as is in Christ As is the earthly such are they that are earthly and as is the heavenly such are they that are heavenly Let then those that are the Sons of Adam in the state of nature as he though not so pure and spotless as he be reckoned to bear his image and similitude but let them that are the children of Christ though not so pure as he bear the image and similitude of Christ for they are conformable to the image of the Son of God The holiness therefore that was in Adam being but that which was natural earthly and not of the holy Ghost cannot be that which Christ came into the world to give us possession of Secondly Adam in his best and most sinless state was but a type of figure The figure of him that was to come A type in what A type or figure doubtless in his sinless and holy estate a type and figure of the holiness of Christ But if Christ should come from heaven to put us in possession of this sinless holiness that was in Adam or that we lost in him To what more would his work amount then to put us into the possession of a natural figurative shadowish righteousness or holiness But this he never intended therefore it is not the possessing of his people with that holiness that was the great errand Christ came into the world upon Thirdly The holiness and righteousness that was in and that we lost by Adam before the fall was such as stood in and was to be managed by his natural perfect compliance with a covenant of works For Do not this sin and die were the terms that was from God to Adam But Christ at his coming brings in another a better a blessed Covenant of Grace and likewise possesseth his Children with the Holiness and Priviledges of that Covenant Not with Adams heart nor Adams mind but a new Heart a new Spirit a new Principle to act by and walk in a new Covenant Therefore the Holiness that was in Adam before or that we lost in him by the Fall could not be the Holiness that Christ at his Coming made it his great or onely business to put us in possession of Fourthly The Holiness that was in Adam before and that we lost in him by the Fall was such as might stand with perfect ignorance of the Mediation of Jesus Christ For Christ was not made known to Adam as a Saviour before that Adam was a Sinner neither needed he at all to know him to be his Mediator before he knew he had offended But Christ did not come-into the World to establish us in or give us possession of such Holiness as might stand with perfect Ignorance of his Mediatorship No The Holiness that we Believers have and the righteous acts that we fulfilâ— they come to us and are done by us through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus and of his being the Messias promised Fifthly The Holiness that was in Adam was neither given him through the Promise neither encouraged by the Promise Adam had no promise to possess him with a Principle of holiness it came to him by Creation neither had he any promise to strengthen or encourage him in Holiness All he â—id was Instructions concerning his Duty and Death threatned if he did it not But Christ came not to give us possession of an holyness or Righteousness that came to us by our Creation without a Promise and that hath no promise to encourage us to continue therein but of an Holiness that comes to us by the best of Promises and that we are encouraged to by the best of Promises Therefore it was not his great Errand when he came from Heaven to Earth to put us in possession of that Promiseless holiness that Adam had before and that was lost in him by the Fall Lastly In a word The Holiness that Adam had before and that we lost in him by the Fall it was a natural shadowish old Covenant promiseless holiness such as stood and might he walked in while he stood perfectly ignorant of the Mediator Christ. Wherefore it is rather the Design of your Apollo the Devil whom in Page 101. you bring forth to applaud your Righteousness I say it is rather his Design then Christ to put men upon an indeavour after a possession of that For that which is truely Evangelical is the Spiritual Substantial New Covenant promised holiness that which cometh to us by and standeth in the Spirit Faith and Knowledge of the Son of God not that which we lost in Adam Wherefore the Song which there you learnt of the Devil is true in the sense he made it and in the sense for which you bring it which is to beget in men the highest esteem of their own humane nature and to set up this natural shadowish promiseless ignorant holiness in opposition to that which is truely Christs To dwell in Heaven doth not more please him then Within the Souls of Pious mortal Men. This is the Song but you find it not in Matthew Mark Luke or John but among the Heathens who were his Disciples and who were wont to enquire at his mouth and learn of him Thus have I Raâ—â—d the foundation of your Book even by overthrowing the Holiness and Righteousness which by you is set up as that which is the onely true Gospel and Evangelical Wherefore it remaineth that the rest of your Book viz. whatever therein is brought and urged for the proof of this your Description of Holiness c. it is but the abuse of Christ of Scripture and Reason it is but a wresting and corrupting