Mozley: A Treatise on the Augustinian Doctrine of

44 Examination of the CHAP. II.
sarily go along with the doctrine of predestination, because
it does not follow that if a particular person is predestined
to eternal life that therefore he should have the inward
sense or feeling that he is. The Divine decree may be
conducting him by sure steps all his life through
to final
glory, and he may not be aware of it ; for the only condition
necessary to being one of the elect, is goodness ; and a good
man may act without contemplating himself at all, or, if
he does, he may distrust himself. Predestinarians accord
ingly, both Augustine and his school, and modern ones,
so far as it is
have disowned the doctrine of assurance,
maintained in it that assurance is necessary for a Christian. 1
Secondly, assurance separated from a good life, and the
consciousness of resolution to persevere
in it, is unreasonable
and wicked. Thirdly, assurance united with both of these
and arising upon this foundation, is legitimate.
The sense or feeling, then, of predestination is, as has
1 As to what follows in your let
ter, concerning a person s believing
himself to be in a good state, and its
being properly of the nature of faith;
in this there seems to be some real
difference between us. But perhaps
there would be none, if distinctness
were well observed in the use of
words. If by a man s believing that
he is in a good estate, be meant no
more that his believing that he does
believe in Christ, love God, &c. ; I
think there is nothing of the nature
of faith in it ; because knowing or
believing it depends on our imme
diate sensation or consciousness, and
not on Divine testimony. True be
lievers in the hope they entertain of
salvation, make use of the following
syllogism, whosoever believes shall be
saved. I believe, therefore, fyc. As
senting to the major proposition is
properly of the nature of faith, be
cause the ground of my assent to
that is Divine testimony, but my as
sent to the minor proposition, I
humbly conceive, is not of the na
ture of faith, because that is not
grounded on Divine testimony, but on
my own consciousness. The testimony
that is the proper ground of faith
is in the word of God, Eom. x. 17.,
Faith cometh of hearing, and hear
ing of the word of God. There is
such a testimony given in the word
of God, as that he that believeth
shall be saved. But there is no such
testimony in the word of God, as
that such an individual person, in
such a town in Scotland or in New
England, believes. There is such a
proposition in Scripture, as that
Christ loves those that love Him, and
therefore this every one is bound to
believe or affirm. Believing thus on
Divine testimony is properly of the
nature of faith, and for any one to
doubt of it, is properly of the hein
ous sin of unbelief. But there is no
such proposition in the Scripture,
nor is it any part of the gospel of
Christ, that such an individual per
son in Northampton loves Christ.
Edwards, On the Eeligious Affec
tions, Letter 2. to Mr. Gillespie.