A20752:728
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 But it may be objected,1 that if the Lord who is infinite in wisdom were the author of the Scriptures, they would have excelled all humane writings in conceit of wit, and excellency of phrase and stile, as far as God excelleth man, whereas we see that they are penned after a most simple plain and unpolished manner. To which I answer, that it doth not become a ⟨p. 334⟩Prince to play the Orator when he setteth out an edict, nor to use Rhetorical figures and alluring persuasions when he hath to deal with his subjects, but rather peremptory commandments and plain phrases, full of gravity and authority without all affectation; and how much less should the chief commander of King and subject, use such a stile as savoured any whit of humane eloquence, seeing, it better beseemeth his majesty plainly to command, than to persuade, or allure with enticing speeches? Secondly, the Scriptures were penned by the holy Ghost, not only for the wise and learned, but also for the simple and ignorant: and therefore howsoever the Lord in the profundity of his wisdom, could have written in such a lofty stile as would have filled even the most learned with admiration, yet he useth a simple easy stile fit for the capacity of all, because it was for the use of all, and necessary to salvation to be understood of all sorts and conditions. As therefore he frameth himself to our shallow capacity in the penning of the Scriptures, and speaketh not according to his unsearchable wisdom, but after the manner of men, or else no man, no not the most wise and learned could understand him: so he thought it fit to speak aswell to the capacity of the simple as the wise, because the knowledge of his word was no less necessary to salvation to these than to the other; and in his mercy and goodness he vouchsafed as well milk to the babe, as strong meat to those who were come to more ripe years in knowledge and spiritual wisdom. At which the wise and learned have no reason to be offended, seeing the salvation of one is as dear to God as of another, and they may with greater facility understand the Scriptures being plain and easy, which could not be understood of the simple, if they were penned in a lofty eloquent phrase.
§. Sect. 3 But it may bee obiected,1 that if the Lord who is infinite in wisedome were the author of the Scriptures, they would haue excelled all humane writings in conceit of wit, and excellencie of phrase and stile, as farre as God excelleth man, whereas wee see that they are penned after a most simple plaine and vnpolished manner. To which I answere, that it doth not become a