The Christian Warfare Part 3, Book 2 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. That there is a combate in eueryevery true Chriſtian betweene the Fleſh and the Spirit.
§ Sect 1. Teſtimonies of ſcripture to proue that there is this conflict in euerie man that is regenerate.NOw hauing ſhewed the nature of our enemie, how daungerous he is, and how wee may bee armed and prepared to withſtand his aſſaults and obtaine the victory; we are to intreate of the combate and conflict it ſelfe. And firſt we will ſhew, that there is in the faithfull ſuch a combate and conflict indeede and trueth, although worldly and carnall men who neuer found it in themſelues are ready to thinke it to bee but a meere conceipt. The which will appeare by plaine teſtimonies of Scripture, for the Apoſtle telleth vsus, that the fleſh luſteth againſt the ſpirit and the ſpirit againſt the fleſh, and that theſe are contrary the one to the other, ſo that we cannot doe the things we would. Where by fleſh and ſpirit (as I hauehave proued) we cannot vnderſtand the body and ſoule but the part Gal. 5. 17.regenerate and vnregenerate, the corruption of nature and the qualitie of holineſſe in eueryevery faculty and power of them both. So in his owne example hee ſheweth the practique and experience of this trueth in the ſeauenth chapter of the Romaines, for he profeſſeth that he could not doe the good hee Rom. 7. 19. 22. &. 23.would nor leaue vndone the euill hee would not, that he was delighted in the lawe of God in the inner man, but at the ſame time found another lawe in his members rebelling and making warre againſt the lawe of his minde, and bringing him into captiuitie to the lawe of ſinne which was in his members; and plainly ſaith that when he was thus led captiue vntounto ſinne, it was no more he that did it, but the ſinne, that is, the ſinnefull corruption that dwelled in him.
§ Sect 2. That the Apoſtle in the ſeuenth of the Romans ſpeaketh of this conflict in himſelf as he was regenerate.Now that the Apoſtle did not ſpeake this of himſelfe as he was vnregenerate, as ſome would hauehave it, nor as he was vnderunder the lawe, as others would hauehave it, in his ſtate of humiliation and preparation to his conuerſion, and ſo conſequently not of the conflict betweene the fleſh and the ſpirit, but betweene the conſcience and the corrupt will; it may eaſily appeare by the Scripture it ſelfe, for the Apoſtle doeth not write in the preterperfect-tenſe, what hee had Arminius in Rom. 7.beene in time paſt, but in the preſent-tenſe as his ſtate was when he wrote this Epiſtle. And beſides the things which he ſpeaketh of himſelfe doe plainely euince this, which cannot be truely attributed to a man vnregenerate, or vnderunder the lawe, and onelyonly in his preparation to his regeneration; but are proper vntounto them who are conuerted and in part ſanctified. For firſt hee alloweth not the euill hee doeth, and conſenteth vntounto the lawe that it vvas good, and therfore his conſcience and iudgement vvere in part inlightened and rectified, hee willeth the good he did not, and the euill which he did, that hee nilleth, and therefore his vvill vvas in part regenerate; he hateth the euill he doeth, and delighteth in the lawe of God after the inner man, and therefore his affections vvere in part ſanctified, hee did not the euill which was committed, but ſinne that dwelled in him, and there is a ſore conflict betweene the lawe of his minde and of his members, which was nothing elſe but the combate betweene the fleſh and the ſpirit, and therefore in reſpect of his whole man he was in part regenerate. Finally he deſireth earneſtly to bee deliuered from the bondage of corruption, and profeſſeth, that with his minde hee ſerued the lawe of God, though his fleſh ſerued the lawe of ſinne, and therefore he was not the ſlaue of ſinne and Sathan, as all are who are vnregenerate and vnderunder the lawe, but the ſeruant of God, and a ſubiect of the kingdome of Ieſus Chriſt. And thus Auſtins, vponupon his ſecond and ſounder thoughts, reuoking his former Ego enim putabam dici iſta non poſſe, niſi de ijs, quos it a haberet carnis concupiſcentia ſubiugatos, vt facerent quicquid illa compelleret. Auguſt. contra Iulian Pelagian lib. 6. cap. 11. Col. 11 35. T. 7. Vide etiam retract. lib 1. Cap. 23 et lib. 2. c. 1. Tom. 1.errour expoundeth this place; I thought (ſaith he) that theſe things, (to wit) I am carnall, ſold vnderunder ſinne, and led