More Proofs of Infants Church Membership and Right to Baptism, Letters 1 · Section 5
SECT. V.
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 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 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; for ſo Moſes own ſon, and all the Iſraelites in the wilderneſs ſhould have been under the ſame reproach, and all the females continually: But it was in that they were not in Covenant with the ſame God, and did not profeſs to worſhip the ſame God in his true way of worſhip as they did. And therefore as Baptizing is not indeed and in Scripture ſence Baptizing, if it be not uſed for engagement to God, even into his name; ſo Circumciſion is not indeed and in Scripture ſence Circumciſion, unleſs it be uſed as an engaging ſign, and they be circumciſed to God.
Mr. T's Anſwer. By [the Congregation of Iſrael] I mean the ſame with the Hebrew people or houſe of Abraham — by an anticipation, &c.
Reply. 1. That not only the Infants of Abrahams houſe were Church-members ſhall be proved.
2. Here he is forced to take in the Children of Keturah, Iſhmael, and Eſau, into [the Congregation of Iſrael]; And ſo to extend Infants Church-memberſhip further than the Jews Common-wealth. For let the Reader judge, whether the poſterity of Iſhmael, Eſau and Keturah were of that Republick, or Proſelytes either, and not uſually enemies.
3. He is forced to extend Infants Church-memberſhip to whole Cities that would be but their Allies, as the Sichemites were: For when he ſaith [They were one people] by conſent, he could not ſay that they were to be their ſubjects and ſo members of their Republick. And they may be [one people] by mixture and confederacy, without ſubjection. And there is no intimation that the Sichemites were to part with their former Governours and be ſubject to Jacob. And then if all the Kingd…ms about would but have been accordingly Jacobs confederates, it ſeems Mr. T. muſt yield that their Infants had been viſible Church-members.