N00045:242
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.
Answ. This similitude of marriage doth neither prove, nor illustrate the thing; For the relation between father and such children is absolute & natural, and hence continues though they say he shall not be their father, and though he profess he will not; but the relation founded upon Church-covenant, between member and member, is not natural, nor only, and alway absolute; but also conditional, which condition not being kept, the relation may be, and is usually broken; for look as the Jews were not so absolutely God's people, but if they did in time reject the Gospel, they were to be cast off, and indeed are so at this day, Rom. 2. 25. Hosea 2. 2. Acts 13 46; 51. So 'tis with all Gentile Churches, and the members thereof:& as for that which you last say, That they may refuse their Parents Covenant at age, as well as own it, and so may members go out at pleasure, which is disorder. I answer, That the like may be said of such members as come in by personal profession, for they may renounce their own Covenant with God and the Church, one may do so, and so may twenty, yet though this be wickedness and disorder, yet the Church may proceed against them, and so it may against their Children, who are bound to own the Covenant made with God, and of God with them in their Parents, as well as any Church-Members are to own their own Covenant by their own personal profession. What disorder therefore will come in as you conceive this way will come in by your own way, and what course you should take to heal the one, by the same you may heal the other.
Answ. This similitude of marriage doth neither prove, nor illustrate the thing; For the relation between father and such children is absolute & natural, and hence continues though they say he shall not be their father, and though he profess he will not; but the relation founded upon Church-covenant, between member and member, is not natural, nor only, and allway absolute; but also conditionall, which condition not being kept, the relation may be, and is usually broken; for look as the Jews were not so absolutely God's people, but if they did in time reject the Gospel, they were to be cast off, and indeed are so at this day, Rom. 2. 25.