A55299:227
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.
After a long discourse touching external communion with the Church;1 ⟨p. 207⟩the Author is now come to own a spiritual union with Christ; and this (saith the Author) the Scripture represents to us; first by the subjection of our minds to Christ, as our King; Christ dwells in our hearts by Faith, Eph. 3. that is, he commands there; But I take that place of the Apostle, to be an eminent proof of the mystical union; it is not said Christ commands, (though that be very true) but he dwells in our hearts, not by a piece of faith, such as accepts Christ as our Lord, but by an entire one, such as receives him in all his offices: We have in those words faith expressed, which is a bond of that mystical union, and where faith is, there is that other bond, the holy Spirit, which flows as rivers of living water in the believers heart; and just before those words of Christs dwelling in our hearts by faith; the Apostle speaks of the holy Spirit in the inner man, Verse 16. which is the principal bond of that mystical Union: And St. Chrysostom on the words saith, that [Greek or Hebrew], By the holy spirit in the inner man Christ doth dwell in our hearts by faith: But (saith the Author) Secondly this is represented in Scripture, by a participation of the same nature, which is the ⟨p. 208⟩necessary effect of the subjection of our minds to Christ. To which I answer, If by that subjection be meant a receiving Christ as our Lord, it is but a part of that faith, which with its Sister Graces make up the new creature; all Graces are found in the new creature, and among others Faith, which receives Christ in all his offices, and among other in his Kingly; but if by that subjection be meant Obedience to his Laws, (which the Author after mentions, calling it a conformity to his nature) the new creature is not the effect of Subjection or Obedience, but the cause of it; true Obedience is too pure a thing, to issue out of an unregenerate heart; before it can come forth;2 Ipsum liberum arbitrium liberandum est: As St. Austin speaks: Lapsed nature must be new-natured, and its deadly wound healed by regenerating Grace. First, according to Scripture there must be a good tree, and then good fruit: