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

II. Mr. W. is abundant in suggesting and insinuating to his Readers, that the Opinion laid down in my Book is, That Persons ought not to be admitted to Communion without an absolute and peremptory Determination in those who admit them, that they are truly godly; because I suppose it to be necessary, that there should be a positive Judgment in their Favour.

Here I desire the Reader to observe, that the Word Positive is used in two Senses. (1.) Sometimes it is put in Opposition to Doubtful, or Uncertain: And then it signifies the same as Certain, Peremptory, or Assured. But (2.) The Word Positive is very often used in a very different Sense; not in Opposition to Doubtful, but in Opposition to Negative: And so understood, it signifies very much the same as Real, or Actual. Thus, we often speak of a negative Good, and a positive Good. A negative Good is a mere Negation or Absence of Evil. But a positive Good is something more, 'tis some real, actual Good, instead of Evil. So there is a negative Charity, and a positive Charity. A negative Charity is a mere Absence of an ill Judgment of a Man, or forbearing to condemn him. Such a Charity a Man may have towards any Stranger he transiently sees in the Street, that he never saw or heard any Thing of before. A positive Charity is something further than merely not condemning, or not judging Ill of a Man; it implies a good Thought of a Man. The Reader will easily see that the Word Positive, taken in this Sense, is an exceeding different Thing from Certain or Peremptory. A Man may have something more than a mere negative Charity towards another, or a mere forbearing to condemn him, he may actually entertain some good Thought of him, and yet there may be no proper Peremptoriness, no Pretence of any Certainty in the Case.

Here I desire the Reader to observe, that the Word Positive is used in two Senses. (1.) Sometimes it is put in Opposition to Doubtful, or Uncertain: And then it signifies the same as Certain, Peremptory, or Assured. But (2.) The Word Positive is very often used in a very different Sense; not in Opposition to Doubtful, but in Opposition to Negative: And so understood, it signifies very much the same as Real, or Actual. Thus, we often speak of a negative Good, and a positive Good. A negative Good is a meer Negation or Absence of Evil. But a positive Good is something more, 'tis some real, actual Good, instead of Evil. So there is a negative Charity, and a positive Charity. A negative Charity is a meer Absence of an ill Judgment of a Man, or forbearing to condemn him. Such a Charity a Man may have towards any Stranger he transiently sees in the Street, that he never saw or heard any Thing of before. A positive Charity is something further than meerly not condemning, or not judging Ill of a Man; it implies a good Thought of a Man. The Reader will easily see that the Word Positive, taken in this Sense, is an exceeding different Thing from Certain or Peremptory. A Man may have something more than a meer negative Charity towards another, or a meer forbearing to condemn him, he may actually entertain some good Thought of him, and yet there may be no proper Peremptoriness, no Pretence of any Certainty in the Case.