N00045:46
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. Because this notion of Felo de se takes away the use of a Ministerial Judge in the Church, in case of the offences, and Scandals of this or that particular Member of the Church, to determine of the same. Supposing a person could ecclesiastically cut himself off from the Church by his very act of sin, there would then he no room left for a competent Judg to enquire into the crime whereof he is accused, and to make particular application of the Rule to the case of the sinning brother, and pass sentence according to the true desert, and nature of the offence. That God hath ordained a ministerial judge is plain, M•tth. 18.17. [if he neglect to hear the Church] the Church is to be heard; the phrase of our Saviour Christ implies judicial superiority on the Churches part, and the inferiority and subjection of a part or member to that whole &c. but now this Felony denieth this order which Christ hath established. Though a person deserve excommunication perhaps, yet it must appear that he do deserve it; neither doth his wickedness for which he deserves excommunication, render him a non-Member till he be excommunicated; and hence in this case is very considerable what is asserted by that deservedly famous divine, Mr. Cotton, in his book entitled [the keys of the kingdom of heaven] viz. Though the Jury have given up their judgment,1 and verdict, yet the Malefactor is not thereupon legally condemned, much less executed, but upon the sentence of the judge in like sort here [saith he] though the Brethren of the Church do with one accord give up their vote and judgment for the censure▪ of an offender, yet he is not thereby censured, till upon the Sentence of the Presbytery.
3. Because this notion of Felo de se takes away the use of a Ministerial Judge in the Church, in case of the offences, and Scandals of this or that particular Member of the Church, to determine of the same. Supposing a person could ecclesiastically cut himself off from the Church by his very act of sin, there would then he no room left for a competent Judg to enquire into the crime whereof he is accused, and to make particular application of the Rule to the case of the sinning brother, and pass sentence according to the true desert, and nature of the offence. That God hath ordained a ministerial judge is plain, M•tth. 18.17. [if he neglect to hear the Church] the Church is to be heard; the phrase of our Saviour Christ implies judicial superiority on the Churches part, and the inferiority and subjection of a part or member to that whole &c. but now this Felonie denieth this order which Christ hath established. Though a person deserve excommunication perhaps, yet it must appear that he do deserve it; neither doth his wickedness for which he deserves excōmunication, render him a non-Member till he be excommunicated; and hence in this case is very considerable what is asserted by that deservedly famous divine, Mr. Cotton, in his book intituled [the keyes of the kingdom of heaven] viz. Though the Jury have given up their judgment,