Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending…

Argum. 2. In the common sense of such a Covenant amongst men, it would necessarily suppose an uninterrupted succession of faithful Progenitors, that make no forfeiture before any right can be conveyed to their issue: therefore it must be so interpreted in our present case, seeing we must not go from the known use or sense of words, without some apparent reason, whereof here is none that I see; And the Antecedent is a known case. If a Prince do convey certain privileges & Honours to a man and his Heirs and Posterity for ever, this word certainly implies this supposition or condition, that neither he nor any after him do make a forfeiture: for if they turn Traitors, the Covenant is broke, the Grant is void, and they cannot by that convey any such right to Posterity.

Argum. 2. In the common sense of such a Covenant amongst men, it would necessarily suppose an uninterrupted succession of faithfull Progenitors, that make no forfeiture before any right can be conveyed to their issue: therefore it must be so interpreted in our present case, seeing we must not go from the known use or sense of words, without some apparent reason, whereof here is none that I see; And the Antecedent is a known case. If a Prince do convey certain priviledges & Honors to a man and his Heirs and Posterity for ever, this word certainly implies this supposition or condition, that neither he nor any after him do make a forfeiture: for if they turn Traytors, the Covenant is broke, the Grant is void, and they cannot by that convey any such right to Posterity.

Argum. 3. If the Promise aforesaid did not imply a necessary non-interruption of faithful Progenitors, then the Promise and threatening could not be verified: but the Consequent is not to be admitted; therefore the Consequence is plain, in that as the Promise is to many generations of those that love God and keep his Commandments; so the Threatening is, that he will visit the sins of the Fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of, &c. Exod. 20.34. where God proclaims it with his name; and doubtless both the Threatening and the Promise is such, that it cannot be that the same persons are under both at once: being certainly therefore under the Threatening, they are from under the Promise.