A64833:368
Venning's remains, or, Christ's school consisting of four classes of Christians, I. babes, II.…
Venning's remains, or, Christ's school consisting of four classes of Christians, I. babes, II. little children, III. young men, IV. fathers : with their several characteristical differences and attainments, also the doctrines proper to be taught to each of them : being the substance of many sermons / preached by Ralph Venning and fitted by him for the press before his death.
London: printed for John Hancock senior and junior, 1675
Class 2: The SECOND CLASSIS IN THE School of CHRIST, Viz. Little CHILDREN.
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.
From 1 John 2.13. I write unto you little Children, because ye have known the Father.
Having formerly spoken to the first and lowest Classis or Form of Saints, viz. Babes in Christ from several other Texts, I now proceed to treat of the second Classis, or degree, or rank of Christians, who are called Little Children: which Title is not used here (as sometime 'tis elsewhere) for a name common ⟨p. 250⟩to all the Saints, for in that sense a Babe is a Child and a Father is but a Child; but here it notes a peculiar state, characterized and discovered by a peculiar attainment, as was cleared in the former Treatise, where I gave a general account of this Text: and to which I must refer the Reader, as for many other things.
HAving formerly spoken to the first and lowest Classis or Form of Saints, viz. Babes in Christ from several other Texts, I now proceed to treat of the second Classis, or degree, or rank of Christians, who are called Little Children: which Title is not used here (as sometime 'tis elsewhere) for a name common ⟨p. 250⟩to all the Saints, for in that sense a Babe is a Child and a Father is but a Child; but here it notes a peculiar state, characterized and discovered by a peculiar attainment, as was cleared in the former Treatise, where I gave a general account of this Text: and to which I must refer the Reader, as for many other things.
That in the School of Christ there are several and distinct Classes of Fathers, Young-men, little Children, and Babes; that these states are not to be measured by their age or years, but by their attainments and experiences; That there is something common to all these; and something proper to each of these which cann (at […]) so eminently be said of all these or of my other sort of them; only that what ever excellency there is in the lowest is in the highest (gradually) much more, and what ever defect or carnality is in the lower, is in his higher much less: I say of all these things I have treated at large before, and shall not make any further repetition of them here.