The Christian Warfare Part 2, Title page – Dedication
THE SECOND PART OF THE CHRISTIAN WARFARE; or the Contempt of the World: TENDING TO ARME AND CONFIRME THE WEAKE CHRISTIAN against the tentations of prosperitie, and to preserue him from the immoderate louelove of earthly things; by prouing vntounto him, that both the world and worldly vanities are so base and worthlesse, that they deserue not to be esteemed and loued of a Christian, in comparison of Gods spirituall graces and heauenly ioyes.
WRITTEN AS AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST THE POYSON OF WORLDLIE louelove, with which in these daies so many are infected; and that it might reuiue that heauenly fire of spirituall and diuine louelove, which is so much cooled and abated.
By I. DOVVNAME Bachelar in Diuinitie, and Preacher of Gods word.
LoueLove not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man louelove the world, the louelove of the father is not in him. 1. Ioh. 2.15.
AT LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KYNGSTON, 1611.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE, SIR THOMAS EGERTON KNIGHT, BARON OF Ellesmere, Lord high Chancellor of England, and one of his Maiesties most honorable priuie Counsell, I. D. wisheth all grace and prosperitie in this life, and eternall happinesse in the life to come.
WHen I considered (Right Honorable) the great puissance, and preuailing strength, of these arch-enemies of our saluation, the world, and worldly vanities, manifested in their daily conquests, not onelyonly of those, who voluntarily yeeld at the first onset, and are willingly content to become their vassals and slaues, for the vncertaine tenure, and base wages of earthly vanities; but also of such as hauing giuen their names to Christ, by receiuing his sacrament, professed themselues to be his souldiers and seruants, and that amongst other enemies, they would valiantly fight his battailes, against the world, and worldly lusts: who notwithstanding their oath and promise, either yeeld subiection to the world vponupon the offer of earthly profits, pleasures, and preferments, or stand in a cold neutralitie, desiring to doe seruice to the world and God too; but without all indifferencie, seeing he hath onelyonly the seruice of their lips, and some outward deuotions, meerely complementall, and ceremoniall; whereas the other master hath the seruice of their hearts, and all their care, labours, and painefull indeauours imploied about him. And when as I saw the glorious trophees of the worlds victories erected, not onelyonly in eueryevery corner of the common-wealth, but euen in the temple and church of God, to his great dishonour, and the disgrace of his true religion; I thought I could not spend my strength in a better quarrell, then in opposing against this enemie of our saluation; to the end, that I might abate his preuailing forces, and weaken the very sinewes of his strength, wherein hee most glorieth and triumpheth; by shewing that the wages of iniquitie whereby he inticeth men to leaue Gods standard, and to fight vnderunder his colours, is but base and counterfeite coine, being examined by the touchstone of Gods truth, and therefore not to be receiued of a Christian for good pay; much lesse to be preferred before that crowne of victorie, euerlasting glorie, and those all-sufficient treasures of our heauenly kingdome, which God promiseth to all those who fight his battailes, and valiantly ouercome. Neither did I thinke that I could more profitably spend my studies in any other argument, especiallie in these times, wherein the louelove of the world so greatly preuaileth, that with Demas men daily fall from the profession of Gods truth, and imbrace the world, hauing onelyonly so much louelove of religion, as the louelove of the world worketh in them; and either not seruing God at all, or only that they may serue their owne turnes, in worldly and carnall respects. For if by plaine testimonies of holy Scriptures, and by effectuall reasons (as it were a proclamation sent from the great king of heauen and earth) I could crie downe the high rates and prices of these base and copper coynes, and bring them to their owne value; by shewing that there is no excellencie & true worth in them, but onelyonly as they serue for the present necessitie of our earthly state, and to furnish vsus in our trauaile towards our heauenly countrie; then would there many and great benefits bee hereby deriued vntounto vsus. For if we could contemne the world and worldly vanities, as things of small worth, then would they not be as heauie clogs to hinder vsus from running the Christian race, and from ascending in our meditations into Gods kingdome, to take possession for the present of our heauenly inheritance with our mindes and thoughts, till our soules and bodies doe come thither: then would we not suffer them to take vp all our cogitations, care, studie, and labour, about the getting or preseruing them, so as wee hauehave little or no time left to performe seruice vntounto God; or if at all wee doe it, yet with much distraction and perturbation: then would the tentations of the diuell hauehave no power to draw vsus into sinne, wanting this wages of iniquitie, and these