N05401:104
Misrepresentations corrected, and truth vindicated. In a reply to the Rev. Mr. Solomon Williams's…
Misrepresentations corrected, and truth vindicated. In a reply to the Rev. Mr. Solomon Williams's book, entitled, The true state of the question concerning the qualifications necessary to lawful communion in the Christian sacraments. / By Jonathan Edwards, M.A. Minister of the Gospel at Stockbridge. ; [Five lines of Scripture texts]Misrepresentations corrected, and truth vindicated. In a reply to the Rev. Mr. Solomon Williams's book, intitled, The true state of the question concerning the qualifications necessary to lawful communion in the Christian sacraments. / By Jonathan Edwards, M.A. Minister of the Gospel at Stockbridge. ; [Five lines of Scripture texts]
Boston: printed by S. Kneeland, 1752
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Position I. Words declare or profess nothing any otherwise than by their Signification: For to declare or profess something by Words, is to signify something by Words — And therefore if nothing is signified by Words of a pretended Profession, nothing is really professed; and if something be professed, no more is professed than the Words of the Profession signify or import.
Posi. II. If a Man goes about to declare or profess any particular Thing by Words which have no distinguishing Signification, or without any Signs or discriminating Marks by which Men may be enabled to distinguish what he mean, his Words are vain to the pretended Purpose, and wholly fail of answering the End of Words, which is to convey the Thing meant to others Understanding, or to give Notice to others of the Thing that is to be supposed or understood*
- *The Apostle Paul says, 1 Cor. xiv.7. Even Things without Life, giving sound, whether Pipe or Harp, except they give a Distinction in the Sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? — Mr. Locke says, Hum. Und. Vol. 2. Edit. 7. P. 103. He that uses Words of any Language without DISTINCT Ideas in his Mind, to which he applies them, does so far as he uses them in Discourse, only make a Noise without any Sense or Signification.
Therefore to use Words thus in common Conversation, is to act in a vain trifling Manner, more like Children than Men: But to use Words thus in the s••red Services of God's House, and solemn Duties of his Worship, is something much worse than Children's Play. But thus Mr. W. expressly declares, Words are to be used in a public Profession of Religion. He says (P. 10. c.) And these Words are so used in such Cases, without any Marks of Difference, whereby we are enabled to judge when they mean a saving Faith, and when a different one.