R. B. THE first question being resolved that Infants were once Church-members, to the resolving of the second question, I shall prove these two Propositions. 1. That it was not only the Infants of the Congregation of Israel that were Church-members. 2. The Infants of Israel were members of the universal visible Church, and not only of that particular Congregation. The first I have proved already in my book. And 1. Isaac was a Church-member, yet none of the Congregation of Israel; it was not Israel till Jacobs days. If you say that by the [Congregation of ⟨p. 19⟩Israel] you mean [the seed of Abraham which had the promise of Canaan] Yet 2. I say, that Ishmael and Abraham's seed by Keturah and Esau had none of the promise, and yet were Church-members in their infancy. [In Isaac shall thy seed be called] that is, that seed which had the promise of Canaan. And so it was confined to Jacob, who got the blessing and the birthright, which Esau lost, and was excluded, yet was of the Church from his infancy. The Son of the bondwoman was not to be heir with the Son of the free-woman, yet was Ishmael an Infant member. If you say, that by [the Congregation of Israel] you mean all the natural seed of Abraham: I add, 3. The children of his bond-men born in his family, or bought with money, were none of Abraham's natural seed, and yet were Church-members in their infancy. If you go yet further, and say, that by [the Congregation of Israel] you mean all that were at the absolute dispose of Abraham or his successors, and so were his own: I add, 4. The Infants of free Proselytes were none such, and yet were Church-members. If you yet go further, and say, that you mean by [the Congregation of Israel] any that came under the government of Abraham or his successors: then I add, 5. That the Sichemites, Gen. 34. were not to •ome under Jacobs government, but to be his allies and neighbours, being so many more in number than Jacob, that they concluded rather that his cattle and substance should be theirs; yet were they circumcised every male, and so were made members of the visible professing Church. For it was not ⟨p. 20⟩the bare external sign that Jacob or his sons would persuade them to, without the thing signified: For the reproach that they mentioned of giving their daughter to the uncircumcised, was not in the defect of the external abscission;
R. B. THE first question being resolved that Infants were once Church-members, to the resolving of the second question, I shall prove these two Propositions. 1. That it was not only the Infants of the Congregation of Israel that were Church-members. 2. The Infants of Israel were members of the universal visible Church, and not only of that particular Congregation. The first I have proved already in my book. And 1. Isaac was a Church-member, yet none of the Congregation of Israel; it was not Israel till Jacobs days. If you say that by the [Congregation of ⟨p. 19⟩Israel] you mean [the seed of Abraham which had the promise of Canaan] Yet 2. I say, that Ishmael and Abrahams seed by Keturah and Esau had none of the promise, and yet were Church-members in their infancy. [In Isaac shall thy seed be called] that is, that seed which had the promise of Canaan. And so it was confined to Jacob, who got the blessing and the birthright, which Esau lost, and was excluded, yet was of the Church from his infancy. The Son of the bondwoman was not to be heir with the Son of the free-woman, yet was Ishmael an Infant member. If you say, that by [the Congregation of Israel] you mean all the natural seed of Abraham: I add, 3. The children of his bond-men born in his family, or bought with mony, were none of Abrahams natural seed, and yet were Church-members in their infancy. If you go yet further, and say, that by [the Congregation of Israel] you mean all that were at the absolute dispose of Abraham or his successors, and so were his own: I add, 4. The Infants of free Proselytes were none such, and yet were Church-members. If you yet go further, and say, that you mean by [the Congregation of Israel] any that came under the government of Abraham or his successors: then I add, 5. That the Sichemites, Gen. 34. were not to •ome under Jacobs government, but to be his allies and neighbours, being so many more in number than Jacob, that they concluded rather that his cattle and substance should be theirs; yet were they circumcised every male, and so were made members of the visible professing Church. For it was not ⟨p. 20⟩the bare external sign that Jacob or his sons would perswade them to, without the thing signified: For the reproach that they mentioned of giving their daughter to the uncircumcised, was not in the defect of the external abscission;
