A20752:486
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 But here the tempter will object further;1 it is true indeed that every faithful man, may apply the general promises of the Gospel unto himself, but all the question is whether thou canst know that thou hast faith or no, seeing many who continue in their infidelity, brag most of their faith. I answer that it cannot be denied but that many are deceived, by contenting themselves with their carnal security, in stead of a lively faith; but hence it followeth not, that because many are deceived with an opinion of faith, therefore those that believe indeed cannot be assured that they have faith; ⟨p. 194⟩no more then this followeth, some men dream that they are rich, and are not so indeed when they awake, therefore no man knoweth whether he be rich or no; for what is their secure opinion, but an idle dream of their own brains, which hath no warrant out of Gods word? where as faith certainly and evidently persuadeth, and like a candle doth not only manifest other things, but also it self appeareth by his own light. So that as a man who seeth and feeleth the fire and the heat thereof, doth certainly know that he seeth and feeleth it, so he that believeth in Christ doth know that he believeth indeed: yea as much more certain is this knowledge, as the knowledge of faith grounded upon Gods word which is infallible, is more certain than the knowledge of the senses, which are often deceived. Furthermore if we could not be assured that we have faith, then to what purpose serves the admonition of the Apostle 2. Cor. 13.5.2 Try your selves whether you are in the faith, examine your selves: know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates? In which words the Apostle plainly implieth, that we may know that we have a true and lively faith, or else this trial and examination were vain: nay he plainly saith that we may know that Christ is in us, except we be reprobates, and consequently that we have faith; for this only is the hand whereby we apply Christ unto us and all his benefits.3 So