A20752:927
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.
And therefore if divers of Gods faithful ministers with one consent pronounce unto any penitent sinner the remission of their sins, and assure them after the examination of their estate that they are in the love and favour of God, it should be unto them ten thousand times more forcible an argument to persuade them & to confirm their faith in the assurance of Gods love, then the contrary testimony of Satan or their timorous unbelieving flesh to move them to doubting thereof, if our bodies be sick we commit our selves to the skill and care of the physician, and good reason, because we know he is better able to discern of our estate then we our selves, and believing his judgment to be good we suffer him to apply such remedies as he thinketh most fit; why then should we not commit the discerning of our estate to the physician of the soul no less careful, and in this respect much more skilful? for the others rules in some patients may fail him, but the grounds whereupon the spiritual physician buildeth, are most infallible being the undoubted truth of God. Why should we not rather believe their often approved judgment then our own timorous phantasies, or Satan's testimony who is our malicious enemy?
And therefore if diuers of Gods faithfull ministers with one consent pronounce vnto any paenitent sinner the remission of their sinnes, and assure them after the examination of their estate that they are in the loue and fauour of God, it should be vnto them ten thousand times more forcible an argument to perswade thē & to confirme their faith in the assurāce of Gods loue, then the cōtrarie testimonie of Sathan or their timorous vnbeleeuing flesh to moue them to doubting thereof, if our bodies be sicke we committ our selues to the skill and care of the phisition, and good reason, because wee knowe he is better able to discerne of our estate then we our selues, and beleeuing his iudgment to bee good wee suffer him to applie such remedies as hee thinketh most fitt; why then should wee not committ the discerning of our estate to the phisition of the soule no lesse careful, and in this respect much more skilful? for the others rules in some patients may faile him, but the grounds whereupon the spirituall physition buildeth, are most infallible being the vndoubted truth of God. Why should we not rather beleeue their often approoued iudgment then our owne timorous phantasies, or Sathans testimonie who is our malitious enemie?