An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

Bernard, who, not seeing all things, never dreamed such things should be ridiculous; he brings in Christ speaking thus;¹ Ego sum vitis, dans botrum dulcissimum cunctis palmitibus; that is, in Mr. Watson, I give the sap of Grace to all believers: Generans vinum, quod laetificat cor hominis; that is, in Mr. Watson, My Blood is the Wine which cheers Man's heart: And a little after, Christus est vitis, in quo est totus humor, id est, omnis plenitudo Spiritùs sancti; The divine Spirit fills, or, as Mr. Watson saith, supports his Humane nature. And now I might bring the same Author for the Rose of Sharon, and other things; but this may suffice to ⟨p. 133⟩show, that Mr. Watson's words may carry a fair Sense before a candid Interpreter: The Author might have made no less pretty sport with those ancient Fathers, those excellent devout Souls, who spiritualize every thing, and reduce every thing to the great Centre of Scripture, Jesus Christ. I shall only add on Mr. Watson's behalf, that he never thought, that Christ, the Manna, should be accommodated to Mens Fancy, nor imagined the Church unplanted by Christ; neither did he dream that his Discourses of Christ's Loveliness should be traduced into carnal Expressions, such as that, Who would not be smitten with such an one? To what the Author adds, as his own imitation of these Men, being no other than the playing of his Fancy with it self, I shall return just nothing, as seeing nothing considerable therein.

Bernard, who, not seeing all things, never dream'd such things should be ridiculous; he brings in Christ speaking thus;¹ Ego sum vitis, dans botrum dulcissimum cunctis palmitibus; that is, in Mr. Watson, I give the sap of Grace to all believers: Generans vinum, quod laetificat cor hominis; that is, in Mr. Watson, My Blood is the Wine which chears Man's heart: And a little after, Christus est vitis, in quo est totus humor, id est, omnis plenitudo Spiritùs sancti; The divine Spirit fills, or, as Mr. Watson saith, supports his Humane nature. And now I might bring the same Author for the Rose of Sharon, and other things; but this may suffice to ⟨p. 133⟩shew, that Mr. Watson's words may carry a fair Sence before a candid Interpreter: The Author might have made no less pretty sport with those ancient Fathers, those excellent devout Souls, who spiritualize every thing, and reduce every thing to the great Center of Scripture, Jesus Christ. I shall only add on Mr. Watson's behalf, that he never thought, that Christ, the Manna, should be accommodated to Mens Fancy, nor imagined the Church unplanted by Christ; neither did he dream that his Discourses of Christ's Loveliness should be traduced into carnal Expressions, such as that, Who would not be smitten with such an one? To what the Author adds, as his own imitation of these Men, being no other than the playing of his Fancy with it self, I shall return just nothing, as seeing nothing considerable therein.