A20752:320
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.
And therefore if we would resist this temptation, we must labour after true knowledge, that we may not depend upon others for our direction, but upon the word of God alone, and not live by example, but by precept; for the straightest rule that ever was of the most holy mans life (our Saviour Christ excepted) is often and in many places crooked (for who is it that hath not erred and gone astray?) and therefore if we always follow their examples in all particulars, we shall err with them besides all our own errors.
And therefore if we would resist this temptation, we must labour after true knowledge, that we may not depend vpon others for our direction, but vpon the word of God alone, and not liue by example, but by precept; for the straightest rule that euer was of the most holy mans life (our Sauiour Christ excepted) is often and in many places crooked (for who is it that hath not erred and gone astray?) and therefore if we alwaies follow their examples in all particulars, we shall erre with them besides all our owne errors.
§. Sect. 9 So also he useth the help of our own flesh to betray the spirit, and lead us captive into sin; and that so cunningly,1 that we can hardly discern between Satan's suggestions and our own corrupt motions and desires: for being a spirit, he doth not appear in a corporal shape and persuade us to sin with real words, which are conveyed to the heart by the ear, but he cometh to us after a spiritual manner, and suggesteth secretly his temptations into the heart and mind directly and immediately, so as we can seldom distinguish his motions from our own thoughts. For as the spirit of God doth so move us to all virtuous and holy actions, as that in the mean time we would think his motions to be our own godly cogitations,2 but that we are sufficiently instructed out of Gods word, that we cannot of our selves so much as think a good thought unless it proceed from ⟨p. 102⟩