Treatise of the Four Degenerate Sons, Treatise · Part 2 · Section 12
SECT. 12. Of the knowledge of the devils, and of their predictions of things to come.
THe devils hath great knowledge,The devils have great knowlegde. and therefore they are called foreign.
Foure things make them to have great knowledge.Foure things makes them to have great knowledge. The devils know things uno intuitu. Firſt, they know things, uno intuitu, and they are intelligentes creaturae, ſed non ratiocinantes, they know not, as the Schoolemen ſaith, Hoc ex hoc; they reaſon not as we do, gathering this of this, but becauſe they know not all things together, therefore they learne, hoc post hoc, this after this. When we behold the face of a man whom we know, here we reſt without any reaſoning to enquire who he is; but if we have forgotten the man whom we have ſeene before, then wee beginne to recollect, and bring our ſelves to a particular knowledge of the man, as where wee have ſeene him before, how they call him: The firſt ſort of knowledge which we have of the face, is, minus univerſalis, & magis diſtincta, but the ſecond is magis univerſalis, & magis confuſa. When the devil lookes upon things he knoweth them, uno intuitu, as when we looke upon a knowne face. Our knowledge againe is more confuſed, and therefore we come to it by reaſoning this and that way.
Satan when he lookes upon the effects, and the cauſe, he doth not abſtract and ſeparate them as we doe when we foretell by the cauſes, the effects following, neither lookes hee by the effects unto the cauſe. Our ſight is quicker than our hearing, and therefore we ſee the lightning before wee heare the clappe of the thunder; but the devill takes them up both at one time.A compariſon betwixt man and man how far one exceeds another, and how far the devill exceedes man. The devill being a ſpirit knowes many things which man knowes not, and he apprehends them ſooner than man, both for the impediment of his ſenſes, and dulneſſe of his wit, when we conſider how farre one man differeth from another in quickneſſe and underſtanding; and how dull another is in conception and underſtanding; by this wee may be led to take up what difference there is betwixt the knowledge of the devil, and the knowledge of man; and that he farre ſurpaſſeth man in underſtanding:Vitruvius lib. 9. de architec. cap. 3. compare but Archimedes his quickneſſe of wit, with Croeſus his dulneſſe, and then ye may ſee what difference there is betwixt mans knowledge, and the devills: Archimedes could find out to tell how much baſe mettell was in the King of Siracuſes crowne, which was made to him, although he brake not the crowne. This was an admirable and great skill: Croeſus againe was as dull in his conception, when hee cauſed to take the fleſh of Teſtudo the ſhell crabbe, and the fleſh of a lambe, and boyle them in one veſſell to trie which of them ſhould be ſooneſt boyled, and whether the ſhell crabbe would be as ſlow in boiling as in going, and come as farre behinde the lambe now, as before; therefore Tyrius ſaid of him,Caelua pag. 51. that he was Regum ſtultiſſimus, & coquorum infaeliciſſimus, of all kings the moſt fooliſh, and of all cookes the moſt unskilfull; Archimedes his skill farre ſurpaſſeth Croeſus his dulneſſe, ſo the wit of the devill farre ſurpaſſeth man.
The Angles knoweth not this by this, as wee doe; when the doores was ſprinkled with the bloud, they reaſon not after this manner as we doe, this is the ſigne, therefore ſuch a man dwelleth here; but the bloud was ſprinkled upon the doores, for to aſſure the Iſraelites, that none of their houſes ſhould be killed.
Object. But ye will ſay,How the Angels take up things. if the Angels compone not things, but apprehend onelyonly ſimple things, they have the baſeſt ſort of knowledge, for children apprehend firſt ſimple things, then they compone things; and thirdly, they reaſon; and thus they proceed from the imperfect to the more perfect, & poſteriora origine, ſunt dignitate prima; and theſe things which are laſt taken up, are moſt excellent; now the Angels taking up things onelyonly ſimply, they ſeeme to have the baſeſt ſort of knowledge.
Anſw. The Angels by their ſimple eſſence know things, and not by paſſion, as wee apprehend in our minde.
Secondly, the Angels when they apprehend ſimple things, it is without any kinde of imperfection (as it is when we apprehend them) & eminenter includunt perfectionem compoſitionis, & diſcurſus. Secondly,The long life of the devill makes him to have great skill. their long life makes them to have great skill: Satan is an old Serpent, therefore his skill muſt be very great. Let a man live but Nestors days, and have good wit, together with long experience, he cannot chooſe but to be wiſe: Satan ſaw from the creation of the world, and ſhall ſee to the laſt Iudgement; he ſaw the firſt world drowned with water, and ſhall ſee the ſecond deſtroyed with fire, therefore he muſt underſtand much. It is a long time ere a man come to knowledge, and he ſpends a great time in folly, and if he live long he forgets as faſt and faſter than ever he learned: But Satan Neſcit quid ſit obliviſci, and therefore great muſt be his knowledge.
Thirdly,The great imployment of Satan breeds him kill. the great imploiment of Satan hath bred him great knowledge: he ſaw the riſing, the height, and the fall of the foure Monarchies, hee had a hand in them all, & quorum pars magna fuit. He was at the conſultations of all the tyrants againſt the Church, and no wicked deede was ever atchieved, but Satan was at the plotting-of it: and therefore great muſt be his skill.
Fourthly, his great intelligence that he hath abroad; makes him to underſtand much;His great imployment abroad makes him to have skill. for the evill ſpirits from all parts give intelligence one to another; and as the Cherubims were painted in the temple with their faces one to another, ſignifying that their is a correſpondencie amongſt the good Angels, for the propagating of the Kingdome of God; ſo the devills agree one with another, to give mutuall intelligence for the upholding of their kingdome, & Regnum non eſt diviſum, Mat. 12.25. The Lord knowes onelyonly the ſecrets of the heart;God onelyonly knoweth the ſecrets of the heart. as when Sarah laughed within her ſelfe, Gen. 18.12. and the Phariſees reaſoned within themſelves, Luk. 6.8. 2. King. 8.26. Ioh. 2.25. Heb. 4. all things are naked before him, foreign a ſpeech borrowed from the Prieſts under the Law, who when they killed the beaſt, all things that were within the beaſt were layed naked before the Prieſt, and he ſaw what was found, and wh…t was corrupted: ſo all our thoughts are naked before the Lord, he knoweth which are good, and which are bad; and therfore the Arabians ſay, Tu ſolus domine, noſti ſubſtantiam pectoris; and thus they call upon him; O thou who knoweſt the thoughts of men, when they hold their peace; that knowledge is the moſt excellent knowledge, which we attaine to by knowing the cauſe: but God knoweth all things as they are in their cauſes, originally, but our thoughts are in the heart, as cauſes: and therefore it is moſt fit that God ſhould know them, who is rather ſaid to underſtand intelligible things then viſible, becauſe they come nearer to his nature, & magis ſunt in actu, & ille eſt purus actus. This knowledge of the heart Satan hath not, but onelyonly by effects,Satan knoweth what is in the heart onelyonly by the effects and here he knoweth this of this, and this after this, becauſe hee hath no knowledge of the cauſe but by the effect here; he conjectures what is in the heart, as the Phyſitians by the pulſe can tell the diſeaſe.Valerius lib. 7. Eraſiſtratus the Phyſitian was much commended, who perceived by the countenance of Antiochus King of Seleucia his ſonne, that he was taken in love with his mother in law; if a Phyſitian by the beating of the pulſe, and countenance can take up this, much more can the devill doe; and if the Fiſher by ſtirring of the corke, knoweth that there are fiſhes in the net, much more may the devill know what is in the heart by ſignes.
The Lord knoweth the thoughts of our heart a farre off, which the devill doth not,The Lord knowes the thoughts of our heart a farre off. Pſal. 139.17. and as the Gardiner in the Winter foretels, that this roote will bring forth ſuch an hearbe, and this tree ſuch a fruite long before the Spring. So the Lord ſeeth the thoughts of the wicked a farre off. When the Prophet foretold Hazael▪ that he ſhould be King of Iſrael; and foretold alſo▪ what cruelty hee ſhould exerciſe upon their women and children, that he ſhould rippe up the bellies of the women with child, what man or Angell could have foreſeene this? When it was told Hazael, hee wept, and ſaid, Am I a dogge, 2 King. 8.13. that I ſhould prove ſuch a cruell monſter, but yet he proved ſuch a monſter, as the Lord foretold; becauſe from the wicked comes wickedneſſe, 1 Sam. 24.13.