of the Word of God both to your own destruction and them that believe you But to pass this and to come to some other passages in your Book And first to that in Page 5 th where you say The Holiness which is the Design of the Religion of Christ Jesus is not such as is subjected in any thing without us or is made ours by a meer external or outward application c. 1. These words secretly smite at the Justification that comes by the imputation of that most glorious Righteousness that alone resideth in the Person of the Lord Jesus and that is made ours by an act of eternal Grace we resting upon it by the Faith of Jesus 2. But if the Holiness of which you speak be not subjected to any thing without us then it is not of all that fulness which it pleased the Father should dwell in Christ For the Holiness and Righteousness even the inward Holiness that is in Saints it is none other then that which dwelleth in the Person of the Son of God in Heaven Neither doth any man partake of or enjoy the least measure thereof but as he is united by Faith to this Son of God The thing is as true in him in us in him as the Head and without measure and is originally seated in him not in us
to harden Hypocrites Pag. 262. 35. Those Ministers do nothing less then Promote the design of Christianity that are never in their Element but when they are talking of the irrespectiveness of God's Decrees the absolute promises the utter Disability and perfect Impotency of Natural men to do any thing towards their own Conversion Pag. 262. 36. He is the only Child of Abraham who in the purity of his heart obeyeth those substantial Laws that are by God imposed upon him Pag. 283. 37. There is NO Duty more affectionately commanded in the Gospel then that of Alms-giving Pag. 284. 38. It is impossible we should not have the design of Christianity accomplished in us c. if we make our Saviours most excellent life the Pattern of our lives Pag. 296. 39. To do well is better then believing Pag. 299. 40. To be imitators of Christ's Righteousness even of the Righteousness we should rely on is counted by Mr. Fowler more noble then to rely thereon or trust thereto Pag. 300. 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 devulged to the World Al though many more are by me reflected then the 40 thou art here presented with God give thee eyes to see and an heart to shun and escape all these things that may yet come to pass for hurt and to stand before the Son of Man Thus hoping that this short taste may make Mr. Fowler ashamed and thee receive satisfaction touching the truth and state of this Man's Spirit and Principles I rest From Prison the 27. of the 12 Month 1671. Thine to serve thee in the Gospel of Christ. J. Banyan A DEFENCE Of the Doctrine of JUSTIFICATION By Faith in Jesus Christ Proving That Gospel-Holiness flows from thence c. SIR HAving heard of your Book Entituled The Design of Christianity and in that was contained such Principles as gave just ofence to Christian ears I was desirous of a view thereof that from my sight of things I might be the better able to judge But I could not obtain it till the 13 th of this 11 th Month which was too soon for you Sir a pretended Minister of the Word so vilely to expose to publick view the rottenness of your heart in Principles Diametrically opposite to the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ. And had it not been for this consideration that it is not too late to oppose open Blasphemy such as endangereth the Souls of thousands I had cast by this answer as a thing out of season Two things are the Design of your Book 1. To assert and justify a thing which you call inward reall righteousness and Holiness 2 To prove That the whole the grand the only and ultimate design of the Gospel of Christ is to begin and perfect this righteousness Into the truth or untruth of both these as briefly as I may I shall at this time inquire First Therefore a little to examine the nature of your Holiness and Righteousnessâ— as your self hath described the same 〈◊〉 It 〈◊〉 say you so sound a complexion of Soul at maâ—â—tains in life vigour whatsoever is essential to it suffereth not any thing unnatural to mix with that which is 〈◊〉 By the force and power whereof a man is enabled to behave himself as a Creature indued with a principle of reason keeps his supreme faculty in its throne brings into due subjection 〈◊〉 his inferiour ones his sensual imagination his passions and 〈…〉 You adde farther It is the purity of the humane nature ingaging those in whom it resides to demean themselves suitably in that state in which God hath placed them and not to act disbecomingly in any coâ—â—â—ion circumstance or relation You say moreover It is a Divine or God-like nature causing aâ— hearts 〈…〉 of of and an affectionate complyance with the eternal laws of rigâ—teousness and a behaviour agreeable to the essential and 〈…〉 differâ—nces of good and evil page 6. Farther You call it a principle or habit of Soul originally dictates of humane nature page 8. A disposition and temper of the inward man as powerfully inclinâ— it to regard and attend to affâ—ctionately to imbrace and adhere too to be actuated by and under the government of all those