A20752:483
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. 4 And thus you see that the covenant of grace was therefore made with us,1 that we might be assured of our election, and that the whole Gospel is nothing else but Gods embassy, whereby he certifieth us of his free and undeserved love in Jesus Christ: but let us further consider of some special testimonies whereby this assurance is confirmed. Rom. 5.1. it is said,2 that being justified by faith, we have peace towards God ⟨p. 191⟩through our Lord Jesus Christ. But what peace can we have, if we be not assured of our election, but have our minds distracted and racked between faith and doubting, hope and despair? Rom. 8.38. the Apostle professeth,3 that he is persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, &c. nor any other creature should be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is true (will the tempter say) that Paul had this assurance of his election and salvation, but it was by some special revelation, and nor ordinarily; and therefore it followeth not hereof that every particular Christian can have this assurance. I answer, that the Apostle groundeth not his faith on revelations in that place, but on a foundation common to him with all true Christians, namely on the death of Christ, vers. 32.4 on Gods free justification, ver. 33. and upon Christs intercession, ver. 34. and from hence he confirmeth his and our resolution, that nothing should separate us from the love of Christ, vers. 35. from the love of God in him. Whosoever therefore with Paul believeth that Christ died for him, that God freely justifieth him through Christs merits, and that our Saviour fitteth at the right hand of his Father to make intercession for him, he may be assured of Gods love, and consequently of his election. Secondly, Paul speaketh this not of himself alone, but also of all the faithful, and therefore he useth the plural number, I am persuaded that nothing shall be able to separate us. So