The Christian Armory, Dedication 1 – Book 1
THE CHRISTIAN ARMORIE: WHEREIN IS CONTAINED ALL manner of spirituall munition, fit for secure Christians to arme themselues withall against Satans assaults, and all other kind of crosses, temptations, troubles, and afflictions: CONTRIVED IN TWO Bookes, and handled pithily and plainly by way of Questions and Answers: BY THOMAS DRAXE, Bachelar in Diuinitie. Hereunto is adioined a Table of all the principall heads and branches comprised in each Chapter of the whole Treatise.
EPHES. 6.13.
Take vntounto you the whole armor of God, that yee may be able to resist in the euill day; and hauing finished all things, to stand fast.
¶ Imprinted at London by William Hall, for Iohn Stepneth, and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of S. Paul, at the West end of Pauls Church. 1611.
not perpetual, and they in the mea…time, are not exempted frō all euils▪ And what if in the greatest danger: some Iosephs, some Daniels, and some Hesters, are both fauoured and aduanced? yet this is very rare and extraordinarie. Therfore it behooued eueryevery seruant of God, while she hat… time and meanes, to prepare an… arme himselfe against all future euents and temptations; and for th… end to put on the girdle of constancie; and in the truth, to bee ready to confesse the Gospell of peace; to take vntounto himselfe the Shield of faith triumphant in Christ; to couer his head with the hope of saluation instead of an helmet; and with the sword of the spirit .i. with testimonies of the scriptures, to offend and foile these spirituall Amalekites: and hereunto to adioyne feruent and continuall prayers, without which all this spirituall armour will little auaile. Thus doing, hee shall find light in darknes, consolation in tribulation, power in weakenesse, and in all his trials, he shall bee more then a triumpher in Christ. And for his further encouragement, let him remē ber, that in this warfare, the Lord Iesus is the Generall; godly Kings and Princes the Coronels; the Nobles, Iudges, and Iustices, are the Captaines; the Ministers of the Church, the Trumpetters and Centinels; the Angels the assistants; God the Iudge, and Rewarder; and eternall glory, the monument & trophy of triumph. This preparation being so necessary, and the comforts so needfull, and so abundantlie set forth in the sacred scriptures; I hauehave (according to my mediocrity) from thence chiefly, borrowed my spirituall armorie, and hauehave reduced and contriued the whole doctrine of it, into certaine chapters and pithy grounds & propositions. And to the intent, that the Church of God should find cō fort and profit by it, I thought good to publish it. And because you (most excellent Lady) are the Phoenix o… your sexe, a glorious starre in our firmament, and so ful of princely piety, vertue and clemency; I hauehave presumed to offer these my labours to your Graces view, and to commend them to your Graces patronage. For wherein should so noble a Lady in her young and flourishing yeares, more labour to excell, then to bee a conqueresse ouer sinne and satan? For such holie beginnings, cannot but bring forth blessed conclusions.
Vouchsafe therefore (most gratious Lady) to pardon my bold enterprise, and to shelter these my meditations vnderunder the wings of your Graces fauour. In humble desire, and comfortable expectation whereof, I commit your Grace to the blessed gouernement of the highest Maiesty. Couentry, March 30. 1611.
Your Graces ready to be commanded in all duty and seruice, THOMAS DRAXE.