Law it might have availed to Salvation as well as the Gospel with the supplemental righteousness of Christ there might have been an imputed righteousness as well under the Law as under the Gospel I answer That I conceive that the Moral Law delivered by Moses obliges us Christians as I have before proved and I suppose our Church is of that mind too for I cannot imagine that she should in her Catechism instruct Children in an abrogated Law How there should be an imputed Righteousness without a Gospel I know not it pleased God to found the Gospel upon a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a satisfaction and that cannot be or be profitable to us without an imputation The impotency of the Law was as I noted before that it could not justifie us for want of perfect obedience But God translated the impletion of the Law upon Christ and his Righteousness being made ours by imputation the Law is said to be fulfilled in us To the same purpose the Apostle discourses Mr. Sherlock Rom. 7.4 5 6. Wherefore my Brethren you also are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ who put an end to that imperfect dispensation by his death that you should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God for when we were in the flesh under that carnal and fleshly dispensation of the Law of Moses the motions of sins which were by the Law which grew more boisterous and unruly by the prohibitions of the Law vers 8. did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death That is did betray us to those wicked actions which end in death But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead in which we were held that we should serve in newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter So that the reason why the Law of Moses was abrogated was because it could not make men good it nursed them up in a ritual external Religion taught them to serve God in the Letter by Circumcision Sacrifices or external conformity to the Letter of the Law but the Gospel of Christ alone teacheth us to worship God in the Spirit to offer a reasonable Sacrifice to him to fulfill the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the internal Righteousness of which those legal Ceremonies were the Signs and Sacraments This is the plain meaning of the Apostles which can never be reconciled with imputed Righteousness which would make his argument foolish and absurd Therefore he tells us in other places what little reason we have to be so zealous for the Law of Moses since we have the perfection of it in the Gospel what need is there of the circumcision of the flesh which the Law required When in the Gospel we have the circumcision made without hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of that fleshly circumcision What need of legal washing and purgations When they are all fulfilled in the washing of regeneration in the Gospel baptism Thus we are compleat in Christ who bath perfectly instructed us in the will of God and instiluted such a Religion as is the perfection of all Ceremonies Col. 2. We must now offer another Sacrifice than the Law of Moses commanded not the Sacrifices of dead beasts but of a living and active soul Rom. 12. The Apostle Answer Rom. 7. vers 4. Shews that we are dead to the Law by the body of Christ that is by Christ crucified we have remission and the holy Spirit and so are dead to the cursing and irritating power of the Law that we might bring forth fruits of holy works to God Before when we were in the flesh in our corrupt unregenerate estate the motions of sin which were accidentally irritated by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death that is to bring forth sinful actions which tend to death vers 5. But now saith the Apostle we are delivered from the Law from the curse and irritating power of it That being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in newness of Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter vers 6. That is in those new Divine Prinples which our spirits have from Gods not in the old nature which by the outward Letter of the Law is irritated unto sin This I think is the scope of the Apostle he discourses of the regenerate and unregenerate the one dead to the Law the other irritated by it he discourses not of the difference between those under the Old Testament and those under the New for the regenerate under the Old Testament were dead to the cursing and irritating Law they had internal Righteousness which the Author calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they had the circumcision of the heart Deut. 30.6 which in the Author is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the fleshly circumcision they had the law in the heart Psal 37.31 And by consequence they had true regeneration in which saith our Author all the legal washings and purifications are fulfilled they were not irritated by the Law but delighted in it as in their joy choice treasure hony-comb of sweetness and what not as appears in the Psalms They served in the newness of the Spirit in new Divine Principles which they had from the holy Spirit in the easiness of the New Creature to which the Will of God is natural Even in their Rituals and Sacrifices they knew all must be done in newness of Spirit in the exercises of internal Graces The very Heathens themselves thought that they were to Sacrifice Mente candidâ expurgatâ conscientiâ How much more did the servants of God under the Old Testament do so they knew that there were better Sacrifices than the outward ones Sacrifices of righteousness Psal 4.5 And sacrifices of a broken spirit Psal 50.17 They understood that the heart the truth in the inward parts was more than all the rest On the other hand the unregenerate under the New Testament they are in the flesh the motions of sin carry all before them they have nothing of internal Righteousness they are uncircumcised in heart as well as in flesh they are baptized yet want the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of regeneration they are irritated by the Law their inward malignity swells and rises against the holy commands which stand in Scripture as so many damms and bars to their impetuous lusts Whatever they do in Evangelical Ordinances they do all in the oldness of the Letter the Letter the outward Rule presses them to Duty but there is no inward acting of Faith no suavity of Love or holy Affections all is done in a dead dull flat manner nothing is minded but the opus operatum the meer external work By this we see clearly where the difference lies It s true the Ceremonials of Moses were abrogated by Christ but I suppose the Moral Law was not it s own intrinsecal Rectitude and Righteousness immortalizes it so
Laws which the Author after mentions calling it a conformity to his nature the new creature is not the effect of Subjection or Obedience but the cause of it true Obedience is too pure a thing to issue out of an unregenerate heart before it can come forth Enchir. cap. 106. Ipsum liberum arbitrium liberandum est As St. Austin speaks Lapsed nature must be new-natured and its deadly wound healed by regenerating Grace First according to Scripture there must be a good tree and then good fruit De Eccles Hierar cap. 2. First a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Divine state or being as Dionysius calls it and then Divine operations issuing forth in a sweet connaturalness to the Heavenly principles within To this purpose let us hear our Church 2. Hom. of Almes As the good fruit is not the cause that the tree is good but the tree must first be good before it can bring forth good fruit so the good Deeds of men are not the Cause that maketh men good but he is first made good by the Spirit and Grace of God that effectually worketh in him and afterwards he bringeth forth good fruit As for such as are regenerate and new Creatures I acknowledge them to have the same temper of Mind with Christ and that every Grace in the new Man answers to that in Christ and morally unites to him but the Mystical Union is made by the holy Spirit and Faith which hath this above other Graces to receive Christ and incorporate us into him That place Phil. 2. of having the same mind with Christ holds out the same temper in both that in Matt. 4.11 calls us to an imitation of him that Gal. 4.19 expresses the State of the new Creature which is moulded after the Image of Christ But the other two places quoted by the Author prove the Mystical Union the one is that Rom. 8.9 If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his By Spirit is not meant an holy temper of Mind but the Spirit it self the very same which just before the words is called The Spirit of God and ver 11. The spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead and by which our mortal bodies shall be quickned This is that Spirit which unites us to Christ in such an admirable manner that Christ is said to be in us ver 10. St. Chrysostome on the words saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that hath the holy Spirit hath Christ himself the Spirit being present Christ nay the whole Trinity must be so The other is that 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit that is one and the same holy Spirit is in Christ and Believers mystically uniting them together This appears as well by the opposition of one spirit in this 17. Verse to one flesh in the 16. Verse For as the Learned Beza notes on the place Vt constet expositio exterioris corporum copulae nostrae cum Christo interoris spiritûs nomen usurpavit Apostolus as also by the after-words What know ye not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you ver 19. The holy Ghost is that one Spirit which unites Christ and Believers Hence the Reverend Vsher quoting this place among others concludes That the Mystery of our Vnion with Christ consists mainly in this