Thomas Manton:
It is a pestilent opinion to think that every man may be saved if he do in the general acknowledge Christ. It is said, Acts 2:21, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved;” not “on the Lord,” but “on the name of the Lord.” By the name of the Lord is meant all that which shall be revealed to us of the Lord Jesus in the scriptures. The meaning is, whosoever doth receive, acknowledge, and worship Christ, according to what the scriptures do reveal and testify of him, shall be saved. Many think the differences of Christendom vain, and this general faith enough; but if a general acknowledgment were enough, why hath God revealed so many things, and given us such an ample rule, if with safety to salvation we may be ignorant whether he were true God and true man; whether he redeemed us by satisfaction, or justified us by works, yea or no? They seem to tax the scriptures of redundances, and the apostles of rash zeal, for disputing with such earnestness for the faith of the saints, as Paul against Justiciaries, James against the Antinomists and Libertines, if a general profession of Christ was enough. So they tax the martyrs of folly, that would shed their blood for less-concerning articles. So all be resolved into Christ, men think it is enough: we need not inquire into the manner of the application of his righteousness, the efficacy and merit of his passion; as if it were enough to hold a few generals, and the more implicit our faith the better. Whereas the Lord would have us to abound in knowledge; and if we persist in any particular error against light, or do not search it out, our case is dangerous, if not damnable.
I particularly found it helpful the way he distinguished between calling "on the Lord" and calling "on the name of the Lord."