The Lord can foretell contingent things.The Lord onelyonly can foretell contingent things. There are three ſort of contingent things. Contingens natum. There are three ſorts of contingent things, as the Schoolemen obſerves: the firſt is contingens natum, the ſecond is contingens rarum; the third is, contingens indefinitum. Contingens natum, they make to be that which uſually falleth out, as a man when hee is old to have white haires.Contingens rarum. Secondly, there is contingens rarum which falleth out very ſeldome; as when a man is digging the ground, hee findeth a treaſure: Satan can hardly foretell this, becauſe he knoweth not perhaps where the treaſure is hidden, no more than he knew where the body of Moſes was buried, Deut. 34.6. Thirdly, there is contingens indefinitum; Contingens indefinitum.as whether Peter will runne the morrow or not? This Satan cannot fortell. Theſe contingent things God onelyonly can foretell, Tell us what is to come, that we may know that yee are gods; that is, if yee can foretell things contingent: Therefore Iames Chap. 4. (becauſe all contingent events depend upon the Lord) willeth us to ſay, wee will doe ſuch and ſuch things, if the Lord will.
A man and a maid are married together, to foretell that they will have children, this is eaſie to doe, becauſe it is contingens natum; for uſually young folkes beget children: but to foretell how many children they will have, whether ten, or twelve: The devill more hardely can foretell this, becauſe it is contingens rarum. But laſtly, whether they will prove wiſe men or fooles, that is, contingens indefinitum: Salomon himſelfe could not foretell that, Eccleſ. 2.19. and the devill himſelfe cannot foretell this.
The Prophets underſtood things paſt, preſent, and to come. 1 Sam. 1.9.The Prophets illuminate by the Spirit of God, underſtood things, paſt, preſent, and to come, for hee revealeth his ſecrets to his ſervants, Amos 3. therefore the Prophets were called Chozin videntes. The Prophets underſtood things paſt. Satan may underſtand things well enough, ab exord…o temporis, from the beginning of time, and remember them very well. But he cannot know exordium rerum, the beginning of things; for God hath them onelyonly written in his booke,Satan can underſtand things ab exordio temporis but not ab exordi… rerum. Pſal. 139.16. In thy book are all my members written, which in continuance were faſhioned, when as yet there was none of them: So hee hath the booke of life, in the which mens names were written before the foundation of the world, Rev. 3.5. and theſe whoſe names are written in this booke, he revealeth to his ſervants the Prophets, Phil. 4.3. I intreate you to helpe theſe my fellow labourers, whoſe names are in the booke of life; but all this knowledge is hidde from Satan.
Secondly, the Prophets know things preſent,How the Prophets knew things preſent when they were abſent although they were abſent from thoſe places where they were done, 2 King. 5.26. Was not my Spirit with thee, when the man in his charet turned to meete thee. So Eliſha knew well enough the ſecrets of the King of Syria, and what was done in his ſecret chamber, 2 King. 6.12. although he was abſent. So Paul, although he was at Epheſus in Aſia, yet his ſpirit informed him what was done a farre off in Corinth, 1 Cor. 5.3. yet the Prophets could not foretell ſuch things,Prophecie is not habitus ſed actus tranſiens. when the Lord revealed not himſelf unto them, as 2 King. 4.27. Her ſoule is vexed within her, and the Lord hath hid it from me; for propheſie was not habitus ſed actus tranſiens; and as the lute ceaſeth to give a ſound when hee that playeth ceaſeth to play; ſo they could not propheſie when the Lord illuminate them not. But Satan and his ſorcerers cannot foretell things when they are abſent, unleſſe they be informed by other ſpirits, or ſee the effects in the cauſe; as Satan can foretell that the river of Nilus will overflow, when he ſeeth the raine in Ethiopia like to fall.
Thirdly,The Prophets foretold things that were alwayes hidden from man. the Prophets being illuminate by the ſpirit of God, foretold things that were alwayes hidden, and which no wayes depended upon any naturall cauſe, ſuch as was the incarnation of Chriſt, and his reſurrection, and ſuch like: which myſteries the Angels themſelves deſire to looke into, 1 Pet. 1.12. But they underſtood them not, before they were revealed to them; farre leſſe could the devills underſtand them: So the Prophet foretold three hundred yeares before the birth of Ioſias, 1 King. 13.2. that he ſhould offer upon the altar the bones of the Prieſts that burnt incenſe at Bethel. And Elias foretold the death of Ioram, and what diſeaſe hee ſhould die of, to wit, of a diſeaſe in his bowells, 2 Chron. 21. Theſe things Satan and his ſorcerers could not foretell.
