A confession of my faith and a reason of my practice

Name: A confession of my faith and a reason of my practice
Author: John Bunyan

A confession of my faith and a reason of my practice, or, With who, and who not, I can hold church-fellowship, or the communion of saints

John Bunyan 1628–1688London: printed for Francis Smith, 1672

[10], 130 p. · 23k words · Wing B5506 · ESTC R36326

Title page typeset from the transcription.

A Confession of my Faith; and a reason of my practice in worship, &c. › A reason of my Practise in Worship,

Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.

[ Earlier:162–177 of 218

:162p. 105–108

I mean when we Love as Saints, and desire communion with others, because they have fellowship one with another, in their fellowship with God the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ. 1 Joh. 1.2. And now though the truth and sincerity of our Love to God, be then discovered when we keep his commandments, in love to his name; yet we should remember again, that the two head and chief Commandments, are Faith in Jesus, and Love to the brethren: 1 Joh 3.23. ⟨p. 106⟩So then he that pretendeth to Love, and yet seeks not the profit of his Brother in chief; he Loveth, but they are his own opinions and froward notions. Jam. 4.11. Rom. 14.21. Love is the fulfilling of the Law; but he fulfils it not who judgeth, and setteth at nought his Brother; that stumbleth, offendeth and maketh weak his Brother, and all for the sake of a circumstance, that to which he cannot consent, except he sin against his own Soul, or Papist like, live by an implicit Faith. Love therefore is sometimes more seen and showed, in forbearing to urge and press what we know, then in publishing and imposing. I could not saith Paul, (Love would not let me) speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto Babes in Christ: I have fed you with Milk and not with strong meat, for hitherto you have not been able to bear it; neither yet ⟨p. 107⟩now are you able. 1 Cor. 3.1, 2. The Apostle considered not only the knowledge that he had in the mysteries of Christ; but the temper, the growth, and strength of the Churches, and accordingly kept back, or communicated to them, what might be for their profit. Act 20.18, 19, 20. So Christ, I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. It may be some will count these old and threadbare texts; but such must know, that the word of the Lord must stand for ever. Isa. 40.8. And I should dare to say to such: if the best of thy new shifts, be to slight, and abuse old Scriptures; It shows thou art more fond of thy unwarrantable opinion, then swift to hear, and ready to yield to the authority that is unfallible. But to conclude this, when we attempt to force our Brother beyond his light, or to break his heart with grief, to thrust him beyond his Faith, or to

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