practical principles that are made known â—ither by revelation nature or the use of reason page 11. Which in conclusion you call that holiness which already we have lost page 12. Thus Sir is your holiness by you described which holiness you aver is that which is the great and onely design of Christ to promote both by his life and glorious Gospel To take therefore your description in pieces if happily there may be found ought but naught therein It is say you an healthful complexion of Soul the purity of the humane Nature c. Answ. These are but words there is no such thing as the purity of our Nature abstract and distinct from the sinful pollution that dwelleth in us 'T is true a man may talk of and by Argument distinguish between Nature and sin but that there is such a Principle in man since Adams fall a Principle by which he may act or that Christs whole Gospel-design is the helping forward such a Principle is altogether without Scripture or reason There is no man by Nature that that hath any soundness in him â—o neither in Soul or Body his understanding is darkened his Mind and Conscience is defiled his Wills perverted and obstinate There is no judgment in his goings Where now is the sound and healthful complexion of Soul Let the best come to the best when we have mustered up all the excellencies of the Soul of man as man shall nought we find there but the lame the blind the defiled the obstinate and missed faculties thereof And never think to evade me by saying the Graces of the Spirit of God are pure for with them you have nothing to do your Doctrine is of the sound Complexion of Soul the purity of the humane Nature a habiâ— of Soul and the holiness we lost in Adam things a great way off from the Spirit of Grace or the gracious workings of the Spirit You talk indeed of a Divine or Godlike Nature but this is still the same with your pure humane Nature or with your sound Complexion or habit of Soul and so must either respect man as he was Created in the Image or likeness of God or else you have palpable contradiction in this your description But it must be concluded that the Divine Nature you talk of is that and no other then the dictates of the humane Nature or your feigned purity thereof because you make it by your words the self same it is the purity of the humane Nature it is a Divine or Godlike Nature 2. But you proceed to tell us of a Degree it is so found and healthful a complexion or temperature of the faculties qualities or
Devil and the Wrath to come No Incouragement to Holiness like this like the Perswasion and Belief of this because this carrieth in it the greatest expression of Love that we are Capable of Hearing or Believing and there is nothing that worketh on us so Powerfully as Love And herein is Love not that we Loved God but that he Loved us and gave his Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins He then that by Faith can see that the Body of his Sin did hang upon the Cross bâ— the Body of Christ and that can see by that action Death and Sin the Devil and Hell destroyed for him 't is he that will say Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me Bless his Holy Name c. Psa. 103. 1 2 3 4. Secondly Moreover the Knowledge of this giveth a man to understand this Mistery That Christ and himself are united in one For Faith saith If our Old man was Crucified with Christ then were we also Reckoned in him when he hanged on the Cross I am Crucified with Christ All the Elect did Mystically hang upon the Cross in Christ. We then are Dead to the Law and Sin First by the Body of Christ Rom. 7. 4. Now he that is Dead is free from Sin now if we be dead with Christ we Believe that we shall live with him knowing that Christ being raised from the Dead Dyeth no more Death hath no more Dominion over him for in that he dyed he dyed unto Sin once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God Likewise reckon your selves also dead unto Sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. This also Peter doth lively Discourse of Forasmuch then saith he as Christ hath suffered for us in the Flesh Arm your selves likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the Flesh hath ceased from Sin 1 Pet. 4. 1 2. By which Words he Insinuateth the Mystical Union that is between Christ the Head and the Elect his Body Arguing from the Suffering of a Part there should be a Sympathy in the whole If Christ then suffered for us we were even our Sins Bodies and Souls reckoned in him when he so suffered Wherefore by his sufferings the Wrath of God for us is appeased the Curse is taken from us For as Adam by his acts of Rebellion made all that were in him Guilty of his Wickedness so Christ by his acts and doings of Goodness and Justice made all that were reckoned in him good and Just also But as Adam's Transgression did First and immediately Reside with and remain in the Person of Adam onely and the Imputation of that Transgression to them that sprang from him so the Goodness and Justice that was accomplished by the Second Adam First and Immediately Resideth in him and is made over to his also by the Imputation of God But again As they that were in Adam stood not onely guilty of Sin by Imputation but