Christian | Husband| Father | Reformed or Particular Baptist | 1689 Confession | 🇳🇬🇬🇧 "Sovereign grace over sin abounding!" - John Kent
London, England
Joined March 2024
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The distinction between "absolute certainty" and "moral certainty" is an important one to remember in conversations regarding the subjects of baptism.
That Particular Baptist retweeted
What a sad anniversary! How many millions of unborn children have been slaughtered in the UK as a result of this horrific legislation being passed? May the Lord have mercy on this benighted land and grant awakening & revival. Come Lord Jesus
'The instrumental cause of justification is faith. We are justified by faith correlatively, that is, we are justified by that which is the correlate of faith, namely, the obedience of Christ. The meaning is, 'tis the obedience of Christ, not faith itself, that justifieth, i.e. that which is apprehended, not that which doth apprehend.'
- John Norton
“He that hath knowledge spareth his words: And a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: And he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”
Proverbs 17:27-28 KJV
That Particular Baptist retweeted
Things are getting a bit Gregorian around here.
“… the whole of Scripture was indeed written for us but not all of it is understood by us.
So many truths were written there simply, to nourish children, but some in obscure sayings that they may occupy the strong, since things understood with effort are the more welcome.
But some things in it are closed so that when we do not understand them, recognizing the weakness of our blindness, we may advance to humility rather than to intelligence.”
That Particular Baptist retweeted
kindly click this link to register now: bit.ly/lagosbibleconference2… – at Lagos, Nigeria
'Why Hanserd Knollys and others wrote a forward to it, is up for debate.'
It is not up for debate, there is no need to cast doubt upon their own stated reason. We can take them at their word:
'The main Arguments that are made use of by Pædobaptists for the support of their Practice herein, are taken from the Covenant with Abraham, Gen. 17. 2, 3, 4, &c. Some of themselves confessing, That Arguments taken from the Baptizing of whole Families, from Christ's blessing little Children, and from 1 Cor. 7. 14. have no weight in them. And as for those Arguments which are taken from the Covenant made with Abraham above-mentioned, several of our learned Authors have thoroughly examined, and sufficiently answered. 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩, 𝙒𝙄𝙏𝙃𝙊𝙐𝙏 𝙄𝙉𝙅𝙐𝙍𝙔 𝙏𝙊 𝙏𝙍𝙐𝙏𝙃, 𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙈𝙚𝙣'𝙨 𝙒𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙢, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙙. 𝙔𝙚𝙩 𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙤 𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙪𝙥𝙤𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙇𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨.
We freely acknowledge, that many learned and holy Men, whom we much honour, do differ from us in the point of Baptism, yet we must not let go any Truth of God for their sakes: 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙮 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙨𝙤 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙧𝙙'𝙨 𝙋𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮; and then Sion's Builders shall no more take a Stone for a Corner, nor a Stone for a Foundation of Babylon's Rubbish.
𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙬 (𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧) 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙤 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙒𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙏𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙂𝙤𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙡 𝙊𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚; 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙟𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮, 𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙮 𝙎𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙, 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙩, 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩. *𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙙 𝘿𝙚𝙞 𝙚𝙨𝙩, 𝙖𝙜𝙣𝙤𝙨𝙘𝙚, & 𝙦𝙪𝙤𝙙 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙨𝙩, 𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙤𝙨𝙘𝙚.* 𝙄𝙛 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙂𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩, 𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝙈𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙗𝙮, 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙡'𝙨 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨.
William Kiffin [Pastor, Devonshire-square, London - signer of 2LBCF]
Rob Steed [Pastor, Broken Wharf, London - signer of the 2LBCF]
John Harris [Pastor, Joiner's Hall, London - signer of the 2LBCF]
Benjamin Keach [Pastor, Horse-lie-down, Southwark - signer of 2LBCF]
Richard Adams [Minister, Shad Thames, Southwark - signer of 2LBCF]'
Note: One of the signers to the preface to the reader, John Harris, is the one who requested the publication from the printers (see image).
While you're at it, read the whole of Cary's work titled "A Solemn Call" (1690) and his response to Flavel called "A Just Reply" (1690).
Hercules Collins [Pastor, Wapping, London - signer of 2LBCF] makes positive reference to Cary in "Believer's Baptism from Heaven" (1691).
What if a member of the 1689 London Baptist GA got into a debate on covenant theology and baptism with a puritan neighbor? What if it was published? What if that puritan was John Flavel, and his absolute dismantling of Philip Cary is included in Vol 6 of Flavel's works (Vindiciae Legis et Foederi)?
