Reply. (The rest let the Reader make his best of.) We are it seems by this time in a fair way of agreement, and have almost done our work. It seemeth by this time he could find in his heart to grant that the Covenant is an efficient cause, though not the sole efficient: well, we will not stick on that: Gods love and revelation, and Christs merits shall be antecedent chief efficients: And he seemeth now instead of saying still that [It is only by the Physical transeunt fact] to be content if we will say, it is not till or without that fact, that is, that men are not members of the Church till they are men. We will not be so sour as to deny him that much. And indeed is this all at the upshot? But I will not grant him the logical notion too easily, though we will not quarrel about it. I think a cause materially may long exist before the effect, though it be not formaliter causa till it effect: And I think that Gods conditional Covenant or Promise, is but causa virtualis & aptitudinalis till it effect, and yet may be the sole proximate efficient of our Right afterward: I think the child's being born did not ⟨p. 134⟩effect his Right to Church Relation, nor doth our Faith now, nor the Parents faith or consent, but only as a condition make men capable Recipients. And I think the effect may begin de novo without any change in the efficient, upon a change in the Recipient: And that the Sun unchanged is the proximate efficient of motion, light and heat, to the next existent wight that received not his influx before it did exist: And the Covenant or Donative Instrument of God which saith [He that believeth shall be justified] may effect my Justification when I believe and not before, though my faith effect it not at all, but dispose the recipient. But I deny that the Parents faith being put, all the capacity of the recipient is put, even when he is born: For if it be possible for the Parent to consent for himself and not for his child, and to devote himself and not his child to God, part of the condition of reception is wanting.
Reply. (The rest let the Reader make his best of.) We are it seems by this time in a fair way of agreement, and have almost done our work. It seemeth by this time he could find in his heart to grant that the Covenant is an efficient cause, though not the sole efficient: well, we will not stick on that: Gods love and revelation, and Christs merits shall be antecedent chief efficients: And he seemeth now instead of saying still that [It is only by the Physical transeunt fact] to be content if we will say, it is not till or without that fact, that is, that men are not members of the Church till they are men. We will not be so sowre as to deny him that much. And indeed is this all at the upshot? But I will not grant him the logical notion too easily, though we will not quarrel about it. I think a cause materially may long exist before the effect, though it be not formaliter causa till it effect: And I think that Gods conditional Covenant or Promise, is but causa virtualis & aptitudinalis till it effect, and yet may be the sole proximate efficient of our Right afterward: I think the childs being born did not ⟨p. 134⟩effect his Right to Church Relation, nor doth our Faith now, nor the Parents faith or consent, but only as a condition make men capable Recipients. And I think the effect may begin de novo without any change in the efficient, upon a change in the Recipient: And that the Sun unchanged is the proximate efficient of motion, light and heat, to the next existent wight that received not his influx before it did exist: And the Covenant or Donative Instrument of God which saith [He that believeth shall be justified] may effect my Justification when I believe and not before, though my faith effect it not at all, but dispose the recipient. But I deny that the Parents faith being put, all the capacity of the recipient is put, even when he is born: For if it be possible for the Parent to consent for himself and not for his child, and to devote himself and not his child to God, part of the condition of reception is wanting.
