minished the
tyranny of the kingdom of Satan. For by the law came the knowledge of
sin, the damnation of such impieties, specially of idolatry, and such as
the devil had invented; and, finally, by the law came such a revelation
of God's will that no man could justly afterward excuse his sin by
ignorance, by which the devil before had blinded many. So that the law,
altho it might not renew and purge the heart, for that the Spirit of
Christ Jesus worketh by faith only, yet it was a bridle that did hinder
and stay the rage of external wickedness in many, and was a schoolmaster
that led unto Christ. For when man can find no power in himself to do
that which is commanded, and perfectly understands, and when he believes
that the curse of God is pronounced against those that abide not in
everything that is commanded in God's law to do them--the man, I say,
that understands and knows his own corrupt nature and God's severe
judgment, most gladly will receive the free redemption offered by Christ
Jesus, which is the only victory that overthrows Satan and his power.
And so by the giving of the law God greatly weakened, impaired, and made
frail the tyranny and kingdom of the devil. In the days of Elias, the
devil had so prevailed that kings and rulers made open war against God,
killing His prophets, destroying His ordinances, and building up
idolatry, which did so prevail that the prophet complained that of all
the true fearers and worshipers of God he was left alone, and wicked
Jezebel sought His life also. After this, his fasting and complaint, he
was sent by God to anoint the persons aforenamed, who took such
vengeance upon the wicked and obstinate idolaters that he who escaped
the sword of Hazael fell into the hands of Jehu, and those whom Jehu
left escaped not God's vengeance under Elisha.

The remembrance of this was fearful to Satan, for, at the coming of
Christ Jesus, impiety was in the highest degree among those that
pretended most knowledge of God's will; and Satan was at such rest in
his kingdom that the priests, scribes and Pharisees had taken away the
key of knowledge; that is, they had so obscured and darkened God's Holy
Scriptures, by false glosses and vain traditions, that neither would
they themselves enter into the kingdom of God, nor suffer and permit
others to enter; but with violence restrained, and with tyranny struck
back from the right way, that is, from Christ Jesus Himself, such as
would have entered into