A20752:929
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.
Seeing then these suggestions come from Satan who is our malicious enemy,1 and a liar from the beginning yea the father of lies we are not to believe them, nay rather we may gather certain assurance that the contrary is true; for the speaketh only lies, or if at any time he speak the trueth it is to this end that he may deceive us. For example he telleth the secure carnal may that he is in the state of grace, and highly in Gods favour, but unto the humbled sinner he saith, that he is a reprobate & shall most certainly be damned; unto the worldly secure man he saith that God is most merciful, then the which nothing can be more true, but doth not speak this in his conscience, because he would have him to taste thereof but to lull him a sleep with this sweet siren song to his eternal perdition. On the other side when he hath to deal with the bruised heart and contrite spirit, he telleth him of nothing but of Gods exact justice, to the end that he may plunge him into utter desperation: In a word whatsoever he speaketh in the conscience of man, it is either false in it self or if true in them yet false in hypocrisy, if true in the general, yet false in the particular application. As what can be more true then that God is just? and what more false then that he will exercise his justice in punishing repentant and humbled sinners? what can be more true then that God is most merciful? and what more false then that he will show this his mercy is saving those who ⟨p. 464⟩live and die in their sins without repentance? & yet it is most usual with Satan to affirm both the one and the other, lying in both because he doth misapply them. And therefore seeing Satan doth never speak the truth or else doth falsely apply it in respect of our estate, let us acquaint our selves with his false language; and so by hearing his lies we may be the better assured of the truth;
Seeing then these suggestions come from Sathan who is our malicious enemie,1 and a lyar from the beginning yea the father of lies we are not to beleeue thē, nay rather we may gather certaine assurance that the contrarie is true; for the speaketh onely lyes, or if at any time hee speake the trueth it is to this ende that hee may deceiue vs. For example hee telleth the secure carnall may that hee is in the state of grace, and highly in Gods fauour, but vnto the humbled sinner hee saith, that he is a reprobate & shal most certainly be damned; vnto the worldly secure man hee saith that God is most mercifull, then the which nothing can bee more true, but doth not speake this in his conscience, because hee would haue him to tast thereof but to lull him a sleepe with this sweete syren song to his eternall perdition. On the other side when hee hath to deale with the brused heart and contrite spirite, hee telleth him of nothing but of Gods exact iustice, to the ende that hee may plunge him into vtter desperation: In a word whatsoeuer hee speaketh in the conscience of man, it is eyther false in it selfe or if true in them yet false in hypocrisie, if true in the generall, yet false in the particular application. As what can bee more true then that God is iust? and what more false then that hee will excercise his iustice in punishing repentant and humbled sinners? what can be more true then that God is most merciful? and what more false then that he wil shew this his mercy is sauing those who