The sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…

Secondly, he assaulteth all men, like Ismael, which was against all. It is said of Saul and David, Saul hath slain his thousand, and David his ten thousand: but if you put in Satan, you may set up the number, and say, Satan hath slain his hundred thousand. As there is a legion of men, so there is a legion of devils: that as they said Peters angel, so they may say Peters devil: for Christ would not have called Peter Satan, if Satan had not backed him: as death killeth all, so the devil tempteth all: when he hath Eve, he hunteth for Adam: when he hath Adam, he hunteth for Cain: as the father was tempted, so must the sons: as the mother was tempted, so must her daughters. Every man but Christ may say, I have been overcome, but Christ himself cannot say, I have not been tempted. In the Spanish Inquisition the Protestants are examined, but the Papists slip by: but in the devils Inquisition ⟨p. 1069⟩Papist, and Protestant, and Atheist, and Puritan, & all are examined. He is not a captain of forties, nor of fifties, nor of sixties, nor of hundreds, but he is General over all which fight not under Christs banner: he possessed the two Gergesites, which were men, he possessed Mary, which was a woman: he possessed the mans son, which was a child. Nimrod is called a mighty Hunter which killed beasts, but this is a mighty hunter which killed Nimrod himself, God keep us out of his chase. Thirdly, he warreth against the righteous, even because they are righteous: as God makes the barren fruitful, & the fruitful to bear more fruit, so the devil would have them serve him, which serve him not, and they which serve him to serve him more: & therefore as the Grant encountered with David, so the devil encountered with David, and with Davids Lord: he which gave him leave here to tempt Job, was after tempted himself, although the net brake, and the bird escaped: yet as he tempted Christ thrice together, and as he desired to sift Peter more then other, so they that follow Christ, and are like Peter, are sifted more then other. For this viper is like the viper which seized upon Paul. Among many which stood by the fire, the viper chose out Paul, and lighted upon him before all the rest: so if one be holier then another, this viper will battle with him, and ⟨p. 1070⟩there is great reason why the godly are tempted more then the wicked;

Secondly, he assaulteth all men, like Ismael, which was against al. It is said of Saul and Dauid, Saul hath slaine his thousand, and Dauid his tenne thousand: but if you put in Satan, you may set vp the number, and say, Satan hath slaine his hundred thousand. As there is a legion of men, so there is a legion of diuels: that as they said Peters angell, so they may say Peters diuell: for Christ would not haue called Peter Satan, if Satan had not backed him: as death killeth all, so the diuell tempteth all: when hee hath Eue, hee hunteth for Adam: when he hath Adam, he hunteth for Caine: as the father was tempted, so must the sonnes: as the mother was tempted, so must her daughters. Euery man but Christ may say, I haue been ouercome, but Christ himselfe cannot say, I haue not been tempted. In the Spanish Inquisition the Protestants are examined, but the Papists slip by: but in the diuels Inquisitiō