None will deny, that Lying and Perjury are very gross and heinous Sins, and (if known) very scandalous; and therefore it follows from what was observed before, that such Sins, if lived in, though secretly, do disqualify Persons for Christian Sacraments in God's Sight. But by our Author's own Account, all unsanctified Men that partake of the Lord's Supper, live in Lying and Perjury, and go on to renew these Crimes continually; in-as-much-as while they continue ungodly Men, they live in a constant Violation of their Promise and Oath. For Mr. W. often lays it down, that all who enter into Covenant with God, do promise spiritual Duties, such as Repentance, Faith, Love, &c, And that they promise to perform these hence-forward, even from the present Moment, unto the End of Life; (See P. 25. c, e. 26. a. 28. a, c. 76. a, b.) And that they don't only promise, but Swear to do this. (P. 18. d. 100. c. 101. a. 129. a. 130. c. 140. b.) But for a Man to violate the Promises he makes in covenanting with God, Mr. W. once & again speaks of it as Lying. (P. 24. d, e. P. 130. c.) And if so, doubtless their breaking the Oath they swear to God, is Perjury. — Now lying to Men is bad; but lying to GOD is worse. (Act. v.4.) […] without Doubt, Perjury towards GOD is the worst Sort of […]. But if unsanctified Men, when they entered into Covenant with God, promised and swore, that they would immediately & thence-forward accept of Christ as their Saviour, and love him, and live to him; then while they continue in a wilful Rejection of him (which according to ⟨p. 75⟩Mr. W. all unregenerate Men do) they live continually in the Violation of their Promise and Oath.*
None will deny, that Lying and Perjury are very gross and heinous Sins, and (if known) very scandalous; and therefore it follows from what was observed before, that such Sins, if lived in, though secretly, do disqualify Persons for Christian Sacraments in God's Sight. But by our Author's own Account, all unsanctified Men that partake of the Lord's Supper, live in Lying and Perjury, and go on to renew these Crimes continually; in-as-much-as while they continue ungodly Men, they live in a constant Violation of their Promise and Oath. For Mr. W. often lays it down, that all who enter into Covenant with God, do promise spiritual Duties, such as Repentance, Faith, Love, &c, And that they promise to perform these hence-forward, even from the present Moment, unto the End of Life; (See P. 25. c, e. 26. a. 28. a, c. 76. a, b.) And that they don't only promise, but Swear to do this. (P. 18. d. 100. c. 101. a. 129. a. 130. c. 140. b.) But for a Man to violate the Promises he makes in covenanting with God, Mr. W. once & again speaks of it as Lying. (P. 24. d, e. P. 130. c.) And if so, doubtless their breaking the Oath they swear to God, is Perjury. — Now lying to Men is bad; but lying to GOD is worse. (Act. v.4.) 〈…〉 without Doubt, Perjury towards GOD is the worst Sort of 〈…〉. But if unsanctified Men, when they enter'd into Covenant with God, promised and swore, that they would immediately & thence-forward accept of Christ as their Saviour, and love him, and live to him; then while they continue in a wilful Rejection of him (which according to ⟨p. 75⟩Mr. W. all unregenerate Men do) they live continually in the Violation of their Promise and Oath.*
- *Here I would observe, that not only in the general do unsanctified Men, notwithstanding their moral Sincerity, thus live in the most heinous Wickedness; but particularly, according to Mr. W—ms's own Doctrine, their very Attendance on the outward Ordinances and Duties of Worship is the vilest, most flagrant, and abominable Impiety. In his Sermons on Christ a King and Witness (P. 77, 78.) He says, If a Man could perform all the outward Acts of Worship and Obedience, which the Bible requires, from the Beginning to the End of it, and not do them from Faith in Christ, and Love to God, and not express by them the Thoughts, Desires and Actings of his Soul; They would be so far from being that Obedience which Christ requires, that they would be a mocking of God, and hateful to him. These outward Acts ought to be no other, and in Religion are design'd to stand for nothing else, but to be