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

These Metaphors refer to the whole Church or body of Christ very well;¹ 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 chaste 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 fantastical wit of the late Exhorter, must spoil together: But if a particular Christian may be espoused to Christ, why should Ministers who are Suitors 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 ⟨p. 172⟩devout Soul is Gods Temple, an enlightened 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 Catholic Church, the whole body of Christ, which is made up only of Believers and Saints; being as Ignatius calls it, [Greek or Hebrew],² 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 Catholic 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, ⟨p. 173⟩and never an one of them so united: Besides, the Church Catholic 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;