The Christian Warfare Part 1, Title page – Dedication
THE CHRISTIAN WARFARE.
WHEREIN IS FIRST GENERALLY SHEWED THE MALICE, POWER AND politike ſtratagems of the ſpirituall enemies 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 TEMPTATIons, againſt the ſeuerall cauſes and meanes of our ſaluation, whereby on the one ſide they allure vsus to ſecurity and preſumption, and on the other ſide, draw vsus 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 Preacher of Gods word.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to ſtand against the aſſaults of the Diuell.
Epheſ. 6.11.
AT LONDON printed by FELIX KYNGSTON, for Cuthbert Burby, and are to be ſold at his ſhop in Paules Church-yard at the ſigne of the Swan. 1604.
TO THE GODLY, ZEALOVS, AND SINCERE PROFESSORS OF GODS TRVE RELIGION, SIR IOHN SCOT, Sir THOMAS SMITH, and their Ladies; Maiſter ROBERT CHAMBERLAINE Eſquire, and Miſtris ANNE CHAMBERLAINE his wife, his welbeloued and moſt reſpected friends: I. D. wiſheth the fruition of all the true comforts of this life, and eternall happineſſe in the life to come.
MAnifold (right Worſhipfull) and moſt daungerous are the temptations and aſſaults of our ſpirituall enemies, whereby they labour to hinder the ſaluation of Gods elect, and to increaſe the greatneſſe of their helliſh dominions, by withdrawing (if it were poſſible) Gods ſeruants from their ſubiection and alleageance, and making them their ſlaues and perpetuall vaſſals. To this end they take indefatigable paines, going continually about ſeeking whom they may deuour; ſometimes like roaring Lions, compelling by violent force, and ſometimes like old Serpents, alluring and deceiuing with treacherous policies. Neither doe they reſt in the time of our reſt, but waking and ſleeping they ſet vponupon vsus, one while inticing vsus to ſwallow the poyſon of ſinne, with the ſugred baites of worldly vanities, and another while driuing vsus into their ſnares of perdition, with the ſharpe pricking goades of miſerie and affliction. Before vsus they ſet carnall pleaſures, deceiuing riches, and vaine honours, to allure vsus to come into the broad way that leadeth to deſtruction: and behind vsus they hold the three-ſtringed whip of loſſe, ſhame, and puniſhment, to keepe vsus from going backe, and to haſten vsus with winged ſpeede to run forward in this helliſh iourney. Neither do they greatly care what path we chuſe in this common way of perdition; whether the ſpatious way of ſecuritie and preſumption, or the ſtrait path of horror and deſperation, whether the toyling way of vnſatiable couetouſneſſe, or the ſoft faire way of bewitching pleaſures, whether the open way of worldlineſſe and atheiſme, or through the hidden thickets of hypocriſie and diſſimulation: in a word they regard not in what way we walke, ſo we goe forward in the waies of ſinne, for though they ſeeme diuers and contrarie one to another, yet they hauehave all the ſame end, meeting together in hell and deſtruction. And howſoeuer they cannot with all their malice, power and policies attaine vntounto their deſires, by bringing Gods elect and faithfull ones to perdition and endleſſe miſerie; becauſe God their heauenly father who hath taken vponupon him their protection, fruſtrateth all their ſubtill policies with his all-ſeeing wifedome, and withſtandeth all their might with his almightie power, yet doe they exceedingly with their aſſaults and temptations, foyle, vexe and trouble them; by working in ſome, forgetfulneſſe of God and of themſelues, ſecuritie, and careleſſe retchleſneſſe; and turmoyling others with horrible feares, deſperat doubting, and bitter agonies. Whereby it commeth to paſſe, that the one ſort ſecurely goe on in ſinne, forgetting the end of their creation, redemption, and holy vocation, vntounto which God hath called them, vntill with Salomon they hauehave found in the end of their worldly delights, nothing but vanitie and vexation of ſpirit: and the other are ſo affrighted, aſtoniſhed, and continually tormented with doubtings, feares, and the continuall aſſaults of their ſpirituall enemies, that they goe mourning all the day long, pining away in griefe and anguiſh of mind, till at laſt they grow wearie of their liues, thinking their ſoules an intollerable burthen to their bodies, and their bodies to the earth. The conſideration of which lamentable and too too miſerable effects, as it ſhall moue all chriſtians to ſtand vponupon their guard, and to arme themſelues with the ſpirituall armour, that they may not be ouercome of their temptations, and fall into theſe great miſchiefes: ſo ſhould it moue Gods faithfull miniſters (whoſe dutie it is, not onelyonly themſelues to walke in the waies of righteouſneſſe, but alſo as ſpirituall guides to leade others with them) in diſcharge of their conſcience before God, and in chriſtian commiſeration and compaſſion towards their brethren, to vſe all good meanes both by ſpeaking and writing, whereby they may bee preſerued and freed from theſe ſnares which their ſpirituall enemies doe lay to intrap them; by beating downe with the cannon-ſhot of Gods threatnings, the high forts of their proud preſumption, and rouzing them out of the deepe ſlumber of retchleſſe ſecuritie; as alſo by raiſing vp and comforting thoſe that mourne in Syon, ſtooping, yea lying groueling vnderunder the heauie burthen of their ſinnes. The which howſoeuer it is performed by many, in reſpect of their ſeuerall charges committed to them; and ſome alſo hauehave briefely touched ſome poynts in writing, which concerned the comforting and raiſing vp of their priuate friends: yet not any (that I know of) hauehave in our language largely and generally handled theſe controuerſies, and ſpirituall conflicts betweene the chriſtian and the enemies of his ſaluation, for the common good of the whole Church. And therefore hauing with Elihu long waited to ſee if thoſe