A20752:832
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.
1I answer first, that though all this were certain, true, and not to be doubted of, yet it is a most unthankful part and horrible ingratitude against our gracious God and loving father to take occasion of his mercy the more to offend him, as before I have showed. Secondly I answer, that as God hath showed his mercy in the gracious promises of the Gospel, so also he hath as plainly declared his justice in the severe threatenings of the law, and he is as true in the one as in the other: And therefore all the question is who shall taste of his mercy, and who of his justice, seeing that is promised to some, and this threatened against others; or rather in truth it is without all question, for the Lord hath plainly showed in his word that he will extend his mercy to all repentant sinners and to them only, and that he will declare his justice in pouring out his just judgements upon the wicked who live in their sins, and especially upon those who take occasion of Gods mercy to continue in their unrepentancie, ⟨p. 404⟩despising the riches of his bountifulness, his patience & long suffering; for hereby they heap unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath and the declaration of the just judgment of God, as the Apostle speaketh, Rom. 2.4.5. Though then there be never so many sweet promises in the gospel, yet they who continue in their sins without repentance can reap no true comfort by them, because they are not made to them but to repentant sinners; and on the other side though there be never so many terrible threatenings denounced in the law, yet the penitent sinner need not to fear them, seeing they are threatened only against those who continue in their impenitency; though God be of infinite mercy let not the wicked man who liveth in his sins presume, seeing it is sufficiently declared in pardoning the sins of repentant sinners. Neither let him who is truly penitent despair because God is of infinite justice, seeing it is sufficiently manifested in punishing the sins of those who continue in their unrepentancie;
1I answere first, that though al this were certaine, true, and not to bee doubted of, yet it is a most vnthankefull part and horrible ingratitude against our gracious God and louing father to take occasion of his mercie the more to offend him, as before I haue shewed. Secondly I answere, that as God hath shewed his mercy in the gratious promises of the Gospell, so also he hath as plainely declared his iustice in the seuere threatnings of the law, and he is as true in the one as in the other: And therefore all the question is who shal tast of his mercy, and who of his iustice, seing that is promised to some, and this threatned against others; or rather in truth it is without all question, for the Lord hath plainely shewed in his word that hee will extend his mercy to all repentant sinners and to them onely, and that he will declare his iustice in powring out his iust iudgements vpon the wicked who liue in their sinnes, and especially vpon those who take occasion of Gods mercie to continue in their vnrepentancie,