N01201:171
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.
What do these men want to make them Members of particular Churches? he will say, They want to be in Covenant with particular Churches; but there is neither Precept nor Precedent for it in the Scripture. He faith in another Book, That I call the Church a body corporate; but there is no forming of a body corporate without a Covenant; but therein he lies under a great mistake; bodies corporate may be made by Law, and they may be made by Charter.
What do these men want to make them Members of particular Churches? he will say, They want to be in Covenant with particular Churches; but there is neither Precept nor PRecedent for it in the Scripture. He faith in another Book, That I call the Church a body corporate; but there is no forming of a body corporate without a Covenant; but therein he lies under a great mistake; bodies corporate may be made by Law, and they may be made by Charter.
There is a covenant indeed between God and every professing Nation. God brought his people of old into a Church ⟨p. 70⟩Estate by making a covenant with them, which covenant was several times renewed, Deut. 29.10-13. And all Proselytes among the Jews were to take hold of this covenant: Isai. 56.4. But there is no necessity of any covenant between the Members of a particular Congregation among themselves, though God makes Promises to a National Church, it does not follow, that the Members of a Congregation must make Promises among themselves. There was a covenant between God and the Church of Israel: but the Members of each Synagogue did not make a covenant between themselves: Particular Churches may be bounded either by civil Authority, or Ecclesiastical, or by Argument: and it is ordinarily the duty of every one that is a Member of the Catholic Church, to carry on the Worship of God in conjunction with the particular Church where he dwells: and he is bound by his profession of Religion so to do, and the Church likewise doth stand bound to accept of him, if he carries well.