that the self same Spirit which is in him as in the Head is derived from him into every one of his true Members There is yet a closer Vnion Mr. Sherlock which consists in a mutual reciprocal Love when we are transformed into the image of Christ he loves us as being like to him and we love him as partaking of his Nature he loves us as the price of his Blood as his own workmanship created to good Works and we love him as our Redeemer and Saviour I acknowledge there is a Moral Union between Christ and Christians by holy Love Answer but this Moral Union supposes a Mystical one made by the Spirit and Faith Where these are not there can be no such thing as Love to Christ Hence the Apostle Eph. 3.16 17. first lays down the Mystical Union with its two Bands the Spirit in the inner man and Faith whereby Christ dwells in the heart and immediately after adds the Moral one That ye may be rooted and grounded in Love Where-ever the Mystical Union is there is holy Love to Christ What the Author afterwards adds touching God's dwelling in the Church as his Temple is so far from opposing that it points out the Mystical Union especially seeing as the Author confesses Particular Christians are in Scripture stiled the Temple of the living God That place quoted by the Author Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you 1 Cor. 3.16 is very emphatical Christians are the Temple of God and made so by the indwelling Spirit which is the bond of the Mystical Union Indeed the Author saith That the indwelling of the Spirit primarily refers to the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit which God in that Age bestowed on the Church this was the true Shechinah or divine Glory resting on them But I conceive the holy Spirit hath been in Believers in all Ages God dwelt in the Jewish Temple in Types and Symbols of his Presence but which was far more excellent than those outward shadows and appearances of Glory he dwelt even then by his Spirit in all true Believers The sweet strains of Devotion in David did plainly evidence that the holy Spirit was in him the spiritual Imbroidery or Needle-work in every Psalm tells us that the Finger of God was there The believing Israelites in Mannâ Christum intellexerunt saw Christ in their Manna and fed on the same spiritual Meat as believing Christians do which is a clear proof that the holy Spirit was in them The Son of God coming in the Flesh the holy Spirit was poured down in extraordinary Gifts and though those Epiphanies of divine Glory went off yet the same Spirit hath been and ever will be in Believers This our Church acknowledges 1. Hom. for Whitsunday Neither doth the holy Spirit think it sufficient inwardly to work the spiritual and new Birth of Man unless he do also dwell and abide in him And a little after our Church breaks out in an holy admiration O what comfort is this to the heart of a true Christian to think that the holy Ghost dwelleth in him The Apostle tells the Ephesians that they are builded for an habitation of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through the Spirit Eph. 2.22 Indeed the Author interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spiritual Temple in opposition to the material one which St. Peter calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spiritual house but I take it the Spirit it self is meant Thus Grotius as I have him quoted in the Criticks saith Non tantùm tota fidelium
righteousness of one vers 18. and the obedience of one vers 19. The Apostle is so far from speaking of our own inherent righteousness that the great scope of the Chapter is not of Sanctification but Justification and that not by a righteousness of our own but of another that is of Christ But now let us hear the Authors conclusion Christs righteousness and our own are both necessary to our salvation the first as the foundation of the Covenant the other as the condition of it Very well Faith in Christ is indeed the condition of the Covenant and in us inherent but I had thought the Author had been treating of that righteousness which is the matter of our justification and not only of the condition of the Covenant To understand what that righteousness is which is the matter of our justification we must consider what it is which we are to answer unto in the point of justification if we are only to answer unto the terms of the Gospel Covenant then indeed Faith answers thereunto but what will be the consequences of this If we are only to answer unto the terms of the Gospel Covenant then our Saviour contrary to his words came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to dissolve the Law to untye all the Bonds of it to loosen the very Foundation of it then Justification is not in such a way as establishes the Law as the Apostle tells us Rom. 3.31 But in such a way as voides and abrogates it then all true Believers must be in a state of perfection the defect of their Graces must be no sins for they have that true Faith which answers the terms of the Gospel and to more then these they are not to answer then the Gospel the great Charter of Grace hath no pardon in it for no more is required of us but the truth of Faith and other Graces and the want of true Faith and other Graces the Gospel doth not pardon Then Christ dyed not to obtain the pardon of those sins which are consistent with Gospel-sincerity but dyed to prevent them from being sins which otherwise would have been sins and to prevent them from being pardoned by his Blood and to name but one thing more Then all the Pagans must be in a justified state for the Gospel Covenant being founded for them also they are only to answer to the terms of the Gospel and to these they have a very easie full answer that they knew them not By these things it appears that in the point of Justification we must answer not to the terms of the Gospel only but to the pure perfect Law also and to that nothing of our own imperfect Graces can respond nothing less can answer but the perfect Righteousness and Obedience of Christ which is made ours by imputation Hence the Apostle tells us That by the righteousness of one we have justification of life and by the obedience of one we are made or constituted righteous SECT IV. According to the notion of these Men Mr. Sherlock men may nay must be united to Christ while they continue in their sins Mr. Shephard tells us expresly That Obedience doth not make us Gods People or God our God but he is first our God which is only by the Covenant of Grace and hence it is that he being ours and we his we of all others are most bound to obey him We are Gods People and that by vertue of the Covenant before we obey him The same Author tells us That we are united to Christ our life not by Obedience as Adam was to God by it but by Faith that is by such a Faith of which Obedience is no part and therefore as all actions in living things come from union so all our acts of Obedience are to come by Faith from the Spirit on Christs part and Faith on ours which make the union The meaning is this We must first be united to Christ by Faith before we can do any thing that is good before this union the best actions we can do are sins which is a plain demonstration of the truth of this charge because according to this principle we can do nothing but sin before we be united to Christ hence these Men constantly place our Justification before our Sanctification that we are first accounted holy by God before we are made so now our Justification follows our union to Christ and our Sanctification follows our Justification and therefore we must first be united to Christ before we are sanctified that is before we are made holy Hence we are told that holyness is a remote end of vocation but the next end is to come to Christ And the same Author makes a speech for Christ to a Sinner more gracious than all the Gospel invitations though thou hast resisted my Spirit refused my grace wearied me with thy iniquities yet come to me this will make me amends I require nothing of thee else but to come We cannot indeed be united to Christ whilest we continue in our sins Answer in the wilful Indulgence of them neither can we be holy whilest we are separated from Christ and the influence of his Holy Spirit Mr. Shephard sets Faith in the first place and then Obedience after it as a fruit thereof and well he may do so Ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.26 Faith makes us Gods People Obedience which comes after proves us such Without Faith it is impossible to please to God Heb. 11.6 and therefore without Faith it must be impossible to obey him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith is the beginning of life saith Ignatius Fides principium Christiani est Faith is the first principle Epist ad Eph. or mover in the new Creature saith St. Ambrose Laudo fructum boni operis In Psal 118. Ser. 20. sed in Fide agnosco radicem I praise the fruit of a good work but I acknowledge the root of it to be in Faith So St. Austin And a little after he saith In Psal 31 That works before Faith are but inania cursus ceberrimus praeter viam Vain things and a swift running beside the way Hence our Church in the 1. Homily of good works assures us That Faith giveth life to the Soul and that they be as much dead to God that lack Faith as they be to the World whose Bodies lack Souls that without Faith all that is done of us is but dead before God all good works are but shadows and shews of good things that out of Faith come good works that be good works indeed and without Faith no work is good before God I suppose Mr. Shephard cannot speak more fully it may seem harsh to some that before Faith in Christ there should be nothing good in us that our best actions should be sins but if we look on a wicked Man that is a Man without Faith in the Scripture-glass nothing can be plainer take him at an honest calling
