A20752:148
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 And thus you see Satan's malice joined with cruelty and raging violence, 1which he useth when he hath any hope of surprising us by assault; but if he find us strongly fortified with Gods graces, and at all points armed with the complete armour of a Christian, if he perceive that we are hedged in and fenced on all sides (as he speaketh of Job chap. 1.10) that is,2 guarded and protected by Gods almighty and all-ruling providence, so that he hath no hope of overcoming us by assault and force, then he showeth no less malice and more subtlety in seeking our destruction, by fanning upon us, and alluring us to sin, by offering the baits of honour, pleasure and commodity, that so he may make entrance as it were by a postern gate, and subdue us while we are abandoned of the Lords assistance, and disarmed of our spiritual weapons, whereby we should make resistance. And thus he dealt with our first parents, who being enticed to sin, and also yielding to the enticement, and so being deprived of Gods protection and the breast-plate of righteousness, were laid open to those deadly wounds which he inflicted on them. For as soon as they had tasted of the forbidden fruit, they perceived their nakedness, and therefore covered themselves with fig leaves, too weak an armour to repel the fiery darts of Satan. Thus he disarmed the Israelites, by tempting them to worship the golden Calf, so that Moses saw that they were naked, that is, disarmed of Gods favour and protection, Exod. 32.25.3 And this his policy he taught his servant Balaam, who when he could not curse them whom God had blessed, gave this cursed counsel to Balaak, that the Moabitish women should entice the Israelites to commit with them first carnal and then spiritual whoredom, knowing that to be the only means to bring Gods curse upon ⟨p. 20⟩them.4 As we may see if we compare