A30137:133
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.
2. An indifferent thing in it self is next to nothing, neither good nor evil, then but a thing betwixt them both.
Then is the Blood of the Lord Jesus, in it self, of no value at all; nor Faith in him, of it self, any more then a thing• of •ought; their virtue and goodness only dependeth upon certain Circumstances that make them so? For the indifferency of the thing lieth not simply in coming to God, but in coming to him by Christ: Coming otherwise to God, even in this mans eyes, being the All in All; but in this coming, in coming to him by Christ, there lieth the indifferency. I marvel what injury the Lord Jesus hath done this man, that he should have such indifferent thought of coming to God by him?
Then is the Blood of the Lord Jesus, in it self, of no value at all; nor Faith in him, of it self, any more then a thing• of •ought; their virtue and goodness onely dependeth upon• certain Circumstances that make them soo? For the indifferency of the thing lyeth not simply in coming to God, but in coming to him by Christ: Coming otherwise to God, even in this mans eyes, being the All in All; but in this coming, in coming to him by Christ, there lyeth the indifferency. I marvel what injury the Lord Jesus hath done this man, that he should have such indifferent thought of coming to God by him?
But hath he no better thoughts of his own good deeds, which are by the Law? Yes doubtless, for those (saith he) are of an indispensable, and eternal obligation, which were first written in mens hearts, and originally dictates of humane nature. pag▪ 8. Mark, Not a dictate of humane nature, or necessary conclusion on deduction from it, is of an indifferent, but of an indispensable; not of a transient, but of an eternal obligation. It is only going to God by Christ, and two other things, that he findeth in the Gospel, that of themselves, are of an indifferent nature.