BT763 O9 1677

5 o The Grounds of the Imputation fins of the Church unto Chrifl, namely, that he and it are one Perfon, the Grounds whereof we mull enquire into. But hereon fùndry Difcourfes do enfue, and various Enqui- ries are made. What a Pe i f n is, in what fen[, and how ma- ny fens that word may be ufed ; what is the true notion of it, what is a natural Perfon, what a legal, civil, or political Perlon ; in the Explication whereof Tome have fallen into rniftakes. And if we fhould enter into this Field, we need not fear matter enough of debate and altercation. But I mull needs fay, that there things belong not unto our prefent occafion ; nor is the Union of Chrift and the Church illu- ftrated, but obfcured by them. For Chrift and Believers are neither one natural Perlon, nor a legal or political Perlon, nor any fuch Perlon as the Laws, Cuflonls, or Ufages of men do know or allow of. They are one myflical Perfon, whereof although there may be form impede& Refemblarces found in natural or political Unions, yet the Union from whence that Denomination is taken between him and us, is of that nature, and aritèth from fuch Reafons and Caufes, as no .Perfonal Zlnion among men, (or the Union of many perfons) hath any concernment in. And therefore as to the Reprefén- tation of it unto our weak underfiandings unable to compre- hend the depth of Heavenly myfleries, it is compared unto Zlnion! of divers kinds and natures. So is it reprefented by that of Man and ifif ; not unto thole mutual affeëlions which give them only a moral Vn-ion, but from the extraction of the full Woman,from the flefh and bone of the firfl man,and the Inilitution of God for the Individual Society of Life thereon. This the Apoftle at large declares,. Ephef. 5. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 3o, 31, 32. Whence he concludes, that from the Union thus reprefented, we are members of his Body, of his ftefb and of his bone, ver. 30. or have fuch a Relation un- to him, as Eve had to Adam, when the was made of his flefh_ and bone; and fo was one fleh with him So alto it is com- pared

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