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

Mr. Stoddard, in his Appeal to the Learned, seems to express the very same Notion of Visibility, and that Visibility of Saintship which is requisite to Persons coming to the Lord's Supper, that I have here expressed. In Page 10. he makes a Distinction between being visibly circumcised in Heart, and being really so; evidently meaning by the latter saving Conversion; and he allows the former viz. a Visibility of Heart-Circumcision, to be necessary to a coming to the Lord's Supper. So that according to Him, 'tis not a Visibility of moral Sincerity only, but a Visibility of Circumcision of Heart, or saving Conversion, that is a necessary Requisite to a Person's coming to the Lord's Table. And in what Manner this must be visible, he signifies elsewhere, when he allows, that it must be so to a Judgment of Charity; a Judgment of rational Charity. This he expressly allows over & over; as in Pa. 2, 3. Pa. 28. Pa. 33. Pa. 72. & 95. And an having Reason to look upon them us such, Pa.28. And towards the Close of his Book, he declares himself stead fastly of the Mind, that it is requisite those be not admitted to the Lord's Supper, who don't make a personal & public Profession of their Faith & Repentance, to the just Satisfaction of the Church, Pa.93,94. But how he reconciled these Passages with the rest of his Treatise, I would modestly say, I must confess myself at a Loss. And particularly, I can't see how they consist with what this venerable &ever honoured Author says, Pa. 16. in these Words; Indeed by the Rule that God has given for Admissions, if it be carefully attended, more Unconverted Persons will be admitted than Converted. I would humbly inquire, how those visible Qualifications can be the Ground of a rational Judgment, that a Person is circumcised in Heart, which nevertheless at the same Time, we are sensible are so far from being ⟨p. 12⟩any probable Signs of it, that they are more frequently without it, than with it. The Appearance of that Thing surely can't imply an appearing Probability of another Thing, which at the same Time we are sensible is most frequently, and so most probably, without that other Thing.

Mr. Stoddard, in his Appeal to the Learned, seems to express the very same Notion of Visibility, and that Visibility of Saintship which is requisite to Persons coming to the Lord's Supper, that I have here express'd. In Page 10. he makes a Distinction between being visibly circumcised in Heart, and being really so; evidently meaning by the latter saving Conversion; and he allows the former viz. a Visibility of Heart-Circumcision, to be necessary to a coming to the Lord's Supper. So that according to Him, 'tis not a Visibility of moral Sincerity only, but a Visibility of Circumcision of Heart, or saving Conversion, that is a necessary Requisite to a Person's coming to the Lord's Table. And in what Manner this must be visible, he signifies elsewhere, when he allows, that it must be so to a Judgment of Charity; a Judgment of rational Charity. This he expresly allows over & over; as in Pa. 2, 3. Pa. 28. Pa. 33. Pa. 72. & 95. And an having Reason to look upon them us such, Pa.28. And towards the Close of his Book, he declares himself sted fastly of the Mind, that it is requisite those be not admitted to the Lord's Supper, who don't make a personal & publick Profession of their Faith & Repentance, to the just Satisfaction of the Church, Pa.93,94. But how he reconciled these Passages with the rest of his Treatise, I would modestly say, I must confess myself at a Loss. And particularly, I can't see how they consist with what this venerable &ever honoured Author says, Pa. 16. in these Words; Indeed by the Rule that God has given for Admissions, if it be carefully attended, more Unconverted Persons will be admitted than Converted. I would humbly inquire, how those visible Qualifications can be the Ground of a rational Judgment, that a Person is circumcised in Heart, which nevertheless at the same Time, we are sensible are so far from being