are blessed who heare the word and keepe it that not euery one who saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of heauen but hee that doth the will of our Father which is in heauen that it will nought auaile vs to boast of our faith if it doe not appeare in the fruits of good workes seeing such a faith as is without workes is but a dead carkase without life or soule and therfore cannot iustifie nor saue vs. So the Lord sharpely reprehendeth and condemneth wicked men for Psal 50. 16. 22. making profession of his religion Vnto the wicked saith God What hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my couenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behinde thee c. And then concludeth Now consider this yee that forget God lest I teare you in pieces and there be none to deliuer So the Prophet Ieremie Behold ye trust in lying words that cannot profit Will yee steale murther and commit adulterie and sweare falsly and Ier. 7. 8. 9. burne incense vnto Baal and walke after other gods that yee know not and come and stand before mee in this house which is called by my name and say we are deliuered to doe all these abominations § Sect. 7. The fleshes deceipt in perswading men to rest in externall ceremonies But if this deceipt bee too grosse as hauing nothing to colour or countenance it but the slight thin vayle of a bare profession then it will perswade vs to place all religion about externall rites and ceremonies and to thinke that we haue done inough if we be strict in the obseruation of them although in the meane time we make no conscience of many Morall duties and vtterly neglect the waighty things of the Law So the Pharises of old placed Mat. 23 all their religion in some legall rites and humane traditions in externall washings sacrifices and tything mynte cummine and annise and neglected the dutie of children to their parents the pure and sincere seruice of God and the waightie points of the Law iudgement mercie and faith And the Apostle telleth vs of some in his times who placed all their religion in the obseruation of dayes Sabbaths Holy-dayes and New Moones and in their obseruance of certaine ordinances Col. 2. 16. 21. as touch not taste not handle not all which did perish with the vsing And wherein doth in these dayes the religion of the Papists chiefely consist but in the obseruation of such holidayes washings purifications fastings from certaine meates at certaine times and in vse of their rites and ceremonies which they preferre before and presse more then many Morall duties or the essentiall parts of Gods seruice with which they will much more easily dispence then with their traditions and superstitious inuentions With which deceipt if the flesh preuaile not it is readie to thrust vs into the contrary extreame and to place all religion in the opposing of these superstitious ceremonies and to spend all our time which should bee spent in attaining vnto the knowledge and practise of true godlinesse in declaiming against will-worship and humane traditions As though it were enough to be free from superstition though we be destitute also of all true religion to oppose against false worship though wee doe not practise that which is true to be zealous against ceremonies and to be key-cold in imbracing the substance truth faith mercie iudgement brotherly kindnes and the rest § Sect. 8. The meanes to defeate the former policie But that we may not be ouertaken with this deceit nor be perswaded to spend the strength of our deuotion about ceremonies things of smal moment let vs know that there is no lesse order and due proportion then iustice iudgement in the commandements of God the Lord requiring that those things which are chiefe and principall in their owne nature should haue the first and chiefe place in our obedience So the Morall duties are to be preferred before ceremoniall and among them our dutie to God before our dutie to our brethren the duties of greatest importance before the meane and the meane before the least Which order who so transpose and wil prefer the duties towards men before their dutie vnto God the ceremonies before the substance such mens religion is hypocriticall and odious in Gods sight Hence is it that the Lord condemneth Esa 11. 12. 13 the Sabbaths New Moones sacrifices and solemne assemblies of the Iewes because they put all their religion in them and neglected iudgement mercie relieuing the oppressed and iudging the fatherlesse Thus hee condemneth Esa 58. 5. their fasts and the afflicting of their soules by these bodily exercises because they were ioyned with strife and debate oppression and cruelty yea so odious is this ceremoniall seruice being seuered from the more weighty and substantiall that the Lord professeth that he that killeth Esa 66. 3. an Oxe is as if he sâ—â—e a man he that sacrificeth a Lambe as he that cutteth of a dogges necke he that offreth an oblation as he that offereth swines blood he that burneth incense as if he blessed an idoll So he professeth I will haue mercie and not sacrifice Hos 6. 6. not because he simply reiected sacrifices which himselfe had commanded but if they were seuered from mercie or preferred before it And saith that hee spake not vnto their fathers nor commanded them in the day that hee brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings or Ier. 7. 22. 23. sacrifices but this thing saith hee commanded I them saying obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my people and walke yee in all the wayes that I haue commanded you that it may be well vnto you Implying hereby that as these maine Morall duties were first commanded so also they should be first and chiefely practised Finally the Apostle telleth vs that true religion consisteth not in outward rites signes and sacraments but in the truth and sinceritie of the heart Circumcision saith he verily profiteth if thou be a keeper of the Law but if thou bee a breaker of the law thy Rom. 2. 25. 28 circumcision is made vncircumcision For he is not a Iew which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a Iew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God CHAP. XIII Of the pollicies of the flesh towards temporarie beleeuers §. Sect. 1. That the flesh in a subtill sort deceiueth temporaries ANd thus the flesh deceiueth the grosser kinde of hypocrites But when men haue receiued such a measure of illightening that these darke fogges and mistes of ignorance are somewhat dispelled and haue their sleepie consciences somwhat awakened so that they are able and ready to tell them that all which is
time present For whilest it is called to day and Psal 95. 7. 2 Cor. 6 2. the Lord calleth vpon vs to performe holy duties it is the acceptable time and day of saluation which being once past will neuer returne againe That those duties which are first in excellency should be first also in time and that no wise man putteth off matters of greatest waight but giueth them prioritie and precedencie both in respect of time and place Let vs remember that our liues are short and momentanie and that it were but all too little though they should be wholly spent in Gods seruice and that this short time is so vncertaine that we haue no assurance of liuing another day or houre in regard whereof it is great madnesse to put off those duties for the doing whereof we chiefely came into the world and vpon the performance of them our saluation dependeth and to prefer before them trifles which for the present are of small value and will not profit vs any whit at the day of death and iudgement That we cannot by our owne naturall strength doe any good dutie but as we are assisted by Gods Spirit and that if we from day to day quench the good motions therof and will not open when he knocketh so hard and often at the dore of our hearts we shall moue him to depart from vs leaue vs to our impenitencie securitie and hardnes of heart Finally let vs know that if it be now troublesome and tedious to performe holy duties and vertuous actions how much more will it be so when our vices are growne habituall and by long custome are turned into another nature Furthermore whereas the flesh pretendeth many occasions of present distraction and multitude of businesse and telleth vs that we may more conueniently performe Christian duties and betake our selues to a godly life when these troubles are a little ouer as for example that we may better serue God when as we haue setled our worldly estate and are freed from distractions which for want hereof doe now disturbe vs when we haue gotten such a summe of money such a farme or Lordship attained to such honour and preferment or haue had the fruition of this or that pleasure vpon which we haue set our hearts let vs know that all these are but friuolous excuses like vnto theirs who being inuited to the marriage supper of the Kings Sonne Mat. 22. refused to come which will in no case be accepted of God as sufficient when he calleth vs to account seeing they only discouer our doting loue on worldly vanities and our vtter neglect of spirituall and heauenly things Let vs consider that it is a great indignitie to consecrate vnto the world our chiefe strength and prime seruice and to destinate vnto God the after leauings of which also we are vncertaine whether we shall performe them or no that it is great folly and want of iudgement to prouide first temporarie necessaries yea superfluities for our bodies and leane to a second vncertaine care the eternall saluation of our soules That we haue no assurance to liue till we haue attained earthly things and afterwards to prouide for heauenly and therefore if we thinke heauen better then earth and those euerlasting ioyes better then these momentany trifles it were our wisedome to preferre and seeke them in the first place seeing we cannot be assured of them both and leauing of which Martha to be incumbred with worldly businesse to choose with Mary the better part For though many things might be conuenient and worth Luk. 10 41. our seeking if we had a lease of life and leysure inough to looke after them yet this one thing is necessary that by fearing and seruing the Lord which was the maine end for which we came into the world we may glorifie him and so gather assurance of our owne saluation § Sect. 4. The fourth policie of the flesh in mouing vs to rest in faire promises and faint purposes Fourthly when a◠the flesh cannot intice to vse meere dela es and doe iust nothing then it will perswade vs to rest in that which is as good as nothing namely fayre promises and faint and false purposes and resolutions that we will become new men out of hand Especially if we haue our desire in some things which we presently hope for as deliuerance