A30137:118
A defence of the doctrine of justification, by faith in Jesus Christ
A defence of the doctrine of justification, by faith in Jesus Christ: showing, true Gospel-holiness flows from thence. Or, Mr. Fowler's pretended design of Christianity, proved to be nothing more then to trample under foot the blood of the Son of God and the idolizing of man's own righteousness. As also, how while he pretends to be a minister of the Church of England, he overthroweth the wholesome doctrine contained in the 10th. 11th. and 13th. of the Thirty Nine Articles of the same, and that he falleth in with the Quaker, and Romanist, against them. By John Bunyan.A defence of the doctrine of justification, by faith in Jesus Christ: shewing, true Gospel-holiness flows from thence. Or, Mr. Fowler's pretended design of Christianity, proved to be nothing more then to trample under foot the blood of the Son of God and the idolizing of man's own righteousness. As also, how while he pretends to be a minister of the Church of England, he overthroweth the wholesom doctrine contained in the 10th. 11th. and 13th. of the Thirty Nine Articles of the same, and that he falleth in with the Quaker, and Romanist, against them. By John Bunyan.
London: printed for Francis Smith, 1673
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.
First then, Adam before the fall, even in his best and most sinless state, was but a pure natural man, consisting of body and soul; these (to use your own terms) were his pure essentials: In this mans heart,1 God also did write the Law; that is, (as you term them) the first principles of morals. This then was the state of Adam, he was a pure natural man;2 made by God sinless; all the faculties of his Soul, and members of his body were clean.3 God made man upright. But he made him not then a Spiritual man; The first Adam was made a living Soul, howbeit that was not first which was Spiritual: 4but that which was natural, and afterwards that which is Spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy. 1 Cor. 15▪ A living Soul he ⟨p. 24⟩was; yet but a natural man, even in his first and best estate: but earthly, when compared to Christ; or with them that believe in Christ. So then, the holiness of Adam in his last estate, even that which he LOST, and we in him, it was none other, then that which was natural, even the sinless-state of a natural man. This holiness then was not of the nature of that, which hath for its root the holy Ghost; for of that we read not at all in him, he only was endued with a living Soul; his holiness then could not be Gospel, nor that which is a branch of the second covenant: his acts of righteousness, were not by the operations of the Spirit of Grace, but the dictates of the Law in his own natural heart. But the Apostle when he treateth of the Christian inherent holiness; first excluding that in Adam, as earthly; he tells us, it is such as is in Christ: As is the earthly, such are they, that are earthly; and as is the heavenly such are they that are heavenly. Let then those that are the Sons of Adam, in the state of nature as he, though not so pure, and spotless as he, be reckoned to bear his image and similitude: but let them that are the children of Christ, though not so pure as he, bear the image and similitude of Christ;