Qualifications for Communion in Vol I of the Works - Edwards - VIII - Part III continued

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

My summary.

Today Edwards answers more objections to his teaching that only those who profess faith should be accepted to the Lord's table.

Today's objections are:

(i) It will bring God's own people into perplexities;

(ii) You may as well say that unsanctified persons may not attend any duty of divine worship whatsoever;

(iii) The Lord's supper has a proper tendency to promote men's conversion;

(iv) All that are members of the visible church and in the external covenant, and neither ignorant nor scandalous, are commanded to perform all external covenant duties, and particularly they are commanded to attend the Lord's supper;

(v) Either unsanctified persons may lawfully come to the Lord's supper, or it is unlawful for them to carry themselves as saints;

(vi) This scheme will keep out of the church some true saints;

(vii) You cannot keep out hypocrites, when all is said and done; but as many graceless persons will be likely to get into the church in the way of a profession of godliness, as if nothing were insisted on, but a freedom from public scandal.

What grabbed me

I liked this answer to the objection that Edwards' proposal will cause distress to the saints: 'Answ. 1. It is for want of the like tenderness of conscience which the godly have, that the other doctrine which insists on moral sincerity, does not naturally bring those who are received to communion on those principles, into the same perplexities, through their doubting of their moral sincerity, of their believing mysteries with all their heart, &c. as has been already observed. And being free from perplexity, only through stupidity and hardness of heart, is worse than being in the greatest perplexity through tenderness of conscience.'

Perplixity is better than hardness of heart!

Next week's reading

Continue Part III by reading Objections XVII to XX.

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