A77832:133
A vindication of the book called, Some Gospel-truths opened; according to the Scriptures, and…
A vindication of the book called, Some Gospel-truths opened; according to the Scriptures, and the opposition made against it by Edward Borough, a professed Quaker, (but proved an enemy to the truth) examined and confuted by the word of God. And also, the things that were then laid down, and declared to the world by me, are a second-time born witness to, according to truth: with the answer of Edward Borough to the queries then laid down in my book reproved. And also, a plain answer to his queries, given in simplicity of soul; and is now also presented to the world, or who else may read, or hear them; to the end (if God will) that truth may be discovered thereby. / by John Bunyan ...A vindication of the book called, Some Gospel-truths opened; according to the Scriptures, and the opposition made against it by Edward Borrough, a professed Quaker, (but proved an enemie to the truth) examined and confuted by the word of God. And also, the things that were then laid down, and declared to the world by me, are a second-time born witness to, according to truth: with the answer of Edward Burrough to the quæries then laid down in my book reproved. And also, a plain answer to his quæries, given in simplicitie of soul; and is now also presented to the world, or who else may read, or hear them; to the end (if God will) that truth may be discovered thereby. / by John Bunyan ...
London: printed by Matthias Cowley, 1657
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.
Then in answer, to my bidding people receive no Christ, except God's Christ, thou sayest thus, That Christ is a mystery, and unto him is light, and shall be salvation where his person never came. Th•s Question I ask thee, did or doth Christ obtain salvation for any, without that •••y which he took of the Virgin? And yet thou sayest, it cannot be said, here is the place where the Son is not.
Then in answer, to my bidding people receive no Christ, except God's Christ, thou saiest thus, That Christ is a mistery, and unto him is light, and shall be salvation where his person never came. Th•s Question I aske thee, did or doth Christ obtaine salvation for any, without that •••y which he took of the Virgin? And yet thou saiest, it cannot be said, here is the place where the Son is not.
I answer: as the Son of God is also very man, so it may be said, here is the ⟨p. 19⟩place where he is not, and there is the place where he hath not been, though as he is God it is otherwise, let him that reads understand.
And now passing by many things that I might justly examine, and also many unseemly expressions, I come to the next thing, and that is; where you say, you wrest not the Scripture in Joh. 1.9. But it is evident, that you do most horribly wrest it, in that you, though you seem to take it in the plain words, yet would hold, that that light is the Spirit of Christ, notwithstanding there is no such thing mentioned in that Scripture. For mark, as I have sometimes said, and now also will say, that that light wherewith Christ, as he is God, hath lightened every one with, is not the Spirit of Christ, as is clear, in that some are sensual having not the Spirit, which they must needs have, if it were given to every one that comes into the World, and therefore, in that you say, I say you lay down that scripture false, I say again, that you say many things which I do know to be blasphemy, as I shall prove clearly anon, as also I have already. And therefore, to take thee off from this, I shall say, that Christ as he is a mediator, a man between God and man, so he doth not lighten every man that comes into the World, though as he is God he doth. And that is manifest, where he often (as he was man) saith, These things are spoken to them that are without in parables; that seeing, they might not see; and hearing, they might not understand, Luk, 8.10. And again, where Judas (not Iscariot) said; Lord, how is it, that thou wilt manifest thy self to us, and not unto the world? He saith, If a man love me, he will keep my sayings, and my Father will love him, and we (I as Mediator, and my Father as reconciled in me) will manifest our selves unto him,