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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	infant_n	kingdom_n	visible_a	3,042	5	9.7675	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50249	A disputation concerning church-members and their children in answer to XXI questions wherein the state of such children when adult, together with their duty towards the church, and the churches duty towards them is discussed by an assembly of divines meeting at Boston in New England, June 4th, 1657 / now published by a lover of truth.	Mather, Richard, 1596-1669.	1659 (1659)	Wing M1271A; ESTC R3585	21,931	42

would have reduced under the yoke of circumcision they were some of those whom the Apostles accounted Disciples or whom the Apostles had Discipled But some children were some of those whom the false Teachers would have reduced under the yoke of circumcision for they would have had both Gentile Parents and children circumcised after the manner of Moses v. 1 5. with Exod. 12. 48 49. Acts 21. 21. And that the Apostles took in children with Parents when they were conversant in the work of Discipling further appears from Acts 2. 39. 16. 15 31 33. 1 Cor. 7. 14. 2. Some children are under the promised teaching of God Isa. 54. 13. And the Word there used is rendred Disciples Isa 8. 16. 3. Some children do visibly belong to Christ Mark 10. 14. Iosh. 22. 24 25. Therefore are Disciples Compare Mat. 10. 42. with Mark 9. 41. 4. When Christ saith Disciple all Nations he bids gather the Gentiles into like covenant and Church-estate for the substance thereof which had been the portion of the Iews Therefore he bids Disciple some children Arg. 6. They that are subjects of the Lords visible Spiritual Kingdom servants and children of the Lords Family they are Members of the Church which is called the Lords Kingdom and House and Family in the Scripture But so are some children Ezek. 37. 25 26 27. It is Davids i. e. Christs spiritual-gospel-Spiritual-Gospel-Kingdom that he there speaks of and that in reference unto visible Sanctuary or Church-estate That some children are the Lords Servants see Lev. 25. 39 41 42. And that not by common right of Creation onely or designment unto some particular service but of special Redemption and conservation there spoken of And surely both childrens capacity so to be and the Lords Grace and Favour so to accept them was not greater then than now That they are children sons and daughters of God see Rom. 9. 4 26. Gen. 6. 2. Ezek. 16. 20 21. 23. 37. And how were these children the Lords children properly and meerly upon the account of internal and spiritual regeneration For that was not found in many of the children spoken of in the places mentioned nor yet only by Creation for so others were Gods children as well as the children of the Iews and so the daughters of men were his daughters as well as the other were his sons Gen. 6. 2. Therefore they are said to be Gods children because of their Covenant and Church relation unto him which was common to all the children of the Church and to none other and so Ezek. 16 8. shews being compared with verse 20 21. Arg. 7. If no children be members of the visible Church then we have no well-grounded hope according to ordinary course of dispensation of the salvation of any dying Infants And the reason is because salvation pertains to the Church Isa. 45. 17. Eph. 2. 12. 5. 23 26. Ioh. 4. 22. Act. 2. 27. Luke 19. 9. Those that are without the visible Kingdom of God are visibly in the Kingdom of Satan for he is the God of the world 2 Cor. 4. 4. And to him are men delivered when they are cast out of the Church 1 Cor. 5. 5. 1 Tim. 1. 20. So if children live and die out of the visible Church they live and die out of Gods visible Kingdom and visibly in the Kingdom of Satan And then what visible ground of hope according to ordinary course of their salvation But to account the estate of all that die children so hopelesse and forlorn is contrary to the tender and rich mercy of the Lord and to the Doctrine of the Scriptures and to Godly Parents most uncomfortable Arg. 8. If some children were Members of the Church of God in the old Testament then some children are Members of the Church of God in the daies of the new Testament But some children were Members of the Church in the time of the old Testament which though a Truth that we know not how any can deny yet we may briefly evince and confirm thus That children then were in Covenant is expresly witnessed Gen. 17. 7. Deut. 29. 11 12 15. And that they were in such a Covenant or so in Covenant as to be Members of the Church that then was appears because 1. They were in the same Covenant that their Parents or elder persons were in and whereby they were constituted Members of the Church Gen. 17. 7. Deut. 29. 10 11 12 14 15. 27. 9. 26. 18. Ier. 23. 11. Acts 7. 38. 2. They were subjects of a Church-Ordinance never regularly applied to any out of the Church viz. Circumcision Rom. 3. 1 2. They were Israelites i. e. In other words Members of the Church of Israel to whom pertained Church priviledges Rom 9. 4. They were children of the Kingdom and such as were capable of being cast out of Church estate therefore in it Mat. 8. 