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

R. B. But all this yet is but a light velitation: The principal thing that I would enquire into, is, what your great comprehensive fact is in the true nature of it, which you call [Gods taking the whole people of the Jews to be his people.] Doth the word [taking] signify a mere physical taking or fact; or a moral, such as among men we call, a civil action? If it be a mere physical taking, then, 1. It cannot produce a moral effect, such as that in question is. 2. And then it must have an answerable object, which must be individual existent persons. 3. And then you cannot call it one fact, but many thousand: even as many as there were persons taken in to the Jews in above four hundred years. 4. And then what was the physical act which is called Gods taking? was it such a taking as the Angel used to Lot, that carried him out of Sodom; or as the Apocryphal ⟨p. 67⟩Author mentions of Habakkuk, that was taken by the hair of the head, and carried by the Angel into another Country, to bring Daniel a mess of Pottage? If God must by a physical apprehension take hold of them that he makes Church-members, we shall be at a loss for our proof of their Church-membership. But I cannot imagine that this is your sense. But what is it then? Is it a physical action though a moral causation of some physical effect? That it cannot be: For it is a political or moral effect that we enquire after. It necessarily remains therefore that this be a political moral taking that you here speak of. And if so, then the transeunt fact you speak of must needs be a civil or political action. And what that can be, which is no Law, Promise or Covenant in this case, I pray you bestow some more diligence to inform us, and not put us off with the raw name of a transeunt fact opposed to these. Certainly, if it be a civil or legal action, the product or effect of it is jus or debitum, some due or right: And that is either, 1. A dueness of somewhat from us, (which is either somewhat to be done, or somewhat to be given;) 2. Or a dueness of something to us, which is either of good or evil: If good, it is either by contract or donation (whether by a Testament praemiant Law, or the like:) if evil, it is either by some penal Law, or voluntary agreement: Now which of these is it that your transeunt fact produceth?

R. B. BƲt all this yet is but a light velitation: The principal thing that I would enquire into, is, what your great comprehensive fact is in the true nature of it, which you call [Gods taking the whole people of the Jews to be his people.] Doth the word [taking] signifie a meer physical taking or fact; or a moral, such as among men we call, a civil action? If it be a meer physical taking, then, 1. It cannot produce a moral effect, such as that in question is. 2. And then it must have an answerable object, which must be individual existent persons. 3. And then you cannot call it one fact, but many thousand: even as many as there were persons taken in to the Jews in above four hundred years. 4. And then what was the physical act which is called Gods taking? was it such a taking as the Angel used to Lot, that carried him out of Sodom; or as the Apocryphal