Truth and innocence vindicated in a survey of a discourse concerning ecclesiastical polity, and…

I confess this passage at its first perusal surprised me with some amazement. It was unexpected to me, that he who designed all along to charge his Adversaries with Pharisaism, and to render them like unto them, should instance in their Confession of Sin in their prayers, when it is even a Characteristical note of the Pharisees, that in their prayers they made no confession of sin at all. But it was far more strange to me, that any man durst undertake the reproaching of poor sinners with the deepest acknowledgement of their sins before the holy God, that they are capable to conceive or utter. Is this, thought I, the Spirit of the men with whom the Non-Conformists ⟨p. 24⟩do contend, and upon whose Instance alone they suffer? Are these their Apprehensions concerning God, sin, themselves and others? Is this the Spirit wherewith the Children of the Church are acted? Are these things suited to the principles, Doctrines, practices of the Church of England? Such reproaches and reflections indeed, might have been justly expected from those poor deluded souls, who dream themselves perfect and free from sin; but to meet with such a Treaty from them who say or sing, O God the Father of Heaven, have mercy upon us miserable sinners, at least three times a Week, was some surprisal. However I am sure, the Non-Conformists need return no other answer to them who reproach them for vilifying themselves in their Confessions to God, but that of David to Michal, It is before the Lord, and we will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in our own sight. Our Author makes no small stir with the pretended censures of some whom he opposes; namely, that they should esteem themselves and their Party to be the Elect of God, all others to be reprobates, themselves and theirs to be godly, and all others ungodly; wherein I am satisfied, that he unduly chargeth those whom he intends to reflect upon: ⟨p. 25⟩However I am none of them; I do not judge any Party to be All the Elect of God, or all the Elect of God to be confined unto any Party; I judge no man living to be a Reprobate, though I doubt not but that there are living men in that condition; I confine not holiness or godliness to any Party; not to the Church of England, nor to any of those who dissent from it;

I confess this passage at its first perusal surprized me with some amazement. It was unexpected to me, that he who designed all along to charge his Adversaries with Pharisaism, and to render them like unto them, should instance in their Confession of Sin in their prayers, when it is even a Characteristical note of the Pharisees, that in their prayers they made no confession of sin at all. But it was far more strange to me, that any man durst undertake the reproaching of poor sinners with the deepest acknowledgement of their sins before the holy God, that they are capable to conceive or utter. Is this, thought I, the Spirit of the men with whom the Non-Conformists