3. We will however examine your pretended Argument from this mysterious place of Scripture. It was well if you had minded what St. Paul speaks in the 25th Verse, For I would not, Brethren, that you should be ignorant of this great Mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own Conceits, &c. But that you are ignorant of this mysterious Text, and Matter contained in it, I doubt not but to make appear, and it is to be feared from thence you are wise in your own Apprehension. But to proceed, if all the Branches, viz. the Children of the whole House of Israel, were holy, then the Children of the unbelieving Jews were holy also, who were of that Lump you speak of; and if so, why do you argue from hence for the federal Holiness of the Children of Believers? Sir, under the Law there was a Federal and Typical Holiness, but the Children of Godly Parents now, or the whole Lump, you say, is holy, by reason of the Covenant made with Abraham; tho not spiritually holy, yet federally holy, because all that were in that external Covenant and Church-state of the Jews were holy. If by Federal Holiness, which was in the Jewish Church, you mean no more than external Church-Membership, not spiritual Holiness and spiritual Privileges, then their Loss by being cut off is not so great as the Apostle intimates, nor is the Fatness of Abraham's Covenant and true Olive so sweet as you elsewhere affirm, nor is it so great a Blessing for the Gentiles to be grafted into such a Root or Olive-Tree that affords no better Oil. What signifies Federal External Holiness without true Spiritual Holiness? it will do us nor our Children no more good than the same External, Federal or Covenant Holiness did do to the wicked Jews and their Children under the Law, no nor so much neither; for they had by that external Covenant many Earthly or External Blessings, as they were possessed by that Covenant of the Land of Canaan, and Common-wealth of the Jews, as a National Church; which external Privileges believing nor unbelieving Gentiles and their Seed have not under the Gospel, therefore that is not true which you affirm, viz. The same Privileges belonging to the Gentiles and their Children, in the same Latitude, for they were grafted into the same Root.
3. We will however examine your pretended Argument from this mysterious place of Scripture. It was well if you had minded what St. Paul speaks in the 25th Verse, For I would not, Brethren, that you should be ignorant of this great Mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own Conceits, &c. But that you are ignorant of this mysterious Text, and Matter contained in it, I doubt not but to make appear, and it is to be feared from thence you are wise in your own Apprehension. But to proceed, if all the Branches, viz. the Children of the whole House of Israel, were holy, then the Children of the unbelieving Jews were holy also, who were of that Lump you speak of; and if so, why do you argue from hence for the federal Holiness of the Children of Believers? Sir, under the Law there was a Federal and Typical Holiness, but the Children of Godly Parents now, or the whole Lump, you say, is holy, by reason of the Covenant made with Abraham; tho not spiritually holy, yet federally holy, because all that were in that external Covenant and Church-state of the Jews were holy. If by Federal Holiness, which was in the Jewish Church, you mean no more than external Church-Membership, not spiritual Holiness and spiritual Privileges, then their Loss by being cut off is not so great as the Apostle intimates, nor is the Fatness of Abraham's Covenant and true Olive so sweet as you elsewhere affirm, nor is it so great a Blessing for the Gentiles to be graffed into such a Root or Olive-Tree that affords no better Oil. What signifies Federal External Holiness without true Spiritual Holiness? it will do us nor our Children no more good than the same External, Federal or Covenant Holiness did do to the wicked Jews and their Children under the Law, no nor so much neither; for they had by that external Covenant many Earthly or External Blessings, as they were possessed by that Covenant of the Land of Canaan, and Common-wealth of the Jews, as a National Church; which external Privileges believing nor unbelieving Gentiles and their Seed have not under the Gospel, therefore that is not true which you affirm, viz. The same Privileges belonging to the Gentiles and their Children, in the same Latitude, for they were graffed into the same Root.
