19 Sin-sick souls alone seek the Great Physician, and are the proper subjects of Christ"s healing power. Pride and unbelief bar the door of mercy and grace; and if not subdued by the blood of the cross, will ruin the soul.--Ryland.
20 "Thou art besides the saddle."
"I have no spur To p.r.i.c.k the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition; which o"erleaps itself, And falls on the other.---"
Macbeth.
A proud ecclesiastic requested one of his devotees to give him a leg on mounting his horse, which he did so heartily as to throw him to the other side of the saddle, and broke his neck.--Ed.
21 "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10).
22 When we had no righteousness of our own to cover us, he put on us naked beggars that rich robe, the righteousness of Christ.
Though black in ourselves, we are comely in Christ"s comeliness; but we never live upon his righteousness, only as we see none in ourselves.--Ryland.
23 "Sweeting," an obsolete term for a sweet apple.--Ed.
24 This whole paragraph is omitted from all editions subsequent to 1688, when the author died. It is the practical ill.u.s.tration of his whole theory. By their fruit ye shall know them; the fruit does not make them what they are by nature and sin or by grace and righteousness. The rebuke of the Saviour, Matthew 15:16, falls heavily on the man who rejected this paragraph.--Ed.
25 Abel possessed righteousness before his offering, which influenced him to make this acceptable sacrifice.--Ed.
26 "Then was I most distressed with blasphemies, if I have been hearing the word, then uncleanness, blasphemies, and despair would hold me as captive." "I blessed the condition of the dog and toad, and counted their state far better than this sate of mine."--Grace Abounding.
27 Many are the devices of Satan to keep souls from Christ. The world and the flesh are his grand instruments of seduction, while his temptations and snares drown them in despair. Their wisdom is to resist manfully by faith in the serpent-bruiser, Jesus. He will consummate his victories by a glorious triumph over all the powers of h.e.l.l and darkness.--Ryland.
28 "A sweeting tree," a sweet apple, and not a crab apple tree.--Ed.
29 As the disobedience of the first Adam is imputed to all his natural posterity, and brings death upon all; so the righteousness of the second Adam is imputed to all his spiritual progeny, to obtain life for them. As the carnal Adam, lost original righteousness, derives a corrupt nature to all his descendants; so the spiritual Adam, by his obedience, conveys a vital efficacy of grace to us.
The same Spirit of holiness which anointed our Redeemer doth quicken all his race, that as they have borne the image of the earthly, THEY may henceforth bear the image of the heavenly Adam.--Ryland.
30 "Debrorous," probably a misprint for "dolorous," sorrowful or dismal.
"Through many a dark and dreary vale They pa.s.sed, and many a region dolorous."--Milton.
31 "Make an O yes," alluding to the form of proclamation at sessions of the peace--"Oyer," the French for "Hear," now corrupted to "O yes."--Ed.
32 "Boot," profit or advantage.--Ed.
33 The mercy of G.o.d has not only a quick eye to spy out a penitent, but a swift foot to run and embrace him. What infinite condescension!
G.o.d the Father is said to "run, fall on the neck of, and kiss"
the sinner, whom he has by his Spirit inclined to sue for mercy and peace, which, being obtained, he will withhold from him no manner of thing that is good.--Ryland.
34 The pillory, to which allusion is here made, was a cruel mode of punishment, now out of date. In earlier times, the ears were nailed to the wood, and after an hour"s anguish were cut off, and the nose and cheeks slit; thus were treated Leighton and other holy men. In later days, the victims were subjected to the brutality of a mob, and sometimes excited by factious men.
"Tell us who "tis upon the ridge stands there So full of fault, and yet so void of fear; And from the paper in his hat Let all mankind be told for what."--Defoe.
35 "Next," nighest or nearest. This sentence is highly poetical, as much or more so as any in the writings of the most cultivated scholars.--Ed.
36 A humbling view of our sinful selves is manifested to the soul by the Word and Spirit of G.o.d. The gospel of Jesus Christ has all the properties of a great and true light; it has a piercing power and penetrating virtue; it enters the darkest recesses of the soul, and detects the errors of men"s judgment, as well as discovers the enormities of their lives.--Ryland.
37 This sentence is peculiarly striking, and is very ill.u.s.trative of Bunyan"s homely, cutting, faithful phraseology.--Ed.
38 The newly awakened soul, beholding itself in the gla.s.s of the law, is shocked at its own deformity. Sin is truly odious, and an intolerable burthen. So felt the royal penitent when he cried, "My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments."
