A93091:509
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.
CHAP. VIII. Consid. 3.
Reply. TO the third consideration, this whole reason as it is propounded makes only against it self; who ever thought that the Seals were not proper to confederates, or the Church of God; of old visible believers in the Covenant of grace were of the visible Church, and in Church order according to the dispensation of those times, though not joined to the society of Abraham's family: to exclude Job, Melchizedek, &c. because not of the visible Church, is wellnigh a contradiction, and so to debar known approved Christians, &c.
Reply. TO the third consideration, this whole reason as it is propounded makes onely against it selfe; who ever thought that the Seales were not proper to confederates, or the Church of God; of old visible beleevers in the Covenant of grace were of the visible Church, and in Church order according to the dispensation of those times, though not joyned to the society of Abrahams family: to exclude Job, Melchisedeck, &c. because not of the visible Church, is welnigh a contradiction, and so to debarre known approved Christians, &c.
Answ. That this reason makes not against it self, Mr. Ball himself hath cleared, when he stated our consideration truly in the words following, as will appear, however here he somewhat troubles the waters needlessly, that the ground may not appear, for there is nothing in our answer which deny Melchizedek, Job, &c. to be of the visible Church according to the manner of those times,