12. Rom. 11. 20. Ier. 7. 15. 2 King 17. 20. 5. They were visibly the Lords people by Covenant even as the rest of the people were the Lords people Ezek. 16. 8 20 21. 6. They were children of the House of Israel as opposed to dogs i. e. Persons out of the Church Mat. 15. 24 26. In a word as oft as they are said or implied to be a part of the holy seed of the holy people of the Lords people of Israel of the Circumcision of those whom God redeemed out of the Land of Egypt to make them his peculiar treasure of the inheritance and congregati of the Lord c. So often are they shewed to be Members of the Church But all the Question will be about the consequence of the Proposition and that may be cleared thus 1. If the Church of the old Testament and the Church of the Gentiles under the new Testament be for kind essentially the same then if children were Members of that Church they are also Members of these For if they be the same essentially and the same for kind then they have the same Covenant or general From Therefore that Covenant which takes in the seed or children Gen. 17. 7. Therefore the seed or children are in and of the one Church as well as the other But that the Church State then and now was and is essentially the same is evident because it is the same Kingdom of God and not another which is taken from them and given to us Mat. 21. 43. 8. 11 12. One and the same sheepfold for kind under one and the same shepheard in which were the Iews first and the Gentiles afterwards Iohn 10. 16. The Gentiles are fellow heirs with the Iews of the same body and partakers of the same promise Eph. 3 6. We are in the same root and Olive from which some of them were broken off in which the Godly Iews not broken off did still continue and into which the rest shall be grafted in again in time Rom. 11. 17 18 24. The conversion of the Gentiles is expressed in such

in for that his reports of New England have perhaps therefore found the more credit because he above others is not without advantages to know New-England and the waies of the Churches there better than it seems he doth The design of these enquiries being to search out what course the Lord Christ in his wisdom and faithfulnesse hath appointed for prevention of the degenerating of Churches in successive generations from their primitive soundnesse and purity and of the polluting and prostituting of his holy things thereby it is not altogether improbable but some additional contribution of light may be brought forth by them to us here in England in that great case of ours about the restoring of such of our Parishes as retain any thing of the essence of a Church in them and thence are capable of a reformation to such a measure of purity as may take off the just distasts and dissatisfactions of such as are conscientiously tender of their Church-Communion The preservation of Churches pure restauration of them when collapsed meeting in the end do also run along together in the way thereto and are to be accomplished by the same rules May this in any measure be the fruit of this Disputations coming under the presse it will never repent any of those persons that have had any hand therein yea it will be their rejoycing and their glory in the day of the Lord Iesus and that so it may the blessing of Heaven be upon it A DISPUTATION CONCERNING Church-Members AND THEIR CHILDREN IN ANSWER to 21 QUESTIONS Quest 1. WHether any Children of confederate Parents be under their Parents Covenant and members with them Answ. Some Children of confederate Parents are by meanes of their Parents Covenanting in Covenant also and so Members of the Church by divine Institution For Arg. 1. They that are in that Covenant for substance which was made with Abraham Gen. 17. 7. they are in Covenant and Members of the Church by divine Institution because that Covenant doth inferre Church-Membership as being the formall cause thereof For 1. A people that are in that Covenant are thereby the visible People or Church of God Gen. 17. 7. compared with Deut. 29. 12 13. by this Covenant the Family of Abraham and so afterwards the People of Israel was made and established the visible Church of God 2. Many were in that Covenant which never were in saving state of grace Therefore that was the externall or Church Covenant which God makes with his visible Church or People 3. Circumcision sealed that Covenant which was the distinguishing mark between those within and those without the Church But some children are in that Covenant for substance which was made with Abraham Gen. 17. 7. as appears by sundry Scriptures which being rightly considered and compared do inferre the continuance of the substance of that Covenant whereby God is a God to his People and their seed under the new Testament Acts 2. 39. Gal. 3. 14. with Gen. 28. 4. Rom. 11. 16 17. the Churches of the Gentiles do partake of the root of covenanting Abraham and of Olive or Church estate thereby So 1 Cor. 7. 14. The word Holy as applied to any sort of persons and opposed to Gentile-uncleannesse is not in Scripture used for lesse then a Faederall or covenant-holinesse but is often used in that sense as Ezr. 9. 