A20752:401
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. 7 Secondly, if we do not believe that God loveth us,1 we make him a liar, for he hath professed his love, and given us many testimonies thereof in his word, neither doth he require any condition at our hands but that we believe him. For his merciful promises do not exclude any for their unworthiness, but for their unbelief: according to that, John 3.16. So God loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, 2but have everlasting life. Seeing then there is no other condition required but faith, for the assurance of Gods love and everlasting life; surely most desperately do we sin against our own souls, and most blasphemously against God, if we will not believe his word confirmed by his seal, no not his oath whereby he hath ratified his covenant between him and us, but make him, who is truth it self, a liar, a covenant breaker, yea, a perjured person. For so the Apostle speaketh, 1. John 5.10. He that believeth not God, hath made him a liar, 3because he believed not the record, that God witnessed of his Sonne. Though therefore we sin, yet let us not thus blaspheme; though we be grievous sinners, and unworthy Gods love, yet let us not add this to all our other sins and unworthiness, to distrust Gods trueth in his gracious promises: for if we put all our other sins into the one school, and this alone into the other, yet will it weigh down all the rest; neither are we damned for our other sins, if we do not add unto them infidelity. For whereas the precious balm of ⟨p. 146⟩our Saviours blood is a sovereign salve to cure all other sores of sin; yet this it cannot help, because it doth refuse the cure, and as it were pulleth off this precious plaster when it is laid on it.
§. Sect. 7 Secondly, if we doe not beleeue that God loueth vs,1