How did the prophets foretell things which never tooke effect.Object. But the Prophets of God foretold many things which never tooke effect, Eſaias foretold Ezekias that he ſhould ſhortly die, and yet he lived fifteene yeares: So Ionah foretold the Ninevites, that within fortie dayes Nineveh ſhould be deſtroyed, and yet Nineveh was not deſtroyed, as Ionah foretold?
Two ſorts of prophecies. Independens & abſoluta prophetia.Anſ. There were two ſorts of propheſies: the firſt was independens & abſoluta prophetia; which was called the propheſie of preſcience; and this alwayes tooke effect.Comminationis prophetia. The ſecond ſort of propheſie was the prophecie of commination or threatning, which was conditional, and reſpected alwayes the ſecond cauſes, and this tooke not alwayes effect. If this ſort of prophecie be conſidered in the ſecond cauſes, it may be ſaid to take effect, as, Set thy houſe in order, for thou ſhalt die; if ye will reſpect the diſeaſe it ſelfe, or the conſtitution of Ezekias body, Ezekias ſhall die, but looke into the firſt cauſe, to Gods will, who appointed to prolong Ezekias his life, he ſhall not die.
Queſt. Whence hath the devils this their knowledge to foretell things to come?
Anſ. They have not this knowledge by experience and obſervation of naturall things only, but they learne alſo many things from the Scriptures; for although the Scriptures be a ſealed booke to them, in reſpect of the ſpirituall knowledge of it,The devils have the knowledge of the Scripture, but not the ſpirituall. yet they have a literall knowledge of the Scripture: The good Angels learne from the Church daily, Eph. 3.6. and they deſire to looke to the myſterie of the incarnation with our ſtretched neckes, 1 Pet. 1.12. they grow daily in the ſpirituall knowledge: But the devills who are bound in chaines of darkeneſſe, Iud. 6. are more and more darkened in ſpirituall knowledge dayly: when a man comes out of a great light into a darke place, that weakens his ſight much, but take him out of a darke place, and put him in a cleare place againe, then it will make him quite blind: Dionyſius the Tyrant of Sicily, above his priſon built a very lyghtſome and white chamber, which he whitened over with lyme, and when hee had a long time detained his priſoners in a darke dungeon, he ſuddenly brought them into this bright place, wherein inſtantly they became blind, becauſe their eyes were not able to beare ſo ſudden a change:The devills are more and more blinded in ſpirituall knowledge. So the Devills were in a place of great light in the Heavens, then they were caſt down into the low helles, and there they were fettered with the chaines of darkeneſſe; But when the light of the Goſpel was revealed, It made them more & more blinde, that they have eyes now and ſees none, and they have no ſpirituall underſtanding of the myſteries of the Goſpel; But when they ſee the Scriptures, they may have the literall knowledge of them well enough, and foretell things to come by them; and many things which ſhould befall to the Church; they might foreknow the riſing and the falling of the mornarchies out of Daniel, and they might foretell the nativitie of Chriſt by ſearching the Scriptures, and many things which ſhould befall the Church in their latter times, by obſerving the booke of the Revelation. The Oracle of Delphos gave this anſwer to Alexander, Invictus eris Alexander; This was eaſie for the devill to foretell, becauſe Daniel foretold the fall of the Medes and Perſians by the Greekes: So the Oracle of Delphos foretold to Craeſus, that his Kingdome in the fift generation ſhould periſh: This the Devill might eaſily learne out of the Scriptures; for God viſits the ſinnes of the father upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation, and the children filling up the meaſure of their fathers iniquitie, then his Kingdome was ſhortly to come to an end. A man murthers another and eſcapeth. It is eaſie for Satan to foretell what death he ſhould die out of the Scriptures; he who killes by the ſword, ſhall be killed by the ſword: and ſometimes the Lord uſeth the devill as his executioner and hangman; It was eaſie for the devill to ſay to Saul, to morrow thou ſhall bee with me; becauſe the Lord uſed him as his executioner in this Iudgement.
Satan when he foretelles things to come, he ſpeakes with a low voyce, and out of the ground; and he pipes as chickins doe when they are new hatched, Iſa. 8.19. ſometimes hee flatters the partie who expects the revelation of him; and therefore Demosthenes ſaid that the Oracle of Apollo did but foreign, that is flatter Philip of Macedon: So when Alexander came into the temple of Iupiter Hammon, the prieſt called him foreign,Plutarch in vita Alexandri. faire child, which Alexander tooke to bee foreign, Iupiter his ſonne.
But when the Devill was doubtfull of the events of his propheſies, then hee gave his anſwers doubtfullie, that they might admit a double ſenſe; Such was thoſe anſwers which he gave by his falſe Prophets to Ahab King of Iſrael, when hee was going to beſiege Ramoth Gilead, They demanded of him who ſhould prevaile? He anſwered the King ſhould prevaile, but he telles not which King, whether Syria or Iſrael. 2 Cro. 18.11.
Satans reſponſes were very doubtfull.His reſponſes were ſo doubtfull, that the wiſeſt amongſt the heathen could not tell what to make of them.
All his reſponſes were doubtfull, therefore hee was called foreign Apollo; Satan is a great Sophiſter in his anſwers.Hee being asked how the gods ſhould bee worſhipped, gave this anſwer, foreign Mittite capita Iovi, hominem vero Saturno.
The falacie lay here in the accent, for foreign being accented (accentu gravi) ſignifieth a man, but foreign being accented (accentu circumflexo) ſignifieth a torch or a light; but they miſtaking the word foreign they ſacrificed a number of men to him in ſtead of ſetting of lights before him.
When the plague was verie hot at Athens, Plutarch de Ei apud delphos.they aſked the Oracle of Apollo how it might bee remedied: the Oracle anſwered and bade them duplare aram, which neither Plato nor Ariſtotle underſtood; Plato by Geometrie, went about to finde out how the Altar might be doubled; But the Oracle meant, that they ſhould double their ſacrifices to the gods, and then the plague ſhould ceaſe.
Example the third.
Aio te Aeacida Romanos vincere poſſe, the words imply a double ſenſe heere, either that the Romans might overcome, or that they might overcome the Romans.
Some hold, that by the placing of the negative particle, the devill deceived Eve, as when he laid unto her, non moriendo morieris; for they ſay, when the negative with the Hebrewes is placed before the finite and the infinite verbe, then it neither certainely affirmeth, nor denyeth, but leaves the matter in doubt.
This (ſay they) is the affirmative.
Moriendo morieris.
This is the Negative.
Moriendo non morieris.
This is the doubtfull.
Non moriendo morieris; perhaps ye may die, and perhaps not:Ʋide grammaticum …unij. Thus Satan deceived Eve (ſay they) when he ſaw her beginne to doubt, perhaps we ſhall not die: But this rule holds not; for (non) being ſet before the finite and the infinite, doth flatly denie, Pſal. 49.7. Non redimendo, redimet fratremſuum, that is, he can no waies redeeme his brother from death. And ſo when this particle (non) is ſet betwixt the finite and the infinite, it denieth only in part, Ier. 46.28. I will chaſtiſe thee in Iudgement, Sed evacuando non evacuabo te, that is, I will chaſtiſe thee in judgement, but not deſtroy thee, here the particle (non) being ſet betwixt the finite and the infinite denieth not flatlie, but onelyonly in part, yet being placed here before the finite and the infinite, it is altogether negative; wherefore non moriendo morieris, flatlie denieth here, and not doutfully.
Hee hath likewiſe deceived ſome, by doubling the negative particle: when Manfredus did contend with Charles, about the Kingdome of Naples, he got this anſwere from the devill, Non non gallus ſuperabit.
Fiftly, he manifeſted his deceit by the ſimilitude of words: Such was the Oracle which Thuſidides makes mention of.
foreign, Here they reade foreign, and ſome foreign, and they could hardly diſcerne, whether to prepare themſelves againſt the warre, or to uſe remedies againſt the ſickneſſe.
Sixtlie, the deceit lay in the words themſelves, which ſuffer a double interpretation, Gen. 3. That day that ye ſhall eate of this fruit, your eyes ſhall be opened, and ye ſhall know good and evill: Wee know good and evill two manner of waies, firſt in theorie, and then by miſerable experience; they knew good and evill in the firſt ſenſe before their fall, but by miſerable experience, when they did eate of the forbidden fruit.
