A55299:249
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.
however it is kindly meant for one, who hath interlaced his Discourse with so many exceptions to very little purpose. But Christ and Believers are not united by a natural Adhesion: No, who ever said so? Doth not the Dr. make the Union and the Bonds of it both spiritual? But the Author apprehends some strange Mystery in the business, which now must be heard.
Dr. Owen tells us, 1That by the Graces of Christ's Person, he doth not mean the glorious Excellencies of his Deity, considered in it self, abstracting from the Office, which for us as God and Man he undertook; nor the outward appearance of his Humane Nature neither, when he conversed here on earth, nor yet now as exalted in Glory; but the Graces of Christ's Person, as he is vested with the Office of Mediation; ⟨p. 232⟩his spiritual Eminency, Comeliness, Beauty, as anointed and appointed by the Father, unto that great work of bringing home all his Elect into his bosom: Now, unless the Person of Christ as Mediator be distinct from his Person as God-man, all this is idle talk; for what personal Graces are there in Christ as Mediator, which do not belong to him either as God or Man? The peculiar Duties of that Office of Mediator are not personal Graces; his Personal Graces fitted him for his Office, but he hath no Personal Graces, as Mediator, which he hath not either as God or Man. The Dr. tells us, That Christ is white in his Deity, and ruddy in his Humanity; but these belong to his Divine and Humane Nature, and that without regard to his Mediatory Office. Again the Dr. tells us, That Christ is excellent in his Deity, and desirable in his Humanity: This looks like a contradiction to what he said before, but he hath a Salvo, which delivers him both from contradiction and from sense, that he doth not consider these Excellencies of his Deity or Humanity as abstracted from his Office of Mediator, though he might if he pleased; for these Excellencies would have belonged to him as God and Man, ⟨p. 233⟩