Polluted by the Filth that Possessed him at his fall So the Children of the Second Adam do not onely though first stand Just by Vertue of the Imputation of the Personal acts of Justice and Goodness done by Christ but they also receive of that inward quality the Grace and Holiness that was in him at the Day of his rising from the Dead Thus therefore come we to be Holy by the Death and Blood of the Lord This also is the Contents of those other Scriptures which abusively you Cite to Justifie your Assertion to wit That the great Errand of Christ in coming into the World was to put us again into Possession of the Holiness which we had lost And that onely Designed the Establishing such a Holiness as is Sealed Originally in our Natures and Originally Dictates of the Humane Nature The rest of the Chapter being spoken to already I pass it and Proceed to the next Your Eighth Chapter tell us That it is onely the Promoting of the Design of making Men Holy that is Aimed at by the Apostles Insisting on the Doctrines of Christ's Resurrection Assention and coming again to Judgement Though this should be granted as indeed it ought not yet there is not one Sillable in all their Doctrines that tendeth in the least to drive Men back to the Possession of the Holiness we had lost which is still the thing Asserted by you and that for the Proof of which you make this noise and adoe Neither did Christ at all Design the Promoting of Holiness by such Principles as you have Asserted in your Book neither doth the Holy Spirit of God either help us in or excite us to our Duty Simply from such Natural Principles But the Apostles in these Doctrines you mention had far other Glorious Designs such as were truly Gospel and tended to strengthen our Faith yet farther As First For the Resurrection of Christ They Urge that as an Undeniable Argument of his doing away Sin by his Sacrificing and Death He was delivered for our Offences because he put himself into the Room and State of the Wicked as undertaking their Deliverance from Death and the Everlasting Wrath of God Now putting himself into their Condition he bears their Sin and dyes their Death but how shall we know that by undertaking this Work he did accomplish the thing he intended The answer is He was raised again for our Justification Rom. 4. 25. even to make it manifest that by the Offering of himself he had Purged our Sins from before the Face of God For in that he was raised again and that by him for the appeasing of whose Wrath he was delivered up to Death it is evident that the Work for us was by him effectually done For God raised him up again And hence it is that Paul calls the Resurrection of Christ the sure Mercies of David Act. 13. And as concerning that he raised him up from the Dead now no more to return to Corruption he saith on this wise I will give thee the sure Mercies of David For Christ having Conquered and overcome Death Sin the Devil and the Curse by himself as 't is manifest he did by his rising from the Dead what now remains for him for whom he did this but Mercy and Goodness for ever Wherefore the Resurrection of Christ is that which Sealeth the truth of our being delivered from the Wrath by his Blood Secondly As to his Ascention they urge and make use of that for divers weighty Reasons also 1. As a farther Testimony yet of the Sufficiency of his Righteousness to Justifie Sinners withal For if he that undertaketh the Work is yet entertained by him whose Wrath he was to appease thereby What is it but that he hath so compleated that Work Wherefore he saith that the Holy Ghost shall Convince the world that he hath a sufficient righteousness and that because he went to the Father John 16. And they saw him no more because he went he Ascended up to the Father was there
design therein to be none other but that of an enemy to the Son of God and Salvation of the World For that Holiness as I have shewed is none other but a Shadowish Christless Graceless Holiness and your so exalting of it very Blasphemy You proceed saying Let us exercise our selves unto real and substantial Godliness still meaning your Adamitish Holiness Let us study the Gospel not to discourse or onely to believe but also and above ALL things to do well Answ. Herein still you manifest either ignorance of or malice against the Doctrine of Faith that Doctrine which above all Doctrines is the qâ—intessence of the new Testament because therein and not Principally as you feign by doing well is the Righteousness of God revealed and that from Faith to Faith not from Faith to Works nor yet from Works to Faith Besides the Gospel is Preached in all Nations for the obedience of FAITH Neither Works the Law the Dictates of Humanity nor the first Principles of Morrals knowing what to do with the Righteousness of the Gospel which is a Righteousness imputed by God not wrought by us a Righteousness given not earned a Righteousness recived by believing not that which floweth from our obedience to Laws a Righteousness which comes from God to us not one that goeth from us to God Besides as I also have hinted before the Apostle and you are directly opposite You cry above ALL things DO well that is Work and do the Law but he Above ALL