The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole…

Sixthly, The necessity appeareth, because of the subtlety and emnity of Satan; who hath continually set himself against Christ and his Church. I hat as at the first ingress into Christs Ministry, he violently assaulted him, and never left opposing his person, so ever since he hath laboured to obscure Christ, and traduce his way. In the first age of the Church, then he set against the Person of Christ: Hence came up those many Heretics, some denying he was God, saying, He was only man; Others, Only God, and not a man, but in the appearance of a man. Some confounded his Natures, some multiplied his Personality; so that all the subtle power of the Devil, was, to overthrow the Person of Christ. But in this latter age, he set against the Offices of Christ. And thus in Popery (though Socinians revive those old blasphemies) his Priestly Office, his Prophetical, his Kingly; all those were quite darkened by their Mass and Indulgences: and many such abominable derogations from Christ.

Sixthly, The necessity appeareth, because of the subtilty and emnity of Satan; who hath continually set himself against Christ and his Church. I hat as at the first ingresse into Christs Ministry, he violently assaulted him, and never left opposing his person, so ever since he hath laboured to obscure Christ, and traduce his way. In the first age of the Church, then he set against the Person of Christ: Hence came up those many Heretiques, some denying he was God, saying, He was only man; Others, Only God, and not a man, but in the appearance of a man. Some confounded his Natures, some multiplied his Personality; so that all the subtile power of the Devil, was, to overthrow the Person of Christ. But in this latter age, he set against the Offices of Christ. And thus in Popery (though Socinians revive those old blasphemies) his Priestly Office, his Prophetical, his Kingly; all those were quite darkned by their Masse and Indulgences: and many such abhominable derogations from Christ.

Seventhly, We have the more need to exalt Christ, because there is proneness in every man to trust in his own works; To rest upon his own righteousness; To advance and set up nature. Now, so much as these are exalted, so much is Christ debased. We see our own natures in the Jews, though it was in those glorious times, wherein Christ, and the Apostles manifested themselves, yet men did still seek to be justified by the works they had done: Their endeavour was to establish their own righteousness, though that, like Dagon before the Ark, did fall to the ground before Christ; and truly, such were greater enemies to Christ, more then profane Publicans and sinners. So that the Scripture preaching of Christ, will drive men out of their civil righteousness, out of their formality, and confidence in themselves, which is the strongest hold that the Ministry hath to batter. We may sooner dissolve those gross acts of wickedness, then remove this mountain of self-righteousness. Yet, if Christs Righteousness, his worth be all, why wilt thou be a Christ to thy self?