Misrepresentations corrected, and truth vindicated. In a reply to the Rev. Mr. Solomon Williams's…

But to consider a little further this Point of moral Sincerity's qualifying Persons for the Privileges of the Church. I would lay down this Proposition as a Thing of clear Evidence: Those Persons have no Fitness in themselves to come to the Privileges of the Church, who, if they were known, would not be fit to be admitted by others. For to say, they are fit to be Members, and yet not fit to be allowed to be Members, is apparently absurd. But they who have no better Fitness than moral Sincerity, if that were known, would not be fit to be admitted by others: as is allowed by Mr. W. For he holds, that in Order to be fit to be admitted by others, they must credibly appear to them to have something more than moral Sincerity, even Gospel-Holiness. And 'tis evident in it self, as well as allowed by Mr W. that if such were known, they would not be fit to be admitted, only on ⟨p. 72⟩their moral Sincerity, and the Profession and Promises they make from such a Principle: And that for this Reason, because such a Principle alone would not be fit to be trusted. God himself has taught his Church, that the Religion of unsanctified Men is not fit to be trusted; as a Lamp without Oil, and a Plant without Root, are Things not to be trusted. God has directly taught his Church to expect, that such Religion will fail; and that such Men, having no higher Principle, will return to their Wickedness. Job. xxvii.8, 9, 10.) The Hypocrite—will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?—Dan. xii.10. The Wicked will do wickedly. And therefore God do's not require his Church to accept their Profession and Promises. If he has taught us not to credit their Profession and Promises, then certainly he has taught us not to accept them.

III. Another Argument against this supposed Rule of allowing and requiring unsanctified Men with moral Sincerity, to come to Sacraments, is this. That Rule, which if fully attended, would naturally bring it to pass, that the greater Part of Communicants would be unfit, even according to that very Rule, cannot be a Divine Rule: But this supposed Rule of moral Sincerity is such a Rule. For if this Rule be universally attended, then all unsanctified Men, who have present Convictions of Conscience sufficient to make 'em morally sincere, must come into the Communion of the Church. But this Conviction & common Religion, if it don't issue in Conversion (as has been observed) commonly vanishes away in a short Time: And yet still these Persons, if not convicted of open Scandal, are left in the Communion of the Church, and remain there, without even moral Sincerity. — Experience gives us abundant Reason to think, that of those who some Time or other have considerable Convictions of Conscience, so as to make 'em for the present to be what is called morally sincere, but few are savingly converted.