Of Tempting Christ, Section 7 – Section 8
SECT. VII.
Of Tempting God, and Chriſt, with reſpect to the Divine Power, in ſeveral Inſtances.
II. AS to the Power of God, we may be ſaid to Tempt him two ways. 1. When we queſtion the Sufficiency of his Power to make good his Word. 2. When we limit and confine it, to be exerciſed and diſcovered in our own way and manner.
1. WHEN we queſtion the Power of God to accompliſh his Word, by reaſon of ſome Difficulties that are in the way. In this reſpect the Jews tempted God, after he had promiſed to bring them unto Canaan: When the Spies, who returned from viewing the Land, and gave them an account of the Giants and the Sons of Anak that were there, and the ſeeming Impoſſibility *Numb. 14.of conquering it; they were quite diſheartened. Thus, ſays our Saviour, did the Sadduces err about the Poſſibility of †Mat. 22.29.the Reſurrection of the Body, not knowing the Scripture, nor the Power of God. But we have very ſtrange Thoughts of Almighty Power, if we do not believe, and grant that it can do much more than we are able to apprehend diſtinctly, after what manner it can be done.
2. WHEN we limit and confine the Power of God, as to the manner and ſeaſon of its Manifeſtation. The Jews are charged with this Tempting God, and limiting the Holy One of Iſrael. At one time the Manna doth not pleaſe them, they muſt have Fleſh, and then they muſt have Water: They muſt have what they had a Mind to, and in their own Method, or they queſtion whether God could do this or that. To this purpoſe do many diſtruſt God, when he doth not anſwer their Prayers, and grant their Deſires, at that time, or in that way, when they expect it: They will wait on the Lord no longer, if he do not deliver and ſave them, either by ſuch Inſtruments, or in ſuch a Method, as they have contrived and carved for themſelves.
MANY Inſtances might be named of a ſinful limiting the Power of God. One, among others, is that of raſh Appeals to Heaven, expecting that God by his powerful Providence ſhould interpoſe to the Deciſion of doubtful Caſes. And this Men do, in the uſe of ſuch things, unto which ſome notable Effects are aſcribed, which they were never inabled or appointed, by Nature or Divine Inſtitution, to produce: As when a Perſon was indicted upon Suſpicion, or for a Fault that was ſecretly committed, or upon the Teſtimony but of one Witneſs, he was to purge himſelf by Ordeal Fire or Water; that is, to put himſelf upon God, and Appeal to him.
THIS was allowed by ſome of the Laws of Charles the Great, and was in frequent uſe in this Nation in the Saxons time. Many Inſtances in the ninth and tenth Century may be given of this, as a common Practice in the Chriſtian World: when there was not ſufficient Evidence of a Man's Guilt, to put him on ſuch Extraordinary Trials, expecting ſome miraculous Appearance of God, to vindicate his Innocence, or conclude againſt it. In ſuch doubtful Caſes they ſaid they would go ad Judicium Dei, they would appeal to Heaven. Many ways they had of this, in different Forms, and ſeveral Ceremonies, and particular Prayers, with Faſting and Adjurations in the Name of God, to the particular Element; various according to the Quality of the Perſon, whether a Freeman, or a Slave; that is, one of a mean and baſe Condition; the former was to be tried by *See Spelman's Gloſſary, p. 435, 436. N. Bacon's Hiſtory of the Laws of England, firſt Part, p. 55, 56. Dugdale's Origines Judiciales, p. 86, 87. Coke's 9 Repl. 32. Glanvil. p. 114.Fire, and the latter by Water, hot or cold.
BUT what Ground have we to think, that if Men are Innocent, the Power of God will this way preſerve them; or if they be Guilty, that he will leave them to ſuffer by it? It is true, he appointed under the Law a Draught of bitter Waters for the Woman ſuſpected of Adultery, to diſcover her Innocency, or Guilt; this was peculiarly enacted by God himſelf, who doubtleſs would aſſiſt ſuch Extraordinary Procedure, as was of his own Inſtitution. But it is not for us to uſe ſuch Methods of our own deviſing, and expect the like Succeſs.
*Lib. 8. Chap. 19.PHILIP de Comines tells us of two Franciſcan Friars at Florence, who offer'd themſelves to the Fire to prove Savonarola to be a Heretick: But a certain Jacobine offer'd himſelf to the Fire, to prove that Savonarola had true Revelations, and was no Heretick. In the mean time Savonarola preach'd, and made no ſuch confident Offer: nor durſt he venture at that new kind of Fire Ordeal. But if all four had paſt through the Fire, and died in the Flames, what would that have proved? Had he been an Heretick, or no Heretick, the more or the leſs for the Confidence of two or three Zealots?
