Sermons upon Deuteronomy

To be short then, it is showed us that this doctrine concerneth such as have been duly instructed in the faith. Will we beat back all Satan's devices? Let us have the skill to say, It is God that hath certified us, he is a faithful witness to us, we need not to be in doubt or uncertainty any more, or to cast doubts, or to say, What? Which way shall we go? We may well assure our selves that this is the way, that is the thing which we must stay upon. That in effect is the order which we have to keep, according as it is showed us in this text.

To be short then, it is shewed vs that this doctrine concerneth such as haue beene duely instructed in the faith. Will wee beate backe all Satans deuices? Let vs haue the skill to say, It is God that hath certified vs, hee is a faithfull witnesse to vs, wee neede not to be in dout or vncertaintie any more, or to cast doutes, or to say, What? Which way shall we goe? We may well assure our selues that this is the way, that is the thing which wee must stay vppon. That in effect is the order which wee haue to keepe, according as it is shewed vs in this text.

But let us mark also, that we must have our ears so stopped, as we may utterly mislike whatsoever may cause us to swerve to the contrary of those things which we have learned by Gods word. For as soon as we give ear to them, by and by we be half corrupted, according to this similitude which Saint Paul allegeth in the second to the Corinthians, that when a woman giveth ear to a bawd or a Ruffian,¹ although she consent not to him out of hand, yet is she already perverted, and it is already an evil token. For if a woman be chaste and shamefast, she will in any wise shun all such messages as may be brought to her to entice her to folly, and to make her to break wedlock. She must eschew such manner of things. Now Saint Paul sayeth, that as long as we abide in the simplicity of the Gospel, we be as a chaste wife that keepeth her faith & troth to her husband, and that our Lord Jesus Christ who hath made such covenant with us, to choose us to be of his body, taketh and receiveth us for his own. But if we hearken to the lies and trumperies that are brought unto us; and we refuse not to learn what Darnell is: it is an evil sign, and we be corrupted already. And therefore let us bear well in mind, that we ought so little to consent o false prophets, as we should not in any wise give ear unto them, but shun them a far off, as soon as we perceive that they go about to deceive us and to entice us to naughtiness. And to say the trueth, this cursed curiosity hath been the cause of many mens destruction. For it seemeth to many high minded persons, that all things should pass the trial of their wit: and that when they have sifted things after their own imagination, they may follow whatsoever they themselves think good, for they be able enough to discern the trueth of all things. But when our Lord findeth such overboldnesse in them, he putteth them to confusion. The trueth is, that they would so inquire of all things, as nothing might escape them: in so much as they could find in their hearts to mingle Mahomets Alcoran, and all the dotages of the Heathen, and all the superstitions of the Papists with the pureness of the Gospel, and to make a medley of them, that when they had well clouted them together in their own brain, they might say, This is the thing that is good.