N05035:252
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.
If it be objected here, that we are told Matth. iii. 5, 6. There went cut to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the Region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their Sins; and that it is not to be imagined, all these made any credible Profession of saving Repentance and Faith! I answer, No more is to be understood by these Expressions, according to the Phraseology of the Scripture, than that there was a very general Resort of People from these Places to John. Nor is any more to be understood by the like Term of Universality in Joh. iii. 26. They came to John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou bearest Witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and ALL MEN come to him. That is, there was a great Resort to him from all Quarters. 'Tis in no wise unreasonable, to suppose, there was indeed a very great Number of People that came to John from the Places mentioned, who being exceedingly moved by his Preaching, in that Time of extraordinary Out pouring of the Spirit, made Profession of the Faith and Repentance which John preached. Doubtless there were many more Professors, than real Converts: But still in the great Resort to John, there were many of the latter Character; as we may infer from the Prophecy: as appears by Luk. i. 16, 17. And many of the Children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the Spirit and Power of Elijah, to turn the Hearts of the Fathers to the Children, and of the Disobedient to the Wisdom of the Just, to make ready a People prepared for the Lord. And from that Account of Fact in Matth. xi. 12. From the Days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom, of Heaven suffereth Violence, and the Violent take it by Force. And in Luke xvi. 16. The Law and the Prophets were until John: Since that Time the Kingdom of God is preached, and EVERY MAN presseth into it. Here the Expression is no less universal, than that which is objected in Matth. iii. 5, 6. As to those wicked Pharisees, that so much opposed Christ, some of them I suppose had been baptized by John, and then had a great Show of Repentance and Faith; but they afterwards apostatized, and were much worse than ever before: