discoveries of I. B's honesty and ingenuity And who now sees not that the Holy Scriptures themselves cannot be secure from being charged with a great number of impious and blasphemous expressions by this presumptious man should his impudence once rise so high as to deal by them as he hath done by the Sayings of Mr. F. Indeed to serve their own turns of them neither he as I can largely shew nor others like him do stick at so serving the Sacred Oracles and no body can warrant us that they shall never be so fearfully audacious as to make use of the same wicked arts to render them as hateful to the world as they endeavour to make those pious books and men that discover the extreme naughtiness of their Principles and Practices The Apostle hath told us that Evil men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse and if so God alone can tell us where they shall stop If any Reader now expects that I should next proceed to examine the book it self I must tell him I have done enough in all reason to make him perceive without farther assistance how I. B. from the beginning to the end hath bewrayed his ignorance and dishonesty For though he pretends to have confuted effectually the Doctrines he so rageth against this is the Sum of his whole performance 1. Spitting his venome at them all in general 2. Urging wofully silly arguments against several of them 3. Wretchedly misrepresenting many of them putting them into Bears Skins and then rudely baiting them 4. Making Doctrines for Mr. F. which he never dream'â— of Setting up men of Straw and then fighting with them 5. Exclaiming and raving at the most horrible rate against Mr. F's Person 6. Intermixing a many non-sensical and wicked opinions of his own 7. Running over and over innumerable times the very same things Now for the First Fifth Sixth I will give more than a taste of them together in the close of all And as for the Seventh viz. his running over and over the very same things it cannot be expected that I should do any more than desire the Reader if he won't believe me to receive satisfaction from his own eyes So that it may be thought there remains now to shew the Second Third and Fourth but the Third and Fourth I have already shewn sufficiently in too many instances for his credit and a great part of his Pamphlet is founded upon those very inventions and misrepresentations of his that have been discovered and for the Second viz. the arguments he urgeth against several of Mr. F's Doctrines they are so miserably Silly that they deserve not to have one sine bestowed upon them But yet because I will chuse rather to offend on the right than on the left hand I will as briefly as may be shew both how unable and unwilling this poor man is to do Mr. F. right in several other particulars and also answer those arguments whereby he opposeth his main Doctrines After he had begun his Pamphlet with a most obligingly civil Address to his beloved Mr. F. which shall be seen anon he next falls foul upon his Descriptions of Holiness and not to take notice of the failure of sense in his Setting down the Second and Third as not deserving the name of faults in this man he claps in between the Third and Last one of his own devising You farther saith he call it a Principle or habit of Soul originally dictates of humane nature Profound sense believe it But to pass this by too he cites p. 8. for it But what is there said is only this that the Divine Moral laws are either those that were first written in mens hearts and originally dictates of humane nature or necessary conclusions and deductions from them So that Holiness and the Moral laws are with him the same This I will not also charge I. B's dishonesty but on his woful ignorance You see he is so used to talk and scrible non-sense that he cannot easily write sense when prepared to his hand and therefore we may guess how well he understands it Is not this a right goodly Tool to make a Preacher of But who so bold as blind Bayard Next observe that From Mr. F's Descriptions of Holiness by an Healthful Complexion of Soul and the Purity of the humane nature he would make us believe he hath asserted that mens natures since the fall as I have already intimated continue sound and whole and thereupon cryes out that no man by nature hath any soundness in him and sets himself to prove the corruption of nature and a mighty bawling he makes about this But doth not Mr. F. affirm that men by their Apostasie from God and sinking into Brutish sensuality have sadly dispossessed themselves of this most excellent temper and are become like the beasts that perish This he doth presently after his Descriptions of Holiness Nay does he not suppose that this soundness and Purity is lost in making it the design of his Book to demonstrate that it was Christ's grand business to restore it He saith that this Purity and Healthful Complexion are things a great way off from the Spirit of grace and the gracious workings of the Spirit A fine chime But doth not Mr. F. in the very first Page say that the holiness he so describes is a complication of all the vertues whereby he understands what the Gospel doth by vertues viz. the graces of Gods holy Spirit And doth he not say in his Descriptions