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…

2. A second ground of their practise we take from the nature of the Sacraments, which though they be seals of the righteousness of faith, (Rom. 4.11.) yet not to all the faithful, as such, but as they are confederate and joined together in some particular visible Church. None may ordinarily dispense a Sacrament of the new Testament, but a Minister of a visible Church, nor may he dispense it to any, but to the members of a visible Church. In the old Testament, none were partakers, either of the Passover, or of Circumcision, unless they were either Israelites borne, or Proselytes to the ⟨p. 78⟩Church of Israel. Job and his three friends, and Elihu with them, though all of them righteous by faith, and all of the stock and kindred of Abraham, yet we read of none of them to be circumcised; nor is it credible they were; for had they been Circumcised, they would not have kept so deep silence of it throughout all their conference with Job, as they do; especially having so often occasion to urge the pollution of nature from the birth; whereof Circumcision had been a most pertinent and pregnant evidence to convince the same. And wherefore were they not all circumcised, being all of them righteous by faith, but only because they had not opportunity to join themselves to the house of Israel, to whom only the Church, and the Covenant of grace, unto them and their seed, and the seals of the Covenant were granted.

2. A second ground of their practise wee take from the nature of the Sacraments, which though they be seales of the righteousnesse of faith, (Rom. 4.11.) yet not to all the faithfull, as such, but as they are confederate and joyned together in some particular visible Church. None may ordinarily dispense a Sacrament of the new Testament, but a Minister of a visible Church, nor may he dispense it to any, but to the members of a visible Church. In the old Testament, none were partakers, either of the Passeover, or of Circumcision, unlesse they were either Israelites borne, or Proselytes to the ⟨p. 78⟩Church of Israel. Job and his three friends, and Elihu with them, though all of them righteous by faith, and all of the stocke and kindred of Abraham, yet wee read of none of them to be circumcised; nor is it credible they were; for had they been Circumcised, they would not have kept so deep silence of it throughout all their conference with Job, as they doe; especially having so often occasion to urge the pollution of nature from the birth; whereof Circumcision had been a most pertinent and pregnant evidence to convince the same. And wherefore were they not all circumcised, being all of them righteous by faith, but onely because they had not opportunitie to joyne themselves to the house of Israel, to whom onely the Church, and the Covenant of grace, unto them and their seed, and the seales of the Covenant were granted.