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

1. According to this Hypothesis, the Words, Saints, Disciples, and Christians, are used four Ways in the New-Testament, as applied to four Sorts of Persons. (1) To those that in Truth and Reality are the Heirs of eternal Life, and that shall judge the World, or have indeed that Saintship which is saving. (2) To those who profess this, and pretend to and make a fair Show of a supreme Regard to Christ, and to renounce the World for his Sake, but have not real Ground for these Pretences and Appearances. (3) To those who, although' they haven't saving Grace, yet have that other Sort of real Godliness or Saintship, viz. moral Sincerity in Religion; and so are properly a Sort of real Saints, true Christians, sincerely godly Persons and Disciples indeed, tho' they have no saving Grace. And (4) To those who make a Profession and have a Visibility of this latter Sort of sincere Christianity, and are nominally such Kind of Saints, but are not so indeed.—So that here are two Sorts of real Christians, and two Sorts of visible Christians; two Sorts of invisible and real Churches of Christ, and two Sorts of visible Churches. Now will any one that is well acquainted with the New-Testament, say, there is in that the least Appearance or Shadow of such a four-fold Use of the Words, Saints, Disciples, &c.? 'Tis manifest by what was observed before, that these Words are there used but two Ways; and that those of Mankind to whom these Names are applied, are there distinguished into but two Sorts, viz. Those who have really a saving Interest in Christ, spiritual Conformity and Union to him, and those who have a Name for it, as having a Profession and Appearance of it. And this is further evident by various Representations, which we there find of the visible Church; as in the Company of Virgins that went forth to meet the Bridegroom, we find a Distinction of them into but two Sorts, viz. The Wise that had both Lamps and Oil; and those who had Lamps indeed like the wise Virgins (therein having an external Show of the same Thing, viz. Oil) but really had no Oil; signifying that they had the same Profession and outward Show of the same Sort of Religion, and entertained the same Hopes with the wise Virgins. So when the visible Church is represented by the Husband-man's Floor, we find a Distinction but of two Sorts, viz. The Wheat and the Chaff.

1. According to this Hypothesis, the Words, Saints, Disciples, and Christians, are used four Ways in the New-Testament, as applied to four Sorts of Persons. (1) To those that in Truth and Reality are the Heirs of eternal Life, and that shall judge the World, or have indeed that Saintship which is saving. (2) To those who profess this, and pretend to and make a fair Shew of a supream Regard to Christ, and to renounce the World for his Sake, but have not real Ground for these Pretences and Appearances. (3) To those who, altho' they han't saving Grace, yet have that other Sort of real Godliness or Saintship, viz. moral Sincerity in Religion; and so are properly a Sort of real Saints, true Christians, sincerely godly Persons and Disciples indeed, tho' they have no saving Grace. And (4) To those who make a Profession and have a Visibility of this latter Sort of sincere Christianity, and are nominally such Kind of Saints, but are not so indeed.—So that here are two Sorts of real Christians, and two Sorts of visible Christians; two Sorts of invisible and real Churches of Christ, and two Sorts of visible Churches. Now will any one that is well acquainted with the New-Testament, say, there is in that the least Appearance or Shadow of such a four-fold Use of the Words, Saints, Disciples, &c.? 'Tis manifest by what was observed before, that these Words are there used but two Ways; and that those of Mankind to whom these Names are applied, are there distinguished into but two Sorts, viz. Those who have really a saving Interest in Christ, spiritual Conformity and Union to him, and those who have a Name for it, as having a Profession and Appearance of it. And this is further evident by various Representations, which we there find of the visible Church; as in the Company of Virgins that went forth to meet the Bridegroom, we find a Distinction of them into but two Sorts, viz. The Wise that had both Lamps and Oil; and those who had Lamps indeed like the wise Virgins (therein having an external Shew of the same Thing, viz. Oil) but really had no Oil; signifying that they had the same Profession and outward Shew of the same Sort of Religion, and entertain'd the same Hopes with the wise Virgins. So when the visible Church is represented by the Husband-man's Floor, we find a Distinction but of two Sorts, viz. The Wheat and the Chaff.