A20752:485
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. 5 But against that which hath been said the tempter objecteth,1 that the promises of the Gospel are general and indefinite, and therefore no man can gather out of them any certain assurance of his particular election. I answer that this consequence is false: for out of a general and indefinite proposition, we may truly and by the laws of reason gather and infer a particular conclusion, though not contrariwise. For example, if I thus conclude; all men are reasonable creatures: ⟨p. 193⟩but I am a man; therefore I am a reasonable creature: it is rightly and truly inferred. Though therefore the promises of the Gospel be contained in general propositions, yet may every faithful man as certainly conclude, that they belong unto him, as if they were particularly applied unto him by name.2 For when the Lord by his ambassadors maketh this general proposition in the preaching of the word; whosoever truly believe in Christ, they are all elected unto everlasting life; the faithful hearer maketh this assumption in his mind, but I by the grace of God, and by the preaching of his word made effectual by his spirit, have a true faith begotten in me, whereby I believe in Christ my Saviour; and therefore Gods promise of life and salvation belongeth unto me. And thus also doth the conscience of man out of the general curses of the law conclude that he is accursed; for when the law delivereth this proposition in general, Cursed is every one who abideth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them; 3every particular man maketh this assumption in his own conscience, but I have not continued in all to do it, nay in stead of doing all, I have neglected all, in stead of continuing in obedience, I have been continually disobedient, in stead of doing the duties commanded, I have committed the sins forbidden, and therefore by the sentence of the law I am accursed. So that though both the threatenings of the law, and the promises of the Gospel be general and indefinite, yet doth every mans conscience truly informed by Gods word, gather out of them most certain particular conclusions.
§. Sect. 5 But against that which hath been said the tempter obiecteth,