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

However, I may venture to be confident, that Mr. STODDARD's Gloss on the Text, who tells us in his controverted Sermon, "The Meaning is, that a Man must come solemnly to that Ordinance, examining what NEED he has of it," is quite foreign from the current Sense of Calvinist Writers. And tho' he makes a different Comment in his Appeal to the Learned, saying, "The Examination called for is, whether they understood the Nature of the Ordinance, that so they may solemnly consider what they have to do when they wait upon God in it", neither can I find any Appearance of a general Consent of the Learned and Orthodox to this new Gloss, at least as exhibiting the full Meaning of the Text. I might easily confront it with numerous Authorities. But the Palatine Catechism, and that of the Westminster-Assembly, with the common Explanations & Catechizings upon them, may be appealed to as Instar Omnium. And I shall only add here, if it be allowed a just Expectation that the Candidate for the Communion examine himself about the same Things at least as the Pastor, to whom he applies for Admission, ought to make the Subject of his Examination, then it's worth while to hear the Opinion of those un-named Ministers in NEW-ENGLAND (among whom the late Dr. COLMAN, I have Reason to think, was the principal Hand) that answered Dr. MATHER's Order of the Gospel (Anno 1700) who in the Postscript to their REVIEW thus express themselves: "We highly approve—that the Proponent for the Lord's Table be examined of his baptismal Vow; his Sense of spiritual Wants, Sinfulness and Wretchedness; his Hope, Faith, Experiences, Resolutions through' the Grace of God." This, I think, is something beyond Mr. STODDARD.

However, I may venture to be confident, that Mr. STODDARD's Gloss on the Text, who tells us in his controverted Sermon, "The Meaning is, that a Man must come solemnly to that Ordinance, examining what NEED he has of it," is quite foreign from the current Sense of Calvinist Writers. And tho' he makes a different Comment in his Appeal to the Learned, saying, "The Examination call'd for is, whether they understood the Nature of the Ordinance, that so they may solemnly consider what they have to do when they wait upon God in it", neither can I find any Appearance of a general Consent of the Learned and Orthodox to this new Gloss, at least as exhibiting the full Meaning of the Text. I might easily confront it with numerous Authorities. But the Palatine Catechism, and that of the Westminster-Assembly, with the common Explanations & Catechizings upon them, may be appeal'd to as Instar Omnium. And I shall only add here, if it be allow'd a just Expectation that the Candidate for the Communion examine himself about the same Things at least as the Pastor, to whom he applies for Admission, ought to make the Subject of his Examination, then it's worth while to hear the Opinion of those un-named Ministers in NEW-ENGLAND (among whom the late Dr. COLMAN, I have Reason to think, was the principal Hand) that answer'd Dr. MATHER's Order of the Gospel (Anno 1700) who in the Postscript to their REVIEW thus express themselves: "We highly approve—that the Proponant for the Lord's Table be examined of his baptismal Vow; his Sense of spiritual Wants, Sinfulness and Wretchedness; his Hope, Faith, Experiences, Resolutions thro' the Grace of God." This, I think, is something beyond Mr. STODDARD.