2. Deut. 7. 6. and 14. 2. 21. and 26. 19. and 28. 9. Dan. 8. 24. and 12. 7. Rom. 11. 16. and where a covenant or faederal estate is asserted of children what doth it but refer us to that Ancient and never revoked covenant common to all Nations whereof Abraham was the Pattern-Father Gen. 17. 5 7. And if Gentile Proselytes of old they and their children shared in that covenant surely Gentile believers now are not behind them in the like priviledge For the Gentile confederate believer is also a child of Abraham Gal. 3. 7 29. Rom. 4. 11 16. Therefore he hath that covenant of which Abraham was a pattern subject made with him viz. That God will be his God and the God of his seed Luk. 19. 9. Arg. 2. Such children as are by Christ affirmed to have a place and portion in the Kingdome of Heaven they have a place and portion in the visible Church and so consequently are members thereof But so it is with some children Math. 19. 14. Mark 10. 14. Luk 18. 16. The Proposition is evident for the Kingdome of heaven or of God is sundry times used to expresse the visible Church or Church estate Math. 25. 1. and 21. 43. and 8. 12. And if the Disciples might or should have known that those children were to be admitted to Christ upon that ground then the Kingdome-Interest of such children was a visible or knowable and apparent thing If any should expound it of the Kingdome of Glory yet that would inferre the same thing For neither may the Church exclude those from her fellowship who by Christ his testimony are visible heirs of Glory nor are any in ordinary course heirs of the Kingdome of Glory that are not of Gods visible Church and Kingdome of Grace here And what is there spoken by Christ himself as a standing truth and that under the term of the Kingdome of Heaven a term in speciall manner applied unto Gospel-Administration cannot be doubted to continue in force in the Christian Church of the new Testament Arg. 3. If no children be members of the visible Church then was not the Lord Jesus when a child a member of the visible Church but none we presume will venture to say so of Christ Arg. 4. If it were not so no children might be Baptized For Baptisme being a Church Ordinance and a seal of being incorporated into the Church 1 Cor. 12. 13. and succeeding circumcision which was proper to the Church none can be subjects immediately capable thereof but Church-Members Nor doth the Power of Officers as such extend further then to the Churches as they cannot judge so they may not Baptize them that are without or non-members Arg. 5. They that are some of the Disciples intended in Mat. 28. 19. are Church-members For as the term Disciples is ordinarily used for Church-Members Act. 6. 1 2 3 5. and 9. 26. and 14. 22 23 27 28 and 18. 27. and Vers. 22. with Chap. 21. 16. and 20. 7. So this sense thereof best suits that place in Matthew 28. 19. because the Disciples there are the immediate subjects of Baptisme and so of being called by God his name the wonted Title of Church-Members and because they are such as are subjected to Christs School to Christs Doctrine and Discipline and to the authoritative teaching of his Ministers and observation of all things that shall be taught by them ver. 20. But some children are some of the Disciples intended in Mat. 28. 19. For 1. some children were some of those whom the Apostles in accomplishing that commission did Disciple Acts 15. 20. Those whom the false Teachers

Scriptures from the subject thereof viz. A Believer Rom. 10. 10. Every believer is a confessor From the matter the greatest Truth i. e. The Doctrine of Christ Jesus Heb. 3. 1. The Apostle of our confession From the manner others not being excluded as we are called thereunto 1 Pet. 3. 15. In a Church way Mat. 16. 16 19. Paul 2 Cor. 9. 13. in a special manner commends the subjection of the obedience of the Church astipulation of the Corinthians From its excellency a good Profession 1 Tim. 6. 12. A good confession v. 13. It s giving glory unto God 2 Cor. 9. 13. It s victorious exemplarinesse in respect of men Rev. 12. 11. The blessing upon the sincere performance thereof Heb. 11. 13 16. Mat. 10. 32. With the heart man believeth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Quest 7. Whether as large Qualifications be not required of a Members child to the participation of the Lords Supper and the priviledges of votes and censures as were requirable of his Parents at their first entrance Ans. The holding forth of Faith and Repentance with an ability to examine themselves by way of confession to the judgment of Charity were all requirable in the Parent for admission into the Church to full communion and the same is requisite for the regular admission of the Parents child being grown adult unto his full communion with the Church For the clearing of this Proposition two things are to be proved 1. That they are to have Faith and Repentance 2. That this Faith and Repentance must appear to others First They are to have Faith Repentance 1. Because Examination is the duty and Faith and Repentance are the matter of their Examination without both the being and exercise of which they cannot come worthily to the Lords Supper which is the end of their examination 2. From the end of the Lords Supper which is instituted not for regeneration but for nourishment and confirmation 'T is a Supper and a Seal That their Faith and Repentance ought to appear to others is manifest thus The Officers ought to be wise and faithful stewards now to such it belongs not only to dispense a portion in reason but to see also that those to whom it is dispensed are meet to receive their portion Luke 12. 