THEY who are well eſtabliſhed in the Belief of the future Judgment, will be eaſily ſatisfied, that we ought not to expect that God ſhould oblige himſelf to declare one way or other in ſuch Caſes.
IT is not unlikely that the Practice of Duelling came in upon this bottom; for the Trials by ſingle Combat and Battel, are founded on the like Superſtition, and Folly of People, thus appealing to the Judgment of God, to decide Caſes in an Extraordinary Manner.
IT has formerly been frequent among the *See Sir Will. Temple's Miſcellanies, Part 2. Eſſay 3. Sect. 4. p. 243.Northern Nations, when the Right of Titles, or of Lands was difficult, thus by legal, ſingle Combats, to decide it: Or when a Perſon accuſed, did abſolutely deny what the Accuſer affirmed, and no other Proof on either ſide could be produced. And even after the Profeſſion of Chriſtianity, among the Goths, and thoſe Kingdoms erected by them, this Practice continued. But upon the farther Progreſs of Learning and Civility, when this could be no longer approved; it made way for *See Biſhop Hall, Epiſt. 2. Dec. 4. Of the bloody Ʋſe of ſingle Combats: The Danger and Sinfulneſs thereof.private Duels, and for the Lie being a juſt Ground of fighting in Point of Honour, becauſe it had been ſo in Point of Law, during the barbarous Ages. But it were ſhameful it ſhould be ſo eſteemed amongſt us Chriſtians. The Example of Charles the Fifth, and Francis the Firſt of France gave it much Encouragement; and much of the beſt Blood in Chriſtendom has been ſpilt after this manner, eſpecially in France, during ſeveral Reigns, till by the juſt Severity of the preſent French King (how unjuſt ſoever in other things) this Cuſtom is in great meaſure extinguiſhed there.
SOME have expected the like Succeſs, upon receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Among ſome of the Romaniſts, if any thing were ſtolen in a Monaſtery, where one of the Houſe muſt have been the Thief, and all denied it; they were all to receive the Sacrament, and theſe words were pronounced, Corpus Domini noſtri ſit tibi ad Probationem, Let the Body of our Lord be thy Trial. There are many others, who will take the Sacrament upon their Aſſeveration of ſuch or ſuch a thing, to aſcertain the Truth of it; as if what they had ſaid, or ſworn, muſt needs be true, in caſe no evil Effect did viſibly follow upon their taking the Sacrament. But theſe, and other ſuch Ʋſes of that Divine Inſtitution, are a bold Tempting of God. It is deſigned and appointed, to commemorate the Death of Chriſt till he come, not to diſcover Thieves or Liars; nor to attain other Civil Ends, for which it hath been formerly uſed, and is yet required in ſome parts of the World.
SECT. VIII.
Of Tempting Chriſt, with reſpect to his Knowledg.
Thirdly. THERE is Another Inſtance of Tempting God and Chriſt, viz. with reſpect to his Knowledg. And this we may be guilty of ſeveral ways. Partly by adventuring to ſin in ſecret, when we are concealed from the Knowledg and Notice of our Fellow-Creatures. We do in effect ſay, Can he behold me when the Door is ſhut? Can his Eye pierce the thick Cloud? Thus we tempt him as to his Knowledg, and Omniſcience, whether he can diſcern us, and make our Sin to find us out. Partly by pretending to ask Counſel of God, when we are reſolved already in our own Minds what to do. After Vows, to make Inquiry, and after being reſolved to ask Advice, is a Mockery and an Affront, and a Tempting of God, as if he did not know the Purpoſes of our Heart.
BUT there is a more plain Tempting of him in reſpect of his Knowledg, by Hypocriſy in Divine Worſhip: by drawing nigh to him with our Bodies in the Solemnities of Religion: by appearing in a worſhipping Poſture before him, and taking his Name within our Lips, while our Hearts are not ingaged. Hereby we Tempt God, and would make a bold Trial whether he can diſtinguiſh between Subſtance and Shadow, Reality and Appearance, between the Worſhip of the Heart, and the Complement of the outward Man, between a dead Carcaſs and a living Sacrifice.
IN ſhort, we Tempt God as to his Knowledg, by the ſecret Indulgence of any Wickedneſs, under the Pretence and Profeſſion of Religion. This Charge is given againſt the Wife of Ananias, Acts 5.9. that ſhe tempted God, and lied unto the Holy Ghost; becauſe ſhe and her Husband kept back part of the Price of their Poſſeſſion, when they pretended to bring the whole: And ſo diſcovered a covetous Mind, and the prevailing Love of this World; while they kept up the Profeſſion of Religion, and would maintain the Reputation of being zealous, and forward Diſciples. Every Hypocrite, who does compaſs God about with Lies, and lives in the Allowance of any ſecret Luſt, under the colour of Religion, does thus Tempt God, and Chriſt as to his Knowledg.