A59660:122
The church-membership of children, and their right to baptism according to that holy and…The church-membership of children, and their right to baptisme according to that holy and…
The church-membership of children, and their right to baptism according to that holy and everlasting covenant of God, established between Himself and the faithful ... cleared up in a letter, sent unto a worthy friend of the author ... / by Thomas Shepard ...The church-membership of children, and their right to baptisme according to that holy and everlasting covenant of God, established between Himself and the faithfull ... cleared up in a letter, sent unto a worthy friend of the author ... / by Thomas Shepard ...
Cambridge: printed by Samuel Green, 1663Cambridg: printed by Samuel Green, 1663
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
2. The children of godly parents though they do not manifest faith in the Gospel, yet they are to be accounted of Gods Church, ⟨p. 20⟩until they positively reject the Gospel, either in themselves, or in their Parents; and therefore God did never go about to cast off •he Jews, and their seed, until they put forth positive unbelief; the Lord promised to give them the means of Faith, and did so: and when Christ was come, and the Gospel sent first unto them for their good, the Lord herein fulfilled his Covenant-Mercy, as toward his Beloved people; but when they rejected these means, and cast off Christ, and his Gospel, then Rom. 11. they were broken off, and not before. Now hypocrites are such as profess Christ in words, and yet deny Christ in deed, Titus 1.16. 2 Tim. 3.5. Hence they are such, as positively refuse Christ: hence the case of children in whom no positive unbelief appears, is not the same with this of hypocrites, or profane persons; and when young Children shall grow positively such, I know not but they may be dealt with as any other Members, for any such like offence.
2. The children of godly parents though they do not manifest faith in the Gospel, yet they are to be accounted of Gods Church, ⟨p. 20⟩untill they positively reject the Gospel, either in themselves, or in their Parents; and therefore God did never goe about to cast off •he Iews, and their seed, untill they put forth positive unbelief; the Lord promised to give them the means of Faith, and did so: and when Christ was come, and the Gospel sent first unto them for their good, the Lord herein fullfill'd his Covenant-Mercy, as toward his Beloved people; but when they rejected these meanes, and cast off Christ, and his Gospel, then Rom. 11. they were broken off, and not before. Now hypocrites are such as profess Christ in words, and yet deny Christ in deed,