Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Now in the end Moses sayeth, that they offered sacrifice to devils & not unto God. This saying may seem rough and hard at the first sight. For if a man had asked the heathen concerning their intent, they would have said by & by, We know there is one chief God: but we have many gods because the majesty of God is spread out every where. And therefore forasmuch as we cannot attain to so high a thing, it behooveth us to have means. That is the cause why they forged such a multitude of gods. As for the devils, they abhorred them. The Heathen could as will skill as the Papists to say, We intend not to have aught to do with the devils, saving the sorcerers, (for there have ever been some such) but I speak as touching their common religion: and it is certain that all of them would have protested, Our will is to serve God. But what is answered them here by the mouth of Moses, who is appointed Judge with full authority, and is as the instrument of the holy Ghost? Ye serve the devil. We see then that all their excuses shall stand them in no stead, and that this must hold to the condemnation of the whole world, namely, that as soon as men swerve never so little from the pure trueth, it is a serving of the devil, and the devil hath a part in all their doings: for God refuseth every whit of it. And it is a text well worthy to be noted, to the intent that the ignorant wretches may be wakened, and understand that in grounding themselves upon their own good intents, they do nothing else but increase Gods vengeance upon their heads, without amending their case thereby. Wherefore let us on our side utterly abhor all that ever is contrary to the service of God, & make much of the favour that hath been showed us in his delivering of us from such a bottomless pit. We have thought our selves to have done marvellously well in serving of idols; we have ⟨p. 1132⟩esteemed it an Angels life to trot up and down from altar to altar, and from chapel to chapel, to babble before puppets, to hear Masses, and to set our minds upon such other gewgaws. But in the mean while, behold, God telleth us that we served the devil. It is a horrible thing for us to hear him say so. Therefore let us look that we condemn our idolatries, and be sorry that we have so provoked Gods wrath against us.

Nowe in the ende Moses sayeth, that they offered sacrifice to diuels & not vnto God. This saying may seeme rough and hard at the first sight. For if a man had asked the heathen concerning their intent, they would haue sayd by & by, We knowe there is one chiefe God: but wee haue many gods because the maiestie of God is spred out euery where. And therefore forasmuch as we cannot attaine to so high a thing, it behooueth vs to haue meanes. That is the cause why they forged such a multitude of gods. As for the diuels, they abhorred them. The Heathen could as will skill as the Papistes to say, Wee intende not to haue aught to doe with the diuels, sauing the sorcerers, (for there haue euer beene some such) but I speake as touching their cō mon religion: and it is certaine that all of them woulde haue protested, Our will is to serue God. But what is answered them heere by the mouth of Moses, who is appoynted Iudge with full authoritie, and is as the instrument of the holy Ghost? Ye serue the diuel. Wee see then that all their excuses shall stande them in no steede, and that this must holde to the condemnation of the whole worlde, namely, that as soone as men swarue neuer so litle from ye pure trueth, it is a seruing of the diuell, and the diuel hath a parte in all their doings: for God refuseth euery whit of it. And it is a text well worthie to bee noted, to the intent that the ignorant wretches may bee wakened, and vnderstande that in grounding themselues vpon their owne good intentes, they doe nothing else but increase Gods vengeance vppon their heads, without amending their case thereby. Wherefore let vs on our syde vtterly abhorre all that euer is contrarie to the seruice of God, & make much of the fauour that hath beene shewed vs in his deliuering of vs from such a bottomlesse pit. We haue thought our selues to haue done maruellously well in seruing of ydols; we haue