N00045:18
The church-membership of children, and their right to baptism, according to that holy and…The church-membership of children, and their right to baptisme, according to that holy and…
The church-membership of children, and their right to baptism, according to that holy and everlasting covenant of God, established between himself, and the faithful and their seed after them, in their generations: cleared up in a letter, sent unto a worthy friend of the author, and many years ago written touching that subject; / by Thomas Shepard, sometimes Pastor of the Church of Christ at Cambridge in New-England. ; Published at the earnest request of many: for the consolidation and encouragement [sic], both of parents and children in the Lord. ; [Twelve lines of Scripture texts]The church-membership of children, and their right to baptisme, according to that holy and everlasting covenant of God, established between himself, and the faithfull and their seed after them, in their generations: cleared up in a letter, sent unto a worthy friend of the author, and many yeares agoe written touching that subject; / by Thomas Shepard, sometimes Pastor of the Church of Christ at Cambridg in New-England. ; Published at the earnest request of many: for the consolidation and encouragemenr [sic], both of parents and children in the Lord. ; [Twelve lines of Scripture texts]
printed by Samuel Green, 1663
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.
A PREFACE TO THE READER.
Christian Reader,
Might I have had mine own choice, and desires granted, some other should have performed the task of a Preface to the following Treatise of my precious and much Honoured Father; but being put upon it, by […] worthy friends, whom I knew not how to deny, I shall therefore humbly promise a word or two, in tenderness to the Truth, and out of un•••• love to these especially of Christ's poor sheep (how ever feeble, or diseased) that either have been, or may be in danger of going astray from so great a Truth, as is the subject of the ensuing discourse: being sincerely desirous, that they may be restored, and from thence returned unto the Shepherd, and Bishop of our Souls, and may in nothing be made a prey to him, who is our great adversary, the Devil, who walketh about, seeking whom be may devour. For we should not be ignorant of his devices.
Might I have had mine own choice, and desires granted, some other should have performed the task of a Preface to the following Treatise of my precious and much Honoured Father; but being put upon it, by 〈…〉 worthy friends, whom I knew not how to deny, I shall therefore humbly promise a word or two, in tenderness to the Truth, and out of un•••• love to these especially of Christ's poor sheep (how ever feeble, or diseased) that either have been, or may be in danger of going astray from so great a Truth, as is the subject of the ensuing discourse: being sincerely desirous, that they may be restored, and from thence returned unto the Shepherd, and Bishop of our Soules, and may in nothing be made a prey to him, who is our great adversary, the Devil, who walketh about, seeking whom be may devour. For we should not be ignorant of his devices.