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

And whence had they this Learning? they heard him, and were taught by or in him; not from the personal Preaching of Christ in the flesh, but in and by his Ministers and holy Spirit: I add, his holy Spirit, because the Gospel alone cannot do it; which made St. Austin say,¹ Cùm Evangelium praedicatur, quidam credunt, quidam non credunt; sed qui credunt, praedicatore forinsecùs sonante, intùs à Patre audiunt atque discunt; qui autem non credunt, foris audiunt, intùs non audiunt, neque discunt: that such is the Learning meant here, appears from the after words, As the truth is in Jesus; Truth is in the Gospel ⟨p. 17⟩notionally, but in Christ practically; all Graces being exemplified in him, and the true learners are conformed to his Image, and, as the Apostle hath it in the next Verses, they put off the old man and put on the new, and so are assimilated to his Death and Resurrection.

1. 1De Praed. Sanct. cap. 8.

It is acknowledged by all, ¹that Christ sometimes signifies the Church, which is his Body: Thus we must understand those Phrases, of being in Christ, engrafted into Christ, and united to Christ.

1. 1Mr. Sherlock.

It is acknowledged by all, ¹that Christ sometimes signifies the Church; how then can he charge those whom he opposes, that where-ever they meet with the word Christ in Scripture, they always understand by it the Person of Christ, pag. 4? As for the Phrases, of being in Christ, &c. I shall reserve them till I come to the Mystical Union. To what the Author infers from the various significations of the Name Christ, That such mistakes have been occasioned thereby, that some are very zealous to advance Christ's Person to the prejudice and reproach of his Religion, I shall only say, It is not so.