A20752:400
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. 6 Secondly,1 the tempter will object that the Lord hath given all these testimonies and pledges of his love unto his Church, and that it therefore may well be assured thereof; but as for particular men, they notwithstanding may justly doubt of his love, seeing they have no special reasons to persuade them that these testimonies and pledges were given unto them. But I answer that this is a fond of objection. For what is the Church, but the whole company of Gods saints? What is it but a body consisting of many members, which are particular christians? how therefore can the whole Church be persuaded of Gods love, if all the several members doubt thereof? How can any thing belong to the whole, which belongeth not to the particular parts? as though a whole city could be assured of the Princes favour, ⟨p. 145⟩and yet all the particular men in the city should think themselves in his displeasure. Saint Paul teacheth us another lesson in his own person, saying;2 Gal. 2.20. Who hath loved me and given his life for me: he saith not, who hath loved and given his life for the Church, but for himself. Neither doth the Apostle here speak this by revelation, whereby he might extraordinarily be assured of Gods love: but he useth for his argument a reason common to all Christians; namely, that God loved him, because he had given himself to death for him: whosoever therefore believeth with Paul that Christ dyed for him, may be assured also with him of Gods love.
§. Sect. 6 Secondly,1 the tempter will obiect that the Lord hath giuen all these testimonies and pledges of his loue vnto his Church, and that it therefore may well be assured thereof; but as for particular men, they notwithstanding may iustly doubt of his loue, seeing they haue no speciall reasons to perswade them that these testimonies and pledges were giuen vnto them. But I answere that this is a fond of obiection. For what is the Church, but the whole company of Gods saints? What is it but a body consisting of many members, which are particular christians? how therefore can the whole Church be perswaded of Gods loue, if all the seuerall members doubt thereof? How can any thing belong to the whole, which belongeth not to the particular parts? as though a whole citie could be assured of the Princes fauour,