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

SECT. III.

R. B. TO make any clear work upon the things in question, we must necessarily speak to the questions distinctly, many of which you too much confound. The first question in order fit to be resolved is, [whether Infants before Christs incarnation were Church-members, or not?] you grant they were: and therefore this is past dispute with us. The second question and the first resolved, is [what Church it is that Infants were members of?] This you give me occasion to take in the way, because you twice explain your meaning, when you confess them Church-members, by an [i. e. of the congregation of Israel.] By which you seem to imply two things: First, that none but the Infants of the Congregation of Israel were Church-members: Secondly, that the infants of Israel were members of no Church but what is ⟨p. 16⟩convertible with the congregation of Israel.] The third question is, what it is that gives the Israelites that denomination of [the Congregation of Israel] of which Infants were members? For you jumble both together, both causes Civil, and Ecclesiastical, and of both those that make to the being and well-being. So that our enquiry must be, whether the Congregation and the Commonwealth be the same thing in your sense?] and what constituteth it formally? For in this you speak in dark ambiguities. The fourth question is, [Whether there was any Law, Ordinance or Precept of God concerning mans duty herein, or obliging him to the Covenant acceptance and engagement, and so to membership; and any promise, grant or Covenant, conferring the right of Church-membership and the consequent privileges to Infants?] To this you say both Yea and Nay, if I can understand you, or at least as to much of the question concerning the being, and part of the effect of the precept and promise. Yet you conclude, that you [do not conceive that Infants of Israel were made visible Church-members by the promises in the Covenants, or the precepts fore-named, but by Gods transeunt fact.] I will not suspect that you imagine any other promise doth it besides that in the Covenant, because your tying the effect to the transeunt fact doth exclude them. Here we are cast upon these questions next. The fifth question, [Whether there be such precepts and promises as you grant, (or as I shall prove) which yet make not Infants Church-members?]