A20752:490
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.
CHAP. VII. That we may be assured of our election, proved by divers arguments.
CHAP. VII. That we may be assured of our election, prooued by diuers arguments.
§. Sect. 1 And thus have I showed by plain testimonies of scriptures,1 that we may infallibly be assured of our election; now I will also prove the same by strong arguments, drawn from the same fountain. First therefore we may thus reason; Whatsoever is manifestly showed unto us in the Gospel, that we are bound to believe, and of that we may be assured: but it is manifestly declared in the Gospel, that we are elected unto everlasting life: and therefore we are bound to believe it, and may be assured that we are elected. The proposition or first part of this reason containeth two branches: the first is, that we are bound to believe whatsoever the Gospel revealeth; the second, that we may be assured of it; both which are evident truths. For that which Christ commandeth, that we are bound to perform: but he commandeth us to believe the Gospel, Mar. 1.15. Repent and believe the Gospel. 2So this is his commandment that we believe &c. 1. Joh. 3.23. The breach of which commandment is punished with everlasting death. For he that will not believe shall be damned, as it is Mar.3 16.16. And as we are bound to believe it, so we may also come to be assured thereof; seeing the Gospel commandeth us nothing, which it doth not also by the inward and ordinary cooperation of Gods spirit enable us to perform. For this difference is between the commandments of the Law and the commandments of the Gospel: the Law showeth us the duties which we should perform, but ministers unto us no power whereby we may be enabled to perform them; but the Gospel being assisted with the operation of Gods spirit, doth command and withal giveth us ability to perform the commandment, for the words of the Gospel are spirit and life, as our Saviour speaketh,