A30137:130
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.
And now I will come to your indifferent things, viz. those which you call, positive Precepts; things, say you, of an indifferent nature; and absolutely considered, are neither good nor evil; but are capable of becoming so; only by reason of certain Circumstances: Of these positive indifferent Precepts, you say, you know but three in the Gospel; but three that are purely so viz. That of coming to God by Christ, the Institutions of Baptism, and the Lords Supper. This we have in Page 7. and 9.
And now I will come to your indifferent things, viz. those which you call, positive Precepts; things, say you, of an indifferent nature; and absolutely considered, are neither good nor evil; but are capable of becoming so; onely by reason of certain Circumstances: Of these positive indifferent Precepts, you say, you know but three in the Gospel; but three that are purely so viz. That of coming to God by Christ, the Institutions of Baptisme, and the Lords Supper. This we have in Page 7. and 9.
1. These words, as I hinted before,1 are highly derogatory to the Lord the King of Glory, and trample as much upon the Blood of the Son of God, as words can likely do.
- 1Answ.
For first, If coming to God by Christ, be in it self but an Indifferent thing, then, as I also hinted before, it is not of the substance of Christianity; but a man may be truly a Christian without it; may be saved, and go to heaven without it; This is in truth the Consequence of your words: for things purely of an indifferent nature, do not in themselves either make or mar the Righteousness that justifieth us from the Curse before God. Wherefore by your Argument, if a man remain ignorant of that positive Precept, of coming to God by Christ; he remaineth ignorant but of an Indifferent thing, a thing that in its self is neither good nor evil, and therefore not essentially material to his Faith or justifying Righteousness.