A20752:1076
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
Book 2 › Chapter 47: Other tentations concerning faith answered.
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. XLVII. Other tentations concerning faith answered.
§. Sect. 1 And thus may we answer Satan's tentations,1 which he groundeth upon the small quantity and weakness of our faith: besides which he suggesteth divers others, as first that true justifying faith is a firm, certain and constant persuasion, whereas ours if we have any at all is weak and feeble, instable, inconstant and wavering, and that it is not only continually assaulted but also often foiled and overcome with doubting and infidelity, and therefore that it is but a shadow of faith, and not true faith indeed. The which tentation we may easily answer if we but remember that which already hath been delivered; namely that the best cannot attain in this life unto such perfection of faith as is quite freed from all infirmities and corruption, that there is divers degrees of true justifying faith, some weaker, some stronger, some in greater, and some in smaller quantity, some like smoking flax, and a grain of mustard seed, & some like a bright burning flame which giveth light, and the lively heat of true comfort to those who are endued therewith, and of as high growth as the greatest tree in the garden, and yet all true faith and sufficient for salvation. That so long as we continue in this life our knowledge is but imperfect and veiled with much darkness ⟨p. 555⟩and ignorance, for we know but in part, as even the apostle speaketh in his own person,2