A20752:1080
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.
for example, faith which is a fruit of the spirit, is continually assaulted by doubting, which is a fruit of the flesh, and proceedeth from the root of infidelity, and sometime faith prevaileth and sometime it receiveth the foil, but yet at the same time howsoever we cannot sensibly discern it, nor the actions thereof, yet it retains it own nature and properties, neither is it deprived of his firmness, constancy and certainty howsoever they be for a time covered & hid out of our sight, like the fire under the ashes, or the Sun under a cloud, as before I have said.
for example, faith which is a fruite of the spirit, is continually assaulted by doubting, which is a fruite of the flesh, and proceedeth from the roote of infidelitie, and sometime faith preuaileth and sometime it receiueth the foyle, but yet at the same time howsoeuer wee cannot sensibly discerne it, nor the actions thereof, yet it retaines it owne nature and properties, neyther is it depriued of his firmenesse, constancie and certainty howsoeuer they be for a time couered & hid out of our sight, like the fire vnder the ashes, or the Sunne vnder a cloud, as before I haue said.
Though therefore we find in us much inconstancy and doubting, yet let not Satan persuade us that these are of the nature and properties of our faith, and that therefore our faith is not true but temporary false and counterfeit, for this inconstancy and doubting, proceedeth not from faith and from the spiritual and regenerate part, but from the flesh and the part unregenerate; and therefore howsoever it is assaulted, and sometimes foiled by them, yet in it own nature it is true certain and constant.
Though therefore we finde in vs much inconstancie and doubting, yet let not Sathan perswade vs that these are of the nature and properties of our faith, and that therefore our faith is not true but temporarie false and counterfaite, for this inconstancie and doubting, proceedeth not from faith and from the spirituall and regenerate part, but from the flesh and the part vnregenerate; and therefore howsoeuer it is assaulted, and sometimes foyled by them, yet in it owne nature it is true certaine and constant.