in this matter there is but a notional difference between these two it having been shewn that Christ as a Saviour designs our holiness his Salvation being chiefly that from the worst of Evils sin Canst thou think Reader that Mr. F. deserves to be accused as Popishly affected in this point Are all those Papists in the Doctrine of justification that deny a dead Faith to be the condition of it and doth not S. Iames say that Faith without works is dead And if a living Faith justifies is it Popery to say that it justifies as 't is a living Faith I am sure 't is non-sense to say otherwise Doth Mr. F. any where contrary to the Apostle Paul assert the merit of Works no he makes works or a working Faith only a necessary condition of justification as S. Iames doth and all the Apostles and Christ alone to be the meritorious cause of it And he must needs attribute our justification to the free grace of God in Christ when he makes also the condition of it Faith a free gift a grace of God's holy Spirit In short let the Reader consult Mr. F's Free Discourse between two intimate Friends p. 149. to p. 190. and there he shall see his full sense of justifying Faith and the notion given there of it sufficiently defended 2. The other notion Mr. F. in this inference saith the Design of Christianity will give satisfaction concerning is that of the imputation of Christs Righteousness viz. That it consists in dealing with sincerely righteous persons as if they were perfectly so for the sake and upon the account of Christ's Righteousness And he shews that the Doctrine of the Design of Christianity makes it impossible that any other notion of this point should have truth in it But mark what he saith in the close But because both these Points are discussed in the Free Discourse I have said so little of the former and will proceed no farther on this but refer the Reader thither c. Would any one now have imagined but that this I. B. had he the least spark of ingenuity or meant at all honestly would have taken occasion to inform himself throughly from that Discourse concerning Mr. F's judgment in these two points especially and to try the strength of the arguments whereby he there hath confirmed his Doctrine and if he had been sagacious enough to espy flaws in them to make a discovery of them but he takes no more notice of that Book than if there had been none such extant nay though Mr. F. doth several times in the Design of Christianity refer to it This is the Blade that loves to tell the world he is a lover of Truth but if she hath no sincerer friends than he makes it apparent by this and all his other practices he is her case would be most deplorable All that understand this man may safely conclude that he hath as little will as ability to find out and acquaint himself with this precious Jewel But to the next Inference The Fifth Inference chap. 20. That we learn from the Design of Christianity what is the great measure and standard whereby we are to judge of Doctrines both whether they are true or false and in what degree necessary to be received or rejected The Sixth Inference chap. 22. That the Design of Christianity teacheth us what Doctrines and Practices we ought as Christians to be most zealous for or against Those surely that are most available to the begetting and increase of true holiness it is our duty to be most concerned for and those that have the greatest tendency towards the endangering of it to set our selves with the greatest industry against The Seventh Inference chap. 23. That the Design of Christianity well considered will give us great light into the just bounds of our Christian liberty And that that being to make men holy it may safely be presumed that such things as have neither directly nor consequentially any tendency to the depraving our souls are left free to us by our Saviour And 't is shewn that this is only to be understood of such things as the Gospel speaks nothing particularly and clearly concerning The Eighth Inference chap. 24. That 't is a most unaccountable thing to do that which is essentially evil in defence of the Christian Religion or of any opinions presumed to be Doctrines relating thereunto I would J. B. would well lay to heart this I am sure if he had done so when he read it there would have been no occasion for these leavs The Ninth Inference chap. 25. That 't is most unwarrantable for the Ministers of Christ to prefer any design before that of making men really righteous and holy The Tenth Inference chap. 26. That an obedient temper of mind is an excellent and necessary qualification to prepare men for a firm belief and right understanding of Christ's Gospel The Last Inference chap. 27. That we are taught by the Design of Christianity wherein the Essence Power and life of it consisteth viz. in a holy frame and temper of soul whereby it esteemeth God as the chiefest good preferreth him and his Son Jesus before all the world and prizeth above all things an Interest in the Divine perfections such as justice and righteousness universal Charity Goodness Mercy Patience and all kinds of purity From whence doth naturally proceed a hearty complyance with all the holy Precepts of the Gospel and sincere endeavours to perform all those actions which are agreeable to them are necessary expressions of those and the like vertues and means for the obtaining and encrease of them What thinkest thou now Reader canst thou fancy the Design of Christianity to be another Leviathan or rather art thou able to retain any tolerable opinion of that man that calls it so and represents it as such a piece of monstrous Devilism Nay can he himself have such a Brazen