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

Just in the same Manner, Mr. W. begs the Question in espousing and making use of that Argument, That all in external Covenant, & neither ignorant nor scandalous, are commanded to perform all external Covenant-Duties. Here 'tis supposed, that scandalous Persons (which, according to Mr. W—ms's Scheme, must include all that have not moral Sincerity) tho' in the external Covenant, are expressly, that is, evidently, excepted and forbidden: and that unsanctified Men are not also evidently forbidden; Which is the Point in Question. For if unsanctified Men, tho' in external Covenant, are as evidently forbidden and excepted, as scandalous Men that are in external Covenant, then the Argument touches not one any more than the other. So that the Argument is entirely a Castle in the Air, resting on nothing but it self: The grand Thing to be proved, first taken for granted, and then made an Argument to prove it self!

Just in the same Manner, Mr. W. begs the Question in espousing and making use of that Argument, That all in external Covenant, & neither ignorant nor scandalous, are commanded to perform all external Covenant-Duties. Here 'tis supposed, that scandalous Persons (which, according to Mr. W—ms's Scheme, must include all that have not moral Sincerity) tho' in the external Covenant, are expresly, that is, evidently, excepted and forbidden: and that unsanctified Men are not also evidently forbidden; Which is the Point in Question. For if unsanctified Men, tho' in external Covenant, are as evidently forbidden and excepted, as scandalous Men that are in external Covenant, then the Argument touches not one any more than the other. So that the Argument is entirely a Castle in the Air, resting on nothing but it self: The grand Thing to be proved, first taken for granted, and then made an Argument to prove it self!

In explaining the Nature of begging the Question, I observed, that 'tis begging the Question, or equivalent to it, whether the Point that is taken for granted, and made an Argument of, be the main Point in Controversy, or some particular known disputed Point between the controverting Parties: I will now illustrate this by an Example. 'Tis a known disputed Point in this Controversy, whether in the Parable concerning the Man without the wedding Garment, the King condemned the Man for coming into the Church without Grace. Now supposing that I, because I look on the Matter very clear, should, besides using it as one distinct Argument, also make it the Basis of other Arguments; and should use it in Opposition to the strongest Arguments of my Opposers, as if it were sufficient to stop their Mouths, without offering any proper Solution of those Arguments: As, in Case I were pressed with the Argument from the Passover, if I should fly to the Man without the wedding Garment; and should say, 'Tis certain, this Argument from the Passover can be of no Force against the express Word of God in the xxii. of Matth. For there 'tis plain as any Fact that ever the Sun shone upon,