Another essay for investigation of the truth in answer to two questions concerning I.…

Reas. 5. Either they are when adult, Members, or Non-members; if Non-members, then a person admitted a Member and sealed by Baptism, not cast out, nor deserving to be, may (the Church whereof he was, still remaining) become a Non-member, and out of the Church, and of the unclean world, which the Scripture acknowledgeth not.

Reply. A Freemans child (suppose of London, or any other Corporation) was free-born, and might, in his minority, trade under his father; yet, being grown up, he must personally enter into the common Engagement of Freemen, and be accepted of the Company, as his father was, unto all Duties and Liberties of that Society in his own person; else he may not trade for himself. If it be said, Why so? either he is a Freeman, or a Non-freeman. It will be readily answered, He is a Non-freeman, and that by his own default. If it be said, He was Free by his Fathers Copy, and is not dis-franchised by any public Censure, nor hath deserved so to be; may such an one (the Society whereof he was, still remaining) become a Non-freeman, and out of that Society, &c? The answer will easily and readily be given, He hath lost his Freedom, by not entering, in his own person, into the common ⟨p. 46⟩Engagement of Freemen, to the Duties whereunto all Freemen are personally bound. So, and much more justly it is in this case. An adult person makes himself to become a Non-member, as to privileges, by not performing the Duties whereunto he was bound by his Parents Covenant for him in his minority, and by his not regularly covenanting, as his Parents did. And his is according to Scripture, which tells us, that Circumcision received in Baptism may become, by his own fault, being adult, no Circumcision, Rom. 2.25. Those Texts in Rom. 11.16. 1 Cor. 7.14 Gen. 17.7. are not applicable to the adult persons in question, but only to Infants, and Children in minority.