4 48 The Birth-Priviledge and Covenant- holinefe Ch.47 he (ayes, page 34, It is true, the wicked ?ewes being members of that National Church, Jo long u their Memberfhip held, they might cha lenge Circioncifion,h for wicked perfon fo long it's they conti- nue mesñbers, and the Church lets them alone, they may challenge Baptifm, and fo upon his own grounds, they may of right chal. lenge it, and Minifters then mull needs do wrong in cafe they deny it,and fo in all mens judgements , the queflion is concluded in the Affirmative; yea, íhould the Church paffe to the higheft of her cenfures, through all that is allowed to the higheft top, yet ílill the perfon under cenfure continues in a fundamental) right of Memberfhip, though debarred of prefent fruition, and fo their Infants entituled, as we have Peen , to Baptifm. His Arguments are worthy of examination, in which he concludes fuch a one is not fit to be a Member. Firft, ))Members of Churches according to the Gofpel are Saints vifible : But fuch a perfon as the quei ion mentions, is not a vifible Saint : Ergo. The Minor he proves, Such as willJay that fuch a perfon as the ,,Zsellion mentions is a vifble Saint, 1 th.in1e his eyes are not good. He that tells me, the Saints Which Paul mentions in- thole places Were no other then Inch a perfn as is in the Rueflion, he mutt pardon me, though l be!eeve him hot. An f. Vifible Saint is taken either in regard of Separation for, and dedication to God, or for reali qualifications according to the power of godlineffe in the firft fenfe, fuch are reali Saints, that he mentions and reeâs, in which fenfe we have (hewn Saint to be frequently taken, and fuch were molt of the Mem- bers of the Church of Sardis, there being few that had not de- filed their garments, and many fuch in the Church of Corinth: In the fecond fenfe ( and I know not a third ) his eyes are bet - ter then mine, that can determine concerning them. Inward graces onely make a reali Saint, and thefe to me are invifible; if he rneanes fo far as mens judgements can upon any fair ground conclude that they are fuch, then the Apoftles will be involved in our guilt, who hand over head admitted members the fame day they were converted, being in foul fins, and never flaying time to make judgement of the hopefull truth of their graces. Paùt calls all thofe that before converfion he perfecuted, Saints, A l t s 26. o, *so doth Ananias Aftsg. r 3, all thofe for whom af- ter converfion he ordered and made Collections z Cor. t 6. i . And Mr. Firnins arguments to carry the que - ft ion in the ne- gative anfwer.
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