A20752:324
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. 10 Seeing therefore the matter standeth thus;1 how may we resist Satan, considering that we cannot discern his suggestions from our own cogitations? I answer; we must be skilful in Gods word, and thereby able to judge what is good and what is evil, to discern what is virtue and what is vice, what God hath commanded and what he hath forbidden, which be the motions of Gods spirit, and which the suggestions of Satan, and the thoughts of our corrupt flesh; and then are we carefully to embrace that which our conscience approveth as good, being informed by Gods word, and to avoid and reject those motions which we know to be evil, whether they do proceed from Satan or from our selves; for it is not greatly material to know who is the author of them, so we are assured that they are evil and wicked; neither is it any dangerous error to ascribe Satan's suggestions to our corrupt flesh; or to attribute the wicked thought of our own flesh unto Satan: for though he be not the next ⟨p. 104⟩and immediate cause, yet he is the first and principal cause of all sin and wickedness. And hence it is that in the Scriptures the same wicked motion and action is sometimes ascribed to man, and sometimes to Satan indifferently as appeareth,2 Act. 5.3.5 where first Peter affirmeth Satan to be the author of Ananias sin, by filling his heart with his suggestions, whereby he was tempted to lie unto the holy Ghost, and after he saith that Ananias had conceived this lie in his own heart.
§. Sect. 10 Seeing therefore the matter standeth thus;1 how may we resist Sathan, considering that we cannot discerne his suggestions from our owne cogitations? I answere; wee must be skilful in Gods word, and thereby able to iudge what is good and what is euill, to discerne what is vertue and what is vice, what God hath commaunded and what he hath forbidden, which be the motions of Gods spirit, and which the suggestions of Sathan, and the thoughts of our corrupt flesh; and then are we carefully to imbrace that which our conscience approoueth as good, being enformed by Gods word, and to auoyde and reiect those motions which we know to be euill, whether they doe proceede from Sathan or from our selues; for it is not greatly materiall to know who is the author of them, so we are assured that they are euill and wicked; neither is it any dangerous error to ascribe Sathans suggestions to our corrupt flesh; or to attribute the wicked thought of our owne flesh vnto Sathan: for though he be not the next