A85783:464
The Christian in Complete Armour
The Christian in complete armour. Or, A treatise of the saints war against the Devil, wherein a discovery is made of that grand enemy of God and his people, in his policies, power, seat of his empire, wickedness, and chief design he hath against the saints. A magazine opened: from whence the Christian is furnished with spiritual arms for the battle, helped on with his armour, and taught the use of his weapon, together with the happy issue of the whole war. The first part. / By William Gurnall, Minister of the Gospel in Lavenham. Imprimatur, Edmund Calamy.The Christian in compleat armour. Or, A treatise of the saints war against the Devil, wherein a discovery is made of that grand enemy of God and his people, in his policies, power, seat of his empire, wickednesse, and chiefe designe he hath against the saints. A magazin open'd: from whence the Christian is furnished with spiritual armes for the battel, help't on with his armour, and taught the use of his weapon, together with the happy issue of the whole warre. The first part. / By William Gurnall, Minister of the Gospel in Lavenham. Imprimatur, Edmund Calamy.
London: printed for Ralph Smith, 1655
A TREATISE Of the whole Armour Of God. › Introduction › Chapter 2 › Section 2
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.
Secondly, Satan may lay claim to his Principality by Election; 'Tis true he came in by a wile, but now he is a Prince elect, by the unanimous voice of corrupt nature; Ye are of your father the devil, saith Christ, and his lusts ye will do. But this also hath a flaw in it, for man by law of Creation is Gods subject, and cannot give away Gods right; by sin he loseth his right in God, as a Protector; but God loseth not his right as a Sovereign. Sin disabled man to keep Gods Law, but it doth not enfranchise or dis-oblige him that he need not keep it.
Secondly, Satan may lay claim to his Principality by Election; 'Tis true he came in by a wile, but now he is a Prince elect, by the unanimous voice of corrupt nature; Ye are of your father the devil, saith Christ, and his lusts ye will do. But this also hath a flaw in it, for man by law of Creation is Gods subject, and cannot give away Gods right; by sin he loseth his right in God, as a Protectour; but God loseth not his right as a Soveraign. Sin disabled man to keep Gods Law, but it doth not enfranchise or dis-oblige him that he need not keep it.
Thirdly, Satan may claim a deed of gift from God himself, as he was bold to do to Christ himself upon this ground, persuading him to worship him as the Prince of the world, Luke 4.5, 6. He showed unto him all the Kingdoms of the world, saying, All this will I give thee, for that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will I give it. Where there was a truth, though he spake more then the truth, (as he cannot speak truth, but to gain credit to some lie at the end of it.) God indeed hath delivered in a sense this world to him, but not in his sense to do what he will with it, nor by any approbatory act given him a Patent to vouch him his vice-Roy, not Satan by the grace of God, but by the permission of God Prince of the world.
Thirdly, Satan may claim a deed of gift from God himself, as he was bold to do to Christ himself upon this ground, perswading him to worship him as the Prince of the world,