A20752:1045
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.
CHAP. XLV. Of the means whereby our faith may be strengthened and increased.
CHAP. XLV. Of the meanes whereby our faith may be strengthened and increased.
§. Sect. 1 And so much concerning those reasons whereby we may prove that we have faith,1 and also answer Satan's tentations whereby he laboureth to persuade us that we are destitute thereof. The second means whereby we may arm our selves against Satan and his suggestions, is that we most earnestly labour and endeavour after we have found that we have some faith to increase therein, and grow up from saith to saith until we come to that fullness of persuasion which will bring such peace of conscience as Satan and all his tentations shall not be able to disturb. Otherwise we shall be ⟨p. 538⟩continually subject to fears and doubtings, and exceedingly shaken with Satan's tentations, and in truth not without cause if we stand still at a state, for howsoever Satan and all the power of hell cannot prevail against the least measure of true faith to quench and utterly to destroy it, yet this will bring no sound comfort unto those which rest contented with this little quantity and never labour after increase, because this is a shrewd presumption that their faith is false and counterfeit, for as soon as the seed of true faith is sown in us, and hath taken root it sprouteth up, and till it come to full ripeness, in which respect our Saviour compareth it to a grain of mustard seed, which though it be one of the least seeds of the garden, yet it groweth to a great tree. Neither in truth is it possible that any who have tasted of true faith, and of those inestimable benefits which it assureth us of, should content themselves with a small pittance and never labour after more, for who is it that having tasted and eaten a little bit of some delicious meat, doth not with a hungering appetite desire more till he be filled and satisfied, who is it that hath any weak title and assurance of some goodly inheritance, doth not earnestly desire and use all good & lawful means whereby his title may be strengthened and his assurance confirmed? and can we think that any have truly tasted of faith and the excellent benefits which accompany it, as namely assurance of Gods love, and the remission of our sins, peace of conscience, joy in the holy Ghost, who content themselves with a little modicum and never hunger after more?