from some affliction freedome from some danger or recouery from some sicknes But when we haue gone thus farre there it maketh vs to stay by offering vnto vs if we will continue in our old courses some accesse of worldly wealth or the fruition of sinfull pleasures and hauing preuailed so much with vs it stayeth not here but maketh vs soone after more carnall and wicked more slothfull and negligent in the performance of all good duties then euer we were before With which deceipt if we would not be ouertaken let vs know that it were better not to promise at all then hauing promised not to performe and pay for what is this to mocke God who will not be mocked What is it but to dally and to play childes play with him seeking to please him with complementall promises and fayre words That the Lord is not pleased by our making vowes and promises if wee doe not also pay them seeing we doe hereby but multiply our sinnes adding to our former euill courses couenant-breaking and falsifying of our promises euen with God himselfe Finally that we doe but quench the good motions of the Spirit when as we doe not nourish and cherish those good purposes and resolutions which he suggesteth vnto vs but suffer our selues to be carried away by the contrary motions of our sinfull corruption And therefore the Psalmist biddeth vs vow and pay vnto the Lord our God the which the Prophet Esay maketh a note of the Psal 76. 11. Pro. 20. 25. Esa 19. 21. faithfull and the contrary by the wise man is said to be a property of a foole When saith he thou vowest a vow vnto God deferre not to pay it for hee hath no pleasure in fooles Eccl. 5. 4. pay that which thou hast vowed § Sect. 5. The fift policy is to withdraw vs from more excellent duties by occasion of doing of some lesser good But if it cannot by all the former deuises and deceipts perswade vs to neglect such duties as are truely good then will it by the occasion of doing some lesser good withdraw vs from that which is greater and more excellent in which regard that good which is of a meane and inferiour nature becommeth vnto vs euill because it is abused by our flesh to shoulder and thrust out that which is of greater worth and waight And thus it perswadeth men to reade the Scriptures at home on the Lords day and in the meane time to neglect the publique assemblies the ministerie of the word and Prayer with the congregation yea sometime to pray priuately in the Church or to
THE CONFLICT BETVVEENE THE FLESH and the SPIRIT OR THE LAST PART OF THE CHRISTIAN WARFARE Wherein is described the nature of these Combatants the malice and power of the Flesh and fleshly lusts with the meanes whereby we may subdue and ouercome them By IOHN DOWNAME Batchelar in Diuinitie and Preacher of Gods Word GAL. 5. 17. For the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrarie the one to the other so that ye cannot doe the thing that ye would LONDON Printed by William Iones dwelling in Red-crosse streete neere Saint Gyles Church without Cripple-gate 1618. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR FRANCIS BACON KNIGHT Lord KEEPER of the Great Seale I. D. wisheth all increase of grace with true honour in this world and euerlasting happinesse in the life to come THere is no time Right Honorable for carelesse securitie when there is no place free from danger But whilest a Christian liueth in this world he is encompassed with perils walketh among snares and is beset on all sides with many mighty enemies For though hee were at peace with all visible creatures yet those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which the Apostle speaketh doe in all times and places make warre against him Without him there are many legions of wicked spirits assisted with the strong aydes of worldly enemies which beeing farre superiour vnto him in power and policie doe besiedge and beset him on euery side watching all opportunities to worke his destruction within him he harboureth many secret traitors euen innumerable fleshly lusts which if hee preuent not the danger by continuall watchfulfulnesse are euer ready to open the gates of his soule and letting in those forraigne forces to ioyne vvith them in spoiling him of those rich treasures Gods sauing graces and in making him thc miserable captiue of sinne and Sathan In which regard it becommeth all Christian Souldiours whiles they liue in the Church militant not to dreame of peace or ease but to stand alwaies in their station with vndaunted valour and vnwearied watchfulnesse and to bee armed continually with the whole armour of God that they may resist these enemies and obtaine the victory But especially this courage and care is required of Gods Ministers that they may with Timothy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Tim. 1. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnto which is required not onely that they bee valourous in fighting the Lords battailes but also prudent and skilfull in the militarie discipline that they may bee able to teach and traine others in these feates of Armes and how to vse their valure strength and weapons for their best aduantage seeing they are called of God not to be common Souldiers but Captaines and Leaders of his holy armies The consideration and conscience of which dutie hath moued me the least and vnworthiest of this number to intreat of this Christian Warfare that for the present the weake and vnskilfull might haue some helpe and direction for the strengthening of themselues and defeating of their enemies vntill some of Gods greatest Worthies doe vndertake this taske and purtray perfectly this spirituall patterne of militarie discipline which I as I could haue rudely delineated The finishing of which worke in all the parts thereof was when I first vndertooke it in regard of my weakenesse and other imployments in the worke of my ministerie so farre in my conceipt aboue my hopes that I durst scarce aspire vnto it in my highest desires though in this kinde ambitious aboue my strength And yet now the Lord who taketh delight to manifest his power in the weakenesse of his instruments hath enabled me to finish the last part of this worke And as in the other parts to describe the Warfare betweene the Christian and his forraigne enemies the Diuell and the World with the meanes whereby hee may bee inabled to ouercome so in this the intestine warre that is in our selues betweene the Spirit the Flesh wherin if we will get the victorie we must after a sort flee and abandon our selues and if wee will kill our enemies wee must mortifie and crucifie our earthly members The which my poore labours I humbly offer to your Honours patronage not because I thinke them worthy your learned view or so perfect that they may merit approbation in your iudicious censure but that passing as tolerable in your estimate they may appeare euen commendable to weaker iudgements and like meane seruants of Honorable Lords may be more esteemed and better entertained when as they come abroad graced with your name Neither haue I offered this Discourse of Christian Warfare to your view like Phormio to Annibal as though I thought I could hereby adde any thing to your skill in this militarie discipline but onely that it might finde shelter vnder such Honourable shade against the stormes of seuerer censures knowing that the weaker the pupill is the more neede he hath of a strong Patron and Guardian Nor dare I say that hereby I desired to honour your name by commending it to posteritie as truely honourable although these paper monuments are oftentimes more durable then those which are erected of lasting Marble for what glory can my dimme candle adde to your sunshine And what increase can my mite add to your treasury And yet though the main Ocean bee neuer the fuller by the accesse of small springs and little streames notwithstanding they run into it as taking some delight to doe their homage and those who are of meanest abilitie to honour their superiours doe take some pleasure in indeauouring to doe it because hereby they manifest their will and in their greatest impotencie expresse in some sort their loue and dutie The which not onely your personall worth may challenge as due from all of my profession as excelling in those treasures which we onely acknowledge worth the coueting the vnvaluable riches of the minde in all kindes especially those chiefely precious Iewels learning and religion but also the outward exercise of these excellent endowments for the good of others by letting heretofore some streames vnualuable in their worth and vnmatchable in their kinde flowe out in common from the fountaine of your rich minde and now in place of honour and gouernment by approuing your selfe a notable pillar of Gods holy Temple in professing and vpholding his true Religion a worthy Maecenas of the Godly learned and a faithfull and vncorrupted Patron vnder his excellent Maiestie in the freee bestowing of Church-preferments vpon such as you conceiue are worthy to bee preferred The Lord inrich you more and more with all gifts and graces of his holy Spirit and make you faithfull vnto the end in the imploying of his rich talents which he hath committed so bountifully vnto you for the aduancement of his glory and good of his familie that so when you are called to giue an account of your Stewardship you may doe it with ioy hearing that blessed Euge Well done thou good and faithfull seruant
people of God subdued and led into miserable captiuitie And the experience of our own times teacheth vs that we cannot conclude that we are in Gods fauour and in the state of saluation because we thriue in the world and haue good successe in all our endeauours seeing by this reason we might inferre that the great Magor the Turke Persian and many other Infidels and Pagans were better beloued of God then Christian Princes and among Christians many prophane and carnall men then the sincere louers of Gods trueth because they more abound in these worldly blessings But of this point I shall neede to say little here seeing I haue written so much of this argument in my second part of this Christian War-fare § Sect. 5. That a ciuill life is not sure signe that we are in the state of grace and saluation And thus the flesh abuseth those who are professed worldlings Neither doth it deale lesse deceiptfully with those that make some shew of religion the which are of two sorts ciuill iusticiaries and temporarie hypocrites Concerning the former it perswadeth them that they are in good estate because they liue ciuilly and vnblameably among their neighbours in respect of notorious crimes which are punishable by the lawes of men and maketh them to blesse themselues because they are no murtherers adulterers drunkards