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

God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, ¹made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons: Thus the Apostle, Gal. 4. 4, 5. The Son of God was made of a woman, in his Incarnation, made under the Law; under the rule of it in his active obedience; under the curse of it, in his passive; and the end of all was, that he might redeem us; that we, who were captives under the wrath of God, might be redeemed ones. And further, that we might receive the adoption of sons, that we, who were children of wrath, might be sons of God, and so heirs of eternal life; and that it may be thus indeed, that Christ's being under the Law, his active and passive obedience may procure such a redemption and adoption; such an exemption from wrath, ⟨p. 452⟩and title to heaven for us: His obedience must be applied to us, and become ours, which cannot be but by imputation: But, saith the Author: This, us, is not in the Text, it is not, to redeem us, but to redeem them that were under the Law; that is, the Jews: But was not Christ a Redeemer of the Gentiles also? Or is he not their Redeemer within this Text? Yes, surely, observe the words of the Apostle; To redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. The Apostle alters his phrase, and turns them into, we, which takes in the Galatians into the adoption; and by consequence into the redemption too; and to make it more clear, he alters his phrase again, and turns we into the; in the next verse which hangs upon the former: And because ye are sons, vers. 6. ye Galatians, ye Gentiles are sons; and ye Galatians, ye Gentiles, are redeemed ones within the Text: Otherwise, which is very strange, the Apostle should argue from the Redemption of the Jews only, to the Adoption of the Gentiles: But to go on, Christ, saith the Author, redeemed the Jews from the bondage of the Mosaical Law (that is, I suppose, the ⟨p. 453⟩Ceremonial Law) and introduced a better Covenant, the adoption of sons. To which I answer, Christ did indeed redeem from the bondage of Mosaical Rites and Ceremonies: But is this all the Redemption within the Text? If we stop here, we fall in with the gloss of Socinus; who understands only a freedom, A jugo legis,