A20752:1085
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.
as also that finding our selves as weak as little infants we be not utterly discouraged, for if we suck the breasts of our spiritual mother the true church, and receive from her the milk and stronger meat of the word and sacraments, we shall assuredly grow up from grace to grace, and strength to strength, till of babes we become strong men in Jesus Christ, and that though we have many great sickness of the soul, and relapses into sin whereby our spiritual growth for a time is hindered, and our strength in Gods graces much abated, yet if we often feed upon the comfortable food of Gods word and use this spiritual physic prescribed by God himself we shall not only again ⟨p. 559⟩recover our former strength and health, but also find a great increase of Gods graces in us.
as also that finding our selues as weake as little infants wee bee not vtterly discouraged, for if we sucke the brests of our spirituall mother the true church, and receiue from her the milke and stronger meate of the word and sacraments, wee shall assuredly growe vp from grace to grace, and strength to strength, till of babes wee become strong men in Iesus Christ, and that though wee haue many great sickness of the soule, and relapses into sinne whereby our spirituall growth for a time is hindred, and our strength in Gods graces much abated, yet if we often feed vpon the comfortable foode of Gods worde and vse this spirituall physick prescribed by God himselfe we shall not only againe ⟨p. 559⟩recouer our former strength and health, but also find a great increase of Gods graces in vs.
§. Sect. 3 Lastly, Satan will suggest that though our faith be true,1 yet it is so exceeding small and weak, that with the violence of his tentations and huge mass of our own corruptions it will easily be overthrown and turned into infidelity. To which we are to answer, that though hereby our faith may be shrewdly shaken yet it can never be overturned, though it may be covered with the ashes of our corruptions, yet it can never be utterly quenched; though through our grievous foils and falls in the combat of tentations, it may be as it were brought into a trance, so as we cannot sensibly discern any action, motion or life of faith, yet the habit and grace it self, after it is once given of God is never taken away, neither is it possible that it should be quite destroyed by all the power of hell.