Every particular Christian is a Member of Christ therefore Christ is primarily related to every particular Christian And thus the Conclusion will be as far to seek as ever Whether this Metaphor of a Head does primarily referre to the whole Body or particular Members But let us go on Christ is called a Husband says he but then the whole Church not every particular Christian is his Spouse as St. Paul tells the Church of Corinth 2 Cor. 11. 2. I have espoused you to one Husband that I may present you a chaste Virgin to Christ. To which renowned Argument I have many things to oppose 1. If the Church of Corinth was the Spouse of Christ then the Church of Ephesus that of Coloss that at Philippi and to be sure the Church of Rome will put in their claims with equal right to that Title and then what becomes of what he asserts p. 14â—… Christ is a great Enemy to Poligamy and has but one Spouse Is it not great pity a Conceit so ingenious should have its Neck broken at the first Encounter And 2. If Christ hath but one Spouse and yet every particular Church be his Spouse it s but crumbling the Metaphor into more minute particles and then he may be a Husband to every individual Believer 3. The Text proves not that Christ has but one Spouse but that the Church hath but one Husband I have espoused you to one Husband 4. Though the Metaphor may perhaps more fitly express Christs Relation to particular Churches than particular Believers yet this hinders not but that Christ may be primarily related to particular Believers For the Metaphor does not express the Order of Christs Relation but the Relation it self The word Church is onely a Term of Art which expresses the same Persons collectively who distributively taken are each immediately related to Christ. Again Christ says he is a Shepheard and the Christian Church is his Flock for the Relation between Shepheard and Sheep doth primarily concern the whole Flock This is but one Doctors opinion at most and will hardly mount it up to the Credit of Probability For 1. A Shepheard may be related to one single Sheep and that one is enough to keep alive and maintain the Relation one Sheep will denominate him a Shepheard though there must be more than one to constitute a Flock As there was a first Man related to God as a Creature to his Creator before there was A Church so there was a first Disciple a first Believer or Convert and that one under the Pastoral Charge and care of Christ the great Shepheard ipso facto as a sincere Convert and sound Believer and yet that Individual would not make a Society under Bishops or Pastors 2. A Flock is made up of many Sheep now that which constitutes is at least in order of Nature before the thing constituted The whole is made up of parts and I have been taught to presume that the parts are in order of Nature before the whole A Shepheard does not muster a company of howling Wolves and roaring Lyons and then by that Collection make them a Flock of Sheep but he gathers particular Sheep together unites them into one Fold and thereby they become a Flock The way of Christ is not to amass a Medley of debauched Varlets and Scoundrels and by making them a Church make them Christians but he seeks out for his own Service particular Christians and out of these Materials he forms his Church Again Christ says he is the Rock upon which his Church is built and the Christian Church is a Holy Temple Let him take it â—…or granted if it will do him any service but is this Rock this Foundation this Corner-stone related primarily to the Building or to the particular Stones The Apostle Peter who was a wise Master-builder in Church-work understood the Method much better 1 Pet. 2. 5. To whom coming as to a Living Stone ye also as lively Stones are built up a spiritual House Hence ordinary understandings would conclude that the building did not make the materials but the materials made the building the Spiritual House did not make the Lively Stones but the Lively Stones made the Spiritual House Such Language the Apostle durst use these lively Stones were first united to the living Corner-stone and the product of all was a beautifull Fabrick And thus was Solomon's Temple built the materials were exactly fitted and squared for their respective uses and places and there was nothing to doe but to joyn them together and out of those after seven years Labour there grew up a Holy Temple Had He built of Bricks the Edifice would never have converted them into hewen Stones and had he used onely Sycamores they had never been turned into Cedars by being Sleepers in the wall I must therefore abate him an Ace or two of his general Conclusion All these Metaphors in their first and most proper use referre to the whole Society of Christians In Isa. 9. 6. Christ is called the Everlasting Father which Metaphor if it be a Metaphor does primarily express the Relation of Christ to every adopted child and not the Relation of Christ to Children in gross and in the Lump A Father is as really so to one child as to Twenty he may be a Father to more but not more a Father It will sound harshly in the Ears of any that have not lost them under the Cataracts of Nilus to say That Father does not primarily describe the Relation of Philip v. g. to Alexander Iohn c. but to children in the first place and then at second hand and through a remove or two to Alexander and Iohn Thus is the Everlasting Father primarily related to every childe by virtue of his Adoption and Regeneration and secondarily to them all as brethren related to one another living under the same Discipline and Laws of the Family 2 He observes further to us for our Learning That the Union of particular Christians to Christ is by Means of their Union to the Christian Church Which he as Learnedly proves from 1 Cor. 12. 27. Ye are the Body of Christ and Members in Particular Where the strength of this Argument lies I confess I see not That the Church of Corinth was the Body of Christ That I plainly see That every particular Member of that Church was a Member of Christ I think I see that too But that it was therefore a Member of Christ because it was United to that Body of the Church of Corinth I own my Dulness that I cannot see And I have some scruples that makes me Halt and not so Nimbly go on both Feet into our Authors Opinion For 1. If particular Christians by being United to the Body become the Members of Christ then what Medium of Union have these particular Churches to Unite them to Christ We poor Folks of the Laity have an Expedient found out to Unite us to Christ namely by Uniting us to the Church under the
findeth his own Brother Simon and saith unto him we have found the Messiah which is being Interpreted the Christ. A Person then there was who under the Title of Christ was alwayes laid before the Faith and Expectancies of the People of God And of so great Concernment was this Name that Peter joyns it with the Son of God Matth. 16. 15. Whom do ye say that I am Simon Peter answered in the Name of the rest Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God I shall not urge the Testimony of the Devils Luke 5. 41. Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God For he is a Lyar from the Beginning and would not have owned the Truth but to Disparage it by his Testimony yet it s somewhat sad there should be greater Heresies on Earth than in Hell Nor shall I insist upon that of the Souldiers who took it for granted that he was commonly Distinguisht by the Name Christ Mat. 16. 68. Prophesie unto us thou Christ who it is that smote thee But Christs own Testimony must pass Matth. 23. 8. 10. Be not ye called Rabbi for one is your Master even Christ and all ye are Brethren neither be ye called Master for one is your Master even Christ. A huge Bussle there has been about this place and our Authors Evidence had it been Subpoened in would have struck the Business dead One is your Master even an Office And now will you hear a Facetious and Merry Reason why He is alwayes called Iesus in the Gospels which contain the History of his Life and Death p. 8. Because forsooth all this time it was Disputed whether He were the Christ or not Great Disputes indeed the Devil has raised about the Lord Jesus some will dare to Dispute it whether He be very God or not others whether He be the Christ of God or not And not a few whether he offered himself a Propitiatory Sacrifice upon the Cross to an offended God for sin so that if Christ must never be owned till all Disputes be ended we must Prorogue his Naming till the coming of Elias The World was then as 't is now which would alwayes be Disputing things in themselves Indisputable Disputed then his Name was before his Resurrection and so has been ever since by Infidels and by those who Believed neither Disputed before nor after I have heard of a great Dispute of late amongst Persons of great Learning about the Reason of an Appearance in Philosophy when one of the Company wiser it seems than his Neighbours gravely Counselled them to Examine more Narrowly whether indeed the Thing were so in Fact or no before they did beat their Brains about giving a Reason why it should be so His Advice was hearkned to and upon severe Scrutiny they had been Arguing about a Non-entity Thus it had become our Authors Excellencie to have shewn that it is before he came to flie so high at the Why it is But it seems the Matter was not weighty whether he were the Christ or not it being determined by our Authors own Licenser that whatever is Disputable is inconsiderable Thirdly Christ signifies the Gospel and Religion of Christ As Moses signifies the Writings and Law of Moses and the Prophets the Writings of the Prophets Hold good Sir Create your self no further Trouble we will grant you more than you con Prove even as much as you Demand that we may purchase our Peace And that in Common Speech Christ may signifie his Laws by much stronger Reasons than Moses can signifie his Laws For Moses was but a Servant in His Masters House but Christ a Son in and over his own House Christ was the Law Maker Moses only an Instrument for their Promulgation and Execution But then it must be Remembred withal 1. That the Name Moses signifies Originally Properly and Primarily the Person of Moses the very Man Moses and only Obliquely Secondarily Figuratively or as your great Friend Vol. has it Analogico Figuratoque dicendi genere the Doctrine Writings Laws of Moses 2. That when we meet with a word that has a Proper and an Improper a First and a Second a Plain and a