That there should be a charitable Presumption, that the Spirit of God has taken hold of them, and turned their Hearts to God. (P. 52. c.) That they should be such Persons as are in the Eye of a Christian Judgment truly gracious Persons, supposed and believed in Charity to be those to whom God has given saving Repentance, and an Heart-purifying Faith; (P. 65. e. & P. 47. b. c.) Such as have the moral Image of Christ appearing in them, or supposed to be in them, and are to be loved on that Account. (P. 68. c.) He allows, that there ought to be some Apprehension, some Judgment of the Mind, that they are Christians & Saints, and have the moral Image of God in them. *(P. 68. c. d. e. P. 69. a. & 71. d.) He allows, that they must be taken into the Church under a Notion of their being godly, and with Respect to such a Character appearing on them: And very often insists, that they themselves must make such a Pretence. (P. 55. c. d. e. |P. 132. a. c. d. e. P. 136. d. P. 143. c. ⟨p. 24⟩So he allows, that they must not only be endowed with Christian Piety in Appearance; but that they must be so in Profession. (P. 3. a. P. 41. e. P. 44. d.) That they make a Show of being wise Virgins by the Nature and Purport of their Profession. (P. 42. b.) And he insists with great Strenuousness, over and over, upon its being their Scheme, That they ought to make a Profession of real Saintship. (P 132. a. c. d.) Yea, he holds, that there must be not only some Visibility and Profession of real Piety, but moral Evidence of it. (P. 139. d.) He often uses Notes of Distinction, distinguishing between moral Sincerity, and real Piety; and insists much upon it as belonging to their Scheme; that there must be a Visibility of the latter, as thus distinguished from the former. So, he rejects with great Contempt any Suggestion of it's being the Scheme of my Opposers, that moral Sincerity is that Saintship, which is to be professed and made visible; and in Distinction from this, he asserts, that it is real Holiness. (P. 4. d. e. & P. 5. a. b.) And again (P. 35. c.) he uses a Note of Distinction, and insists that the Opposers of my Opinion hold, that Communicants must make a Profession of something […] common Grace and moral Sincerity. And again (P. 1• a.
That there should be a charitable Presumption, that the Spirit of God has taken hold of them, and turn'd their Hearts to God. (P. 52. c.) That they should be such Persons as are in the Eye of a Christian Judgment truly gracious Persons, supposed and believed in Charity to be those to whom God has given saving Repentance, and an Heart-purifying Faith; (P. 65. e. & P. 47. b. c.) Such as have the moral Image of Christ appearing in them, or supposed to be in them, and are to be loved on that Account. (P. 68. c.) He allows, that there ought to be some Apprehension, some Judgment of the Mind, that they are Christians & Saints, and have the moral Image of God in them. *(P. 68. c. d. e. P. 69. a. & 71. d.) He allows, that they must be taken into the Church under a Notion of their being godly, and with Respect to such a Character appearing on them: And very often insists, that they themselves must make such a Pretence. (P. 55. c. d. e. |P. 132. a. c. d. e. P. 136. d. P. 143. c. ⟨p. 24⟩So he allows, that they must not only be endowed with Christian Piety in Appearance; but that they must be so in Profession. (P. 3. a. P. 41. e. P. 44. d.) That they make a Shew of being wise Virgins by the Nature and Purport of their Profession. (P. 42. b.) And he insists with great Strenuousness, over and over, upon its being their Scheme, That they ought to make a Profession of real Saintship. (P 132. a. c. d.) Yea, he holds, that there must be not only some Visibility and Profession of real Piety, but moral Evidence of it. (P. 139. d.) He often uses Notes of Distinction, distinguishing between moral Sincerity, and real Piety; and insists much upon it as belonging to their Scheme; that there must be a Visibility of the latter, as thus distinguish'd from the former. So, he rejects with great Contempt any Suggestion of it's being the Scheme of my Opposers, that moral Sincerity is that Saintship, which is to be profess'd and made visible; and in Distinction from this, he asserts, that it is real Holiness. (P. 4. d. e. & P. 5. a. b.) And again (P. 35. c.) he uses a Note of Distinction, and insists that the Opposers of my Opinion hold, that Communicants must make a Profession of something 〈…〉 common Grace and moral Sincerity. And again (P. 1• a.
- *By this it appears, when Mr. W. speaks of the Church's rational Judgment that Persons have real Holiness, and the like, He don't mean merely a treating them as such, in public Administrations, and external Conduct: For here he speaks not of the external Conduct, but of the Apprehension of the Understanding, and Judgment of the Mind; and this as the Foundation of the Affection of the Heart.By this it appears, when Mr. W. speaks of the Church's rational Judgment that Persons have real Holiness, and the like, He don't mean meerly a treating them as such, in publick Administrations, and external Conduct: For here he speaks not of the external Conduct, but of the Apprehension of the Understanding, and Judgment of the Mind; and this as the Foundation of the Affection of the Heart.
- |Mr. W—ms's Words (P. 55. d. e.) are pretty remarkable: The Reader (says he) will judge, whether the Manner of Mr. Edwards's treating the Question, and representing the Opinion of Mr. Stoddard and others, in the Words I have quoted above, be not unaccountable; tho' this is neither the first nor the last Time of his treating the Matter in such a Manner: As if Mr. Stoddard and his Adherents supposed Persons were to be admitted without any Notion of their being godly, or any Respect to such a Character, appearing on them; and that they themselves are without such a Pretence.—Whereas, Mr. Stoddard expressly maintains, that Men may be duly qualified, and fit Matter for Church-Membership, without saving Grace. (Appeal, P. 15, 16.) And that they may and ought to come, tho' they know themselves to be in a natural Condition. (Doct. of instituted Churches, P. 21. See also his Sermon on the Subject, P. 13.) And according to Mr. Stoddard, Communicants are not so much as supposed godly Persons. This (Appeal P. 43) He says expressly, That by the Institution Communicants at the Lord's Supper are not supposed to be real Saints. And also asserts (Appeal P. 76.) That we are not obliged to believe visible Saints to be real Saints. And it seems by what he says in his Appeal (P. 17▪) the Church may admit Persons to Communion, when at the same Time they are aware that they are Hypocrites. For there, in Answer to Dr. Mather, who had cited certain Texts to prove, that when Hypocrites do come into the Church, they come in unawares; He says, But neither of the Places he cites prove that all Hypocrites come in unawares. And in the next Page he says, The Discovery of Men's Hypocrisy is not the Reason of their being cast out. Still evidently on the same Foundation, that some known Hypocrites are fit to be admitted; for he says, (P. 15. d.) Such as being admitted may not be cast out, are fit to be admitted. And these Things are agreeable to what I know Mr. Stoddard's Church and Congregation have universally supposed to be his constant Doctrine and Practice among them. Thus it was, without one dissenting Voice among them, during the 24 Years that I lived with them. And now the Reader is desired to judge, as Mr. W. would have him, Whether my representing it to be the Opinion of Mr. S. and his Adherents, that Persons might be admitted into the Church without any Notion of their being godly, or any Respect to such a Character appearing on Them, be unaccountable.— By these Things it is evident, Mr. S—d's Scheme was far from being what Mr. W. represents it to be, and pretends to maintain as his. And if the Question he had to controvert with me, were Mr. S—d's Question, as he asserts; yet he greatly mistakes the true State of the Question, tho' that be given as the Title of his Book.
