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

But it is for Peace; what! ¹Peace of Conscience? Must we fetch our peace from Duties and Graces? Is not this to renounce Christ? Miserable men! must we set about correcting our ⟨p. 149⟩Lives, amending our Ways, performing Duties, following after Righteousness according to the prescript of the Law? Why this is the course, wherein many continue long with much perplexity, hoping, fearing, tiring themselves in their way: Afterwards they come to the Apostle's Conclusion, By the works of the Law no man is justified; and is this the way to Peace? Is this the way to Communion with God by our own Righteousness? Doth not all our wisdom of walking with God consist in our acquaintance with Christ? God is Light, we darkness; he Life, we dead; he Holiness, we defiled; he Love, we hatred; surely this is no foundation of Agreement or Communion: the foundation then of this Peace is laid and hid in Christ, who is our peace, and the Medium of all Communications between God and us: So that if this Gentleman's (that is, Dr. Owen's) memory had not failed him, he would never have told us, that Holiness is necessary to our peace and Communion with God.

1. 1Mr. Sherlock

All this is but a mistake,¹ for want of distinguishing between the Foundation of our peace with God, and the Sense of it: The Foundation of our peace is not laid in our Works or Legal ⟨p. 150⟩Righteousness, but in the atoning and satisfying blood of Jesus Christ, which speaks peace to all believers:² A notable instance whereof we have in that German John à Berg Father of Joachim, who in all his life was a zealous Papist, standing on his works and legal righteousness, but upon his deathbed cast away those fig-leaves and poor coverings, and reposed himself in the merit and expiation of Christ, as the only foundation of peace: But the sense of this peace is found in a way of holiness, whilst the believer is there; the love of God coming down in the witness of the spirit, and echoing in conscience, makes such a pure serenity in the heart, as outrelishes all things in nature: Now whether there be any inconsistency between the foundation of our peace and the sense of it, I leave to the Reader; these may as well stand together, as Christs atonement and our Obedience.