Reply. The Argument is to be denied. For, it will not follow, that, if God did establish the Church of the Jews before the coming of Christ, by such a successive progress of the Covenant in Deut. 29. 13. therefore he doth so now. As for the place Jer. 30 20. where it is said, that the children of the Jews shall be as aforetime; it is meant only of their outward condition, that it shall be as good as before the Captivity. See Engl. Annot•••. This place then is impertinent to Circumcision or Baptism. But there is a manifest difference between the constitution of these Churches. The Church of the Jews before Christ, was for the matter of it, of the Israelites descended from Jacob, by successive natural propagation; yet this successive progress of the Covenant, did not then establish the whole Church of Israel in the twelve Tribes: for the ten Tribes f•ll off under •eroboan, and never returned again. The Church of the Jews that shall be under the New Jerusalem, must consist, for the matter of it, of Elect and Sincere Believers only, both they and their children successively to the end of the world, according to the Prophesies in Isa. 6•. 15. & 50. 21. Jer. 32. 39. Ezek. 37. 25—28. Psal. 102. 16,28 and sundry other places. But Christian Churches among the Gentiles now are constituted of visible Believers, for the matter of them, among whom sundry close Hypocrites creep in. The progress of the Covenant in them, by Christs Ordinance, is thus far successive, that the children in minority of confederate visible Believers shall be baptized, and thereby bound, when they become adult, to perform the Covenant in their own persons, and to confederate for themselves and theirs, as their godly Parents did before them: which if they do not those Parents by their degeneracy stop the successive progress of the Covenant: In which case, Christ doth not allow the Churches to provide for a succession by setting up a Mere Membership of adult persons, that are visibly unfit for Church communion ⟨p. 34⟩in all Ordinances. Such irregular bringing of men into Membership, will unavoidably bring in the corrupting of Religion, which will end in Apostasy. There be better ways to convey Religion down to after-generations, and to continue a Nursery in Christs Vineyard, then this way of setting up such a successive Membership, which Christ hath not sanctified by his Institution; viz.
Reply. The Argument is to be denied. For, it will not follow, that, if God did establish the Church of the Jews before the coming of Christ, by such a successive progress of the Covenant in Deut. 29. 13. therefore he doth so now. As for the place Jer. 30 20. where it is said, that the children of the Jews shall be as aforetime; it is meant only of their outward condition, that it shall be as good as before the Captivity. See Engl. Annot•••. This place then is impertinent to Circumcision or Baptism. But there is a manifest difference between the constitution of these Churches. The Church of the Jews before Christ, was for the matter of it, of the Israelites descended from Jacob, by successive natural propagation; yet this successive progress of the Covenant, did not then establish the whole Church of Israel in the twelve Tribes: for the ten Tribes f•ll off under •eroboan, and never returned again. The Church of the Jews that shall be under the New Jerusalem, must consist, for the matter of it, of Elect and Sincere Believers onely, both they and their children successively to the end of the world, according to the Prophesies in Isa. 6•. 15. & 50. 21. Jer. 32. 39. Ezek. 37. 25—28. Psal. 102. 16,28 and sundry other places. But Christian Churches among the Gentiles now are constituted of visible Believers, for the matter of them, among whom sundry close Hypocrites creep in. The progress of the Covenant in them, by Christs Ordinance, is thus far successive, that the children in minority of confederate visible Believers shall be baptized, and thereby bound, when they become adult, to perform the Covenant in their own persons, and to confederate for themselves and theirs, as their godly Parents did before them: which if they do not those Parents by their degeneracy stop the successive progress of the Covenant: In which case, Christ doth not allow the Churches to provide for a succession by setting up a Meer Membership of adult persons, that are visibly unfit for Church communion ⟨p. 34⟩in all Ordinances. Such irregular bringing of men into Membership, will unavoidably bring in the corrupting of Religion, which will end in Apostacy. There be better wayes to convey Religion down to after-generations, and to continue a Nursery in Christs Vineyard, then this way of setting up such a successive Membership, which Christ hath not sanctified by his Institution; viz.
