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Nor is it any bindrance hereunto, that we S. XXXIII Gentiles are not defcended from Abraham. The How this Reafirst and original Claim from him is confined, as the Holy Seed foning from I have fhewn, to his Seed in a literal fenfe of the PatriThat is fufficient to make the Jewish Nation archs was fitthe natural Olive, of whofe Root and Fatnefs ted to the dewe are faid to partake by our being engrafted Sign of the Gospel. into them. But this Engraffment is to be understood fo, as that it might not incorporate us into the Jewish Nation. That could not be done without Circumcifion, from which it was the great defign of the Revelations relating to the Settlement of the new Peculium, to excufe the Gentiles. Had that been neceffary, it could not have been fo literally true, that Abraham fhould be the Father of many Nations, and, that all Nations of the Earth fhould have been bleffed in bis Seed, if, in order to the qualifying them for that Bleffing, they must have been obliged to quit their National Diftin&tives, and to incorporate themfelves into but one Jewish Nation. The Incorporation therefore defigned, was to be fuch as might admit them, not into the Nation, but into the Seed of Abraham, to which formerly none but that Nation could pretend. Yet that was not all: It must withal admit them into the most privileged fenfe of the Seed, to which no other Nation defcended from Abraham himself could lay claim befides the Jews. This the Title to Abraham's Seed by being Heirs of his Faith alone, without his Circumcifion, did fully reach. Abrabam's Inheritance, in a higher myftical fenfe received by the mystical Expofitors of that Age, exceeded Canaan, and was extended even to Heaven its felf. That is plainly fuppofed in the Apoftle's Reafoning, Heb. xi. To, 16. And Philo owns the fame in his Book, concerning

the

the Heir of Divine things. This must make the Heirs of Abraham to be Heirs of Heaven ; and therefore of God alfo, who is particularly cal led the Lord God of Heaven, Gen. xxiv. 7 Deut. x. 14. as the Throne of his peculiar Refidence, Pfal. xi. 4. I. lxvi. 1. On this account it is, that the Sons of Abraham in the new Peculium, are faid alfo to be the Sons of God: Efpecially from the later times of the Old Teftament, when the myftical fenfe came to be most known, I. ix. 3, 6. xlv. 11. Hof. 1. 10. St. John i. 12. Rom. viii. 14, 19. 2 Cor. vi. 18. Gal. iv. 6. Phil. ii. 15. 1 St. John iii. 1. Accordingly the oberia is reckoned among the Prerogatives of the true Peculium, Rom. ix. 4. And if Sons, then Heirs, Heirs of God, and joint Heirs with Chrift, Rom. viii. 17. in allufion to the Heirs of Abraham, Gen. xv. 3, 4. xxi. 10. And here alfo the name Seed is ufed, 1 St. Pet. i. 23. 1 St. John iii. 9. no doubt in allufion to the fame Holy Seed defcended from the Patriarchs. So careful the Apoftle is in all these Reafonings, to keep up his Allufions to the Holy Seed as a thing undeniable by the Doctrine of the Gospel. This did indeed add to the holinefs of the Seed, when they could claim a defcent from the incorruptible Seed of the Word of God, as well as from the corruptible Seed of Abraham: Efpecially it adds to the holiness of the Gospel Seed, that we are allyed to Chrift, who, in the fame Reafonings of the Apoftle, is fuppofed to be the myftical Seed principally alluded to in the Transactions with Abraham, Gal. iii. 16, 19. That Seed efpecially in whom all the Nations of the Earth were to be blessed. He is called, by way of Eminence, the Holy One, St. Mark i. 24. A&. ii. 27. xiii. 35. from P. xvi. 10. Ad. iii. 14. 1 St. John

