N01201:214
An appeal to the learned. Being a vindication of the right of visible saints…
An appeal to the learned. Being a vindication of the right of visible saints to the Lords Supper, though they be destitute of a saving work of God's spirit on their hearts: against the exceptions of Mr. Increase Mather. / By Solomon Stoddard, Pastor of Northampton. ; [Two lines from Daniel]
Boston: printed by B. Green for Samuel Phillips, 1709
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Book 3: The Third BOOK. Arguments to prove that Sanctifying Grace is not necessary, in order to…
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
If these persons be told that this Ordinance be only for Converted persons, yet if they after Serious Examination have hopes that they are Converted, they may and ought to come; That will not satisfy their tender Consciences: they will say, We may have such hopes and yet not be Converted: the hopes of Multitudes of men are delusions, and if our hopes should be such, ⟨p. 89⟩they will not warrant us to come, we don't find in the Scriptures, that God gives allowance to men because they have hopes; we can't find that God saith we should come, if we have such hopes: the men say: We don't know but that we eat and drink Damnation to our selves: the thing that is required is Conversion, not hopes of Conversion. If God should demand of us, What makes us so bold to come, He will not accept of that for an answer, That we hoped we were Converted, if we be not indeed so, we profane Gods Ordinance, and eat forbidden fruit. Fears that they are not Converted is a stronger argument to make them stay away, than hopes that they are Converted is to make them come: Tender Consciences will not be baffled with such answers.
If these persons be told that this Ordinance be only for Converted persons, yet if they after Serious Examination have hopes that they are Converted, they may and ought to come; That will not satisfy their tender Consciences: they will say, We may have such hopes and yet not be Converted: the hopes of Multitudes of men are delusions, and if our hopes should be such, ⟨p. 89⟩they will not warrant us to come, we don't find in the Scriptures, that God gives allowance to men because they have hopes; we can't find that God saith we should come, if we have such hopes: the men say: We don't know but that we eat and drink Damnation to our selves: the thing that is required is Conversion, not hopes of Conversion. If God should demand of us, What makes us so bold to come, He will not accept of that for an answer, That we hoped we were Converted, if we be not indeed so, we prophane Gods Ordinance, and eat forbidden fruit. Fears that they are not Converted is a stronger argument to make them stay away, than hopes that they are Converted is to make them come: Tender Consciences will not be bafled with such answers.