N05035:174
An humble inquiry into the rules of the Word of God, concerning the qualifications…
An humble inquiry into the rules of the Word of God, concerning the qualifications requisite to a complete standing and full communion in the visible Christian church. By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the First Church in Northampton. ; With an appendix by Mr. Foxcroft. ; [Ten lines of quotations]An humble inquiry into the rules of the Word of God, concerning the qualifications requisite to a compleat standing and full communion in the visible Christian church. By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the First Church in Northampton. ; With an appendix by Mr. Foxcroft. ; [Ten lines of quotations]
Boston: : Printed & sold by S. Kneeland in Queenstreet, 1749
Title page typeset from the transcription.
An Inquiry into the Qualifications for full Communion in the visibl… › Part 2
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.
because that Character don't belong to their Profession as Members of that Body, and Learning is not a Qualification looked at or insisted on in their Admission of Members; Nor would it excuse the Impropriety, tho' the Writer might from his special Acquaintance know it to be Fact, that the greater Part of 'em were Men of Learning. If one Man should once happen thus to inscribe a Letter to 'em, it would be something strange; but more strange, if he should do it from Time to Time, or if it should appear by various Instances to be a Custom so to direct Letters to such Societies; as it seems to be the Manner of the Apostles, in their Epistles to Christian Churches, to address them under Titles which imply a Profession and Visibility of true Holiness.
because that Character don't belong to their Profession as Members of that Body, and Learning is not a Qualification looked at or insisted on in their Admission of Members; Nor wou'd it excuse the Impropriety, tho' the Writer might from his special Acquaintance know it to be Fact, that the greater Part of 'em were Men of Learning. If one Man should once happen thus to inscribe a Letter to 'em, it would be something strange; but more strange, if he should do it from Time to Time, or if it should appear by various Instanoes to be a Custom so to direct Letters to such Societies; as it seems to be the Manner of the Apostles, in their Epistles to Christian Churches, to address them under Titles which imply a Profession and Visibility of true Holiness.
(2.) The Apostle John in his general Epistle does very plainly manifest, that all whom he wrote to were supposed to have true Grace, in as much as he declares this the Qualification he has Respect to in writing to them, and lets them know he writes to 'em for that Reason, because they are supposed to be Persons of the Character of such as have known God, over come the wicked One, and have had their Sins forgiven them. I Joh. ii. 12, 13, 14, 21.