A20752:268
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 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,2 because he would not lose his gain in making silver shrines to the Idol, Act. 19.25. Neither was this argument drawn from profit forcible only in former times, but now also it doth no less persuade to sin. For whom almost doth not Satan catch, or at least entangle in this golden net? Doth he not ensnare as well professors of religion, as professed worldlings, so that in greedy seeking of gain it is not easy to discern the one from the other? Doth he not overcome all sorts and conditions of men, as well those who abound in all things, as those that enjoy little, by proportionating his •••ers of riches, according to their several estates; much to those that have much, and little to those that possess little? For he cometh to Princes, and promiseth them huge sums of money, if they will lay intolerable taxations on their sects, or rob the Church of ⟨p. 75⟩her livings, that is, God himself of his right. He cometh to Magistrates and Judges, and offereth unto them great bribes, if they will pervert justice, and so putteth out their eyes that they cannot see right from wrong; for,