A20752:269
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 see one in office covetous, he promiseth great revenues and stately houses, if he will deceive the Prince of their right, and oppress the subject with grievous extortion: and the like offers he maketh to covetous gentlemen, if they will build their houses with the blood of their tenants, and by grinding the faces of the poor, and by enhancing their rents, and increasing their fines to such unreasonable rates, that the poor tenant can scarce with the sweat of his face earn his bread.
If he see one in office couetous, he promiseth great reuenewes and stately houses, if hee will deceiue the Prince of their right, and oppresse the subiect with grieuous extortion: and the like offers he maketh to couetous gentlemen, if they will build their houses with the blood of their tenants, and by grinding the faces of the poore, and by inhaunsing their rents, and increasing their fines to such vnreasonable rates, that the poore tenant can scarce with the sweate of his face earne his bread.
Neither doth he angle with this bait in the Court and country only, but he thinketh it fit for the city also: for he cometh to the covetous Merchant, and promiseth him that in such a country he shall have good traffic, if he will dissemble his religion, that is, deny Christ before men: he offereth to the shop-keeper increase of wealth, if he will use false weights & measures, and false lights, or else sell such wares as are neither profitable for the Church nor Common-wealth; or adulterate and falsify his stuff by mixing bad with good; or ask double the price, swearing that it cost him more than afterwards himself is contented to take: in a word, if in buying and selling he will use fraud, lying, swearing and forswearing, he promiseth to make him a rich man, though oftentimes he deceiveth him, for in stead of increasing in wealth by these ungodly practises, oftentimes he becomes bankrupt, the Lord laying his curse on those wicked means, without whose blessing the builder buildeth and the labourer laboureth but in vain, as it is Psal. 127. 1.2.1