A55299:191
An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…
An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ, and our union and communion with him by Edward Polhill ..., Esquire.
London: printed for Ben. Foster, 1675
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
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 Catholic, 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.
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, 1do primarily refer to the Christian Church, not to every individual Christian: Christ is the head, but of his body, which no particular Christian ⟨p. 170⟩is; Christ is an husband, but the whole Church is his Spouse; as St. Paul tells the Church of Corinth, 2 Cor. 11.2