Forehead as not to be confounded to think what he hath done upon his reading over if he can be perswaded to it but this short account of that Treatise I pray God give him true Repentance and set home upon his Conscience what hath and shall be farther laid open to his view in this small Pamphlet which if ever he does I am sure he 'l acknowledge that Mr. F. hath given him as little temptation to accuse him so highly as did our blessed Saviour the malicious Pharisees to fasten upon him the imputation of as fearful crimes viz. profane company keeping Treason witchcraft and Blasphemy And who can be so blind as not to see that the only provocation I B. could have to exclaim at such a rate is this that the design of Mr. F's took is utterly to root out that doctrine which is the grand support of wretched hypocrites and which doth infinitely disparage our Blessed Lord Jesus and his glorious Gospel I mean that filthy doctrine of Antinomianism with which this man hath stuffed his sad Scrible and it appears not only
by that but by his other lamentable writings that he is as rank and Ranting an Antinomian as ever foul'd paper I concluded as soon as I had read the Design of Christianity which no man hath done more deliberately or impartially than my self that it would be a very acceptable work to Sincere Souls but on the otherside as welcome to all hardned hypocrites as our Saviours Sermon on the Mount to the Scribes and Pharisees I knew it would make such gnash their teeth and that the Author would be an object of their Spight and rage but I must confess I could not in the least imagine that any one that would be thought a Christian had so little concern for his reputation as so shamelesly to lay open his hypocrisie to the sight of all men as by printing such fearful stuff as this I. B. hath done In the first place he sets down a Catalogue of the Errors and Doctrines destructive of Christianity that he saith Mr. F. hath presented to the world in his as he calls it Feigned Design c. And that it might make a huge shew he puts it upon the tenter hooks to make it contain so round a number as just forty And 't is worth our observation that in order to the making of it so bulky a thing as he does he useth this honest Art as any one will see that reads his long bed-roul with the least attention namely he makes in abundance of instances distinct doctrines of different expressions and proofs and illustrations of one and the same thing As in the first place the sixth damnable wicked doctrine he chargeth on Mr. F. is That Christs grand coming into the world was to put us again into possession of that holiness that we had lost Design of Christianity page 12. The seventh That Iohn the Baptist the Angel sent to Zacharias and Mary which is his own addition and Malachi preached this doctrine p. 13. The eighth That by Christs saving us from Sin is meant not first his saving us from the punishment of it c. p. 14 15. Mark by the way that what he refers to here is only two or three words by which the proof out of Malachi of the same thing is explained The nineteenth That the Salvation of Christ first consists in curing our wounds and secondarily in freeing us from the smart p. 216. The Twentieth That pardon doth not so much consist in remission as in healing p. 216. Note this is not Mr. F's saying but only a saying of the Ancient Father Clemens of Alexandria quoted by him The 29th That the grand intent of the Gospel is to make us partakers of inward real righteousness and it is but a Secondary one that we should be accepted and rewarded as if we were completely righteous p. 226. The 30th That it is not possible that any other notion of this doctrine should have truth in it p. 226. I. B. himself cannot be so blind as not to be able to see that all these seven amount to one and the same thing Again the 12th Error is That it is impossible a wicked man should have God's pardon p. 119. That is as Mr. F. explain'd himself he continuing wicked The 13th That 't is impossible Christ's Righteousness should be imputed to an unrighteous man p. 120. That is he continuing unrighteous The 14th That if it were it would signify as little to his happiness while he continueth so as would a gorgeous and splendid garment to one that is almost starved p. 120. The 15th That for God to justifie a wicked man c. would far more disparage his justice and holiness than advance his grace and kindness p. 130. The 16th That men are not capable of Gods pardoning grace till they have truly repented them of all their Sins p. 130. Who that hath eyes in his head doth not see that these are all the same Once more The 21 st pretended error is That Faith justifies as it includes true holiness in the nature of it p. 221. The 22 d. That the Faith that Iustifies a Sinner to so high a priveledge as that of Iustification must needs be such as complyeth with all the purposes of Christ's coming into the world and especially with his grand purpose and 't is no less necessary that it should justify as it doth this p. 222. The 23d That he wonders that any worthy man should be so difficultly perswaded to embrace this account of justifying Faith p. 222. A special doctrine this doth he know what the word doctrine means that makes this one The 24th That there can be no pretence for a man to think that Faith should be the condition or instrument of justification as it complyeth with only the precept of relying on Christs merits for the obtaining of it p. 223. The 25th That it is as clear as the Sun at noonday that Obedience to the other precepts must go before Obedience to this p. 223. The 26th That he shall be his Apollo that can give him a