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

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. I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste 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; ⟨p. 171⟩and to give every one their due, the Papists are the most generous sort of suitors for Christ, for they persuade them to forsake all other husbands for Christ, which is more honourable and meritorious.

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