G.o.d"s indignation at sin must be felt on this side the grave, in the conscience of the sinner, if ever he hopes to escape the dreadful punishment of it in the world to come. But blessed be G.o.d, the blood of atonement is a sovereign balsam for sick and wounded souls, and is abundantly efficacious for procuring pardon, peace, and reconciliation by the application of the eternal Spirit.--Ryland.
39 These humbling words, being too rough for ears polite, have been omitted from all the editions of this book published since the author"s death, except the fifth, 1702.--Ed.
40 A simple-hearted man, at a prayer meeting, used the words, "Incline our hearts to cast our bread upon the waters, that we may find it after many days." Upon leaving the prayer meeting, while crossing a bridge, a youth said to him, "If you were to throw a loaf into the river, what good would it be even if you did find it after many days"; to which his elder replied, "Oh, it is a scripture expression, though I do not know its meaning"!!! This happened to the editor forty-five years ago, before Sunday schools and the Tract Society had spread their flood of scriptural knowledge over the kingdom.--Ed.
41 This is variously interpreted, but may it not mean an ancient mode of mocking, now called taking a sight?--Ed.
42 "Blandation," a piece of flattery. "They flattered the Bishop of Ely with this blandation."--Camden.
A DEFENCE OF THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION, BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST;
SHEWING,
TRUE GOSPEL-HOLINESS FLOWS FROM THENCE; OR, MR. FOWLER"S PRETENDED DESIGN OF CHRISTIANITY, PROVED TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN TO TRAMPLE UNDER FOOT THE BLOOD OF THE SON OF G.o.d; AND THE IDOLIZING OF MAN"S OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS
AS ALSO,
HOW WHILE HE PRETENDS TO BE A MINISTER OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, HE OVERTHROWETH THE WHOLESOME DOCTRINE CONTAINED IN THE 10TH, 11TH, AND 13TH, OF THE THIRTY-NINE ARTICLES OF THE SAME, AND THAT HE FALLETH IN WITH THE QUAKER AND ROMANIST, AGAINST THEM.
BY JOHN BUNYAN
"Disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of G.o.d, and precious."--1 Peter 2:4
Printed for Francis Smith, at the Elephant and Castle, without Temple Bar, 1672.
EDITOR"S ADVERTIs.e.m.e.nT.
This is one of the least known but most deeply interesting productions of John Bunyan. It has never been reprinted in a separate form; and once only in any edition of his works--that with notes, by Mason and Ryland, and then with great carelessness, the errata remaining uncorrected, and one leaf being entirely omitted. This treatise was published to counteract the pernicious errors in a very popular volume called "The Design of Christianity, by Edward Fowler, minister of G.o.d"s Word at Northill, in Bedfordshire. Printed by the authority of the Bishop of London, April 17th, 1671"; an octavo volume of 308 pages. The whole object proposed by Mr. Fowler was to shew, that Christianity is intended merely to restore man to the original state which he enjoyed before the fall.
Bunyan was at that time suffering his tedious imprisonment for conscience sake in Bedford jail; and having refused to expatriate himself, was in daily fear lest his cruel sentence, "you must stretch by the neck" for refusing to attend the church service, should be carried into execution.
The fame of Fowler"s gross perversion of the design of Christ"s gospel reached Bunyan in prison, and its popularity grieved his spirit. At length, on the 13th of the 11th Month (February), a copy of the book was brought to him; and in the almost incredible s.p.a.ce of forty-two short days, on the 27th of the 12th Month (March) 1671-2, he had fully a.n.a.lysed "The Design," exposed the sophistry, and scripturally answered the gross errors which abound in every page of this learned and subtle piece of casuistry.
The display of Latin and Greek quotations from the heathens and fathers, those thunderbolts of scholastic warfare, dwindled into mere pop-gun weapons before the sword of the Spirit, which puts all such rabble to utter rout. Never was the homely proverb of Cobbler Howe more fully exemplified, than in this triumphant answer to the subtilities of a man deeply schooled in all human acquirements, by an unlettered mechanic, whose knowledge was drawn from one book, the inspired volume:--
"The Spirit"s teaching in a cobbler"s shop, Doth Oxford and Cambridge o"ertop."
