Satan's sophistry answered by our Saviour Christ and in divers sermons further manifested /…Satans sophistrie ansuuered by our Sauiour Christ and in diuers sermons further manifested /…

And it is to be noted, that when the Devil had in the former temptation laboured ⟨p. 67⟩to bring Christ to despair of his Fathers providence, now he labours the clean contrary, to bring him to presume of Gods providence. And here we may see the Devils exceeding cunning, that he fought to carry our Saviour Christ from one extreme to another. And thus doth the Devil deal with all men, he seeks to draw men either to presumption or else to despair, and labours to carry them from one extreme to another, as from covetousness to prodigality, and so of the rest. And therefore we must labour to avoid both the extremes,¹ neither to presume too much, nor yet to be cast down by despair, but to keep the golden mediocrity, even as Christ doth in this place.

And it is to be noted, that when the Diuell had in the former temptation laboured ⟨p. 67⟩to bring Christ to despaire of his Fathers prouidence, now he labours the cleane contrary, to bring him to presume of Gods prouidence. And here we may see the Diuels exceeding cūning, that he fought to cary our Sauiour Christ from one extreame to another. And thus doth the Diuell deale with all men, he seeks to draw men either to presumption or else to despaire, and labors to cary them from one extreame to another, as from couetousnes to prodigalitie, and so of the rest. And therefore we must labour to auoide both the extreames,¹ neither to presume too much, nor yet to be cast downe by despaire, but to keepe the golden mediocritie, euen as Christ doth in this place.

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