A30137:143
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.
You say, Actions may become duties, or sins, two ways: first as they are compliances with or transgressions of Divine positive Precepts: These are the declarations of the arbitrary Will of God, whereby he restraineth our liberty, for great and wise reasons in things that are of an indifferent nature, and absolutely considered are neither good nor evil; and so makes things not good in themselves (and are capable of becoming so, only by reason of certain Circumstances) Duties; and things not evil in themselves, sins. SUCH were all the Injunctions and Prohibitions of the Ceremonial Law; and some few SUCH we have under the Gospel. page. 7. Then page 9. you tell •s, That the reason of the Positive Laws (that is, concerning things in themselves indifferent) in the Gospel are declared; of which, say you, I know but three that are purely so, viz. That of Coming to God by Christ, the Institution of Baptism, and the Lords Supper.
You say, Actions may become dutyes, or sins, two wayes: first as they are compliances with or transgressions of Divine positive Precepts: These are the declarations of the arbitrary Will of God, whereby he restraineth our liberty, for great and wise reasons in things that are of an indifferent nature, and absolutely considered are neither good nor evil; and so makes things not good in themselves (and are capable of becoming so, onely by reason of certain Circumstances) Duties; and things not evil in themselves, sins. SUCH were all the Injunctions and Prohibitions of the Ceremonial Law; and some few SUCH we have under the Gospel. page. 7. Then page 9. you tell •s, That the reason of the Positive Laws (that is, concerning things in themselves i•different) in the Gospel are declared; of which, say you, I know but three that are purely so, viz. That of Coming to God by Christ, the Institution of Baptisme, and the Lords Supper.
Here now let the Reader note, That the positive Precepts, declarations of the arbitrary Will of God, in things of an indifferent nature, being such, as absolutely considered, are neither good nor evil; some few SUCH (say you) we have under the Gospel, namely, that of coming to God by Christ, &c. I am the more punctual in this thing, because you have confounded your weak, Reader with a crooked Parenthesis in the midst of the Paragraph, and also by deferring to spit your intended venom at Christ, till again you had puzzled him, with your Mathematics, and Metaphysics, &c. putting in another Page, betwixt the beginning, and the end of your blasphemy.