sober, serious and conscientious, and may have what is called moral sincerity, for a while; may have these things in a considerable measure, when they first come into the church: But if their hearts are not changed, there is no probability at all of these things continuing long. The scripture has told us, that this their goodness is apt to vanish like the morning cloud and early dew. How can it be expected but that the religion should in a little time wither away, which has no root 2 How can it be expected, that the lamp should burn long, without oil in the vessel to feed it? If lust be unmortified, and left in reigning power in the heart, it will sooner or later prevail; and at length sweep away common grace and moral sincerity, however excited and maintained for a while by conviction and temporary affections. It will happen to them according to the true proverb, The dog is returned to his vomit; and the swine that was washed to his wallowing in the mire. It is said of the hypocrite, Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call upon God? And thus our churches will be likely to be such congregations as the Psalmist said he hated, and would not sit with. Psal. xxvi. 4, 5. "I have not sat with vain persons, nor will I go in with dissemblers; I have hated the congregation of evil doers, nor will I sit with the wicked." This will be the way to have the Lord's table ordinarily furnished with such guests as allow themseves to live in known sin, and so such as meet together from time to time only to crucify Christ afresh, instead of commemorating his crucifixion with the repentance, faith, gratitude, and love of friends. And this is the way to have the governing part of the church such as are not even conscientious men, and are careless about the honor and interest of religion. And the direct tendency of that is, in process of time, to introduce a prevailing negligence in discipline and carelessness in seeking ministers of a pious and worthy character. And the next step will be the churches being filled with persons openly vicious in manners, or else scandalously erroneous in opinions: It is well if this be not already the case in fact with some churches that have long professed and practiced on the principles I oppose. And if these principles should be professed and proceeded on by

Christian churches every where, the natural tendency of it would be, to have the greater part of what is called the church of Christ, through the world, made up of vicious and erroneous persons. And how greatly would this be to the reproach of the Christian church, and of the holy name and religion of Jesus Christ in the sight of all nations ?*

And now is it not better to have a few real Christians kept back through darkness and scruples, than to open a door for letting in such universal ruin as this? To illustrate it by a familiar comparison; Is it not better, when England is at war with France, to keep out of the British realm a few loyal Englishmen, than to give leave for as many treacherous Frenchmen to come in as please?

2. This way tends to the eternal ruin of the parties admitted: For it lets in such, yea, it persuades such to come in, as know themselves to be impenitent and unbelieving, in a dreadful manner to take God's name in vain; in vain to worship him, and abuse sacred things, by solemnly performing those external acts and rites in the name of God, which are instituted for declarative signs and professions of repentance toward God, faith in Christ, and love to him, at the same time that they know themselves destitute of those things which they profess to have. And is it not better, that some true saints, through their own weakness and misunderstanding, should be kept away from the Lord's table, which will not keep such out of heaven, than voluntarily to bring in multitudes of false professors to partake unworthily, and in effect to seal their own condemnation ?

*And this, by the way answers another objection which some have made, viz. That the way I plead for, tends to keep the church of Christ small, and hinder the growth of it. Whereas, I think the contrary tends to keep it small, as it is the wickedness of its members, that above all things in the world prejudices mankind against it; and is the chief stumbling block, that hinders the propagation of Christianity, and so the growth of the Christian church. But holiness would cause the light of the church to chine so as to induce others to resort to it.

OBJECTION XVI.

YOU cannot keep out hypocrites, when all is said and done; but as many graceless persons will be likely to get into the church in the way of a profession of godliness, as if nothing were insisted on, but a freedom from public scandal.