of Holiness that 't is such a temper of the inward man as causeth men to be actuated by all those good principles that are made known by Revelation that is to obey all the Laws of God and are not all the graces of the Spirit virtually contained in such a temper as causeth men so to do He saith it must be concluded that the Divine Nature Mr. F. talks of is no other than the dictates of humane nature If this Fellow were now at my Elbow I would know of him what the word Dictates means 't is plain that a Goose understands that Phrase as well as he and therefore he infers that non-sense from Mr. F's Descriptions But who sees not that that which is to be concluded from them in this good sense viz. That a Divine Nature doth enable him that is indued with it according to the measure he hath of it to obey not only the dictates of Nature but also whatsoever laws are made known by Divine Revelation I. B. could not but know this if he ever considered those descriptions and if he did not what a sad Creature is he to undertake I won't say to confute but to inveigh against them After he had spent almost another Page again in crying out of the Corruption of nature and bringing Scripture to prove it as if Mr. F. had most plainly denied what he as plainly asserts as words can do it he comes to these words in one of the descriptions keeps
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
light Scratches thou art for Neck or nothing Thou hast a mouth for MACHIAVIL'S money who hath taught such as thy self this rule Fortiter Calumniare c. which because thou hast little kindness for the Language of the Beast take thus in English Slander lustily and something will stick Thou couldst scarcely hope that any one that knows or hath but heard of Mr. F. nay though he should be one of thine own herd can find in his heart to think him such a Monster of men such a Devil incarnate as thou wouldst make him but yet to be sure thou concludest that all that don't think thee so will at least be suspicious that so loud and hideous an out-cry is not made for nothing and that he hath written a too erroneous book if not such a damnably heretical one and therefore that 't is dangerous to read it and hear or converse with the Author of it But we will now consider what foundation is laid in that Treatise of Mr. F's for this Fellow to build so black a charge on and in order thereunto I shall not need to do any thing more than give the Reader a short view of the Sum and Substance of the Doctrinal part of it which I will do for the sake of those that are strangers to it And I promise to do it with all sincerity and impartiality and if I perform not let me be stigmatized by any that shall compare the following account with the Book it self for a man of no Conscience and a most false person The whole Title of the Book is The Design of Christianity or a plain demonstration and improvement of this proposition that the induing men with inward real Righteousness or true Holiness was the Ultimate end of our Saviour's coming into the world and is the great Intendment of his Blessed Gospel The business of the first Chapter is an Explication of the nature of true Holiness wherein after it is said to be by various forms of speech exprest in Scripture such as Godliness Righteousness Conversion and turning from Sin Partaking of a Divine Nature c. and that it is originally seated in the Soul and Spirit and is a Complication of all vertues there are four general and Comprehensive descriptions given of it all which differ only in words not at all in Sense And they all amount to thus much as any one of but a competent understanding will at first sight perceive viz. That true Holiness is such an inward living principle as so far as it prevails causeth the person that is indued with it to behave himself as becomes him that is to avoid and hate whatsoever is any wayes known to be morally evil and to love and prosecute whatsoever is good or to be under the government of all those good practical principles or Laws which are made known either by Revelation that is by the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament or by Nature or the use of Reason When Holiness is called a healthful complexion of Soul c. the purity of the humane nature c. and a divine or Godlike nature c. there is no more said than what is included in this description Next between the third and last description there is a somewhat more express and distinct account of the nature of Holiness but this I shall have occasion hereafter to take notice of In the close of this Chapter it is said that nothing is more natural to the Souls of men as they came out of God's hands than this excellent temper but by their Apostasie from God and sinking into brutish sensuality they sadly dispossessed themselves of it and so became like the beasts which perish but it pleased God in infinite goodness not to give us over so but when we had destroyed our selves in him was our help found and in order thereunto he sent his only begotten Son to us The Second Chapter is spent in proving that the great errand Christ came upon was to put us again into possession of that holiness which we had lost and this is proved by a Climax of seven particulars all which are implyed in these Scriptures which I entreat the Reader to turn to Matt. 3. 