alluring baites, wherewith hee inticeth vsus to come into his nets of perdition: for who would serue satan for nought, or for such things as he contemneth, or but lightly valueth, leauing the seruice of his Creator and Redeemer, and thereby hazarding the eternall losse of those heauenly excellencies which he hath promised vntounto his seruants in the life to come? Then should wee hauehave a true golden age, free from all oppression, bribing, extortion, fraude, wrongs, dissensions, treasons, rebellions, and innumerable other outrages, which are caused and occasioned through the immoderate louelove of these earthly things; and perfect louelove and charitie being entertained amongst men, they would striue who should exceed other in al good and Christian duties, louing vertue and goodnes for their owne sakes: then would not those who abound with these worldly things be euer the prouder, or with scornefull insolence ouerlooke their brethren; for who is proud of that which hee contemneth? Neither would those that want them be much troubled, hauing for the present Gods better gifts, euen his sanctifying and sauing graces, and for the time to come farre more excellent hopes, life eternall, and the vnspeakeable ioies of Gods glorious kingdome. For who bewaileth the want, or lamenteth the losse of those things which he lightly esteemeth, especially hauing both in possession and hope, such things as are of farre greater worth and excellencie? Finally, if wee were perswaded to contemne the world and worldly vanities, and highly to esteeme of the ioyes of Heauen, then would we not feare the approach of death, but bid it welcome with a cheerefull countenance? seeing it taketh vsus from the things which we doe not much regard, and entreth vsus into the possession and fruition of our better hopes; euen a kingdome matchles, and glorie endlesse. Whereas contrariwise, when these worldly things bee ouerualued, and too much loued and desired, they wholly take vp mens meditations, and disable them for Gods seruice, they lay them open to satans tentations, and make them readie to perpetrate and commit any wickednesse, which may further them to the obtaining of the things which they affect; neither is there any stop in the way to hinder their headlong course in sin, vnlesse it be when their worldly desires do crosse one another: they puffe men vp with pride when they inioy them, and consume them with griefe and discontent when they want them: and to conclude, they make death most terrible, because it plucketh thē violently from these delights, vntounto which their hearts are fast glued, and forceth them to leaue the things which they dearely louelove, hauing no assurance or hope of a better life. For the auoiding of all which euils, and for the furthering and aduancing of the former benefits, I hauehave laboured in this argument, euen aboue my strength, God shewing his power in my weakenes, and causing my desire to supplie that which was wanting in my health. Of which my labours I hauehave chosen your Lordship for patron, partly to shew my louelove and dutie vntounto you, from whom I hauehave had, both al the meanes of my maintenance which I enioy, wherewith I hauehave been enabled to labour; and opportunitie to exercise that poore talent which I hauehave receiued from my great Lord and master: and partly because I thought, I could not dedicate vntounto you a booke of a fitter argument, wherein your selfe may at your best leasure meditate; seeing on the one side the greatnes of your place, and height of your honors and preferments may (without your greater vigilance and circumspection) incline your affections too much to the louelove of these earthly things, and on the other side your age (vntounto which God adde many yeares for his owne glorie, the Churches good, and your owne euerlasting comfort) is not likely in course of nature to allow vntounto you any long possession of these momentanie things. In regard of both which, your Honour cannot bee too well armed against the immoderate louelove of these worldly vanities, nor hauehave your heart too much inflamed with that diuine louelove of Heauen, and those most glorious ioyes in Gods presence, which you shall inherit for euermore; because hereby you shall inioy Gods blessings more securely whilest you hauehave them, when as your heart is not so fixed on them but that you can bee content to leaue them; and part with them also with ioy and comfort, when as you are assured, that you shall exchange them for those heauenly ioyes, and rich treasures of Gods glorious kingdome, which infinitely exceede all earthly preferments in worth and excellency. Which if my poore labours, added to your better helps, and holy meditations, might any way further, I should much more reioice in being a poore instrument of your spirituall good, then in the inioying of those earthly benefits which I hauehave receiued from you. The Lord more and more inrich your noble heart with all spirituall and sauing grace, and after a long and happie life on earth, vouchsafe vntounto you the euerlasting fruition of his glorious presence, and that fulnesse of ioy which is at his right hand for euermore. Amen.
Your Honours in all humble dutie most bounden, Iohn Downame.