45 6Th,e Birth-Priviledge and Covenant-holinef e Ch.4 7 SECT. Vr. (.2/r after Firmins Anfwers to our Arguments f for Infant Baptifine with the Reply. Aving fried the ftrength of Mailer Firmins Arguments, let us fee his Anfwers to Arguments of ours, he takes notice but of two. The firít he calls the great Objection. The 7eWes though very wicked, had their children circumcifed. This he confefles is an hard knot to untie, and defires hclp,yet he propounds his thoughts by way of anfwer. Fira, he fates, There teas Excommunication among the jenes; thole who deny it, let them grapple with Ilout Gillefpie, who proves it, and fhewes the cakfes of their Excommunication. Then it fol- lowes undeniably, that the children of excommunicate, Jewes w. re circumcifed, and confequently here is a good argument for their Baptifine. Circumcifion and Jew are Synonyma; Ifrael.in the whole body was circumcifed. Secondly, he conceives, for ignorance they were not fo guilty as are many of ours. Sure God complaines by the Prophets very much of it, and feeingtheirproneneffe to Idolatry and all man- ner of wickednefí'e, me thinks there fhould be fmall caufe to doubt it. Then he laies he will come more clofe to the answer, and des fires that hù reverend fathers and brethren Would give him cleare proof that the Priefis did debar thoufands of the people from the Pa ffe- over for morali uncleannefles, (for as for ceremonial uncleanne ffes, they do not trouble at can admit [Itch to the Lords Supper) and thaw they did debarre them fix, ten, twenty yeers together, (as our `.Divines do thoufands in this Kingdeme, though they have the Lords Supper oftner then they have the Paffeover) and yet though they were thus debarred , they did circumcife their children. if Malter Firmin judge Matter Gilleffy an authority unanfwerable to prove that the Jewes had their. Excommunication, why is not his authority in this as cogent in his fitft book of offarons Rod, cap. i 2 ? He brings four- teen ArgurnAts to prove that fcandalous and prefumpruous of- 1 fenders againft the Morall Law, though circumcifed , and not be- ( mg
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