A50206:91
The first principles of New-England concerning the subject of baptism & communion of churchesThe first principles of New-England concerning the subject of baptisme & communion of churches
The first principles of New-England concerning the subject of baptism & communion of churches : collected partly out of the printed books, but chiefly out of the original manuscripts of the first and chief fathers in the New-English churches : with the judgment of sundry learned divines of the congregational way in England, concerning the said questions : published for the benefit of those who are of the rising generation in New-England / by Increase Mather ...The first principles of New-England concerning the subject of baptisme & communion of churches : collected partly out of the printed books, but chiefly out of the original manuscripts of the first and chiefe fathers in the New-English churches : with the judgment of sundry learned divines of the congregational way in England, concerning the said questions : published for the benefit of those who are of the rising generation in New-England / by Increase Mather ...
printed by Samuel Green, 1675
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.
2dly. Members are to be considered either in respect of their Communion, or in respect of their membership. In respect of their Communion they may be said to be complete or incomplete; because Communion receives more or less, and may be enjoyed either in whole or in part, But if members be considered, in respect of membership which is the present Query, then they cannot be said to be complete, or incomplete, because membership being a Relation doth not receive more or less, as a little member is as truly a member as the greatest, the hand of a Child is truly a hand, and member of the whole as the hand of a man.
2dly. Members are to be considered either in respect of their Communion, or in respect of their membership. In respect of their Communion they may be said to be compleat or incompleat; because Communion receives more or less, and may be enjoyed either in whole or in part, But if members be considered, in respect of membership which is the present Query, then they cannot be said to be compleat, or incompleat, because membership being a Relation doth not receive more or less, as a little member is as truly a member as the greatest, the hand of a Child is truly a hand, and member of the whole as the hand of a man.
Object. 3. Membership is Immediate, viz when these that are Adult Confederate in their own persons. Mediate, viz when Infants Confederate in a public person as Mankind Confederated in Adam.
Object. 3. Membership is Immediate, viz when these that are Adult Confederate in their own persons. Mediate, viz when Infants Confederate in a publick person as Mankind Confederated in Adam.
1 Answer. Though Adam Confederated in his own person. i. e. although it be the person of Adam that Confederated, yet Adam himself Confederated not as a single person, but as a public person, so as though Adam and the Parents of Children Confederate Immediately, i. e. in their own persons, yet do they not confederate as single persons. In this notion, Scil. of not confederating as single persons, the Condition of both mediate, and Immediate members are alike.