N05035:227
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.
I think, that Text in Rom. xi. can be understood no otherwise, in any Consistence with plain Fact, than that the Gentile Christians succeeded the Jews, who had been, either in themselves or Ancestors, the Children of Abraham, with Respect to a visible Interest in the Covenant of Grace (which, as has been observed, was the Substance & Marrow of the Covenant made with Abraham) until they were broken off from the Church, and ceased any longer to be visible Saints, by their open and obstinate Unbelief; (as indeed either they or their Ancestors had all been thus broken off from the Church of visible Saints; for every Branch or Family of the Stock of Jacob had been in the Church of visible Saints, and each Branch withered and failed through' Unbelief.) This was the highest and most important Sense, in which any of the Jews were externally the Children of Abraham, and implied the greatest Privileges. But there was another Sense, in which the whole Nation, including even those of 'em who were no visible Saints, were his Children, which (as has been shown) implied great Privileges, wherein Christian Gentiles do not succeed them, tho' they have additional ecclesiastical Privileges, vastly beyond the Jews.
I think, that Text in Rom. xi. can be understood no otherwise, in any Consistence with plain Fact, than that the Gentile Christians succeeded the Jews, who had been, either in themselves or Ancestors, the Children of Abraham, with Respect to a visible Interest in the Covenant of Grace (which, as has been observed, was the Substance & Marrow of the Covenant made with Abraham) until they were broken off from the Church, and ceased any longer to be visible Saints, by their open and obstinate Unbelief; (as indeed either they or their Ancestors had all been thus broken off from the Church of visible Saints; for every Branch or Family of the Stock of Jacob had been in the Church of visible Saints, and each Branch withered and sail'd thro' Unbelief.) This was the highest and most important Sense, in which any of the Jews were externally the Children of Abraham, and implied the greatest Privileges. But there was another Sense, in which the whole Nation, including even those of 'em who were no visible Saints, were his Children, which (as has been shewn) implied great Privileges, wherein Christian Gentiles do not succeed them, tho' they have additional ecclesiastical Privileges, vastly beyond the Jews.