N05401:356
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.
Thus this Argument of Mr. W—ms's, let us take it which Way we will, has Nothing but what is as much, yea, much more, against his Scheme, than against mine.
However, if this were not the Case, but all the Show or Pretence of Strength there is in the Argument, lay directly and only against Me, yet the Strength of it, if tried, will avail to prove Nothing at all. The pretended Argument, so far as I can find out what it is, is this; The Children of visible Saints are born in Covenant; and being already in Covenant, they must have a Right to the Privileges of the Covenant, without any more ado: Such therefore have a Right to come to the Lord's Supper, whether they are truly godly, or not.
However, if this were not the Case, but all the Shew or Pretence of Strength there is in the Argument, lay directly and only against Me, yet the Strength of it, if tried, will avail to prove Nothing at all. The pretended Argument, so far as I can find out what it is, is this; The Children of visible Saints are born in Covenant; and being already in Covenant, they must have a Right to the Privileges of the Covenant, without any more ado: Such therefore have a Right to come to the Lord's Supper, whether they are truly godly, or not.
But the Show of Argument there is here, depends on the Ambiguity of the Phrase, Being in Covenant: Which signifies ⟨p. 152⟩two distinct Things: either (1.) Being under the Obligations Bonds of the Covenant; or (2.) A being conformed to the Covenant, and complying with the Terms of it.— A being the Subject of the Obligations and Engagements of the Covenant, is a Thing quite distinct from a being conformed to these Obligations, and so being the Subject of the Condition of the Covenant.