who were more auncient, better experienced, and more richly furniſhed with Gods gifts and graces than my ſelfe, would vndertake this worke, which is to God moſt acceptable, and to his ſaints and children ſo profitable and neceſſarie: at length after others long ſilence, I reſolued to ſpeake, and no longer to conceale ſuch true comforts as God hath reuealed vntounto me; to the end that hereby I might releeue and comfort thoſe who are poore in ſpirit, and humbled in the ſight of ſinne; or at leaſt by offering willingly to this vſe my ſmall mite, I might giuegive an occaſion vntounto others better able, to vnlocke and open their rich treaſuries, that they may beſtow vponupon their poore brethren their great talents and gifts of better valew. The which my labors as I did not raſhly vndertake them, ſo I hauehave not ſuddenly finiſhed them; for almoſt three yeeres ſince I purpoſed to take this worke in hand, which I hauehave now by Gods aſſiſtance finiſhed; but at the firſt (I confeſſe) I intended not that it ſhould come in to publike view; but onelyonly (as others before me) propounded as the end of my labours, the comforting and raiſing vp of a moſt faithfull ſeruant of God, and my moſt deare friend, who hath bound me with many benefits to the performance of all chriſtian duties. But afterwards finding it to grow to ſuch a volume that it was too great to paſſe in a written coppie, and hoping that that which was profitable for one might bee beneficiall vntounto many, at length I reſolued to make my labours publike by committing them to the preſſe. The principall things that I propounded to my ſelfe in this treatiſe are theſe; firſt and eſpecially I indeauour to comfort thoſe who are afflicted in conſcience, in the ſight and ſence of their ſinnes, by offering vntounto them certaine aſſurance, that their ſinnes are remitted, and that themſelues are elected to eternall life, in the ſtate of grace, reconciled vntounto God in Chriſt and receiued in his louelove and fauour. Secondly, I labour to leade the chriſtian in an euen courſe, vntounto the hauen of eternall happineſſe; that he may not runne aſide, neither on the right hand, and ſo falling vponupon the rockes of preſumption make ſhipwracke of his ſoule, nor yet on the left hand, and ſo plunge himſelfe into the gulfe of deſperation. Wherein I hauehave purpoſely and aduiſedly auoyded their practiſe, who ſcatter their conſolations they know not where, to bee applyed they care not by whom; whereof it commeth to paſſe that thoſe that are moſt ſecure and preſumptuous arrogate them, to whom they doe not appertaine; and thoſe that are afflicted and humbled dare not appropriate them to themſelues, becauſe they are deliuered indefinitly to all, without all caution or any condition, whereby they might bee reſtrai…ed rather to them than any other in whom ſinne yet liueth and raigneth. Wherein they reſemble negligent phyſitions, who hauing made a good medicine for a ſicke man, doe not giuegive it vntounto him, but caſt it careleſly into ſome corner, whether the ſicke patient in reſpect of his faintneſſe and weakeneſſe is likely neuer to come: which being found and greedily drunken vp by thoſe who hauehave no neede of it, in ſtead of doing them good doth turne to their baine and vtter deſtruction. Laſtly, I hauehave deſired to giuegive ſolid and ſubſtantiall conſolations, which are firmely grounded vponupon Gods vndoubted truth, and ſuch infallible reaſons as cannot bee gainſaid; and hauehave withall deliuered the conditions, vponupon which they are to be receiued, and the vndoubted ſignes and markes of thoſe, to whom of right they appertaine; to the end that thoſe who finde theſe things in themſelues, may not doubt to apply them to their wounded conſciences, whereby they may bee ſoundly cured and throughly comforted; and that thoſe who finde no ſuch condition obſerued by them, nor any ſuch ſigne or marke in them, may be debarred from participating of theſe conſolations, which would nouriſh in them ſecuritie and preſumption: and contrariwiſe examining themſelues according to theſe rules, and finding no correſpondencie betweene themſelues and them, may hereby be awakened out of their lethargie of ſecuritie, and attaining vntounto a ſight and ſenſe of their miſerable eſtate may neuer be at reſt, till by vſing all good meanes for this purpoſe, they may finde theſe markes and ſignes of their election, vocation, iuſtification, and ſanctification in them, that ſo they may boldly and fitly apply vntounto themſelues theſe comforts and conſolations as rightly and truly appertaining vntounto them. All which my labours I thought good to dedicate vntounto your worſhips, partly becauſe I deſired to giuegive this teſtimonie of my true thankefulneſſe, for thoſe manifold benefits which from ſome of you I hauehave receiued, and of mine vnfained louelove which I beare to you all, for your vertues and approued godlineſſe; and partly becauſe I thought none fitter to whom I might commend this diſcourſe of the Chriſtian Warfare, than your ſelues who are olde experienced ſouldiars in fighting theſe ſpirituall battailes, and therefore hauehave iudiciall feeling and ſenſible apprehenſion, of thoſe things which I hauehave written and commended to your patronage. Now the Lord our God who is the fountaine of all goodneſſe, and the ſole giuer of all true conſolation, increaſe in you more and more the gifts and graces of his ſanctifying ſpirit, and ſo fill your hearts with all ſound ſpirituall comfort, and the ioy in the holy Ghoſt, that you may through the courſe of your whole liues, chearefully goe forward in the profeſſion and ſincere practiſe of his religion and true godlineſſe, and after this life may receiue that crowne of righteounſneſſe, which is prepared and laid vp for you in his kingdome of eternall glorie. Amen.
Your Worſhips in the Lord moſt aſſured. IOHN DOVVNAME.