Secondly,1 Satan hath endeavoured several ways the corrupting of it. You may judge of the preciousness and excellency of it by Satan's malicious endeavours to suppress it: Herod not more diligently seeking to take away the life of Christ when he was in his Cradle, then Satan's instruments were busy to stifle this truth in the infancy.2 Chemnitius relateth, that he did saepè cohorrescere, many times tremble when he thought of a speech which Luther would often say (and it was ominous) That after his death the Doctrine of Justification would be corrupted: And indeed when those first Reformers had made the body of this truth in all the several parts of it like that of Absalom, comely and beautiful, without any blemish, there presently rose up many perverted in mind, and set upon it, as those thieves upon the man going to Jericho, leaving it wounded, and half dead. There are errors about the very nature of it, making it to be the infusion of righteousness in us, for which God doth accept us: Thus they speak of Justification, as Aristotle would about Physical motions. Some take away the imputation of Christs Righteousness; some take away the satisfaction of Christ; some make Faith to be accounted for Righteousness; some make such a Justification, that thereby God shall see no sin in those that are justified whatsoever they do. Thus in the nature, parts, instrument, consequents and subject, there are manifold errors, and hereby Satan bringeth much mischief to the Church, for by this means our lives are spent in disputing about this benefit, when it were far more comfortable to be enjoying of it. And when Satan could not overthrow the truth by mingling of our works with the Grace of God, as in Popery, then he bendeth himself to errors on the right hand, by setting it up in such a seeming way, by amplifications of it, that thereby all repentance and godly humiliation shall he quite evacuated: Even as when he could not by his instruments, the Pharisees, disprove the Deity of Christ, then he sets instruments on work to confess that he was the Son of God, thereby to get in some errors.
Secondly,1 Satan hath endeavoured severall waies the corrupting of it. You may judge of the preciousnesse and excellency of it by Satans malicious endeavours to suppresse it: Herod not more diligently seeking to take away the life of Christ when he was in his Cradle, then Satans instruments were busie to stifle this truth in the infancy.2 Chemnitius relateth, that he did saepè cohorrescere, many times tremble when he thought of a speech which Luther would often say (and it was ominous) That after his death the Doctrine of Justification would be corrupted: And indeed when those first Reformers had made the body of this truth in all the severall parts of it like that of Absalom, comely and beautifull, without any blemish, there presently rose up many perverted in minde, and set upon it, as those theeves upon the man going to Jericho, leaving it wounded, and half dead. There are errours about the very nature of it, making it to be the infusion of righteousnesse in us, for which God doth accept us: Thus they speak of Justification, as Aristotle would about Physicall motions. Some take away the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse; some take away the satisfaction of Christ; some make Faith to be accounted for Righteousnesse; some make such a Justification, that thereby God shall see no sin in those that are justified whatsoever they do. Thus in the nature, parts, instrument, consequents and subject, there are manifold errours, and hereby Satan bringeth much mischief to the Church, for by this means our lives are spent in disputing about this benefit, when it were farre more comfortable to be enjoying of it. And when Satan could not overthrow the truth by mingling of our works with the Grace of God, as in Popery, then he bendeth himself to errours on the right hand, by setting it up in such a seeming way, by amplifications of it, that thereby all repentance and godly humiliation shall he quite evacuated: Even as when he could not by his instruments, the Pharisees, disprove the Deity of Christ, then he sets instruments on work to confess that he was the Son of God, thereby to get in some errours.
- 12 Satan hath endeavoured the corrupting of it.
- 2Loc▪ Com. de Just•fic.
