N05035:40
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 of CHRISTIAN Judgment, I mean a Judgment wherein Men do properly exercise Reason, and have their Reason under the due Influence of Love and other Christian Principles; which don't blind Reason, but regulate its Exercises; being not contrary to Reason, tho' they be very contrary to Censoriousness or unreasonable Niceness and Rigidness.
I say in the Eye of the CHURCH's Christian Judgment, because 'tis properly a Visibility to the Eye of the public Charity, and not of a private Judgment, that gives a Person a Right to be received as a visible Saint by the Public. If any are known to be Persons of an honest Character, and appear to be of good Understanding in the Doctrines of Christianity, and particularly those Doctrines that teach the grand Condition of Salvation, and the Nature of true saving Religion, and publicly and seriously profess the great and main Things wherein the Essence of true Religion or Godliness consists, and their Conversation is agreeable; this justly recommends 'em to the good Opinion of the Public, whatever Suspicions and Fears any particular Person, either the Minister, or some other, may entertain, from what he in particular has observed, perhaps from the Manner of his expressing himself in giving an Account of his Experiences, or an Obscurity in the Order and Method of his Experiences &c. The Minister, in receiving him to the Communion of the Church is to act as a public Officer, and in Behalf of the public Society, and not merely for himself, and therefore is to be governed, in acting, by a proper Visibility of Godliness in the Eye of the Public.
I say in the Eye of the CHURCH's Christian Judgment, because 'tis properly a Visibility to the Eye of the publick Charity, and not of a private Judgment, that gives a Person a Right to be received as a visible Saint by the Publick. If any are known to be Persons of an honest Character, and appear to be of good Understanding in the Doctrines of Christianity, and particularly those Doctrines that teach the grand Condition of Salvation, and the Nature of true saving Religion, and publickly and seriously profess the great and main Things wherein the Essence of true Religion or Godliness consists, and their Conversation is agreable; this justly recommends 'em to the good Opinion of the Publick, whatever Suspicions and Fears any particular Person, either the Minister, or some other, may entertain, from what he in particular has observed, perhaps from the Manner of his expressing himself in giving an Account of his Experiences, or an Obscurity in the Order and Method of his Experiences &c. The Minister, in receiving him to the Communion of the Church is to act as a publick Officer, and in Behalf of the publick Society, and not meerly for himself, and therefore is to be governed, in acting, by a proper Visibility of Godliness in the Eye of the Publick.