A20756:35
The conflict between the flesh and the spirit. Or the last part of The…The conflict betvveene the flesh and the spirit. Or the last part of The…
The conflict between the flesh and the spirit. Or the last part of The Christian warfare wherein is described the nature of these combatants, the malice and power of the flesh and fleshly lusts, with the means whereby we may subdue and overcome them. By John Downame Bachelor in Divinity, and preacher of Gods Word.The conflict betvveene the flesh and the spirit. Or the last part of The Christian warfare wherein is described the nature of these combatants, the malice and power of the flesh and fleshly lusts, with the meanes whereby we may subdue and ouercome them. By Iohn Dovvname Batchelar in Diuinitie, and preacher of Gods Word.
London: printed by William Jones, 1618London: printed by William Iones, 1618
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
1Now that we may like Christs faithful soldiers, after a lawful and laudable manner thus fight against them, we must in the first place labour to know what they are, least we mistake our enemies for our friends; to which end we are to understand that the flesh is diversly taken in the scriptures: As (to omit many acceptations of it which are far off and nothing pertinent to our present purpose) sometime it is taken for all mankind; In which sense it is said, that all (a) flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth, that is, all mankind; that all flesh is (b) grass, that is, all mankind is frail and momentany, and that God would (c) pour out his spirit upon all flesh, that is, upon men of all sorts and conditions. Sometimes it is taken for the whole man, 5consisting of soul and body. And thus our Saviour Christ is said, to have been put to death concerning the flesh, that is, his humane nature, his body being severed from his soul, ⟨p. 6⟩and his soul (in his present sense and feeling) from his God, when as upon the cross he bore his wrath for our sins: and the Psalmist, having said, that he would not fear 6what flesh could do unto him, Psal. 56. 4. expoundeth himself in the eleventh verse; In God (saith he) have I put my trust, I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. Sometimes it is taken for the body of man alone consisting of many members. And so the Apostle exhorteth us to cleanse 7our selves from all filthiness of the flesh, and of the spirit; that is body and soul; and the Psalmist saith, that the enemies 8of the Church had cruelly given the flesh of Gods Saints to the beasts of the earth, that is the dead bodies of Gods servants, which also as he saith in the same place, were given to be meat to the fowls of the heaven. Sometime this word flesh signifieth the whole nature of man, as it is born in corruption & polluted with original sin. And thus our Saviour saith, that, that which is born of the flesh, is flesh, that is, if