purpose and that the want of such a life made those Sacrifices abominable to God But it may be questioned whether Mr. T. S. supposed the man who prayed often to be of a blameless innocent honest smooth life yet if he had made that supposition his answer may be good and pertinent for if a man's life be blameless c. if it be not so with relation to God and Men and in every thing his Prayers may avail nothing Plea But I fast sometimes Ans So did the Scribes and Pharisees twice a week Reply It was to devour Widows houses which was not the fast of an honest innocent man It is then granted that a very gross Hypocrite may fast sometimes which is enough to justifie Mr. T. Sh. But where did Mr. Sh. learn that the Scribes and Pharisees did fast twice a week to devour widows houses or that on those fasting dayes they made longer Prayers than other men Yea how doth he prove that the Pharisees devoured widows houses In Mark and Luke this is charged only on the Scribes And though it be charged on the Pharisees Matth. 23.14 yet there is some question made by learned men whether that Verse be not thrust into Matthew Mr. Sh. shall do well to correct Grotius and Brugensis to assert the Authentity of those Greek Copies which our Translators follow and then he may with more confidence say the Pharisees made long Prayers to devour widows houses yet if he will say so before he hath taken such pains I will not reprove him for I am no advocate of Pharisees Plea I hear the Word of God and like the best Preachers Ans So did the stony Ground who heard the Word with joy and for a season believed Mr. Sh 's reply to this is wonderfully delivered in these words This had been well and a good sign of grace if it had continued That is the disposition which was in the hearers compared to the stony ground was a good sign of Grace whil'st it continued but by not continuing it became no sign of Grace Before the scorching Sun came the stony ground was good ground as well as sowed with good seed What is the result of this why Vltima semper Expectanda dies homini est sanctúsque vocari Ante obitum nemo supremáque funera debet Suppose a man doubting of his condition should come to Mr. Sh. and tell him that he rejoyceth in the Word and believeth he will answer this is a good sign of grace if it continue but how shall I know whether it will continue that will appear when tribulation or persecution comes because of the Word of the Kingdom till then hope the best How well this will satisfie a man that is concerned for his Soul we may easily guess none of the Non-conformists whom he so much scorns would have sent away a doubting Christian with so unsatisfactory an answer they can easily out of God's Word lay down Characters by which the joy and faith of an Hypocrite may be discerned before the Hypocrite quite falls from either Plea I read the Scripture often Ans So did the Pharisees who were so perfect in the Bible that Christ needed but to say It hath been said of old times for they knew the Text without intimation If these be Mr. T. S's words which having not the book by me I cannot examine he much mistook himself for as it may be questioned whether Christ ever said it hath been said of old times so it is certain that that form of speech which he used however to be rendred was spoken not to the Scribes and Pharisees but to his own Disciples whom we must account generally good But the Divinity is good he who reads the Scripture often may be an Hypocrite what is it that Mr. Sh. objects or adverteth First he scoffingly saith Men of prodigious Memories certainly better than any Concordance Doth he indeed think that they must be men of prodigious Memories that can tell the Text without intimation if so the Jewish Nation abounded with many prodigies for that there were many in it who if they had been at hand were better than any Concordance for the Hebrew Text I suppose he doth not doubt His answer is still behind Though Knaves may read the Scriptures and be never the better for it yet good men may read it to good purpose and therefore I hope reading the Scripture is no argument that a man is a Hypocrite because the Pharisees were This hope is such as he need not be ashamed of but he shall do well to take shame to himself for endeavouring to put a man famed for Piety into a Fools Coat to see whether he can make people laugh at him O! that he would before it be too late commune with his own heart and search the Scriptures to see whether this Drollery becomes a Preacher Plea I am grieved and sorrowful and repent of my sins Ans So did Judas What saith Mr. Sh. to the case of Judas why that he hanged himself and that indeed was no repentance unto life Indeed the repentance of Judas was no repentance unto life nor did Mr. T. S. say it was but brought it as an instance of a repentance not unto life And I wish all pretending to be the Sons of the Church would well consider what the Homily saith of Judas his repentance 2d part of the Sermon of Repentance It might perhaps move some of them to alter their apprehensions about the Nature of Repentance and not take up with such a Repentance as is so far short of what Judas did In the mean time I am glad to find Mr. Sh. acknowledging that Judas hanged himself because the immortal Hugh Groot goes quite another way as also do Heinsius De Dieu Dr. Lightfoot it seems this Rector is not alway out of conceit with that Translation he reads to the People I wish by minding him that late Criticks deny Judas to have hanged himself I have not laid a stone of offence in his way Plea But I love good men and their company An. So did the foolish Virgins What jest hath Mr. Sh. to break upon this for he is not in the mood of giving serious replies why this The foolish Virgins slept and suffered their Lamps to go out which I hope all that love good men do not If he hope there are any good men who do not sleep he hopes there be some wiser than any of the five wise Virgins as for not letting their Lamps go quite out Mr. Th. S. will allow him not only to hope it of some good men but also to affirm it of every good man Plea God hath given me much knowledge Ans That thou mayest have and never be saved Mr. Sh. denyes not this but adds If a blameless honest man have the keeping of this knowledge it is never the worse for him which if you mark it well is an huge Commendation of good knowledge that a man is not the worse
