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CHAP. XXI. Saint Cyprians nicety about the last Petition in the Lords Prayer. (Book 21)
SAint Cyprian it seemeth is so fearful of making God the Author of evil, that he will not think that God leadeth any man into temptation. The Petition he readeth thus: Ne nos patiaris induci in tentationem, Suffer us not to be lead into temptation, but de∣liver us from evil, leaving the ordinary current and truth of the Prayer, because he will not be accessary to imagine that God should lead man into temptation: whereas all men as well as he do think, that God doth not lead man into evil temptations as Sathan doth, and yet that God doth tempt men. So he is said in plain words to have tempted Abra∣ham: And Rabbi Tanchum wittily observes that Abrahams two great temptations begin both with one strain, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Get thee gone. The first, Get thee gone out of thy Country from thy kindred and fathers house, Gen. 12. The second, Get thee gone to the land of Mo∣riah, and offer thy son Isaac upon one of the mountains, Gen. 22.
May we not safely say here that God lead Abraham into temptation? But as it follows, liberavit a malo, God delivered him from the evil of the temptation, which is being overcome. And Saint James saith sweetly, (though at first he may seem to cross this Petition) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: Brethren account it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations, Jac. 1. 2. to be in temptation is joy, for God chastiseth every son that he receiveth, and yet pray lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: let the latter comment upon the first, lead us not into the evil of temptation, which in the Apostles Phrase is, suffer us not to be tempted above our strength.