A20752:734
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.
Which plainly proveth that the Scriptures were not devised by man, but penned by the inspiration of Gods spirit, who by his provident wise dome foreseeth all things, and by his wise providence ruleth all things.
Which plainly proueth that the Scriptures were not deuised by man, but penned by the inspiration of Gods spirit, who by his prouident wise dome foreseeth all things, and by his wise prouidence ruleth all things.
§. Sect. 6 But here Satan will be ready to object,1 that we are not able to prove that these prophecies were written by any such Prophets and holy men as are mentioned in the Scriptures, so long before the things contained in them were done, and that for ought we know they might be forged and foisted in by some cunning fellow after the things were come to pass. The like objections also he maketh against the rest of the Scriptures, as that either there was not any such Moses, or if he were, that he was but some cunning fellow who writ of miracles and wonders never done, to gain credit to his law which he had published; or if he wrote nothing but truth in his time, yet we know not whether these books which go under his name are perfect as he left them, or depraved and corrupted, having many things altered, added, & detracted, according to the pleasure of those who have had the keeping of them. And so also he objecteth against the other parts of holy Scriptures. To this I answer, that as it were great absurdity to call in question the writings of Cicero, Seneca, Plutarch and other Heathen men whether they were penned by any such men or no, because the next age received them from the authors themselves, and delivered them to the next ensuing, and so by tradition from hand to hand they are come unto us; so it is no less absurdity to call into question whether the scriptures were written by the Prophets and Apostles who lived in their several times, seeing the Church hath received them from time to time, and delivered them to their successors to this day. Moreover, the law published by Moses was not in secret or in a corner before some few witnesses, but in the presence of six hundred thousand men, besides women and children, and the strange miracles and works of God full of wonder, which he wrought for the better confirmation of his law given, were done and performed in the presence of many thousands, who made relation of them to their posterity, and they to theirs to this day. Neither was it easy to be corrupted, altered or changed, seeing the lawgiver did straightly charge all men that they should not add, detract, or alter any thing upon pain of present death in this world, and everlasting death in the life to come; who therefore would incur the danger of such fearful punishment for the satisfying of his fruitless fantasy?