Farewell Sermon 22 June 1750, Half title – Publishers advertisement
Mr. Edwards's Farewel-SERMON.
To his People at Northampton, June 22. 1750.
A FAREWEL-SERMON Preached at the first Precinct in NORTHAMPTON, After the People's publick Rejection of their Minister, and renouncing their Relation to Him as Pastor of the Church there, On June 22. 1750.
Occasion'd by Difference of Sentiments, concerning the requisite Qualifications of Members of the Church, in compleat Standing.
By Jonathan Edwards, A. M.
Acts xx.18.
Ye know, from the first Day that I came into Asia, after what Manner I have been with you, at all Seasons.
ver. 20.
And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you; but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from House to House.
ver. 26, 27.
Wherefore I take you to Record this Day, that I am pure from the Blood of all Men: For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the Counsel of God.
Gal. iv.15, 16.
Where is then the Blessedness ye spake of? For I bear you Record, that if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own Eyes, and have given them to me. Am I therefore become your Enemy, because I tell you the Truth?
BOSTON: Printed and Sold by S. KNEELAND over against the Prison in Queen-Street. 1751.
THE PREFACE.
'TIS not unlikely, that some of the Readers of the following Sermon may be inquisitive concerning the Circumstances of the Difference between Me and the People of Northampton, that issued in that Separation between Me and Them, which occasion'd the Preaching of this Farewel-Sermon. — There is, by no Means, Room here for a full Account of that Matter: But yet it seems to be proper, and even necessary, here to correct some gross Misrepresentations, which have been abundantly, and ('tis to be fear'd) by some affectedly and industriously made, of that Difference: Such as, That I insisted on Persons being assured of their being in a State of Salvation, in Order to my admitting them into the Church; that I required a particular Relation of the Method and Order of a Person's inward Experience, and of the Time and Manner of his Conversion, as the Test of his Fitness for Christian Communion; yea, that I have undertaken to set up a pure Church, and to make an exact and certain Distinction between Saints and Hypocrites, by a pretended infallible Discerning the State of Men's Souls; that in these Things I had fallen in with those wild People, who have lately appeared in New-England, called Separatists; and that I myself was become a grand Separatist; that I arrogated all the Power of judging of the Qualifications of Candidates for Communion wholly to myself, and insisted on acting by my sole Authority, in the Admission of Members into the Church, &c.
In Opposition to these slanderous Representations, I shall at present only give my Reader an Account of some Things which I laid before the Council, that separated between Me and my People, in Order to their having a just and full Account of my Principles, relating to the Affair in Controversy.
Long before the sitting of the Council, my People had sent to the Rev. Mr. CLARK of Salem-Village, desiring him to write in Opposition to my Principles. Which gave me Occasion to write to Mr. CLARK, that he might have true Information what my Principles were. And in the Time of the sitting of the Council, I did, for their Information, make a publick Declaration of my Principles before them and the Church, in the Meeting-House, of the same Import with that in my Letter to Mr. CLARK, and very much in the same Words. And then, afterwards, sent in to the Council in Writing, an Extract of that Letter, containing the Information I had given Mr. CLARK, in the very Words of my Letter to him, that the Council might read and consider it at their Leisure, and have a more certain and satisfactory Knowledge what my Principles were. The Extract which I sent in to them, was in the following Words.
I am often, and I don't know but pretty generally, in the Country, represented as of a new and odd Opinion with Respect to the Terms of Christian Communion, and as being for introducing a peculiar Way of my own. Whereas, I don't perceive that I differ at all from the Scheme of Dr. WATTS, in his Book entitled, The rational Foundation of a Christian Church, and the Terms of Christian Communion; which he says, is the common Sentiment and Practice of all reformed Churches. I had not seen this Book of Dr. WATTS'S when I publish'd what I have written on the Subject: But yet, I think my Sentiments, as I have express'd them, are as exactly agreeable to what he lays down, as if I had been his Pupil. Nor do I at all go beyond what Dr. DODDRIDGE plainly shews to be his Sentiments, in his Rise and Progress of Religion, and his Sermons on Regeneration, and his Paraphrase and Notes on the New-Testament. Nor indeed, Sir, when I consider the Sentiments you have express'd in your Letters to Major Pomroy and Mr. Billing, can I perceive but that they come exactly to the same Thing that I maintain. You suppose, the Sacraments are not converting Ordinances: But that, as Seals of the Covenant, they presuppose Conversion, especially in the Adult; and that it is visible Saintship, or in other Words, a credible Profession of Faith and Repentance, a solemn Consent to the Gospel-Covenant, join'd with a good Conversation, and competent Measure of Christian Knowledge, is what gives a Gospel-Right to all sacred Ordinances: But that it is necessary to those that come to these Ordinances, and in those that profess a Consent to the Gospel-Covenant, that they be sincere in their Profession, or at least should think themselves so. — The great Thing which I have scrupled in the establish'd Method of this Church's Proceeding, and which I dare no longer go on in, is their publickly assenting to the Form of Words rehearsed on Occasion of their Admission to the Communion, without pretending thereby to mean any such Thing as an hearty Consent to the Terms of the Gospel-Covenant, or to mean any such Faith or Repentance as belong to the Covenant of Grace, and are the grand Conditions of that Covenant: It being, at the same Time that the Words are used, their known and establish'd Principle, which they openly profess and proceed upon, that Men may and ought to use these Words, and mean no such Thing, but something else of a Nature far inferiour; which I think they have no distinct determinate Notion of; but something consistent with their knowing that they don't chuse God as their chief Good, but love the World more than Him, and that they do not give themselves up entirely to God, but make Reserves; and in short, knowing that they don't heartily consent to the Gospel-Covenant, but live still under the reigning Power of the Love of the World, and Enmity to God and Christ. So that the Words of their publick Profession, according to their openly establish'd Use, cease to be of the Nature of any Profession of Gospel-Faith and Repentance, or any proper Compliance with the Covenant: For 'tis their Profession, that the Words, as used, mean no such Thing. The Words used, under these Circumstances, do at least fail of being a credible Profession of these Things. — I can conceive of no such Vertue in a certain Sett of Words, that 'tis proper, meerly on the making these Sounds, to admit Persons to Christian Sacraments, without any Regard to any pretended Meaning of those Sounds: Nor can I think, that any Institution of Christ has establish'd any such Terms of Admission into the Christian Church. — It don't belong to the Controversy between Me and my People, how particular or large the Profession should be, that is required. I should not chuse to be confined to exact Limits as to that Matter: But rather than contend, I should content myself with a few Words, briefly expressing the cardinal Vertues or Acts implied in a hearty Compliance with the Covenant, made (as should appear by Enquiry into the Person's Doctrinal Knowledge) understandingly; if there were an external Conversation agreable thereto: Yea, I should think, that such a Person, solemnly making such a Profession, had a Right to be received as the Object of a publick Charity, however he himself might scruple his own Conversion, on Account of his not remembring the Time, not knowing the Method of his Conversion, or finding so much remaining Sin, &c. And (if his own Scruples did not hinder his coming to the Lord's Table) I should think the Minister or Church had no Right to debar such a Professour, tho' he should say he did not think himself converted. For I call that a Profession of Godliness, which is a Profession of the great Things wherein Godliness consists and not a Profession of his own Opinion of his good Estate.—
Northampton, May 7. 1750.
