Qualifications for Communion in Vol I of the Works - Edwards - VI - Part III commenced

Required readingInquiry Concerning Qualifications for Communion in Vol I of the Works by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Commence Part III by reading Objections I to III.

My summary.

Today we begin a new part in which Edwards answers objections that are raised in support of admitting unbelievers to the Lord's Supper.

Today we read three objections and their answers:

(i) The Scripture calls the members of the visible church by the name of disciples, scholars, or learners so reason shows that no other qualifications are necessary in order to being members of this school, than such a faith and disposition of mind as are requisite to persons' putting themselves under Christ as their Master and Teacher, and subjecting themselves to the orders of the school;

(ii) Visible saintship in the scripture sense cannot be the same with that which has been supposed and insisted on, because Israel of old were called God's people, when it is certain the greater part of them were far from having any such visible holiness as this.;

(iii) Those in Israel, who made no profession of piety of heart, did according to divine institution partake of the passover; a Jewish sacrament, representing the same things, and a seal of the very same covenant of grace, with the Lord's supper.

What grabbed me

I appreciated this comment in relation to the passover argument: 'But further, I reply, that God required them all to keep the passover, no more strictly than he required them all to love the Lord their God with their whole heart. And if God might strictly command this, he might also strictly command them to keep that ordinance wherein they were especially to profess it, and seal their profession of it. That evil generation were not expressly forbidden to keep the passover in succeeding years, for the whole forty years during which they went on provoking God, very often by gross sin and open rebellion; but still the express and strict commands for the whole congregation to keep the passover reached them, nor were they released from their obligation.'

Despite what they may have thought, those who ate the passover weren't exempt from God's other commands!

Next week's reading

Continue Part III by reading Objections IV to IX.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.