Some Gospel Truths Opened, Questions
Some Questions to the Quakers, Or a few quaeries to those who are possessed with a spirit of delusion in this generation.
Be ready alwaies to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, 1 Pet. 3. 15. And I beseech you do it in sincerity.
1. IF thou sayest that every one hath a measure of the spirit of Jesus Christ within him, why say the Scriptures that some are sensual having not the spirit, Jude 19. And when Christ tells his Disciples of sending them the spirit, he also saith, The world can not receive it, Joh. 14 17.
2. What is the Church of God redeemed by, from the curse of the law? Is it by something that is done within them, or by something done without them? If thou answer, it is redeemed from the curse of the law by something that worketh in them. Then I ask, why did the man Christ Jesus hang upon the Cross on mount Calvary without the gates of Jerusalem,Gal. 3. 3. for the sins of his people?Act. 13. 38 And why do the Scriptures say,Pet. 2 24 that through this man,Col. 1. 20. &c. is preached to us the forgiveness of sins. That is, through his blood; Eph. 1. 7. which was shed without the gates of Jerusalem, Heb. 13. 12.
3. What Scripture have you to prove, that Christ is, or was crucified within you, dead within you, risen within you, & ascended within you?
4. Is that very man that was crucified on mount Cal…a…y between two thieves, whose name is Jesus, the son of Mary, I say, is he the very Christ of God, yea, or no?
5. Is that very man, with that very body, within you, yea, or no?
6. Was that Jesus, that was born of the Virgin Mary, a real man of flesh and bones, after his resurrection from the dead, out of Josephs Sepulcher, yea, or no? for the Scripture saith he was, as in Luke 24. 39. If so, then did that man that said handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have; I say, did that man go away from his Disciples (and not into them, in his body) as these Scriptures declare, Luke 24. 39, 40. compared with v. 50. 51. also Acts 1. 9, 10, 11 or did he with that body of fl…sh go into his disciple, as some fond dreamers think.
7. Hath that Christ that was with God the father before the world was, no other body but his Church? If you say no, as it is your wonted course. Then again I ask you, what that was in which he did bear the sins of his children? If you answer, It was in his own body on the tree, for so saith the Scripture, 1 Pet. 2. 24. Then I ask you further, whither that body in which he did bear our sins, (which is also called his own body) was, or is the Church of God, yea, or no? again, if you say he hath no body but the Church, the Saints, Then I ask, what that was that was taken down from the Cross, and laid into Josephs Sepulcher, Luke 23. 51. 52.
Now I know, that as Christ is the head of his Church, so the Church is the body of the head, which is Christ. But as Christ is the Mediatour between God and men, I say, as he is Mediator, so he is a man, 1 Tim. 2. 5. and absent from his Saints in the world, as is clear 2 Cor. 5. 6. Therefore. as he is a Mediator,Luk. 24. 51 and a man,Act. 1 9, 10 11, so he hath a body that is absent from his Church, which body is descended from his Disciples, above the clouds, into heaven.Luk. 23. 26 & 33. 53. If you say no,Luke 24 v 3, & 6. & 15. & 41, 42. & 39 & 50. Then I ask you,Act. 10. 41 Did he leave the body behind him, which was born of the Virgin Mary, which walked up and down with his disciples in the world, was afterward hanged upon the Cross, buried, rose again from the dead, with which body he did eat, drink, and likewise walk with his Disciples after his resurrection from the dead, and did bid his Disciple see▪ if he were not flesh and bones, yea, or no?
Finis.
J. Bunyan.
End of the text · John Bunyan, Some Gospel Truths Opened (1656)