N00045:268
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. What profit is it to persons grown up to years, and yet secretly hypocrites, who enter into the Church by profession of the faith? you will say there is good and profit in respect of the privileges themselves, but they abusing them they had, in this respect, better have been without them, because they bring hereby upon themselves greater condemnation. The same say I of children, whom God receives into his ⟨p. 21⟩Church, by promise, and Covenant of doing them good, although at present they may not be so sensible of this good.
2. What profit is it to persons grown up to yeares, and yet secretly hypocrites, who enter into the Church by profession of the faith? you will say there is good and profit in respect of the priviledges themselves, but they abusing them they had, in this respect, better have been without them, because they bring hereby upon themselves greater condemnation. The same say I of children, whom God receives into his ⟨p. 21⟩Church, by promise, and Covenant of doing them good, although at present they may not be so sensible of this good.
3. To speak plainly, the good they get by being thus enriched is wonderful: and here there is more need of a Treat•s• then of a Letter, to clear up the benefits from all Scruples, arising by being in outward Covenant, in Church fellowship, even unto Infants: I confess I find little said by Writers upon this Subject, & I believe the doubts against children's Baptism, as they arise by blindness in this particular; so I think that God suffers that opinion to take place, that by such darkness he may bring out light in this particular. I will only hint unto you some few of my many thoughts, which have long exercised me for many years in this thing. The good by children's membership, especially when Sealed, is in four things.