Tropical signification we always let that Proper Plain and Primary signification take the Wall and have the Upper hand of the Improper Tropical and Second-hand sence all ways provided that no Cogent Inexorable Reason taken from the Circumstances of the Place do Oblige to the Contrary 3. We must well understand what our Author Claims and what we Grant That it's usual nothing more usual in Common Speech than to call any Laws or Religion by the Name of the first Authors In Common Speech then this holds for if he will lay the Weight or Stress of any Disputable Point upon it that the word is so used in Scripture we must beg his Pardon and desire him to hold us Excused unless he can Prove it by Convincing Arguments and we lay down this Protestation before-hand that we shall not take High mounted Confidence nor Imperious Dictates nor Hungry jejune Glosses for Apodictick in the Case The rather because we are ascertained that the Name Christ does Properly Primarily Frequently nay Generally express a Person in Office and if our Author will needs have it signifie or Office or Church or Gospel or any Living thing else in all the Worldâ—… merely to evade the force of Truth or to hedge in any Whimsical Notions of his own he shall get his Ground by Inches and force his Way through the main Rocks for we shall part with nothing that we can Fairly and Honestly keep But we attend his Evidence Gal. 6. 15. In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a new Creature That is in the Gospel and Religion of Christ nothing is of any Value to Recommend as to the favour of God but a new Nature a Holy and vertuous Life p. 9. To which Gloss I oppose two small Incoveniencies First The Uncertainty Secondly The Apparent falshood of it First If there were nothing else to Disparage it its Uncertainty is enough for its merely Precarious that Christ must signifie so here If any has the Confidence to deny it though never so faintly the Cause is utterly blown up our Negative upon him puts him to Eternal silence When our Author is hard beset at any time he has one Answer ready Cut and Dried which serves for every Text in the Scripture as pag. 261. It is a sufficient Answer to this to say they need not signifie so If that will suffice him which others must be glad to be sufficed with he 's Answer'd But why not the Common Gloss In the Account of Jesus Christ Circumcision nor Uncircumcision avail nothing but c. And the strongest Probabilities lie on this side First The foregoing words whereof this Verse is rendred as a Reason do unquestionably speak of a Person ver 14. The Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. And now comes in this Verse as a Reason or
brought forth Fruit in patience Our Author should have considered this a little better Why so he has Without me ye can do nothing that is Without such a sincere and hearty belief of my Gospel Well but we were told that by Me was meant the Church And we took it for granted that if we met with it in the Ablative case it ought to signifie the Church And must it now signifie the Doctrine How often has the Wind turned in half an hour Oh! but you are to understand that then it was in the 4th ver Abide in me But this is in the 5th verse Without me And so the Rule will be this That whensoever you find it in the Ablative case in the 4th verse of any Chapter then it signifies the Church but if it fall out to be the Ablative case and the 5th verse then believe it you shall do well to Interpret it by Gospel or Doctrine But still here 's an odd Scruple behind For what will become of ver 4 Abide in Me and and I in you As the Branch cannot bear Fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in Me. Now our Authors Gloss is this abide in Me continue in the Church and I in you let my Doctrine continue in you And then the following words must be thus Paraphrased As the Branch cannot bear Fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in the Church Which spoken of a particular Church is utterly false and there 's no help left but only this standing Rule That Me in the beginning of a verse signifies a Church but in the latter end of a verse it always signifies a Doctrine And then the 5th verse too will be as plain as a Pike-staff He that abideth in me that is in the Church and I in him that is the Doctrine in him the same bringeth forth much Fruit for without me that is without a sincere and hearty belief of my Doctrine or to disguise it a little say Gospel it 's impossible you should do any thing that is good And surely never was a small piece of Armour better placed nor to better purpose by the Wit of Man I have done with his Interpretation but that I cannot forbear to give the Reader the Summe of what he has said That Church which owns my Doctrine is the true Vine and all you who make a publick profession of Faitâ—…o in me i. e. of a belief of my Gospel and live in Communion with one another are the Branches of this Vine and whoever of you continue stedfast in this Profession and Communion and do not only make a visible profession of Faith in me but suffer my Doctrine and Precepts to dwell and abide in you too to Govern your Wills and Affections and direct your Conversations in the World all such of you will be very Fruitful in good Works And it 's very likely to be true for it would be a great wonder if they whose Wills and Affections and Conversations are Govern'd by the Word of Christ should do nothing that 's good because most things in the World are what they are excepting only Christs Person which shall signifie Many Divers Contrary Things and in short any Thing besides Himself 2. His Interpretation being so Arbitrary Precarious Self-Inconsistent and Ridiculously false I need not much trouble my self with his Reasons nor should I but that they also discover its â—…ness Reason 1. The Iewish Church is frequently in the Old Testament called a Vine Isa. 5. 