1 2. and Luke 1. 16 17. Mal. 3. 1 2 3. Matt. 1. 21. Luke 1. 72 c. Luke 2. 32. Matt. 3. 11 12. Matt. 9. 13. Matt. 5. 17. Acts 3. 26. Acts 5. 31. 1 Iohn 3. 8. Titus 2. 12. 1 Iohn 3. 5. In the third Chapter is shewn that holiness is the only design that is in reference to us of the Christian Precepts and 't is particularly shewn that they require 1. The most extensive holiness that is such as respects God our Neighbour and our selves 2. The most intensive not only negative but positive that is not only such as consists in doing no evil but also in doing good not only holiness of words and actions but likewise of thoughts and affections not only such a holiness as puts upon performing good actions but also such as puts upon performing them in a right manner with right ends or from good principles causing us to do every duty as to the Lord and not as to men to do all to the glory of God c. Lastly this Chapter concludes with the answer of an Objection The Objection is that all sober Christians acknowledge that the Gospel precepts do not require indefective and unspotted holiness or at least that Christ will accept of that which is far short of perfect and therefore he seems not to be so great a friend to it as is asserted The Answer is that 1. The attainment of perfect holiness is in this state impossible to us 2. That Christ will accept of nothing short of sincerity and diligent serious endeavours to abstain from all Sin 3. That no less than our absolutely perfect holiness is designed by Christ though not to be effected in this yet in the other world The Fourth Chapter sheweth that the promises and Threatnings of the Gospel have the promoting of holiness for their only design That the promises have 't is proved from 2 Pet. 1. 4. 2 Cor. 7. 1. Rom. 12. 1. And 't is further shewed that 1. These promises are either limited to holy persons or made use of as motives to holiness as 1 Tim. 4. 8. Matt. 5. 8. v. 3 5 7. Rom. 27. Rev. 3. 21. ch 2. 20. And whereas the promises of pardon and Eternal life are made to believing 't is said that nothing is more evidently declared than that this faith is such as purifieth the heart and is productive of good works 2. 'T is shewed that the Nature of these Promises is such as is alone sufficient to satisfie us that holiness is the design of them This 't is shewed is manifestly true concerning the principal promises which are reduced to 3 heads 1. That of the holy Spirit 2. Of Remission of sin 3. Of Eternal happiness in the enjoyment of God For the first viz. the
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
as Forty to at least Four hundred But I must have another remark upon this goodly Catalogue namely that I. B. hath very falsly represented and more than so invented Doctrines for Mr. F. which is the part of a marvellously honest man As for instance What think you of his very first namely That the first Principles of Morals those first written in mens hearts are the essential the indispensable and fundamental points of the Gospel For this he cites p. 8. 281 282. But there is no such thing and all that can be gathered thence is but this that these are Fundamentals and in p. 282. there is numbred with Righteousness Charity c. the preferring God and Christ Iesus before all the world and this is set before those too But I. B. hath so worded this as to make the Reader think that Mr. F. hath asserted so horrid a Doctrine as that those are the only Fundamentals of the Gospel But what Mr. F. doth assert I. B. if he be in his wits whatever he thinks will not dare to deny The Second is like the First viz. That these first Principles are to be followed principally as they are made known to us by the dictates of humane nature and that this obedience is the first and best sort of obedience that we Christians can perform Observe 1. That this is non-sence and no where written by Mr. F. he knows not what dictates mean that saith that the first principles are made known by them For they are the dictates of humane nature themselves But 2. observe what is far more unpardonable that the whole is a pure forgery consult the place he refers to p. 8 9 10. The Third That there is such a thing as a soundness of soul and the Purity of the humane nature in the world This he cites p. 6. for but neither there or elsewhere is this asserted otherwise than thus That true holiness is the purity of the humane nature and a sound Complexion of Soul now all that follows hence is that where holiness is there is purity of nature c. that is in what degree soever a man is holy his nature is pure and doth not our Saviour intimate as much when he calls holy men and that on this side heaven too pure in heart Matt. 5. 