N05035:39
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 1
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 I speak, in the Question, of a being godly or gracious in the Eye of a Christian Judgment, by Christian Judgment I intend something further than a Kind of mere negative Charity, implying that we forbear to censure and condemn a Man, because we don't know but that he may be godly, and therefore forbear to proceed on the Foot of such a Censure or Judgment in our Treatment of him: As we would kindly entertain a Stranger, not knowing but in so doing we entertain an Angel or precious Saint of God. But I mean a positive Judgment, founded on some positive Appearance, or Visibility, some outward Manifestations that ordinarily render the Thing probable. There is a Difference between suspending our Judgment, or forbearing to condemn, or having some Hope that possibly the Thing may be so, and so hoping the best; and a positive Judgment in Favour of a Person. For an having some Hope, only implies that a Man is not in utter despair of a Thing, tho' his prevailing Opinion may be otherwise, or he may suspend his Opinion. Tho' we can't know a Man believes that Jesus is the Messiah, yet we expect some positive Manifestation or Visibility of it, to be a Ground of our charitable Judgment: so I suppose the Case is here.
When I speak, in the Question, of a being godly or gracious in the Eye of a Christian Judgment, by Christian Judgment I intend something further than a Kind of meer negative Charity, implying that we forbear to censure and condemn a Man, because we don't know but that he may be godly, and therefore forbear to proceed on the Foot of such a Censure or Judgment in our Treatment of him: As we would kindly entertain a Stranger, not knowing but in so doing we entertain an Angel or precious Saint of God. But I mean a positive Judgment, founded on some positive Appearance, or Visibility, some outward Manifestations that ordinarily render the Thing probable. There is a Difference between suspending our Judgment, or forbearing to condemn, or having some Hope that possibly the Thing may be so, and so hoping the best; and a positive Judgment in Favour of a Person. For an having some Hope, only implies that a Man is not in utter despair of a Thing, tho' his prevailing Opinion may be otherwise, or he may suspend his Opinion. Tho' we can't know a Man believes that Jesus is the Messiah, yet we expect some positive Manifestation or Visibility of it, to be a Ground of our charitable Judgment: so I suppose the Case is here.