Representations of a Man's Soul, and the Acts of that: And when they are not so, they are in their own Nature a LIE, and false Pretence of something within, which is not there: Therefore the Lord abhors them, and reckons these false Pretences the VILEST WICKEDNESS. — Now when a Man performs all outward Obedience and Worship, but it does not come from his Heart, he practically denies the Omniscience of Christ, while he puts before him a Show and Pretence of something for the Reality; and so he belies his own Profession. And all this, be it more or less, whatever it pretends to be of Religion, instead of being that which Christ requires, is entirely different from it, yea, INFINITELY CONTRARY TO IT. And those same Actions, which when they are the Language of the Heart, and flow from it, are pleasing & acceptable to God & Jesus Christ, are true Obedience to him; when they do not, are reckon'd the MOST FLAGRANT AND ABOMINABLE IMPIETY, & threaten'd with the SEVEREST DAMNATION OF HELL. — Now, who can believe, that God has, by his own holy Institution, made that Sort of Sincerity, which is nothing better than what is consistent with such a lying, vile, abominable, flagrantly wicked Pretence and Show of Religion as this, the very Thing that gives a Right, even in his Sight, to Christian Sacraments! I might here also observe, that if moral Sincerity or common Grace gives a Right to Sacraments in the Sight of God, then that which (according to Mr. S—d's Doctrine before observed) is a SPIRIT OF LUST, that which is contrary to, and at War with, and would destroy saving Grace, is the Thing which gives a Right in the Sight of God to Christian Sacraments.Here I would observe, that not only in the general do unsanctified Men, notwithstanding their moral Sincerity, thus live in the most heinous Wickedness; but particularly, according to Mr. W—ms's own Doctrine, their very Attendance on the outward Ordinances and Duties of Worship is the vilest, most flagrant, and abominable Impiety. In his Sermons on Christ a King and Witness (P. 77, 78.) He says, If a Man could perform all the outward Acts of Worship and Obedience, which the Bible requires, from the Beginning to the End of it, and not do them from Faith in Christ, and Love to God, and not express by them the Thoughts, Desires and Actings of his Soul; They would be so far from being that Obedience which Christ requires, that they would be a mocking of God, and hateful to him. These outward Acts ought to be no other, and in Religion are design'd to stand for nothing else, but to be Representations of a Man's Soul, and the Acts of that: And when they are not so, they are in their own Nature a LIE, and false Pretence of something within, which is not there: Therefore the Lord abhors them, and reckons these false Pretences the VILEST WICKEDNESS. — Now when a Man performs all outward Obedience and Worship, but it does not come from his Heart, he practically denies the Omniscience of Christ, while he puts before him a Shew and Pretence of something for the Reality; and so he belies his own Profession. And all this, be it more or less, whatever it pretends to be of Religion, instead of being that which Christ requires, is entirely different from it, yea, INFINITELY CONTRARY TO IT. And those same Actions, which when they are the Language of the Heart, and flow from it, are pleasing & acceptable to God & Jesus Christ, are true Obedience to him; when they do not, are reckon'd the MOST FLAGRANT AND ABOMINABLE IMPIETY, & threaten'd with the SEVEREST DAMNATION OF HELL. — Now, who can believe, that God has, by his own holy Institution, made that Sort of Sincerity, which is nothing better than what is consistent with such a lying, vile, abominable, flagrantly wicked Pretence and Show of Religion as this, the very Thing that gives a Right, even in his Sight, to Christian Sacraments! I might here also observe, that if moral Sincerity or common Grace gives a Right to Sacraments in the Sight of God, then that which (according to Mr. S—d's Doctrine before observed) is a SPIRIT OF LUST, that which is contrary to, and at War with, and would destroy saving Grace, is the Thing which gives a Right in the Sight of God to Christian Sacraments.
