A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

Now seeing the principal part of our Piety stands in the due and true worship of God, it is Satan's main stratagem to subduce it. If it were possible, he would have it himself, and draw us A Cultu dei debito, ad cultum suimet indebitum. He is proud still: amisit celsitatem gloriae, non superbiae; He hath lost the height of his happiness, not the height of his pride. He would be a god, though a hellish god: a Prince, though it be a prince of darkness. Good Angels refuse to be worshipped; when John fell at the Angels feet to worship him; he said to him,^h See thou do it not.

Now seeing the principall part of our Pietie stands in the due and true worship of God, it is Satans maine stratagem to subduce it. If it were possible, he would have it himselfe, and draw us A Cultu dei debito, ad cultum suimet indebitum. He is proud still: amisit celsitatem gloriae, non superbiae; He hath lost the height of his happinesse, not the height of his pride. He would be a god, though a hellish god: a Prince, though it be a prince of darknesse. Good Angels refuse to be worshipped; when Iohn fell at the Angels feet to worship him; he said to him,^h See thou doe it not.

1. hRev. 19.10.

But evil Angels desire it: to this the Devil persuaded Christ; to fall down and worship him; he durst be so bold with the Son of God himself. Devilish impudence! to request him that is worshipped of the Angels of light, to worship an angel of darkness. But Christ soon choked him; Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve, Mat. 4.10. But howsoever he cannot bring men to worship himself immediately, yet he effects this often mediately. If Israel will but make a golden Calf, the Devil finds his own worship in that: If a Papist bows to his crucifix, even here finds himself honoured. Albeit they say, we give the Image no worship, think it no god: no more did the Israelites think that Calf their deliverer out of Egypt; yet was this a cursed sin. They say, they worship God before the crucifix; but God rejecting that worship, it stays in the crucifix. Such another policy had the devil to wound Israel; when he presented to them the whores of Moab,