theeues periured persons and couenant breakers but contrariwise deale honestly with all men keepe their word pay euery one their due and sometimes also giue an almes to those that are in want and misery And because in respect of their dutie towards God they are of that religion which the Prince is of and the Law requireth and are no recusants but come to the Church with the rest of their neighbours and there heare diuine seruice and the word preached and receiue the Sacrament as oft as the law inioyneth Though in the meane time they are vtterly ignorant of the true God his persons nature and attributes of Iesus Christ and his natures and offices and the great worke of redemption and in a word of all the principles of true religion And though they make no conscience of performing any duties of the first table as of Prayer hearing the Word receiuing the Sacrament sanctifying the Sabbath in spirit and in truth as God requireth but onely formally for custome and fashion sake yet their corrupt flesh maketh them beleeue that God will accept of their good meaning and superstitious deuotion and will be well satisfied with their bodily exercise and lip-labour though their hearts be farre from him yea though in the very time of his seruice they set vp idols in their hearts and haue all their cogitations wholly taken vp with their pleasures profits and other vanities of the world But that we may not be ouertaken with this deceit let vs know and remember that God will not accept of vs vnlesse with Dauid we haue respect vnto all his commandements and make Psal 119. 6. conscience of performing as well yea principally the duties of the first table as of the second that the feare of God and his true religion is the head and first beginning of sauing wisedome and that it is but a counterfet and carnall Psal 111. 10. righteousnesse such as was in the heathens which doth not spring from the roote of piety that wee cannot haue a liuely faith without sauing knowledge nor doe any good workes without faith that without faith wee cannot please Heb. 11. 4. Rom. 14. 23. God and whatsoeuer we doe without it is sinne That if our iustice arise not from godlinesse it is but meerely morall ciuilitie and if our loue of our brethren spring not from the cleere fountaine of Gods loue then it streameth from the filthy puddle of selfe-loue Let vs know that God will bee worshipped not after the commandements of men but after his owne reuealed will and that whosoeuer serue GOD principally because the princes law requireth it and not because God commandeth it hee worshippeth his King aboue his God That bodily exercise profiteth 1 Tim. 4. 8. nothing and that the Lord wil be worshipped in spirit and Ioh. 4. 24. truth that God regardeth not formall seruice which riseth rather from custome then conscience and that the religion of the soule is the soule of religion without which it is but a dead carkase That God can indure no riuals in his seruice nor no halting betweene Iehouah and Baal God and the world he cannot abide a double or diuided heart but he will either haue all or leaue all to the Diuell and the world and finally that our good meaning will be no currant payment in the day of accompt seeing it hath not Gods image and stampe vpon it but is coined in the forge of our owne braine and hath on it the print of our owne inuentions which the Lord esteemeth no better then high treason against his royall crowne and dignitie § Sect. 6. That a bare profession of the true religion is not sufficient for saluation And thus the flesh deceiueth ciuill iusticiaries the like deceit it vseth towards hypocrites with whom it dealeth diuersly according to their diuers kindes For either they are grosse hypocrites who though they make a great shew of religion yet their liues are so euill and scandalous that their hypocrisie is detected and manifest not onely vnto others but also to their owne hearts and consciences or more cunning and subtle who by their outward profession and seeming conformitie to the law deceiue not onely other men but themselues also Concerning the former the flesh deceiueth them with a vaine conceipt that the bare profession of the true religion is sufficient for their saluation without all practise and obedience that it is inough to say that they haue faith though they bee vtterly barren of all good Workes to cry Lord Lord though they neglect the will of our heauenly Father that they be hearers of the word though they be not doers of it and that they professe that they know God though in their workes they deny him being abominable disobedient and to euery good worke reprobate But this is so contrary to the whole course T◠1. 16. of the Scriptures that who so is but a little conuersant in them may plainely see yea palpably feele this deceipt neither is it possible that any should be deluded with it but those whom the god of this world hath blinded and for want of loue to the truth are giuen vp of God to bee seduced 2 Thes 2. 11. with strong delusions and to beleeue lies For there we shall Rom. 2. 13. plainely see that these conceits are crossed and contradicted in direct and expresse tearmes namely that not the hearers but the doers of the word are iustified that if we heare Iam. 1. 22. Ioh. 13. 17. Luke 11. 28. Mat 7. 21. Iam. 2. 14. 17. 26 and doe not we doe but deceiue our selues that they onely