8. what is the difference between purity of Nature and purity of heart But the vilest thing is this that I. B. would by wording it thus make the Reader believe that Mr. F. denyes the corruption of nature as will be seen anon The very next again is his pure invention viz. That the Law in the first Principles of it is more obliging on the hearts of Christians than is that of coming to God by Christ p. 7 8 9 10. Mr. F. abhors this doctrine nor is there any thing in those or any other pages of his said to tempt any well-minded man to gather so wretched an Inference from it The most that is said concerning going to God by Christ is but this that 't is a duty enjoyned by a divine positive Law not by the law of nature and of all men I hope I. B. won't say it is who like a wofully ignorant Creature so often speaks contemptuously of this Law But because Mr. F. said some pages before that the law of nature is of an eternal and indispensable obligation but not positive laws he fastens on him that wicked Doctrine whereas nothing more so much as seems to follow from thence than that therefore God can dispense with our obedience to his positive laws not that we are less obliged to obey them than the laws of nature while they are in force and I never knew any man in the world that ever questioned this Observe Reader that this that he here so vilely abuseth Mr. F. in he repeats innumerable times over in his Book and 't is one of the Blasphemies he chargeth on him but how dares that man look God in the face that is no more tender of his Brothers reputation as so without any ground to accuse him of the horridest of all wickednesses Again he invents the Tenth Error viz. That Christ's fulfilling the Law for us was by giving more perfect and higher instances of moral duties than were before expresly given p. 17. Doth not this man know that he hath put in these words for us and that Mr. F. did only repeat that of our Saviour I came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it and then expounded that word fulfil by the word perfect intimating that the Greek hath that signification and adding in the margent that in Rom. 15. 19. and Col. 1. 25. it is rendred to preach fully For another instance of his wicked dealing take Error the 26. That he shall be his Apollo that can give him a sufficient reason why justifying Faith should consist in recumbency and relyance on Christ's merits for the pardon of Sins p. 224. observe here the most palpable knavery of this citation 1. He sets down but one half of the Sentence 2. The half he conceals is the principal mark this is Mr. F's whole saying He shall be my Apollo that can give me a sufficient reason why justifying Faith ought only to consist in recumbency and relyance on Christ's merits for the Pardon of Sin and not also on his power for the mortification of it Is not there a vast difference between this whole Sentence and his clipt one But 3. to make it sound yet more odiously he leaves the word the principal word only out of that part he sets down And he makes Mr. F. say he shall be his Apollo that can give a sufficient reason why justifying faith should consist in relyance on Christ's merits when his saying is should ONLY consist in relyance on Christ's merits And canst thou think this Reader a wicked saying 'T is as wicked as he that hath thus notoriously abused it is honest what but a dear love of sin can make any one have a less value for that grace of God that is through Christ discovered in killing it than for that grace that is expressed in the pardon of it And what but hypocrisie can perswade any man that it is not as necessary a condition to our acceptance with God to trust in Christ's power for the subduing of our lusts as in Christ's merits for the forgiveness of them Another instance of this mans insufferable baseness is to be found in his 28. Citation out of p. 225. The imputation of Christ's Righteousness consisteth in dealing with sincerely Righteous persons as if they were perfectly so There my Gentleman stops with an c. and leaveth out the main business If you consult the place you 'l find this the left-out-part of the Sentence for the sake and upon the account of Christ's Righteousness I do not remember whether he hath it right any where in the body of his Book but if he hath it signifies little for
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
another thing in p. 70. that I 'le bestow two or three lines upon He there tells Mr. F. that he will have a little touch upon his Principle of Freedom which saith he you in p. 9. call an Understanding and Liberty of Will Observe his non-sense again But what is it Mr. F. there saith that offends this man 'T is this that he supposeth men indued with Understanding and Liberty of Will Now proceeds he there is no such thing in man by nature as liberty of will or a principle of freedom in the saving things of the Kingdom of Christ. But 1. Mr. F. saith never a word of liberty of will as to those things but only supposeth this in general that man is indued with liberty of will And this he himself supposeth in denying it only as to the Saving things of Christ's Kingdom 2. He limits that too and saith there is no such thing in man by nature as to those things will he therefore acknowledge there is such a thing in man by grace If he will not that limitation is ridiculous but if he will he is never like to have Mr. F. for his Adversary in this point nor any of his judgment He hath declared in the book several times cited p. 239. that the men of his judgment hold no free will that is opposite to free grace and acknowledgeth in the next page the necessity not only of assisting