Here, I think, my Meaning is very plainly and carefully explained. However, in as much as the Word Positive is sometimes used for Peremptory or Certain, Mr. W. catches at the Term, and lays fast Hold of the Advantage he thinks this gives him, and is abundant, all over his Book, in representing as tho' I insisted on a positive Judgment in this Sense. So he applies the Word, referring to my Use of it, from Time to Time. Thus, P. 69. b. If there be any Thing in this Argument, I think it must be what I have observed, viz. That a Christian must make a positive Judgment and Determination, that another Man is a Saint, and this Judgment must have for it's Ground something which he supposes is, at least ordinarily, a Certain Evidence of his Saintship, and by which gracious Sincerity is Certainly distinguished from every Thing else. And P. 141. a. The Notion of Men's being able and fit to determine positively the Condition of other Men, or the Certainty of their gracious State, has a direct Tendency to deceive the Souls of Men. And thus Mr. W. makes mention of a positive Judgment above forty Times in his Book, with Reference to my Use of it, and to my declared Opinion of the Necessity of it; and every where plainly uses the Phrase in that Sense, for absolute and peremptory, in Opposition to Doubtfulness; continually insinuating, that this is what I professedly insist on. Whereas, every Act of the Judgment whatsoever, is a Positive Judgment in the Sense in which I ⟨p. 12⟩have fully declared I use it, viz. in Opposition to Negative; which is no Act, but a mere with-holding of the Act of the Judgment, or forbearing any actual Judgment. *Mr. W. himself does abundantly suppose, that there must be a positive Judgment in this Sense: He grants the very Thing, tho' he rejects the Term: For he holds, there must be such a Visibility as makes Persons to appear to be real Saints. P. 5. b.—He allows, that the moral Image of God or Christ must appear, or be supposed to be in them, as the Ground and Reason of our Charity; and that there must be some Apprehension, some Judgment of Mind, of the Saintship of Persons, for it's Foundation. P. 68. c. d. e. & 69. a. & 71. d.—That they must have such a Character appearing in them. P. 55. e. — That there must be a Judgment founded on moral Evidence of Gospel-Holiness. P. 139. d.
Here, I think, my Meaning is very plainly and carefully explain'd. However, in as much as the Word Positive is sometimes used for Peremptory or Certain, Mr. W. catches at the Term, and lays fast Hold of the Advantage he thinks this gives him, and is abundant, all over his Book, in representing as tho' I insisted on a positive Judgment in this Sense. So he applies the Word, referring to my Use of it, from Time to Time. Thus, P. 69. b. If there be any Thing in this Argument, I think it must be what I have observ'd, viz. That a Christian must make a positive Judgment and Determination, that another Man is a Saint, and this Judgment must have for it's Ground something which he supposes is, at least ordinarily, a Certain Evidence of his Saintship, and by which gracious Sincerity is Certainly distinguish'd from every Thing else. And P. 141. a. The Notion of Men's being able and fit to determine positively the Condition of other Men, or the Certainty of their gracious State, has a direct Tendency to deceive the Souls of Men. And thus Mr. W. makes mention of a positive Judgment above forty Times in his Book, with Reference to my Use of it, and to my declared Opinion of the Necessity of it; and every where plainly uses the Phrase in that Sense, for absolute and peremptory, in Opposition to Doubtfulness; continually insinuating, that this is what I professedly insist on. Whereas, every Act of the Judgment whatsoever, is a Positive Judgment in the Sense in which I ⟨p. 12⟩have fully declared I use it, viz. in Opposition to Negative; which is no Act, but a meer with-holding of the Act of the Judgment, or forbearing any actual Judgment. *Mr. W. himself does abundantly suppose, that there must be a positive Judgment in this Sense: He grants the very Thing, tho' he rejects the Term: For he holds, there must be such a Visibility as makes Persons to appear to be real Saints. P. 5. b.—He allows, that the moral Image of God or Christ must appear, or be supposed to be in them, as the Ground and Reason of our Charity; and that there must be some Apprehension, some Judgment of Mind, of the Saintship of Persons, for it's Foundation. P. 68. c. d. e. & 69. a. & 71. d.—That they must have such a Character appearing in them. P. 55. e. — That there must be a Judgment founded on moral Evidence of Gospel-Holiness. P. 139. d.
- *Mr. John Glass, in his Observes upon the original Constitution of the Christian Church, (P. 55, 56.) says as follows. You seem to have a great Prejudice at what you call positive Evidences, and judging upon them in the Admission of Church-Members. And I am at some Loss to understand what you mean by them, tho' I have heard the Expression frequently, among People of your Opinion, used to express some very ill Thing. If you mean by positive Evidences, infallible Evidences of a Thing that none but God infallibly knows, and can assure a Man's own Conscience of, with Respect to a Man himself; I think, it would be a very great Evil for a Man to require such Evidence to found his Judgment of Charity, concerning another Man's Faith and Holiness, or concerning his being an Object of brotherly Love. And I think, he is bound by the Law of Christ to form his Judgment in this Matter upon less Evidence. But if you mean positive Evidence in Opposition to negative, which is no Evidence, I must own, I know not how to form a Judgment of Charity without some positive Evidence. And is not a credible Profession something positive?— Is not a credible Profession of the Faith, Love, and Hope that is in Christ, or of Christianity, a positive Evidence of a Man's being an Object of brotherly Love, which Evidence ought to be the Ground of my Judgment of Charity concerning Him, that He is a Christian, a Believer in Christ, a Brother for whom Christ died? If it be otherwise, and if there be no Evidence upon which I can charitably judge, that a Man is a Brother for whom Christ died, then tell me, how I can evidence my Love to Jesus Christ, in the Labour of Love towards my Brother, whom I have seen; and my Love to God, in my Love to them that are begotten of Him.Mr. John Glas, in his Observes upon the original Constitution of the Christian Church, (P. 55, 56.) says as follows. You seem to have a great Prejudice at what you call positive Evidences, and judging upon them in the Admission of Church-Members. And I am at some Loss to understand what you mean by them, tho' I have heard the Expression frequently, among People of your Opinion, used to express some very ill Thing. If you mean by positive Evidences, infallible Evidences of a Thing that none but God infallibly knows, and can assure a Man's own Conscience of, with Respect to a Man himself; I think, it would be a very great Evil for a Man to require such Evidence to found his Judgment of Charity, concerning another Man's Faith and Holiness, or concerning his being an Object of brotherly Love. And I think, he is bound by the Law of Christ to form his Judgment in this Matter upon less Evidence. But if you mean positive Evidence in Opposition to negative, which is no Evidence, I must own, I know not how to form a Judgment of Charity without some positive Evidence. And is not a credible Profession something positive?— Is not a credible Profession of the Faith, Love, and Hope that is in Christ, or of Christianity, a positive Evidence of a Man's being an Object of brotherly Love, which Evidence ought to be the Ground of my Judgment of Charity concerning Him, that He is a Christian, a Believer in Christ, a Brother for whom Christ died? If it be otherwise, and if there be no Evidence upon which I can charitably judge, that a Man is a Brother for whom Christ died, then tell me, how I can evidence my Love to Jesus Christ, in the Labour of Love towards my Brother, whom I have seen; and my Love to God, in my Love to them that are begotten of Him.
