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

To design a Church, and not who, is too weak a thing for the all-wise Deity. Again, the design of a Church must undertake, that those individual persons shall believe and persevere; unless this be granted, the design of a Church must be framed thus: God gives a Saviour and a Gospel in common, and over and above a power to men to believe and persevere; and so, though the issue hang upon mans will, hopes for a Church: But in Truth, this is not ⟨p. 589⟩to design a Church; but the possibility of one; there may be one, as it may happen, and there may be none: And is this like that Divine Providence, which is perfect in all things, and especially in the great design of a Church? Nay, is it probable upon these terms, that any should believe and persevere! Innocent Adam (and yet alas! how soon was that Star shot?) was more likely to stand in his integrity, than any man since upon those terms hath been to believe and persevere: The disparity clears it. The Divine principles in Adam sweetly inclined him to obedience: But the power of believing in men doth not incline, but only put the will in aequilibrio. The Divine Principles in Adam, were pure and without mixture: But the power of believing hath in the same heart, where it dwells, an inmate of corruption, which continually counter-works it. In innocency the temptation stood without a courting the senses: But after the Fall it makes nearer approaches, as having a party within ready to open and betray every faculty. These things considered, methinks every one, who with humble eyes looks on that glass of Creature ⟨p. 590⟩defectibility, which was made out of the broken pieces of fallen Adam, should conclude it very improbable, that any one in all the World upon those terms should believe and persevere; it being no less than a proud thought for any to imagine, that upon such great disparities he could act his part better than Adam did: And is it reasonable, that God should found the design of a Church upon such improbabilities? The first Covenant, in which the stock of Grace was in mans own hand, and the stress of all lay upon his will, miscarried and brought forth no happiness to man; and can we imagine, that the All-wise God, who made the second Covenant as a secunda tabulae to repair the ruins of the first, should frame it in that very same way in which the first miscarried?

To design a Church, and not who, is too weak a thing for the all-wise Deity. Again, the design of a Church must undertake, that those individual persons shall believe and persevere; unless this be granted, the design of a Church must be framed thus: God gives a Saviour and a Gospel in common, and over and above a power to men to believe and persevere; and so, though the issue hang upon mans will, hopes for a Church: But in Truth, this is not