N00045:250
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.
3. If therefore children be able to examine themselves and discern the Lords body, they may then eat; and herein there is no difference in this privilege between member and member.
3. If therefore children be able to examine themselves and discern the Lords body, they may then eat; and herein there is no difference in this priviledge between member and member.
4. Children not being usually able to examine themselves, nor discern the Lords body, hence they are not to be admitted to the use of this privilege: and yet they may be such members as may enjoy the benefit of other privileges even that of Baptism: for baptism seals up our first entrance into the Covenant. This first entrance is not alway by personal profession of Faith, but by Gods promise of working, or of vouchsafing the means of working of it, now Children (as is ⟨p. 17⟩proved) being under this Covenant (as we see all the posterity also of Abraham was) hence though children cannot profess faith, nor actually examine themselves yet they may receive, and must receive baptism, being already under Gods Covenant; but because the Lords Supper doth not seal up this first entrance, and first right to the Covenant, but our growth and fruition of the Covenant; hence this act on our part is required to participate in this, which the Apostle calls self-examination, and the act of taking, and […] Christ, and of discerning the Lords •ody), and of doing this in remembrance of Christ: which every baptised person, and Church-member is not alway able to do. A child may receive a promise aforehand of a rich estate given him, and this promise sealed up to him, his father receiving it for him, but it is not fit that he should be put to the actual improvement, and fruition of that estate, until he is grown up, understands himself, and knows how to do it: so 'tis here, the Sacrament of the Lords Supper requires ability, 1. To take Christ as our own. 2. To eat Christ, that is, to take fruition of him: the which acts of faith, God doth not require of all those immediately, who are wrapped up in Covenant with him.