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Of Tempting God, and Christ, with respect to the Divine Power, in several Instances.
II. AS to the Power of God, we may be said to Tempt him two ways. 1. When we que∣stion the Sufficiency of his Power to make good his Word. 2. When we limit and confine it, to be ex∣ercised and discovered in our own way and manner.
1. WHEN we question the Power of God to accomplish his Word, by reason of some Difficul∣ties
that are in the way. In this respect the Jews tempted God, after he had promised to bring them un∣to Canaan: When the Spies, who returned from viewing the Land, and gave them an account of the Giants and the Sons of Anak that were there, and the seeming Im∣possibility of conquering it; they were quite disheartened. Thus, says our Saviour, did the Sadduces err about the Possibility of † the Re∣surrection of the Body, not knowing the Scripture, nor the Power of God. But we have very strange Thoughts of Almighty Power, if we do not believe, and grant that it can do much more than we are able to ap∣prehend distinctly, after what man∣ner it can be done.
2. WHEN we limit and confine the Power of God, as to the man∣ner and season of its Manifestation. The Jews are charged with this
Tempting God, and limiting the Holy One of Israel. At one time the Manna doth not please them, they must have Flesh, and then they must have Water: They must have what they had a Mind to, and in their own Method, or they questi∣on whether God could do this or that. To this purpose do many distrust God, when he doth not an∣swer their Prayers, and grant their Desires, at that time, or in that way, when they expect it: They will wait on the Lord no longer, if he do not deliver and save them, either by such Instruments, or in such a Method, as they have con∣trived and carved for themselves.
MANY Instances might be named of a sinful limiting the Power of God. One, among others, is that of rash Appeals to Heaven, expecting that God by his powerful Provi∣dence should interpose to the De∣cision of doubtful Cases. And this Men do, in the use of such things,
unto which some notable Effects are ascribed, which they were ne∣ver inabled or appointed, by Nature or Divine Institution, to produce: As when a Person was indicted up∣on Suspicion, or for a Fault that was secretly committed, or upon the Testimony but of one Witness, he was to purge himself by Ordeal Fire or Water; that is, to put him∣self upon God, and Appeal to him.
THIS was allowed by some of the Laws of Charles the Great, and was in frequent use in this Nation in the Saxons time. Many In∣stances in the ninth and tenth Century may be given of this, as a common Practice in the Christian World: when there was not suffi∣cient Evidence of a Man's Guilt, to put him on such Extraordinary Tri∣als, expecting some miraculous Ap∣pearance of God, to vindicate his In∣nocence, or conclude against it. In such doubtful Cases they said they would go ad Judicium Dei, they
would appeal to Heaven. Many ways they had of this, in different Forms, and several Ceremonies, and particular Prayers, with Fasting and Adjurations in the Name of God, to the particular Element; various according to the Quality of the Person, whether a Freeman, or a Slave; that is, one of a mean and base Condition; the former was to be tried by Fire, and the latter by Water, hot or cold.
BUT what Ground have we to think, that if Men are Innocent, the Power of God will this way preserve them; or if they be Guilty, that he will leave them to suffer by it? It is true, he appointed under the Law a Draught of bitter Wa∣ters for the Woman suspected of A∣dultery, to discover her Innocency, or Guilt; this was peculiarly enacted
by God himself, who doubtless would assist such Extraordinary Procedure, as was of his own In∣stitution. But it is not for us to use such Methods of our own de∣vising, and expect the like Success.
PHILIP de Comines tells us of two Franciscan Friars at Florence, who offer'd themselves to the Fire to prove Savonarola to be a Here∣tick: But a certain Jacobine offer'd himself to the Fire, to prove that Sa∣vonarola had true Revelations, and was no Heretick. In the mean time Savonarola preach'd, and made no such confident Offer: nor durst he venture at that new kind of Fire Ordeal. But if all four had past through the Fire, and died in the Flames, what would that have proved? Had he been an Heretick, or no Heretick, the more or the less for the Confidence of two or three Zealots?
THEY who are well established in the Belief of the future Judg∣ment, will be easily satisfied, that we ought not to expect that God should oblige himself to declare one way or other in such Cases.
IT is not unlikely that the Pra∣ctice of Duelling came in upon this bottom; for the Trials by single Combat and Battel, are founded on the like Superstition, and Folly of People, thus appealing to the Judg∣ment of God, to decide Cases in an Extraordinary Manner.
IT has formerly been frequent among the Northern Nations, when the Right of Titles, or of Lands was difficult, thus by legal, single Combats, to decide it: Or when a Person accused, did abso∣lutely deny what the Accuser affirm∣ed, and no other Proof on either side could be produced. And even
after the Profession of Christianity, among the Goths, and those King∣doms erected by them, this Practice continued. But upon the farther Progress of Learning and Civility, when this could be no longer ap∣proved; it made way for private Duels, and for the Lie being a just Ground of fighting in Point of Honour, because it had been so in Point of Law, during the barba∣rous Ages. But it were shameful it should be so esteemed amongst us Christians. The Example of Charles the Fifth, and Francis the First of France gave it much Encourage∣ment; and much of the best Blood in Christendom has been spilt after this manner, especially in France, during several Reigns, till by the just Severity of the present French King (how unjust soever in other things) this Custom is in great measure extinguished there.
SOME have expected the like Success, upon receiving the Sacra∣ment of the Lord's Supper. Among some of the Romanists, if any thing were stolen in a Monastery, where one of the House must have been the Thief, and all denied it; they were all to receive the Sacrament, and these words were pronounced, Corpus Domini nostri sit tibi ad Pro∣bationem, Let the Body of our Lord be thy Trial. There are many o∣thers, who will take the Sacrament upon their Asseveration of such or such a thing, to ascertain the Truth of it; as if what they had said, or sworn, must needs be true, in case no evil Effect did visibly follow up∣on their taking the Sacrament. But these, and other such Ʋses of that Divine Institution, are a bold Temp∣ting of God. It is designed and appointed, to commemorate the Death of Christ till he come, not to discover Thieves or Liars; nor to attain other Civil Ends, for which
it hath been formerly used, and is yet required in some parts of the World.
Numb. 14.
Mat. 22.29.
See Spelman's Glossary, p. 435, 436. N. Ba∣con's History of the Laws of England, first Part, p. 55, 56. Dugdale's Origines Judiciales, p. 86, 87. Coke's 9 Repl. 32. Glanvil. p. 114.
Lib. 8. Chap. 19.
See Sir Will. Temple's Miscellanies, Part 2. Essay 3. Sect. 4. p. 243.
See Bishop Hall, Epist. 2. Dec. 4. Of the bloody Ʋse of single Combats: The Danger and Sinfulness thereof.