A20752:602
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.
True it is that our faith which is in it self weak and feeble, and compassed about with the darkness of ignorance, is mixed and turmoiled with much fear and doubting, by reason of our natural inclination unto diffidence and incredulity, the manifold temptations of Satan, and the burden of our sins lying heavy upon our consciences: which maketh Gods deer children to groan and complain, yea sometime to murmur and repine against God himself, as though he were their enemy, because he suffereth them thus to be vexed; but still it riseth after it hath received a foil, and gathereth new strength against all new assaults, until in the end it obtaineth full victory, so as all the faithful may say with the Apostle 2. Cor. 4.8. ⟨p. 266⟩We are afflicted on every side, 1yet are we not in distress; in poverty but not overcome of poverty. 9. We are persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but we perish not. For though their faith be weak, and their temptations vehement and violent, yet this bruised reed is not broken, this smoking flax is not quenched; for as the reed in a boisterous tempest is blown down even to the ground, but when the tempest is past riseth up again to his former estate; so though the boisterous blasts of Satan's temptations beat us down even to earth, yet by faith we rise again when the storm is overblown.
True it is that our faith which is in it selfe weake and feeble, and compassed about with the darkenesse of ignorance, is mixt and turmoyled with much feare and doubting, by reason of our naturall inclination vnto diffidence and incredulitie, the manifold temptations of Sathan, and the burthen of our sinnes lying heauie vpon our consciences: which maketh Gods deere children to grone and complaine, yea sometime to murmur and repine against God himselfe, as though he were their enemie, because he suffereth them thus to be vexed; but still it riseth after it hath receiued a foyle, and gathereth new strength against all new assaults, vntill in the end it obtaineth full victorie, so as all the faithfull may say with the Apostle 2. Cor. 4.8. ⟨p. 266⟩