A02181:145
Paramythion two treatises of the comforting of an afflicted conscience, writtenParamythion tvvo treatises of the comforting of an afflicted conscience, written
Paramythion two treatises of the comforting of an afflicted conscience, written by M. Richard Greenham, with certain epistles of the same argument. Hereunto are added two sermons, with certain grave and wise counsels and answers of the same author and argument.Paramythion tvvo treatises of the comforting of an afflicted conscience, written by M. Richard Greenham, with certaine epistles of the same argument. Heereunto are added two sermons, with certaine graue and wise counsells and answeres of the same author and argument.
London: printed by Richard Bradocke for Robert Dexter, 1598
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
For seeing Satan is a wrangling and subtle sophister, it is our furest and safest dispatch, to break ⟨p. 110⟩of all dispute with him, and to send him thither where he may receive his best answer; and we need not to doubt, but he that hath answered the justice of God, and cancelled the obligation that was against us before his heavenly father, will easily defeat whatsoever the old serpent our accuser the Devil is able to allege against us. But if we cannot so avoid his assault, but needs we must enter the combat with him; let us take unto our selves that courage that becometh the soldiers of Christ, and in the name of the Lord Jesus manfully oppose our selves, knowing that he which hath brought us into the battle, will both save us and deliver us out of all dangers. Then if the enemy shall say that we have no faith,1 and therefore have no interest in Christ, we may answer that our believing dependeth not upon his testimony, it is enough that our selves do know, and feel by the grace of God, that we do believe. As for him, we do the rather persuade our selves of faith, because he saith that we believe not:2 knowing that he is not only a murderer, but also a lie• from the beginning, and the father of lying. Now, he that was neither ashamed nor afraid to charge God himself with untruth, will make less scruple to deal falsely with us,3 & that therefore we utterly reject his ⟨p. 111⟩witness, as the witness of a notorious & treacherous deceiver, unworthy all credit, and whom we cannot believe, even in the truth it self without danger. For which cause, he was so oftentimes silenced by our Saviour Christ and his Apostles,4 even then when after his deceivable man the bare wit•es unto the truth. Again when the question is of our faith in Christ whether we believe in him or not, we must beware that we stand not here upon perfection of knowledge, which in the best Divines is unperfect: nor upon the perfection of our persuasion which in all flesh is mingled with imperfection. It is enough for our present comfort, & to the silencing of our adversary, that we have a competent knowledge of the mystery of our salvation by Christ; far removed from that ignorance, and implicit understanding, which Satan hath planted in the kingdom of Antichrist.