N00045:258
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.
2. A Church of professing Believers may degenerate, and turn profane, and sottish, and to have no just right to the Seals; and their Officers may leave them, and so have no use of the Seals: yet I suppose it is a Church of Christ still though degenerate, though unfit to enjoy Seals; will you therefore think one way of […] Membership unlawful, viz. by professing their Faith? Because such a rare thing as this may happen? why then should you think the way of […] Membership unlawful because of the like rarity in such a d••k and gloomy state of them as you mention?
2. A Church of professing Believers may degenerate, and turn prophane, and sottish, and to have no just right to the Seales; and their Officers may leave them, and so have no use of the Seales: yet I suppose it is a Church of Christ still though degenerate, though unfit to enjoy Seales; will you therfore think one way of 〈…〉 Membership unlawfull, viz. by professing their Faith? Because such a rare thing as this may happen? why then should you think the way of 〈…〉 Membership unlawfull because of the like rarity in such a d••k and gloomy state of them as you mention?
Object. 6. If Children be Members, then […] will be many in the Church, who are not Saints by calling, […] in Christ Jesus, which ought not to be […] Church could […] so may […] plainly seen.
Object. 6. If Children be Members, then 〈…〉 will be many in the Church, who are not Saints by calling, 〈…〉 in Christ Jesus, which ought not to be 〈…〉 Church could 〈…〉 so may 〈…〉 plainly seen.