captiue vntounto the lawe of ſinne by the lawe of my members, could not bee truely ſpoken of any, but of ſuch as are ſo inthralled of their carnall concupiſcence, that they did whatſoeuer it compelled them, which to conceiue of the Apoſtle were meere madneſſe, ſeeing in many of the Saints, the ſpirit ſo luſteth againſt the fleſh, that it canot thus preuaile. But afterwards I gaue way to other of better iudgment, or rather to the truth it ſelfe, plainly perceiuing in theſe words of the Apoſtle the groaning and complaint of the Saints ſtriuing againſt their carnall concupiſcence, &c. Whereof it came to paſſe that I vnderſtood this place as it was vnderſtood by Hilarie, Gregory, Ambroſe, and the reſt of the holy and famous Doctors of the Church, who doe all thinke that the Apoſtle did couragiouſly fight againſt his carnall concupiſcence, which he had in him though hee deſired to be freed from it, and that in theſe wordes hee profeſſeth this his conflict. And a little after; neither can well any mans ſpirit luſt againſt his fleſh, vnleſſe the ſpirit of Chriſt dwelled in him. So Gregory Nazianzen acknowledgeth and deploreth this conflict vvhichwhich he felt in himſelfe betweene the fleſh and the ſpirit. Neither am I (ſaith hee) wholly minde or ſpirit, that is, pure nature, nor on the other ſide wholly fleſh, that is nature corrupted, but compoſed of both, I am an other thing and yet both of them. Whereof it is, that I continually ſuffer perpetuall tumults of war, the fleſh and the ſpirit encamping againſt one another. I am the image of God, and am drawne into vice, though I ſtruggle and Greg. Naſian. de animae …uae calamitat. pag. 93. 934.ſtrine againſt it, the worſe part wickedly conflicting againſt the better; ſo as not without great labour and daily wraſtling, the hand and helpe of God aſsiſting me, I flee and reſiſt vice. And theſe thus conflicting the one with the other, the eye of God beholding them from heauen hath ayded the ſpirit, ſubdued the tumult and rage of the trouble ſome fleſh, ad ſtilled the ſwelling waues of carnall preturbations. And ſo alſo the fleſh rageth with furious ſtrength, and neuer reſteth from making cruell warre; and though there may be ſometime an intermiſsion, yet there is neuer a diſmiſsion from the fight.
§. Sect. 3. That all the regenerate hauehave feeling and experience of this conflict.And theſe teſtimonies out of the Scriptures and Fathers may be ſufficient to conuince the carnall, and vnregenerate, who hauing no feeling of this conflict in themſelues, becauſe they are wholly fleſh, doe imagine that it is not in any other. For as for thoſe who are in part regenerate, and yet hauehave the old man and the reliques of ſinnefull corruption dwelling and remaining in them, they will eaſily acknowledge this trueth, euen out of their owne feeling and experience, though no other teſtimony or reaſon could be alleadged. Neither is it poſsible that this mortall combate ſhould be ſought in any, but that they muſt eaſily feele the terrible encounters and cruell blowes giuen on either ſide. Not betweene diuers faculties, as the conſcience and the will, the minde and iudgement againſt the affections and the ſenſuall faculties (the which is alſo in the vnregenerate); but the ſelfe ſame faculties, as they are regenerate fighting againſt themſelues as they are vnregenerate; as errour againſt trueth, and trueth againſt errour in the ſame mind and vnderſtanding, faith againſt doubting, and doubting againſt faith in the ſame heart, willing againſt nilling, and nilling againſt willing, about the chuſing and refuſing of good and euill in the ſame will, the louelove of God conflicting and combating with the louelove of the world, the feare of God with the feare of men, affiance in God with diffidence in him, and confidence in the creatures, hope of heauenly happineſſe, with hope of enioying earthly vanities, as alſo with preſumption and deſpaire, and contrariwiſe, obedience againſt diſobedience and rebellion in the ſame deſires and actions; as we ſhall more fully and plainly ſhewe in the following diſcourſe. All which doth plainly proue that their whole man is diuided, and part-takings in all their faculties and powers of body and minde, the one adhering and deauing to God, the other drawing to Sathan and the world, the which is more feelingly diſcerned and experimentally felt by eueryevery true Chriſtian, then it can be demonſtrated and euidenced by any mans writing.
§ Sect.. 4 The contrarie effects which the Chriſtian feeleth in himſelfe, doe proue plainly that this conflict is in them.Finally the contrary effects which eueryevery Chriſtian may obſerue in himſelfe do ſufficiently argue and demonſtrate, that there are contrary cauſes in him from vvhichwhich they proceede, and as it were many ſouldiers of contrary factions, led vnderunder their Captaines the fleſh and ſpirit, which like mortall enemies continually make warre the one againſt the other. For who findeth not, after his regeneration and conuerſion, himſelfe to bee as a kingdome diuided, and that as in his ſpirituall and renewed part, he hath a great deſire to ſerue his Lord and redeemer, and taketh delight in his lawes preferring them with Dauid before all Pſal. 119.manner of riches; ſo in his fleſhly part and the olde man that he is inclinable vntounto the ſeruice of ſinne and Sathan for the baſe hyre of worldly vanities? that as in the one he affecteth and loueth piety and purity, righteouſnes, mercy and holines of conuerſation; ſo in the other hee is tranſported Eph. 5. 9.with ſelfe louelove, and is much addicted to the pleaſures of ſinne? As in the one hee beleeueth God and the truth of his promiſes and threatnings, truſteth in his word, power and prouidence, loueth and feareth him aboue all things; ſo in the other he is ſubiect to doubting and infidelitie, to diſtruſt in God and affiance in the creatures, to the louelove of earthly things and the immoderate feare of man. Finally as in the one he aſpireth vntounto Immortalitie & euerlaſting happines, and hauing his conuerſation in heauen, mindeth not earthly things, out chiefely ſeeketh after P…. 3. 20.thoſe things which are aboue; ſo in the other he lyeth grouelling on the earth, walloweth himſelfe in the puddle of ſenſuall pleaſures, and vnlawfull luſts, meditateth and thinketh onelyonly on momentanie riches and murable preferments, or the meanes whereby he may compaſſe them, neuer ſeeing, ſeeking nor regarding, that heauenly happineſſe and waight of eternall glory prepared for the faithfull. And from this contrarietie in affection and diſpoſition, the Chriſtian may diſcerne the like contrariety in all his actions vvhichwhich ariſe and ſpring from them▪ For one while the ſpirit lifteth him aloft in heauenly meditations, and another white the fleſh pulleth downe his thoughts, and fi…h them vponupon earthly vanities; now with pu…ing ſpeed hee runneth in the wayes of God, and ſay…h with full ſayles, hauing the winde and tyde to helpe him forward, and ſoone aften the fleſh diuerteth him into the by pathes of ſinne, or maketh him ſit ſtill, o… to returne into his old courſes, or tripping at his heeles cauſeth him to fall▪ or ſo ſettereth his feete and preſſeth him downe, like a heauy burthen, that (like them noubled with the …p…ialtes or the night Marc) though he hath a great deſire to runne a pace, yet can he ſcarce ſtirre, but he runneth as it were vp a ſleepe hill, and ſayles againſt the winde and tyde. Finally now hee loueth God and is rauiſhed with delight when hee inioyeth his preſence in his courts, and feeleth ſweet communion and fellowſhip with him to his ineſtimable ioy and comfort, and this maketh him to contemne the world & to take all his pleaſure in ſpiritual and heauenly things and by and by the world catcheth him in her birdlime of carriall delights, and fettereth him in her golden chaines, ſo as he is made negligent in Gods ſeruice, and therefore either omitteth it altogether, or elſe performeth it with drowſie dulneſſe, ſenſeleſſe deadneſſe, and carnall wearineſſe, vvhereof it is that he can take no manner of comfort and contentment in it. Yea rather he ſeeth Gods angry countenance frowning vponupon him in the abuſe of his holy ordinances, and being terrified therewith he goeth away diſcontented and diſmayed.
§ Sect. 5. The poynt proued by. Gal. 5. 19And of theſe contrary effects and fruits of the Spirit in the ſame Chriſtian, the Apoſtle plainely ſpeakeths Gal. 5. 19. Now (ſaith he) the workes of the fleſh are manifeſt, which are theſe, Adulterie, Fornication, vncleanneſſe, laſciuiouſneſſe, idolatrie, witcheraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, ſtrife, ſeditions, hereſies, enuyings, murthers, drunkenneſſe, reuilinge and ſuch like. For the ſeedes of all … grieuous ſinner lye lurking in our corrupt fleſh, and though they be ſo nippped and ſuppreſſed by the contrarie motions of the ſpirit, that they can neuer come to full ripeneſſe, yet doe they often appear to the beſt Chriſtians in their firſt motions and ſuggeſtions. So contrariwiſe he ſaith, that the fruit of the ſpirit is louelove, ioy, peace, long-ſuffering gentleneſſe▪ goodneſſe, faith, meekeneſſe and temperance. To which purpoſe verſe. 21.Hierome ſaith, whatſoeuer we ſpeake, doe or thinke, is ſowed in Omne quod loquimur, agimus, cogitamus in duobus ſeminatur agtis carne et ſpiritu &c. Hieronym. in Gal. 6.two grounds the fleſh and the Spirit; if the things bee good which iſſue from the mouth, hand and heart, they are ſowne in ſpirit, and ſhall bring forth aboundant fruit to eternall life; if they be euill they are taken from the field of the fleſh, and wil bring forth vntounto vsus the fruit of corruption.