their fancies with their private opinions and then read the Scripture with no other design than to find something there to stamp Divinity on their own conceits they dote upon words and Metaphors and Allusions they found their Religion on obscure Texts or mystical interpretations of plain Texts and by the help of distinctions and glosses curtailing of Texts transplacing of words and Comma's or separating a single sentence from the body of the discourse make the Scripture speak their sence as plainly as the Bells ring what every boy will have them which is to deal with Scripture as Irenaeus observes as if a man should take a picture of a King which consisted of an artificial composition of precious stones and transplace all those stones into another form as suppose of an Ape and then should perswade silly people that that was the Kings picture At this rate we may find the Alcoran in the Bible as well as make so many Books different and contrary to each other from the various composition of twenty four letters These acquaintances of Christ And who may better make bold with him than they pervert the Gospel to serve their opinion there are two wayes of expounding Scripture in great vogue among them First By the sound and clink of words which is all some men understand by a form of sound words Secondly When this will not do they reason about the sence of Scripture from their own preconceived notions and prove that this must be the meaning of Scripture because otherwise it is not reconcileable to their dreams which is called expounding Scripture by the Analogy of Faith It is the observation of that excellent man Answer Jerome of Prague in his defence before the Council of Constance That many worthy men have been unjustly condemned such as Socrates among Pagans Isaiah and other Prophets nay Christ and his Apostles The Author hath put in a long grievous charge against these good men but the Reader will observe that it is a general one and I suppose he will hang by his belief till proof be made by the after-instances As for the Valentinians these men have nothing to do with them or their Aeones they were very high flyers in their knowledge and perfections And as I find in the Magdeburgenses they held That men Cant. 2. cap. 5. especially those of their own Sect naturâ salvos fieri were saved by nature Which whether it may have any affinity with the natural faith allowed by the Author I know not But now let us hear out Authors instances and first for their expounding Scripture by the sound of words If they find any words saith the Author which chime to the tune of their private conceits they clap their own sence on them Thus when Christ is said to be made wisdom to us this is a plain proof Mr. Sherlock that we must learn all our spiritual wisdom from an acquaintance with his Person though some duller men can understand no more by it than the wisdom of those Revelations Christ hath made to us of Gods will External Revelation was never excluded by those whom the Author opposes Christ is made wisdom to us Answer as I have answered before because all true Wisdom that is external Revelation and internal Illumination are derived from him who is the Mirrour of divine Perfections Thus when men have learn'd Mr. Sherlock from an Acquaintance with Christ to place all their hopes of salvation in a personal Vnion with Christ from whom they receive Pardon Grace Righteousness and Salvation what more plain proof can any man who is resolved to believe this desire of it than 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life What can having the Son signifie but having an interest in him being made one with him though some will be so perverse as to understand it of believing and obeying his Gospel Personal Union with Christ Answer who owns it that is of different Natures in the same Person such as is not between Christ and us Mystical the Author should have said that I own and from thence are derived all spiritual good things to us And so much is proved by that of St. John Having the Son imports Union with him or else we may have all at a distance from him Hear the Learned Bishop Reynolds on that Text Life of Christ fol. 461. One thing cannot be the Principle of Life to another except there be some Vnion which may be the ground of that conveyance and this is that the Text calls the having of Christ And what this Union is he afterwards explains It is that whereby we and he are spiritually united to the making up of one mystical body Fol. 468. the formal Reason or Bond of it is the Spirit of Christ from it doth immediatly arise a Communion with him in all good things Hear the Glory of our Church Archbishop Vsher Serm. before the Commons An. 1620 No man participates of the benefits arising from Christ to his spiritual relief except he first have Communion with him we must have the Son before we have life eat him we must that is as truly be partakers of him as we are of our ordinary food and a little after This is that great Mystery of our Vnion with Christ whereby we are made members of his body of his flesh and of his bone Hear the Learned Hooker Eecles Pol. Lib. 5. By vertue of this mystical Conjunction we are of him and in him even as though our flesh and bones should be continuate with his No man is actually in him but they in whom he actually is for he which hath not the Son hath not life And may we say or think that such Pillars and Luminaries of the Church should follow the sound and clink of words and phrases chiming to the tune of their own Conceits One might rather take the Author to be out he understands that place of obeying and believing the Gospel Believing the Gospel is but a dogmatical Faith which entitles not to Christ Obedience follows after Union with him and may be rather called walking in him than having of him Before we can be united to Christ we must go to him Mr. Sherlock and therefore Faith which is the Instrument of this Vnion is very luckily called Coming to Christ But this is not enough we must receive Christ Joh. 1.12 that Faith which serves us for Legs to go to Christ must be an Hand to receive him when we have received him we must embrace him in our Arms as old Simeon did when he found him in the Temple which is a little nearer Vnion as plainly appears from the example of the Patriarchs who embraced the Promises And now we have Christ we must trust and lean upon him as we are often commanded and if leaning be not enough we may make a little more bold and rowl on him as appears from the Original Gal. Psal 37. We may
separate from him He is the Saviour of the body his merits and righteousness cover only those that are in him the effectual working of the Divine Spirit is only in those that are parts of him and united to him as their head a man can no more continue in the Divine life and walk in holiness without this union than the old Dionysius as the fable runs could walk a great way with his head off The opinion against this mystical union if practical would in a moment murder all the new creatures in the world and make a more bloody day with the Church than that of the Parisian Massacre This at one blow beheads the Church Catholick and cuts off that neck of Faith through which all Graces and Divine influences are derived from Christ unto believers But now let us hear the Author Those Metaphors which describe the relation and union between Christ and Christians Mr. Sherlock do primarily refer to the Christian Church not to every individual Christian Christ is the head but of his body which no particular Christian is Christ is an husband but the whole Church is his Spouse as St. Paul tells the Church of Corinth 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chast Virgin to Christ Christ is a Shepherd and that concerns the whole flock Christ is a Rock a corner stone and the Church an holy Temple All these Metaphors in their first and most proper use refer to the whole Society of Christians the union of particular Christians to Christ is by means of their union to the Church the Church is the body of Christ and every Christian by being united to this body becomes a member of Christ As the Apostle tells us Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular 1 Cor. 12.27 The Church is the Temple of God and every Christian a lively stone in it the Church is Christs Spouse and every Christian a member of that Society but every Christian is not Christs Spouse he is an enemy to Polygamy and hath but one Spouse as he hath but one body and one Church which quite spoils the prettiness and fantastical wit of a late exhortation to young women to take Christ for their husband which would have sounded much better in a Popish Nunnery than among such pretenders to reformation and to give every one their due the Papists are the most generous sort of sutors for Christ for they perswade them to forsake all other husbands for Christ which is more honourable and meritorious These Metaphors refer to the whole Church or body of Christ very well Answer but are not particular Christians united to Christ as their head espoused to him under him as Sheep under a Shepherd built on him as on a Rock Yes surely The Church of Corinth which is the Authors instance was in proper speech no more the whole body of Christ than a particular Christian is and yet it was espoused as a chast Virgin to Christ if a particular Christian because not the whole body of Christ cannot be espoused to him then neither can a particular Church because not such be so espoused And so the grave words of S. Paul about the Corinthian Church as well as the phantastical wit of the late Exhorter must spoil together But if a particular Christian may be espoused to Christ why should Ministers who are Sutors on that behalf be checked with a Popish Nunnery as if those Espousals smelt of a superstitious Vow The