A59660:22
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. The Sacraments of the old Law (or Testament saith Bellarmine• had no absolute promise of Grace annexed, & the promises annexed to those old Sacraments were fulfilled, although men did not believe. Read Ames against him. ibid. l. 1. cap. 4. the. 5, 7. Again, the Papists [saith Chemnit. hold; that God, by the Sacraments of the old Testament, which had eve• the word of promise annexed, did exhibit & confer no grace to Believers which [saith he] is manifestly false; Circumcision alone [which, as he showeth from Scripture, is called the S•al of the righteousness of Faith demonstrateth as much. And thereupon he showeth the reason why the Papists so much urge that difference between the Sacraments of the old & new Testament, viz. because they endeavour by any manner of means to defend and stablish the opinion they have of their opus operatum. Chemnitij Exam. par. 2. de Sacram. sub canon. 2. What a forcible engine of the man of sin this is, and of what vast concernment as to his interest, I need not here express, and what arrows of Anabaptism, drawn out of this very quiver, have been shot against the Orthodox in this point, is known unto not a few.
3. The Sacraments of the old Law (or Testament saith Bellarmine• had no absolute promise of Grace annexed, & the promises annexed to thos• old Sacraments were fulfilled, although men did not believe. Read Ames against him. ibid. l. 1. cap. 4. the. 5, 7. Again, the Papists [saith Chemnit. hold; that God, by the Sacraments of the old Testament, which had eve• the word of promise annexed, did exhibite & conferr no grace to Believers which [saith he] is maifestly false; Circumcision alone [which, as he sheweth from Scripture, is called the S•al of the righteousness of Faith demonstrateth as much. And thereupon he sheweth the reason why the Papists so much urge that difference between the Sacraments of the old & new Testament, viz. because they endeavour by any manner of meanes to defend and stablish the opinion they have of their opus operatum. Chemnitij Exam. par. 2. de Sacram. sub canon. 2. What a forcible engine of the man of sin this is, and of what vast concernment as to his interest, I need not here express, and what arrows of Anabaptisme, drawn out of this very quiver, have been shot against the Orthodox in this point, is known unto not a few.