sufficient reason why justifying Faith should consist in recumbency and relying on Christs merits for the pardon of Sin p. 224. This another special doctrine And anon his foul dishonesty in this shall be discovered The 27th That he will take the boldness to tell those who are displeased with this account of justifying Faith that in his opinion it is impossible they should think of any other p. 225. This a doctrine like the other two which no one of common sense would call so Here are seven more of his Doctrines that are all the same To which also may be added many more that are the very same but I am weary of this work and I think I have done fairly in transcribing these instances whereby it is manifest that nineteen of his number are dwindled away into almost but a poor three And by these let the Reader judg of the rest or rather let him Examine and compare them himself and he will find enough in all conscience of the same fair play and be ready to take up his saying to the Shearer of the hoggs A GREAT CRY BUT LITTLE WOOL Next after this doughty performance our notable Muster-master of damnable doctrines thus accosts his Reader Reader I have given thee here but a taste of these things and by my Book but a brief reply to the errors that he by his hath divulged to the world although many more are by me reflected than the Forty thou art here presented with But I must tell our honest Iohn that surely he never expected any other Readers than the most arrant Blockheads or he except he be so himself would never have made them such a present And whereas he saith he hath reflected many more to pass by the non-sense I will assure him that after his rate of counting if I may but have the honour to serve him in compleating his Catalogue it should scape me hard but I would advance Mr. F's errors from so modest a number
that the most hardned wretches have ordinarily the strongest confidence that the merits and Righteousness of Christ is theirs which as I said is this poor mans faith But 2. this Salvo as a worthy person saith is like to prove but a slippery hold when 't is believed as those people do that Gratitude it self as well as all other graces is in them already by imputation They must say something to make their wretched doctrine to seem less odious or they would scarcely be indured in a Christian State But whereas I said that the fore-mentioned Salvo is demonstrated by experience to have nothing of Truth I must tell the Reader that I need go no farther for an example than this poor Creature himself he is as sad an instance of the falsity of that pretence as ever I knew No man discovers a stronger confidence as I can prove in the merits of Christ nor more presumes that the Righteousness of Christ is imputed to him than doth this man but in the mean time what is the holiness that this Faith of his hath produced If as insolent pride as ever man heard of the most outragious Fury the most turbulent Spirit the most reviling and defaming Pen and Tongue and consequently the most malicious Soul can consist with the mortification of Sin and true holiness then this man may be a holy man but he that saith they can affirms this horrid contradiction viz. that the most thick Egyptian darkness may have fellowship with pure light and the most exact and lively resemblances of the Devil may consist with the image of the infinitely holy God and a Divine nature Let him not think himself a Saint because he hath a zeal and pretends to have it for God too for so the worst of men the Pharisees had and the Crucifiers of the Lord of Glory Rom. 10. 2. or because he preacheth and makes long prayers for besides that if fame belies him not those are such as alone declare him not only a very absurd but naughty man I say besides this the Abominable Pharisees were as good at those things as he for his heart can be If he thinks that his despising and separating from others as carnal and prophane wretches though far better than himself and such as communion with whom will defile him is an argument of his holiness I will only ask him who those were that cryed Stand by thy self come not near to me for I am holier than thou Isai. 65. 5. and who those likewise were that S. Iude saith Separated themselves as being much more perfect than others and calling themselves the Spiritual v. 19. If he flatter himself with a fond conceit as no doubt he doth that suffering persecution is a great evidence of holiness the Quakers which he himself counts most damnable Hereticks have suffered as much and many of them far more than ever he hath done whose persecutions have been but fleabites or not so bad nay no other than such as have contributed to his purse far more plentifully than ever his cast of trade could But besides the Apostle tells us If I give my body to be burnt and have not Charity which I. B. proclaims himself if the Tree be known by the fruit utterly void of it profiteth me nothing Read the 13 Chap. of the first to the Corinthians and you need not be told how charitable this man is In a word the Devil hath his Martyrs as well as Jesus Christ. He will not say that being no drunkard or fornicator c is any argument of a holy man for he inveighs against none as unholy so much as those he is not able to tax with the vices that denominate men so or any other immoralities and I must tell him too however he take it that his vices are as far beyond such as are those that render men like to Devils more black and filthy than those that make them resemble Brutes And our Saviour hath told the men of I. B's Saintship that Publicans and Harlots shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven before