well grounded. To and with whom conioyne thoſe others, who (after Gregorie Greg. in Iob. 35. li. 26. ca. ….) we may call Calumniatores, being ſuch (indeed) as do not onelyonly rob & diſpoile men of their externall ſubſtance: but by their erroneous doctrines, euill manners, and examples of a reprobate life, contend and endeuour to diſſipate their internall vertues: and therefore are more to bee feared and abandoned then thoſe theeues and robbers: for they aſſay to inuade our externall good, theſe ſpoile vsus within: they for the deſire of our riches temporall, theſe ceaſe not to rage in the hatred of our vertues ſpirituall: they enuie the things we enioy, theſe enuie our life: they ſtudy to take away our externall goods which pleaſe them, theſe to deſtroy the internall treaſures which diſpleaſeth them: therefore by how much the life of good manners differs from the ſubſtance of this world, by ſo much the more greeuous are thoſe wicked, which either by diuelliſh ſuggeſtion, an euill doctrine, or vngodly life, aſſaults, or good manners, then they which violently oppreſſing, inuade on our goods. For by ſuch the quiet ſpirits led into tentation, are ſubiected to damnable perdition.