N05401:110
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.
Posi. IV. If a Man who knows himself to be destitute of any certain Qualification, yet makes a Profession or Pretence, in Words of double Meaning, equally signifying that Qualification, and something else very different, with a Design to recommend himself to others Judgment and Apprehension, as possessed of that Qualification, he is guilty of deceitful Equivocation. This is the Notion of deceitful Equivocation, viz. the using Words of double Meaning, or capable of double Application, with a Design to induce others to judge something to be true, which is not true. But he that goes about to recommend himself by such Terms to others Opinion or Judgment, as being what he at the same Time knows he is not, endeavours to induce 'em to believe what he knows is not true, which is to deceive 'em.*
Posi. IV. If a Man who knows himself to be destitute of any certain Qualification, yet makes a Profession or Pretence, in Words of double Meaning, equally signifying that Qualification, and something else very different, with a Design to recommend himself to others Judgment and Apprehension, as possess'd of that Qualification, he is guilty of deceitful Equivocation. This is the Notion of deceitful Equivocation, viz. the using Words of double Meaning, or capable of double Application, with a Design to induce others to judge something to be true, which is not true. But he that goes about to recommend himself by such Terms to others Opinion or Judgment, as being what he at the same Time knows he is not, endeavours to induce 'em to believe what he knows is not true, which is to deceive 'em.*
- *To advance a dubious Proposition, knowing it will be understood in a Sense different from what you give it in your Mind, is an Equivocation, in Breach of good Faith & Sincerity. Chambers's Dictionary under the Word Equivocation.
But if the Scheme which Mr. W. undertakes to defend, were true, it would follow that such a Kind of Equivocation as this (be it far from us to suppose it) is what the infinitely wise and holy God has instituted to be publicly made use of in the solemn Services of his House, as the very Condition of Persons Admission to the external Privileges of his People! For Mr. W. abundantly asserts, that Persons must be esteemed in the Judgment and Apprehension of Others to have true Piety; and that one Thing that must be done in Order to it, one Thing pertaining to the moral Evidence that recommends 'em to this Judgment, is the Profession they make of Religion. (P. 5. P. 139. P. 47, b, c. P. 132. P. 44. d.) In P. 42, speaking of the Profession of visible Christians, he has these Words, And 'tis from the Nature and Purport of this Profession, we say, the Church is to judge the Members to be wise Virgins or what they make a Show of. And Mr. W. insists upon it, that according to Christ's Institution, this must be in Words equally signifying true Godliness,