All is well, D.M.
You understood my intentions just fine, I’m just slow. Predicting the future is not my strong suit. It’s not a matter of wanting to quit, but rather I have only limited time & energy – esp: as when I am nice to my wife, she manages to forget her manners – and I am usually drug through an emotional roller coaster which can take a day to get over.
And – As the house I am at is totally torn up right now, I have intermittent internet & no email, which makes the Retrovaille program nearly impossible, and even CAF hit and miss.

This week the results of her new counselor became apparent.
It became an “you are Pontious Pilate (coward) attack” along with accusations of abandonment complete with definitions supposedly from canon law. The Irony was incredible as I watched the kids run for the garage, bedrooms, and wherever else they could hide.
(P.S. I take care of kids most of the week, and would happily do so all the week.)
sigh
Really, I try to be nice; I do love her.
In any event, to restart…
As to Augustine, the links you provided to the “City of God” are ones I have seen before (and had mostly forgotten). I found the commentary on Genesis quite interesting, because I just studied that passage some months back, and as I read Augustine, I had my old impressions of him brought to mind. I had originally thought Augustine was being loose with the Genesis interpretation; Wow, was I wrong. Even though I know that I don’t have a perfect grasp of the grammar; I can see how he is supported by that difficult text.
My recollection of Augustine’s mention of ignorance with respect to infants came from a separate work of his from the classic one discussing the pains of hell (eg: the lightest ones) possible – which many falsely interpret as “limbo”. It may be months before I figure out what trick my memory is playing on me…but it just seems certain that somewhere he uses logic along the lines of ,“They are ignorant of what they ought to do.”
I do not know whether or not a child with free will can sin in the womb. It would seem that not all can, as Jacob and Esau had “done nothing right nor wrong” in the womb – although that may refer to the nations which they represent. Yet, in catholic doctrine, the presumption of the infants innocence also shows up regularly. So, I will have to say – I do not know if some can and others can not, or if none can, or if all must. I do not have enough information, but I do believe their wills are free.
As to my mention of the stones, and the KJV quote I made.
I need to retract it – as the Greek uses neither lithos, nor petros, (stone/rock) so essentially the KJV exaggerates the connection.
I don’t know Hebrew and will bump Copland3 on it momentarily for extra verification in private.
I don’t disagree with the thrust of your argument concerning John the baptist. I am just fascinated with the idea of Rock, and how it is used in the OT as a symbol of the tribes of Israel (children).
Eg: the named stones for AArons Ephod and breastplate.
The named stones that Elijah builds the altar out of on Mt. Carmel, the named stones left as a memorial at the crossing of the Jordan, and the book of revelation which mentions each of the saints being given a “white” stone with a special name. eg:He has called us by name.
The connection goes deeper, in that the only other kind of stone typically mentioned, biblically, is the milling stone. The one which makes wheat into bread. When John makes his statement three things come immediately to mind:
That “Bethlehem” is literally – “the house of bread”
That the wicked “eat up my people like bread”
That Jesus, in the desert, is tempted by Satan with – “turn these stones into bread” (an equivocal temptation by inference.)
and – “when a son asks for a loaf of bread, who would give him a stone … if you who are evil know how…”
Therfore, I am glad if stones does not really refer to genitals as the English would seem to make of Peter; eg: salt Peter. For the last saying could be quite, um, equivocal.
But, in any event, the children/(tribes) of Israel are stones in the OT analogy. So, in the NT, that Makes Peter the one in place of Abraham with respect to churches; and St. John the baptist’s saying has multiple levels of meaning of which, I will assert, one prominent one is the re-building of God’s people from a remnant.
Call to mind, Elijah says “I am the only one left” in despair, and the OT condemns the whole people under Ahaz, but God says to Elijah that he has saved “700 people”. They hidden is the obvious reason Elijah didn’t know of them.
True spiritual sons of Abraham, I would say, is offered by birthright to the Israelites – as a promise – but that promise can be rejected or sold. The deeper meaning you allude to, being true in any event.
Now, on to Joshua et all.