themselves I heartily again pray that this plain and most honest dealing may be succesful to his true Repentance but it is scarcely to be hoped it will so long as he persists in his gross conceits concerning that blessed doctrine of justification by faith and imputation of Christs Righteousness which are but two expressions of one and the same thing as is abundantly proved in the Free Discourse for while he rouls himself on Christ for Salvation and strongly conceits that he is clad with his Righteousness which I have with undeniable evidence shewn to be the whole of his justifying faith he looks upon all his sins past present and to come as actually pardoned and therefore who that is not as blind as a post cannot see that Repentance is then a needless and vain thing nay and that 't is but a meer mockery for such a one as I. B. so much as to pray for the pardon of his sins And I entreat those that use to hear him to observe whether ever he doth so He contradicts himself egregiously if he doth any more than pray that God would give them a sense and assurance that their sins are pardoned the plain English of which petition is in him no more than this that God would strengthen more and more their already too strong fancies that they may not doubt but that their foul pollutions are all hidden from his all-seeing eye by the garment of the Righteousness of Christ cast over them and that they may be more and more assured that as bad as they are Christs righteousness doth not suffer him to see any iniquity in them I Say 't is scarcely to be hoped that this man should ever repent or so much as pray for pardon till he comes to embrace that doctrine which he now so detests viz. That receiving of Christ as a Lord to rule as well as a Priest to Save is a condition without which God will pardon none for the sake of Christ and also that no mens sins are actually pardoned before they are repented of and therefore much less before they are committed and that Christs individual Righteousness is not made any mans in a proper sense much less that it is so merely because he believes it is so and that there is no other doctrine true concerning the imputation of Christs Righteousness than this That those only that are enabled by the grace of God to hate and detest their sins or are endued with inward real righteousness shall have the benefit of Christs righteousness For to have Christ's Righteousness imputed as is fully proved in the aforesaid book is onely and that is as much as heart can wish to have as great advantages by his righteousness accruing to us as if it were in the properest sense imaginable made ours Before I go farther let me tell the Reader that this whole Doctrine of Mr. F's concerning justification by Faith is most
to his wretched Scribbles but if he had time lying upon his hands he will not easily be perswaded to do such bald rude Scriblers so great an honor But if any one that is able to write sense and to do any thing like a Scholar or man will be dealing with him such a one may be certain that as busie as he is he will find him work But he will not have so little a regard for his repute with discreet and understanding persons as to give himself leave to be in the least concerned at the brutish barkings of such a Creature as this though it lies not in his power to hold the Pens of others from returning upon him If you wonder Reader that I should use such an expression as brutish barkings do but turn to the Catalogue I have given you of some and but some of his most scurrilous and vile language at the end of this Pamphlet and there see at what a rate he raves at Mr. F. and his Treatise whose only business it is to promote holiness and for which reason it hath had as general a good acceptance with pious and good people as most books I have known I say do but turn to that Catalogue and then thou wilt acknowledg that I might have said devillish contumelies instead of brutish barkings and not have fouled my Pen with unseemly words But to conclude whereas Mr. F. is now upon the publishing of an excellent Scripture Catechism composed by a Learned and very worthy Person now deceased when that is Printed if I can perswade him he shall send this J. B. one of them which he infinitely more needs than he doth an answer For though he impudently takes upon him to be a Teacher of others he hath need that one teach himself which be the first principles of the Oracles of God And besides Mr. F. cannot desire that the doctrine of his Design of Christianity should be better defended than to my knowledg any man may do it by the assistance of that Catechism Farewel IMPRIMATUR Tho. Tomkyns Ex AEd. Lambethanis Sept. 10. 1672. ERRATA PAge 18. last Line adde in effect p. 19. l. 3. for justifies read intitles p. 19. l. 33. for almost r. at most p. 22. l. 11. for as r. than p. 28. l. 24. add on p. 29. l. 27. for in r. is p. 32. l. 3. 