Speculum Sherlockianum OR A LOOKING-GLASS In which the ADMIRERS of Mr. Sherlock may behold the Man as to his Accuracy Judgement Orthodoxy By an Obedient Son of the Church of ENGLAND LONDON Printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Three Crowns and Bible at the lower end of Cheap-side near Mercers-Chappell M.DC.LXXIV SIR YOu are pleased in your Letter March 24th to counsel me to buy the Book called A Discourse concerning the Knowledge of Jesus Christ not questioning but by reading of it I shall be brought to abate of the esteem I have sometime expressed of those Divines who are therein refuted Your counsel to buy the Book came somewhat too late I had bought it sundry weeks before tempted so to do by its promising title and flattering my self into a perswasion that what was written by Mr. W. S. and Licensed by Dr. S. P. must needs contain in it somewhat extraordinary In this perswasion I was somewhat confirmed because I found the Author in the Preface averring that he had composed his Book not without imploring the guidance and direction of God But having perused only his first Chapter consisting of 13 pages I found in them so much weakness contradiction and calumny that I wish'd I had the Money I gave for the Book in my Pocket again Pag. 3. He saith The Gospel of Christ is as severe a dispensation as the Law which dooms all men to eternal misery who live not very innocent and virtuous lives but the Person of Christ is all Grace a meer refuge for the wicked and ungodly If these words express his own mind then have those who ordained him reason to wish they had laid their hands upon a thorn bush rather than imposed them on his head If they are intended to represent the opinion of others whom he takes upon him to refute or rather to deride then must I needs for the present look upon them as a calumny being very confident that no one of them hath either Preached or Printed such things from which such desperate absurd opinions can be inferred Pag. 4. Some men wherever they meet with the word Christ in Scripture alwayes understand by it the Person of Christ I have heard of some that wherever they heard their Minister read the word Jesus in the New Testament thought they were to understand by it the Redeemer of Mankind and therefore have devoutly bowed their Knees at the Name Jesus when it signifyed Joshua or him that was called Justus but of any men who thought that the word Christ was alwayes in the New Testament to be understood of the Person of Christ did I never till I read this Author here and I believe he himself doth not think there are any such if he do why then doth he say pag. 11. that it is acknowledged by all that Christ sometimes signifyes the Church of Christ Let us frame a Syllogism If it be acknowledged by all that the word Christ doth sometimes signifie the Church then are there none who wherever they meet with the word Christ in Scripture do alwayes understand it of the Person of Christ. But it is acknowledged by all c. Ergo If you can answer this Syllogism so as not to make your friend either to contradict himself or calumniate others then shall I confess my self to be what you imagine somewhat Melancholly and to need a diversion Ibid. Christ is originally the name of an Office which the Jews call the Messias or one anointed by God That a concrete or connotative term should be originally the name of an Office seems to me very strange and uncouth All terms that are denominative signifie two things that which is denominated and the form from which it is denominated so must the word Christ needs signifie and I despair of being referred to any place of Scripture where it signifies an Office and not also the Person invested with the Office But to say that the Jews call an Office the Messias a word of a Greek termination or one anointed by God is to father such a piece of prodigious Nonsence upon the Jews as I dare say they would be loth to have laid at their doors And yet this confident Gentleman takes upon him to give a reason of so gross Nonsence in these words For under the Law their Prophets Priests and Kings were invested in their several Offices by the Ceremony of anointing them with Oyle I will not be so severe as to bring this reason into the form of an argumentation lest it should create some horror in you Make the words an intire or absolute Proposition and you will not much fancy it for indeed under the Law the High-Priests in regular times were invested in their Office with the Ceremony of anointing with Oyle but so were not the inferiour Priests at any time save only the first As for the Prophets under the Law I cannot find that any one of them was invested in his Prophetical Office by the Ceremony of anointing with Oyle which notwithstanding they might and perhaps were called the Lords anointed and so at this day may we call all Ministers and Christians yet not because they are anointed with Oyle ceremonially applyed to them when first they are put into the number of Ministers or Christians He adds That the legal unctions were typical of that divine unction the Holy Jesus received at his baptism when the Spirit of God descended on him like a Dove and I think that those unctions were typical but doubt many of the Jews never understood their typicalness and do not see why they should be thought only to have typified the anointing of Christ at his baptism He was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power at his conception or incarnation But be this as it will I am unsatisfied with what follows page the 5th That Gods anointing Christ with the Holy Ghost and with power should be his consecration to the Mediatory Office Dr. Jackson and Dr. Hammond sing quite another Song and tell us Christ was consecrated to his Priestly Office a part sure of his Mediatory Office by his sufferings and death and surely Christ's dying was not his being anointed with the Holy Ghost There follows something pag. the 5th which amazed me for he saith all those Offices of Prophet Priest and King are not properly distinct Offices in Christ but the several parts and administrations of his Mediatory Kingdom Do not wonder if this put me into a little amazement for resolving it into three Propositions I found every one of them strange 'T is strange presumption for a young Divine to say that these Offices are not distinct Offices in Christ and never in the least to suggest wherein the impropriety of so calling them doth lye To find fault with forms of speech generally used and which may be retained without any inconvenience and never to tell us where the faultiness of those forms of speech lyes does not become one who is minded to keep up a reputation
