A30189:556
An answer to two treatises of Mr. John Can, the leader of the English…An answer to two treatises of Mr. Iohn Can, the leader of the English…
An answer to two treatises of Mr. John Can, the leader of the English Brownists in Amsterdam the former called, A necessity of separation from the Church of England, proved by the Nonconformists principles : the other, A stay against straying : wherein in opposition to M. John Robinson, he undertakes to prove the unlawfulness of hearing the ministers of the Church of England ... / by the late learned, laborious and faithful servant of Jesus Christ, John Ball.An answer to two treatises of Mr. Iohn Can, the leader of the English Brownists in Amsterdam the former called, A necessitie of separation from the Church of England, proved by the Nonconformists principles : the other, A stay against straying : wherein in opposition to M. Iohn Robinson, he undertakes to prove the unlawfulnesse of hearing the ministers of the Church of England ... / by the late learned, laborious and faithfull servant of Jesus Christ, John Ball.
London: printed by R.B., 1642
Chapter 4 › Section 2 › ANSWER.Chapter 4 › Section 2 › ANSVVER.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
That the true Religion was maintained in the family of Sh••, is acknowledged by all sorts, but in that family it was greatly corrupted: for the Scripture testifieth, that […] the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor, and Abraham himself before his calling served other Gods. Josh. 24.2. The Church of God did spread in the family of Abraham; to whom God gave Circumcision, as the seal of the righteousness of faith: but the members thereof, were as well they that were bought with his money, as they that were borne in his house. For so we read that God commanded, and Abraham took Ismael his son, and all that were borne in his house, and all that were bought with his money, that is; every man child among the men of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the foreskin of their flesh. Not only Abraham and his seed, but all that lawfully appertained unto him, and were in his power, did partake of the seal of the covenant, as such as formerly had been, or now were received into covenant. And by analogy we may gather, that not only the children of believing parents, but of Infidels, if they come lawfully into the power and hand of Christians to be trained and brought up by them in the Christian faith, ought to be admitted into Baptism. Now in what sense, Ismael and some others in Abraham's family might be esteemed holy, […] others judge. Esau was a member of Isaacs family, which was the visible Church of God in those times, 1after that he had sold sold his birth right for a •esse of pottage, and many other ⟨p. 54⟩ways had discovered himself so to walk, as a man could hardly judge him to be truly holy. 2The family of Jacob was received into covenant, according to the pleasure and dispensation of God, and all his sons were members of the visible Church, when foul offences were amongst them unrepented of. 3Not to mention the facts of Reuben, Simon, and Levi, and Judah, it is noted of the sons of Zilpah and •ilkah, that they run into slander, whereof we cannot think they repeated suddenly. Joseph his Brethren conceived such hatred against him, that they first conspired to kill him, but changing their minds therein, they sold him unto the Iselites. The whole body of Israel was a peculiar people,