EpiflíeofS. Podt.Titsr. phet : Thefc latter fpake by inflin i etSatan, who beeinga lying fpirit from the beginning, was oftena lying fpirit in their mouthes,but that he covered his errors by (peaking in likelihoods, and amphibologyes; and the things that came copaffe, fieldome came topaffe as they were fore- told. 2. For the meaneswhereby theLord communicated his will, it is ei- ther moregeneral,or more fpeciAll: the former waseither vifion tochofe that were awake ; or dreame to them aflcepe : thelatter was by word of mouth,or face to face. But the deuill vfeth all manner oftooles as means todeceiue ; all elements ,fire, gyre, earth, water; fo beafls, birds, liars, lottes, herbes, winds , andwords, that looke how manykindes ofcrea- tures there be, fo many kinds ofdiuinacion there arc, fo infinite is dclu- fion. 3. Whereas the matter ofthe former are the great thingsofGod,and ofthem the maine, the foretelling ofChrifl the Meflìas and Sauiour of the world:the latter commonly dealt in thingsofmen:as publike or pri- uate clients, of peace,andware, &c. in which alfo the deuill himfelfe could but geffe:buc as for God andChrifl,hc thus their mouthes,vnwil- ling that Chrifl fhould cuco thus be heard ofamong the heathen. Or if (as may be obieLtedofthe Sibyls) Tome of them didvtter Tome things concerningChrifi , which Satan had fnatched and flolne from the wri- tings of Mofes, therewere fodifguifed ,and coloured , as the naturali face of that truthcould neuer be beheld; nay cues themfelues vnder- flood not the things they vtcered ; and thereforecould nor utter them with purpofe, thereby tomake Chrill knowne to the world , and much lef(e to etlablifh the true worthip of God in Chrifl,as the true Prophets did. What other codes the deuill had in ir, it were too longhere to en- quire. 4. Whereas the former received their reuelations into meeke and wile hearts, beeing gtatious, andprudent, and not madde men : the lat- ter neuer powred out their oracles,but whë they were rapt into a trance or madncs;and knew not what they laidor did. Whereby it appeareth, that they were meere inflrumeots & organsof Satan,by whofe tongues he fpake;the refemblance whereofmay be (eerie at this day in fornede- . noniakspoifeffedby the deuill. Ifany here obie& , that lohn was ra- uifhed in fpirit on the Lords day: and that the fpirit allo rufhed onEze- chiel, on Daniel;and fo this wasno differencebetweene them.I anfwer, that far were there holy men from beeingmetre paffiue inflrumencs, or asblockes and flones,as the other were : theywere indeede meere men, and Inch as when Godsgreatnes, and glorious raaieflie was more then ordinarilymanifefl; were verymuch affeéïed, and alroofl (wallowedvp of CHAP. I.12. 237 2 Ntemb.u.e. 3 Sibylle under. flood not many of their owite plophccic,. 4 RetLiet. Dan,tey. D iff:renee bc. tween eatafies_ of heathen and di unePro- pbetc.
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