A20752:1008
The Christian warfare wherein is first generally showed the malice, power and politic stratagems…The Christian warfare wherein is first generally shewed the malice, power and politike stratagems…
The Christian warfare wherein is first generally showed the malice, power and politic stratagems of the spiritual enemies of our salvation, Satan and his assistants the world and the flesh, with the means also whereby the Christian may withstand and defeat them : and afterwards more specially their particular temptations, against the several causes and means of our salvation, whereby on the one side they allure us to security and presumption, and on the other side, draw us to doubting and desperation, are expressed and answered : written especially for their sakes who are exercised in the spiritual conflict of temptations, and are afflicted in conscience in the sight and sense of their sins / by I. Downame ...The Christian warfare wherein is first generally shewed the malice, power and politike stratagems of the spirituall ennemies of our saluation, Sathan and his assistants the world and the flesh, with the meanes also whereby the Christian may vvithstand and defeate them : and afterwards more speciallie their particvlar temptatiions, against the seuerall causes and meanes of our saluation, whereby on the one side they allure vs to security and presumption, and on the other side, draw vs to doubting and desperation, are expressed and answered : written especially for their sakes who are exercised in the spirituall conflict of temptations, and are afflicted in conscience in the sight and sense of their sinnes / by I. Dovvname ...
London: printed for Cuthbert Burby, 1604
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.
§. Sect. 2 And thus Satan endeavoureth to persuade the Christian exercised in the combat of tentations that he hath no faith, to the end that he may destroy it,1 and if it were possible bring it indeed to nothing: to which tentation we may first answer thus generally, that Satan's testimony is no sound argument to prove that we have no faith, nor to be believed of us, seeing he is not only a malicious murderer, who continually seeketh our destruction. But also a false liar from the beginning, who hath not feared to be lie men only but even God himself accusing him of untruth, envy and want of power in that tentation wherewith he assailed and overcame our first parents: and therefore if he be so audaciously impudent, as that he durst be lie God himself, we may assure our selves he will make no scruple of be lying us. Seeing then Satan is a malicious liar, who desireth nothing more then our destruction, let us not doubt of our faith because of his testimony, nay rather because he saith we want faith, we may assure our selves that we are endued therewith, for that he may work our final overthrow, it is his usual custom to tell the true believing Christian that he is destitute ⟨p. 515⟩of faith, and contrariwise the unbelieving worldling that he hath a strong faith, whereas in truth there is nothing in him but secure presumption. And therefore let it suffice us that we know we have a lively faith by the testimony of Gods spirit, and by trying and examining our faith by the touchstone of Gods words, for on these our faith dependeth and not on Satan's testimony.
§. Sect. 2 And thus Sathan indeauoreth to perswade the Christian exercised in the combate of tentations that he hath no faith, to the end that he may destroy it,1 and if it were possible bring it indeed to nothing: to which tentation wee may first answere thus generally, that Sathans testimonie is no sound argument to proue that we haue no faith, nor to be beleeued of vs, seeing he is not onely a malitious murtherer, who continually seeketh our destruction. But also a false liar from the beginning, who hath not feared to bee lie men onely but euen God himselfe accusing him of vntruth, enuie and want of power in that tentation wherewith hee assailed and ouercame our first parents: and therefore if he be so audatiously impudent, as that he durst be lie God himselfe, we may assure our selues he will make no scruple of be lying vs. Seeing then Sathan is a malitious liar, who desireth nothing more then our destruction, let vs not doubt of our faith because of his testimony, nay rather because he saith wee want faith, we may assure our selues that we are indued therewith, for that he may worke our finall ouerthrow, it is his vsuall custome to tell the true beleeuing Christian that he is destitute