A93091:437
A treatise of liturgies, power of the keys, and of matter of the visible…A treatise of liturgies, power of the keyes, and of matter of the visible…
A treatise of liturgies, power of the keys, and of matter of the visible church. In answer to the reverend servant of Christ, Mr. John Ball. By Thomas Shepherd, sometimes fellow of Emanuel-College in Cambridge, and late pastor of Cambridge in New-England.A treatise of liturgies, power of the keyes, and of matter of the visible church. In answer to the reverend servant of Christ, Mr. John Ball. By Thomas Shephard, sometimes fellow of Emanuel-Colledge in Cambridge, and late pastour of Cambridge in New-England.
London: printed by E. Cotes for Andrew Crooke, 1652
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 There is a covenanting between God and man, which is personal, and so whosoever receives the Word of Gods grace by faith sent unto him by God, enters into Covenant to be his, and that before he makes any visible profession thereof, and so every believer is a disciple, a servant of God, and one of Gods people, ⟨p. 120⟩but many thousands of these considered only in this their personal relation to God, do not make a visible Church, many such might be in the world, but no members of the visible Church, until they came and joined to the Church of Israel of Old, or to the visible Churches in the New Testament.
1 There is a covenanting between God and man, which is personall, and so whosoever receives the Word of Gods grace by faith sent unto him by God, enters into Covenant to be his, and that before he makes any visible profession thereof, and so every beleever is a disciple, a servant of God, and one of Gods people, ⟨p. 120⟩but many thousands of these considered onely in this their personall relation to God, doe not make a visible Church, many such might be in the world, but no members of the visible Church, until they came and joyned to the Church of Israel of Old, or to the visible Churches in the New Testament.
2 There is a social or common covenanting between God and a people, to be a God to them, and they a people unto God in outward visible profession of his Worship; and so the Lord took Abraham and his seed into Covenant, and renewed that Covenant with them, as an holy Nation and peculiar people to him; and in this covenanting of God with a people, whereby they become a Church, there is required, first, that they be many, not one. Secondly, that these many become one body, one people. Thirdly, that they make visible profession of their Covenant with God really, or vocally. Fourthly, that this Covenant contain a profession of subjection to the ordinances of Gods Worship, wherein God requires a Church to walk together before him: and all these may be seen in the Church of Israel, who received Gods laws indeed, but so as they became one people to God, visibly avouched God for their God, received and submitted unto all the laws of his Worship, Government, and other Ordinances. And this is expressly or implicitly in every true visible Church, though more or less fully and purely.