42. 1 Cor. 4. 2. The Lords Supper cannot regularly be administred to any receiver concerning whom personally according to Truth in the judgment of charity the Minister cannot say Take and eat this is the body of the Lord Jesus which was given for you But this the Minister cannot say with good Conscience to any one upon his meer having of Faith and Repentance without a visible holding forth of the same to others in their own persons because both the exercise of reason and the exercise of Grace are requisite to the taking and eating here required As this proves the assertion concerning the Officers so 1 Cor. 10. 15 16 17. proveth the same concerning the whole body because in a regular celebration of the Lords Supper the whole Church doth judge all the partakers thereof to have spiritual communion with Christ crucified and one with another as one body in him It is the duty of the Church and Officers respectively as the keepers of the holy things so to discern between the holy and prophane the clean and the unclean as that the Sacrament may onely be administred unto worthy receivers Ezek. 44. 7 8 23. But this cannot be except the premised essentiall requisites be made appear to them in judgment of Charity Concerning the power of voting it is not rational that they should exercise a Church-power as to the administration of Church-Ordinances which voting implies who themselves are unfit for all Ordinances They who are thus unfit will abuse the Ordinances themselves and admit and retain unworthy Officers and Members and discourage the worthy and therefore power in the hands of such is not for edification but for destruction contrary to the mind of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 8. Quest 8. Whether by Covenant seed is meant the seed of immediate Parents onely or of remote also Ans. The Gospel by Covenant seed intends only the seed of immediate Parents in Church Covenant as appears from 1 Cor. 7. 14. The Parents there spoken of are immediate Parents their Progenitors were Heathens The Gospel extends not the external Covenant beyond the immediate Parents If neither of the immediate Parents be in Covenant their children are unclean see the Text The next Parent may bring in his seed though his Progenitors be unbelievers and the next Parents may cut off their seed though the progenitors be believers witnesse the instances of Ishmael and Esau Ier. 9. 25 26. Ezek. 32. 29. Psal. 83. 6. Mal. 1. 4. Gen. 21. 10. Otherwise there can no generation be given where the Covenant Interest of posterity can expediently be bounded Depinge ubi sistam Shew us where we shall make our stand The contrary exposeth the Churches to inevitable and intollerable impurities Quest 9. Whether adopted Children and bond servants be Covenant-seed Ans. Adopted children and Infant-servants regularly and absolutely subjected to the Government and dispose of such heads of Families as are in Church-covenant though they cannot be said to be their natural seed yet in regard the Scriptures according to the judgment of many Godly Learned extend to them the same Covenant priviledges with their natural seed we judge not any Churches who are like-minded with them for their practise herein All which notwithstanding yet we desire at present to leave this Question without all prejudice on our parts to after free disquisition Quest 10. Whether the child admitted by his Fathers Covenant be also a Deputy for his seed without or before personal Covenanting or without before like personal qualifications in kind as his Father was to enjoy when he became a Deputy Ans. The meaning of this Question in other terms we conceive to be this whether the child of a person joyned in Church-Covenant by means of his or her immediate Parents Covenant though such a Parent be not admitted to nor qualified for full communion nor have covenanted in their own person whether we say the child of such a person is to be baptized Whereunto we answer in these following propositions Propos. 1. Infants either of whose immediate Parents are in Church-Covenant do confaederate with their Parents and are therefore Church-members with them See Ans. to Quest 1. Propos. 2. It is the duty of those Infants when grown up to years of discretion though not yet fit for the Lords Supper to own the Covenant they made with their Parents by entring thereinto in their own persons and it is the duty of the Church to call upon them for the performance thereof as appeareth by Scripture examples of persons both called to and entring into Covenant many of whom could not be looked upon as personally Gracious and therefore not fit for