The Babel building of the learned clergyman could not withstand the attack of one who was armed with such irresistible weapons. His words burn "like a fire," and consume the wood, hay and stubble; while they fell with overpowering weight, as "a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces" (Jer 23:29). So cunningly was "the design" constructed, that nothing but the fire and hammer of G.o.d"s word could have demolished it. Armed with such weapons, he fearlessly from his dungeon made the attack; and, encouraged by the Spirit which animated the prophet, he was not "dismayed at their faces," but became as "a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land" (Jer 1:48).
Such internal and powerful support encouraged Bunyan to use the greatest plainness of speech. He as fully aware of his danger, and of the great influence of Mr. Fowler, but he had counted the cost of plain honest dealing, and was undaunted by the perils which surrounded him. With n.o.ble bearing, worthy the descendant of the apostles, he declares, "As for your subtle and close incensing THE POWER to persecute Nonconformists, know that we are willing, G.o.d a.s.sisting, to overcome you with truth and patience; not sticking to sacrifice our lives, and dearest concerns in a faithful witness-bearing." "Wherefore, sir, laying aside all fear of men, not regarding what you may procure to be inflicted upon me, for this my plain dealing with you, I tell you again, that you are one of them that have closely, privily, and devilishly, by your book, turned the grace of our G.o.d into a lascivious doctrine."
Mr. Fowler"s opinions were not only contrary to scripture, but to that which some esteem a more heinous offence, they opposed the thirty-nine articles; and the result was that Bunyan, who vindicated the scriptures and those articles, was kept in prison, while the clergyman who opposed them was soon after consecrated Bishop of Gloucester! It may lead some simple readers to wonder how it could be, that state religion thus made a mockery of itself. The reason is perfectly obvious; Fowler"s religion was that of a statesman, which may be comprised in one word, expediency; and the man who could publish as truth, that religion consists in obeying the orders made therein by the state, deserved the primacy of the united churches of England and Ireland. His words are, speaking of religious observances, "Whatsoever of such are commended by the custom of the places we live in, or commanded by superiors, or made by any circ.u.mstance convenient to be done; our Christian liberty consists in this, that we have leave to do them. And, indeed, it is so far from being a sin, that it would be so to refuse so to do." Could the state have selected a fitter tool for their purposes?
Mr. Fowler is somewhat inconsistent with regard to persecution; in p. 266 he says, "As for factious hypocrite, they would be with ease supprest"; in p. 262 he describes these factious hypocrites, "Such as preach up free grace,--laying hold on Christ"s righteousness and renouncing our own righteousness." Such are to be suppressed, but for Roman catholics "imposing their own sense upon the word of G.o.d, and their persecuting, burning, and d.a.m.ning men for not subscribing to theirs as to G.o.d"s word can be no better than an act of devilish pride and barbarous cruelty," p. 247. Does not the same pride and cruelty apply equally to the church of Bonner for burning Latimer, of Fowler, for the imprisonment of Bunyan; and of Philpot, for dragging his brother, Sh.o.r.e, from his family, and shutting him up in Exeter jail?
The admirers of Bunyan will feel surprised at his strictures upon persons calling themselves Quakers. In these severe remarks he does not refer to the Society of Friends; but to some unworthy individuals who a.s.sumed the name of Quakers. They will be equally surprised at his freedom of speech with one who he considered to be an enemy to his Lord. He calls Mr. Fowler "a brutish, beastly man," "this thief," "a blasphemer," "horribly wicked," "a learned ignorant Nicodemus," "one that would fling heaven"s gates off the hinges," "a bat," "an angel of darkness." Such epithets sound strangely in our more refined age; but they were then considered essential to faithful dealing. The Bishop in his reply, called "Dirt wiped off," beat the tinker in abusive language; he calls Bunyan "A wretched scribbler," "grossly ignorant," "most unchristian and wicked," "a piece of proud folly," "so very dirty a creature that he disdains to dirt his fingers with him," "Bunyan can no more disgrace him than a rude creature can eclipse the moon by barking at her; or make palaces contemptible by lifting up their legs against them," "a most black-mouthed calumniator," "infamous in Bedford for a pestilent schismatic," and with a heart full of venom he called upon his majesty not to let such a firebrand, impudent, malicious schismatic to enjoy toleration, or go unpunished, lest he should subvert all government. Bunyan had then suffered nearly twelve years" incarceration in a miserable jail, and was more zealous and intrepid than ever: and yet this learned fanatic would have added to his privations, because he could not resist the arrows of truth with which this poor prisoner for Christ a.s.sailed him, drawn all burning from the furnace of G.o.d"s holy word.