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

seeing he carry's so, in the View of his own Conscience, that he has no Reason to look on himself to be a Saint, nay, even knows he is still a natural State, and therefore in the Eye of his own impartial Judgment is not such a one as the Sacrament by Institution supposes the Communicant to be!—Moreover, Mr. STODDARD in describing visible Saints, inserts into their Character a serious Profession of the true Religion, which he sometimes calls a Profession of Faith and Repentance, morally sincere: and in his Doctrine of Instituted Churches (pag. 19) he lays down a remarkable Position in these Words, SUCH A PROFESSION AS BEING SINCERE MAKES A MAN A REAL SAINT, BEING MORALLY SINCERE MAKES A MAN A VISIBLE SAINT. Now according to this, it seems to me, the Profession it self, whether evangelically or morally sincere, is always of a uniform Tenor; having one and the same Thing for the Matter of it; and not respecting, in the different Cases, a Religion specifically different, or a Faith and Repentance of a higher & a lower Kind.—But then it's quite beyond me to comprehend, how a Man who knows himself to be in a natural Condition, can be so much as morally sincere in his Profession, while it is in it's Matter and Tenor such a profession as being (evangelically) sincere makes a Man a Real Saint. For if he knows himself to be in a natural Condition, he then as certainly knows he hath not (in the Principle or Exercise) that Faith and Repentance, which is the just Matter of such a Profession: And how therefore can he be reasonably supposed, with any Degree of moral Sincerity to make such a Profession, when for the Matter of it 'tis the very same Profession he would make, if he knew himself to be a real Saint! Can a Person in any sound Gospel-Sense profess himself a Saint or believing Penitent, and herein speak the Truth with a common moral Honesty, while yet he knows himself to be destitute of all such Characters in the Sight of God and Conscience, being still in a natural Condition and under the Dominion of Unbelief and Impenitence! For my own Part, I must confess this a Difficulty in Mr. STODDARD's Scheme, that I am not capable of solving. His Favourite-Hypothesis, I think, must fall, if his Position stands, and his Concessions be abode by;

seeing he carry's so, in the View of his own Conscience, that he has no Reason to look on himself to be a Saint, nay, even knows he is still a natural State, and therefore in the Eye of his own impartial Judgment is not such a one as the Sacrament by Institution supposes the Communicant to be!—Moreover, Mr. STODDARD in describing visible Saints, inserts into their Character a serious Profession of the true Religion, which he sometimes calls a Profesion of Faith and Repentance, morally sincere: and in his Doctrine of Instituted Churches (pag. 19) he lays down a remarkable Position in these Words, SUCH A PROFESSION AS BEING SINCERE MAKES A MAN A REAL SAINT, BEING MORALLY SINCERE MAKES A MAN A VISIBLE SAINT. Now according to this, it seems to me, the Profession it self, whether evangelically or morally sincere, is always of a uniform Tenor; having one and the same Thing for the Matter of it; and not respecting, in the different Cases, a Religion specifically different, or a Faith and Repentance of a higher & a lower Kind.—But then it's quite beyond me to comprehend, how a Man who knows himself to be in a natural Condition, can be so much as morally sincere in his Profession, while it is in it's Matter and Tenor such a profession as being (evangelically) sincere makes a Man a Real Saint. For if he knows himself to be in a natural Condition, he then as certainly knows he hath not (in the Principle or Exercise) that Faith and Repentance, which is the just Matter of such a Profession: And how therefore can he be reasonably supposed, with any Degree of moral Sincerity to make such a Profession, when for the Matter of it 'tis the very same Profession he would make, if he knew himself to be a real Saint! Can a Person in any sound Gospel-Sense profess himself a Saint or believing Penitent, and herein speak the Truth with a common moral Honesty, while yet he knows himself to be destitute of all such Characters in the Sight of God and Conscience, being still in a natural Condition and under the Dominion of Unbelief and Impenitence! For my own Part, I must confess this a Difficulty in Mr. STODDARD's Scheme, that I am not capable of solving. His Favourite-Hypothesis, I think, must fall, if his Position stands, and his Concessions be abode by;