which its living Members may be known from fuch as are not fo, and that the fincere Christian is related to that Body in a nearer and more fenfible manner than the Hypocrite. And it does no more follow, that because there may be many Instances of Men's being grofly deceived, therefore the Church has no true Gift of Difcerning; than that becaufe blind Men fee not, therefore the Sun don't Shine.

He proceeds, But we may be more fure. who are not faithful Chriftians than who are ;' which is no juft Obfervation, fince Chrift himself has told us, every Tree is known by his own Fruit, and that a good Tree bringeth not forth corrupt Fruit, neither doth a corrupt Tree bring forth good Fruit. See Luke vi. 43, 44. By which diftinguishing Characters we may as well know who are faithful Chriftians, as who are not; for we may befure they are fuch, who not only profefs the Doctrines of the Christian Faith, but whofe Converfation is as becometh the Gospel of Chrift, are clothed with Humility, and are fo far from vain pharifaical Pride and Boafting of outfide Washings, and ceremonial Performances, that they esteem those things but low and empty in Comparison of inward Purity and Holiness, nor do they contemn or despise any fober, honeft, juft, or holy Men as mere Heathens, for not believing what God in his Providence has withheld from them the Knowledge of; but firmly believe, that in every Nation, be that feareth God and works Righteoufnefs, is accepted with him: Who have an univerfal Charity, and think ill of none, but thofe, who by their evil Fruits evidently demonftrate their own Corruption.

Page

Page 147. Quest. MAY not fome Witness now the Fulfilling of that Promise, that they Shall difcern between the Righteous and the Wicked.

Mal. iii. 18.

Anfw. No, For that promife has a plain Reference to the Day of Judgment, wherein the Works of all Men, however fecret, fhall be made manifeft."

BUT we think that Text has a plain Reference to the Gospel Times, foretold in the Beginning of that Chapter, Behold I will fend my Meffenger, and he shall prepare the Way before me, and the Lord whom ye feek fball fuddenly come to his Temple, even the Meffenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in. And the Words of the Text, v. 18. are plainly spoken to the Sons of Jacob mentioned in v. 6. as the Pronoun Ye doth clearly evince by its being frequently repeated, fo that the evident Senfe of the Place is, Then, in the Days of the Gofpel, ball ye, Sons of Jacob, return, from the Evil of your Ways, and clearly difcern your Errors, distinguishing between the Righteous and the Wicked, between him that ferveth God and him that ferveth him not.

OUR Opponent's Definition of Repentance, P. 147. we have no Exception to, viz. It is humbly to confefs our Sins to God and to pray for the Pardon of them, with a true Grief and Sorrow for them, and hatred of them, and to < forfake them and lead a new Life.'

He then adds this

Quest. SHALL we have always need as long as we live in this World to confefs and repent

and

and pray for the Pardon of Sin, when we have already prayed for the Pardon of our Sins, and the Lord who heard our Prayers hath pardoned and remitted our Sins.'

OUR Opponent in his Anfwer to this Query, doth not truly state the Cafe, for we deny not, that Forgiveness of Sins depends upon our continued Repentance, viz. Our continuing to forfake them and to lead a new Life. But 'tis alfo certain that upon fuch a continued Repentance our Sins are not only forgiven, but we are cleanfed therefrom, as the latter Part of the Text 1 John i. 8, 9. by him concealed, though he recites the reft of it, doth exprefly fhew. If, faith that Apostle, we fay we have no Sin, we deceive ourselves, and the Truth is not in us; but if we confefs our Sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins, and to cleanfe us from all Unrighteousness. Theie laft Words, the Vicar recites not, for they teach finless Perfection which he before, p. 142, calls a proud Doctrine.

He adds, p. 148. I never heard, that the Quakers in their Meetings ever ufe any Gonfeffion of Sin, or fay forgive us our Sins; or that they have ever pretended they have done it, though fo often charged for not doing it.

WHAT Sort of Proof is here? He never heard. Does the Truth of Facts depend on his hearing of them? Have all the Confeffions and Prayers of the Quakers in their Meetings come under his Cognizance? If not, they may have there used Confeffion of Sin, without his hearing of it. Thofe who have frequented their Meetings are better Evidences in this Cafe, than our Opponent, whofe Converfe and Manner of Life have not probably O

led

led him to those Affemblies very often. I can testify of my own Knowledge (and fo, I believe, can many others of theirs) that I have both heard Confeffion of Sin made, and Forgiveness of Sins prayed for in their publick Meetings. And that they have pofitively denied a Charge of like Nature with our Adverfary's Infinuation, may be feen in G. W's fober Expoftulation, p. 42. where, in anfwer to Francis Bugg afferting, that the Quakers did not make Confeffion of Sin to God in Prayer, nor beg Pardon for the fame, G. Whitehead fays, Here are two notorious Falfhoods. Which, I think, is more than a pretending they have done it, for it is a pofitive Denial that they have not This Charge, viz. that the Quakers do never make publick Confeffion of their Sins to God, nor ever ask Pardon for the Remiffion of them, is fully answered by Dr. Philips in his Vindicia Veritatis, p. 85, 86, 87, 88. to which, if the Reader fhall think our Opponent's Infinuation not herein fufficiently refuted, we refer him for farther Satisfaction.

THE Vicar adds, And they upbraid us with confeffing our Sins as long as we live, and with the praying for the Pardon of them, though ⚫ herein we follow the Example of Holy Men in Scripture, and the univerfal Practice of the < Chriftian Church in all Ages.

But who thofe Quakers are that fo upbraid them, and what are the exprefs Terms wherein they do it, he has not informed us; we find indeed fome of the Quakers lamenting the Condition of those, who walk as it were in a Circle of formal Confeffing, and actual Sinning, without forfaking and amending. (f) One of them who had been for

(f) R. Claridge.

merly

merly a Parish Prieft, from his own Experience and Obfervation, does pathetically defcribe the Condition of the Parish Priests, and their People generally, where he had dwelt, in the following Words.

(g) SIN, fays he, abounded in Towns and Villages, in Families and private Perfons: Multitudes of all Places, Ages, Sexes and Orders, were infected more or lefs with the Contagion; fo that that Confeffion which they used in their publick Service, We have erred and strayed from thy Ways, like loft Sheep, we have followed too much the Defires and Devices of our own Hearts, &c. As it fuited exactly with their State, and was eafy to be faid over, being made ready for the Mouths of Swearers, Drunkards, Adulteહું rers, Liars, the Proud and Covetous, &c. fo the following Abfolution as cheap as the Confeffion, ⚫ did contribute not a little to the emboldening of them in their Sins; for they took Encouragement from thence, either to repeat their old, or to run into new Tranfgreffions; becaufe Confeffion aud Abfolution were fo nigh at Hand, and fo eafily to be had, that is, without leaving off their beloved Sins, and parting with their darling Lufts; for mere verbal Confeffion was a very eafy thing, efpecially in fuch a general Form, as any one that could read, or fay after the Priest, might make it; and that being made, the next Thing was Abfolution, the Priest pronouncing them abfolved as Penitents, within a few Breaths after their customary Confef fion: And thus as often as they confeffed they • were abfolved, even without bringing forth the O 2 • Fruits

6

(g) . C's Life and pofthumous Works, p. 6, 7.