Author himself tells us pag. 180. Every devout Soul is Gods Temple an inlightned mind is his Debir or Oracle a pure heart is his Altar devout Prayers are spiritual Incense and sweet Perfumes the body it self is a consecrated place and called Gods Temple All which is excellently spoken and I think by the same reason a particular believer may be called Christs Spouse but saith the Author The union of particular Christians to Christ is by means of their union to the Church that is to the whole Catholick Church the whole body of Christ which is made up only of Believers and Saints being as Ignatius calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist ad Tral This is the Church the Author here means by the whole Church or body of Christ that body hath none but Believers and Saints in it Now if particular believers are united to Christ by their union to this Church how was the first believer united to Christ Or afterwards how was the Church Catholick united to him Surely not by another Church but immediately and then to me it is unimaginable that the whole Church should be immediately united to him and never a part so united or that all believers should be so united to him and never an one of them so united Besides the Church Catholick is part militant on earth and part triumphant in Heaven Those in Heaven are no part of the visible Church afterwards mentioned by the Author and withal they are at so great a distance from us that we may as easily imagine an immediate union to Christ as to them Those on earth are not all the body of Christ and so not properly within the Authors discourse however if we consider the business those vincula unionis the holy Spirit and Faith which unite them all immediately to Christ are resident in particular Believers and therefore it is a wonder to me that those particular Believers in whom the Divine Bonds reside should not be immediately united to Christ It is apparent that in case those Bonds in particular believers should be dissolved the whole Catholick Church on earth would be dissolved also and how then can particular persons be less than immediately united to Christ Add hereunto that none are in the Church Catholick but reall Believers and in the very instant of believing they are united to Christ and therefore it is not at all supposeable that they should first be united to the Church and by that means to Christ That place in the Corinthians quoted by the Author Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular proves it not The Church of Corinth was not the whole body of Christ neither is there any syllable in it to prove that first we are united to the Church and then to Christ Christ speaking of himself Mr. Sherlock saith I am the true Vine John 15. The meaning is that Church which is founded on the belief of my Gospel is the true Vine I signifies Christ together with his Church which is his body upon which account the Church is elsewhere called Christ The Author is a little various here for he saith Answer I signifies Christ together with his Church but a little after I and in me cannot be meant of his own person So there it is the Church alone and not together with Christ neither doth the Author agree upon the Church First he speaks of the body of Christ which is
Christian Church This Opinion Answer which denies that particular Believers are immediately united to Christ being as I take it but novel hath not yet found its Center but rowls about from the Catholick Church which is made up all of Saints to visible particular Churches which are made up of Believers and Unbelievers First the Author spake of our Union to the Body of Christ now of it to the Church Visible Before I made it appear that particular Believers were immediately united to Christ in respect of the Church Catholick and it is as evident that they are so united to him in respect of the Church Visible On the one hand all that are in the Church Visible are not really united to Christ the hypocritical Professors do but seem to be so It is observed by the Learned Whitaker that Eccesiae particulares visibilibus nexibus colligantur Ecclesia verò Catholica invisibilibus A Visible Church as such is connected by visible Bands and more the Connection cannot be because Believers and Hypoctites of both which the Church is made up cannot otherwise be knit together and how is it possible that the Union of Believers to Christ which is made by invisible Ligatures should consist in their Union to the Visible Church which as such is only knit together by visible Bands On the other hand those which are not of the Church Visible may yet be really united to Christ Thus the Catechumeni were but in vestibulo and not actually in the Visible Church and yet if Believers were united to Christ The same may be said of unbaptized Believers The Emperor Valentinian died before Baptism but in real Union to Christ hence St. Ambrose saith that he had in se imaginem Christi and that his Soul was in refrigerio Believers if unjustly excommunicate are no longer in the Visible Church and yet they are in Union to Christ The Apostles as Christ foretold them were to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cast out of the Synagogues but never to be parted from Christ Believing Merchants may be at a vast distance from the Visible Church and yet in near spiritual Conjunction with Christ And what if a Visible Church turn Apostate from the Gospel True Believers will come out of her and I hope without any loss of their Union to Christ Those 7000 which in the time of Elias bowed not the knee to Baal were I suppose joyned to no visible Church and yet they were a choice reserved people unto God Thus it appears that Believers are immediatly united to Christ in respect of the Visible Church As for what the Author adds Those words I in him Joh. 15. 5. are the same with those My words abide in you Ver. 7. I answer The 5. vers saith that Christ is in Believers and the 7. denies it not but declares that where Christ is there are his words also Hence it is Mr. Sherlock that the ancient Fathers interpret all those Metaphors which decypher the Vnion between Christ and Christians to signifie the cntire Love and Vnity of Christians among themselves Thus St. Chrysostome expounds Eph. 2.19 20 21. to signifie the Unity of the Church in all Ages the Jewish and Christian Church being both united in Christ Thus also St. Ambrose to the same purpose Thus St. Chrysostom on 1 Cor. 3. observes That the Apostle disswades from Schisms and Factions and tells us that the Branch draws nourishment and fatness from the Vine by its Union to it and the Building stands firm by the strong adhesion of its parts Which plainly signifies that our Vnion to Christ consists in our Vnion to the Christian Church Thus the same Author argues from Joh. 14.21 He unites us to each other by many Examples and Patterns of the closest Union he the Head we the Body he the Foundation we the Buildding c. According to the sence of this holy Man Christians are united to Christ by their Vnion to the Church otherwise I can-not understand how our Vnion to Christ can be an argument to Vnity among our selves if we are immediately united to the Person of Christ without being first united to the Church The Fathers interpret those Metaphors Answer which decypher the Vnion between Christ and Christians to signifie the Love and Vnity of Christians among themselves so the Author And is there no Union between Christ and Christians according to the Ancients Or do they deny that particular Believers are immediatly united to Christ Oh! no St. Chrysostome on that place Eph. 2.19 20 21. saith expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every one of you is a Temple for God And upon 1 Cor. 3.11 Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ he adds as our Author hath it Let us be built on Christ and cleave to him as to a Foundation and as a Branch to the Vine that there may be no distance between Christ and us for if there be we immediatly perish By the way observe Christ is the Vine in St. Chrysostome and for the point in hand if there be no distance between Christ and us surely we are immediatly united to him And this is very emphatical in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let there be no Medium between Christ and us and if there be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any Medium we immediately perish Nothing could be more emphatically spoken for immediate Union And in that place Joh. 14. he expresses as the Author quotes him plainly the Vnion of Christians to Christ And for St. Ambrose I shall quote but one place on 2 Cor. 13.5 he saith Qui fidei suae sensum in corde habet hic scit Christum Jesum in se esse But saith the Author If our Vnion to Christ be immediate it can be no argument to Vnity among our selves But the consequence fails there can be no greater argument to Unity among our selves than this That we are all built upon one Foundation Christ and have all one and the same Spirit in us so it is with all that are mystically united to him The Sacraments our Saviour hath instituted as Symbols of our Vnion with him are a plain demonstration of it Mr. Sherlock Baptism is the Sacrament of our admission into the Christian Church For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.13 In which the Apostle seems to allude to Baptism which confers the holy Spirit on us all and thereby makes us all members of the Body of Christ But more expresly in Eph. 4.4 There is one body and one Spirit as ye are called in one hope of your calling One Lord one Faith one Baptism That is the Christian Baptism is but one and is a Sacrament of Vnion making us all members of that one Body This is called being baptized into Christ that is admitted into the Church by a publick Profession of our Faith in Christ Thus the Lord's Supper is a Sacrament of Vnion and signifies the
near conjunction between Christ and the Church and the mutual fellowship of Christians Hence the Apostle calls the Cup the Communion of Christ's Blood and the Bread the Communion of his Body For we being many are one bread and one Body one Body represented by this one Bread for we are all partakers of that one Bread 1 Cor. 10.16 Sacraments are Symbols of our Union with Christ Answer and why not of an immediate Union the Elements are immediately applied to individuals and why may not the signified Union be immediate else how doth it correspond to the Sign But to clear this point first for Baptism Unbaptized Believers are really united to Christ even before their Baptism how else should the Thief on the Cross ever arrive at Paradise Or which way should the unbaptized Martyrs get thither Baptism admits men into the Church Visible but if Believers they are in the Church Catholick that one Body of Christ before nay Baptism supposes them to be so because it is a Seal of the Covenant If thou believest with all thine heart saith Philip to the Eunuch thou mayest be baptized Act. 8.37 and after the holy Ghost poured down on the Gentiles water could not be forbid them Act. 10 47. And on the other hand baptized persons may yet not be really united to Christ they may be admitted into the visible Church and yet not in that one body of Christ which is made up of Believers Simon Magus was baptized Acts 8. but for all that in the bond of iniquity many are partakers of baptismal water in whom appears not a Scintilla Spiritûs Sancti In like manner for the Lords Supper men may be nay should be in union with Christ before their receiving of it and yet many outwardly receive it who are not in union with him receiving only Panem Domini and not Panem Dominum as S. Austin speaks and eating only forès non intùs in Sacramento tantùm non usque ad Spiritûs participationem To conclude Sacraments and visible Churches must not be disparaged yet truth must be owned a reall union to Christ may be before the use of Sacraments nay before entrance into the Church visible and therefore it must be immediate or else it could in no case be before them The intention of our Lord and Saviour Mr. Sherlock in what he did and suffered for us was not meerly to reform and save some single persons but to erect a Church and combine all his Disciples into a publick Society to unite them by holy mysteries and to engage them to a mutual discharge of all Christian Offices whereby the whole body may edifie it self in Love and therefore our Saviour doth not own any relation to particular men as such but as they are members of his body for he is the Saviour of the body and redeemed his Church with his own Blood Hence St. John tells 1 Epist That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that you may have fellowship with us and truly our Fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ First That ye may have fellowship with us become members of the Church by which means you have fellowship with God and Christ. Christ intended to erect a Church How so Answer Common Philanthropy which does alike for all men doth no such singular thing as to cull and call a Church a select company out of the rest of mankind No it is impossible because the Love is common and the work singular no less than special love must do it such as God sets upon his chosen ones Christ intended to set up a Church very true and he hath pitched upon the individual persons which shall make it up he hath set down their names in the Book of Life or else his providence which is so accurate in the little Flies and Gnats as to set down every wing and little part which makes up those minute animals should be very lame and imperfect in that great design of a Church a Church only being designed and not the persons of which it should consist Christ intended to set up a Church Yes and he resolved to give such Grace as should infallibly effect it Providence such is its wisdom and accurate perfection never fails or falls short of its intent no not in a design of Justice and that to come to pass through the hardest medium can be used by it we need not scale Heaven for this but have a Scheme let down from thence to assure us of it 2 Chron. 18. God intended that Ahab should go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead and though the manner of it were by a lying spirit yet it infallibly came to pass how much more must providence be unfailable in such a design of Grace as that of a Church It s true suasory resistible Grace cannot secure it because it leaves the issue of all upon the will of man irresistible Grace must come in or else we may lay by the design of a Church and confess with Corvinus Finis mortis Christi constaret etiamsi nemo credidisset As for that place of St. John That ye may have fellowship with us and our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ By us is meant S. John or the Apostles not the Church or body of Christ But were that Church meant it hinders not but that they in the use of the Evangelical Truths and Ordinances might come to an immediate Communion with God and Christ as the Apostles had thus the Learned Grotius on the place Vt vos ipsi non minùs quà m nos frucium inde percipiatis societatem cum Deo cum Christo Those publick censures Mr. Sherlock whereby rotten or dead members are cut off from the body of Christ consist in casting such persons out of the Christian Society in debarring them from the Communion of Prayers and Sacraments and all religious Offices which is a plain demonstration that our union to Christ is not an union to his person but consists in a sincere and spiritual communion with the Christian Church otherwise this external communion with the Church could be no visible signification of our union to Christ nor could our excision from the visible Church signifie our separation from him The Author argues thus Answer If union to Christ be immediate then our external communion with the Church cannot signifie our union to Christ nor could our excision from the visible Church signifie our separation from him To which I answer just before our Author saith Our union to Christ is not an union to his Person but consists in communion with the Church that is the visible Church as he afterwards calls it and therefore our communion with the Church doth not signifie our union to Christ but is it and our excision from the Church doth not signifie our separation from Christ but is it according to our Author which cannot possibly stand Because our union to the
visible Church is external and our union to Christ internal and spititual our excision from the Church is one thing and our separation from Christ another a man may be united to the visible Church and yet not really united to Christ for so is the hypocrite a man may be cut off from the visible Church and yet not cut off from Christ for so is the unjustly excommunicate Mr. Sherlock The union between Christ and the Church is not a natural but a political union Christ is a King and all Christians his Subjects and our union to Christ consists in our belief of his Revelations Obedience to his Laws and subjection to his Authority If you continue in my words then are ye my Disciples indeed John 8.31 Which is the same thing with being in Christ And by keeping his Commandments we abide in his love John 15.10 and 14.21 And to have his word abide in us Is a description of the closest and fir mest union to him John 15.7 Thus Christ is a Shepherd and Christians his Sheep To signifie the Authority he hath over his Church Shepherd is used as a name of power thus Christ is a head and the Church his body a Husband and the Church his Spouse which are names of power Eph. 5.23 Christ is called an Head an Husband because he hath the Rule and Government of us Head is a name for Princes and Governours Deut. 28.13 The Apostles alwayes expound the Metaphor of Christs being a head by power Eph. 1.20.21 Col. 1.18 So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that place signifies one that hath Authority Christ is the head of all principalities Col. 10. He is an head and husband because he is invested with authority to govern the Church is the body and Spouse because it must obey also these Metaphors signifie the mildness and gentleness of his Government as a good Shepherd he lays down his life for his Sheep John 10. He loves his Church with the natural kindness of an head and husband his Government is only for the good of his Church and therefore his yoke is easie he gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie it Eph. 5.25 26. Upon which account we may be called members of his body of his flesh and bone verse 30. The Church being taken out of his crucified body as woman out of man Christ hath reconciled the Gentiles that is taken them into his Church in the body of his flesh through death because the Covenant which was the foundation of the Church was sealed with his blood Christ owns himself our friend John 15. Ye are my friends if ye do what I command you which shews the tenderness of his Government He exercises his authority in methods of Love hence he is called a Father Our union to Christ Answer consists in a belief of his Revelations Obedience to his Laws and Subjection to his Authority Thus the Author To whom I answer A belief of Revelations is only a dogmatical faith which is found in many not united to Christ Obedience is not our mystical union to Christ but a fruit of it Christ and the Soul being once espoused out-comes a blessed progeny of good works as so many reall proofs of that Divine conjunction which is made by the Spirit and Faith and shews forth it self in such effects as the dead womb of nature could never have produced Subjection to Christ's Authority is either a formal actual one standing in doing his commands and that