B20736:298
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 4 › Section 6
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.
4. Some are decayed members, which though they belong to Gods Election, & are truly engrafted into Christ Jesus, yet for the present have no lively sense of the power and virtue of Christ: these are like to a leg or arm to a man that hath a dead palsy, which though it remain for a time without feeling and nourishment, yet being joined to the body, it may be recovered by the virtue of some strong medicine, and made whole as the other.
4. Some are decayed members, which though they belong to Gods Election, & are truly ingraffed into Christ Jesus, yet for the present have no lively sense of the power and vertue of Christ: these are like to a legge or arme to a man that hath a dead palsey, which though it remaine for a time without feeling and nourishment, yet being joyned to the body, it may be recovered by the vertue of some strong medicine, and made whole as the other.
Of this sort are Excommunicated persons, for in regard of their engrafting, they are true members, and cannot be quite cut off from the body of Christ, Joh. 10.18. And though they be holden as cut off from the holy Communion of the faithful by the Churches censure; as also because Christ ratifieth in heaven, what the Church hath done on earth; and likewise because in themselves they want the free passage of the life and virtue of the spirit of grace, till they be touched with repentance; yet they are not wholly cut off from the society of the faithful, because the seed of faith remaineth in them, and that knitteth the bond of conjunction with Christ.
Of this sort are Excommunicated persons, for in regard of their ingraffing, they are true members, and cannot be quite cut off from the body of Christ, Joh. 10.18. And though they be holden as cut off from the holy Communion of the faithfull by the Churches censure; as also because Christ ratifieth in heaven, what the Church hath done on earth; and likewise because in themselves they want the free passage of the life and vertue of the spirit of grace, till they be touched with repentance; yet they are not wholly cut off from the societie of the faithfull, because the seed of faith remaineth in them, and that knitteth the bond of conjunction with Christ.