A20752:495
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.
1Doubting then is no virtue of faith, but opposed thereunto as a fruit of unbelief; it proceedeth not from the spirit but from the flesh, and as a fruit of the flesh it is condemned in Gods word, though the Papists highly commend it. So Matth. 14.31. our Saviour reprehendeth Peter for his doubting; O thou of little faith, 2wherefore diddest thou doubt? And Luk. 12.29. he telleth us that we must not stand in doubt, or (as the word [Greek or Hebrew] signifieth) be not like unto meteors which are carried about in the air with every wind.3 And the Apostle James chap.4 1.7. compareth him that wavereth or doubteth, to a wave of the sea tossed of the wind and carried away. And Paul is so far from commending doubting for a virtue, that he doth not only condemn it as a sin in it self, but also as a cause which maketh our actions which are indifferent or good in themselves to become sins. So the eating of this or that meat is a thing indifferent and lawful if it be received with prayer and thanksgiving, but yet the Apostle telleth us Rom. 14.23. that he who doubteth is condemned if he eat; 5and he rendereth this reason, because he eateth not of faith, and whatsoever is not of faith is sin. So that by this he showeth, that he who doubteth, eateth not of faith; and that whatsoever is not done of faith is sin. Seeing therefore doubting is opposed unto faith, and is in it self not only a sin, but also a cause of sin; let us not entertain it though it bring letters commendatory from the Pope and all his shavelings; but labour to banish it out of our harts, and strive after faith and full assurance of our election and salvation in Christ Jesus; and though we find our great unworthiness of the least of Gods mercies, and cannot see any reason in our selves why we should believe that we are elected and shall be saved, yet let us hope against hope, and believe against belief, for it is not a thing left to our choice but enjoined us