take the SHIELD of Faith wherewith are quenched ALL the fiery Darts of the Wicked Eph. 6. But you add Pag. 300. Let us do what lyeth in us to convince our Atheist that the Religion of the blessed Jesus is no trick or deviâ—e and our wanton and loose Christians that it is no notional business speculative Science Answ. This you cannot do by your Morral Natural Principles of Humanity For even some of your BRAVE Phylosophers whose Godliness you have so much aplauded were even then in the must of their and your Vertues Athestically ignorant of the Religion of Jesus And as to the loose Christian Christ neither hath need of nor will he bless your Blasphemous opinions nor feigned Godliness but Real ungodliness to make them Converts to his Faith and Grace neither can it be expected it should seeing you have not onely dirty thoughts but vilifying Words and sayings of his Person Work and Righteousness You have set your Works before his Pag. 223. calling them Substantial Indispensible and Real but coming to God by him a thing iâ— it self Indifferent P. 7 8 9. You go on and say Let us declare that we are not hearty â—elyers 〈◊〉 Christ's Righteousness by being imitators of it Pag. 300. You cannot leave off to Contemn and Blaspheme the Son of God Do you not yet know that the Righteousness of Christ on which the sinner ought to rely for life is such as consisted in his standing to and doing of the Law without a Mediator And would you be doing this What know you not that an Essential of the Righteousness he accomplished for Sinners when he was in the World is That he was Conceived by the Holy Ghost Born without Sin did all things in the Power of and Vnion with his own eternal God-head And are you able thus to imitate him Again the Righteousness on which we ought to rely for life is that which hath in it the Merit of Blood We are Justified by his Blood through Faith in his Blood Is this the Righteousness you would imitate Farther the Righteousness on which poor Sinners should rely is that for the sake of which God forgiveth the Sins of him that resteth by Faith thereupon But would you be imitating of or accompishing such a Righteousness Your Book Sir is begun in Ignorance mannaged with Errour and ended in Blasphemy Now the God of Glory if it may stand with his Glory give you a sight of your Sins against the Son of God that you may as Saul lye trembling and being astonished cry out to be Justified with the Righteousness of God without the Law even that which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe Many other gross Absurdities which I have omitted in your whole Book may perhaps be more throughly gathered up when you shall have taken the opportunity to reply In the mean time I shall content my self with this Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sin of the World Joh. 1. 29. Even Jesus who delivered us from the Wrath to come 1 Thes. 1. 10. Who when he had by himself purged our Sins sat down on the Right Hand of the Majesty on High Heb. 1. 3. Christ dyed for our Sins 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3. God hath made him to be Sin for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. Christ was made a Curse for us Gal. 3. 13. He bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. He loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood Rev. 1. 5. God for Christ's sake â—ath forgiven you Eph. 4. 23. We have Redemption through his Blood even the forgiveness of our Sins according to the riches of his Grace Eph. 1. 7. Now unto the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the onely Wise God be Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen The Conclusion That my Reader may farther perceive that Mr. Fowler even by the chief of the Articles of the Church of England is adjudged Erronious and besides the very Fundamentals of the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and that in those very Principles that are the main I say and that most immediately concern Christ Faith and Salvation will be evident to them that compare his Design of Christianity with these Articles hereunder Recited The Articles concerning Free-will THe condition of Man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own Natural strength and good Works to Faith and calling upon God Wherefore we have no power to do good Works pleasant and acceptable to God without the Grace of God by Christ preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will The Article concerning justification WE are accounted Righteous before God ONELY for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith and not for our own Works or Deservings Wherefore that we are justified by Faith ONELY is a most wholesome Doctrine and full of Comfort c. The Article of Works before justification WOrks done before the Grace of Christ and the inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant to God for as much as they spring not of Faith in Jesus Christ or deserve Grace of Congruity Yea rather for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done we doubt not but they have the NATVRE of Sin These Articles because they respect the points incontroversie betwixt Mr. Fowler and my self and because they be