A20752:114
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 this is the state of those men:1 for as one saith, Tum maximè impugnantur cum se impugnari nesciant: They are most assaulted when they feel no assault. Let them know, that they are not the Lords soldiers but the devils revellers, and therefore he fighteth not against them because they are his friends. For there was never any of Christs soldiers in the Militant Church which have not been exercised in this warfare; there was never any so strong in faith but Satan durst encounter him, even the Apostles, yea Adam in the state of innocency, yea our Saviour Christ himself; there were never any so constant in the course of Christianity, but the world hath sought to draw them out of the right way by her baits of prosperity, or to force them to sin by threatening adversity; there were never any that have had in them one spark of Gods spirit (Christ excepted) who have not felt it assaulted and often foiled by the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and they are contrary the one to the other, as it is Galath. 5.17. Yea the Apostle Paul himself when he was most sanctified,2 saw another law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind, leading him captive to the law of sin, as appeareth Rom. 7.23.
But this is the state of those men:1 for as one saith, Tum maximè impugnantur cum se impugnari nesciant: They are most assaulted when they feele no assault. Let them know, that they are not the Lords souldiers but the diuels reuellers, and therefore he fighteth not against them because they are his friends. For there was neuer any of Christs souldiers in the Militant Church which haue not been exercised in this warfare; there was neuer any so strong in faith but Sathan durst encounter him, euen the Apostles, yea Adam in the state of innocencie, yea our Sauiour Christ himselfe; there were neuer any so constant in the course of Christianitie, but the world hath sought to draw them out of the right way by her baites of prosperitie, or to force them to sinne by threatning aduersitie; there were neuer any that haue had in them one sparke of Gods spirit (Christ excepted) who haue not felt it assaulted and often foiled by the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and they are contrarie the one to the other, as it is Galath. 5.17. Yea the Apostle Paul himselfe when he was most sanctified,