A63200:141
A trial of the new-church way in New-England and in old ... by that…A tryall of the nevv-church vvay in New-England and in old ... by that…
A trial of the new-church way in New-England and in old ... by that learned and godly minister of Christ, John Ball of Whitmore ; penned a little before his death and sent over to the New England ministers, anno 1637, as a reply to an answer of theirs in justification of the said positions ... ; now published ... by William Rathband and Simeon Ash.A tryall of the nevv-church vvay in New-England and in old ... by that learned and godly minister of Christ, John Ball of Whitmore ; penned a little before his death and sent over to the New England ministers, anno 1637, as a reply to an answer of theirs in justification of the said positions ... ; now published ... by William Rathband and Simeon Ash.
London: printed by T. Paine and M. Simmons for Thomas Underhill, 1644
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.
For as the flock or society is one: so is the Ministry,1 Faith, Covenant, and Sacraments, which are given as a communion prerogative unto the whole Church, and not appropriated to this or that part or member, as separated from the whole; which is further evidenced hereby, that sometime it hath, and too often it may fall out, that a Christian may be a true member of the universal visible Church (i. e. he may hold, profess, and maintain that holy Catholic Faith, pure, and undefiled, without which no man can be saved) who for the present is no actual member of any particular or visible society in Church order. As for example, a man may be cut off by Excommunication, from all commerce with the present visible Church wherein he was bred and born,2 when he is not cut off from the Catholic, Orthodox all Church. He may be deprived of participation of the Ordinance in every particular society,3 when his right and title to them is much better then these who have most injuriously cast him out, or debarred him of the means of salvation.
For as the flock or society is one: so is the Ministery,1 Faith, Covenant, and Sacraments, which are given as a communion prerogative unto the whole Church, and not appropriated to this or that part or member, as separated from the whole; which is further evidenced hereby, that sometime it hath, and too often it may fall out, that a Christian may be a true member of the universall visible Church (i. e. he may hold, professe, and maintain that holy Catholike Faith, pure, and undefiled, without which no man can be saved) who for the present is no actuall member of any particular or visible society in Church order. As for example, a man may be cut off by Excommunication, from all commerce with the present visible Church wherein hee was bred and born,2 when hee is not cut off from the Catholike, Orthodox all Church. Hee may be deprived of participation of the Ordinance in every particular society,3