N00045:224
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.
Again if the posterity of Abraham were Members upon this ground only or chiefly, viz. because they were […] of […], then […] Rom. 11. 20 could never have been cast off from being Members of the Church, because they were alway the natural off-spring & posterity of Abraham. Hence therefore it follow's that if they were engrafted in the Church as […] (the Fathers as actually believing the Children as […] apart by […] of God to be •ade to believe and in their Parents Faith accounted believers) then all believers at this day have the same privilege and the Covenant then being made only in respect of Faith, must needs be Gospel Covenant, the same with God's Covenant at this day. And ⟨p. 9⟩hence also it follow's that if they were Members as Believers, then not as Members of that nation. They were not therefore members of the Church, because they were descended of Abraham, and were in a national Church, and were by generation Jews. Circumcision was a Seal of Righteousness by Faith, Rom. 4. 11. therefore they were sealed as believers.
Again if the posterity of Abraham were Members upon this ground only or chiefly, viz. because they were 〈…〉 of 〈…〉, then 〈…〉 Rom. 11. 20 could never have been cast off from being Members of the Church, because they were alway the natural off-spring & posterity of Abraham. Hence therefore it follow's that if they were ingraffed in the Church as 〈…〉 (the Fathers as actually believing the Children as 〈…〉 apart by 〈…〉 of God to be •ade to believe and in their Parents Faith accounted believers) then all believers at this day have the same priviledge and the Covenant then being made only in respect of Faith, must needs be Gospel Covenant, the same with God's Covenant at this day. And ⟨p. 9⟩