other of our vertues or works properly doth therefore Scripture useth to say that faith without works doth justifie ibid. All the Fathers Martyrs and other Holy men whom St. Paul spake of Heb. 11. had their faith surely fixed in God when all the world was against them They did not only know God to be the Lord Maker and Governour of all men in the world but also they had a special confidence and trust that he was and would be their God their comforter aider helper maintainer and defender This is the Christian faith which these Holy men had and we also ought to have And although they were not named Christian-men yet it was a Christian-faith that they had for they looked for all benefits of God the Father through the merits of his Son Jesus Christ as we now do This difference is between them and us that they looked when Christ should come and we be in the time when he is come Therefore saith St. Aug. the time is altered and changed but not the faith for we have both one faith in one Christ The same Holy Ghost also which we have had they God gave them then Grace to be his Children as he doth us now c. In effect they and we be all one we have the same faith they had in God and they the same we have pag. 25. Faith giveth life to the Soul and they be as much dead to God that lack faith as they be to the world whose bodies lack souls without faith all that is done of us is but dead before God although the work seem never so gay and glorious before man Even as the picture graven or painted is but a dead representation of the thing it self and is without life or any manner of moving so be the works of all unfaithful persons before God They do appear to be lively works and indeed they be but dead not availing to the everlasting life They be but shadows shews of lively and good things and not good and lively things indeed For true faith doth give life to the works and out of such faith come good works that be very good works indeed without faith no work is good before God as saith St. Aug. pag. 30. And there and in pag. 31 32. much is quoted to the same purpose out of St. Augustine St. Ambrose St. Chrysostom Among other things this is quoted with approbation from Chrysostome I can shew a man that by faith without works lived and came to Heaven but without faith never man had life The Thief that was hanged when Christ suffered did believe only and the most mereiful God justified him And because no man shall say again that he lacked time to do good works else he would have done them Truth it is and I will not contend therein but this I will surely affirm that faith only saved him If he had lived and not regarded faith and the works thereof he should have lost his salvation again But this is the effect that I say that faith by it self saved him but works by themselves never justified any man These are some of many things which I could have quoted out of the Homilies which Mr. Sh. is bound to read to his people and which were published by Queen Elizabeth to expel erroneous and poysonous Doctrine and were reprinted by King James not only for a help of Non-Preaching but withall as a pattern for Preaching Ministers How ill Mr. Sh. hath fitted his cloath to this pattern he that is not very blind may see somebody perhaps may be at so much trouble as to gather up his drolling Parenthesis and adapt them to the expressions in the Homilies composed perhaps as to the first Tome of them by Arch. Cranmer and as to the last of them by a Prelate not inferior to him for learning and piety I have no mind to make the Papists and other Sectaries so much sport But certainly had I a Cure of Souls I would every Holy-day when there was no Sermon in my Church either read or cause to be read one of them to my People and should not dare to expose the Doctrines contained in them as Mr. Sh. manifestly doth I might look before I leapt well consider whether it were meet to tye up my self not to contradict some passages in the Homilies but when I had so tyed my self I would either strictly observe my Obligation or openly declare my sorrow for bringing my self under it But because he hath so much applauded the Milk for Babes or the Liturgical Catechism let us take some notice of that which for my part I so much approve that I would not for all the Money in my Pocket a new Catechism were now to be made In that Catechism we shall find something of Art and Subtlety as this Gentleman would call it The Child in that Catechism is first asked What is his Name that Question may be answered without Art or Subtlety but then in the next place being asked who gave him that Name he is directed to make answer My Godfathers and my Godmothers in my Baptism when I was made a Member of Christ a Child of God c. If the Child was at Baptism made a Member of Christ he was also then united to Christ and put into Christ for nothing can be a member of that unto which it is not united Now suppose any Child should be so pert or malepert as to ask the Rector what the word Christ signifieth when it is said that he was made a Member of Christ the Rector will gravely answer Christ hath four significations It signifies the Office of Christ the Person of Christ the Doctrine of Christ the Church of Christ The Child was not I suppose made a Member of Christ's Office nor of Christ's Doctrine he must be made a Member therefore either of the Person of Christ or of the Church of Christ It is like Mr. Sh. will answer the Child that he was made a Member of the Church of Christ But what this Church of Christ is the Child no where finds explained in the Church Catechism The Holy Catholick Church is mentioned as one of the things to be believed in the Creed and I think the word also occurs in the first question concerning the Sacraments which part of the Catechism is no older than the Hampton-Court Conference but what the word Church signifieth is no where opened in that Catechism will Mr. Sh. now say that the Child is to profess himself a Member of he knows not what I suppose he will not but rather will tell him what the Church is and then he must use some Art or Subtlety to make him understand how he is Member of that Church and I think he must be very subtle that can make a Child understand how he can be a Member of the Church of Christ before he have first made him understand how he was made a Member of Christ himself And I doubt the Child's head