A20752:1086
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.
§. 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.
§. Sect. 3 Lastly, Sathan will suggest that though our faith be true,1 yet it is so exceeding small and weake, that with the violence of his tētations and huge masse of our own corruptions it will easily be ouerthrown and turned into infidelitie. To which we are to answere, that though hereby our faith may be shrewdly shaken yet it can neuer be ouerturned, though it may be couered with the ashes of our corruptions, yet it can neuer be vtterly quenched; though through our gretuous foyles and falls in the cōbate of tentations, it may be as it were brought into a traunce, so as we cannot sensibly discerne any action, motion or life of faith, yet the habite and grace it selfe, after it is once giuen of God is neuer taken away, neither is it possible that it should be quite destroied by all the power of hell.
- 1That Satan cannot prevail against the weakest faith.That Sathan cannot preuaile against the weakest faith.
And this may appear by divers reasons; first because faith is not of our selves but the free gift of God, as it is