Unfortunately, Cary's view of the Old Covenant as a Covenant of Works for Justification is not the 1689 Federalist view. Why Hanserd Knollys and others wrote a forward to it, is up for debate. Regardless, the 1689 Federalist position is that the Old Covenant was a Covenant of Works for the promises of land and prosperity.
This leads to much of Flavel's argument falling on a strawman of Cary's own making, regarding justification by faith. However, Flavel's critique of a Covenant of Works after the fall is still one of the best available.
Benjamin Keach also wrote in Cary's defense in a work titled "Believer's Baptism or Love to the Ancient Britains Displayed", from Pg. 54 to 58 (1696).
Works linked here:
A Solem Call - I can send you the PDF.
A Just Reply to Mr J. Flavell's Arguments [in his"Vindiciae Legis"], by way of answer to a Discourse [by P. Cary]... entituled a Solemn Call ... Together with a reply to Mr. Joseph Whiston's Reflections on the forementioned discourse in a ... tract ... entituled, The Right Method for the proving of Infants Baptism, etc, Philip CARY (Apothecary).
play.google.com/store/books/…
All of Cary's works have been published for the first time in one volume by @BaptistBooks.
Believers-Baptism from Heaven, and of Divine Institution. Infants-Baptism from Earth, and Human Invention. Proved from the commission of Christ ... With a brief, yet sufficient answer to Thomas Wall's book, called, Baptism anatomized. Together with a brief answer to a part of Mr. Daniel Williams's Catechism, in his Book unto youth, Hercules Collins.
play.google.com/store/books/…
Light broke forth in Wales, expelling Darkness; or the Englishman's Love to the Antient Britains. Being an answer to a book, intituled, Children's Baptism from Heaven; ... by Mr J. Owen, etc, Benjamin KEACH.
play.google.com/store/books/…
That Particular Baptist retweeted
"But thousands are Papists in heart who are Protestants in creed."
- J.C. Philpot on Jeremiah 8:22
That Particular Baptist retweeted
This is a helpful book from @BaptistBooks. A paedobaptist turned Baptist, and a treatment we’d expect from James Haldane.
'Article 16
Although a true believer, whether baptized or unbaptized, is in the state of salvation, and shall certainly be saved; yet in obedience to the command of Christ every believer ought to desire baptism, and to yield himself to be baptized according to the rule of Christ in His Word. And where this obedience is in faith performed, there Christ makes this His ordinance a means of unspeakable benefit to the believing soul (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21). And a true believer that here sees the command of Christ lying upon him, cannot allow himself in disobedience thereunto (Acts 24:16).'
- Benjamin Cox, An Appendix to a Confession of Faith (1646)
That Particular Baptist retweeted
Check out this post on Nextdoor: nextdoor.co.uk/p/Dz7xb6-jfdt…
That Particular Baptist retweeted
Corporate worship and church membership:
“What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.”
Psalm 116:12-14
That Particular Baptist retweeted
If Andrew Fuller saw the state of the West today he would not be surprised:
'The human heart has ever been averse from the gospel of Christ, but the turn or temper of the present age is peculiarly in favour of infidelity. In much the same manner as in former ages men were violently attached to a persecuting superstition, they are now verging to the opposite extreme, and are in danger of throwing off all religion. Our temptations, and those which will attend our posterity after us, are likely, therefore, to be widely different from what they have hitherto hitherto been. Hitherto nominal Christianity has been no reproach; but reproach has attached itself to the other side. The case, in this respect, may soon be altered. Men grow bold in avowing their contempt of Christianity; and many among the dissipated part of the youth are following their example. Now if characters of this description should spring up in sufficient numbers, not only to keep each other in countenance, but to turn the tide of reproach against Christians, as a company of wrong-headed enthusiasts, we shall soon see which side the mass of mankind will take. Their characters being loose and profligate, they have long felt themselves condemned by the gospel; and this is a matter that does not sit very easy upon them. Nothing has kept them from rejecting it before but the disgrace that would follow upon their becoming open infidels; whenever, therefore, this disgrace shall be removed, we may expect them to go off in great companies. The slightest observation of human nature must convince us that the greater part of mankind, even in religious matters, are governed by fashion; n; they go with "the course of this world." So great an influence has the tide of public opinion upon them, that even where it is not altogether agreeable to their own views and inclinations, they are, nevertheless, frequently carried away by it; but if it be thus where public opinion and private inclination are at variance, it must, of course, be much more so in those cases wherein they are agreed. This will be like a union of the wind and tide; and the vessel which is carried along by such a joint influence can scarcely have any thing left to impede its progress.'
