More proofs of infants church-membership and consequently their right to baptism, or, A second…

He [conceiveth it to be very erroneous that visible Church-membership is given out of distributive Justice; for as Regeneration, so also visible membership are of bounty by God as Sovereign Lord, not of distributive Justice by God as Judge. 2. That all that any man hath of God he hath of debt, contrary to Rom. 4.4. 3. That visible Church-membership is conceived as a thing offered, and to be duly and rightfully received

He [conceiveth it to be very erroneous that visible Church-membership is given out of distributive Justice; for as Regeneration, so also visible membership are of bounty by God as Soveraign Lord, not of distributive Justice by God as Judge. 2. That all that any man hath of God he hath of debt, contrary to Rom. 4.4. 3. That visible Church-membership is conceived as a thing offered, and to be duly and rightfully received

Reply. If Mr. T. and I shall tire the Printer, and wast Paper, and trouble the world, with telling them how many errors each of us hold, it will ⟨p. 40⟩be an unsavoury task, and I doubt it would be a much shorter work for one of us, (which ever it is) to enumerate the useful truths we hold. What I hold, be it right or wrong, I will tell the Reader as to this matter. I hold that Gods Kingdom is to be considered in its Constitution and Administration: The first hath, 1. The efficient, 2. The Constitutive, 3. The final Causes: And in the large sense it containeth, 1. Subjects only by obligation, (such as Rebels are) 2. Subjects by consent, (or voluntary). The Efficient cause of the former is only Gods 1. Making them men, and Redeemed men quoad precium, and commanding their subjection or consent. To the effecting of the second is besides these required their Actual Consent (Parents consenting for their Infants), without which they are but Rebels, and have no right to the benefits of the Society.