A20752:715
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. 4 1Thirdly, the sincerity and uprightness of the writers of the holy scriptures, is a manifest argument that they were guided and directed by Gods spirit; for they deliver nothing in their own name, but in the name of the Lord, not arrogating any praise unto themselves, but ascribing all glory unto God; neither did they in their preachings or writings seek themselves, or aim at any worldly benefit; nay rather they were content to be contemptible, subject to scoffs and taunts, yea to offer themselves to death, and deprivation of all worldly felicity, for the truth of God which they had delivered. And whereas divers of them might have lived in all pomp, if they would have followed the times, winked at the sins of rulers, and suppressed the word of the Lord, which they had received of him; they chose rather to suffer persecution, yea death it self, then they would keep back any of the counsel of God, as ⟨p. 326⟩appeareth in the example of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Michaeas, Zechariah, A•nos, and many others of the Prophets, and Apostles. Neither do they in their writings abstain only from seeking their own glory and praise, but also set down those things which might tend to their discredit, to the end God might be glorified in their infirmities, the truth confessed and preserved, and the Church of God benefited, when by seeing the weakness of the most strong, they are kept from presuming on their own strength, and from despairing in Gods mercy. And thus Moses concealeth not the fall of our grand parents, the drunkenness of Noah, the incest of Lot, the lie of Isaac, the whoredom of Judas; nay which more nearly concerned him, he plainly revealeth the horrible and bloody sin of his grandfather Levi, 2and Simeon, in murdering the Sichemites, and the curse of their father Jacob pronounced against them for this their outrage, Genes. 49.5.6. which could not in humane reason but be dishonourable to his stock & progeny, and offensive to all who were of that tribe: furthermore he displayeth the corruptions, imperfections, and often rebellions of that people whose salvation he preferred before his own soul; he spareth not to set down the Idolatry of his own brother Aaron, nor the sin of his sister Miriam in murmuring against him, nor of Aaron's sons in offering with strange fire.