‘The Nature and Importance of a Deep and Intimate Knowledge of Divine Truth’, in The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller (1856), p. 563.
That Particular Baptist retweeted
'It is not unlikely that almost all our religious controversies will soon be reduced to one, upon which the great body of men will divide. Is Christianity true or false? Is there a God? Is there a heaven and a hell? or is it all a fiction? Agitated by these important questions, the greater part of the inhabitants of Europe, and perhaps of America, including our own posterity, may rank either as real Christians or as open infidels.
What shall we say to these things? Ought they to depress us? We ought, undoubtedly, to feel for the welfare of men's souls, and cannot but feel for those who are more intimately connected with us; but upon any other principle I know not that they ought to have any such effect upon us. God is upon his throne; his church is upon a rock: whatever "hour of temptation may be coming upon the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth, those who hold fast the word of his patience will be kept through it." "All things work together for good to them that love God." With these views Christians may rejoice, and rejoice always.'
Andrew Fuller, ‘The Nature and Importance of a Deep and Intimate Knowledge of Divine Truth’, in The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller (1856), p. 563.
If Andrew Fuller saw the state of the West today he would not be surprised:
'The human heart has ever been averse from the gospel of Christ, but the turn or temper of the present age is peculiarly in favour of infidelity. In much the same manner as in former ages men were violently attached to a persecuting superstition, they are now verging to the opposite extreme, and are in danger of throwing off all religion. Our temptations, and those which will attend our posterity after us, are likely, therefore, to be widely different from what they have hitherto hitherto been. Hitherto nominal Christianity has been no reproach; but reproach has attached itself to the other side. The case, in this respect, may soon be altered. Men grow bold in avowing their contempt of Christianity; and many among the dissipated part of the youth are following their example. Now if characters of this description should spring up in sufficient numbers, not only to keep each other in countenance, but to turn the tide of reproach against Christians, as a company of wrong-headed enthusiasts, we shall soon see which side the mass of mankind will take. Their characters being loose and profligate, they have long felt themselves condemned by the gospel; and this is a matter that does not sit very easy upon them. Nothing has kept them from rejecting it before but the disgrace that would follow upon their becoming open infidels; whenever, therefore, this disgrace shall be removed, we may expect them to go off in great companies. The slightest observation of human nature must convince us that the greater part of mankind, even in religious matters, are governed by fashion; n; they go with "the course of this world." So great an influence has the tide of public opinion upon them, that even where it is not altogether agreeable to their own views and inclinations, they are, nevertheless, frequently carried away by it; but if it be thus where public opinion and private inclination are at variance, it must, of course, be much more so in those cases wherein they are agreed. This will be like a union of the wind and tide; and the vessel which is carried along by such a joint influence can scarcely have any thing left to impede its progress.'
‘The Nature and Importance of a Deep and Intimate Knowledge of Divine Truth’, in The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller (1856), p. 563.
That Particular Baptist retweeted
I would that more predominantly black churches today were aware of these great men, but I doubt that most even know who they are, perhaps with the exception of Richard Allen in the A.M.E. denomination.
That Particular Baptist retweeted
"The Amyraldian humanization of God was the threat to orthodoxy most vigorously resisted by Francis Turretin."
James Dennison Jr., "The Twilight of Scholasticism: Francis Turretin at the Dawn of the Enlightenment," Protestant Scholasticism, eds. Carl Trueman and R. Scott Clark
'It is not unlikely that almost all our religious controversies will soon be reduced to one, upon which the great body of men will divide. Is Christianity true or false? Is there a God? Is there a heaven and a hell? or is it all a fiction? Agitated by these important questions, the greater part of the inhabitants of Europe, and perhaps of America, including our own posterity, may rank either as real Christians or as open infidels.
What shall we say to these things? Ought they to depress us? We ought, undoubtedly, to feel for the welfare of men's souls, and cannot but feel for those who are more intimately connected with us; but upon any other principle I know not that they ought to have any such effect upon us. God is upon his throne; his church is upon a rock: whatever "hour of temptation may be coming upon the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth, those who hold fast the word of his patience will be kept through it." "All things work together for good to them that love God." With these views Christians may rejoice, and rejoice always.'
Andrew Fuller, ‘The Nature and Importance of a Deep and Intimate Knowledge of Divine Truth’, in The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller (1856), p. 563.
