An humble inquiry into the rules of the Word of God, concerning the qualifications…

ANSW. 1. The Affair of the Israelites Participation of the Passover, and particularly that first Passover in Egypt, is attended with altogether as much Difficulty in Regard to the Qualifications which the Objectors themselves suppose requisite in Communicants at the Lord's Table, as with Regard to those which I insist upon; and if there be any Argument in the Case, it is fully as strong an Argument against their Scheme, as mine. One Thing they insist upon as a requisite Qualification for the Lord's Supper, is a public Profession of Religion as to the essential Doctrines of it: But there is no more Shadow of a public Profession of this Kind, preceding that Passover in Egypt, than of a Profession of Godliness. Here not to insist on the great Doctrines of the Fall of Man, of our undone State by Nature, of the Trinity, of our Dependence in the free Grace of God for Justification &c. let us take only those two Doctrines of a future State of Rewards and Punishments, and the Doctrine of the Messiah to come, that Messiah who was represented in the Passover: Is there any more Appearance, in sacred Story, of the People's making a public Profession in Egypt of these Doctrines before they partook of the Passover, than of their making Profession of the Love of God? And is there any more Probability of the former, than of the latter? Another Thing which they on the other Side suppose necessary to a due Attendance on the Lord's Supper, is, that when any have openly been guilty of gross Sins, they should before they come to this Sacrament, openly confess and bumble themselves for their Faults. Now 'tis evident by ⟨p. 92⟩many Scriptures, that a great Part of the Children of Israel in Egypt had been guilty of joining with the Egyptians in worshipping their false gods, and had lived in Idolatry: But the History in Exodus gives us no Account of any public solemn Confession of, or Humiliation for this great Sin, before they came to the Passover. Mr. Stoddard observes (Appeal p. 58, 59) that there was in the Church of Israel a Way appointed by God for the removal of Scandals; Men being required in that Case to offer up their Sacrifices, attended with Confession and visible Signs of Repentance. But where do we read of the People's offering up Sacrifices in Egypt, attended with Confession, for removing the Scandal of that most heinous Sin of Idolatry they had lived in?

ANSW. 1. The Affair of the Israelites Participation of the Passover, and particularly that first Passover in Egypt, is attended with altogether as much Difficulty in Regard to the Qualifications which the Objectors themselves suppose requisite in Communicants at the Lord's Table, as with Regard to those which I insist upon; and if there be any Argument in the Case, it is fully as strong an Argument against their Scheme, as mine. One Thing they insist upon as a requisite Qualification for the Lord's Supper, is a publick Profession of Religion as to the essential Doctrines of it: But there is no more Shadow of a publick Profession of this Kind, preceeding that Passover in Egypt, than of a Profession of Godliness. Here not to insist on the great Doctrines of the Fall of Man, of our undone State by Nature, of the Trinity, of our Dependance in the free Grace of God for Justification &c. let us take only those two Doctrines of a future State of Rewards and Punishments, and the Doctrine of the Messiah to come, that Messiah who was represented in the Passover: Is there any more Appearance, in sacred Story, of the People's making a publick Profession in Egypt of these Doctrines before they partook of the Passover, than of their making Profession of the Love of God? And is there any more Probability of the former, than of the latter? Another Thing which they on the other Side suppose necessary to a due Attendance on the Lord's Supper, is, that when any have openly been guilty of gross Sins, they should before they come to this Sacrament, openly confess and bumble themselves for their Faults. Now 'tis evident by