“To believe in vain, then, is to hold, along with the truth, some error which undermines it, makes it void and of no effect. And the same Apostle shows us at large, in his epistle to the Galatians, that however zealous Christians we may be, if we add to Christ’s death any requisite whatsoever in the matter of acceptance with God, Christ shall profit us nothing, Christ is become of no effect unto us. In general, the apostles ascribe every opinion or practice which they condemn to some error in faith, or a lie held in the place of the truth, 1 John i, 8, and ii, 4” (Sandeman).
Calls to mind the popular Calvinist doctrine of ADDING “non-meritorious conditions” to the work of Jesus Christ.
“Among those who appear to have the same faith with the apostles, we are not allowed to make any difference, till some event make that difference appear. Some are said to believe only for a time, while others believe to the saving of the soul. Though, during the time that the former are said to believe, we can by no means distinguish them from the latter; yet Jesus Christ plainly intimates to us, that there is a real difference, even at the first instance, betwixt the faith of the former and that of the latter. The only use, then, that this intimation can serve for, while appearances are good, is to lead every man to examine himself, and prove his own work. The real difference I speak of, is pointed forth in the parable of the sower, Matthew xiii. In distinction from all who believe only for a while, to believe in vain, he who believes unto the saving of the soul is thus described, v. 23: But he that received seed into the good ground, is he that heareth the word, and UNDERSTANDETH IT, &c” (Sandeman).
Calls to my mind this (seemingly) idiosyncratic heretic:
Sandeman:
“Those others may appear to men to understand the word of faith as clearly as the last. Their faith may have the same marks with his, of being genuine. It may be attended with the same signs of repentance, with the same expressions of desire and joy, or the same appearances of hope and love; while yet they do not understand the word of faith as he does. They do not understand how the bare word of faith, or Christ’s death alone, can give them peace with God, without some pious requisite or other, which they secretly either hope to attain, or presume they have already acquired. Some secret notion of the necessity of some difference betwixt themselves and others, is lodged in their minds along with the knowledge they have of the truth. And though the new knowledge they have got may make many warm and kindly impressions on their hearts, and show itself in many amiable appearances in their lives; yet the little old leaven which is still retained, however much it may lie hid for a time, will, by degrees, leaven the whole lump. Their whole religion will become subservient to the darling reserve made for their pride, and it will require only a proper temptation to lay them open” (Sandeman).
A fairly comprehensive account of one professor of the gospel who was “laid open”:
Agrammatos 