A20752:468
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.
Although indeed, because the Lord would show his absolute and almighty power, he doth not always tie himself unto means, but sometimes crosseth and maketh them uneffectuall to their ends, and sometime he effecteth what he will, without or contrary to all means; and hence it is that some quickly die who use all means to preserve health, and some become poor who use all means of obtaining riches, whereas others being deprived of the means attain unto long life and riches by the immediate blessing of God. But ordinarily the means and end go together, and therefore it is fond presumption to imagine or hope, without the use of the means, to attain unto the end. And thus it is also in spiritual matters appertaining to everlasting life; those whom God hath elected, he hath ordained also that they should attain unto and use all good means tending thereunto, namely faith, repentance, sanctification, and newness of life: and therefore it is as absurd for any to imagine, that they shall be saved continuing in their ignorance, infidelity, unrepentancie, and filthy corruptions, as it is for a man to think that ⟨p. 182⟩he shall live to be old, and yet runneth into all dangers, forsaketh physic yea and food also whereby his life should be sustained. For the spiritual means of salvation are as well (nay much more) contained in Gods decree, as the corporal means of preserving life: for it hath been heard-of, that some have lived in the middest of dangers, and in the absence of meat, for a long time; but it was never heard that any have attained unto everlasting life without faith, repentance, and sanctification: for even the thief upon the cross believed in Christ, and showed the fruits of his faith in acknowledging his own sin reproving his fellow, in confessing our Saviour Christ even then when his Apostles denied and forsook him, in calling upon his name and desiring by his means everlasting life.
Although indeede, because the Lord would shew his absolute and almightie power, he doth not alwaies tie himselfe vnto meanes, but sometimes crosseth and maketh them vneffectuall to their ends, and sometime he effecteth what he will, without or contrarie to all meanes; and hence it is that some quickly die who vse all meanes to preserue health, and some become poore who vse al meanes of obtaining riches, whereas others being depriued of the meanes attaine vnto long life and riches by the immediate blessing of God. But ordinarily the meanes and end goe together, and therefore it is fond presumption to imagine or hope, without the vse of the meanes, to attaine vnto the end. And thus it is also in spirituall matters appertaining to euerlasting life; those whom God hath elected, he hath ordained also that they should attaine vnto and vse all good meanes tending thereunto, namely faith, repentance, sanctification, and newnesse of life: and therefore it is as absurd for any to imagine, that they shall be saued continuing in their ignorance, infidelitie, vnrepentancie, and filthie corruptions, as it is for a man to thinke that