A20752:319
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. 8 Secondly,1 Satan assaulteth us sometimes by his deputies and instruments; especially he employeth in these services, the world and the flesh. In the world he doth not only make choice of our enemies and profane irreligious men, which he stirreth up to afflict and persecute us, to the end we may be discouraged from the profession and practise of true godliness; but also of our dear friends and acquaintance and our near kindred: sometime our brother or sister, our parents and children, yea sometimes a mans wife which lieth in his boo some, playeth the part of the tempter. As we may see in the example of Job, who was not so much vexed by all his outward afflictions, as by the temptation of his wife, and three friends. The same is evident in the example of Eve, whom Satan used as his instrument to entice Adam to the breach of Gods commandment: and Jezebel who was the devils deputy, in provoking her husband to oppression and horrible murder. Neither doth he only use to these ends our carnal friends, but also our spiritual kindred in Christ, who are of the same religion, and make the same profession with us; and thus by the old Prophet, he enticed the young Prophet to transgress Gods commandment.2 1. King. 13. And thus he tempted our Saviour Christ to neglect the work of our redemption, using the Apostle Peter as his instrument; and therefore because he supplied the devils place, ⟨p. 101⟩our Saviour calleth him by his name saying,3 Get thee behind me Satan, thou art an offence to me, Matth. 16.23. And thus nowadays he useth professors, yea preachers of the Gospel, as means to tempt men to sin, both by their words and evil examples: which temptation is far more dangerous and of greater force, then if all worldlings should combine themselves together, and labour both by persuasion and example to seduce them; for when they can say I am a professor as well as thou,4