A30137:534
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.
Answ. I say, for a Man to confine himself, only to the life of the Lord Jesus for an example, or to think it enough to make him, in his life, a pattern for us to follow, leaveth us, through our shortness in the end, with the Devil and his Angels, for want of Faith in the Doctrine of Remission of Sins: For Christ did no where make another Mediator between God and him, nor did he ever trust to another Man's Righteousness, to be thereby Justified from the Curse of the Law, neither did he at all stand in need thereof, without which WE must be Damned, and Perish: Now I say, these things being no where practiced by him, he cannot therein be an example to us: And I say again, seeing that in these things, by Faith in them, is immediately wrapped up our Reconciliation with God, it followeth, that though a Man take the Lord Christ in his whole life, for an example in the end, that notwithstanding, he abideth unreconciled to God. Neither will that clause (and be such) help such a person at all: For Justification with God, comes not by imitating Christ as exemplary in Morals, but through Faith in his Precious Blood. In the Law I read, that the Paschal Lamb was neither to be eaten Sodden, nor Raw, but Roast with fire, must it be eaten, Exod. 12. Now to make Salvation Principally to depend upon imitating Christ's Life; it is to feed upon him Raw, or at most as Sodden; or Sanctified and Holy: But the precept is, Eat it Roast with fire; is; the Antitype, as accursed of God for Sin,1 and enduring the punishment for it.2 The Law is compared to fire, and it's Curse to a burning Oven: Now under the Curse of this fiery Law,3 was the Lord Jesus afflicted for the Sins of the World: Wherefore, as so considered, our Faith must lay hold upon him, for Justification with God. This is the Law of the Burnt Offering (which was the Offering for Sin;) It is the Burnt Offering, because of the burning upon the Altar all night, unto the morning, and the fire of the Altar shall be burning in it, Levit. 6. 9. But now I would inquire; Had Israel done the Commandment, if they had eaten the Passover Raw; or Boiled in Water? or if they had offered that Offering; that was to be burnt as a Sin Offering, otherwise then it was commanded? Even so, to feed upon Christ, as he is Holy and of good life only;