An Answer to William Sherlock, Chapter 3 · Section 1
Sect. 1.
WHen God choſe Abraham's Poſterity, Mr. Sherlock.to be his peculiar People, he did not deſign to exclude the reſt of the World from his care and Providence, and all poſſible means of Salvation, as the Apoſtle argues, in Rom. 3.29. Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not alſo of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles alſo: Which Argument, if it have any force in it, muſt prove Gods reſpect to the Gentiles before the preaching of the Goſpel, as well as ſince; becauſe it is founded on that Natural Relation God owns to all Mankind, as their merciful Creator and Governour; which gives the Gentiles as well as Jews an Intereſt in his Care and Providence: This plainly evinces, that all thoſe particular favours, which God beſtowed on Iſrael, were not owing to any partial fondneſs and reſpect to that People, but the Deſign of all was, to encourage the whole World to worſhip the God of Iſrael.
What the Author means by all poſſible Means of Salvation,Anſwer. I know not: Surely God could have given as great Means to all other Nations as he did to Iſrael, who was exalted above them all, in Laws, Revelations, Miracles, Protections, Symbols of the Divine Preſence, in ſo ſignal a manner, that the Jews doubt not to ſay, That the ſeventy Souls, that went down with Jacob into Egypt, were worth as much as the ſeventy Nations of the World. As for that of the Apoſtle, Rom. 3.29. Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not alſo of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles alſo: The Apoſtle, in the precedent Verſe, concludes, that the only way of Juſtification is Faith; in this he ſhews, that the one way of Juſtification was open to Gentiles, as well as Jews; in the next Verſe he infers, that it is one God who juſtifies both of them in a way of Faith. He ſpeaks not of being the Gentiles God, in reſpect of Care and common Providence. but in reſpect of extending this way of Juſtification to them, upon their coming in to Chriſt, who was that bleſſed Seed of Abraham, in whom all Nations were to be bleſſed: However till the Goſpel came to them, they ſate in darkneſs and in the ſhadow of death, aliens from Iſrael, ſtrangers from the Covenant, without God, without Chriſt, without hope; ſeeing no further than Nature, and that deſperately corrupted, and not knowing whether there were any ſuch thing as Grace, or Glory, the Center of it. As for Iſrael, I wonder that any man ſhould deny Gods ſpecial Love to that people: What! did he call them his firſt-born, his peculiar treaſure, the apple of his eye, without ſpecial Love? Did he ſever them from other people to be his own, Levit. 20.21. chuſe them to himſelf above all people on the earth; ſet his love upon them, and that merely becauſe he loved them, Deut. 7.6, 7, and 8. Verſes, and all this without ſpecial Love? Were theirs the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the ſervice of God, and the promiſes, Rom. 9.4. and all this without ſpecial Love? He hath not dealt ſo with any nation, ſaith the Pſalmiſt. To call this ſpecial Love partial fondneſs, is to me a preſumption not unlike that of the old Pelagians, who charged a foreign or unjuſt Partiality upon Gods ſpecial Grace towards his own people; upon whom St. Auſtin made ſome ſuch tart Returns as theſe: Tolle quod tuum eſt & vade; Annon licet mihi quod volo facere, Li. 2. ad Bonifac. cap. 7.hic tota juſtitia eſt, hoc volo; O homo, tu quis es qui reſpondeas Deo? with a great deal more on God's behalf. But, ſaith the Author, The end of all thoſe particular favours, was, that all Nations might worſhip the God of Iſrael: Suppoſe ſo; if ſuch particular favours to Iſrael above all other Nations argue not a ſpecial love to Iſrael, what can do it? God loves all Creatures (as the Schools ſpeak) Ʋno & ſimplici actu Voluntatis: And if particular favours do not prove his Love ſpecial, we muſt ſay, that he loves Worms as much as Angels, and Oxen, whom comparatively he cares not for, as much as Men, upon whom his Love hath been ſet above all other Creatures.
Joh. 14.6, 7. Jeſus ſaith, I am the Way,Mr. Sherlock. the Truth and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me. If you had known me, you ſhould have known my Father: and henceforth you have known him and ſeen him; that is, I alone declare the true way to Life and Happineſs; no man can thoroughly underſtand the Will of God but by learning of me: Whoever knows me, whoever is acquainted with the Doctrine and Religion I preach, knows my Father alſo, that is, is thoroughly inſtructed in God's Mind and Will.
