N01201:143
An appeal to the learned. Being a vindication of the right of visible saints…
An appeal to the learned. Being a vindication of the right of visible saints to the Lords Supper, though they be destitute of a saving work of God's spirit on their hearts: against the exceptions of Mr. Increase Mather. / By Solomon Stoddard, Pastor of Northampton. ; [Two lines from Daniel]
Boston: printed by B. Green for Samuel Phillips, 1709
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Book 3: The Third BOOK. Arguments to prove that Sanctifying Grace is not necessary, in order to…
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.
The reason why we have no account of any National Church among the Gentiles, is because there was no Nation Converted to the Christian saith, during that time; which we have the History of, in the New Testament: there were a few in one City and a few in another that did receive the Christian faith: but the bulk of the several Nations lay in their heathenism.
At the Jews were a National Church of old, so when they return, they will be a National Church again, and as they will be a National Church, so Gentile Nations that profess the true Religion, are National Churches. His objection that then there must be an High Priest is frivolous. If he had argued that then there must be a National Church Government, he had argued right; because Israel was a National Church they had an Ecclesiastical Sanhedrin, but they had an High-Priest on another ⟨p. 55⟩account, viz to typify Christ as the High-Priest of our Profession.
At the Jews were a National Church of old, so when they return, they will be a National Church again, and as they will be a National Church, so Gentile Nations that profess the true Religion, are National Churches. His objection that then there must be an High Priest is frivolous. If he had argued that then there must be a National Church Government, he had argued right; because Israel was a National Church they had an Ecclesiastical Sane•rim, but they had an High-Priest on another ⟨p. 55⟩account, viz to typify Christ as the High-Priest of our Profession.
A Nation that is in Covenant with God is a National Church, a Nation that are in Covenant with God are the People of God, bound jointly and severally to keep Covenant with him. God is one party in the Covenant, and they are the other, and being bound together to keep Covenant, the whole must have power over the parts, to rectify all Mal-administrations, and to see the Covenant kept: it need not seem strange to any to hear of a National Church in the time of the New-Testament, considering how it was foretold by Isaiah: