N05035:199
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.
When the Apostle directs professing Christians to try themselves, using this Word indefinitely, as properly signifying the examining or proving a Thing whether it be Genuine, or Counterfeit, the most natural Construction of his Advice is, that they should try themselves with Respect to their spiritual State and religious Profession, whether they are Disciples indeed, real and genuine Christians, or whether they are not false & hypocritical Professors. As if a Man should bring a Piece of Metal that had the Colour of Gold, with the Impress of the King's Coin, to a Goldsmith, and desire him to try that Money, without adding any Words to limit his Meaning, would not the Goldsmith naturally understand, that he was to try whether it was true Gold, or true Money. yea or no?
But here it is said by some, that the Context of the Passage under Debate (1 Cor. xi. 28.) does plainly limit the meaning of the Word in that Place; the Apostle there speaking of those Things that had appeared among the Communicants at Corinth, which were of a scandalous Nature, so doubtless unfitting 'em for the Lord's Supper; and therefore when the Apostle directs 'em to examine or prove themselves, 'tis but just, to suppose his meaning to be, that they should try whether they be not disqualified by Scandal.—To this I answer, tho' the Apostle's putting the Corinthians upon trying themselves, was on Occasion of the mentioning some scandalous Practices found among them, yet this is by no Means any Argument of its being only his Meaning, that they should try themselves whether they were scandalous Persons; and not, that they should try whether they were true genuine Christians. The very Nature of Scandal (as was observed before) is, that which tends to obscure the Visibility of the Piety of Professors, and wound others Charity towards them, by bringing the Reality of their Grace into Doubt; and therefore what could be more natural, than for the Apostle, when mentioning such Scandals among the Corinthians, to put them upon trying the State of their Souls, and proving their Sincerity! This is certainly the Case in this Apostle's directing the same Persons to prove themselves,