A93091:761
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.
Secondly, With what profession of the work of grace, charity (according to a rule) is to rest satisfied.
Secondly, With what profession of the worke of grace, charity (according to a rule) is to rest satisfied.
The first we think is writ with the beams of the Sun, for it is evident, that neither the Lord in the Old Testament, Exod. 19. or in the New Testament, Acts▪ 2. and in other like Scriptures, did call for a profession of the Doctrine of faith only, but especially of the work of faith; for when the Lord promised to be a God to his people, Exd. 19. Deut. 29. it was not with this condition, if they did believe his word to be true, &c. but if they will hear his voice, and keep his Covenant, which (in a prepared people) is a manifestation of a work of grace. So when the Apostles were required to go preach to all Nations, and baptize them and teach them, look as they did require such a faith as was saving, (he that believeth shall be saved) so upon the▪ profession thereof they did receive them, as also appears, Acts 2. 38. (which therefore could not be of the doctrine of faith, for that the devils do, and tremble, and profane men of much knowledge, may do, and yet unfit to be received, and therefore it was of the work of faith, and therefore Act. 8. 37. Philip not only requires faith, but a believing with all the heart of the Eunuch, and upon such a profession baptized him: and hence the Churches erected by the Apostles at Corinth, Coloss, Ephesus, &c. are called Saints, and sanctified of God in Christ Jesus, &c. How! was it because debito and de jure onely, they should be so? then all who hear the Gospel (though they reject it) might be called a Church, for de jure, they ought to be so; Or was it because there were some that were truly such amongst them, and so in concreto, are called a Church and body of Christ? not only so, for there may be some visible Churches of visible Saints, and yet none among them of the invisible Church, unless any will think, that to be of the Church invisible is essential to the being and title of a visible Church: and therefore it was from their profession of saving faith which they maintained