4. for where he said 'tis r. where 't is said Courteous Reader These and other Faults have been occasioned through the Authors absence and by the hasty Printing of this Treatise which thou art desired both for thy own sake and for his to correct with thy Pen before thou settest thy self to the serious reading thereof DIRT WIP'T OFF OR A manifest discovery of the Gross Ignorance and most Unchristian and Wicked Spirit of one JOHN BUNYAN OF all the mischievous things that poor mortals are or ever were infested with there is scarcely any one comparable to Ignorant Fanatick zeal nor are there to be found in nature so implacably spiteful and cruel Creatures as those that are acted by this Fury And as she hath produced unspeakably Sad and dismal Effects in this our once too too happy Church and State and in innumerable other places so the most horrid impieties that ever the Sun saw have received their birth from her Womb. It was this Zeal that hurried those Proud and ill-natur'd Religionists the Pharisees on all those horrible affronts and indignities that they offered to and heapt upon the Lord of Glory nor would it suffer them to rest till it had made them his inhumane and most barbarous murtherers And when I consider this prodigious instance of the Wickedness of those Zealots I cannot wonder at any Villanies that I ever understand are acted by the people of their Spirit Nor when we call to mind how our most Blessed Saviour suffered both from their tongues and hands because he preached such doctrine as did distaste their humor and set himself against their corrupt opinions and practices can we think it any other than what ought to be expected that in all ages his faithful Ministers and Servants should meet with the same usage for therein following their Lords Example and especially since he himself hath forewarned them that they shall be no otherwise entertained by that Sort of men than as he was For saith he Matt. 10. 24. The disciple is not above his Master nor the Servant above his Lord it is enough for the disciple that he be as his Master and the Servant as his Lord if they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of his houshold Again John 15. 20. if they persecuted me they will also persecute you And among the many true Successors of the Pharisees that among our selves do daily verifie those predictions there are I have reason to believe none whose breasts are fuller of rancour and malice towards those that are industrious not to make Converts to Sects but to Christ Iesus and to propagate not the fancies of men but the genuine doctrines of the Gospel than is the breast of the man that hath occasioned the publication of this Pampelet viz. Iohn Bunyan a person that hath been near these twenty years or longer most infamous in the Town and County of Bedford for a very Pestilent Schismatick Never did any more cry out of Persecution nor inveigh against others as Persecutors than he hath done but in the mean time no one is of a fiercer and more persecuting Spirit than he himself For besides that a slanderer is a cruel Persecutor as doing what in him lies to deprive his brother of his good name which in the Wise man's judgment is rather to be chosen than great riches nay to a good man is deservedly more precious than is life it self such a one demonstrates that nothing but want of Power is the true cause that he persecutes not by deeds as well as words Calumnies being ever taken up by impotent Creatures for want of sharper Weapons And that this I. B. is a most Black-mouth'd Calumniator besides innumerable other evidences his late Pamphlet or rather Libel intituled A defence of the doctrine of Iustification by Faith c. will abundantly satisfie any person that hath but the wit and honesty impartially to examine how he attempts to make good what he therein hath charged against Mr. Fowler viz. That he doth propagate in his Treatise intituled The Design of Christianity the Doctrine of Quakers of Papists and Heathens writes Blasphemy is an Enemy to the Son of God and Salvation of the world tramples under foot the blood of the Son of God together with many the like dreadful and most horrid accusations which shall be presented together at the end of the Book to the Readers eye Before I go further I must needs tell thee I. B. Thou art a man of Metal thou scornest I perceive to play at small game to give thine Adversary some
s. book so that the bare shewing how wofully he hath performed that one undertaking would have been a sufficient confirmation and defence of it But though I have not found so much as one thing in it that deserves to have a serious reply made to it I have so far denyed my self as not only to say enough to undermine but also to give an utter overthrow to the whole of it And to shew that so far as it opposeth The Design of Christianity 't is composed of nothing else but the most horrid absurdities belyings and revilings of that Treatise Nay it fully appeareth from what I have written that never did any writing more flatly that is in more evident consequences oppose the doctrine of justification by faith in Christ Iesus than this that he stileth a defence of it And that were Mr. F. a Iulian Celsus or Porphyry an utter enemy to Christianity as he wickedly accuseth him he could never have wished to have a greater dishonor done unto it than this man in his book hath done So that should I have considered every absurd and base passage from one end to the other of it and given it its due remark I should have made my self a most unmerciful drudg and swelled these leaves to a large Volume and been guilty of the most profuse and unaccountable expence of my time and Paper For I sedately and consideratively profess that I never read that I remember any thing that was half so full thrapt and crowded with both non-sensical and wicked stuff To conclude if any Reader is now able to think that there needs more than I have written or so much either to wipe off the dirt that is flung upon the Design of Christianity I must be so free with him as plainly to tell him that he is honor'd far beyond his merits in having one wise word bestowed upon him A Catalogue of some few of the abundance of absurd and most wicked Doctrinals and Assertions that are contained in John Bunyans Pamphlet against the Design of Christianity 1. HE calls this Paul's definition of a man There is none righteous no not one there is none that understandeth c. page 4. Mark as he most absurdly calls this Paul's definition so he calls it too his definition of a man not of a wicked man And sutably to this fine doctrine 2. He makes no real distinction between the humane Nature and Sin p. 3. As if Sin were not the corruption of our nature but essential to it 3. He Saith that of mans supreme faculty the Scripture teacheth that man in his best estate is altogether vanity Psal. 39. 5. p. 5. When as David speaks there only of mans bodily frailty But I might have spared this as being but a peccadillo in this man 4. He saith that the Command of the Law was not the great and principal argument with Christ no not in its first and highest principles to do or continue to do it p. 14. Then the first reason of our Saviours obedience was not the Command of God 5. He interprets those words of the Apostle of moral duties viz. They speak of the world and the world heareth them 1 John 4. 5. p. 19. 6. He saith that the new man is dead to the Law as to principles of nature and interprets that of the Apostle you are become dead to the law of the moral as well as Ceremonial law and further saith that a man must first be dead to your principles both of nature and the law If he will serve in a new spirit if he would bring forth fruit unto God p. 22 The only sense of which sayings whatever he meant by them is this that a man must cease to be a man and turn beast nay and Devil too before he can bring forth fruit unto God 7. He interprets those words in 1 Cor. 15. 46. and after that which is Spiritual of Spiritual holiness p. 23 Whereas the words are only spoken of an immortal body 8. He saith that the holiness of Adam in his best estate even that which he lost and we in him it was no other than that which was natural even the sinless state of a natural man p. 24 Thus he makes Adam a mere Brute as to holiness but in this he contradicts himself elsewhere as hath been shewn 9. He saith that even the inward holiness that is in Saints it is none other than that which dwelleth in the person of the Son of God in heaven p. 27 Then there are no graces of the holy Spirit wrought in us then our holiness is perfect and infinite and then according to his rate of arguing with Mr. F. p. 66. Christ's righteousness is by Faith in himself and an imputative righteousness 10. He saith that Christ dyed to put us into a personal possession of pardon before we know it p. 33 He that hath read his or this Pamphlet knows his meaning in this saying viz. that Christ dyed to put men into a personal possession of pardon while they continue in their wickedness 11. He Saith that for Christ to come to establish this righteousness viz. the righteousness which we have lost is all one as if he should be sent from Heaven to overthrow and abrogate the Eternal purpose of Grace which the father had purposed should be manifested to the world by Christ. p. 37. Let the Reader match me this Saying for the horrid wickedness of it out of any other books than this mans if he can 12. The wrath that the Law is said to work Rom. 4. 15. he interprets to be murmure and anger against the Lord. p. 39 Whenas the next words shew that the meaning is it renders men for their disobedience to it lyable to the judgment of God 13. He saith that that Repentance which hath its rise originally from the dictates of our own nature is called the sorrow of the world and must be again repented of p. 40. So that to be sorry for my sins because my reason tells me that they are an unworthy requital of Gods goodness to me is the worldly Sorrow condemned by the Apostle and must be again repented of 14. He saith that he that looks to or seeks after that holiness we have lost is as sure to be damned and go to hell as he that transgresseth the law because that is not the righteousness of God the righteousness of Christ the righteousness of faith nor that to which the promise is made p. 42. So that according to this devilish doctrine to endeavour to bring our hearts to the love of God above all and to the hatred and abhorrence of all sin is as ready or sure a way to hell as living in disobedience to all Gods Commandments And take notice that it is Proved that that is the Righteousness of God of Christ and of Faith 15. He saith That it is a foolish and an heathenish thing nay worse to think that the son of God should only or especially
was in Adam before the fall I answer that it is the same the very same for kind but in what degree Adam was holy is unknown to us This is at least without dispute that he was perfectly innocent and was also indued with a Principle of Holiness and such powers as whereby he could improve that principle to as great a heighth as humane nature was capable of True holiness or inward real Righteousness was ever one and the same in its own nature it was never nor ever can be any other than such a temper of soul as causeth an affectionate and hearty complyance with all goodness and an abhorrence and detestation of all wickedness which is the Sum of all Mr F's descriptions of it In short it is the image of the infinitely holy God in man and what God's Holiness is we may learn from such scriptures as these The Righteous Lord loveth Righteousness c. He is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity The Lord is just in all his waies The wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hates The Lord is merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in Goodness and truth God cannot lye c. Now this Holiness is in God Originally he is an inexhaustible fountain of Goodness nay he is holiness itself holiness as 't is in him is his very nature and essence But in all creatures whether Angels or Men it is by way of derivation from him Now observe the Holiness that was in Adam was the image of God God made him after his own image and take notice again that the Holiness of the Gospel is of the same nature is shewed by St. Paul Eph. 4. 24. He there Exhorting Christians to holiness expresseth himself thus And that ye put on the new man which after God or after the image of God or like to God is Created in Righteousness and true holiness And again he plainly intimates and more than intimates too that the Holiness of the Gospel is the same with that mankind hath lost in the verse immediately foregoing And be renewed in the Spirit of your minds What is it to be renewed but to recover our former state or that which was lost Lastly Holiness is described by Mr. F. by a Divine and Godlike nature and so the Apostle Peter calls the Gospel Holiness 2 Pet. 1. 4. Now what is the difference between a divine or Godlike nature and the image of God but I say once more God made Adam after his own Image Gen. 1. 27. What is clearer than all this Not the Sun at noon But let us now see the goodly Argument whereby this Ignoramus endeavours to overthrow this Doctrine 1. Saith he Adam before the fall even in his best and most sinless estate was but a pure natural man which he explains thus consisting of body and soul and in this mans heart God did also write the law that is saith he the first principles of morals But doth not every man since the fall consist of body and soul and does not the law still continue written in the hearts of men Doth not the Apostle say concerning the very heathens Rom. 1. That they having not the law are a law to themselves and that they shew the work of the Law written in their Hearts c Was Adam no more than this comes to Yes he adds too for I will do him no wrong as wickedly injurious as he is to Mr. F. that Adam was made of God sinless But are not all Brutes sinless too So that according to this Doctrine we now differ from Adam before the fall in nothing but what every beast it self hath But let this man know that God did not only write the law in Adams heart but also indued him with a principle whereby he was enabled to yield perfect obedience to that law and this by his fall he lost Next see what folly he discovers in proving this gross assertion concerning Adam he doth it by that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 45. and thus he sets it down The first Adam was made a living Soul howbeit that was not first which was spiritual but that which was natural and afterwards that which is spiritual The first man is of the earth earthy Observe 1. He saith that here Adam is said to be but a natural man even in his first and best estate earthy when compared to Christ or with them that believe in Christ. So that he makes Christ and them that believe in Christ the same for Adam is here only compared with Christ. 2. that which the Apostle speaks only concerning Adams body this I. B. understands concerning his soul. This I never heard of any one that once doubted and no one can that understands sense if he reads that Chapter or but the context of those words The Apostle makes it his business in that 15th to the Corinth to prove the doctrine of the Resurrection and from verse 35. shews what bodies Christians shall rise with and having said that the body â—s sown in corruption and raised in incorruption sown in dishonour raised in glory sown in weakness raised in power he adds V. 44 it is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body there is a natural body that is an animal body for so the word in the Greek signifies that is a body that needs meat and drink and there is a spiritual body or a pure fine immortal body that needs neither Now follows that which I. B. hath cited And so it is written the first Adam was made a living Soul the last Adam was made a quickning spirit which words he hath left out howbeit that was not first which is not Spiritual but that which is natural and after that which is Spiritual that is the animal body was first and afterwards 't is to be changed into a Spiritual body the first man is of the Earth Earthy c. that is the first mans body was so for his Soul as the history of his creation tells us was not from the earth And whereas Adam is said to be made a Living Soul the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Soul is by a Metonymy very often used to signifie the body and that not only living but dead too nay the breath and the bloud also of these significations of it I can give abundance of instances out of the Holy Scriptures but 't is so well known that I will not lose one moment upon it And whereas the Second Adam is called in opposition to the First a quickning Spirit that is he is a quickner of dead bodies But now what is all this to I. B's purpose he might as well have quoted for it in the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth And in interpreting those words as he hath done he hath put as great an Abuse upon the Apostle as he hath done upon himself that is made him a most wretched arguer You see again what a sad Soul this is to take upon
