Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from The Works of President Edwards, Vol. 5 of 8: Containing I. Inquiry Into the Modern Prevailing Notions of Freedom and Will; II. Miscellaneous Observations Concerning the Divine Decrees in General and Election in Particular; III. Concerning Efficacious Grace
Alf/in Y find much fault with the calling [zrqfessing Christians, that difi'er one from another in some matters qfo/zin ion, by distinct names; es/zecially calling them by the names of ?articular men, who have distinguished themselves as maintainers and [tromoters of those o/zinions as the calling some jtrofessing Christians Arminians, fr0m Arminius others Ariana/rain iri us others Socinians, from Socinus, and the like. They think it unjust in itself; as it seems to sufifiose and suggest, that the {zer sons marked out by these names, received those doctrines which they entertain, out of regard to, and reliance on, those men after whom they are named as though they made them their rule in the same manner, as the followers of Christ are called Christ isms after his name, whom they regard and de/zend u/zon, as their great Head and Rule. Whereas, this is an unjust and groundless imjzutation on those that go-under the forementioned denominations. Thus say they) there is not the least ground to sufi/zose that the chief Divines, who embrace the scheme of doc trine which is, by many, called Arminianism, believe it the more, because Arminius believed it and that there is no reason to think any other, than that they sincerely and im/zartially study the holy Scrifitures, and inquire after the mind of Christ, with as much judgment and sincerity, as any of those'that call them by these names that they seek a?er truth, and are not careful whether they think exactly as Arminius did yea, that, in some things, they actually di?'er from him. This [tractice is also es teemed actually injurious on this account, that it is su/zjzosed nat urally to lead the multitude to imagine the difi'erence between fiersons thus named and others, to be greater than it is yea, as though it were so great, that they must be, as it were, another s/zecies of beings. Find they object against it as arisingfrom an uncharitable, narrow, contracted s/tirit which, they say, com mouly inclines {tersons to confine all that is good to themselves, and their own fiarty, and to make a wide distinction between themselves and others, and stigmatize those that difi'cr from them, with odious names. They say, moreover, that the kee/zing u/t such a distinction ofnames has a direct tendency to a/thold dis tance and disa?'ection, and keen alive mutual hatred among Christians, who ought all to be united in friendshifi and charity, however they cannot, in all things, think alike.
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