A59660:138
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.
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.
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 meanes 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 unbeliefe, and if any rejected the Covenant: as Ishmael, and Esau, they were not of that Church, though they did, and might dwell in yt nation, as doubtless thousands did.
2. You think that Visible personal Faith only, makes the Church, and members of it; which •s an error, as may appear from many thing already said: for Children may be in Gods account professors of y Faith parentally, as well as personally; i. e. in the profession of their parents, as well as in their own; And hence you shall find, that the Covenant God entered into with the Parents of Church-members personally, the Children are said, to have that Covenant made with them many hundred years […] See for this purpose among hundreds, these few Scriptures, Hagga 2.5. In Haggai's time God is said to make a Covenant with them then when they came out of Egypt (which was not personally, but parentally) so