A sober discourse of right to church-communion

Suppose a Person desires to sit down as a Member of the Church, as thinking he hath a true Faith, and a Right to the Privilege in the Church, when yet he can give no satisfactory demonstration of either; will any think the Church ought to receive him because he hath that good persuasion of himself, when they themselves are satisfied that what he declares is insufficient by the Rule, to make out his Right? Or will any judgment of Charity warrant such a proceeding? Certainly no; and yet the Reason is the same for the latter, as for the former. Besides the Consequence to the party that should be so Admitted to the Supper upon his conceit that he is Baptized is very dangerous, and must needs build him up in a conceit that he hath that which indeed he hath not. God of old gave this charge, that a stumbling-block must ⟨p. 128⟩not be put in the way of the blind, and surely a greater stumbling-block cannot be put in such mens way to hinder their inquiry after the True Baptism of Christ then to admit of that supposition, which the Church knoweth is not true. For having now the enjoyment of all the privileges of the House of God, they hereby are for ever careless of making any further Inquiry: and I heartily wish that this may be seriously considered by those that exercise this groundless Charity.

Suppose a Person desires to sit down as a Member of the Church, as thinking he hath a true Faith, and a Right to the Priviledge in the Church, when yet he can give no satisfactory demonstration of either; will any think the Church ought to receive him because he hath that good persuasion of himself, when they themselves are satisfied that what he declares is insufficient by the Rule, to make out his Right? Or will any judgment of Charity warrant such a proceeding? Certainly no; and yet the Reason is the same for the latter, as for the former. Besides the Consequence to the party that should be so Admitted to the Supper upon his conceit that he is Baptized is very dangerous, and must needs build him up in a conceit that he hath that which indeed he hath not. God of old gave this charge, that a stumbling-block must not⟨p. 128⟩be put in the way of the blind, and surely a greater stumbling-block cannot be put in such mens way to hinder their inquiry after the True Baptism of Christ then to admit of that supposition, which the Church knoweth is not true. For having now the enjoyment of all the priviledges of the House of God, they hereby are for ever careless of making any further Inquiry: and I heartily wish that this may be seriously considered by those that exercise this groundless Charity.