Vide Morne ꝑlcſſe. pag. 389.Theſe Oracles hath very often deceived men: Therefore Oenomaus the Phyloſopher wrote a booke againſt them, which had this inſcription, De oraculorum falſitate; As Plutarch wrote a booke de oraculorum defectu; And Porphyre teſtifieth, when as the Oracle of Delphos could not divine by the ſtarres, what ſhould befall them, the Oracle deſired them, that they would aske him nothing at all, and hee told them that if they ceaſed not to aske him, he would tell them lies.
Object. But the Lord ſeemeth by the Prophet Eliſha, to give a doubtfull anſwer to Hazael, 2 King. 8.10. To whom Eliſha ſaid, go tell him that he ſhall not recover at al, for the Lord hath told me that he ſhal certainly die, The words ſeeme alſo to carry another ſenſe; Go tell him that hee ſhall recover, although the Lord ſaid that he ſhall die: Hee ſhall recover, becauſe the ſickneſſe of it ſelfe is not deadly, hee ſhall not recover, becauſe Hazael dipped a cloath in water, and layed it on his face that he died.There is but one ſenſe in the prophets anſwere to Hazael.
Anſw. There is but one meaning of the Prophet here anſwering to Hazael; but the Critickes amongſt the Iewes found out another ſenſe,foreign ei. foreign non. reading in the margine, Lo ei, for Lo non; So they would ſhow a diverſe reading of the prophets words.
Ob. Ezekiel 12.14. The Lord threatened Zedekiah with a Iudgment, wch might ſeeme to be given out very doubtully; I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans, and yet he ſhal never ſee it, although he die there.
Anſw. Becauſe this perfidious King,Why the Lord gave a doubtfull anſwer to Zedekias. would not beleeve the Prophets of God, who told him ſo plaine that hee ſhould bee carried to Babel; therefore the Lord tells him this cloſelie, which ſoone after he underſtood, when his eyes were pickt out of his head at Riblah, and he carried to Babell.
Quest. What are we to thinke of Balaam, Whether Balaam was a Prophet of God or Diviner.whether was he a Prophet of God or a Diviner only?
Anſw. Firſt he was a Diviner onelyonly, but afterward the Lord put a parable in his mouth,Moſes Gerundenſis 162.2. Balaam primum divinus poſtea prophetes, deinde rediit ad primum. ponere ſermonem in illis, 2 Cor. 15.19. caryeth a notable Emphaſis with it, whereby is ſignified, that the Lord ruled their tongues, directed them what they ſhould ſpeake, and ſanctified them: So the Lord guided the tongue of Balaam, and opened his eyes to Propheſie; Thus farre the Lord put this parable in his mouth; but he ſanctified him not, for he following the wages of iniquity, returned to bee a diviner againe: And the Iewes applyeth this proverb to him, Camelus cornua quaerens aures amiſit; That is, Baalam hunting for honour and ſeeking after riches, loſt the gift of Prophecie; and amongſt the reſt who were killed in the battell, it is ſaid, that Baalam the Diviner was killed. Ioſ. 13. This gift which Baalam had was onelyonly from the ſpirit of illumination; And there was a great difference betwixt him and the holy Prophets of God,A difference betwixt theſe, the Lord appeared to Balaam, and the word of the Lord was to Ieremie. Luke 1.70. and the Hebrewes obſerve, when it is ſaid the Lord appeared to Laban, to Balaam, and to Abimelech, there is leſſe meant here, then when it is ſaid, the word of the Lord was unto Iſay, to Ieremie, to Ezekiel, for that implyed that the oracles of God were concredit to them, as to faithfull witneſſes, but he did not concredit his word this way to Baalam, hee was but like a trunke, through the which the Lord ſpake.
Queſt. How differ the predictions of the Prophets, from the Predictions of Satan and his inſtruments?
