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

And as Mr. W. holds, that there must be a public Personal owning the Covenant; so he also maintains, that this Profession must be explicit, or express.—He says (P 20. d, e.) Since we have no Direction in the Bible, at what Time nor in what Manner any personal explicit Covenanting should be performed,—it appears plain to a Demonstration, that the People knew nothing of any such Institution; as I suppose, the Christian Church never did, 'till Mr. Edwards discovered it. But if I was the first Discoverer, he should have owned, that since I have discovered it he himself and all my Opposers have seen Cause to follow me, and receive my Discovery. For so the Case seems to be, if he gives us a true Account (in P. 132. b.) where he rejects, with Indignation, the Imputation of any other Opinion. How often (says he) has Mr. Edwards said, none but visible Saints are to be admitted? Do not ALL Mr. Edwards's OPPOSERS say, that NO MAN is to be admitted, who does not profess his hearty Belief of the Gospel, and the earnest and sincere Purpose of his Heart, so far as he knows it, to obey all God's Commands, and keep his COVENANT? NONE who do not make as full and EXPRESS a Profession as the Israelites did, or was ever required by Christ or his Apostles, in any Instances that can be produced in the Bible, of Bodies of Men or particular Persons Admission into visible Covenant ⟨p. 80⟩with God? — He had before spoken of the WORDS which the Israelites used in their entering into Covenant with God. (P. 5. d.) Which must refer to their entering into Covenant in the Wilderness; for we have no Account of any Words at all, used by that Nation, at their entering into Covenant, if not there. And this he sometimes speaks of as the Covenant they made, when God took 'em into Covenant (P. 8. d. 36. d, e. 37. a, b.) And (P. 20.) he allows that to be an Instance of explicit Covenanting: But ridicules my pretending to show, that explicit Covenanting was a divine Institution for All; when, he says, we have an Account of but four Instances of any explicit Covenanting with God by the Jews, and those on most extraordinary Occasions, and by the Body of the People. But what Matter is it, whether there were four, or but two, or only that one Instance in the Wilderness?

And as Mr. W. holds, that there msut be a publick Personal owning the Covenant; so he also maintains, that this Profession must be explicit, or express.—He says (P 20. d, e.) Since we have no Direction in the Bible, at what Time nor in what Manner any personal explicit Covenanting should be performed,—it appears plain to a Demonstration, that the People knew nothing of any such Institution; as I suppose, the Christian Church never did, 'till Mr. Edwards discovered it. But if I was the first Discoverer, he should have owned, that since I have discovered it he himself and all my Opposers have seen Cause to follow me, and receive my Discovery. For so the Case seems to be, if he gives us a true Account (in P. 132. b.) where he rejects, with Indignation, the Imputation of any other Opinion. How often (says he) has Mr. Edwards said, none but visible Saints are to be admitted? Do not ALL Mr. Edwards's OPPOSERS say, that NO MAN is to be admitted, who does not profess his hearty Belief of the Gospel, and the earnest and sincere Purpose of his Heart, so far as he knows it, to obey all God's Commands, and keep his COVENANT? NONE who do not make as full and EXPRESS a Profession as the Israelites did, or was ever required by Christ or his Apostles, in any Instances that can be produced in the Bible, of Bodies of Men or particular Persons Admission into visible Covenant