A20752:162
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. 2 And least we should contemn this brutish might, which a weak man may with policy defeat, therefore he is compared to a strong armed man, 1Luk. 11.21. who keepeth in peace all that he possesseth. And least we should despise him because he is but one, the holy Ghost telleth us that he is a mighty prince, not of one land or country, but of the whole world,2 Joh. 12.31. who therefore hath infinite multitudes at his commandment, neither is there one of these princes alone, but huge multitudes of them; and therefore the holy Ghost speaking of them useth the plural number, saying, that we fight against principalities, 3against powers, and against the worldly governors, &c. Whereas therefore the holy Ghost doth call him the strong man, Satan, and the devil in the singular number; he would not have us to conceive that there is only one, but it is partly to note the chief of the kingdom of darkness,4 according to that Matth. 25.41. Depart from me ye accursed into everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels. And in this sense he is called Beelzebub the prince of devils,5 Matth. 12.24. And partly to intimate unto us their great consent and agreement in seeking the destruction of mankind; for though they be an huge multitude, yet they combine themselves together, as if they were but one, in seeking our destruction.
§. Sect. 2 And least we should contemne this brutish might, which a weake man may with policie defeate, therefore he is compared to a strong armed man, 1