A20752:766
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.
CHAP. XXV. Satan's temptations taken from our unworthiness and unfitness to hear, answered.
CHAP. XXV. Sathans temptations taken from our vnworthinesse and vnfitnesse to heare, answered.
§ Sect. 1 And so much concerning the temptations of Satan,1 which he draweth from the Ministers, to discredit the Gospel, and to dissuade men from the hearing thereof; but if he cannot thus prevail, he will leave the Ministers, and come to the parties themselves, suggesting into their minds that they are unworthy, in respect of the innumerable number of their sins, to be hearers of the Gospel, which is so pure and excellent; and that their corruptions are so great, their understandings so blind, their memories so slippery, their wills so perverse, their heart and affections so wicked and profane, that it is to be feared in regard of this their unfitness to hear, that the word of God, which in it self is the savour of life unto life, will become unto them the savour of death to their more deep condemnation. For the answering of which temptation, we are to know, first, that our sins and unworthiness should be so far from hindering us from the hearing of Gods words, that they should rather serve as forcible arguments to move us more attentively and diligently to hear it: because it is the means ordained of God to pull us out of our sins, to purge us from our corruptions, to work in us true sanctification, and to make us of the sons of wrath the children of God. Moreover, though we want faith and all other sanctifying graces, yet we are to hear the word of God: for therefore the Lord hath ordained the ministry of the word, not only to increase grace where it is begun, but also to beget and begin it where it is wanting; so that we must not only hear because we are fit, but also that we may be made fit, who before were unfit. Neither are we to imagine that faith and other graces go before hearing, but follow after as fruits and effects thereof;