Romans 11:24 : But if thou vast cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and avast grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree; how much more shall these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? A wild olive tree is an uncultivated olive tree, a tree of the woods. Its fruit would be inferior; and it would not be natural to expect to im-prove its fruit by grafting it into a good olive tree. However the fruit of the Gentiles, here represented as of a wild olive tree, would be improved by their being grafted into the good olive tree, that is, into the favor and service of God. And if a branch of a wild olive tree is grafted into the good olive tree, how much more natural is the grafting in of the natural branches. Paul's olive-tree parable, or illustration, has often been used in an attempt to prove the perpetuity of the church from Abraham on down through the Christian dispensation; and this is done in an effort to prove infant membership in the church. But a careful consideration of the parable, or illustration, shows the argument to be fallacious. 1. The language is only an illustration of God's method of dealing with Jews and Gentiles. To make an illustration do service beyond the point illustrated is to do violence to language and reason. 2. The perpetuity of a supposed Abrahamic church was not under consideration Paul was not therefore giving an illustration to prove that point. He had not so much as hinted at such a thought. 3. Two olive trees are in the parable. If the tame olive tree represents the church of God, what church does the wild olive tree represent? What is the wild church? 4. If the church at Pentecost had been with the Jews all along, who were the hold-over members? Jesus had told Nicodemus, one of the best of the Jews, that he had to be born again. In fact the language of Jesus includes all: "Except one"--tis, any one--"be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Hence a Jew, any Jew, had to be born again to enter--to be grafted in. As if to make sure that Nicodemus and all others would know that all Jews were included, Jesus said, "Ye"--notice the plural pronoun "Ye must be born again." 5. If the church began with Abraham and the olive tree represents that church, then Jews were members by nature, and would not have to be born again to enter it--they were born into it; and all Jewish children are still members of it. If Jews who reached the years of accountability were broken off--turned out of the church--because of unbelief, that would not destroy the fact that they were born into it. If that assumption is correct, then all Jewish children are yet born into it. If not, why not? Can a pedobaptist answer? Natural branches were broken off because of unbelief, but that would not apply to infants. What broke off the Jewish infants? It will not do to say that Jewish infants were brought into the church by circumcision, but infants are now brought in by baptism, and that therefore unbaptized Jewish infants are now left out; for if Jews became members by circumcision, then they were not branches by nature. Anyone can see this. Hence the pedobaptist argument on the olive tree compels them to say that Jews were members by nature--by a natural birth; but their argument that baptism came in the room of circumcision compels them to say that Jews became members by circumcision. Their arguments cancel each other. 6. As all grafting in is done by faith, infants can-not be grafted in--they cannot have faith. And as no Gentiles are born into this supposed Abrahamic church and Gentile infants cannot be grafted in by faith, it is certain that Gentile infant membership in such a church is impossible. 7. A parable or any other figure of speech must not be pressed beyond what the writer meant to teach. This is done when it is argued that Paul's parable of the olive tree teaches the perpetuity of a supposed Abrahamic church. In Ephesians 2:14-16 Paul tells us that God took the law out of the way that he might make of both Jews and Gentiles one new man--one new church. It does not meet the issue to say that the covenants were changed, but the church remained the same, for Paul plainly says the Old Covenant was abolished that the new church might be established. 8. The olive tree is God's favor, God's goodness, as may be seen by giving attention to Romans 11:22. As a people, the Hebrews had been the special object of God's favor he had been good to them, till they were broken off because of unbelief, and thereby fell under the severity of God. Gentile believers were grafted in-to God's favor, God's goodness; but they also must con-tinue in God's goodness, or also be broken off. In all the parable nothing is said about a church, or about infant membership in anything.