A30137:482
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. The obedience or inclination to obedience that is before Faith, or the understanding of the Gospel, is so far off from being an excellent preparative, or good qualification for Faith, and the knowledge of the Gospel, that in its own Nature (which is more then in its Consequences) it is a great obstruction thereto.
For, while a Man remains faithless and ignorant of the Gospel, to what doth his obedient temper of mind incline? Not to Faith, nor the Gospel of Christ; for with these, as yet you suppose he hath not to do; therefore he inclineth to the Law of Morals, either as it was delivered in Tables of Stone from Sinai, or as ⟨p. 97⟩written in the hearts of all the Children of Men, to it under the last consideration, (which is in truth the most Heathen and Pagan) to it, as so you intend your obedient temper of mind should incline, Pag. 7, 8, 9, 10.
For, while a Man remains faithless and ignorant of the Gospel, to what doth his obedient temper of mind incline? Not to Faith, nor the Gospel of Christ; for with these, as yet you suppose he hath not to doe; therefore he inclineth to the Law of Morrals, either as it was delivered in Tables of Stone from Sinai, or as ⟨p. 97⟩written in the hearts of all the Children of Men, to it under the last consideration, (which is in truth the most Heathen and Pagan) to it, as so you intend your obedient temper of mind should incline, Pag. 7, 8, 9, 10.
Now this Doctrine being in it self of quite another Nature then the Doctrine of Faith, and also, as such, a Covenant by it self, it requireth the mind by virtue of it's Commands, to stand to THAT, and to rest in THAT: For of necessity the heart and mind of a Man, can go no farther, then it seeth, and hath learnt; but by this Moral Doctrine, the heart and mind is bound and limited to it self, by the power of the Dictate to obedience, and the promise of obtaining the Blessing,