A20752:207
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 Neither is it enough that we put on one piece of the armour, 1and like young soldiers leave off the rest for lightness sake, or else through fool-hardiness to show needless valour; we must not put on the helmet of salvation, and leave off the breast-plate of righteousness; nor take unto us the girdle of verity and the shield of faith, and cast away from us the sword of the spirit, but we are to put on the whole armour of God, and like valiant soldiers, who mean indeed to stand to it, we are to arm our selves at all points in complete armour of proof, which will keep us from fleeing, and our enemy from overcoming. For if we take none of the Christian armour, or but some of the lightest parts, if we take the shield of faith, and leave behind us the breast-plate of righteousness, we shall either desperately fight and be overthrown in the battle, or else cowardly run away and forsake the field. But on the other side, if we buckle unto us the whole armour of God, we shall not need to flee away for fear, being so well defended; nor to doubt of victory, for we shall surely overcome; the Lord having having given, and we having received this armour to this end, as the Apostle noteth unto us in these words; that you may be able to stand against the assaults of the devil, or his treacherous ambushments, as the word here used, signifieth. So that the Lord hath given us this armour, and we put it on, to the end that we may be enabled to resist Satan; and therefore seeing it is armour of Gods own making and bestowing, we may assure our selves that he will ⟨p. 46⟩not suffer his workmanship and gift to be so much disgraced, as that satan should pierce through it and wound us. For the Lord knoweth the force of Satan's darts, & bullets of temptation; and he hath made his armour high proof; and therefore strong enough to repel all the battery of Satan's suggestions.
§ Sect. 2 Neither is it enough that wee put on one peece of the armour, 1and like young souldiers leaue off the rest for lightnes sake, or els through foole-hardines to shew needlesse valour; we must not put on the helmet of saluation, and leaue off the breast-plate of righteousnes; nor take vnto vs the girdle of veritie and the shield of faith, and cast away from vs the sword of the spirit, but we are to put on the whole armour of God, and like valiant souldiers, who meane indeede to stand to it, wee are to arme our selues at all points in compleat armour of proofe, which will keepe vs from fleeing, and our enemie from ouercomming. For if we take none of the Christian armour, or but some of the lightest parts, if wee take the shield of faith, and leaue behinde vs the breast-plate of righteousnes, we shal either desperatly fight and be ouerthrowne in the battaile, or els cowardly runne away and forsake the field. But on the other side, if we buckle vnto vs the whole armour of God, we shall not neede to flee away for feare, being so well defended; nor to doubt of victorie, for we shall surely ouercome; the Lord hauing hauing giuen, and we hauing receiued this armour to this end, as the Apostle noteth vnto vs in these words; that you may be able to stand against the assaults of the diuell, or his treacherous ambushments, as the word here vsed, signifieth. So that the Lord hath giuen vs this armour, and we put it on, to the end that we may be enabled to resist Sathan; and therefore seeing it is armour of Gods own making and bestowing, we may assure our selues that he will