A85783:916
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 8 › Section 3
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.
First, we are under a Covenant and Oath to do this. Formerly ⟨p. 375⟩soldiers used to take an oath not to flinch from their colours, but faithfully to cleave to their Leaders, this they called Sacramentum militare, a military oath. Such an oath lies upon every Christian. It is so essential to the being of a Saint, that they are described by this, Psal: 50.5. Gather my Saints together, those that have made a Covenant with me. We are nor Christians, till we have subscribed this Covenant, and that without any reservation. When we take upon us the Profession of Christs Name, we list our selves in his muster-roll, and by it do promise, that we will live and die with him in opposition to all his enemies. Every Nation will walk in the name of his God, and we will walk in the Name of our God; and what is it to walk in the Name of our God, but to fight under the banner of his Gospel, wherein his Name is displayed, by giving an eternal defiance to sin and Satan? If a Captain had not such a tie on his soldiers, he might have them to seek when the day of battle comes: therefore Christ tells us upon what terms he will enrol us among his disciples: If any man will be my disciple, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross, and follow me. He will not entertain us, till we resign up our selves freely to his dispose, that there may be no disputing with his commands afterwards, but as one under his authority, go and come at his word.
First, we are under a Covenant and Oath to do this. Formerly ⟨p. 375⟩souldiers used to take an oath not to flinch from their colours, but faithfully to cleave to their Leaders, this they called Sacramentum militare, a military oath. Such an oath lies upon every Christian. It is so essential to the being of a Saint, that they are described by this, Psal: 50.5. Gather my Saints together, those that have made a Covenant with me. We are nor Christians, till we have subscribed this Covenant, and that without any reservation. When we take upon us the Profession of Christs Name, we list our selves in his muster-roll, and by it do promise, that we will live and die with him in opposition to all his enemies. Every Nation will walk in the name of his God, and we will walk in the Name of our God; and what is it to walk in the Name of our God, but to fight under the banner of his Gospel, wherein his Name is displayed, by giving an eternal defiance to sin and Satan? If a Captain had not such a tie on his souldiers, he might have them to seek when the day of battel comes: therefore Christ tells us upon what termes he will enroll us among his disciples: If any man will be my disciple, let him deny himself, and take up his Crosse, and follow me. He will not entertain us, till we resign up our selves freely to his dispose, that there may be no disputing with his commands afterwards, but as one under his authority, go and come at his word.