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

The Socinians, ¹who deny the Satisfaction of Christ, have some reason (according to their corrupt Principles) to jumble all the Offices of Christ together, that the oriency of his Priestly Sacrifice might not appear; yet are they castigated for it by Calovius, and others; and Arnoldus calls the Racovian Catechist, Hostis crucis Christi, upon that account: But why our Author, who owns the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ, should confound them, I know not; I conceive the Offices of Christ are distinct, though he, who had them all, performed them in such a just Decorum, as became him, who had all of them in himself: Though he triumphed upon the Cross: and what he preached was a Law; yet Teaching is not ⟨p. 9⟩Reigning, nor is either Sacrificing: In his Prophetical Office, Salvation was explicated: in his Priestly, purchased; in his Kingly, applied: The first removes Ignorance, the second expiates Guilt, and the Third subdues Corruption. In the Authors description of these Offices, the Reader may make some Observations: In that of the Prophetical Office, he mentions his outward preaching, but passes over in silence that internal illumination of the Spirit, which to me is the life of the other, without which no man can spiritually discern the things of God. Hence Reverend Bishop Reynolds, speaking of the Opinion of Episcopius, that an unregenerate man may understand such things, sine lumine supernaturali, is bold to censure the same as wicked words; In that of the Priestly, he tells us; That Intercession is the Power of a Regal Priest to expiate and forgive sins: I take it, Christ on Earth had power to forgive sins, and did expiate them by his once offered Sacrifice on the Cross. But may we call it Intercession? Or, is Intercession here below? I ever took it to be above, and to be Christ's Appearance in Heaven for us, and his presenting his meritorious Sacrifice to his Father ⟨p. 10⟩in our behalf. When the Racovian Catechism describes his Intercession by his Power to avert Wrath, Arnoldus censures it thus, Quis unquàm tam inepta, stolida, insulsa super claros Scripturae textus glossemata vel somniare posset? Interpellare Christi in coelis nihil aliud esse quam potestatem? Quae rei vel verborum saltem cognatio? In that of the Kingly, he saith, That he conquers the minds of men by the Power of his Word and Spirit, and reduces them into Subjection;