N00045:55
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.
12. Because were the sin of a Church-Member of as high and heinous a nature as […], nay (which is more) though the Brother of a Church should turn Heretic yet he is not immediately thereby a non-Member, or felo de se: he is not presently to be rejected: but a first and second Admonition must be applied, and in case of incorrigibleness then follows the Ecclesiastical rejection spoken of, Tit. 3. 10. he must be rejected, but according to Gods Order, even the order of the Gospel: for all things are to be done in order, 1 Cor. 14. 40. so when the Apostle required the Corinthians to put a way from among themselves that wicked person, it is to be understood of putting such away, and avoiding such, and withdrawing themselves from such, and having no company with such &c. All in due season, and all according to the order of Christ, even according to that rule of delivering such an one unto Sath•• as is expressed, 1 Co•. 5 and suiting with that other command of Christ, Mat. 18. according as the nature of the offence is more or less heinous, proportionably is the ⟨image ?⟩[…] either in case the offence be at first […] in case the offence be at first rise of […] still we have no allowance from Scripture to entertain or admit of the Opinion of this Ecclesiastical […].
12. Because were the sin of a Church-Member of as high and heinous a nature as 〈…〉, nay (which is more) though the Brother of a Church should turn Heretick yet he is not immediately thereby a non-Member, or felo de se: he is not presently to be rejected: but a first and second Admonition must be applyed, and in case of incorrigibleness then follows the Ecclesiastical rejection spoken of, Tit. 3. 10. he must be rejected, but according to Gods Order, even the order of the Gospel: for all things are to be done in order,