A continuation of the controversy

power so that he could never tempt mankind, what of his reign could I show upon the earth? Or how could I prove his guilt and cruelty, or what his having power would result in? Therefore, a permitted power was given to him, and he was left to his own inventions. For this reason, I have told you that it was in the serpent that he worked by arts to betray.

As that was his beginning, when I sent Moses to Pharaoh to free the children of Israel from his power, I showed Moses—by turning his rod into a serpent—what likeness existed in Pharaoh of a hardened heart and cruelty, in enmity against God. The man I sent Moses to was in the likeness of the devil; and when Moses saw the likeness, he feared and fled from the serpent. But then I took his fears from him and ordered him to pick it up by the tail, at which point it became a rod in his hand. Thus the head was destroyed, and I destroyed that head in Pharaoh.

But now, let men discern: when Moses showed the likeness before him by turning the rod into a serpent, Pharaoh's magicians used their arts of enchantment, and their rods became serpents in like manner. But this power was not performed by man. For I tell you now, of themselves as men, they had no more power to turn their rod into a serpent (or the form and likeness of one) than Moses had power as a man to turn his. Know that it was I, as God, who showed their enchantment to Moses—what their arts were and how they worked through the subtlety and art of the devil, who worked with them in all these enchantments until I, by My power, destroyed the whole. For their enchantment was worked by the devil, and I have told you that all witchcraft is worked by him. Now, from this, let men discern how Satan had power, by his arts, to make a rod become a serpent. Therefore, let no man marvel at his arts in the beginning, that he

See Page 31
Controversy
Worldly-wise
Bishop of London
Pages 33-34