is the same with Obedience a fruit of our union to Christ or a virtual one consisting in accepting Christ as our Lord and this is part of that Faith which is a bond of that Union Those words If ye continue in my words then are ye my Disciples indeed John 8.31 Were spoken to Believers to men in union with Christ to exhort them to perseverance as a reall proof of their Discipleship and Union to Christ If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my Love John 15.10 They were in his love before Verse 9. But Obedience will shew it forth Thus St. Austin on the place Ostendit non unde dilectio generetur sed unde monstretur hinc apparebit quod in dilectione meâ manebitis si precepta mea servaveritis Christs promise to the Obedieut is That he will love him and manifest himself to him Joh. 14.21 Christ loved him before but now he will manifest it Thus St. Austin on the place Quid est diligam tanquam dilecturus sit nunc non diligat Absit diligam manifestabo id est ad hoc diligam ut manifestem Our abiding in Christ and Christ's words abiding in us are very well joyned together Joh. 15.7 To shew us that where the Soul and Christ are in union there the holy words will have a mansion in the heart Christ is a King a Shepherd an Head an Husband and all in a superlative transcendency above all others in those relations He is a King who hath his Laws without us and an inward Scepter in our hearts making the unwilling will to become a willing one in the day of his power A Shepherd who speaks to his Sheep nay and brings them into the Fold John 10.16 who before were not in it A Head who stands above all in eminency and influences spiritual life and motion into the lowest meanest Believer on the earth An Husband who espouses us unto himself and invests us with a rich Dowry out of his incomparable Graces and Perfections The Church was taken out of the crucified body of Christ But that place We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5.30 plainly declares the mystical union as man and wife are one flesh so Christ and Christians are one spirit One thing more may be observed Christ saith the Author hath reconciled the Gentiles that is taken them into his Church in the body of his flesh through death Col. 1.21.22 This is a little strange reconciled that is taken them into his Church Socinus on this place De Servat pars 1. cap. 8. saith That the reconciliation here is Omnium rerum non cum Deo sed secum ipsis per Christum parta concordia And a little after Vniversi tà m Gentes quà m Judaei unus Dei populus sunt facti But I hope our Author doth not exclude reconciliation to God Christ doth not govern us immediately by himself Mr. Sherlock for he is ascended up into Heaven where he powerfully intercedes for his Church and by a vigilant providence superintends all the affairs of it but hath left the visible and external conduct and Government of his Church to Bishops and Pastors who preside in his name and by his authority He governs his Church by men who are invested with his authority which is a plain demonstration that the union of particular Christians to Christ is by their union with the Christian Church which consists in their regular subjection to
their spiritual Guides and Rulers and in concord and unity among themselves For if our union to Christ consist in our subjection to him as our Lord and this authority is not immediately exercised by Christ but by Bishops and Pastors it follows that we cannot be united to Christ till we unite our selves to the publick societies of Christians and submit to the publick instructions Authority and Discipline of the Church Christ hath left the visible and external conduct of his Church to Bishops and Pastors Very well Answer But the internal Scepter and Rule over hearts is in his own hand only and therefore the Papists who make the Bishop of Rome Head of the Church secundum exteriorem gubernationem are yet so modest as to leave Christ to be the only Head secundum interiorem insluxum Our union to Christ is an internal spiritual one made by the Spirit and Faith such as cannot consist in any thing external such as subjection to Ecclesiastical Governours who have the visible conduct is Hence the Reverend Vsher tells us Without that quickning Spirit Serm. before the Commons 1620. no external communion with Christ or his Church can make a man a true member of his mystical body this being a most sure principle that he which hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his Rom. 8.9 A wicked man may be subject to Ecclesiastical Government yet while such is not cannot be a member of Christ or his mystical body Bellarmine himself was so struck with the evidence of this truth that he confessed That wicked men are but membra mortua arida quae solum adhaerent reliquis externâ conjunctione non de Eeclesiâ nisi secundum apparentiam exteriorem putativè non verè that is they are no members at all which makes it clear that our union to Christ stands not in subjection to Ecclesiastical Governours and what for such a thing is possible if the Ecclesiastical Governour be a wicked man himself Is it imaginable that the union of one wicked man to another should produce an union to Christ Or what if such a case should fall out as once did when under the Emperour Basiliscus Evag. Hist L. 3. no less than five hundred Bishops condemned the Council of Chalcedon It would be very hard in such a dismal lapse to say that all the Christians under them had without any default in themselves lost their union with Christ and yet we must say so unless we allow that union to be made and supported by the internal bonds of the Spirit and Faith Schismaticks are in the Church Mr. Sherlock just as Rebels are in a Kingdom not as parts of it but enemies The Apostle tells us wherein the unity of the Church consists In Eph. 4.16 Christ is the Head from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part making increase of the body to the edifying it self in love That is The supreme power is invested in Christ as Head to whom the Church is obedient and subject but to make this union firm and lasting there must be a regular subordination of the several members and a mutual discharge of Christian offices which advances their growth in Grace and especially in love this supposes a visible society of Christians professing the Faith and living in communion with each other if there be no such visible Society as in persecution or degeneracy of the Church Our union to Christ consists in an acknowledgment of his Authority and Subjection to his Laws which makes us members of the universal Church but when there is a visible Church we are under an obligation of communion because herein our Subjection to the Authority of Christ and our Vnion to him consists Schism is the concern of visible Churches Answer but that place Eph. 4. speaks not of visible Churches which are made up of believers and unbelievers but of the Church Catholick made up of Believers and Saints only This is plain the Church Catholick is that whole body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fitly joined together all being Saints in it but in the visible Church there are believers and unbelievers who can no more stand in harmony than light and darkness Christ and Belial the Temple of God and Idols In the Church Catholick there is an effectual working in every part but in the Church visible there is no such energy in the wicked And so in that parallel place Eph. 2.20 The Church Catholick is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That whole Building fitly framed together which groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord But in the Church visible the wicked grow not into a Temple nay there is not a stone of the spiritual Building laid in them And Eph. 1.23 The Church Catholick is not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only the body but fulness of Christ Every member of it helps as it were to fill up the mystical body but in the Church visible the wicked do not complete the body but corrupt it they do not adorn but deform it I have before shewed that our union to Christ stands not in communion with a visible Church or its Rulers It is made by internal and spiritual ligatures and is invariably one and the same whether there be a Church visible or not But saith the Author We are under an obligation of Communion with a Church visible when there is one But it is one thing what our Duty is and another what constitutes our union with Christ it is our duty to be subject to civil Magistrates but I suppose our union to Christ consists not in it it is our duty to hear the Ministers of Christ Luke 10.16 But our union to Christ doth not consist in it indeed it is a sacred Ordinance which God is pleased to use to bring us to Christ but the only proper immediate bands of that union are the Spirit and Faith If any particular Church apostatize from the Faith of Christ Mr. Sherlock we are then under the same necessity of deserting their communion as we are of obeying the Laws and submitting to the Authority of our Lord and Master We must indeed desert an apostate Church Answer but if as our Author holds our union to Christ consists in communion with a visible Church then upon our departure from it though never so just our union to Christ must fail Which yet I think can never be the lot of a true believer he is part of that Church built on the Rock against which the gates of Hell shall not prevail Matth. 16.18 Part of that building which is an holy Temple an habitation of God through the Spirit Eph. 2.21.22 and that Spirit makes and maintains that union This Political Vnion betwixt Christ and his Church Mr. Sherlock may be either only external and visible and so hypocritical Professors may be said to be
