A20752:806
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.
so alike nay much more foolish is he, who finding it now a hard matter to turn unto God and to forsake his sins deferreth it for many years together; till the corruption ⟨p. 385⟩of nature have received double strength by long custom imagining that then he can very easily attain unto his purpose, let us therefore break of our sins by unfeigned repentance, and take heed of confirming our natural corruptions by long custom,1 for as one saith Dum consuetudini non resistitur fit necessitas, whilst custom is not broken it becometh necessity, and as another,2 Sicut non potest aliquis dediscere maternam linguam, sic vix longam peccati consuetudinem, as a man cannot easily forget his mother tongue, so neither can he leave customable sin. So it is said Job 20.11. that the wicked mans bones are full of the sins of his youth and that they shall lie down with him in the dust; whereby it is implied that as diseases after they are entered into the marrow & bones are incurable in so much as they go with men to their graves; so sins and vices which are the sicknesses of the soul having seized and taken fast hold of a man by long and continual custom from his youth; will most hardly leave him in his age but will hang fast on till the day of his death. And hence it is that the Lord by his Prophet doth note it to be a thing impossible in respect of human power to leave those sins which are customablely committed. Jer. 1323. Can the black more change his skin; or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil. and therefore if ever we mean to leave our sins & to turn unto God it is best to begin before the corruptions of nature be confirmed by custom.
so alike nay much more foolish is hee, who finding it nowe a hard matter to turne vnto God and to forsake his sinnes deferreth it for many yeares togither; till the corruptition ⟨p. 385⟩of nature haue receiued double strength by long custōe imagining that then hee can very easily attaine vnto his purpose, let vs therefore breake of our sinnes by vnfained repentance, and take heed of confirming our naturall corruptions by long custome,