ANSW. It may possibly be so in some places, through the misconduct of ministers and people, by remissness in their inquiries, carelessness as to the proper matter of a profession, or setting up some mistaken rules of judgment; neglecting those things which the Scripture insists upon as the most esscntial articles in the character of a real saint; and substituting others in the room of them; such as impressions on the imagination, instead of renewing influences on the heart; pangs of affection, instead of the habitual temper of the mind; a certain method and order of impressions and suggestions, instead of the nature of things experienced, &c. But to say that in churches where the nature, the notes, and evidences of true Christianity, as described in the Scriptures, are well understood, taught and observed, there as many hypocrites are likely to get in; or to suppose, that there as many of those persons of an honest character, who are well instructed in these rules, and well conducted by them, and judging of themselves by these rules, do think themselves true saints, and accordingly make profession of godliness, and are admitted as saints in a judgment of rational charity; (to suppose, I say) as many of these are likely to be carnal, unconverted men, as of those who make no such pretence and have no such hope, nor exhibit any such evidences to the eye of a judicious charity, is not so much an objection against the doctrine I am defending, as a reflection upon the Scripture itself, with regard to the rules it gives, either for persons to judge of their own state, or for others to form a charitable judgment by, as if they were of little or no service at all. We are in

miserable circumstances indeed, if the rules of God's holy word in things of such infinite importance, are so ambiguous and uncertain, like the Heathen oracles. And it would be very strange, if in these days of the gospel, when God's mind is revealed with such great plainness of speech, and the canon of Scripture is completed, it should ordinarily be the case in fact, that those who having a right doctrinal understanding of the Scripture, and judging themselves by its rules, do probably conclude or seriously hope of themselves, that they are real saints, are as many of them in a state of sin and condemnation, as others who have no such rational hope concerning their good estate, nor pretend to any special experiences in religion.

OBJECTION XVII.

IF a profession of godliness be a thing required in order to admission into the church, there being some true saints who doubt of their state, and from a tender conscience will not dare to make such a profession; and there being others, that have no grace, nor much tenderness of conscience, but great presumption and forwardness, who will boldly make the highest profession of religion, and so will get admittance; it will hence come to pass, that the very thing, which will in effect procure for the latter an admission, rather than the former, will be their presumption and wickedness.

ANSW. 1. It is no sufficient objection against the wholesomeness of a rule established for the regulating the civil state of mankind, that in some instances men's wickedness may take advantage by that rule, so that even their wickedness shall be the very thing, which by an abuse of that rule, procures them temporal honors and privileges. For such is the present state of man in this evil world, that good rules in many instances, are liable to be thus abused and perverted. As for instance, there are many human laws, or rules accounted wholesome and necessary, by which an accused or suspected

person's own solemn profession of innocency, his asserting it upon oath, shall be the condition of acquittance and impunity; and the want of such a protestation or profession shall expose him to the punishment: And yet by an abuse of these rules, in some instanees, the horrid sin of deliberate perjury, or that most presumptuous wickedness of false swearing, shall be the very thing that acquits a man: While another of a more tender conscience, who fears an oath, must suffer the penalty of the law.

2. Those rules, by all wise lawgivers, are accounted wholesome, which prove of general good tendency, notwithstanding any bad consequences arising in some particular instances. And as to the ecclesiastical rule now in question, of admission to sacraments on a profession of godliness, when attended with requisite circumstances; although this rule in particular instances may be an occasion of some tender hearted Christians abstaining, and some presumptuous sinners being admitted, yet that does not hinder but that a proper visibility of holiness to the eye of reason, or a probability of it in a judgment of rational Christian charity, may this way be maintained, as the proper qualification of candidates for admission: Nor does it hinder but that it may be reasonable and wholesome for mankind, in their outward conduct, to regulate themselves by such probability; and that this should be a reasonable and good rule for the church to regulate themselves by in their admissions; notwithstanding its so happening in particular instances, that things are really diverse from, yea the very re verse of, what they are visibly. Such a profession as has been insisted on, when attended with requisite circumstances, carries in it a rational credibility in the judgment of Christian charity For it ought to be attended with an honest and sober character, and with evidences of good doctrinal knowledge, and with all proper, careful, and diligent instructions of a prudent pastor: And though the pastor is not to act as a searcher of the heart, or a lord of conscience in this affair, yet that hinders not but that he may and ought to inquire particularly into the experiences of the souls committed to his care and charge, that he may be under the best advantages to in.