but also of preventing grace And now let the Reader judg whether Mr. F. hath written the least tittle contrary to any one of the 39 Articles of the Church of England and particularly to those there concerning Free-will Iustification and Works before Faith which in general terms he hath charg'd him with without shewing wherein he hath done it though I acknowledg if he hath not abused Mr. F's Book that his accusation is no slander But he is to his perpetual infamy most sensibly demonstrated to have bewrayed most woful ignorance and notorious dishonesty and ill nature besides the foulest erroniousness in what he hath published against The Design of Christianity But 't is pleasant to observe that this wretch who abominates any thing if one may judg by his rude behaviour that bareth the name of the Church of England should cite three of her Articles as main Orthodoxy's in order to the more effectual defaming of Mr. Fowler This is just like the Devils making use of Scripture to assist him in his malicious designs against our Saviour Lastly He falls to compare Mr. F's Doctrine with Campian's the Jesuite and Pen's the Quaker and makes a parallel between several of his Sayings with Seven of the former and Eight of the latter By the way take notice that this lamentable piece of work is the labour of more clumsy Brains than this poor I. B's For First How should he come by Sayings out of Campian but Secondly which is more considerable he hath a company of Terms and Phrases that he was never in a capacity of understanding as Commixed Radicals Abstract Replication c. derived from the Latin Again Characteristical Diametrical Parenthesis Paragraph c. borrowed from the Greek Language And he is up with his arguing from a thing to a thing habit and act which smell of one whose name hath had the honour to stand a little while in a Colledge Buttery Book and that had the luck sometimes to hear his Masters chopping Logick together For I 'le warrant him who ever was I. B's fellow-labourer in this worthy performance is a fellow that never was under a much higher dispensation And 't is he I presume that hath helpt our Author to his after-conclusions p. 9. as if there were fore-conclusions Thirdly The whole is a motly thing piec't and patch't together as if it were the product of not so few as two but a Club of Wise-akers But yet all that understand I. B's manners ability and temper will accuse me as injurious should I rob him of the honour of the down-right non-sense knavery Calumnies and vile language which make a very great if not the far greater part of the Pamphlet But to our business that is to the parallel between Mr. F's doctrine and a few Sayings of the Papist and Quaker set down by him to which I reply in a few words I know not whether this I. B. hath not as falsly represented these mens Sayings as it hath been proved he hath done many of Mr. F's I have neither of the Books to examine the matter nor have I ever read either and therefore I cannot accuse him but he hath been proved so very notoriously dishonest in this particular that he ought never more to be trusted upon his own word But suppose he hath not too favourably represented any of them the Reader will see if he compares them with the Sayings of Mr. F. set under them that he abuseth most of these in making a parallel between them as I would particularly shew but that it will take up too much time and any man of understanding that hath his book will immediately perceive that I charge him truly But Mr. F. I am sure will not stick to acknowledge that there may be put upon most of them such a sense as may speak them good and true sayings As where Campian saith that Faith justifies but not faith only this is no other than what S. Iames affirms in express words chap. 2. 24. And Mr. F's doctrine is that faith if it be taken for a mere relyance on Christ's Righteousness which is but one act of faith doth not only justifie but if it be understood so as to include the receiving of Christ according to all his offices or for an obediential faith so it doth only justifie That is as hath been shewn again and again not as a meritorious cause but as a condition He abhors to assert with the Papists the merit of works nor doth he affirm that works are a necessary condition of justification but as they are virtually in faith for he every where makes a true and sincere willingness to obey Christs precepts which is implyed in Faith the necessary condition of justification There is not an Heretick in the world but hath some good Sayings this I. B. himself as grosly erroneous as he is is not out in every thing And no wise man will love truth one jot the worse for hearing it from the Devils mouth And I freely declare that if the Papists and Quakers did assert no worse things than those I. B. hath cited and withal understood them as he by his parallel makes them to do I would as heartily defend the principles of both as I now oppose them Every body knows that understands these men that this I. B. and his Brethren joyn hands both with Quakers and Papists in not a few Opinions and Practices as they are enemies to the Church of England but doth he think himself and them one jot the more hereticks upon that account