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

there never was any Law, that the personal virtues, and qualities, and perfections of the Husband should be settled on his Wife for a jointure; though the Husband be never so fair, wise, virtuous, his Wife may be ugly, a fool, or an harlot; for personal excellencies pass not out of the person, nor can be made ever to any ⟨p. 401⟩other, as Money and Lands are: By our Marriage to Christ; his personal excellencies cannot be ours, though his person were. In Marriages there are private contracts; and the truth is, Christ hath not made such an absolute settlement of himself upon us, as these men dream he hath: for the Gospel contains the Articles of this Marriage; and there we must learn to what purposes, and upon what conditions Christ gives himself to us, and must challenge no more from Christ by virtue of our Marriage to him, than what the Gospel, the Marriage Covenant promises; and we find nothing there of his personal Righteousness to be made ours: And for what they tell us, That a woman under covert is not liable to an arrest at Law; but all must fall upon her Husband: It is true as to matters of debt, but does not extend to crimes; if a woman kill or rob, her being under covert secures her not from the Gallows: How secure soever any man may fancy himself of his Marriage to Christ: I would n•t advise him to venture too much upon it; for if he be guilty of any gross wilful sin, there is some danger, that the Law or Gospel may condemn him, unless he timely repent, and reform: When the Scriptures calls Christ our Husband, and the ⟨p. 402⟩Church his Spouse; it means no more but that Christ is our Head and Governor, who rules his Church with as great kindness, tenderness, and compassion, as an Husband exerciseth towards his Wife; and that we are to pay the same Love, Duty, and Obedience to Christ, that Wives owe to their Husbands: And here we must have done with the Metaphor, unless we will turn Religion into a Romance.

there never was any Law, that the personal virtues, and qualities, and perfections of the Husband should be settled on his Wife for a joynture; though the Husband be never so fair, wise, virtuous, his Wife may be ugly, a fool, or an harlot; for personal excellencies pass not out of the person, nor can be made ever to any ⟨p. 401⟩