Thus far my Letter to Mr. CLARK.
The Council having heard that I had made certain Draughts of the Covenant, or Forms of a publick Profession of Religion, which I stood ready to accept of from the Candidates for Church-Communion, they, for their further Information, sent for them. Accordingly I sent them four distinct Draughts or Forms, which I had drawn up about a Twelve-Month before, as what I stood ready to accept of (any one of them) rather than contend, and break with my People.
The two shortest of these Forms are here inserted for the Satisfaction of the Reader. They are as follows.
I hope I do truly find a Heart to give up myself wholly to God, according to the Tenour of that Covenant of Grace, which was seal'd in my Baptism; and to walk in a Way of that Obedience to all the Commandments of God, which the Covenant of Grace requires, as long as I live.
Another,
I hope I truly find in my Heart a Willingness to comply with all the Commandments of God, which require me to give up myself wholly to Him, and to serve Him with my Body and my Spirit. And do accordingly now Promise to walk in a Way of Obedience to all the Commandments of God, as long as I live.
Such Kind of Professions as these I stood ready to accept, rather than contend and break with my People. Not but that I think it much more convenient, that ordinarily the publick Profession of Religion, that is made by Christians, should be much fuller and more particular. And that (as I hinted in my Letter to Mr. CLARK) I should not chuse to be tied up to any certain Form of Words, but to have Liberty to vary the Expressions of a publick Profession, the more exactly to suit the Sentiments and Experience of the Professour, that it might be a more just and free Expression of what each one finds in his Heart.
And moreover it must be noted, that I ever insisted on it, that it belonged to me as a Pastor, before a Profession was accepted, to have full Liberty to instruct the Candidate in the Meaning of the Terms of it, and in the Nature of the Things proposed to be professed; and to enquire into his Doctrinal Understanding of these Things, according to my best Discretion; and to caution the Person, as I should think needful, against Rashness in making such a Profession, or doing it mainly for the Credit of himself or his Family, or from any secular Views whatsoever, and to put him on serious Self-Examination, and searching his own Heart, and Prayer to God to search and enlighten him, that he may not be hypocritical and deceived in the Profession he makes; withal pointing forth to him the many Ways in which Professours are liable to be deceived.
Nor do I think it improper for a Minister in such a Case, to inquire and know of the Candidate what can be remembered of the Circumstances of his Christian Experience; as this may tend much to illustrate his Profession, and give a Minister great Advantage for proper Instructions: thô a particular Knowledge and Remembrance of the Time and Method of the first Conversion to God, is not to be made the Test of a Person's Sincerity, nor insisted on as necessary in Order to his being received into full Charity. Not that I think it at all improper or unprofitable, that in some special Cases, a Declaration of the particular Circumstances of a Person's first Awakening, and the Manner of his Convictions, Illuminations and Comforts, should be publickly exhibited before the whole Congregation, on Occasion of his Admission into the Church; tho' this be not demanded as necessary to Admission. I ever declared against insisting on a Relation of Experiences, in this Sense (viz. a Relation of the particular Time and Steps of the Operation of the Spirit, in first Conversion) as the Term of Communion: Yet, if by a Relation of Experiences be meant a Declaration of Experience of the great Things wrought, wherein true Grace and the essential Acts and Habits of Holiness consist; in this Sense, I think an Account of a Person's Experiences necessary in Order to his Admission into full Communion in the Church. But that in whatever Enquiries are made, and whatever Account is given, neither Minister nor Church are to set up themselves as Searchers of Hearts, but are to accept the serious solemn Profession of the Well-instructed Professour, of a good Life, as best able to determine what he finds in his own Heart.
These Things may serve in some Measure to set right those of my Readers, who have been misled in their Apprehensions of the State of the Controversy between me and my People, by the foremention'd Misrepresentations.
Advertisement. Sold by S. Kneeland in Queenstreet, over against the Prison, Boston.
AN Humble Inquiry into the Rules of the Word of GOD, concerning the Qualifications requisite to a compleat Standing and full Communion in the visible Christian Church. By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the first Church in Northampton. With an Appendix by Mr. Foxcroft.