N00045:262
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.
Object: But say you, If we saw hypocrites, we were to cast them out as well as profane persons: and we see no grace in many children, and therefore they must not be received in.
Object: But say you, If we saw hypocrites, we were to cast them out as well as prophane persons: and we see no grace in many children, and therefore they must not be received in.
Answ. 1. If you see children, of whom you cannot say that they are faithful personally, yet they may be faithful federally (as hath been showed) for they may lie under God• Covenant of begetting faith, by some means in them; and then you are not to cast them out, but accept them, as God doth.
Answ. 1. If you see children, of whom you cannot say that they are faithfull personally, yet they may be faithfull federally (as hath been shewed) for they may lie under God• Covenant of begetting faith, by some meanes in them; and then you are not to cast them out, but accept them, as God doth.
3. The children of godly parents though they do not manifest faith in the Gospel, yet they are to be accounted of Gods Church•, ⟨p. 20⟩until they positively reject the Gospel, either in themselves, or in their Parents; and therefore God did never go about to cast off he Jews, and their seed, until they put forth positive unb•l•e•; the Lord promised to give them the means of Faith, and did so: and when Christ was come, and the Gospel sent first unto them for their good, the Lord herein fulfilled his Covenant-Mercy, as toward his Beloved people; but when they rejected these means, and cast off Christ, and his Gospel, then