N05035:211
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 3
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.
OBJECT. II. Visible Saintship in the Scripture-Sense can't be the same with that which has been supposed and insisted on, viz. a being in the Eye of a rational Charity truly pious; because Israel of old were from Time to Time called God's People, when 'tis certain the greater Part of them were far from having any such visible Holiness as this, Thus the ten Tribes were called God's People, Hos. iv. 6. after ⟨p. 84⟩they had revolted from the true Worship of God, and had obstinately continued in their idolatrous Worship at Bethel and Dan for about two Hundred and fifty Years, and were at that Time, a little before their Captivity especially, in the Height of their Wickedness. So the Jews are called God's, People in Ezek. xxxvi. 20. and other Places, at the Time of their Captivity in Babylon; a Time when most of them were abandoned to all Kinds of the most horrid and open Impieties, as the Prophets frequently represent. Now 'tis certain, that the People at that Time were not called God's People because of any Visibility of true Piety to the Eve of Reason or of a rational Charity, because most of them were grossly Wicked, and declared their Sin as Sodom. And in the same Manner wherein the Jews of old were God's People, are the Members of the visible Christian Gentile Church God's People; for they are spoken […] as grafted into the same Olive-Tree, from whence the former were broken off by Unbelief.
OBJECT. II. Visible Saintship in the Scripture-Sense can't be the same with that which has been supposed and insisted on, viz. a being in the Eye of a rational Charity truly pious; because Israel of old were from Time to Time called God's People, when 'tis certain the greater Part of them were far from having any such visible Holiness as this, Thus the ten Tribes were called God's People, Hos. iv. 6. after ⟨p. 84⟩they had revolted from the true Worship of God, and had obstinately continued in their idolatrous Worship at Bethel and Dan for about two Hundred and fifty Years, and were at that Time, a little before their Captivity especially, in the Height of their Wickedness. So the Jews are called God's, People in