Christ is the Way, Anſwer.the Truth and the Life; how ſo? He declared the true way to Life and happineſs. Is this the all of it? Is he only the Declarer and not the Author of Life? Doth he not work it in us by the power of his Spirit and Grace? Hath he not purchaſed a place in heaven for us by his Blood? and doth he not conſecrate a new and living Way thither through the Veil of his Fleſh? It cannot be denied. Hear the Learned Biſhop Wren againſt the Racovian Catechiſt. Vidit Dives in inferno, ubi ſinus Abrahae erat, ſed monitus eſt de magno Chaſmate intercedente nè poſſint congredi: Via arboris vitae extabat, ſed ab acie verſatilis gladii cuſtodita: Aeger ad Betheſdam poſitus diu jam vider at viam in ſtagnum, ſed movere ſe clinicus non poterat: Nôrunt & piae foeminae viam in ſepulchrum Domini; pariter nôrunt ſaxo obturari: Ipſi denique Parenti horum Barjeſu oſtenſa eſt à Paulo converſionis & reconciliationis via; verùm ille eò ſe caeciorem factum ducéque plus egentem indicavit. Reſpondeat igitur, an viam Chriſtus, quam oſtendit, aperuit? an Pontem paravit trajiciendo Chaſmati? an verſatilem avertit gladium? ſaxum revolvit? clinicum excitavit? caecum collyrio beavit ſuo? Reconciliationis hae primariae partes ſunt; ſine his praeviis, nihil eſt omnis converſio, fruſtrà via omnis convertendi, incaſſum omnis viae oſtenſio. And afterwards ſpeaking of Chriſt being the way, he ſhews how he was ſo; Non ſolùm quòd revelavit iis, quae Deus volebat eos ſcire, ſed etiam quod foreign, Luc. 2.14. (vel eapropter) conſtitutus, quae ab hominibus ſine ipſo praestari non poterant, pro ipſis praeſtiterit; ſanguiniſque ſui merito ità viam ad Deum Patrem perpurgavit, communivit, illuſtravit, ut nos jam ab ipſo veluntatem Dei edocti, veréque ad Deum converſi, per fidem in ſanguine Chriſti, Propitiatione eâ perfrui poſſimus. Thus he very excellently.. I know no need at all for ſuch an Interpretation as takes the Will of the Father for himſelf, or the Doctrine of the Son for himſelf: the thing is plain: He that knows the Son, in whom dwells all fulneſs of the Godhead bodily, muſt needs know the Father alſo.
To know God is to know the Will of God, concerning the Salvation of Mankind; Mr. Sherlock.to know Chriſt is to underſtand the declaration of Gods will, that is, the Goſpel which he preached; which is therefore called the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Chriſt, 2 Cor. 4.6. that is, that glorious manifeſtation God hath made of himſelf by Christ: For the face of Chriſt ſignifies all that, whereby he made himſelf known, as a man is known by his face; that is, his Laws, Religion and Miracles, whereby it appeared that he was the Son of God.
In the knowledge of God and Chriſt,Anſwer. God and Chriſt are the Objects, the Goſpel is the outward Medium: Hence it appears, that to know God and Chriſt is, in propriety, no more to know the Goſpel, than the Object of Knowledge is the Medium; properly we know God and Chriſt by the Goſpel. As for that of the Apoſtle 2 Cor. 4.6. I conceive he diſcourſes of ſomewhat more than external Revelation, even that of internal Illumination, ſet forth there by the Creation of the firſt Light, and ſhining in the heart, which gives the Light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Chriſt, that is, in the Perſon of Chriſt, who is God manifeſt in the Fleſh.
God was ſeen in Christ, Mr. Sherlock.Joh. 14.9. He that hath ſeen me, hath ſeen the Father, that is, in plain terms, the Will of God was fully declared to the World by Chriſt; upon which account too (as well as with reſpect to his Divine Nature) he is called the brightneſs of his Fathers glory, and the expreſs Image of his Perſon, Heb. 1.3. (And a little after he adds) It is plain, that in this ſence Chriſt is called the Image of God, 2 Cor. 4.4. Leſt the light of the glorious Goſpel of Chriſt, which is the Image of God, ſhould ſhine unto them: Where Chriſt's being the Image of God comes in very abruptly, unleſs we underſtand it in this Sence, That he is the Image of God with reſpect to the glorious Revelations of the Goſpel, which contain a faithful account of God's Nature and Will.
