N05401:369
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.
And now let it be considered, whether this agrees better with Mr. Williams's own Doctrine, concerning Men's knowing the Truth and divine Authority of the Gospel, in what has been before cited from his Sermons on Christ a King and Witness. Where he expressly says, That Man, since the Fall, is ignorant of divine Truth, and full of Prejudices against it; has a View of the Truth contained in the Bible, as a doubtful uncertain Thing; receives it as what is probably true; sees it as a probable Scheme, and something likely to answer the End proposed: But that after Conversion it appears divinely true and real. (See P. 114, 115, & 144.) Then unconverted Men only looked on the Truth of the Word of God, as probable, something likely, yet as a doubtful, uncertain Thing; but now they not only think, but know it to be true.
And now let it be considered, whether this agrees better with Mr. VVilliams's own Doctrine, concerning Men's knowing the Truth and divine Authority of the Gospel, in what has been before cited from his Sermons on Christ a King and Witness. Where he expresly says, That Man, since the Fall, is ignorant of divine Truth, and full of Prejudices against it; has a View of the Truth contain'd in the Bible, as a doubtful uncertain Thing; receives it as what is probably true; sees it as a probable Scheme, and something likely to answer the End proposed: But that after Conversion it appears divinely true and real. (See P. 114, 115, & 144.) Then unconverted Men only look'd on the Truth of the Word of God, as probable, something likely, yet as a doubtful, uncertain Thing; but now they not only think, but know it to be true.
No Distinction, about the different Kinds of Knowledge, or the various Ways of knowing, will ever help these Absurdities, or reconcile such Inconsistencies. If there be any such Sort of Knowing, as is contra-distinguished to probable Thinking, and to such Opinion as is built on a Thousand Probabilities, which yet is consistent with being ignorant, not believing, being uncertain, not assured, not convinced, only looking on a Thing probable, looking on it doubtful and uncertain, it must certainly be a new & very strange Sort of Knowledge.