considered without respect to the command of God but the command of God hath made going to him by Christ a duty of absolute and indispensable necessity and such a grand fundamental and essential of the Gospel as that there is none greater So that 't is damnable for any one to whom the Gospel is revealed to omit this duty He saith that an indifferent thing in it self is next to nothing and then the bloud of Christ is of no value at all and afterwards he thus taunts it How indifferent as indifferent as the blood of a silly Sheep c. But thou most unsufferable abusive and provoking man take this answer once for all whatsoever is commanded us by the great God how indifferent soever it was before ceaseth then to be indifferent but is of as absolute necessity to be done by us as 't is not to incur the penalty of eternal damnation And I tell you once again that no man in his wits ever could think any other than that going to God by Christ is made a duty by a Positive Law of God only nor did I ever hear of any one that was so mad as to deny this nay you your self will not dare to say that this duty is commanded by the Law of Nature or the Moral Law nay you more than once say it is not Go now and confess that you are either most shamefully ignorant as not knowing the difference between a moral and positive Law or else that you do most wittingly and designedly calumniate and defame your brother All men of any understanding will tell you that one of these is most true of you when they read this and therefore take your own choice But he that reads this whole Pamphlet will not cannot doubt if he be not grosly prejudiced that you are not less malicious than you are ignorant After abundance of repetitions vile railing and the most foolish cavills that ever man read which I will not trouble my self with he comes p. 60. to tell Mr. F. that his saying that 't is an impossible thing that a wicked man should have Gods pardon and that Christ's Righteousness should be imputed to an unrighteous man proclaim him to be ignorant of Jesus Christ and then he undertakes thus to confute him Saith he God doth not pardon painted Sinners but such as are really so That is granted but it is when they are sincerely through his grace willing and desirous to leave their Sins and then they do not in this life cease to be Sinners but they cease to be such as are called wicked and ungodly by which phrases is meant Presumptuous Sinners Then he tells Mr. F. impertinently that Christ dyed for Sinners but he must say he dyed so for Sinners as to give them a pardon while they live and delight in sin and refuse to be reformed or he saith nothing to the purpose But where is this said I declare no where but the contrary in abundance of places Is it not said Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Acts 3. 19. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of Sins Acts 2. 38. Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance to Israel and forgiveness of Sins Repentance first and then forgiveness Acts 5. 31. Let the wicked forsake his way c. and let him return to the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will or he then will abundantly Pardon Isai. 55. 7. Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well c. and what follows Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as Snow c. Is. 1. 16. Acts 26. 18. I send thee to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God that they may receive forgiveness of Sins c. Have I wrested these Scriptures to which I can add innumerable more and don 't they as plainly speak turning from Sin to be a necessary condition of pardon as words can do it what blindness have they contracted that don't see this But I. B. hath a Text for his turn which all his brethren cry up mightily namely that in Rom. 4. 5. God justifieth the ungodly But doth not every body see that that text will contradict hundreds of other Scriptures if it be otherwise to be understood than thus God justifies those that were once ungodly not while they are ungodly God doth not nay he cannot pass a false judgment and declare those Righteous that are utterly void of Righteousness God's nature is so holy that he no less abominates to be a justifier of the wicked while they continue so than to condemn the Righteous He hath declared No peace to the wicked Now take notice Reader that there is no doctrine delivered in M. F's book that he is so outragiously mad at as at this doctrine Now suppose it should be false as 't is as true as the Gospel what danger can there be in asserting that men by the free grace of God are delivered from the Power of Sin before that is in order of nature he delivers them from the guilt of it And who but the Devil or one devoted to his Service can curse that man with Bell Book and Candle that delivers this doctrine Nay who but a man that loves his lusts with all his heart and cannot endure to think of parting with them would not be ready to embrace this doctrine as soon as 't is sufficiently proposed to him And once more who that hath any love for inward real Righteousness would desire to be dealt with as if he were a perfectly Righteous man merely because he hath so strong a fancy as to imagine Christs Righteousness is imputed to him And nothing but this fancy is the Faith of this I. B. He declares p. 17. to omit other places that Faith in the justification of a Sinner from the curse and wrath of God respecteth only the mercy of God and forgiveness of Sin for the sake of Christ. So that he that hath but confidence enough strongly to believe though he hath no more reason so to do than because he believes so that his Sins are forgiven hath justifying faith Again saith he in the next words God for Christs sake hath forgiven him that is inabled to believe that is to trust to and venture the Eternal concern of his Soul upon the Righteousness that is no where to be found but in the person of the Son of God The destroyer of Souls cannot invent more destructive Doctrine Nor is that to be heeded that they say that Holiness will by way of gratitude be the consequent of such a faith for 1. we know by experience that that is false for we see