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
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
his supreme faculty in it's throne c. and saith that they suppose it is within the Power of a mans own soul always to keep Sin out of it self c. But can he think that these words suppose it when 1. Mr. F. makes holiness the effect of God's grace and Spirit not of a mans own power 2. When he doth deny any such thing as perfect holiness in this life p. 27. And 3. When he saith immediately after his Third description that so far forth as holiness is vigorous and predominant in men it causeth them to perform good actions and forbear the contrary All this lamentable stuff is in the two first Pages But I have something else to do than thus to trace him to the end for 't is all alike and therefore I can look for no other should I do so from all wise men than to be call'd fool for my pains I will therefore only take notice of those things that he builds most noise upon After a deal of hideous non-sense and running over the same things again and again he saith in p. 13. That this Righteousness as Mr. F. hath described it is not that which justifieth us before God Because it is our own and tells us that there is the righteousness of men and the righteousness of God But is that Righteousness our own that is wrought in us by God's Holy Spirit Is not that God's righteousness which is the effect of God's grace who sees not that it is And therefore his Citation of Phil. 3. 9. will do him no service for S. Paul meant no other there by his own Righteousness which is of the Law than that which consisted in the observance of the purely Jewish Law which he calls his own righteousness because he could obtain it by his own natural power it consisting of external performances And by the Righteousness of God by Faith in the next verse he means the righteousness of the new Creature wrought in him by God's Holy Spirit through Faith in Christ's Gospel And so the Apostle explains himself in the following words That I may know him and the Power of his Resurrection c. That is that I may know the power of his Resurrection in raising me up to newness of life and of his death in mortifying all my lusts And whereas he abuseth Rom. 10. 3. to the same purpose take notice that their own Righteousness there is no other than that the unchristian Iews gloried in as that by which alone they expected justification and eternal Salvation and 't is the same with that in the Philippians He saith The Righteousness Mr. F. hath described is the Righteousness of the Moral Law only But I say that his general Descriptions take in the Righteousness of the Gospel too 'T is said that 't is such a disposition and temper of the inward man as causeth men to be under the power of all practical principles made known by Revelation and all the Laws of the Gospel I hope are such And Mr. F. abundantly sheweth that this Righteousness is by the Faith of Jesus Christ that is by effectually believing Christ's Gospel in shewing what an admirable instrument the Gospel is to work this Righteousness And this is an answer to the text quoted out of Rom. 3. 21. Mark by the way I. B takes Faith still for nothing else but a bare relying on the merits or righteousness of Christ which any presumptious wretch may do but I will make it good against men of an hundred times his abilities if it be possible any such should be of his mind that the true Christian Faith is such a Belief of the doctrine of the Gospel as implyeth an hearty complyance with all its Precepts whereof that of relying on Christ's merits is one and but one He saith the Righteousness Mr. F. hath described can't justifie before God because of its imperfections and then follows another page within two or three lines spent in proving and Crying out of the corruption of nature in the midst of which he brings Gal. 2. 16. to prove that his assertion where he said 't is By the works of the Law shall no flesh living be justified But I have told the Reader already that Mr. F. never affirmed but absolutely denyeth justification by any thing but the Righteousness of Christ only as a meritorious cause and he holds the true living Faith to justify as a Condition without which no man by the Righteousness of Christ shall be justified And whereas the Apostle saith by the works of the law none shall be justified his meaning is that none shall be justified by the merit of them nor yet in any sence by them considered as opposed to the obedience of the Gospel He Saith the Righteousness which Mr. F. hath described can't justify because 't is not of faith This he proves from Gal. 3. 12. The Law is not of Faith The meaning of that place is the law makes no account of Faith allows no justification but on condition of legal obedience as the following words shew but he that doth them shall live in them But now the Righteousness Mr. F. hath described doth make account of faith it causing men to comply with all Divine Revelations and therefore with the Gospel He saith p. 18. that there are three things essential to Gospel Holiness of which Mr. F's Descriptions are utterly destitute The Holy Ghost Faith in Christ A new heart The Holy Ghost But Mr. F. hath shewn that this Righteousness cannot be obtained without the assistance of the Holy Ghost But 't is false and nonsense to say the Holy Ghost is of the Essence of Righteousuess and therefore that he ought to be put into the definition of it He may as well say that a man is falsly described when he is said to be a Reasonable Creature indued with a Soul and Body because God his Creator is left out of the description As for Faith in Christ I have again and again shewed that it is manifestly contained in Mr. F's descriptions And then for a new heart and a new spirit What difference is there between these and Purity of nature and a Sound complexion of Soul and a Divine or Godlike nature doth not every body know that these are but several expressions of the very same thing P. 23 He inveighs against Mr. F's saying that it was Christ's main errand to effect our deliverance out of that sinful state we had brought our selves into and so to put us again into possession of the holiness that we had lost By this you see he was not ignorant that Mr. F. asserted the corruption of nature for all his base suggestions to the contrary Now saith he I would have the Reader take notice that in this last clause to put us again into possession of that holiness which we had lost is the Summ of all his large Descriptions and the Holiness he contends for is only that which
invincibly defended by Abundance of the Orthodox Divines of the Church of England and by none more effectually than by Mr. Baxter in his Book against Crandon long since written and in many other of his works Which if it be possible thou shouldest yet be dissatisfied concerning it thou wilt do well to peruse and which if this I. B. had ever read or but anyone of them and had the wit to understand it he had never made himself so infamous as to publish to the world such filthy stuff nor brought out the worst of those woful arguments for the defence of his doctrine that have been answered a thousand and a thousand times In Page 66. and other places he makes woful work with Mr. F's saying that Christ trod every step before us of the way that leads to Gods Kingdom and cryes therefore he went to heaven by vertue of an imputative Righteousness and by vertue of his own intercession and faith in his own bloud and then Christ must come to God and ask mercy for some great wickedness that he hath committed But here he also discovers a most ill nature and perverse spirit for no man of any candour could otherwise have understood Mr. F. in those words than thus That Christ was an example of all those vertues or graces that qualifie men for the Kingdom of God was he not an example of all those graces that together denominate a man pure in heart can he dare to say he was not Now doth not our Saviour say Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God But then faith he what say you to going to heaven by vertue of an imputative Righteousness and of his own intercession and faith in his own bloud I say all these are no other than going thither by Faith in Christ that being faith in his bloud and Righteousness and intercession but those that understand the Christian Religion will tell him that the obtaining of this purity of heart or the graces Christ was an example of is the end of this Faith So much the Apostle intimates in those words purifying their hearts by faith and it is the business of the Design of Christianity to demonstrate this So that 't is most true that whosoever follows Christs example shall see the Kingdome of God but we cannot follow it without faith in his merits faith in his power or in one word without effectual believing the Gospel which takes in the whole of the Christian Faith And whereas he saith that if this doctrine be true Christ must ask God mercy for some great wickedness committed by him how does that follow Christ ask'd God mercy for us and do not we do as he did when we ask it for our selves But then he monstrously foolishly proceeds and saith if this be so then we cannot come to heaven before we be accursed of God we must first make our body and Soul an offering for the sin of others then we must go to heaven for the sake of our own Righteousness And then he insultingly cryes O Sir what will thy gallant generous mind do here This might be a Sad nonplus indeed were Mr. F. a perfect Changling But observe did Mr. F. say that Christ trod no steps but those we must tread is this saying that he trod before us every step which he hath told us leads to the Kingdom of God or that we must go in to the Kingdom of God the same with this that he trode no other but those we must tread Can any man be such a sot as not to discern the wide difference between these two propositions By the way take notice that it is blasphemy to say that Christ was accursed of God in any other sense than this that he suffered such a kind of death as was by the law of Moses pronounced accursed So the Apostle explains his being made a curse Gal. 3. 13. Christ was alwayes Gods beloved Son nor was he ever more a darling of heaven than when he hung upon the Cross. And that the Reader may be truly informed in the Doctrine of Christ's Satisfaction false notions whereof make this I. B. talk most gross things I entreat him to get and carefully peruse the Learned Dr. Stilling fleets Treatise upon that Subject there you will find that Christ did not suffer the very same punishment that is due to sinners but that what he suffered for sinners sakes was as Satisfactory and answered the ends of Government as much as if all mankind had perished And thanks be to God that Doctrine of Christs suffering the very same is now generally exploded But to return observe but these Scriptures and you will then need no more than what hath been said to discern how ridiculously and wretchedly this I. B. talks in several places about the life of Christ. Luke 9. 23. If any man will come after me or be a Christian let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and sollow me 1 Pet. 2. Christ suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth who when he was reviled reviled not again c. 1 John 2. 6. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked V. 29. If ye know that he is Righteous ye know that every one which doth righteousness is born of him 1 John 3. 7. Little Children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous 1 Iohn 4. 17. Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment because as he is or was the Analage of the tense being ordinary so are we in this world Now this I. B. saith p. 106. that our Saviours life in all duties that respected morals was not principally or first to be imitated by us but that the Law even in the preceptive part thereof might be fully and perfectly fulfilled for us Mark 1. he saith in all duties that respected morals what nonsense is this any body may see he does not know what Morals means 2. That our Saviours life in these duties was not principally to be imitated by us he dares not say not at all to be imitated though any body may see that reads his book he would be glad to say so with all his heart But what Scripture doth he bring for this none at all So that if you will not take his word for it he hath nothing to say to you 3. But saith he that the Law even in the preceptive part may be fulfilled for us was Christs principal design in living as he did What proof hath he for this Rom. 10. 5. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness the end saith he not only of the Ceremonial law but of the 10 commandments too but is he the end of both alike then we are no more now obliged to the one than to the other In
