A20752:494
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. 3 Neither must this faith and assurance of our election and salvation be mixed with doubting,1 as the Papists would bear us in hand, who make doubting not an infirmity, but a commendable virtue of their faith: for faith & doubting though they are often mixed in Gods children, yet in respect of their own natures they are opposed in the scriptures one against the other. So it is said of Abraham, 2that he doubted not of Gods promise through unbelief, but was strengthened in the faith, Rom. 4.20. where the Apostle showeth, that doubting is a fruit of unbelief and not a commendable virtue; nay, he opposeth it to faith, saying, that he doubted not of the promise, but was strengthened in the faith. So the Apostle James chap. 1.5. saith, If any man lack wisdom, 3let him ask in faith and waver not; where he opposeth faith to wavering or doubting. And our Saviour Christ also maketh this opposition, Matth, 21.21. saying, If ye have faith and doubt not. 4So that though faith and doubting are not opposed in respect of the subject wherein they are, for even the most dear children of God have their faith often mixed with doubting, they being partly flesh and partly spirit; yet these two in their own natures ⟨p. 200⟩are opposed one against the other; and even in respect of their subject they thus far disagree, that though they have their subsistence in the same subject, yet not in the same part; that is, though they be in the same man, yet not in the same part, for faith is in the regenerate and spiritual part, doubting in the unregenerate or fleshly part.
§. Sect. 3 Neither must this faith and assurance of our election and saluation be mixt with doubting,