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

And indeed the Body of the Nation of Israel, in those corrupt Times, were so far from being God's Church of visibly pious Persons, visibly endowed with Gospel-Holiness, that that People, as to the Body of them, were visibly and openly declared by God, to be a Whore and a Witch, and her Children Bastards, or Children of Adultery. Isai. lvii.3. Draw near hither, ye Sons of the Sorceress, the Seed of the Adulterer and the Whore. (We have the like in other Places.) And so the Body of the same People in Christ's Time (which Mr. W. supposes even then to be Branches of the True Olive, in the same Manner, as the Members of the Christian Church were in the Apostles Times) are visibly declared not to be God's Children, or Children of the true Church, but Bastards or an adulterous Brood. Matth. xii.39. An evil and adulterous Generation seeketh after a Sign. v. 45. Even so shall it be with this wicked Generation. And certainly the People were then, visibly and in the Eyes of Men, such as Christ had visibly and openly and in the Sight of Men declared 'em to be.

If the Question be not concerning the Visibility which makes it lawful for others to admit Persons, but concerning the Qualifications which render it lawful for them to come, still the Objection is no more against my Scheme, than against Mr. W—ms's. He (in P. 84, 85, & 86.) says, That such openly scandalous Persons ought not to be admitted into the Church; insinuating, that these scandalous People among the Jews were otherwise when they were admitted at first: But that being taken in, and not cast out again, it was lawful ⟨p. 139⟩for 'em to be there, and they had a lawful Right to the Privileges of the Church. But this Supposition, that all that are lawfully admitted by others, may lawfully come into the Church, and lawfully continue to partake of its Privileges 'till cast out, is utterly inconsistent with Mr. W—ms's own Scheme. For according to his Scheme, 'tis not lawful for Men that are not morally sincere, to partake of the Privileges of the Church; but yet such may in some Cases be lawfully admitted by others; for he maintains, that in admitting them, they are not to act as Searchers of Hearts, even with Regard to their moral Sincerity; and so argues (P. 106.) That Christ might give Judas the Sacrament, when not morally Sincere. If Christ as Head of the visible Church might admit Judas to his Table, when he knew he was not morally Sincere, and when it was not lawful for Judas himself to come; then it is lawful for Men to admit some, for whom it is not lawful to be there; contrary to Mr. W—ms's Assertion in P. 86. b.