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276 THE HISTORY OF HERESIES,
so to prove us. When the devil tempts us, he commits a wicked
"
ness, and God cannot command him to do this : He hath com
manded no man to do wickedly, and he hath given no man license
to sin" (Eccles. xv, 21). Our Lord himself promises, even, that
whenever we are tempted he will assist us, and give us sufficient
grace to resist, and declares that he will never allow us to bo
" God is faithful, who will not
tempted beyond our strength :
suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able" (I. Cor.
x, 13). But still they insist God, as we read in the Scriptures,
"
several times tempted man : God hath tried them" (Wisdom,
"
iii, 5). After these things God tempted Abraham" (Gen. xxii, 1).
We must here draw a distinction : the devil tempts men to rnako
them fall into sin, but God tempts them, solely to prove their
fidelity, as he did in Abraham s case, and does continually, with
his faithful servants :
" God hath tried them, and found them
worthy of himself" (Wisdom, iii, 5) ; For
but he never tempts man
to fall into sin, as the devil does :
"
evils, and he tcmptcth no man" (James, i, 13).
God is not a tempter of
52. The third absurdity is this God says: "Believe not
every spirit, but try the spirits if they be of God" (I. John, iv, 1).
Hence, we Catholics are bound to examine the resolutions wo
take, as well as the counsels we receive from others, even when
at first they appear good and holy, because frequently what wo
believe to be an inspiration from God is nothing but a snare of
the devil. According to Calvin s doctrine, however, we are not
obliged to make this examination, and see whether the spirit is
good or bad, because whether it be one or the other, it is all from
God, who wills that we should put in
practice whatever he in
spires to do, whether it be good or bad. According to this, then,
the reformer s own maxim of understanding the Scriptures,
according to our private judgment falls to the ground, for no
matter what we do, or what erroneous or heretical interpretation
we may give to Holy Writ, it is all an inspiration from God.
53. The fourth absurdity The whole Scriptures teach us
that God leans much more to mercy and pardon than to justice
and :
punishment
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All the ways of the Lord are mercy and
" The earth is full of the mercy of the
truth" (Psalm xxiv, 10) ;
Lord. His tender mercies are above all his works" (Psalm
cxliv, 9) ;
"
Mercy exalteth itself above judgment" (James, ii, 13).