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

But, Sir, the Question is not, whether it were a transeunt fact that laid the foundation by legislation or promise-making; but whether the effect were transeunt, or the act as it is in patient: Whether the law were transeunt which was made by a transeunt fact? and whether the moral action of that law were permanent or transeunt? it being most certainly such a moral act that must produce a title, or constitute a duty. Gods writing the ten Commandments in stone was a fact soon past, but the law was not soon past, nor the moral act of that law, viz. obligation. There are verbal laws, that have no real permanent sign: and yet the law may be permanent, and the obligation permanent, because the sign may have a permanency in esse cognito, and so the signifying virtue may remain by the help of memory, though the word did vanish in the speaking.

But, Sir, the Question is not, whether it were a transeunt fact that laid the foundation by legislation or promise-making; but whether the effect were transeunt, or the act as it is in patiente: Whether the law were transeunt which was made by a transeunt fact? and whether the moral action of that law were permanent or transeunt? it being most certainly such a moral act that must produce a title, or constitute a duty. Gods writing the ten Commandements in stone was a fact soon past, but the law was not soon past, nor the moral act of that law, viz. obligation. There are verbal laws, that have no real permanent sign: and yet the law may be permanent, and the obligation permanent, because the sign may have a permanency in esse cognito, and so the signifying vertue may remain by the help of memory, though the word did vanish in the speaking.

When you come to point out this transeunt fact individually, you say [it is Gods taking the whole people of the Jews for his people,] which you term [fact] as conceiving it most comprehensive of the many particular acts in many generations whereby he did accomplish it.] 1. I did not well understand before that [a fact] did so vastly differ from an [Act,] as to contain the acts (rather than the facts) of many generations.