324 CUNNING OF THE DEVIL. 



LIB. v. j-kis ^ a y } which commit the like cruelties and abominations, 

 with the losse of the miserable soules and bodies of such as 

 they offer to him, and he laughs and mockes at the follie of 

 these poore miserable creatures, who deserve well for their 

 offences, to be forsaken of the most high God, to the power 

 of their adversary, whom they have chosen for their god 

 and support. But seeing wee have spoken sufficient of the 

 Indians idolatrie ; it followes that we treate of their Religion, 

 or rather Superstition, which they vse in their sacrifices, 

 temples, ceremonies, and the rest. 



CHAP. xi. How the Dcvill hath laboured to mahe himself 



equall vnto God, and to imitate him in his Sacrifices, 



Religion, and Sacraments, 



Before wee come to this point, we ought to consider one 

 thing, which is worthie of speciall regard, the which is, how 

 the Divell, by his pride, hath opposed himself to God and 

 that which God, by his wisedome, hath decreed for his 

 honour and service, and for the good and health of man, 

 the Divell strives to imitate and to pervert, to bee honoured, 

 and to cause men to be damned : for as we see the great 

 God hath Sacrifices, Priests, Sacraments, Religious Prophets, 

 and Ministers, dedicated to his divine service and holy cere 

 monies, so the Divell hath his sacrifices, priests, his kinds 

 of sacraments, his ministers appointed, his secluded and 

 fained holinesse, with a thousand sortes of false prophets. 

 All which will be pleasant to vnderstand, being declared in 

 particular, and of no small fruite for him that shall remem- 

 ber, how the Divell is the father of lies, as the truth saieth 

 in the Gospel; and therefore hee seekes to vsurpe to him- 

 selfe the glorie of God, and to counterfeit the light by his 

 darknes. The Sooth-saiers of Egipt, taught by their master 

 Sathan, laboured to do wonders, like vnto those of Moses 