ii. 20,

ii. 20. from the ftyle of the Holy One of Ifrael, fo frequented in the Old Teftament. He and his Apoftles were defcended even from the cirumcifed Flesh of Abraham. And we, by our being Members of his myftical Body, are Members of his Body, of his Flesh, and of his Bones, Eph. v. 30. Thence the veris Zagninn as well as dualinn, fo often alluded to by the Apoftolical Ignatius. This will engraft us into the very flefhly Seed of the Patriarchs, and will advance the force of the Argument drawn from the Holy Seed, confidering that we partake of a Seed fo much more holy than that of the Patriarchs alone. And accordingly the Apostle allows and ufes this Argument, as it alludes to the incorruptible Seed of God, and to the Flefbof Chrift. In the place fo largely explained, he produces the words of God, promifing to own them for his Sons and Daughters who would feparate from Infidel Marriages: Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye Separate, faith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye fhall be my Sons and Daughters; faith the Lord Almighty, 2 Cor. vi. 17, 18. The Argument there feems to have been drawn. from the Holiness of his own incorruptible Seed which intitled them to be his Sons and Daughters. Elsewhere he reafons from the Flesh of Chrift, as difhonoured by our unclean Mixtures. That Fornication is a taking the Members of Chrift, and making them the Members of an Harlot, 1 Cor. vi. 15. But as to the holiness of our Seed which refults from our descent from the holy Patriarchs, thofe Rules of Incorporation, which by God's appointment, make us vardas, one Body with the Patriarchs, are fufficient alfo to make us vfxanevóμus and

συμμετοχες

1

συμμετοχες δ ἐπαγ[ελίας, partakers of the Inhe ritance and of the Promife made to them, Eph. iii. 6. that is, of the heavenly Inheritance, and of the Bleffing. The very Incorporation gives us all the Rights of thofe who were originally of their natural Seed. So it is in all other Societies of the fame nature, where the Incorpo ration it felf is fuppofed to be complete. And among the Rights of Natives this is one, That Parents incorporate do, in courfe, convey the fame Rights to their Children (without any new A&t for incorporating them particularly) of which they are poffeffed themselves. Freeborn Citizens (for fo their Children are) are intitled to all thofe Rights by their Birthright, to which the Parents were admitted by their Incorporation. This makes natural Extraction of the fame force in our heavenly wondea as it is in earthly Cities. The name City used concerning the myftical Ferufalem, feems to have been used with that very defign, to let us understand that the Holy Ghoft was pleafed to express himself in allufion to the then commonly received Notions concerning the Discipline of Cities; and that Reafonings from thofe Notions were the most natural Expedients for dif covering his true fenfe in fuch Allufions. But that is not all here. The particular nature of the Body concerned here requires it, as it is a Seed defcended from common Ancestors. Natural Extraction conveyed the Patriarchal Rights to their original Seed, if qualified for receiving them by Faith. And therefore it muft have the fame force in the Children of afci titious Members of the fame Body, when the Parents are admitted to the fame Rights with the Original Members. I mean, fuppofing their Children alfo, if adult, qualified by Faith If under

der Age, the cafe is the fame in the new as the old Peculium.

This Reasoning therefore cannot be denied, §. XXXIV. en now, in the cafe of Idolaters, fuch as thofe Marriages of ere who were concerned in the prohibitions the Jews with der the Old Law. But it may feem more tion befide their any other Naeftionable in the cafe of our modern Here- own, was unks and Schifmaticks. And it is not to be de- lawful on aced, but their cafe is different in fome things Uncircumcicount of their aich may not make Marriages with them fion. iminal in fo high a degree as thofe were with e Pagan Idolaters. The Deities worshipped the Pagans, were in the opinion of the Pelium, Belials, Devils, not only fubordinate, it contrary to the Patron of the Peculium. ur Hereticks and Sehifmaticks own no God at one, and him the very fame to whom the ue Peculium defign their religious Addreffes. a this cafe therefore the Apoftle's Arguments vill not feem to proceed concerning the Union etween Chrift and Belial, and the Temples of God with Idols. And there were, as we have Teen, degrees between the Heathen Idolaters. The Canaanitish Marriages were more particuarly forbid than others, even with Idolaters, In regard of the Piaculum under which they lay, and the Sentence of God already paft against them for their Deftruction, Lev. xviii. 27, 28, 30. On this account these were Criminal in a higher degree. Yet there are Expreffions of a larger extent, which fhew the prohibition to extend to all Marriages without the Peculium. Such is that concerning the Marriage of Dinah with Shechem, and of Samfon with the Daughter of the Timnite. In both cafes the Exception infifted on, is the Uncircumcifion of the Nation out of which the Infidel Confort was taken. This was a Claufe

that