N05035:342
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.
Thus, the Way of making such a Difference between outward Duties of Morality and Worship, and those great inward Duties of the Love of God and Acceptance of Christ, that the former must be visible, but that there need to be no Exhibition nor Pretence of the latter, in order to Persons being admitted into the visible Family of God; and that under a Notion of the latter being Impossibilities, but the other being within Men's Power; this, I think, has a direct Tendency to confirm in Men an Insensibility of the Heinousness of those Heart-Sins of Unbelief and Enmity against God ⟨p. 133⟩our Saviour, which are the Source and Sum of all Wickedness; and tends to prevent their coming under a humbling Conviction of the Greatness and utter Inexcusableness of these Sins, which Men must be brought to if ever they obtain Salvation. Indeed 'tis a Way that not only has this Tendency, but has actually and apparently this Effect, and that to a great Degree.
The Effect of this Method of Proceeding in the Churches in New-England, which have fallen into it, is actually this. There are some that are received into these Churches under the Notion of their being in the Judgment of rational-Charity visible Saints or professing Saints, who yet at the same Time are actually open Professors of heinous Wickedness; I mean, he Wickedness of living in known Impenitence and Unbelief, the Wickedness of living in Enmity against God, and in the Rejection of Christ under the Gospel: Or, which is the same Thing, they are such as freely and frequently acknowledge, that they don't profess to be as yet born again, but look on themselves as really unconverted, as having never unfeignedly accepted of Christ; and they do either explicitly or implicitly number themselves among those that love not the Lord Jesus Christ; of whom the Apostle says, let such be Anathema, Maran-atha! And accordingly 'tis known, all over the Town where they live, that they make no Pretensions to any sanctifying Grace already obtained; nor of Consequence are they commonly looked upon at any other than unconverted Persons. Now, can this be judged the comely Order of the Gospel! or shall God be supposed the Author of such Confusion!