A20752:599
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. 2 Secondly, they object that we are unworthy of Gods love,1 or to be elected, and therefore we cannot be assured thereof. I answer, this were true if Gods election depended upon our worthiness and deserts; but seeing the Lord respecteth not any thing in us, but elected us freely of his undeserved grace and mere goodwill; our unworthiness in our selves may well stand with the assurance of our election: for those who are most unworthy need not to doubt of Gods love and their election and salvation, so that they wholly rely upon Gods mercy and Christs merits by a true and lively faith; forasmuch as they are not grounded upon their worthiness, and therefore cannot be overthrown by their unworthiness. Notable is the saying of Augustine to this purpose. Tria (inquit) sunt quae sic roborant & confirmant cor meum, ut nulla me penuriae meritorum &c. There are three things (saith he) which so strengthen and confirm my heart, that no want of merits, no consideration of mine own vileness, no estimation of the heavenly blessedness, can deject me from the height of my hope: upon them ⟨p. 264⟩my soul is surely settled. Wilt thou know what they are? I consider three things upon which my hope wholly relieth, to wit, the love of adoption,2 the truth of the promise, the ability of performance. Let now my foolish cogitation murmur as much as it will, saying, but who art thou, or how great is that glory; or with what merits doest thou hope to obtain it? And I will boldly answer, I know whom I have believed, and I am assured, because God hath adopted me in great love, because he is true in his promise, because he is powerful in performance, for he may do what he will.
§. Sect. 2 Secondly, they obiect that we are vnworthie of Gods loue,1 or to be elected, and therefore we cannot be assured thereof. I answere, this were true if Gods election depended vpon our worthinesse and deserts; but seeing the Lord respecteth not any thing in vs, but elected vs freely of his vndeserued grace and meere goodwill; our vnworthinesse in our selues may well stand with the assurance of our election: for those who are most vnworthie neede not to doubt of Gods loue and their election and saluation, so that they wholy rely vpon Gods mercie and Christs merits by a true and liuely faith; forasmuch as they are not grounded vpon their worthinesse, and therefore cannot be ouerthrowne by their vnworthinesse. Notable is the saying of Austine to this purpose. Tria (inquit) sunt quae sic roborant & confirmant cor meum, vt nulla me penuriae meritorum &c. There are three things (saith he) which so strengthen and confirme my heart, that no want of merits, no consideration of mine owne vilenesse, no estimation of the heauenly blessednesse, can deiect me from the height of my hope: vpon them