A20752:1118
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.
But let us come to the matter in hand. The tentations of Satan concerning this point are of two sorts; the first tend to persuade us to labour after and to rest upon an imperfect and maimed righteousness for our justification, whereby we can never be justified in Gods sight, & so in the mean time he causeth us to neglect the all-sufficient & most perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ by which alone we are justified before God and eternally saved; the other tend to make us doubt of our true justification, that so he may either make this gracious work of God frustrate in us, or else at least deprive our souls of that true consolation and peace of conscience, which dependeth upon the assurance of our justification.
But let vs come to the matter in hand. The tentations of Sathan concerning this point are of two sorts; the first tend to perswade vs to labour after and to rest vpon an imperfect and maymed righteousnesse for our iustification, whereby wee can neuer be iustified in Gods sight, & so in the meane time he causeth vs to neglect the alsufficiēt & most perfect righteousnes of Iesus Christ by which alone we are iustified before God and eternally saued; the other tend to make vs doubt of our true iustification, that so hee may either make this gratious worke of God frustrate in vs, or els at least depriue our soules of that true consolation and peace of cōscience, which dependeth vpon the assurance of our iustification.
§. Sect. 2 For the first,1 he will labour to persuade us that it is not the righteousness of Jesus Christ, imputed unto us by God and apprehended and applied unto us by faith, whereby we are justified in Gods sight, for this imputative righteousness is but merely putative and imaginary but by that inherent righteousness which is in our selves; for Christ (will he say) did not fulfil the law & died, that this his righteousness & obedience should become ours by imputation, but he died for us to the end he might merit for us the spirit of God, which should infuse into us an inherent righteousness, & he shed his blood to the end that our good works being dipped and died therein, might become perfect and so justify us in Gods sight; and therefore that we are not justified by faith alone, but by our other graces and virtues also, and our good works proceeding from them; neither by faith at all as it is an instrument which applieth Christ and his benefits unto us, but as it is a