A59660:135
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.
Now I pray you, lay all these things together, and then see whether you have any cause to say; What profit is there by Covenant and Church-membership of persons not yet able to profess the faith of Jesus Christ?
Quest. 2. You say, when families were Churches, all of the family were of the Church, and when a Nation was a Church, all that were of that nation were of that Church; But now Believers being matter of the Church, what if none were admitted, till they can hold forth visible faith, would not many of these things be more clear?
Answ. In these words there is a threefold mistake.
1. That all of the family & nation in former times were of the Church: ⟨p. 26⟩this […] for God never took ••y to be his Church, but […] they were Believers, at […] e•ternally, In that Nation; I say Believers: which either are professed believers: or promised believers, such as by outward Covenant shall have the means to be made believers in y Nation; and hence you have heard, that the Nation of the Jews stood by Faith, and were broken of by unbelief, and if any rejected the Covenant: as Ishmael, and Esau, they were not of that Church, though they did, and might dwell in that nation, as doubtless thousands did.