The differences betweene the predictions of the Prophets, and the predictions of Satan and his inſtruments.Anſw. The predictions of the Prophets were for the moſt part of ſpirituall things, and they propheſied but of temporarie things in the ſecond place; but the predictions of the devils, were never of ſpiritual things. Secondly, whē the Prophets of God foretold good things, they added alwaies conditionem crucis, that is, ſome temporarie croſſes to be added to them; they ſhall receive a hundred fold, but with perſecutions, Marke 10. 30. but the falſe Prophets propheſied alwaies placentia, pleaſant things. Thirdly, when the Prophets foretold Iudgements to come, this condition was alwaies reſerved; if the people repented not, this Iudgement ſhall come; but the falſe prophets foretold all things to fall out by a fatall neceſſity. Fourthly, when the Prophets foretold Iudgements to come, although they tooke not effect, yet they were not holden for falſe Prophets, ſuch was the Propheſie of Ionah to the Ninevites, and of Iſaiah to Ezekias; for God is mercifull when men repent; But the falſe Prophets when they prophecied good things to come, and they came not to paſſe, then they were holden for falſe prophets: So Ieremiah convinced Hananiah that he was a falſe Prophet, Ier. 28. when hee promiſed to Icconiah his returne out of Babell.
The Prophets had certaine ſignes by which they demonſtrated to the people what ſhould befall them, as when the Prophet Iſay went naked and barefooted; This was called Siman foreign, this was a note to diſcerne the Prophets by, but it was not foreign,foreign for the falſe Prophets uſed alſo theſe ſignes, as Zedekiah made him hornes of iron, and ſaid, thus ſaith the Lord, with theſe ſhalt thou puſh the Aramites, 1 King. 22.11.
The Prophets of God were diſtinguiſhed from the falſe Prophets; for the falſe Prophets wrought ſometimes marvellous things before the people, but they could not work miracles: Theſe miracles in ſhow were called ostenta, mopheth: foreignthey were miracles in ſhow but they were not true miracles: If there ariſe a Prophet amongſt you, and give you a ſigne or a wonder, Deut. 13.1. Theſe were but lying wonders, but the Prophets of God they gave Oath, foreign from foreign venit.a true ſigne 2 King. 20.9. this ſigne ſhalt thou have of the Lord: This Oath comes from atha venit; As I am a true Prophet this ſhall verilie come to paſſe: So Moſes confirmed himſelfe to be a Prophet by his true miracles which he wrought before Pharaoh. And laſt the true Prophets alwaies prophecied according to the law, and never againſt it Iſa. 8.20. If they ſpeake not according to this word, it is becauſe there is no light in them.
The knowledg of the devill ſerves onelyonly to the diſhonour of God, & to hurt poore man. The Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 13.1. ſheweth if a man could ſpeake with the tongue of men and Angels, and have the gift of prophecie, and underſtand all myſteries, and had all knowledge & faith; ſo that he could remove mountaines, and have not charity it profiteth nothing. Although Satan ſpeake all languages, foretell things to come, & have the knowledg of all myſteries, and could remove mountaines, yet this is all nothing, becauſe he wants charity: All this his skill he imployes onelyonly to the deſtruction of man, Therfore his knowledge ſerves but as a barrell of pitch to cauſe him to burne the faſter in hell fyre: his knowledge wants charity and nothing which hee knowes is profitable to man, untill he reveale it unto him: he is compared unto Stellio which every yeare caſts the skin of it (as Ariſtotle and Plinie teſtifieth) & this skin being drunke in a little wine is a ſoveraigne remedie againſt the falling ſicknes; but this envious creature preſently eates it up againe, leaſt man ſhould reape any benifit by it, ſo the envious devill hides from man all that can profit him.
Satans knowledge is moſt hurtfull to us; When a Phyſitian ſtudieth phyſicke, onelyonly to know his ſcience, that is Curioſitas, when he ſtudieth to know his ſcience, onelyonly that he may bee knowne, this is ambitio. When hee ſtudies his ſcience that hee may cure others, this is Charitas; but if hee ſhould ſtudie his ſcience to poyſon others, this were Crudelitas. All the ſtudie of Satan is under faire pretences to deſtroy man, Revel. 17.4. The whore is ſaid to have in her hand a cup of gold, full of abhominations, foreign 1. Plenum philtris impuris, for theſe philtra and pocula amatoria, were mixed commonly with moſt impure and filthy things, tending to bewitch men. So when Satan preſents a gilded cup to us, wherein he promiſeth moſt wholeſome Phyſicke to us, and moſt skilfully tempered, yet mors eſt in olla.