A59660:127
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.
3. To speak plainly, the good they get by being thus enriched is wonderful: and here there is more need of a Treatise then of a L•tter, to clear up the benefits from all Scruples, arising by being in outward Covenant, in Church fellowship, even unto Infants: I confess I find little said by Writers upon this Subject, & I believe the doubts against children's Baptism, as they arise by blindness in this particular; so I think that God suffers that opinion to take place, that by such darkness he may bring out light in this particular. I will only hint unto you some few of my many thoughts, which have long exercised me for many years in this thing. The good by children's membership, especially when Sealed, is in four things.
3. To speak plainly, the good they get by being thus enriched is wonderfull: and here there is more need of a Treatis• then of a L•tter, to clear up the benefits from all Scruples, arising by being in outward Covenant, in Church fellowship, even unto Infants: I confess I find little said by Writers upon this Subject, & I believe the doubts against childrens Baptisme, as they arise by blindness in this particular; so I think that God suffers that opinion to take place, that by such darkness he may bring out light in this particular. I will only hint unto you some few of my many thoughts, which have long exercised me for many yeares in this thing. The good by childrens membership, especially when Sealed, is in four things.
1. In respect of God. God shows hereby the riches of his grace toward them, in taking them to be his people: In Adopting them to be his children: In preventing them with many special promises aforehand of doing them good, by all which, the Lord doth as it were prevent Satan, in wooing their hearts as it were, so soon to draw them to him before he can actually stir to draw their souls from him. So that I beseech you consider, suppose they cannot as yet understand, and so make profit by all this, yet is it not good for them, or for any of us to partake of Gods grace, before we know how to make use of it? is it not good for God to be good to them that are evil? is it not good for God to glorify & make manifest his grace to man, though man knows not how to make use of his grace? was it not rich grace for Christ to wash Peters feet, and yet he not know at present what it meant, only (saith Christ) thou shalt know it afterward? is it not good for God to give life to us, and to let us be born in such and such a place of the Gospel where it is preached, and to lay in mercy aforehand for us, before we know how to be thankful, or know how to use any of these outward mercies? and is it no mercy or favour to have so much spiritual mercy bestowed on children aforehand, before they can be thankful, or make use thereof?