B20736:195
The way of the churches of Christ in New-England, or, The way of churches…The vvay of the churches of Christ in New-England, or, The vvay of churches…
The way of the churches of Christ in New-England, or, The way of churches walking in brotherly equality, or co-ordination, without subjection of one church to another measured and examined bight golden reed of the sanctuary, containing a full declaration of the church-way in all particulars / by Mr. J. Cotton ...The vvay of the churches of Christ in New-England, or, The vvay of churches walking in brotherly equalitie, or co-ordination, without subjection of one church to another measured and examined bythe golden reed of the sanctuary, containing a full declaration of the church-way in all particulars / by Mr. J. Cotton ...
London: printed by Matthew Simmons, 1645
THE Way of the Churches of Christ in NEW-ENGLAND, Measured by the G… › Chapter 3 › Section 4
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.
SECT. IV.
Come we now to give account of the second point, why we receive such into the Church by way of Covenant.
COme wee now to give account of the second point, why wee receive such into the Church by way of Covenant.
1. Meet it is that as the whole Church was received as one body unto Christ by professing their entrance into covenant with God, as hath been showed above in the third Proposition of the fifth part, so every member of the Church should be received into the same fellowship, by profession of their taking hold of the same Covenant; Eadem estratio partium & totius, there is the same reason of the whole and of the parts, in such things as concern the common nature of both; And as all relatives do, they mutually argue one another. Hence it is that when godly strangers (who had joined themselves to the Lord, to wit, by faith, to serve him, to love his name, and keep his Sabbath) were to be brought into the fellowship of the Lords house, they added this duty over and above the former, they took hold of the Covenant of the Lord, Isa. 56.3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Surely not by faith only, for their personal salvation, (for so they took hold of the covenant before when they joined themselves to the Lord, ver. 3.) but by their profession of their acceptance of the Covenant, and subjection to it, which the Lord maketh with his Church and people, whom he causeth to pass into the bond of the Covenant,