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

Having observed this, I now desire it may be considered, whether it be reasonable to suppose, as Mr. W. does, that God would give Men that are without Grace, a lawful Right to Sacraments, so that this Qualification it self should be nothing necessary to a proper and rightful Claim to these Ordinances; and yet that he would wholly forbid 'em to come, and others to admit 'em, without their making some Pretence to it, and exhibiting moral Evidence that they have it: That moral Sincerity is the Qualification which by God's own Appointment invests Persons with a lawful Right to Sacraments, and that by his Institution nothing more is requisite ⟨p. 36⟩to a lawful Right; and yet that He has commanded them not to come, nor others to allow 'em to come, without making a Profession of something more than moral Sincerity, as Mr. W. says. Mr. W. supposes that God requires us, before we admit Persons, to seek credible Evidence of true Piety, and to see to it that we have reasonable Ground to believe they have it; otherwise, not to allow 'em to come: and yet that God don't look on such a Qualification requisite in it self, when all is done, and that He has given 'em as true and lawful a Right to come without it, as with it. If God insists upon it, as Mr. W. supposes, that Members should be admitted under no other Notion than of their being truly godly, […] from Respect to such a Character appearing on them, is it not plain, that God looks on such a Character in itself requisite, in Order to a Person's being a rightful Subject of such a Privilege? If the Want of this Qualification don't in the least hinder a Person's lawful Right to a Thing, on what Account can the Want of an Appearance of it and Pretence to it, warrant and oblige others to hinder his taking Possession of that Thing?

Having observed this, I now desire it may be considered, whether it be reasonable to suppose, as Mr. W. does, that God would give Men that are without Grace, a lawful Right to Sacraments, so that this Qualification it self should be nothing necessary to a proper and rightful Claim to these Ordinances; and yet that he would wholly forbid 'em to come, and others to admit 'em, without their making some Pretence to it, and exhibiting moral Evidence that they have it: That moral Sincerity is the Qualification which by God's own Appointment invests Persons with a lawful Right to Sacraments, and that by his Institution nothing more is requisite ⟨p. 36⟩