Strictures on Sandemanianism

Andrew Fuller's "Strictures on Sandemanianism" emerged from his deep concern over the teachings of Robert Sandeman and his followers, who had gained influence among some Baptist and Independent congregations in late eighteenth-century England. Sandemanians taught that saving faith consisted merely in intellectual assent to the truth of the gospel, rejecting any emphasis on emotional experience or moral transformation as evidence of genuine conversion. Fuller, as secretary of the Baptist Missionary Society and a leading voice in the Particular Baptist denomination, felt compelled to address what he saw as a dangerous reduction of biblical faith to bare intellectual acknowledgment.

Fuller's treatise systematically dismantles the Sandemanian position by demonstrating that biblical faith necessarily involves the whole person—intellect, affections, and will. He argues that true faith includes not only mental assent to gospel truths but also heartfelt trust in Christ and genuine repentance that produces moral change. Fuller carefully examines key biblical passages used by Sandemanians, showing how their interpretation strips faith of its transformative power and reduces the gospel to mere information. He contends that the Sandemanian view makes regeneration unnecessary and undermines the doctrine of sanctification, ultimately leading to antinomianism despite its adherents' protestations to the contrary.

This work demonstrates Fuller's skill as both a biblical theologian and a pastor concerned for practical godliness. His critique helped clarify evangelical understanding of the nature of saving faith during a period when various reductionist views threatened orthodox teaching. The treatise remains valuable for its careful biblical exegesis and its defense of faith as involving the entire human person in relationship with God. Pastors and theologians wrestling with intellectualist approaches to faith will find Fuller's arguments particularly relevant, while those interested in the development of evangelical doctrine in the early missionary era will appreciate its historical significance. Readers seeking a purely academic treatment may find Fuller's pastoral urgency and polemical tone less appealing than more dispassionate theological analysis.