He that hath ſeen me hath ſeen the Father, Anſwer.that is, ſaith the Author in plain terms, The Will of God was fully declared by Chriſt: Thus the Racovian Catechiſt underſtands the words, de cognitione eorum quae dixit & fecit Jeſus; but if we conſider our Author's interpretation, there being God's Will and Chriſt's Declaration both in the Goſpel, the reſult of the words is this, He that hath ſeen the Goſpel, hath ſeen the Goſpel. The plain ſence of the words is, That he that hath ſeen Chriſt, the perfect Image of God, hath ſeen the Father. That Heb. 1. The brightneſs of his glory and expreſs image of his perſon, imports, as I take it, that he was, according to the eternal Generation, Lumen de Lumine, as the Nicene Creed hath it; and in his Incarnation, instar Speculi, as a Glaſs repreſenting the Majeſty and Philanthropy of God unto us. In thoſe words, 2 Cor. 4.4. Leſt the light of the glorious Goſpel of Christ, who is the image of God, ſhould ſhine unto them, that, of Chriſt's being God's Image, comes in as a Reaſon why the Goſpel is ſo glorious, viz. Becauſe it ſhews forth Chriſt, who is the ſubſtantial Image of God, and in his Incarnation, a rare Mirrour of the Divine Perfections: foreign, ſaith St. Chryſoſtome on the place, through him, that is, through Chriſt, thou ſeeſt the Father.
Whereas God formerly was known by the Light of Nature, Mr. Sherlock.and Works of Creation and Providence, and partial and occaſional Revelations of his Will made to the World; now the only true Medium of knowing God is the knowledge of Chriſt.Anſwer.
Ever ſince that Protevangelium or firſt Charter of Salvation (The ſeed of the woman ſhall break the Serpents head) which pointed out Chriſt, and was underſtood ſo to do, there hath been a knowledge of Chriſt in the Church; though not in that Meridian ſplendor which broke out after his Incarnation. He was Abraham's Seed, Jacob's Shiloh, Job's Redeemer, Moſes's Prophet, and David's Meſſiah. Among the Jews almoſt every thing looked at Chriſt; the Tabernacle, Laver, Altars, Shew-bread, Veil, Ark, Propitiatory, Manna, Paſſover, Prieſts, Waſhings, Anointing, Sacrifices ſhadowed forth him who is the Subſtance and Compleature of them all; And no doubt but Believers under the Old Teſtament looked beyond thoſe outward Veils and Covers, and ſaw him lying and wrapt up therein.
Joh. 17.3. This is life eternal,Mr. Sherlock. that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jeſus Chriſt whom thou haſt ſent, that is, The only way to eternal Life is to know the Nature and Will of God; and the only certain way to attain the knowledge of God is by knowing Chriſt, whom God ſent into the world to publiſh the everlaſting Goſpel. And a little after he ſaith, When we ſpeak of the knowledge of Chriſt, we muſt conſider him as our Prophet; and ſo to know Chriſt ſignifies to know his Goſpel.
In that Text,Anſwer Joh. 17. God and Chriſt are the expreſs Object of Knowledge, the Goſpel, not there mentioned, is the outward Medium thereunto; the Knowledge there ſpoken of is, as I take it, not a mere Notional knowledge, but ſuch a Practical one, as is (which is more than a Way) Eternal Life it ſelf, in the firſt fruits of it; Heaven it ſelf dawning in that inward divine Light, which is the Firſt-born of the New Creature, as the outward Light was of the old. Chriſt as a Prophet is the great Origin of all our knowledge of him; but whole Chriſt, or Chriſt in his Royal and Prieſtly Offices, as well as in his Prophetical, is the object of our knowledge: Truly to know Chriſt as a Prophet, is to know him to be ſuch, not only in the Goſpel or external Revelation, but in internal Illumination alſo: He opens the eyes, Pſal. 119.18. or (if the Author laugh at this Pſal. as he doth at that other, quoted pag. 105.) he doth (as St. Luke tells us) open the underſtanding to underſtand the Scriptures, Luk. 24.45. He doth not only diſpenſe the Scripture or Goſpel, but the holy Ʋnction or teaching Anointing, which St. John mentions, 1 Joh. 2.20. and 27. or that Spirit of wiſdom and revelation, which St. Paul prays for, for the Epheſians, Eph. 1.17. To what the Author adds afterwards, as if ſome did clamour, that Chriſt were not preached, unleſs named in every ſentence, I ſhall only ſay, Thoſe whom the Author oppoſes, do not worſhip Letters or Syllables, no, not thoſe which make up the ſweet Name Jeſus; But where-ever there is aliquid Chriſti, they own and honour it, ſeeing his Scepter in every Command, his Charter in every Promiſe, his Spirit in every Grace, his Purchaſe in every Glimpſe of Eternal Life; and where ſuch a divine Senſe is, they muſt own him though unnamed.