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

The stress of this discourse lies upon two or three supposals:¹ One is this, that the very act of Faith is properly, and in it self, our Righteousness, or the matter of our Justification: Another is this, that the whole nature of Faith consists in an assent to Divine Revelation: A third is this, that Abraham had only a Faith of particular Revelations; but no Faith in Christ: Now, not to repeat things over and over, I have before proved, that Faith, as it is an Act, and absolutely in it self considered, is not our Righteousness, or the matter of our Justification; that there is in the nature of Faith, over and above a mere assent, a fiducial recumbency also; and that the Faith of Abraham was not only a Faith of particular promises, but a Faith in the Messiah: These things being before asserted; the answer is very easy; Our Faith in Christ very well answers to the Faith of Abraham: Abraham trusted in Christ, and so do we: These Faiths answer one another, and that much more harmoniously, than if we say, Abraham believed particular ⟨p. 355⟩Promises, and we believe in Christ; for there the Objects are variant: Indeed our Faith, as having more of Evangelical Light in it, is more explicit than Abraham's was; but (this being but a gradual difference) still they are one Faith in substance and, centre in the same Object, in the Messiah. But saith the Author, Abraham and the rest never heard of imputed Righteousness; no, he and Noah believed particular Revelations, and what hath this to do with imputed Righteousness? Doth it follow, because Abraham was justified by such generous acts, that we should be justified by imputed Righteousness? But I must assert, that Abraham and Noah trusted in the Messiah, and so Christ's Righteousness (though, suppose, unknown to them in such a clear manner as it is to us) was imputed to them; And indeed without it, I see not how they should have (which, no doubt, they wanted) remission in Christ's Blood. But (saith the Author) The first notion of Faith in Christ is a firm belief of his Authority; the Christian Faith is described by believing, that Jesus is the Son of God, the very Christ, Joh. 20.31. and 1 Joh. 5.5. that is, that he came from God with full authority to declare his ⟨p. 356⟩