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I’m particularly curious about the usage in Calvin’s commentary of Hebrews:

...at the same time we are carrying on war with sin, our intestine enemy.

However, here are some other examples.

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You could use a dictionary, and find the now-obsolete definition—"internal; specifically: of or relating to the internal affairs of a state or country <intestine war>". So he means "our enemy within ourselves". – Peter Shor Oct 27 '12 at 15:41
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Intestine war is a very common 17th century term for what we now usually call “civil war”. – StoneyB Oct 27 '12 at 16:05
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@StoneyB Internecine war is probably a closer approximation. – coleopterist Oct 27 '12 at 16:17
@coleopterist Or simply internal. Here’s both civil wars and intestine wars on the same page: An History of the Civil VVars of England … Engliſhed by the Right Honourable Henry Earle of Monmouth … 1641. – StoneyB Oct 27 '12 at 16:56

closed as general reference by Robusto, FumbleFingers, tchrist, StoneyB, Mark Beadles Oct 27 '12 at 17:18

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