If Andrew Fuller saw the state of the West today he would not be surprised:
'The human heart has ever been averse from the gospel of Christ, but the turn or temper of the present age is peculiarly in favour of infidelity. In much the same manner as in former ages men were violently attached to a persecuting superstition, they are now verging to the opposite extreme, and are in danger of throwing off all religion. Our temptations, and those which will attend our posterity after us, are likely, therefore, to be widely different from what they have hitherto hitherto been. Hitherto nominal Christianity has been no reproach; but reproach has attached itself to the other side. The case, in this respect, may soon be altered. Men grow bold in avowing their contempt of Christianity; and many among the dissipated part of the youth are following their example. Now if characters of this description should spring up in sufficient numbers, not only to keep each other in countenance, but to turn the tide of reproach against Christians, as a company of wrong-headed enthusiasts, we shall soon see which side the mass of mankind will take. Their characters being loose and profligate, they have long felt themselves condemned by the gospel; and this is a matter that does not sit very easy upon them. Nothing has kept them from rejecting it before but the disgrace that would follow upon their becoming open infidels; whenever, therefore, this disgrace shall be removed, we may expect them to go off in great companies. The slightest observation of human nature must convince us that the greater part of mankind, even in religious matters, are governed by fashion; n; they go with "the course of this world." So great an influence has the tide of public opinion upon them, that even where it is not altogether agreeable to their own views and inclinations, they are, nevertheless, frequently carried away by it; but if it be thus where public opinion and private inclination are at variance, it must, of course, be much more so in those cases wherein they are agreed. This will be like a union of the wind and tide; and the vessel which is carried along by such a joint influence can scarcely have any thing left to impede its progress.'
‘The Nature and Importance of a Deep and Intimate Knowledge of Divine Truth’, in The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller (1856), p. 563.
If Andrew Fuller saw the state of the West today he would not be surprised:
'The human heart has ever been averse from the gospel of Christ, but the turn or temper of the present age is peculiarly in favour of infidelity. In much the same manner as in former ages men were violently attached to a persecuting superstition, they are now verging to the opposite extreme, and are in danger of throwing off all religion. Our temptations, and those which will attend our posterity after us, are likely, therefore, to be widely different from what they have hitherto hitherto been. Hitherto nominal Christianity has been no reproach; but reproach has attached itself to the other side. The case, in this respect, may soon be altered. Men grow bold in avowing their contempt of Christianity; and many among the dissipated part of the youth are following their example. Now if characters of this description should spring up in sufficient numbers, not only to keep each other in countenance, but to turn the tide of reproach against Christians, as a company of wrong-headed enthusiasts, we shall soon see which side the mass of mankind will take. Their characters being loose and profligate, they have long felt themselves condemned by the gospel; and this is a matter that does not sit very easy upon them. Nothing has kept them from rejecting it before but the disgrace that would follow upon their becoming open infidels; whenever, therefore, this disgrace shall be removed, we may expect them to go off in great companies. The slightest observation of human nature must convince us that the greater part of mankind, even in religious matters, are governed by fashion; n; they go with "the course of this world." So great an influence has the tide of public opinion upon them, that even where it is not altogether agreeable to their own views and inclinations, they are, nevertheless, frequently carried away by it; but if it be thus where public opinion and private inclination are at variance, it must, of course, be much more so in those cases wherein they are agreed. This will be like a union of the wind and tide; and the vessel which is carried along by such a joint influence can scarcely have any thing left to impede its progress.'
‘The Nature and Importance of a Deep and Intimate Knowledge of Divine Truth’, in The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller (1856), p. 563.
'If a writer start up, in almost any connexion [denomination], let his performance be ever so weak or extravagant, yet, if he possess but a sufficient quantity of overbearing assurance, he will have his admirers; and some serious people, too, will be in danger of being turned aside. How are these things to be accounted for? I conceive the principal reason is, that Christians content themselves with a superficial knowledge of Divine things. Great numbers, from a dislike to controversy, will never take any pains to understand the difference between one set of religious principles and another. They have no desire to enable themselves to distinguish between true and false reasonings. They are too apt to take it for granted that what they have imbibed is truth, and that nothing can be advanced, with the least colour of reason, for the contrary: when, therefore, an argument appears with a little plausibility on its face, it has only to obtain a reading or a hearing, and their assent is gained.'
- Andrew Fuller, ‘The Nature and Importance of a Deep and Intimate Knowledge of Divine Truth’, in The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller (1856), p. 562.