fulfil or perfect the law and the prophets by giving more and higher instances of moral duties than were before expresly given This would have been but the lading of men with heavy burthens p. 46. Observe that those words and the Prophets are of his own adding But whereas he saith that our Saviours giving more and higher instances of moral duties c. would be but the lading of men with heavy burthens he should have said it would have been the lading of Hypocrites such as himself with heavy burthens none but such can think them so 16. Christs Exposition he saith of the Law was more to shew thee the perfection of his own obedience than to drive thee back to the holiness thou hadst lost p. 47 Can any Ranter talk at a madder rate Read but Matth. 5. and then believe this wretched assertion if you can could S. Paul be of his mind when he said Rom. 2. 13. not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the Doers of the Law shall be justified 17. He saith that in Heaven there shall not be in us only a likeness to but the very nature of God p. 63 For this he cites as hath been shewed that of the Apostle Heirs of God That is Heirs of his nature or substance Here is Blasphemy with a witness 18. He saith the dictates of humane nature are never urged in the New Testament but in order to shew men they have forgotten to act as men p. 72. That is they are not urged that they may be obeyed and yet almost all the precepts of the Gospel are dictates of humane nature He himself saith somewhere that trust in God is one and so are love to God and our neighbour humility meekness patience purity c. all such as we are told are our duty by the dictates of nature Never did wicked creature more industriously set himself to make the Gospel precepts mere insignificant and vain things 19. Whereas Christ is called a Prince and a Saviour he thus interprets it that is a Prince as a Saviour because the righteousness by which he saves beareth rule in Heaven and Earth p. 77 I want words to express my amazement at and detestation of his as senseless as wicked perverting this place to make it favour his Ranting doctrine Thus Reader thou seest he is as good at abusing and wresting of Scripture as of Mr. F's words God grant that his timely repentance may prevent his doing it to his own destruction 20. He saith that the obedience or inclination to obedience that is before faith or the understanding of the Gospel is so far from being an excellent preparative or good qualification for faith and the knowledge of the Gospel that in its own nature which is more than in its consequences it is a great obstruction thereunto p. 96 Still like himself a blessed faith that must be in the mean time that is obstructed by a readiness to obey whatsoever God reveals and would the Reader see what his Faith is let him go back to page 17. of his book there as hath been shewn 21. He saith God hath forgiven him that is enabled to believe and what is it with him to believe he tells you in the next words that is to trust to and venture the Eternal concerns of his Soul upon the righteousness that is no where to be found but in the person of the son of God p. 17 This is all and as much as any one can expect from him 22. He saith that for a man to confine himself only to the life of the Lord Iesus for an example or to think it enough to make him in his life a pattern for us to follow leaveth us through our shortness in the end with the Devil and his Angels for want of faith in the doctrine of Remission of Sins p. 108 1. How sottish is this Ranter For faith in Christ and his whole Gospel is enjoyned as a means to bring us to the blessed state of likeness to him as is fully proved in the Design of Christianity and we may not once suppose that we can obtain this likeness without that Faith 2. But how desperately wicked is it likewise as if a man may be damned that is exactly like Christ and hath all that done in him for the sake of which Faith in Christ is required That is is enabled from holy principles to perform all holy obedience But this is another discovery of his wickedness in contemning moral Righteousness and advancing only imputative and I never knew a brutish creature do it like him Nay he cannot forbear somewhere in his book to speak contemptuously of our Saviours life in asserting that Mr. F. hath given a mere heathenish account of it where he as is to be seen in the beginning of this Pamphlet gives the four Evangelists account of it I do assure the Reader that this I have read in his Book but I do not now remember the page Observe that I do not call these two and twenty doctrines nor yet distinct assertions for I have not nor will I so much trouble my self about them as to consider to how many or few heads they may be reduced the mere transcribing them must needs be trouble and discomposure enough to any man that hath the least affection for the Gospel of Christ and true goodness I could present not a few more but never was horse more tired at a mill than I am at this work and I assure the Reader as I shall answer it at the great day that I have been most severely just to him in this Catalogue as he may quickly see so far have I been from dealing with his Sayings as 't is shewn he hath dealt with Mr. Fowlers And now I conjure the followers of him and his Brethren as they have any the least regard for their Souls that for the future they abandon them as those that feed their hearers with the deadliest poison instead of the sincere milk of the word and the most wholesome food of the Gospel of Christ I say I conjure them to avoid such as they will Answer it at the dreadful day of our Saviours appearing with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily committed and of all the hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him against the blessed doctrines of his Glorious Gospel and his faithful ministers And now I will present you with another Catalogue of the hard speeches of this man of whom whether he be one of St. Iudes ungodly Sinners or no the Reader is by this time well able to judge or at least will be anon A Catalogue of some of John Bunyan's horrible Revilings and most Abominable Scurrilities 1. IN the Title page he tells us that the design of Mr. F's Book is proved to be nothing more than to trample under foot the blood of the Son of