1. I will sing to my Beloved a Song concerning his Vineyard My Beloved had a Vineyard Iudge between me and my Vineyard And now he must be very blind that does not see the Church is compared to a Vine though some will be so Peevish as to fancy some small difference between a Vine and a Vineyard But yet it is called a Vine Jer. 2. 21. Very true Ergo What Why therefore Christ is not compared to a Vine in the New Testament And therefore it must signifie Doctrine Gospel Religion and Twenty things more But 1. Tell me seriously Did God or any of the Prophets ever say I am the Vine and then teach the Iews to discant thus upon it That is The Church which is founded on the belief of Moses his Doctrine is the only true Church When the Prophet will describe the Church by a Vine he tells you expresly what he intends and there 's an end of all Controversie And so would our Saviour if ever he intended to be understood till a happy Head should after Sixteen Hundred Years light upon the Mystery Ay but the Christian Church is expresly called an Olive Tree and the Members of it called Branches Rom. 11. 17 18. Expresly And must we then split against that Rock and Interpret the place by the express the sound of words Two things let him consider at his Leisure 1. Whether it be the Christian Church that is there compared to the Olive-Tree 2. Whether it be said that Christ is the Olive-Tree Which expression if he can produce and then make it out that I am the Olive-Tree signifies the Church is so we will then freely confess he has bidden fair towards a probability for the truth of his Interpretation 2. Because God is called the Husbandman who takes care to Dress this Vine which cannot be understood of Christ but of the Church This Reason seems to carry some civility towards Jesus Christ and therefore deserves a fairer Treatment than the strength of it can challenge Let this suffice The Father is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Husbandmand in respect of the Branches of the Vine ver 2. Every branch that beareth Fruit he purgeth that it may bring forth more Fruit and every branch that beareth not Fruit he taketh away 3. Christ speaks of such branches in him as bear no fruit Now there can be no such branches in the Person of Christ for our very Union to Him will make us Fruitful Ans. Many things are said to be which only seem to be There 's nothing more ordinary than for appearances to wear the Livery of Realityes Hypocrites are said to be in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who are not so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 8. 15 16. Simon Magus is said to believe who yet was in the Gall of Bitterness and in the bond of Iniquity Rotten Dead Branches may have a visible station in the Vine and yet derive no nourishment from the Vine and visible Professors may be said to be in Christ in a judgment of Charity which thinks no evil where none appears and hopeth all things where there is ground of hope Our Saviour prescribes a Rule how we must judge who have no direct Cognizance of the heart when he himself takes other Measures of Men and needeth not that any should testifie of Man for he knows what is in Man 4. To confirm all this and
he was pleas'd to institute a great many Ceremonies and many of them of very obscure Signification iâ—… the Iewish Worship to aw their Childish Minds into a greater Veneration of his Majesty Now let the Reader substract A many out of A great many and the Remainder will inform him just How many of God's Institutions had Any light in them Had this Divinity faln into some mens fingers they would perhaps have made desperate work with it For 1. Some might say Nay then if God's own Ceremonies were invented to aw Childish Minds we can never hope for better from Humane Ceremonies but that they should fright the Churches Children out of their wits 2. Others would censure it as guilty of horrid Prophaneness to assign such a Reason for God's sacred Institutions as must imply That he was forced to go subtly to work with his people and to use the Artifice of Mormo's and Scarce-crows to fright them into Reverence as women terrifie their children with Robin with the Raw-head and Bloody-bones And 3. Some would not stick to say That surely some prying pate or other would have discovered the design and then instead of conciliating more Reverence it would certainly have exposed his Ordinances if not the Author of them to contempt But they who had seen Mount Sinai all on flame and smoak they who had heard the sound of that dreadful Trumpet who felt the Earth-quake without and a greater Heart-quake within at the presence of the Almighty God were convinced that God needed not to have recourse to those little slights of Ceremonies to aw their Childish Minds into a Veneration of his Majesty 4. Others expect when our Author should make God himself a Ceremony contrived to manage this bulky and unruly World with more ease For some it seems have got it by the the end that Primus in Orbe Deos fecit Timor 5. But all agree in this That this Doctrine argues our Authors gross ignorance in the true end of those Ceremonies All which had a fair and clear Prospect towards a Redeemer Col. 2. 