I deny the major. They might first apprehend, then assent, then confide, then love, and yet receive faith in a moment: In that moment, wherein their general confidence became particular, so that each could say, “My Lord, and my God.”
One paragraph more I will be at the pains to transcribe. “You insinuate, that the sacraments are only requisite to the well-being of a visible church: Whereas the church declares, that the due administration of them, is an essential property thereof. I suppose you hinted this to gratify your loving disciples the Quakers.”
This is flat and plain. Here is a fact positively averred: and a reason also assigned for it. Now do you take yourself to be a man of candor, I had almost said, of common honesty? My very words in the place referred to, are, “A visible church is a company of faithful people. This is the essence of it. And the properties thereof are, That the pure word of God be preached therein, and the sacraments duly administered.”
7. Before I take my leave, I cannot but recommend to you that advice of a wise and good man,
“Be calm in arguing; for fierceness makes
Error a fault, and truth discourtesy.”
I am grieved at your extreme warmth: You are in a thorough ill-humour from the very beginning of your book to the end. This cannot hurt me. But it may yourself. And it does not at all help your cause. If you denounce against me all the curses from Genesis to the Revelation, they will not amount to one argument. I am willing (so far as I know myself) to be reproved either by you or any other. But whatever you do let it be done in love, in patience, in meekness of wisdom.
V. 1. With regard to the author of faith and salvation, abundance of objections have been made: It being a current opinion, that “Christians are not now to receive the Holy Ghost.”
Accordingly, whenever we speak of the Spirit of God, of his operations on the souls of men, of his revealing unto us the things of God, or inspiring us with good desires or tempers: whenever we mention the feeling his mighty power, working in us, according to his good pleasure: The general answer we have to expect is, “This is rank enthusiasm. So it was with the apostles and first christians. But only enthusiasts pretend to this now.”
Thus all the scriptures, abundance of which might be produced, are set aside at one stroke. And whoever cites them, as belonging to all Christians, is set down for an enthusiast.