Not in the Gospel of which the Apostle speaks not but in the Person of Christ To which purpose Bishop Wren hath an excellent passage Quid non sunt praestituri fideles atque summâ fide elaboraturi ut divelli se nunquam patiantur ab illius in quo seipsos quoque Divinitatis repletos esse intelligunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 10. spirituali mysticâ Vnione Observe he owns that Believers are united to Christ by a mystical Union and in him complete and according to the Creature-model filled with the Divinity As for that in the Author That the Fulness of the Godhead ultimately resolves it self into the Gospel If the meaning be only this the Fulness of the Godhead is in Christ therefore the Gospel is Divine I own it but if the meaning be the Fulness of the Godhead is in Christ and by him transfused into the Gospel I utterly deny that transfusion Mr. Sherlock In other places the Fulness of Christ signifies the Church Eph. 1.22 23. the Church is called his body the fulness of him that filleth all in all the Church makes him as it were complete and perfect for he cannot be a perfect Head without a Body Hence the Church is called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 Beza tells us That this is the reason of that Phrase which so frequently occurrs in the New Testament of being in Christ that is being Members of the Christian Church Now the Church is called Christ's fulness with respect to its extent and universality that it is not confined to any particular Nation as the Jewish Church was but takes in Jews and Gentiles bond and free This I take to be the meaning of Col. 1.19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Beza observes that some Expositors by his fulness understand the Church for ver 18. the Apostle tells us That he is the head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first-born from the dead that in all things he might have the preeminence For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Where fulness must be expeunded of the Church that it pleased God to unite his Church unto Christ for the Apostle assigns this as the Reason of Christ's being the Head of the Church And if you would know why the Church is called fulness and all fulness said to dwell in Christ the Reason follows in 20 21. And having made peace through the blood of his Cross to reconcile all things by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in Heaven and you who were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minds by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled This is that fulness that dwells in Christ that he is made the Head of the Vniversal Church both in heaven and earth that Jews and Gentiles are now united in one Body that Christ is the universal Shepherd and Bishop of Souls by him to reconcile all things to himself And this is the meaning of that phrase The fulness of him who filleth all in all the Church is his fulness because he filleth all in all that is doth not consine his care and providence and the influences of his Grace to any one Nation but extends it to the whole World Thus the fulness of Christ signifies in Eph. 4.13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ which is the explication of to a perfect man that is to that perfection of Faith and Knowledge which becomes the Christian Church for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying the age and growth and stature of a Man the fulness of Christ cannot so properly be understood of any thing as of the Christian Church This is all I can find in Scripture concerning the Fulness of Christ which either signifies the Perfection of his Gospel or the Vniversality of his Church which is a plain Demonstration of those mens skill in expounding Scripture who make this Fulness a Personal Grace in Christ Eph. 1.22 23. Answer The Church is called Christ's body the fulness of him that filleth all in all But this is not the Church Visible which is made up of Believers and Unbelievers these latter being dead and putrid Members do not as Bishop Davenant hath observed complere Corpus Christi sed corrumpere deformare but it is the Church Catholick which is made up only of Saints these make up the Mystical Body of Christ and without them Christ as Head accounts not himself complete The Church is Christ's Fulness but is there not a personal fontal Fulness in Christ No doubt there is the Text tells us That he filleth all in all and that he is head to the Church and so must dispense vital Influences of Grace to all his Members Hence the whole Body is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supplied with all the Furniture of Grace from him as Head Col. 2.19 and all the Members of that Body are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filled with all graces in him Col. 2.10 Without this fontal Fulness in Christ what would become of the Church In a moment the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Body would turn into Corruption and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Fulness would vanish into Confusion but because it is mystically united to him as a living Head hence it is called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 The phrase being in Christ signifies the Mystical Union with him Hence Beza on that place There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Rom. 8.1 saith Quia sumus per fidem facti unum cum Christo That place Col. 1.19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell speaks not of the Church as Christ's Fulness but of the fontal personal Fulness in Christ the Church is called Christ's Fulness but never the All-fulness of him the All-fulness is not the Church's Fulness but Christ's such as made him fit to be Head of the Church and the Origen of all Graces in the Church The All-fulness is an antecedent Reason why Christ was Head of the Church the Church's being Christs Fulness is a consequent and result from thence But saith the Author The Church is called fulness because ver 20 21. Christ reconciled all things in heaven and earth he is Head of the Church Vniversal in heaven and earth Jews and Gentiles are now united in one body To which I answer Christ is indeed the Head of the Church Universal but the All-fulness made him meet to be such an Head else he could not have reconciled all things Christ saith the Author filleth all in all that is he extends the influences of his Grace to the whole world This I suppose is somewhat hard to be maintained in the Pagan World it is difficult to believe that there are Influences There they are without God in the world the
methods of Humiliation as it is to the proud heart of man to be thus humbled Thus you see that Humiliation hath nothing to do with repentance and reformation of our lives The steps of the Soul towards Christ Answer are conviction compunction Humiliation Faith Now if there be nothing of forsaking of sin in all this then men must be united to Christ before they forsake their sins So the Author But doth Mr. Shepherd allow of no kind of forsaking of sin before union to Christ Yes surely There is saith he a separation from sin so much separation as makes the Soul willing that sin should be taken away So much separation as is necessary to the Souls closing with Christ He never thought that a man indulging his lusts should immediately come and be united to Christ No every step or degree which he sets in the Souls progress to a closure with Christ proves the contrary what need conviction compunction humiliation If the Soul wallowing in its lusts might be united to Christ But Mr. Shephard makes the end of conviction to be not reformation of sin but compunction But how doth he so What that there is no tendency at all in conviction towards reformation No he saith expresly that the next end of it is compunction Sorrow for sin is so called for in Scripture that no man may deny it to be one of God's methods by which he uses to bring men home to himself Neither is it imaginable that sin our old joy unless in some measure it become our sorrow should ever be reformed as it ought without compunction saith Mr. Shephard a sinner will never part with his sin A bare conviction doth but light the Candle to see sin but compunction burns his fingers and that makes him dread the fire But Mr. Shephard who places this compunction in a fear of wrath sorrow for sin and separation from sin means by separation not a leaving of sin but a being willing or rather not unwilling that the Lord should take it away and that by an irresistable power and that against our wills To which I answer touching irresistable Grace and that objection as if we were made willing against our will I have before discoursed In compunction there is a leaving of sin in some measure the fear of wrath will make a man start from it sorrow for sin will make it cease to be joy separation from sin so as to be willing to have it taken away is a kind of withdrawing and departure of heart from it But indeed in this compunction there is not such a leaving of sin as if we could be our own Physicians and heal our corrupt natures as if we could our selves reach that victory over the world and its lusts which is the triumph of Faith as if we could mortifie the deeds of the body without that holy Spirit which is given to Believers for that end This were to render Christ Faith the holy Spirit unnecessary to our Sanctification and to render our selves like those Pagans of whom St. Austin speaks who would not be made Christians Quia quasi sibi sufficiunt de bonâ vitâ suâ Mr. Shephard saith Enarr in Psal 31. That this separation from sin cuts off the Soul from the will to sin not from all sin in the will which is mortified by the Spirit of Holiness Now this saith the Author is down right non-sence for he must be a subtil man who can distinguish between a will to sin and sin in the will But I suppose no great subtilty is required to solve this by a will to sin is