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 /…

The last way how men tempt God, is, not to use the lawful & ordinary means which God hath appointed, either concerning mens souls, or concerning their bodies: and this is here understood in this place, when Christ saith: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. When we shall refuse such lawful and ordinary means as the Lord hath appointed, and use extraordinary; even ⟨p. 84⟩as a man having a ready way over a bridge, should leave that, and thrust himself into the water, what were this but to tempt God? Or when a man hath the ordinary way to come down by the steppes or stairs, and refusing that should cast himself down from the top of a steeple? So those men who contemn the word of God, and will not vouchsafe to hear, what do they else but even tempt God; seeing they refuse the preaching of the word, which is the ordinary means to save mens souls?

The last way how men tempt God, is, not to vse the lawfull & ordinarie means which God hath appointed, either concerning mens soules, or concerning their bodies: and this is here vnderstood in this place, when Christ saith: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. When we shal refuse such lawfull and ordinarie meanes as the Lord hath appointed, and vse extraordinarie; euen ⟨p. 84⟩as a man hauing a readie way ouer a bridge, should leaue that, and thrust himselfe into the water, what were this but to tempt God? Or when a man hath the ordinarie way to come downe by the steppes or staires, and refusing that shold cast himselfe downe from the top of a steeple? So those men who contemne the word of God, and will not vouchsafe to heare, what do they else but euen tempt God; seeing they refuse the preaching of the word, which is the ordinarie meanes to saue mens soules?

And thus Satan tempted our Saviour Christ to tempt God. For having now set him on the top of the temple, in a dangerous place, he persuades him to cast himself down: and he addeth, that he may be bold to do so, because God hath given his Angels charge to look unto him, that he take no harm. But our Saviour Christ answers him; That were to tempt God, seeing he had the lawful and ordinary way to go down by the stairs, and therefore he had no reason to cast himself down.