N00045:42
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.
1. Because it is unscriptural. In matters of Gods worship, a negative argument is conclusive; if that which is asserted; be not contained in the Scripture, expressly, or by due consequence therefrom, it is to be rejected. To the Law and to the Testimony.
1. Because it is unscriptural. In matters of Gods worship, a negative argument is conclvsive; if that which is asserted; be not contained in the Scripture, expresly, or by due consequence therefrom, it is to be rejected. To the Law and to the Testimony.
[…] The Scriptures alleged by some, and thought to favour this notion of Felones de se, are only such as do but lay down before us the sins of some Church-members, and do not speak of the [Greek or Hebrew] (punishment or censure) as 'tis called, 2 Cor. 2.6. which in such case is to be inflicted, and therefore are not […] ▪ only that which seem's to have most weight in it, and to which therefore I shall briefly reply, is that in Act. 8. 21. […] part nor lot in this matter▪ Answer. I would not say that this text, propounded with reference to the children of the Church that are not in full communion, is not apposite, because the text speaks of a member in full communion: though to say so much is accounted by some a sufficient answer to such Scripture arguments, as conclude against felones de se, from Church-members that are in full Communion ( […] Churchmembers) to such Church members as are not in full communion: But yet having gained this fort; that what is in Scripture spoken of a member in full communion, is applicable (as far• as mere membership reacheth) to a member that is not in full communion we may now the more easily proceed in the after discourse. To this Scripture (then, alleged for […] dren of the Church not in full communion, by their ⟨image ?⟩