meant that act of the will whereby it is carried out to sin as its beloved Object and by sin in the will is meant that habitual corruption which is there In compunction there is such a separation from sin that the will is not in its acts carried out as before to sin as its pleasure joy and pursuit but not such a separation from sin as if the habitual corruption in the will were mortified as after Faith it is by the holy Spirit But saith Mr. Shephard Huniiliation breaks off the Soul from self-considence after compunction men are apt to seek ease by repentance and reformation to try a good course but if they trust in themselves or rest in their duties without a Saviour they are uncapable of Christ that is saith the Author all those who repent and reform are uncapable of Christ And must the world believe that Mr. Shephard is against repentance and reformation Surely there is no reason at all for it the thing is very plain if a man will stand like the proud Pharisee upon his bottom if with the Jews he will go about 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make to stand his own weak cadaverous righteousness if he will repent and reform in his own strength and without coming to Christ the Fountain of Grace Surely he is not whilst in this proud posture capable of Christ Repentance and Reformation are good things but they must be done in a good manner they must not be made our Christ's or Saviours they must not keep us off from Jesus Christ or make us say as the Pagan mentioned by St. Austin did Jam benè vivo quid mihi necessarius est Christus I can live well already what need have I of Christ All that reformation which is without Faith in Christ is as our Church saith of works without Faith But dead before God Nemo computet bona opera sua ante fidem saith St. Austin If we would reform indeed we must go to Christ by Faith But saith the Author in this Humiliation of Mr. Shephards a man must have such a sense of his inability to please God that he must not dare be so prophane as to attempt it and such a sense of his unworthiness as to submit to God whether he will save or damn him he must in some measure be indifferent whether he be saved or damned but it is an hard thing to bring a man in his wits to this To which I answer for the first a sense of our inability to please God is a thing so necessary that our Saviour tells Laodicea that she was wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked and must have her gold and raiment and eye-salve and all from him If we think we can please God in our selves not in the beloved Jesus Christ or that we can please God by walking in our own strength and not in the power of Grace we do but deceive our selves and our labour will be but in vain it will fare with us as it did with the man storied of in one of the Jewish Rabbins who in the night lighted his Candle and it went out again and lighted it again and again and still it went out Our Lamps of a self-made Sanctity and Righteousness though trimmed over and over with our endeavours will certainly go out and at last we must resolve as he did
he be a Christian whether he heartily believe and obey the Gospel and herein consists our Vnion to Christ and fellowship with him let us then leave those other dim notions to men who can believe what no man can understand who despise every thing that can be understood as if it were no better than carnal reason The Author Answer who hitherto hath highly though without cause charged his opposites with violating the evidences of Christians doth now himself blast the highest of all evidences the Testimony of the holy Spirit which is so clealy asserted by the holy Apostle that the Jesuits themselves though hotly disputing against assurance never yet attempted totally to deny it The Testimony of the Spirit saith the Author concerns the general adoption of Christians not to testifie to any particular man It is not a private but a publick Testimony given to the whole Church But let us consider the Text it self in the Apostle The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8.16 The Spirit the Apostle speaks not of the Spirit as shewing forth it self in Miracles and Tongues but as sanctifying and sealing Believers he speaks of the spirit dwelling in them vers 9. Mortifying the deeds of the body in them vers 13. Leading of them vers 14. Making them cry Abba Father vers 15. And then follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the self same spirit beareth witness Here is not one jot or tittle of Miracles or Tongues the testimony of the Spirit in Miracles or Tongues is an external one which runs into the senses But the Testimony of the Spirit in the Text is internal it beareth witness not to our senses but to our Spirits It is said to be sent forth into our hearts Gal. 4.6 The Testimony is not without in Miracles or Tongues but within in the heart The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit the Apostle saith not it beareth witness with the Spirit of the Church for there is one body and one spirit the Spirit of the Church Catholick is the holy Spirit which quickens the whole Mystical Body of Christ And these words The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit cannot be translated thus The Spirit beareth witness with it self but the plain meaning is It beareth witness with our spirit that is with the spirits and consciences of particular Believers And what doth it testifie The Apostle tells us That we are the children of God We particular Believers are so Thus in another place ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise Eph. 1.13 Ye particular Believers were so And again He hath sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1.22 He hath dealt so with us in particular The Testimony of the Spirit in the Gospel is that all Believers are the Sons of God But the Testimony of the Spirit in our spirits is that we are Believers and so the Sons of God in particular This Testimony of the Spirit though so fully asserted in Scripture Nay and I will add though so sweetly experimented by the dear Saints of God that they have thought themselves in the very borders of Heaven in respect of it is yet with the Author no better than a dim unintilligible notion and as he speaks a little before a private Enthusiasm But why unintelligible cannot the holy Spirit so illustrate and irradiate the heart that the truth of Grace may appear to the Believer that he may certainly see in his own heart that this is precious Faith and that is love in incorruption and so of other Graces there Or what if it were unintelligible Shall we cast off the Divine Revelation because above our narrow reason What then must become of those Mysteries of the Trinity and hypostatical Union What of that peace of God which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passing or transcending all understanding Phil. 4.7 Surely in such things reason must vail and do homage to Revelations Ephraem Syrus discerning an heretical propensity in his Disciple Paulinus gave him that excellent advice Vide Pauline ne te submittas tuis cogitationibus sed cum te perfecte comprehendisse Deum putaveris crede nec intellexisse We must not commit Divine Mysteries to the measures of Humane Reason but take them as they are in Scripture But this Testimony of the Spirit is but a private Enthusiasm saith the Author To which I answer We are now more afraid of Enthusiasm than they were of old Dyonisius would have the Hierarch to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Eccles Hierarch to be a divine man and a kind of Euthusiast Ignatius in the Epistle to the Romans saith That he wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secundum arbitrium Dei as if he had wrote by impulse and Inspiration And as Dr. Arrowsmith hath it in Suidas and Hesykius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enthusiasm is when the whole soul is irradiated by God And in this sence I wish with him Vtinam essemus omnes Enthusiastae Would we were all Enthusiasts It s true there is not now an Enthusiasm of gifts in an extraordinary way but sure there must be still in the use of the means an Enthusiasm of Graces in Regeneration and an Enthusiasm of comforts in the Testimony of the Spirit or else which is quite contrary to Scripture there must be no new Creatures but what are of Mans own making nor no Divine comforts for them but what are of Mans own gathering The Just need no longer live by Faith or in dependence upon the Divine Spirit but may have his being and well-being his graces and comforts all from himself CHAP. V. Sect. 1. CHrist hath reveiled the whole mind and will of God Mr. Sherlock in such a plain and familiar manner that every one may understand it who will but exercise the same reason in it that he doth to understand the Laws of his Prince Before the Author took away the witnessing Spirit now the illuminating one Answer A Man may according to him understand the things of God by the exercise of his reason Thus Episcopius Men may by meer natural perception without any supernatural superinfused light understand the Will of God After the same manner speak the Socinians The darkness for such are all the unregenerate Men may it seems comprehend the Evangelical light But the Apostle tells us That the natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 That flesh and blood doth not reveil these things but our Father in Heaven Matth. 16.17 Hence the Apostle prays for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation for the Ephesians Ephes 1.17 Hence our Church tells us 2. Hom. of Scripture That the Revelation of the Holy Ghost inspireth the true meaning of Scripture into us In truth we cannot without him attain true saving knowledge According to these Men Mr. Sherlock the love of Christ is a love to the person of a Believer without considering any