A20752:337
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.
1Fourthly, when we are assaulted by our spiritual enemies and tempted unto any sin, we must not only abstain from committing thereof, but also take occasion thereby of doing the contrary virtue. For example, when we are tempted to unlawful pleasures, we must not only abstain from them, but also we are somewhat to abridge our selves of those that be lawful, and the more seriously and painfully to follow the works of our lawful callings; when we are tempted to covetousness, we must the more carnestly exercise the works of mercy and christian liberality; when we are tempted to ambition, we must not only refrain from vainglory, but we must labour after true humility and mortification, refusing not only unlawful honours, but those also which are lawful, so oft as we have just cause to fear that Satan will (taking occasion of our corruption) hereby cause us to forget God; when we are tempted to neglect the hearing of Gods word on the Lords Sabaoth, we are the more diligently to hear it, not only then, being bound hereunto by Gods commandment, as being one of the chief means of sanctifying this day consecrated to Gods service; but also on the week days, if the Lord give us fit ⟨p. 108⟩opportunity, when as we might lawfully be exercised in the duties of our callings. In a word, when we are tempted to any vice, we are to take occasion thereby of doing the contrary virtue; in the mean time carefully avoiding the policy of Satan, before spoken of, whereby he laboureth to draw us from one vice to his contrary extreme. And so like valiant soldiers we shall not only avoid the danger and violence of Satan's strokes, but also we shall give Satan the foil with his own weapon, yea and make him afraid to assault us again with his temptations, least when he provoketh us unto sin, we take occasion thereby to serve God, and more constantly to embrace virtue.
1Fourthly, when we are assaulted by our spirituall enemies and tempted vnto any sinne, we must not only abstaine from committing thereof, but also take occasion thereby of doing the contrary vertue. For example, whē we are tempted to vnlawful pleasures, we must not only abstaine from thē, but also we are somewhat to abridge our selues of those that be lawfull, and the more feriously and painfully to follow the works of our lawfull callings; when we are tempted to couetousnes, we must the more carnestly exercise the works of mercie and christian liberalitie; when we are tēpted to ambition, we must not only refraine frō vainglorie, but we must labour after true humilitie and mortification, refusing not only vnlawfull honours, but those also which are lawfull, so oft as we haue iust cause to feare that Sathan wil (taking occasion of our corruption) hereby cause vs to forget God; when we are tempted to neglect the hearing of Gods word on the Lords Sabbaoth, wee are the more diligently to heare it, not only then, being bound hereunto by Gods commandement, as being one of the chief means of sanctifying this day consecrated to Gods seruice; but also on the weeke daies, if the Lord giue vs fit