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

The Author is a little various here; for he saith,¹ I signifies Christ together with his Church; but a little after, I, and in me, cannot be meant of his own person: So there it is the Church alone, and not together with Christ, neither doth the Author agree upon the Church: First he speaks of the body of Christ, which is the Church Catholic; and a little after, of the visible Church, which the Church Catholic is not; but that, I, doth not here signify the Church is apparent; The same I runs throughout the whole Chapter; ⟨p. 175⟩I have loved you, vers. 9. I have kept my Fathers Commandments: vers. 10. I have spoken to you: vers. 11. I have heard of my Father: vers. 15. I have chosen you: vers. 16. I came: vers. 22. I did the works: vers. 24. I will send the comforter: vers. 26. In none of these I's is the Church meant, no more is it meant in that first I, when he saith, I am the true Vine; however the Author offers some reasons for it: The first is this, The Church in the old Testament is compared to a Vine: Isaiah 5. Jer. 2. Hosea 10. and so John 15. The Church is the Vine; Christ applies the parable of the Vineyard to the state of the Gospel: Matth. 21.33. And the Christian Church is called an Olive, and the members of it branches. Rom. 11. But I fancy not this arguing: In some places the Vine is the Church, therefore it is so in all; this is the very same with that, which the Author would charge upon his adversaries: pag. 4. Christ sometimes signifies the person of Christ, therefore it must do so always; after the same rate the Author, In some places the Vine is the Church, therefore it is so in all: But in the 15. of John, the context will not bear it; one and the same I, runs through the whole Chapter, and in ⟨p. 176⟩many passages no way suits to the Church: The Vine in this Chapter differs from those quoted out of the Old Testament; in those the Ghurch is the Vine, no mention at all is made of branches; but in this, the branches are set distinct from the Vine, as appears verse 5. I am the Vine, ye are the branches: The Branches and the Vine are distinguished by I and ye; the Church is included in the branches, as the branches taken asunder, signify particular Christians, so put together they import the Church. The second reason is, God is called the Husbandman, but he dresses not Christ, but the Church, which is Gods Husbandry.