A20752:115
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.
§. Sect. 3 It is not therefore their strength of faith, but their carnal security which so lulleth them asleep in the cradle of worldly vanities that they cannot discern this fight; it is not their ⟨p. 5⟩peace with God nor the peace of conscience which makes them thus quiet, for there is no (such) peace, saith my God, to the wicked, Esa. 57.21.1 but it is a peace which they have made with Satan, a covenant with death and an agreement with hell, as the Prophet speaketh,2 Esa. 28.15. When the strong armed man Satan (quietly) keeps the house, the things that he possesseth are in peace; but when a stronger then he cometh to dispossess him, he will never lose his possession without a fight; and we cannot choose but feel the blows in so sharp an encounter. Luk. 11.21.3 If a man never enter the field to fight against Satan, or if at the first encounter he yield himself prisoner, and be content to be tied in the pleasing fetters of sin, it is no marvel that he doth not rage in his conscience, when as already he is in his captivity ready to perform all those works of darkness wherein he employeth him; but if when Christ the redeemer is preached unto them by his Ambassadors, they would show any desire of coming out of his thraldom, surely this spiritual Pharaoh would never lose their service but by force and compulsion, neither can so strong a man be forced but we must needs feel the conflict. While the prisoner lieth in the dungeon, loaded with bolts and tied in chains, the keeper sleepeth securely, because he knoweth he is safe; but if his bolts being filed off and his chains loosed, he have escaped out of prison, then the Jailer beginneth to bustle and pursueth him speedily with Hue and cry: so whilst Satan holdeth us imprisoned in the dark dungeon of ignorance, loaded and tied with the heavy bolts and chains of sin, he is reckless and secure; but if our Saviour by his Ambassadors in the preaching of the word, loose and unburden us of these chains and bolts, and by the light of his spirit so illuminate the eyes of our understanding, that we see the way out of Satan's dungeon of ignorance, and so escape out of his captivity, then he rageth against and pursueth us as Pharaoh did the Israelites, that either he may bring us back again into his bondage, or else destroy us, if we make resistance.