A20752:267
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.
If he find that men are addicted to voluptuousness, then he tempteth them to sin by offering carnal pleasures; and thus he tempted Noah to drunkenness, David to adultery, Solomon to idolatry and all wickedness. And thus now he tempteth some to good fellowship, that is, to spend their whole time in drunkenness, belly-cheer, and all riotous excess and Epicurism; some to lust, incontinence, and all voluptuous pleasures of the flesh. Or if he cannot bring them to such carnal grossness, he will entice them to use lawful recreations ⟨p. 74⟩unlawfully, and immoderately spending all their time in pleasure, which they should bestow in the service of God, by employing themselves in the general duties of Christianity, and in the special duties of their callings.
If he find that men are addicted to voluptuousnes, then he tempteth them to sinne by offering carnall pleasures; and thus hee tempted Noah to drunkennes, Dauid to adulterie, Salomon to idolatrie and all wickednesse. And thus now hee tempteth some to good fellowship, that is, to spend their whole time in drunkennes, belly-cheare, and all riotous excesse and Epicurisme; some to lust, incontinencie, and all voluptuous pleasures of the flesh. Or if he cannot bring them to such carnall grossnes, hee will intice them to vse lawfull recreations ⟨p. 74⟩vnlawfully, and immoderatly spending all their time in pleasure, which they should bestow in the seruice of God, by imploying themselues in the generall duties of Christianitie, and in the speciall duties of their callings.
§. Sect. 2 But if he find that men are given to covetousness, then hath he matter enough to work upon: for as the Apostle saith, 1. Tim. 6.9, 10. They that will be rich fall into temptations and snares, 1and into many foolish and noisome lusts, which drown men in perdition and destruction: for the desire of money is the root of all evil. With this bait he allured Laban to deal churlishly and unjustly with Jacob, and his own children; and to enrich himself by impoverishing them, for whose sake he should have gathered his riches. He enticed Balaam to curse the people whom God had blessed, by offering him money the wages of wickedness. He tempted Gehazi to take the talent and change of raiment of Naaman, selling for this small trifle Gods honour and his masters credit. He allured Ahab to murder Naboth, that he might purloin his vineyard, and so purchase the juice of the grape with the blood of his faithful subject. With this bait he enticed Judas to betray his master, selling him for thirty pieces of silver, whose worth could not be valued with many worlds. And hereby also he provoked Demetrius to oppose himself to the preaching of the Gospel,