17. They were a shadow of good things to come but the body was of Christ. But men may speak their pleasure our Author has determined against them That God's Institutions were to fright Children But now says he in these last days God sent his Son to make a plain easie and perfect Revelation of his Will to publish such a Religion as may approve it self to our Reason Well! whatever we have gained I am sure Religion has got no great mattâ—…r by the Bargain For then their Reason was to crowch to God's Religion though in an obscure Ceremony but now poor Religion must stoop to Reason must appear before the Tribunal of Reason and if it does not acquit it self well and give a Rational and Satisfactory account of its Tendries it must be bored through the Tongue with a red-â—…ot Iron for an Heretick And which is the worst on 't this Reason holds its Consistory in our Authors brain so that if he be but 〈◊〉 with a Rheumatism the droppings of his Nose must be imposed upon us for Twice distilled Reason Nor yet can I perceive wherein Religion does more approve it self to our Reason than formerly to theirs For 1. As to the Moral part of Religion that was as agreeable to Natural Light then as ' â—…is now Murder Adultery Stealing were equally condemned by the Sentiments of all Mankind in all Ages 2. For the Ceremonial part which depends upon the mere Authority and Sovereign pleasure of the Legislator they had as good Reason for their obedience as we can claim for ours There was as fair Reason pleadable for Circumcision as for Baptism for the Passover as the Supper the first Reason from which all instituted Worship springs being the Will and the last Reason into which all is resolved being the Glory of the Supreme Law-giver 3. The Perfection of Christ's Revelation above that of God to the Iews lies not in giving us a new Moral Law or adding any thing to it but in exhibiting Himself as the Substance of their Ceremonial Law who was revealed though less clearly revealed to them in Types and Figures And now Dr. Owen shall have a short truce and respite from Persecution whilst the storm falls upon Dr. Iacomb Some cavilling spirits have made a Qâ—…estion How the Air and Earth could afford sufficient Matter for Rain to make an Universal Deluge But I more wonder whence our Author could furnish himself with such a vast stock of sâ—…olding Materials and Utensils as might maintain such a constant Tenor of Fury and Rage against these men What Cistern or Receptacle is able to hold such a body of Rancor as may feed that stream which perpetually turns his Mill Some thought surely these Doctors had a great hand in burning the City or have rob'd the Temple at Delphos or however that of Tholouse But I relieved my self against that Suspicion by a seasonable Consideration That it 's not the custom to hear ill but for doing well And therefore my thoughts began to reel to the other side Whether possibly they had not club'd together to build or endow some Hospital or Colledg or had bought in all the Impropriations and laid them to the Church because it must be some glorious Work that could purchase our Author's Indignation and at no lower rates could they entitle themselves to his severe displeasure At last with much beating about I found that they had both zealously and strongly engaged against the Socinians for the Doctrine of the Church of England and then no Penance shall ever expiate their Guilt or procure an Indulgence for such Delinquenâ—…y But then the Difficulty recurred upon me Why he should slip his Hold of the one and fasten upon the other Yet I considered that Nature is much delighted with Variety And I have heard some that pretend to know something in those matters say That it 's not Policy to fight long with one Enemy for in a while they will understand our manner of fighting and become as good at our Weapon as our selves But now attend When we enquire says he what this Union between Christ and Believers is They answer It 's a Mystical Union through the Spirit and Faith And truly they answer pretty well For that it is a Mystical Union they produce the Apostle Paul for their Voucher Ephes. 5. 32. This is a great Mystery but I speak concerning Christ and his Church The Apostle is there discoursing of that intimous Oneness good Sir be not angry that is between the Husband and the Wife That the Wife is the Husbands own self vers 28. He that loveth his wife loveth himself Now covertly the Apostle with one and the same labour will shew us how mystical and intimous that Union is which is between Christ and his Church v. 29. No man ever hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as the Lord the Church For we are members of